Just when we were hoping that actor/singer/porn star Ray J and Whitney Houston's inexplicable relationship was no more, they are back in the public eye. And still romantically entwined.

Whitney Houston and Ray J’s romance looked like it was going strong at West Hollywood nightclub Villa on July 26. “They sat very close together. She only had eyes for him,” says an insider. “At one point, she placed her hand on his leg.” The insider adds that Whitney only drank water and looked very happy. A friend insists that while their relationship sometimes appears rocky, they never stray too far from each other. “They’re on and off, but it’s never really over between them,” the pal says. “They always pick up where they left off.” Whitney, 45, showed off an enormous diamond when she hugged Ray J, 27.

Poor Bobbi Kristina. That's all. [Bossip]

• Ne-yo tries to make himself feel better about a sure-to-be terrible song he made with Lindsay Lohan. [MG]

• Now that Mariah Carey has a new man in her life, maybe she could also get a new stylist and hairdresser? [SR]

• Madonna and David Banda will officially be together forever. [PH]

• If it didn't seem like Usher's TRL rant last night was in defense of himself instead of in defense of his wife, it would be sort of sweet. [NB]

• What does Brandy think of Ray J, I wonder? [C&D]

Try as I might to come up with something more mature than "Ew, gross!" in response to pictures of the officially reunited Whitney Houston and Ray J at Saturday's Bernard Hopkins fight in Las Vegas, I can't. The two of them are as "Ew, gross!" as they come, and it has little-to-nothing to do with the May-December nature of the relationship. Ray J is so unbelievably slimy and opportunistic and Whitney is just so… Whitney, you know?

There have been many signs that the couple was back on, including Ray J's criticism of Bobby Brown for writing about the negative aspects of his marriage to Whitney Houston and for calling Ray J "little guy." It's also rumored that Ray J's new song "Boyfriend" is about having sex with Whitney Houston, although I see no real evidence of that. Aren't all of his songs about sex?

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Already-famous-in-the-UK Leona Lewis has officially crossed over to the U.S. market with her album Spirit, which opened at No. 1 this week. Ray J had a very good showing — for Ray J, I mean — with the 7th highest selling album this week. They should all prepare to be bumped next week, if the fact that Mariah Carey has just sold 154,000 albums in her first day is any indication. I can make fun of her at times, but Mariah is Mariah.

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We all know Ray J is sort of opportunistic and self-centered and desperate to be more famous. He also has some interesting-but-troubling childhood stories. His parents were clearly busy managing his more famous sibling. He recently gave an interview to Rhapsody.com, and he explains how he was immersed in the Death Row scene throughout his teens, smoking copious blunts with Tupac, driving around with Snoop, and hugging Biggie the day he died (he smelled like soap).

He also spoke about his life today, the highlight of which consists of women on the road "putting H2O in their bodies and then having [it] shoot out like waterfalls." Fun! After the jump, check out what Ray J has to say about catching Faith Evans on Tupac's lap and hanging out with the Notorious B.I.G.

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Sonja Norwood, mother of Brandy and Ray J, is suing her son's ex-sex-tape partner for allegedly using her credit cards in 2006 and 2007 against her permission. Kim Kardashian, her sisters Khloe and Kourtney, and her brother, Robert, Jr., are named in the suit.

Kim Kardashian denied the allegations, telling PEOPLE she and her siblings had Norwood's permission to make the purchases.

"We have her signature on all items," Kardashian says.

In the lawsuit, Norwood's mother, Sonja Norwood, who is also her manager, alleges Kim Kardashian had only been authorized in 2004 to make one purchase on the Norwood American Express card in Kim's then-capacity as a stylist for Brandy.

The totaly bill is more than $120 grand. Norwood's looking to be paid the entire amount plus 10 percent interest.

• Ray J's foray into the world of porn didn't work out quite as well as he thought it would. [King]

• Tina Turner has absolutely nothing to say about Ike's death. No surprise there, though. [SB]

• Rapper Plies' enterprising manager was arrested after Florida police seized 80 lbs of cocaine from him and his associates. Since it wasn't crack, he should be out of jail in no time! [BS]

• Tyra Banks uses the Janice Dickinson defense. [US]

• I'm obsessed with "elfing" myself and others. It's not right, but it's okay. [EY]

Between the PR-disaster that was her almost year-old fatal car accident and her complete embarrassment-to-the family brother, Ray J, Brandy is in desperate need of some good news. Will it come in the form of her new album?

"I've just got to get that album out," the pop star tells PEOPLE. "I have to get it out, if it's the last thing I do."

