CHRIS ROCK - ROCK TESTIFIES IN PELLICANO TRIAL

LATEST: Comedian CHRIS ROCK has admitted he hired shamed Los Angeles private investigator ANTHONY PELLICANO to snoop on a woman who accused him of rape.
The funnyman testified in California's Federal court on Friday morning (04Apr08) in Pellicano's ongoing wiretapping trial, where he was quizzed about his links to the private detective.
Rock paid Pellicano to look into the background of Monica Zsibrita, who had initially claimed the star had fathered her child. When DNA tests proved Rock was not the baby's daddy, Zsibrita changed her story and accused Rock of raping her at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1998.
Rock's conversation with Pellicano was leaked onto the internet last month (Mar08) in a 31-minute telephone recording.
On the taping, Pellicano can be heard telling Rock how he plans to help him fight the bogus rape charge.
An apparently stressed Rock tells the detective, "Once you're accused of rape, you're just f**ked, you know?"
Pellicano responds, "That's why I want to blacken this girl up, totally. I want to make her out to be a lying, scumbag, manipulative c**ksucker... stupid bitch."
Rock agrees, telling the detective, "I'm f**ked. I'm better getting caught with needles in my arm, way better, needles, with pictures. There's Chris Rock shooting heroin - much better blow to the career."
In his testimony on Friday, Rock denied knowing anything about Pellicano's tactics, and reiterated his innocence in the rape claims: "I'm here a free man, I didn't do anything wrong. You know I didn't do anything wrong."
Rock's testimony lasted just 15 minutes, according to TMZ.com. He is just one in a long list of celebrities to be linked to Pellicano. Other stars include Tom Cruise, Steven Seagal, Farrah Fawcett and Warren Beatty.
The trial continues.