MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Morgan Freeman’s lawyer says the actor and his wife of 24 years are getting a divorce.

Freeman’s lawyer, Bill Luckett, told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal newspaper that the divorce action is pending. Freeman’s wife is Myrna Colley-Lee.

The lawyer declined to provide details. There was no answer early Thursday at phone numbers for Luckett or for Freeman’s publicist.

The 71-year-old actor is recovering in a Memphis hospital after a car crash in neighboring Mississippi on Sunday left him with a broken arm, broken elbow and shoulder damage. The hospital said Thursday that Freeman is in fair condition.

No divorce papers have been filed in Tallahatchie County where Freeman owns a home with Colley-Lee, according to Tallahatchie County Chancery Clerk Anita Mullen Greenwood.



NEW YORK—Usher’s mother is back as his manager following a much publicized split.

The 29-year-old superstar announced Thursday that he has ended his partnership with celebrity manager Benny Medina, whose clients include Mariah Carey, and has rehired Jonnetta Patton.

Patton had managed her son’s career since he was a teen star. But the multiplatinum performer broke with his mother in 2007, saying he just wanted her to focus on being his mom.

While there were reports of friction between Patton and her son, Usher had said the relationship was great and had improved since their professional union ended.

“I have just chosen to take the reins of my career,” he told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year. “We have a different view and mind-set. I’m doing it and I’m handling it and very happy, very happy with it.”

A message left for Medina wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.

Although Usher’s new album, “Here I Stand,” debuted at the top of the charts when it was released in May and has resulted in a No. 1 smash with “Love in This Club,” it has yet to pass the 1 million mark in sales (it has sold about 948,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.) In comparison, his last album, “Confessions,” sold 1.1 million copies in its first week when it was released in 2004 on its way to more than 8 million copies sold in the United States alone.

The new album is a more mature CD that reflects his recent marriage and birth of his son, with few club anthems and more ballads about relationships and commitment.



SAN ANTONIO—Dixie Chick Emily Robison and her husband, singer Charlie Robison, have divorced.

The San Antonio Express-News reports that Charlie Robison filed for divorce in January. The couple were at the Bexar County Courthouse on Wednesday when the divorce was finalized.

Messages seeking comment from one of the Dixie Chicks’ publicists and Charlie Robison’s manager weren’t immediately returned Thursday.

The divorce filing states their marriage had “become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities.”

The couple, married in 1999, have three children.