Tattle: Vivek Shah arrested in extortion threats to Harvey Weinstein, four others

IMAGINE THE MOVIE - a controversial, outspoken film producer is threatened and blackmailed by a D-list actor.

It's a bit too mainstream to be a Harvey Weinstein-produced film, but it's just what happened to the famed producer.

According to deadline.com and the New York Post, Harvey received a letter in July with threats to kill him and his family - he's married and has four daughters - if he didn't pay millions.

Harvey contacted the FBI and they tracked "actor" Vivek Shah by the overseas bank accounts he'd opened to receive the extortion payments from the movie mogul.

In case Harvey didn't pan out, Shah targeted four other wealthy big shots. Shah was arrested Aug. 10 at his parents' home in Illinois.

He was on his way back to Los Angeles, where he was set to take lessons on how to shoot a handgun.

Shah is being held without bail. His arrest was first reported by the Smoking Gun website.

Kathie Lee Gifford has weighed in on whether Taylor Swift crashed Kyle Kennedy's wedding.

Yup.

And Kathie Lee should know because she was at the wedding. As Frank Gifford's latest wife, she's stepmother to Kyle's mom, Victoria Gifford Kennedy.

On Thursday, Kathie Lee spilled all - and not just wine - on the "Today" show. She said Taylor's new cradle-robbed boyfriend, Conor Kennedy, was invited to the wedding but didn't respond until an hour before when he asked if Taylor could come with him.

"[Victoria] didn't know if he was coming or not," Kathie Lee told her oh-so-patient co-host, Hoda Kotb. "She heard that he might be, but he got in touch with her an hour earlier, and said, basically, 'Can I bring my girlfriend?' . . . She said very nicely, 'Please do not come.' Guess what? Then they came."

* Manufacturer MGA Entertainment, the toy company behind the Bratz doll line, says it's working toward settling a lawsuit accusing Lady Gaga of sabotaging a deal to make a doll in her likeness.

MGA says in a court document filed Wednesday that there has been "progress" toward resolving the case. It says it anticipates "further pursuit of settlement in the upcoming days."

MGA filed the $10 million-plus lawsuit last month. It said Gaga's reps stopped cooperating with the doll project after MGA spent more than $1 million.

The dolls were to play snippets of the singer's music.

A Gaga rep has called the lawsuit "ill-conceived."

* John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, was denied release from prison in his seventh appearance before a parole board, New York corrections officials said Thursday.

Oh, well. Tough break.

He can try again in two years.

* The Los Angeles Times reports that "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock will be getting his own series starting in April.

"Inside Man" will take Spurlock inside such subcultures as gun lovers, marijuana growers, migrant farm workers and end-of-life caregivers.

Sounds a lot like his previous series for FX, "30 Days."

* Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of the movie-musicals "Chicago" and "Hairspray," will be overseeing the next Academy Awards in 2013.

Academy management announced Thursday that Zadan and Meron will produce the 85th annual Oscars, which will air live Feb. 24 on ABC.

* John Mayer, Gregg Allman, Dierks Bentley and several other musicians are getting together to pay tribute to the late Levon Helm.

The "Love for Levon" benefit concert will be held Oct. 3 at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, N.J. It will include performances from such artists as My Morning Jacket, Ray LaMontagne, Eric Church, Patty Griffin, Bruce Hornsby, Mavis Staples, Warren Haynes, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams, Marc Cohn and Joe Walsh.

The influential Grammy-winning singer and drummer for The Band died of throat cancer earlier this year at age 71.

Tickets go on sale to the public Wednesday. Proceeds from the concert will support Levon's estate and his Midnight Ramble concerts.

Don Was and Larry Campbell will serve as musical directors.

* Ten years ago, Avril Lavigne longed for a "Sk8er Boi." Now she's going to marry a guy who can afford a $350,000 engagement ring.

That's the value of the rock Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger put on her finger.

On BANGShowbiz.com, jewelry expert Michael O'Connor said of the ring: "A pear shape diamond set in platinum is a nod to vintage glamour and individuality - perfect for a rocker like Avril. The half-moon diamonds are also rare since they would have to be specially cut to fit on either side of the center diamond. The center diamond is approximately 10 carats, with an additional 4 carats of total side diamonds."

* Hilary Duff tops the list of "American Entertainment Royalty" compiled by the genealogy website findmypast.com.

Hilary finished first because she was deemed the American "star" most closely related to Queen Elizabeth II.

Hilary, it turns out, is the 18th cousin of the queen.

Beyoncé came in at No. 17, as Elizabeth's 25th cousin, once removed. Hmmm . . .

Brad Pitt finished next, a 25th cousin, twice removed. And in a listing that could send shock waves through their children, Angelina Jolie came in behind Pitt - a 26th cousin to Elizabeth.

So, yes, Brad and Angelina are very distant cousins.

And Jennifer Aniston gets the last laugh after all.

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.