Earlier this month, Girls Gone Wild promoter Joe Francis plea-bargained his way out of a possible prison sentence for charges related to filing false tax returns. By pleading guilty to filing false tax returns and bribing Nevada jail workers, Mr. Francis was sentenced to time served and one year of probation, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Initially accused of taking $20 million in fraudulent tax deductions, Francis ended up pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, the newspaper reported.

"It took us seven months, but in the end we demonstrated that the felony tax charges never should have been brought in the first place," Brad Brian, Francis' lead trial attorney, said in a statement.

But now the IRS is back for more.

In case you've been living under an enormous, soundproof rock this week: Sarah Palin is back. And she's everywhere you turn, promoting her tell-all biography, "Going Rogue," and addressing the hot-button subjects of Levi Johnston, Katie Couric and the infamous hundred-thousand-dollar wardrobe.

Concerning that last subject, the New York Times turns to a voice that we actually haven't heard before: the fashion stylist who engineered Palin's campaign trail wardrobe. In a fascinating sitdown, Lisa Kline explains away some of the bills.

It's a good thing Rod Stewart appears to be ageless. If a prominent entertainment law firm has its way, Stewart -- who can't seem to avoid lawsuits -- is going to need to keep on rockin' for several years in order to pay off a lawsuit.

Tuesday, the firm Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs, Howard & Shapiro filed a $3.3 million lawsuit against the British crooner, claiming he owes them for work on three cases.

One of the cases involved Stewart's cancellation of a December 2000 show in Las Vegas. If that case's outcome is any indication of Stewart's luck in court, he better be prepared to whip out his checkbook. A federal jury decided in favor of the Rio hotel-casino, awarding a $2 million settlement for the canceled show.

The phrase "you've been served" is a familiar one in the Stewart family. In 2007, Stewart's son Sean was sued for "shock, horror, fright, worry, grief, shame, embarrassment, anger, chagrin and nausea" experienced by Toluabus and Ericka Stein. Sean Stewart also did a stint in the slammer in 2002 for drug and assault charges.

Nelson George, executive producer of Chris Rock's controversial documentary now out in theaters, "Good Hair," talks about how the film exposes the global business and religious resources behind popular black hairstyles. Watch the video interview with George, an esteemed cultural critic, to find out why Beyonce has a religious ceremony in India to thank for her hair extensions.

George is also busy launching BlackAtlas.com, a new site funded by American Airlines that provides tips and personal insight about touring the world, from an African-American perspective. BlackAtlas highlights the hottest destinations in the world, pointing out stores, hangouts, beauty salons (for the good hair) that black tourists should be aware of in planning their trips.

Michael Moloney, the prolific Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designer, recently contacted WalletPop by Skype to divulge a few choice tips for renovating your home on a budget. One of his essential suggestions: When you've got no money to transform your surroundings, you can achieve a dramatic effect by simply painting them.

Moloney's ideas were so good that this week, in advance of Sunday's episode on ABC featuring country music ditz Kellie Pickler, WalletPop's Jason Cochran wanted to talk with Moloney again to get more. Today, Moloney has a few words for all the people who pester him on the street to ask him to work his magic on their own houses.

A funny thing happens when checks stop rolling in. You don't have any money. That scenario is becoming reality for yet another Hollywood A-lister, Oscar winner, Nicolas Cage, whose movies have failed to produce box-office hits. Or a lot of royalty dough.

But Cage, who owes a reported $6.3 million to the IRS, isn't blaming his professional choices (or acting ability) for his cash crunch. Instead, he's suing his financial adviser, citing he's to blame for the actor's money woes.

On Oct. 16, Cage filed a lawsuit claiming his longtime business manager Samuel J. Levin "lined his [own} pockets with several million in business management fees while sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin." Cage claims he didn't realize he was in such a deep financial hole until earlier this year, when the sell-off began.

Last week it was Pamela Anderson. Now, there's news that the recession has affected another one of the entertainment world's shiniest stars. Rapper Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, has confessed he's lost "a few million" of his estimated $442 million estate.

A move that's prompted his sharing some financial tips.

Sweet, saucy, and from the slums, Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail both went from wretched poverty to international fame after starring in the 2009 Academy Award winner for Best Picture and Best Director, Slumdog Millionaire.

But they just won't go to school, even though the movie's producer and director got the young stars placed in a Mumbai school and paid their tuition until they turn 18... and even though they've set up a trust that's dependent on the children attending school for the next seven or eight years.

Ali, 10, and Ismail, 11, have average attendance of about one in three days, and though Slumdog producer Christian Colson and director Danny Boyle have urged their parents to accept their offer of apartments outside of the slums, only Ismail's mother has taken the moviemakers up on their offer.

