Brangelina should address breakup rumors

A source close to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie issued a statement refuting claims that the couple, in anticipation of a split, has drawn up papers that would settle custody of their kids and divide their fortune.

The statement, that Jolie and Pitt are “just fine,” is just vague enough to warrant the application of the “where there’s smoke there’s fire” rule.

No source reached on Sunday could expound on the “just fine,” other to say the couple were “just busy lately.” And that is true: Jolie has been doing re-shoots of “Salt,” Pitt participated in the Haiti telethon, and both Jolie and Pitt have films in pre-production. (Which also raises the question, when is Jolie going to go on the break from work she’s always talking about?)

And while you can argue that Brangelina owe us no answers, if they want the spotlight off them slightly, and less attention when they’re finally spotted in public again, they’d take this talking point off the table.

So for now, despite mounting evidence from sources of the dubious and anonymous varieties, the Jolie-Pitts are together.

Slideshow: Celebrity Sightings But there’s another unintended victim in all of this: the SAG Awards. At the Golden Globes last week it was just as likely you’d hear actors asking one another if they were attending the SAG awards as they were likely to ask about the night’s after-parties.

The actors actually think the SAG awards are fun, are gaining some popularity and are a good barometer for the Oscars. And then: Brad-and-Angie split rumors come down the pipe and push the SAGs right out of the headlines. I guess there’s always next year.

MTV and ‘Jersey Shore’ cast stalemate
Gym, tan, laundry and … ratings: the season finale of “Jersey Shore” pulled in 4.8 million viewers — close to the number that ABC drew for the Haiti telethon.

So when does season two begin? Definitely not until an agreement between MTV and the cast is reached. MTV is definitely interested in a second season — sources close to MTV say they were even hoping that they could find a way to cull more episodes from the footage they had from season one to extend the run.

At issue right now: paychecks. The “Jersey Shore” cast knows that “The Hills” stars get salaries approaching six figures per episode.

“Obviously, they think they should be getting a raise that is line with what “The Hills” people make,” a source said. “That’s not going to happen though.”

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‘Avatar’ stays in orbit
This is starting to get a little boring: “Avatar” is No. 1 at the box office for the sixth consecutive week.

Its $36 million gross casts a big shadow on the No. 2 film, new release “Legion.”

Among the disappointments: “The Tooth Fairy,” which was expected to do much better than its No. 4 performance and $14.5 million take. And CBS Films can’t be happy about coming out of the gates with a $7 million gross for “Extraordinary Measures.”

That means the pressure will be on Jennifer Lopez — the star of the studio’s next (ironically titled) film, “The Back-Up Plan,” due out this spring.

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com. Follow Scoop on Twitter @courtneyatmsnbc