ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

TELEVISION

Old Ties Trouble ‘Weakest Link’

NBC on Monday abruptly postponed an episode of the popular, quirky game show “Weakest Link” after learning the winning contestant is the ex-wife of a senior NBC executive. Documentary producer Julie Harmon, who won $92,000 on an edition of the quiz show taped last month, was divorced 15 years ago from NBC Studios President Ted Harbert, whose division oversees production of the series. Harmon answered honestly on a questionnaire that she did not have any friends or relatives who work at NBC, since the two are no longer in contact.

According to a network spokeswoman, NBC discovered the connection when a friend of Harmon’s mentioned it to the show’s producer shortly before the planned telecast, prompting officials to pull the episode simply to ensure no rules were violated. The contestant questionnaire will be revised, and the episode has been rescheduled to run Monday.

Juvenile Court Case

A Miami man has filed a $5-million lawsuit against rapper Juvenile that claims the New Orleans star knocked him out with a Moet champagne bottle outside a Coconut Grove comedy club in March. Jackson Saintagne, 28, is seeking damages for pain and suffering stemming from the incident that also led to the arrest of Juvenile (whose given name is Terius Grey) on suspicion of aggravated battery, battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. Morton Fry, the rapper’s attorney, said Monday his client is not guilty. The incident allegedly occurred after a show at the Improv Comedy Club when several fights broke out among exiting audience members. Witnesses told police Saintagne had approached Juvenile during the show and was disrespectful, accounts the Miami man disputes.

MTV: No Daylight for D12

MTV has agreed to play “Purple Hills,” the druggy new song by the Eminem-led rap group D12, but the channel will limit the video to overnight airings, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

MTV and the rap star’s label, Shady Records/Interscope Records, had negotiated several days before the channel agreed to air a video version that excises some overt drug references. “Purple Hills” is an already cleaned-up and retitled version of the song “Purple Pills,” the lead single from D12’s album “Devil’s Night.”

The raw album version includes such lyrics as “I take a couple of uppers/I down a couple of downers/Nothing compares to the blue and yellow purple pills.”

The video has already aired on BET and will launch on MTV next week.

THEATER

Hit ‘Hair’ Extension

The Reprise! production of “Hair,” which closed at the 1,400-seat Wadsworth Theater Sunday, will resume for six weeks at the 1,900-seat Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills, July 24-Sept. 2, presented by Broadway producers Barry and Fran Weissler, in association with the Wilshire’s James M. Nederlander. The show sold out every seat at the Wadsworth. A spokesman said Tuesday it was premature to speculate whether the Weisslers plan to take the production to Broadway.

FILM

Crowe Sings for Birthday Girl

Maybe they’ll put Roman candles on the birthday cake: “Gladiator” star Russell Crowe and his rock band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, will perform in August to celebrate the 15th birthday of Sydney Perry, daughter of Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The Oscar-winning actor struck up a friendship with the governor’s family earlier this year while he was in Austin recording an album with his band, a side project from his acting career. The Aug. 18 show at Stubb’s, a local landmark restaurant, will benefit Settlement House, a Austin outreach program for troubled teenage girls.

QUICK TAKES

Already scheduled for an Oct. 2 show at Staples Center, Janet Jackson has added an Orange County stop to her tour swing through Southern California. She plays the Arrowhead Pond on Sept. 29. Tickets go on sale Sunday morning. . . . Julia Roberts has weighed in on President Bush’s daughters running afoul of underage drinking laws, and perhaps given a clue as to her political leanings: “We all need to take a deep breath and think about being a Bush daughter and having that cross to bear. I’d go out and have a couple of drinks too,” the actress told Time magazine. . . . British art-rockers Radiohead have resisted efforts to wed their music with commercials, but they will make an exception for the Olympics--their song “I Might Be Wrong” will be used in television promotions for the upcoming Winter Games in Salt Lake City. . . . ABC News, bowing to pressure, will remove interviews of children from its Friday special hosted by John Stossel, “Tampering With Nature,” after the children’s parents complained they were misled about the show. For full story, see Section A.