Katy Perry, Russell Brand consider legal action against tabloids

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Katy Perry and Russell Brand are sick of the tabloid rumors that their marriage is on the rocks. | Dominic Lipinski~AP

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Updated: July 21, 2011 9:00AM

Katy Perry knows all about the price of fame, but the singer is telling pals she still is very frustrated by the virtually non-stop stream of stories claiming she and Russell Brand — her husband of less than a year — are on the rocks.

I spoke to one of Perry’s best pals late Tuesday, who said the couple are “at the end of their rope” regarding those tales, which they say are totally untrue.

“If the people putting out those stories could see the two of them together, that would be the end of it,” the friend said about the splitsville sagas.

“Katy understands she’s a target for gossip and tabloid stories but is upset that things are totally being made up. She’s sick of people saying ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’ — sometimes even coming from fellow stars asking about her marriage when she runs into them,” said the source.

Perry did tweet her fans on Sunday, pointing out that “just cause we don’t flaunt our relationship doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with it. … Privacy is our luxury.”

† I’ve also learned that Perry and Brand are considering legal options — possibly filing lawsuits against the London papers that have been most relentless in claiming the couple are heading for divorce court.

PRETTY WELL SET: Even though Elisabetta Canalis and George Clooney have gone their separate ways, it sounds like the Italian beauty isn’t all that broken up about it.

“She got what she wanted,” said a snide Hollywood BZ spy — pointing to the fact Canalis reportedly already has used her Clooney connection to line up a bunch of pending endorsement deals and TV commercials to bolster the estimated $10 million she already pulls in from her various projects in Italy, where she has long been a major star.

SWEET MOVE: Don’t think Sprinkles needs to worry, but Lauren Conrad continues to build her business empire — beyond her successful fashion lines — with plans to open cupcake shops.

† Speaking of Sprinkles, Candace Nelson — the cupcake chain’s founder and star of “Cupcake Wars” on the Food Network — will be in her Chicago store at 50 E. Walton from 10 a.m. to noon today. Nelson will greet customers with free samples of her new mini-cupcakes.

I’VE LOST COUNT … of the number of stars who have checked into rehab — just in the past couple of years!

The latest celeb working to overcome an addiction is “Dr. McSteamy” himself — Eric Dane — whose spokesfolks confirm has checked into the Hills Treatment Center, a sober living recovery residence in West Los Angeles.

As first reported by the Star magazine, Dane is working to wean himself from pain medication he claims was prescribed for a sports injury. He’s expected back on the set later this week.

REALITY RUMBLINGS: Though the official word from Bravo stresses great happiness with the network’s hit show “The Real Housewives of New York,” there are rumblings about a quiet search to begin finding some younger and hipper cast members — for future seasons — to appeal to a younger audience.

† “Jersey Shore” creator Anthony Beltempo is filming a new show focused on the owner of several Long Island tanning salons. According to the New York Post, Tony Testa — a nephew of imprisoned New York mob boss Joseph Carmine Testa — already has taped several episodes for the proposed new reality series that will focus on the younger Testa and his extended family, who all live in the same ’hood.

Supposedly, the Testa clan will make “Snooki,” “The Situation” and the “Jersey Shore” crew look tame by comparison!

ON THE RUN: “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf may be back in our area briefly when filming starts for “The Company You Keep.” The actor will play an ambitious reporter on a cross-country chase of Robert Redford’s character — an ex-Weather Underground militant, 30 years on the FBI’s most-wanted list.

CORRECTION: The correct date for the Robert Gibbs appearance at St. Xavier University, mentioned in Wednesday’s column, is Oct. 20.

SEEN ON THE SCENE: The Cubs’ Ryan Dempster breakfasted at David Burke’s Primehouse, while Zac Efron was spied getting his early morning fix with an omelet stuffed with filet tips, truffled mushrooms, cheese and onions. … Chicago rapper and producer Lupe Fiasco dined quietly at the bar at Joe’s Stone Crab. … While in town for the series with the Cubbies, Phillies second baseman Chase Utley slipped into Hub 51.