‘Will & Grace’ star pregnant

Los Angeles — Could it become “Will & Grace & Baby?”

Debra Messing, star of the NBC comedy, is pregnant, spokeswoman Annette Wolf said Friday. The baby, due next summer, is the first for Messing and her husband, screenwriter Daniel Zelman.

Messing stars opposite Eric McCormack in the comedy about a straight woman and her gay best friend. Messing’s character, Grace, was married last season to Leo, played by actor-musician Harry Connick Jr.

NBC had no comment on whether Messing’s pregnancy would be written into the series, a network spokeswoman said.

Actress to try sweatshop life

London — Oscar nominee Minnie Driver plans to spend time in a Cambodian sweatshop for a project she hopes will draw attention to the plight of exploited workers in poor countries, a newspaper reports.

“I will be working alongside other young women for as long as it takes for me to raise awareness of the fair trade issue,” Driver told The Evening Standard.

The newspaper reported that Driver said she and a photographer friend hoped to make a documentary or perhaps write a book about the experience.

“We in Britain and the Western world fuel the problem every time we buy clothes from any one of the major manufacturers which make goods in the third world using cheap labor,” Driver said.

Spain’s crown prince engaged

Madrid, Spain — Crown Prince Felipe will marry a television journalist next summer, the Spanish royal palace announced Saturday.

The heir to the Spanish throne will wed 31-year-old Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, a well-known anchorwoman for Spanish national television, the official statement said. The wedding will take place in Madrid’s Almudena cathedral.

Felipe, 35, the only son of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, is first in line to inherit the throne.

Felipe’s bachelorhood has been the subject of speculation for years. Two years ago, he broke up with a Norwegian fashion model, ending a courtship widely criticized by Spaniards who did not want a woman who once modeled lingerie to be queen.

Vandross’ recovery ‘slow, steady’

New York — Despite a debilitating stroke, Luther Vandross has been able to keep up his spirits, says the singer’s personal assistant.

“His sense of humor is definitely intact,” Max Szadek told The Associated Press in an interview. “Anyone would be depressed going though this, but he does bring a certain levity to the table with it.”

Vandross, 52, suffered a life-threatening stroke in April. After some setbacks, he was released from a hospital to a rehabilitation center this summer and has been making progress, Szadek said. He can sing and walks with assistance.

However, Szadek said, Vandross is a long way from full recovery.

“I think it’s important for people to know that he is making progress, but it’s slow going and it’s steady,” he said.