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

PEOPLE

Nicole Answers Back: A pregnant Nicole Kidman begged Tom Cruise not to end their marriage, but the Hollywood superstar stormed out anyway, rejecting her pleas to seek counseling or another means to save the marriage, according to court papers filed Thursday by the actress. Kidman, who seeks joint custody of the couple’s two children plus “family support” to “maintain their standard of living,” said that it “came as a shock” to her when Cruise told her on Feb. 4 that “he no longer wanted to live with her” and wanted a divorce. “On Dec. 24, the parties had happily celebrated their 10th anniversary with a group of friends,” the court papers said. “During the balance of December and thereafter the parties were intimate; in fact [Kidman] became pregnant by [Cruise] but lost the baby through a miscarriage.” Kidman’s assertion that the couple were together past their 10th anniversary could be important: Under California law, after 10 years of marriage, a spouse must pay alimony until the partner remarries. Cruise’s February petition said the couple formally split in December--just before their 10th anniversary. In seeking joint custody of Isabella, 8, and Conor, 6, meanwhile, Kidman said such an arrangement would be “contingent on [Cruise’s] agreement to communicate, consult and from time to time meet directly with [Kidman] as to all important issues affecting the children’s general welfare.” She said that she would “prefer” to live with the children in her native Australia or “elsewhere in the United States” but that she thought it in their best interests “at this time” to live close to Cruise in the former couple’s L.A. home. Earlier this week, Cruise’s lawyer released a statement saying that Kidman “has always known exactly why the parties are divorcing” and said Cruise plans to provide for his children and pay Kidman “half of the community property” or “tens of millions of dollars.”

Dowling Seeks to Assure Readers: Hollywood Reporter publisher Robert J. Dowling addressed the trade paper’s readers in a lengthy Page 1 column in Friday’s edition, promising to keep the publication “professional, honest and true.” Responding to controversy over the recent resignations of labor writer David Robb--who claimed Dowling squelched an expose about questionable ethics by Reporter society columnist George Christy--and the subsequent resignation of respected editor Anita Busch, Dowling wrote: “Let’s set the record straight. This paper has never backed away from a legitimate story, no matter how controversial.” Dowling, accusing Busch and Robb of “a glaring lack of objectivity in their investigation” of Christy, noted that the Reporter had undertaken “an internal inquiry into Christy’s activities,” adding “Rules and laws exist as to how such procedures should be handled. They do not include one employee investigating another, which Robb and Busch were told on more than one occasion.” Dowling added that if allegations “uncovered by Robb”--including that Christy used free office space provided by a film company--proved true, Christy would be disciplined, “including possible termination.” Christy, meanwhile, is also the subject of an inquiry by the Screen Actors Guild into whether he appeared in films for which he received screen credits, entitling him to union health and pension benefits.

POP/ROCK

Banned in Singapore: Singapore has banned Janet Jackson’s latest album, “All for You,” because of lyrics deemed too steamy for the conservative Southeast Asian city-state. Specifically, government censors cited the song “Would You Mind” for its “sexually explicit lyrics.” The album’s distributor, EMI, has filed an appeal. A similar ban was imposed against Jackson’s last album, “The Velvet Rope,” because of its sexual references. In the U.S., “All for You” claimed No. 1 on this week’s national pop chart by selling 605,000 copies last week.

Rosa Parks Takes on OutKast Again: Lawyers for civil rights figure Rosa Parks asked an appeals court Friday to reinstate her lawsuit against a rap group she accuses of misusing her name in a song. Parks, 88, claims she has the right to sue over OutKast’s use of her name in “Rosa Parks,” a song on the 1998 OutKast album “Aquemini,” which sold 2.5 million copies. Parks says that the group used her name without permission and that she was offended by racial slurs in the song. OutKast won a 1999 pretrial decision after the band’s lawyer argued that the Grammy-nominated song is protected by the 1st Amendment and that the rap group does not have to compensate Parks. Parks’ attorneys on the appeal include former O.J. Simpson trial figure Johnnie Cochran.

Putting Frontal Assault Behind Him: Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey of the R&B; duo K-Ci & JoJo pleaded no contest Thursday to four lewd conduct charges for allegedly pulling down his pants and underwear during radio station KIIS-FM’s “Jingle Ball” holiday concert at the Shrine Auditorium last year. Prosecutors said hundreds of children were in the concert’s audience. “It was in his best interest to put this matter behind him,” said Hailey’s attorney, who entered the plea on his client’s behalf. “He’s regretful of what happened. He just got caught up in the moment.” Hailey is expected to get community service when he is sentenced June 5.

THE ARTS

United Front: New York’s powerful Metropolitan Opera, which in January pulled out of a plan to overhaul Lincoln Center, has agreed to rejoin the project. By far the biggest member in the flock of organizations that make up Lincoln Center, the Met had sought a say in planning and fund-raising commensurate with its size. Instead, the new agreement effectively gives each resident organization veto power over major decisions. In earlier talks, Met general manager Joseph Volpe had objected to a proposal for a new home for the New York City Opera, but that subject apparently did not come up during the latest negotiations. According to the New York Times, the new agreement will free up $240 million in city financing for the project that was being withheld because of the Met’s withdrawal. The planned upgrades, expected to take 10 years, include improved acoustics at Avery Fisher Hall and additions to the Juilliard School of Music. . . . Meanwhile, the New York Times also reported that Lincoln Center will take control of $312 million made available through a settlement with the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds in which a total of $1.7 billion in foundation money will be distributed to 13 groups to manage as they please. Previously, the endowment gifts were heavily invested in Reader’s Digest stock, which plummeted in the 1990s, and the recipients were restricted from selling the stock.

TELEVISION

Bugs a Racist?: A Cartoon Network Bugs Bunny retrospective next month that was to have featured all the animated rabbit’s shorts won’t be complete after all. Executives at the cable network have decided not to air a dozen of the cartoons that they deem are too racially charged. In one such episode, the wisecracking, carrot-chomping Bugs parodies a black-faced Al Jolson; in another he calls an oafish, bucktoothed Eskimo a “big baboon,” and in yet another he distracts a black rabbit hunter by rattling a pair of dice. A Cartoon Network spokeswoman called it “an internal decision” not to air the racially charged cartoons.