h2. Kate Hudson announces engagement to Muse singer

WASHINGTON — It took a week, but someone finally noticed Kate Hudson’s engagement ring.

It happened on NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday when Matt Lauer was starting to interview Hudson about her upcoming movie, “Something Borrowed.”

He noticed a huge diamond ring on her finger and she revealed she’d gotten engaged to Matt Bellamy, lead singer of the British rock band Muse, a week ago. She said she was waiting for someone to notice.

No wedding date has been set.

Hudson and Bellamy are expecting their first child. Thirty-two-year-old Hudson said she believes she’s having a girl.

Hudson has a 7-year-old son, Ryder, from her marriage to Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.

h2. ‘Vampire Diaries’ cast spooked by haunted set

NEW YORK — Fans may get a chill watching the CW’s “Vampire Diaries,” but star Nina Dobrev says the cast and crew were the ones spooked while filming at the Gaither Plantation in Covington, Ga.

Dobrev says several creepy, unexplained events took place during the 2010 shoot, including a piano seemingly playing on its own. “The ADs (assistant directors) started screaming, ‘Stop! Whoever that is stop the music. We’re rolling. Cameras are on,’” Dobrev says. But the actress says when they walked in the room with the piano no one was there.

At another point, the lights began flickering while she was in the bathroom. At first she thought her co-stars were playing tricks on her but she says, again, no one was nearby and “the lights were just spontaneously coming on and off.” Dobrev, who plays characters Elena and Katherine in the vampire drama filmed in the Atlanta area, says everyone had a collective “weird feeling” at the site even though “nobody could pinpoint” why.

She says previously she didn’t believe in the supernatural, “but all of a sudden it was kind of happening and it was kind of weird.”

There have been numerous reports of ghost sightings and strange events at the 159-year-old plantation — enough to lead another television show, “Ghost Hunters,” to investigate. Jason Hawes, lead investigator of the Syfy show, says that during a 2009 visit to the plantation, his team found compelling evidence of “intelligent” paranormal activity.

Dobrev says the eerie events didn’t interrupt filming of the show but adds, “I don’t think we’ve shot there since.”

“Vampire Diaries” airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT.

h2. Paris Hilton, boyfriend accosted at LA courthouse

LOS ANGELES — A man tried to grab or hit Paris Hilton’s boyfriend as the couple headed into a Los Angeles courthouse where the socialite was to testify against a man accused of an attempted break-in at her home.

The incident Wednesday outside the Superior Court building in Van Nuys was witnessed by an Associated Press photographer and reporters who were interviewing the couple.

The man appeared to get a hand on the neck of Hilton’s boyfriend Cy Waits but was immediately seized by a bodyguard and taken away.

Hilton has posted on her Twitter account that a “psycho intruder just punched Cy in the back of the head as we were walking into the court house.”

Police Officer Cleon Joseph says the man has been detained and an investigation is under way.

h2. Jason Aldean leads CMT Awards with 4 nominations

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The party just keeps rolling for country music star Jason Aldean.

Long left out of major award consideration, Aldean’s recent tear continued Wednesday morning when he received a leading four 2011 CMT Music Awards nominations.

The singer’s video for “My Kinda Party” earned nods for CMT’s top award, video of the year, and male video of the year.

Six acts trail Aldean by one with three nominations apiece: Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Zac Brown Band, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and The Band Perry. All are nominees for video of the year. Seven others received two nominations apiece.

The nominations for the awards, which are in their 10th year, were announced Wednesday morning on NBC’s “Today” show. Fans can now decide the winners in 10 categories on the video channel’s website and will choose the video of the year winner during the June 8 awards telecast.

Joining Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” in the category are Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall,” Lady Antebellum’s “Hello World,” Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me,” Rascal Flatts’ “Why Wait,” Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue,” Taylor Swift’s “Mine,” The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young,” Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It” and Zac Brown Band’s “Colder Weather.”

Fans will narrow the video of the year field down to final nominees through June 7, then will choose a winner during the show.