Talk of the Town-Beyonce at top

The latest celebrity news including Beyonce's big weekend at the box office and Madonna is a hard working mom.

R&B singer Beyonce Knowles new "Fatal Attraction"-style thriller "Obsessed" easily outdistanced the competition to take the top spot at the weekend box office in North America. "Obsessed" sold 28.5 million dollars (USD) worth of tickets, earning about twice what industry experts had forecast. Last weekend's champion, "17 Again," slipped to No. 2 with 11.7 million. The movie, starring former "High School Musical" hunk Zac Efron, has earned 40 million after 10 days. "The Soloist," a drama starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey, Jr., checked in at No. 4 with a modest 9.7 million.

With earnings of 110 million in 2008, Madonna topped Forbes' list of Hollywood's hardest working mothers. The pop singer and mother of three, who was recently turned down in her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi, grossed 105 million on her tour and sold nearly a million albums in the United States. Actress Reese Witherspoon, who earned an estimated 24 million last year, was second on the list, followed closely behind by Gwyneth Paltrow with 20 million in earnings.

Rihanna wants her jewels back. The "Umbrella" star has asked police to return the 1.4 million dollars of jewellery she was wearing the night she was allegedly attacked by her boyfriend, Chris Brown. Police seized a pair of earrings and three rings as evidence in the case. The items are reportedly ones that were on loan to the singer.

In Los Angeles, I'm John Russell for Reuters.