Looks like Levi Johnston is grabbing headlines once again. The teen famous for fathering Sarah Palin's grandson is spending hours in the gym beefing up for his Playgirl photo shoot.

Men do it, too.

What do Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith and Holly Madison all have in common? They've all used their sensuality and sexuality to make money. And in doing so, they've all - at one time or another - been dubbed "bimbos" and "cheap".

But these babes, and women in general, haven't cornered the market on selling their sex-appeal.

Guys are also famous for baring it all and cashing in on their sexuality. Men have cast gazing glances and "made love to the camera" for decades. Errol Flynn and Rudolph Valentino weren't shamed by their sex appeal. They weren't called "bimbos" either.

When David Spade's tasteless DirecTV ad went out in late October, it was immediately hit with a hail of criticism.

Writers, including our own Jami Bernard, were quick to point out that the commercial, which used footage from 1995's Tommy Boy, essentially came off as a cruel and shameless exploitation of deceased actor Chris Farley.

Although Spade has repeatedly stated that he considered the commercial a tribute to Farley, he recently told People magazine that "The movie is important to me, and I would hate to offend [anyone] because that's one of my favorite things I've ever done. So I would apologize to someone who took it that way." He went on to state that "I wouldn't want anyone to get a whiff that I'm trying to get something off Chris."

As Bernard pointed out on WalletPop, the Farley estate was complicit in the ad. Farley's brothers have already received $25,000 for a billboard bearing his likeness; presumably, they accepted a lot more cash for this ad.

Lots of us find that at the end of the month, we don't have any money left. The recession has forced millions of Americans to put off dreams of renovating or redesigning their homes. Designer Michael Moloney has a gift for quick and effective decor. After all, he whips up stunning new rooms within days every week on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Taking off from the show's episode this Sunday, in which a family's plans to build their dream home are derailed by a freak accident, Moloney calls in to WalletPop's studios to talk with Jason Cochran about the things you can do if you find you can't afford that dream makeover anymore.

You can whittle down the things you already own. You can freshen things up by moving your stuff all around the house to new locations. Or, if you have $14 left in your pocket by the 31st, you can give any room a dramatic new look with one simple solution.

Watch our conversation with the design whiz below. You can also watch our conversation with music star Xzibit, who is making his second appearance on the show this weekend as he pitches in to help another needy family.

The well known women at wowOwow.com are stopping by WalletPop on a frequent basis to answer your spending and personal finance questions.

This week we asked them: Step into Nancy Pelosi's shoes for a moment: What should be done about Charles Rangel (D-NY)? What do you think will be done?

Whoopi Goldberg: I like Charlie Rangel, but I think now there is too much stuff to ignore. He's got to go! And if he goes ... can I have his health-care package?

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On Monday, Jon Gosselin said he returned $230,000 in funds to a joint account shared with his estranged wife, and reality show co-star, Kate Gosselin.

He did so because earlier this month, a Pennsylvania judge ordered Jon to return these funds, even as he continues to criticize Kate for not being forced to return money she allegedly withdrew from the couple's account.

While Gosselin has a fighting chance of quickly coming up with that much coin (through media appearances and sponsorships), most regular Janes and Joes in the midst of a divorce aren't usually able to pony up large chucks of cash all at once.

Jay Leno's move to prime time was viewed by some as a savvy show business decision. A popular, well-known comedian, the former host of the Tonight Show would provide NBC with a cheap, talk-show alternative to the network's previous line-up of dramatic programming, which is costly to produce. Or so it was thought.

With ratings numbers continuing to fall, however, NBC affiliates aren't feeling nearly as sanguine as the network itself, the New York Post reports. After a solid start last month, ratings have a slipped to a quarter of what they once were. That has local news programs nervous, as they count on viewers of 10 P.M. shows to stick around for the 11 P.M. news. (Unless you're in the Central or Mountain times zones, where everything is on an hour earlier.)

Former Baywatch babe and rocker wife, Pamela Anderson is having money woes. The actress is reportedly $4.8 million in debt because of expensive renovations on her Malibu, California dream home.

Anderson's been reportedly sobbing over the thought of having to sell her gilded palace complete, which comes complete with mirrored mosaics and platinum tiles surrounding the pool. The original price tag for the property was a modest $1.3 million and change. But renovations have led to Anderson being sued by five contractors because of unpaid bills.

In an interview with British TV personality, Joe Swash, Anderson said she had been hit by the recession and let down by a string of investments. "I'm a little girl with two kids - how could you screw me?" she added.

Anderson bemoaned "I'm going to sell it. I hate it" explaining that construction projects can destroy relationships and even cause some to commit suicide. "It rips your heart out" she said.