A SAFE BETTE

We related the billing feud between Bette Midler and Shelley Long last week on Touchstone’s “Outrageous Fortune,” with reports that Long’s demands resulted in a costly plan to divide the spoils geographically (Long top-billed in half the country and vice versa for Midler).

Not so, Long’s personal manager Marty Mickelson now pleads: “Bette actually started it by demanding first billing before agreeing to sign for the movie. Shelley wanted so badly to work with Bette that she came up with the evenly split credits.”

The Divine Miss M is apparently tired of the bickering. Through her agent came Bette’s mollifying reply: “It’s true. It’s true. It’s all true. Shelley is fab ulous. I’d do the same for her anytime.”