Sideshow: Writer made up Dylan quotes

"The lies are over now," writes New Yorker reporter Jonah Lehrer in a mea culpa on Jim Romenesko's blog admitting he manufactured out of whole cloth a series of quotes he attributed to rock-and-roll bard Bob Dylan in his acclaimed science book Imagine: How Creativity Works. "I understand the gravity of my position. I want to apologize to everyone I have let down," writes Lehrer, who has resigned from the New Yorker. "I will do my best to correct the record and ensure that my misquotations and mistakes are fixed."

Lehrer's transgression was exposed earlier this month by rocker and journalist Michael Moynihan, who challenged the Dylan quotes. Lehrer stonewalled.

Lehrer's troubles didn't start with Dylan. In June, Lehrer was accused of cribbing material from the Wall Street Journal in one of his blog entries. The New Yorker has since appended notes on five of his posts apologizing for "the duplication of material."

Alaska's former first daughter, Bristol Palin, 21, will get her groove back on Dancing With the Stars for a special all-star blow-out. "The press is going to talk about me no matter what, so I might as well have fun," USA Today quotes Sarah Palin's daughter as saying. Palin, who came in third in Season 11, will join a cast of thousands, including Kirstie Alley, Pamela Anderson, Melissa Rycroft, Kelly Monaco, and Shawn Johnson on the new season, set to premiere Sept. 24.

Matthew McConaughey and Gina Gershon's William Friedkin-helmed comic thriller Killer Joe has received an NC-17 rating for its nudity, violence, and depiction of pedophilia. "Let's wear it as a badge and keep it shined!" Matthew tells FoxNews.com of the rating.

MM, who plays a pedophile cop, says intitially he was repulsed by the picture.

"I thought [the script] was gross. I put it down and threw it in the trash and wanted nothing to do with it," he says.

"Then I took a long, hot shower."

MM says some of his brainy friends convinced him the script was very good.

Yet more details in the Kristen Stewart melodrama, which, if remotely true, will rend your heart in twain, shatter your soul into a thousand crystalline shards: RPat was thisclose to proposing before she came clean about her dirty "momentary indiscretion" with That Older Director Guy.

"Robert [Pattinson] hoped to marry Kristen and was making preparations to spring a proposal before she admitted cheating," Anonymous Source tells London tabloid The Mirror. "He had bought the house in Los Angeles to be their home and saw them staying there for a long time."

RPat used the weekend to move out of the manse. They're not speaking; they are sending "heated text messages only."

Just to prolong the pain - and milk every drop of ad revenue possible - Us Weekly has posted its super top-secret photos of KStew having a kiss with that non-RPat man.

Will American Idol manage to resurrect itself? Fox's show has been hemorrhaging judges for two seasons - Simon Cowell, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler  are all gone. Things started looking up last week when Mariah Carey signed on. Now Us Weekly says Idol suits are in negotiations with boy-bander and Broadway sensation Nick Jonas and rapper, producer, and clothing designer Pharrell Williams to fill out the judges' table. "Nick is pretty close to signing," an insider tells Us Weekly.

Want to hire Paul McCartney as your wedding singer? He's going for cheap: one pound sterling ($1.57). That's the fee he and fellow rockers charged to perform at Friday's Danny Boyle-created London Olympics opening spectacular, Isles of Wonder. Performers, who included Kenneth Branagh, JK Rowling, James Bond actor Daniel Craig and Mike Oldfield, lent their services for little or no money. The nearly four-hour show cost a reported $42 mil.

Bret Michaels and gf Kristi Gibson had dated for nearly 15 years before finally deciding to marry in December 2010. The couple, who have two kids, Raine Elizabeth, 12, and Jorja Bleu, 7, just broke off the long engagement, Bret's rep tells People. . . . Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' Paul Nassif on Monday filed for legal separation from wife Adrienne Maloof, TMZ says. . . . People mag has a twofer baby item: Saturday Night Live's Bill Hader and wife Maggie welcomed baby girl Harper on Saturday, while Elizabeth Berkley of Showgirls fame and designer hub Greg Lauren welcomed son Sky Cole on July 20.

Philadelphia anchor Ukee Washington was expected to return to CBS3 Tuesday after undergoing hip replacement surgery. Washington, 53, who had been on medical leave since late May, was to start the day at 4:30 a.m. with Eyewitness News This Morning, then join cohost Pat Ciarrocchi on Talk Philly at noon. They were to chat with The Campaign stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.

Speaking of The Campaign, Will F. and Zach G. will lead a faux political rally (and vrai movie publicity stunt) at 11 a.m. at the National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St. All are welcome.