Judge urges photographers, Kidman to resolve problems

Sydney, Australia — Nicole Kidman and two freelance photographers accused of stalking the Oscar-winning actress should try to resolve their problems out of court like “intelligent people,” a judge said Friday.

Last month, Kidman won temporary restraining orders against Jamie Fawcett, 43, and Ben McDonald, 32, for allegedly stalking her and planting an electronic listening device outside her Sydney home.

The actress, who returned to Australia in January to film her new movie “Eucalyptus,” claimed their aggressive pursuit of photographs made her feel like a prisoner in her harborside mansion. Kidman’s chief bodyguard said he thought the bug was planted to intercept conversations that would tip off photographers to her whereabouts.

The restraining order against Fawcett and McDonald — who were told not to stalk or harass the actress, and not to come within 66 feet of her home — expired Friday when the photographers appeared before the court for a second time. Kidman, 37, has not attended either hearing.

Later Friday, Gilmour removed the restraining orders on Fawcett and McDonald, allowing the men to photograph Kidman in public away from her harborside mansion, so long as they do not stalk, harass or intimidate her.

O’Connor to get spiritual

London — Irish singer Sinead O’Connor says that after two years of retirement, she is returning to music — but not the pop scene.

“I want to at least aim my records at a more spiritualized market,” she told Irish music magazine Hotpress.

O’Connor, best known for her song “Nothing Compares 2 U” and for shredding a picture of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live,” announced her retirement two years ago. She said she wanted to concentrate on raising her children, and disclosed she was battling a fatigue illness called fibromyalgia.

In 1999, O’Connor was ordained as a priest in the Latin Tridentine Church by a rebel bishop. She then adopted the name Mother Bernadette Mary.

Now, she said her music would have religious qualities.

“Religious songs with bad words, that’s the best way I could describe it,” she said. “I’ve been thinking for years the religious area of music has a huge gap in it. Needs a bit of punky filling.”

Sizemore fails drug test

Los Angeles — Actor Tom Sizemore, who has been on probation for abusing his ex-girlfriend, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, was taken into custody Thursday in court after a probation officer reported that he had failed a drug test, Sizemore’s lawyer confirmed.

Lawyer Michael Rovell said the incident occurred Feb. 1 when Sizemore reported to his probation officer to take a urine test.

Rovell said Sizemore had been granted permission to leave for Cambodia next week to take a role in a movie on the Southeast Asian prostitution trade if he agreed to be tested for drug use on a daily basis.

When the actor took his Feb. 1 urine test, Rovell said, the reading indicated the temperature was too low for it to have come from his body, and he was accused of concealing a supply of clean urine.

Rovell said Sizemore had denied trying to cheat on the test, adding the actor volunteered to be tested again but was refused. He said Sizemore also had taken and passed a lie-detector test on the subject.

Sizemore is scheduled to return to court Feb. 24.

Birthdays

Actress Stockard Channing is 61. Former test pilot Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is 82. Talk show host Jerry Springer is 61. Singer Peter Gabriel is 55. Singer Henry Rollins is 44. Actress Mena Suvari is 26.