Colts to release Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts had both hoped he would play his entire NFL career with that franchise. It won't be happening. What was speculated about for months will become official Wednesday when the Colts officially part ways with their future Hall of Fame quarterback. It has been confirmed that Manning will be released, ending his storied 14-year tenure with the club. Jay Glazer reported that Manning and Colts owner Jim Irsay will conduct a joint news conference Wednesday in Indianapolis. The tone is intended as a farewell tribute to Manning, whom Irsay has long championed as a close friend as well as Colts star. The news conference will be held at noon. The Colts were unable to reach a restructured contract with Manning that would have kept the franchise from having to pay a $28 million roster bonus that was due Thursday. The Colts are uncertain about Manning's NFL future after four neck surgeries in a 19-month span. They also are set to draft Manning's heir apparent — Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck — with the first pick in April's draft. Manning, who will turn 36 on March 24, is vigorously rehabbing in hopes of resuming his NFL career. Teams who could be in the bidding for his services include Miami, Washington, Kansas City, Arizona and Seattle. The Colts signed Manning to a five-year, $90 million contract extension last July in hopes that he would finish his playing days in Indianapolis. Manning, though, was forced to miss the entire season because of neck surgery. The Colts finished with the NFL's worst record at 2-14. That put the club in position to draft Luck, who is the most highly touted college quarterback since Manning was the first overall pick in 1998. Once released from his contract, Manning will be able to immediately sign with another franchise.


Paula Deen & Brother Bubba Sued for Harassment
Paula Deen and her brother Earl W. "Bubba" Hiers are being sued by a former general manager at Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House, a restaurant they co-own. Lisa Jackson – who worked as general manager at the Savannah, Ga., eatery for five years – alleges in court documents filed Monday in the Superior Court of Chatham County, that she was subjected to sexual harassment and violent behavior by Hiers. The documents claim that Hiers's "conduct was even physically threatening and universally humiliating," adding, "The staff ... lived in fear of Bubba Hiers." According to the filing, Hiers also instituted a requirement that female managers wear long sleeves because of some of the so-called "fat girls" whom he said also shouldn't be wearing capri pants or skirts. "My client informed Paula Deen of these conditions – the sexual harassment and racial discrimination, all of it," Jackson's attorney Wesley Woolf told PEOPLE. "I'm not saying once or twice; I'm saying frequently to Paula Deen herself in person, over the phone, with corporate counsel for Paula Deen. And nothing was done about it." Deen, 65, is also accused in the documents of making racist jokes.
 Jessica Simpson has made billions from her eponymous fashion line, and she tells ELLE that she’s hoping her little one — a girl! — will be similarly style-conscious. “I swear, I will croak if she asks me for a pair of Nikes instead of Christian Louboutins!” the Fashion Star mentor, 31, says of the baby she’s expecting this spring with fiancé Eric Johnson. “Eric is so athletic — we’re gonna have this athletic girl and I won’t even be able to take her shopping, ’cause all she’s gonna want is sports bras and Nikes!”


The Butler

Forest Whitaker is in talks to take on the title role in Lee Daniels' "The Butler" about real-life White House butler Eugene Allen who worked there from 1952 to 1986. David Oyelowo is already circling the role of Allen’s son, and Oprah Winfrey has also been in early talks to play Allen’s wife.
 Prince Harry may be royal of many talents, but sprinting does not appear to be one of them. On his visit to Jamaica Tuesday, the prince, 27, got to meet Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt, and the two "raced" at the University of West Indies stadium in Kingston.


The Bling Ring
Leslie Mann, Taissa Farmiga and Israel Broussard have joined the cast of Sofia Coppola’s upcoming project "The Bling Ring". The story follows a group of fashion and fame-obsessed teens who broke into the homes of celebrities. Mann will play a mom of two of the girls, Broussard the male lead.


Writers
Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Liana Liberato, and Kristen Bell have all joined the cast of Josh Boone's indie comedy-drama "Writers". The story follows the members of the Borgens family and their love interests over the course of one tumultuous year. Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Connelly also star in the film.


