LOS ANGELES – After sparring for more than a year, Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend have reached a financial and custody settlement of a bitter dispute that spawned a criminal case and left the Academy Award winner’s reputation damaged.

Los Angeles Superior Court officials said in a statement late Friday that the 55-year-old actor-director and Russian musician Oksana Grigorieva, 41, had reached an agreement after days of negotiation. Terms and conditions of the settlement were not announced, but a hearing Wednesday will be held to discuss the financial terms.

The equally contentious issue of custody of the couple’s infant daughter will be handled in closed session, the court announced.

Gibson’s spokesman Alan Nierob confirmed the settlement.

Grigorieva spokesman Stephen Jaffe declined comment.

The former couple have been at odds for more than a year over custody and financial issues in a mostly-secret court proceeding in Los Angeles. In June 2010, Gibson’s attorney Stephen Kolodny said that his client had provided his ex-girlfriend with a four-bedroom, multimillion-dollar home, a vehicle and tens of thousands of dollars a month.

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It is unclear exactly how much Grigorieva has been receiving since then.

The “Braveheart” star was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery as a result of a January 2010 fight with Grigorieva and pleaded no contest earlier this year. He entered his plea in a way in which he admitted no guilt, and she cannot use the outcome in a civil case.

Gibson was ordered to undergo counseling and recently completed his community service by volunteering with a children’s charity.

The case became an international story after recordings of racist and sexist rants by Gibson were leaked to the celebrity website RadarOnline.com.

Sheriff’s officials took possession of the recordings as part of their criminal investigation, but Grigorieva’s attorney announced in May that he would no longer seek to use them against Gibson in the custody case.

‘Chicago’ just keeps running

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NEW YORK – The threat of a hurricane didn’t stop the cast and crew of the musical “Chicago” from celebrating a Broadway milestone Friday.

At a small backstage party at intermission, the show marked its 6,137th performance — tying “A Chorus Line” for the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.

A cheer went up when Christopher Sieber, who stars as Billy Flynn, toasted the cast with non-alcoholic sparkling wine in the Ambassador Theatre’s wardrobe room.

Bebe Neuwirth, who played Velma Kelly back when the revival began its near-15-year streak, then plunged a knife into a cake decorated with a classic “Chicago” image of a sexy murderess.

When it finally leaps over “A Chorus Line,” “Chicago” will also become the longest-running American show in Broadway history. Ahead of it are “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats” and “Les Miserables,” all British imports.


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