We’ll bet J.Lo gets a leg up
Jennifer Lopez has a new dancing show. So does Cris Judd.
So how does Judd, who was Lopez’s second husband, feel competing with his ex-wife?
“I would never wish for something to be a failure,” says the 37-year-old dancer-choreographer, who was married to Lopez for nine months starting in 2001.
“Everyone’s trying to get by and everyone’s trying to do their best, and you can only hope for the best and you can wish for the best for someone.”
Lopez is producing MTV’s “DanceLife,” premiering Jan. 15, about six aspiring dancers.
Judd’s show, the reality competition “Dirty Dancing” on the Women’s Entertainment cable channel, was inspired by the 1987 film of the same name, starring Jennifer Grey as rich girl Baby and Patrick Swayze as poor dance instructor Johnny.
The premise: Eighteen women compete at a summer camp for a dance contract and the right to play Baby during the finale.
Ringing the New Year dry
Country singer Keith Urban is taking a break from rehab to be with wife Nicole Kidman in their native Australia during the holidays.
In October, the Grammy winner checked into a treatment center for alcohol abuse with Kidman, his wife of four months, by his side.
His spokesman said Urban will continue his treatment after the holidays.
Keeping him in the black?
Michael Jackson is suing his former accountants, claiming they withdrew $2.5 million a year from his bank accounts but did not properly pay his bills.
The suit against Bernstein, Fox, Whitman, Goldman & Sloan seeks unspecified damages for negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.
Speaking of fruitcakes …
Gallagher, known for smashing watermelons during his performances, is being sued over shows that were canceled in Branson, Mo., earlier this year after he allegedly manhandled an audience member.
An employee of the Moe Bandy Theater claimed the comedian swore at her and bruised her arm when he pushed her back into her front-row seat during a show. She dropped her complaint with the Branson Police Department after settling with him for an undisclosed sum.
In 2005, a California man complained that Gallagher slapped him during a performance at a casino in southern Nevada.
Just a light snack
Domestic maven Martha Stewart says her fling with “Silence of the Lambs” star Anthony Hopkins just didn’t work out.
“I would have probably had a very nice relationship with him but I couldn’t get past the (Hannibal) Lecter thing,” Stewart says, adding: “Do you want someone eating your brain while you are sitting in your beautiful dining room in Maine?”
The birthday bunch
Comic book creator Stan Lee (“Spider-Man,” “The Incredible Hulk”) is 84. Actor Martin Milner (“Adam 12,” “Route 66”) is 75. Actress Maggie Smith (“Harry Potter”) is 72. Musician Edgar Winter is 60. Actor Denzel Washington is 52. Comedian Seth Meyers (“Saturday Night Live”) is 33. Singer John Legend is 28. Actress Sienna Miller is 25. Actress Mackenzie Rosman (“7th Heaven”) is 17.