Abdul gets catty with Fox network

Paula told them. But they just wouldn’t listen.

That’s Paula as in Paula Abdul, the “American Idol” judge.

“They” are the Fox network show’s producers who, she says, allowed Paula Goodspeed to audition for the show.

What Abdul says she told them was that Goodspeed had been stalking her for years and that her inclusion in the show would only exacerbate the situation.

“She had been writing disturbing letters for … almost 18 years,” Abdul told Barbara Walters on a Sirius XM radio show. “We had restraining orders at times.”

Abdul said the producers ignored her request and included Goodspeed on the show for, she said, “entertainment value.”

“It’s fun for them to cause me stress,” Abdul said. “This was something that would make good television.”

On Nov. 11, Goodspeed was found dead of an apparent suicide near Abdul’s house. Abdul said she hasn’t slept at home since then.

“I’ve been staying in different homes and hotels, and I have security with me,” she said.

She lost one pound at a time

We reported Tuesday about Oprah Winfrey’s 40-pound weight gain. Now let’s talk about Valerie Bertinelli’s 40-pound weight loss. The “One Day at a Time” star, rocker Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife and spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, told Fitness magazine, “Being thin is as much a feeling as an actual appearance.”

And that feeling, she added, had nothing to do with the men in her life. “My decision to lose weight was about me,” she said, “how I wanted to feel inside.”

Get going, screenwriters

No, it’s not a movie pitch. “Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schneider really did have his SUV stolen from a Los Angeles mall last week. Even worse, a couple of puppies that had been early Christmas gifts for his children, were taken, too.

The vehicle has since been returned. But not the Yorkie and Yorkie-poodle mix. All together now, say “Awwwwww.”

DMX retains street cred, yo

Rapper DMX was arrested by federal authorities in Miami on Tuesday for allegedly skipping out on a Phoenix court appearance. The 37-year-old, aka Earl Simmons, was supposed to have been in a Phoenix court on Friday to answer charges of drug possession, identity theft and animal cruelty.

Attorney Charles Kozelka says DMX was doing rehab in Florida for a couple of weeks.

Jackson needs a, uh, hand?

Some 2,000 of Michael Jackson’s possessions, including his glittery glove, will be up for auction in April.

The glove, which was unveiled in the 1983 video for Jackson’s hit “Billie Jean,” will be part of a five-day auction event that will be televised live on the Auction Network.

The birthday bunch

Actress Rita Moreno is 77. Singer David Gates of Bread is 68. Singer Brenda Lee is 64. Actress Teri Garr is 60. Actress Bess Armstrong is 55. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 54. Bassist Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue is 50. Actor Gary Dourdan is 42. Actress-comedian Mo’Nique is 40. Rapper-actor Mos Def is 35.