Dennis Hopper goes to hospital

New York — Dennis Hopper, in town to publicize his TV series “Crash,” was taken to a hospital after developing flulike symptoms.

Sheila Feren said the 73-year-old star of “Easy Rider” and “Blue Velvet” was being examined at an unidentified New York hospital Wednesday afternoon after complaining of stomach ailments usually associated with the flu.

Hopper was forced to cancel a number of interviews and TV appearances, including The Associated Press, “Today” and “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” where he was replaced by Jack McBrayer of “30 Rock.”

His current project is “Crash,” a TV version of the Oscar-winning 2004 film. Hopper plays maniacal music producer Ben Cendars on the drama, which airs on the Starz network.

‘Hills’ star Patridge gets restraining order

Los Angeles — A judge on Wednesday granted a three-year restraining order against a man accused of stalking “The Hills” star Audrina Patridge, calling evidence presented against him “disturbing.”

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Cunningham III issued the order prohibiting any contact by Zachary Loring with Patridge, who sought protection from Loring after he showed up at her house several times.

He was arrested on Aug. 30 after Patridge spotted him outside her home.

She testified during Wednesday’s hearing, calmly recounting how Loring presented her with beer, wine, poetry and drawings.

“I was afraid,” Patridge told the judge. “He had no emotion. He was monotone. He was very intense.”

The actress said she accepted the items from Loring because she was afraid to provoke him, but later stayed away from her home. She read one of the poems he gave her, and showed the judge several of the pictures he drew.

Palin’s unreleased book a best-seller already

New York — Move over, Dan Brown. Sarah Palin is on top of the charts.

Just two days after HarperCollins announced that Palin’s “Going Rogue” had been moved up from the spring to Nov. 17, preorders Wednesday night for the former Alaska governor’s memoir made it No. 1 on both Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com.

Among the books “Going Rogue” is outselling: Sen. Ted Kennedy’s “True Compass,” Mitch Albom’s “Have a Little Faith” and Brown’s “The Lost Symbol,” his first novel since “The Da Vinci Code” and, perhaps until now, the year’s most anticipated release.

Palin, in collaboration with author Lynn Vincent, completed her 400-page book just four months after agreeing to terms with HarperCollins, which plans a first printing of 1.5 million copies. It’s the first book by Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor until suddenly resigning last summer.

Comic Artie Lange pleads guilty to D.U.I.

Toms River, N.J. — Comedian and radio personality Artie Lange has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of a habit-producing drug in a minor traffic accident in New Jersey.

The 41-year-old Lange was charged following the July 10 accident in Toms River, about 40 miles southeast of Trenton. He entered his plea Wednesday in municipal court.

Judge James Ligouri revoked his driving privileges for seven months.

Lange, a regular on radio’s “Howard Stern Show,” said he was under the influence of prescribed sleeping pills, which he had last taken the night before the crash.

Wyclef Jean, Timberland team up on boots

Concord, N.H. — Wyclef Jean and The Timberland Co. are teaming up to sell eco-friendly footwear and support reforestation of the singer’s native Haiti.

Jean, who achieved fame with The Fugees before going solo, collaborated with the New Hampshire-based footwear and apparel company on a 16-boot collection going on sale in November. Timberland also will sell T-shirts designed by Haitian children, and a new line of organic shirts and hats will be sold at Jean’s concerts, with a cut of the profits going to Jean’s Yele Haiti foundation.

The partnership is part of Timberland’s Earthkeepers program, which promotes environmental and social activism.

LeBlanc returning to series TV on Showtime

New York — Showtime network says “Friends” alum Matt LeBlanc is returning to TV in a new comedy.

LeBlanc will star in “Episodes,” a single-camera series about a husband-and-wife producing team whose witty hit comedy on British TV is turned into a dumbed-down American sitcom starring LeBlanc, who plays himself.

“Episodes” is a send-up of the TV world and LeBlanc’s image as a sitcom veteran. The show will be a co-production of Showtime and the BBC and will begin shooting a six-episode season in London and Hollywood this winter. It is scheduled to air next year on Showtime and BBC Two. LeBlanc played Joey Tribbiani on “Friends” for a decade. He followed that NBC hit in 2004 with a sitcom based on the same character, “Joey,” which flopped.