Brandy's album, which does not currently have a title, would be her fifth studio album, and the first since 2004's critically well-received Afrodisiac.

"I've been gone for a long time," says the 28-year-old R&B singer-actress, who spoke to PEOPLE at the recent Christian Audigier fashion show at L.A. Fashion Week. "I really want to give the fans something that they deserve to have. So, I'm working really hard on this. I really want to make it the best work I've done so far."

It probably needs to be the best work she's done so far, if she really wants a comeback. Or she could just make a sex tape — that seems to work nicely at getting one's name out there.

[People]

In Touch magazine is officially five years old, and, although you probably don't care at all, quite a few people (your favorite blog editor included) chose to attend their big celebration last night at NYC's Tenjune. And I'm sure Kanye West's special performance had nothing to do with it.

As I hinted in this morning's Rewound, Janet Jackson was there with Jermaine Dupri, and, pardon me if I engage in a bit of exaggeration, she saved everyone in the packed club from a fiery death! Okay. Actually, she spotted a girl whose hair was on fire and put it out. So she saved the woman in question from some serious burns, which is commendable.

Check out some red carpet pics from the event after the jump, although a few people, such as Swizz Beatz, Evan Ross, Miss USA Rachel Smith, and LL Cool J aren't pictured. The latter stood emotionless, his eyes concealed by mirrored sunglasses, during Kanye's entire (amazing) performance. Could LL be taking out his Jay-Z aggression on K.W.?

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• A Louisiana sheriff who courted controversy during Hurricane Katrina when he denied entry to (black) people fleeing New Orleans, has died. [MSNBC]

• When air-brushing goes right. [PH]

• Beware of a male version of Superhead. [C&D]

• Beware of actual Superhead, while you're at it. [Bossip]

• Before she finally got a positive result, Halle Berry saved all of her negative home pregnancy tests, which is pretty nasty considering you have to piss on them to get a result. [People]

I guess Lil Kim figured that if Foxy Brown did it, why can't she? She may have failed to realize that Foxy is now languishing in Rikers Island with a jacked up weave because of (among many, many other things) the recent lies she fed the cops.

When Kim got pulled over late last week for driving around a Lamborghini with no plates, she tried to talk her way out of it the only way a Brooklyn-raised female rapper knows how.

Kim's story changed once more when she told police that she was actually licensed to drive in New Jersey but forgot her license. Turns out she's not licensed anywhere.

During the incident, said the source, Kim stayed calm and cool, but when cameras showed up, whoa Nelly! "She became belligerent, loud and obnoxious. She proclaimed that if she was the average person, this wouldn't have been a problem." Since when is driving without a valid license or license plates not a problem?

So I wonder what Kim's probation status is right now? If she violated it with this stunt, I bet she and Foxy Brown could share a cell!

[TMZ]

And to think, we never would have known how sweet Ray J, a known Lamborghini/cougar fan, was if Lil Kim hadn't gotten pulled over in NYC driving the car he (and we're just making a logical guess, here) gave her as a present.

Police said the rapper told them the car was a gift from someone in California which was delivered today on a flatbed truck. The car allegedly already had a summons in California for also being driven around without plates, perhaps by the previous owner.

Police were checking Lil' Kim's records when her lawyer came and drove the car away since the rapper allegedly did not have her license with her. Police were satisfied with the check on the vehicle which was legally registered.

Ray J really needs to save his money for when his 15 minutes are over. Shipping a (used) Lamborghini across the country as a gift for Lil Kim is pretty excessive. But, to quote Whitney, that shit is off the chain.

[1010]

• It's 2007 and people are only just figuring out that there's probably a big market in ethnic dolls? [ABC]

• Why doesn't Ray J just give up all pretense and become a full-fledged porn actor. He obviously wants to. [Bossip]

• Re-releasing your album is unlikely to have the desired effect, Ms. Kelly. [C&D]

• Eddie Murphy calls Melanie Brown and liar and an extortionist. I would say "this is getting ugly," but it obviously got ugly about 9 or 10 months ago.

• I'm past the point of marveling at the fact that K-Fed seems like he would be a better parent than Britney. Now I'm just going to need someone to give him those kids. [MG]

Paul Pierce and Baron Davis' All-Star Weekend in L.A. was supposed to be about charity, but wouldn't it have been more charitable for this disaster of a couple to stay home? On second thought, they probably bring much entertainment to whatever party they attend. As long as they keep the PDAs to a minimum, that is.

Check out more pics from the weekend festivities.

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