People

By Josh Tyrangiel

WITH THESE RINGS, WE THEE SUE

You can't buy BRAD PITT's icy blue eyes or JENNIFER ANISTON's adorable button nose, but up until last week you could have purchased the couple's everlasting symbol of commitment--and at a nice price too. Pitt and Aniston filed a $50 million suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Damiani International, the jewelry outfit that produced their wedding rings, for hawking "Brad & Jennifer white-gold wedding bands with diamonds," an alleged violation of an agreement prohibiting the rings' reproduction or sale. The bands, available in lovely 18-karat gold, were selling for a mere $1,000 at outlets in Palm Desert, Calif., and at Las Vegas' Venetian Hotel. The suit also claims that "Damiani was bent on obtaining...the type of publicity that money can't buy: the purported endorsement and sponsorship of perhaps the world's most recognizable couple." Siegfried and Roy might have something to say about that last part.

Hometown Guy

CHRIS WEBBER loves the people of Sacramento. He just hates Sacramento. If that sounds like twisted logic, you've obviously never been to the home of America's best basketball fans--and hey, how 'bout that California State Railroad Museum? Nonetheless, after complaining for three years about how he was "bored to death" in California's capital and noting the conspicuous lack of both soul food and soul brothers in the area, the NBA's most sought-after free agent re-signed with the Sacramento Kings. "I know he was saying it was boring, and that stuff about the food," says Jeffrey Webber, Chris' younger brother and contract negotiator. "But there is no way that food or the city life was going to be the final denominator in this decision." The final denominator was $122.7 million, to be paid over seven years. Now Webber can afford to buy a cooler city and move it to Sacramento.

THE MAYBE MRS. CRUZ-CRUISE?

It is the curse of both sixth-graders and celebrities that everyone is dying to know how far their amorous relationships have gone. In the case of P.S. 164's Rachel Marks and Nick Applebaum, we're still working the story. We do know that TOM CRUISE and PENELOPE CRUZ have got to first base, and, at least according to Cruise's publicist, Pat Kingsley, the homonymic duo have also been "on a couple of dates." "He's been separated for months now," said Kingsley, "and I think both he and Nicole [Kidman] have had enough time to get adjusted to not being married." Speak for your own client. A friend of Kidman's tells PEOPLE that the Aussie actress was "in shock" about the Cruz news because he had months ago denied to her rumors of excessive chemistry between him and his Vanilla Sky co-star. "She's been wondering why the marriage ended," claims the friend, "and this could be it." Or maybe Kidman just wouldn't change her last name.

WILL PRINCE CALL HER ANYMORE?

What juggernaut could possibly have kept P. Diddy's The Saga Continues out of Billboard's top album slot this week? The answer is ALICIA KEYS, 20, whose Songs in A Minor is the musical surprise of the summer. Keys, a classically trained pianist, describes her sound as "Beethoven meets Wu-Tang, with a lot of soul." Besides reaching record buyers, she also grabbed Prince's attention with a cover of his B-side chestnut How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? "He invited me down to perform at this festival he just finished putting on in Minneapolis," says Keys. "Before he performed, he said, 'I just want to tell you I love your rendition.'" Then she went and ruined the moment. "I have a little bit of a bad mouth, and I was onstage and I improvised this line: [singing] 'But I'm not trying to hear that s___.' I didn't know that in Prince's complex, you're not allowed to curse. He was like, 'You have a terrible mouth.'"