Lee on defense in child’s death

Los Angeles The parents of a 4-year-old boy who drowned in a swimming pool at Tommy Lee’s house have sued the former Motley Crue drummer for wrongful death and negligence.

Daniel Karven-Veres, son of actress Ursula Karven and television producer James Veres, died last June after he was pulled from the swimming pool of Lee’s Malibu home. The child was attending a birthday party for one of Lee’s two sons.

The lawsuit filed Feb. 15 in Superior Court claims that “no adult, hired professional, lifeguard, or otherwise, was designated to ensure the safety of the young children swimming in the pool, and to be responsible in the event life-saving procedures were necessary.” Authorities ruled the drowning was an accident.

“The real issue for this family is justice,” said Michael Levine, a spokesman for the boy’s family. “I don’t believe that any human being can understand the capacity of what a wrongful death can do to a parent. It’s very chilling and disturbing.”

Lee could not be reached for comment.

Knievel, ex to keep their distance

Clearwater, Fla. Retired motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and his ex-wife have been ordered to stay away from each other.

Krystal Kennedy-Knievel, 32, sought an injunction against her 63-year-old ex-husband, and Knievel filed his own request for an injunction against her. The pair married in 1999 and divorced two months ago.

Kennedy-Knievel accused Knievel of hitting her and making threatening telephone calls.

Knievel accused his ex-wife of packing a gun and making threats. He said she has threatened to shoot him in a post-divorce tug-of-war over her jewelry collection.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Amy Williams imposed a permanent injunction barring Knievel from ever contacting his ex-wife and ordered Kennedy-Knievel to stay away from her ex-husband for four years.

Waters project pokes fun

San Francisco Filmmaker John Waters says the mission of his “Straight to Video” art exhibit is to piece together cliches from different movies to create something new.

Waters, who directed “Hairspray” and “Serial Mom,” scoured films for the photos he wanted, then arranged the frozen frames to create storyboards, which are on display at the Rena Bransten Gallery through March 16.

One grouping features a series of stars sitting on toilets in scenes from different movies.

“It isn’t about which celebrity I found on the toilet,” Waters told the San Francisco Chronicle in Wednesday’s editions. “I don’t care who it was. I just needed a bunch of celebrities on the toilet to show that this is a ridiculous, overused image.”