Entertainment Briefs Feb. 13, 2010
Hopper, wife, agree to order
LOS ANGELES — Dennis Hopper’s wife has agreed to stay 10 feet away from the ailing actor and not contact him directly as they wrangle through their divorce, court records filed Thursday show.
The agreement came after the “Easy Rider” actor requested an emergency restraining order prohibiting contact with his wife of nearly 14 years. His petition claimed his wife, Victoria, has engaged in “outrageous conduct” in the past year and was accompanied by a doctor’s declaration that his treatment for prostate cancer required him to eliminate unnecessary stress.
The filing cites several arguments between the couple over child visitation, issues at the compound where the couple and Dennis Hopper’s adult children live, and other matters.
A judge approved the agreement after a hearing Thursday morning. It also grants Dennis Hopper, who was recently released from a 10-day hospital stay, daily visits with the couple’s 6-year-old daughter.
Hopper filed for divorce in January and both sides have cited irreconcilable differences for the breakup. A court hearing on visitation and the protective order is scheduled for March 9.
Thursday’s filings were first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.
Victoria Hopper claimed in court papers filed last month that the actor smoked marijuana around their daughter, threatened her and that his illness had left him unable to make sound decisions.
Hopper denied those claims in Thursday’s filings. He acknowledged smoking medicinal marijuana, but not near his daughter. He denied threatening Victoria Hopper and said that while he had hoped to avoid a divorce, he recently came to conclusion he wanted the marriage ended.
Baldwin examined at NYC hospital
NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin, a star of NBC’s “30 Rock,” was examined Thursday at a hospital after his daughter called 911 saying he had threatened to take pills after they argued, a law enforcement official said.
Baldwin’s daughter called 911 around 12:10 a.m. from his Central Park West apartment, according to the official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.
“This was a misunderstanding on one person’s part. Alec was quickly released from the hospital; he’s completely fine and will be at work today,” the 51-year-old actor’s spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, said in a statement.
In 2008, Baldwin blamed a bitter custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger in part for the anger and frustration he was feeling when he berated their daughter in a phone message leaked earlier to the media.
In the message, Baldwin called Ireland, now 14, a “rude, thoughtless little pig.” He was apparently upset that she had missed his phone call. Baldwin said he apologized to Ireland. He said the message was wrong and “horrified” him.
In his book, “A Promise to Ourselves,” Baldwin railed against the family court system in Los Angeles, offered advice based on his own experience with divorce litigation and talked about how one parent can turn a child against another parent.