Give It A Year

Rose Byrne ("Bridesmaids") and Anna Faris ("The Dictator") are set to join Rafe Spall and Simon Baker in Dan Mazer's romantic comedy "I Give It a Year" for Working Title..
The story follows a mismatched couple (Byrne and Spall) as they struggle to survive their first year of marriage. Faris and Baker ("Margin Call") will play strong supporting characters.


Bill Maher speaks up for embattled Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh has been losing advertisers seemingly by the hour in the days since he called Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke a "slut," but he managed to pick up one surprising supporter today: Bill Maher. The famously liberal host of "Real Time with Bill Maher" tweeted, "Hate to defend #RushLimbaugh but he apologized, liberals looking bad not accepting. Also hate intimidation by sponsor pullout." Maher should know, considering he faced an advertiser backlash of his own in 2001, after he said on-air that the 9/11 terrorists were "not cowardly."

Payton, GM: Blame us for bounty program

Almost a week after the NFL pointed to them for failing to stop a bounty program involving some two dozen Saints players, coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis apologized and took the blame for violations that ''happened under our watch.'' ''These are serious violations and we understand the negative impact it has had on our game,'' Payton and Loomis added. ''Both of us have made it clear within our organization that this will never happen again, and make that same promise to the NFL and most importantly to all of our fans,'' Payton and Loomis said in a joint statement Tuesday.Payton and Loomis also said New Orleans owner Tom Benson ''had nothing to do'' with the bounty pool. ''We acknowledge that the violations disclosed by the NFL during their investigation of our club happened under our watch. We take full responsibility,'' they said. The league's investigation, released last Friday, said the bounty program was funded primarily by players for the past three seasons and was overseen by former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. He admitted to running the program and apologized within hours after the report surfaced. The league also said Payton, though not directly involved, was aware of the bounty pool, but did nothing to stop it. Williams now is defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. He met with NFL security officials on Monday as part of the league's ongoing investigation. Once it concludes — the league says there is no timetable — Roger Goodell likely will hand out the stiffest penalties of his 5 1/2 years as commissioner. Goodell has frequently taken a hard line on any action that threatens player safety. He suspended Detroit's Ndamukong Suh for two games for stomping on an opponent last season; banned Pittsburgh's James Harrison for one game after a series of flagrant hits that culminated in a collision with Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy's helmet; and has ramped up the amount of fines for what the league terms ''egregious hits.''


TV NEWS
Bad news for Harlan County’s sharks and scoundrels: FX has renewed Justified for a 13-episode fourth season. Justified‘s Season 3 finale airs April 10.


Tim Tebow will not be the next rich stud hunting for love on "The Bachelor." Tim just set the record straight on Twitter ... saying, "Haha rumors can be crazy! Even though I've watched the show before, I'm definitely not gonna be on the Bachelor. #JessePalmer."

 Margarita Levieva, who at least until recently had been stirring things up on ABC’s addictive  Revenge, has landed a major recurring role on Season 2 of HBO’s Luck. The actress joins the upcoming season as Sarah Israel, the sister of Nathan Israel (played by Suits‘ Patrick J. Adams).


Sigourney Weaver, having previously played a First Lady on the big screen in Dave, is heading back into the political arena as the star of Political Animals, a series debuting on USA Network this summer. The six-hour series finds Weaver playing Elaine Barrish, a divorced former First Lady who immerses herself in her new job as Secretary of State as she rebounds from the dissolution of her marriage and losing the presidential nomination.


Another familiar face is headed back to General Hospital this spring. Kristina Wagner is set to reprise her role as fan fave Felicia beginning in April.


Parks and Recreation‘s Leslie Knope will be a city council member – or not – by the end of this season! At the show’s PaleyFest12 panel on Tuesday, executive producer Mike Schur assured the audience that “we’ll find out [the outcome of the election] in the finale.” To ensure the reveal remains under wraps, “We shot two endings,” said Schur. “Partly to hedge our bets in case we change our minds and partly to throw snoopers off.” “It was really touching and moving to do both the acceptance and the concession speeches,” adds star Amy Poehler.