This image was lost some time after publication, but you can still view it here.

• Is Tiger Woods in New York right now? Did he settle with his estranged wife by handing her a check for $300 million? In two pretty dubious stories now making the rounds, a friend of Elin Nordegren says Woods' scorned wife—who spent the holiday weekend at a French ski resort—has been telling pals she got a $300 million gift for Christmas from her estranged husband. Meanwhile, rumors also surfaced that Woods was spending the weekend holed up at New York's Trump International Hotel, where he ordered huge amounts of Red Bull and vodka and was accompanied by a "leggy blond." Alas, the paparazzi camped out outside the hotel never caught a glimpse of him and the hotel staff denied Woods was ever there. [NYDN, NYP]
• Down in St. Barts, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich made it rain by hosting a $5 million New Year's Eve party at his $90 million estate. Beyoncé, Gwen Stefani and Prince all performed at the shindig, and the Russian mogul's party—along with fetes hosted by Larry Gagosian and Paul Allen—attracted a long list of boldface names to the island, including Jay-Z, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone, Rachel Zoe, Harvey Weinstein and Georgina Chapman, and Russell Simmons. For her part, Lindsay Lohan spent much of the weekend aboard Abramovich's boat, where she was seen jet-skiing and shopping in a teeny bikini and ginormous wedge heels. She also sent out a rather ominous tweet on New Year's Eve: "Everyone get ready for more (but positive—LOHAN MAYHEM!!!" Sigh. [NYP, People, DM]
• According to Peter Biskind's new biography of Warren Beatty—and some "simple arithmetic" on the part of Biskind—the actor has bedded 12,775 women during his lifetime. Annette Bening must be so proud. [NYP]

• Why did Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez really break up? Because A-Rod is still obsessed with Madonna, and Kate caught A-Rod calling and texting Madge three times. Or at least that's what one tabloid says. [Sun]
• Police commissioner Ray Kelly dined with Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, and Ryan Seacrest in the West Village on New Year's Eve just after JLo performed in Times Square in a skintight, diamond-encrusted catsuit. This was clearly a step up for Kelly, who last week was forced to address the mysterious Jon Gosselin apartment break-in. [P6]
• Speaking of Gosselin, the reality trainwreck's former girlfriend, Kate Major, spent New Year's Day with new boyfriend Michael Lohan. The two kicked off the new year by getting matching tattoos of barbed wire, a burning heart, and a cross. Romantic! [TMZ]
• Not only does she have people on hand to lower her into chairs so her dresses don't get messed up, Mariah Carey had stagehands bring out a chair, retouch her makeup, and pour her a glass of champagne in front of a waiting crowd in Atlantic City the other night. [NYDN]
• Are Kevin Connolly and Chloe Sevigny dating? The two were spotted at dinner together the other night, so it's possible. Although how it is that Connolly keeps getting so many women remains a mystery. [P6, NYDN]
• Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are welcoming baby number two into the world: The couple had a girl named Vida. [Us, People]
• Alexa Ray Joel, who attempted suicide last month, took time out over the long weekend to post to her Facebook page, saying she hopes to discuss "heartbreak-related depression" with young girls in the future. [Us, NYP]
• Ashley Samson was paid $25,000 for spilling the beans about the Tiger Woods/Rachel Uchitel affair to the National Enquirer, but now she wishes she'd just taken the $200K offered by Tiger's camp to keep quite, since the "ordeal" has cost her lots of friends and a husband, too, she says. [NYDN]
• In an unlikely pairing, Elton John has apparently been helping Eminem to kick his drug habit over the last 18 months. [NYDN]
• Who's Leighton Meester's music mentor? Cyndi Lauper, of course. They've "spent a lot of time" together, recently apparently. [People]
• Alicia Keys and boyfriend Swizz Beats are reportedly on the hunt for an apartment on the Upper East Side. [P6]
• American Express has sued Courtney Love over $350,000 in unpaid charges. According to Love, it's all AmEx's fault because they issued 104 credit cards in her name without her knowledge, and she actually has a zero balance. So now she's countersuing for unspecified damages. [TMZ]
• Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz were apparently working on a duet before Jackson's death, and the song, "Another Day," has been leaked on the web. Presumably Jackson's family won't be too happy they weren't able cash in on the song before it came out. [PopEater]
• Rihanna apparently has a book coming out in June called Rihanna: The Last Girl on Earth. It's not going to be a juicy tell-all, though. It's going to be a photo-heavy book with "steamy" pics of RiRi, whatever that means. [NYDN]
• Troubled Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange is having more health issues and was hospitalized in New Jersey over the weekend. [TMZ]
• Here's a useful life lesson courtesy of rapper Bow Wow: If you're wasted and you're cruising around in your Lamborghini, it's probably best not to broadcast this info on Twitter. [NYDN]
• Catherine Zeta-Jones speaks perfect French? Who knew? [P6]
• Avatar has grossed more than $1 billion around the world thus far, making it only the fifth movie to do so. [MSNBC]