Amy Winehouse, who is accused of striking dancer Sherene Flash at a charity ball in September, was in a London court yesterday for the start of her trial. Flash said she had been "punched forcefully in my right eye" when she asked the blues singer to pose for a photo.

Prosecutor Lyall Thompson said Amy appeared to be on "some other substance" and hit Flash with unjustifiable violence. "This was a deliberate assault," Thompson said. "There was nothing accidental about" Amy's actions.

Amy says she felt intimidated by Flash and meant only to gently push her away. "It was more like an indication of 'Leave me alone, I'm scared of you,' " she said.

Tracy Morgan: Tina's my girl

Tracy Morgan has reached godhood: He is up for an Emmy for his work on 30 Rock; he stars in the Disney hit G-Force; he's shooting Kevin Smith's comedy, A Couple of Dicks; and his memoir, I'm the New Black, is due Oct. 20.

He tells USA Today that he's proud he's still sober under all this pressure, adding that his yearlong sobriety started with a chat with Tina Fey. "She told me to fly right," Morgan says. "That's my girl, Tina Fey-Fey. . . . That's my sister from another mother with a different color."

On a more jocular note, TM told David Letterman Wednesday night that he was afraid being nominated for an Emmy might arouse suspicion. "There might be an investigation, they might think we juicing," he says, referring to the ongoing sports-star steroid scandals.

Megan's artistic integrity

Megan Fox, who has said she loved being sexy in the two Transformers movies, won't lower herself to be the next Bond babe. So says Brit tab the Daily Star, which claims Fox would "rather be a more central part of a movie" and not just a hot bod.

T. R. Knight explains himself

Why did lovable Dr. George leave Grey's Anatomy? T.R. Knight tells Entertainment Weekly he was ill-treated - and shortchanged - by show creator Shonda Rhimes. "My five-year experience proved to me that I could not trust any answer that was given" about the direction his character was taking, he said, adding that George became someone he didn't like or respect.

Knight got only 48 minutes of screen time in the first nine episodes of season five. "No other series' regular's character had ever disappeared like mine did this past season," he said.

'Green Hornet' takes shape

Variety says action megadude Nicolas Cage and hot funny girl Cameron Diaz are in talks to star in The Green Hornet opposite Seth Rogen, as the masked hero. Actor/director Stephen Chow, who has been replaced as director by Michel Gondry, also may lose his acting gig. The trade mag says Chow, who was to star as GH's sidekick, Kato (who is totally based on O. J. Simpson sidekick Kato Kaelin), may be replaced by a new actor. (Dudes, call Kaelin!)

Whitney Houston madness . . .

. . . continues. The diva, who is driving a super-charged marketing machine for her new CD, claims she almost quit her trade. Speaking at a celeb-filled VIP party Tuesday, Whitney said, "I had other plans, about three years ago, to live on an island and open a fruit stand and do my own little quiet thing - just raise my [daughter] Bobbi Kristina and call it a day." Yeah, right.

Tidbits 'n' pieces

The Jay Leno Show, set to launch Sept. 14, will feature Jay Leno's Tonight Show band leader, Kevin Eubanks, says Variety. Tonight announcer John Melendez will join the writing staff, while Ellen Brown, who directed Leno's entire 17-year run on Tonight, has been replaced by Liz Plonka.

Brit thesp Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) has joined Showtime's The Tudors for its final season as Henry VIII's (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

Hough's big dreams

Two-time Dancing With the Stars winner Julianne Hough is taking a break from the show to pursue her ultimate goal in life. "I want to be like Beyoncé!", she tells USA Today. Hough, who turned 21 on Monday, wants to pursue her country music career after she finishes the Footloose remake. (She stars opposite hottieboy Chace Crawford.) She says being so multitalented ain't easy: "It's hard for me because I like to do everything 110 percent, and for me, trying to juggle two careers now - almost three - I hate to do things halfway."

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Contact "SideShow" at sideshow@phillynews.com.

This column contains information from the Associated Press.