Mike Myers is sued by Universal

LEGALESE Universal is suing Mike Myers for allegedly ditching a contract to make the widely anticipated big screen spin-off of his ”Saturday Night Live” German talk show host Dieter. A script was reportedly written that had Dieter searching for his lost monkey in L.A. Actors had already been cast for the film as well — including, among others, David Hasselhoff, who was set to play an evil version of himself. Myers, who was slated for a $20 mil paycheck plus a percentage of the gross, expressed shock at the suit, saying that he had only wanted the production delayed. Universal claims he abandoned the project completely, and is seeking compensation for $3.8 mil in production costs it claims to have accrued after he committed to the deal in March. Myers said in a statement, ”I cannot in good conscience accept $20 million and cheat moviegoers who pay their hard-earned money to see my work by making a movie with an unacceptable script.” Why not? Lots of Hollywood stars do it all the time.

CHARGED Prosecutors slapped Eminem with two felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon and assault with a deadly weapon yesterday for the previously reported late night brawl in the parking lot of the Hot Rocks Cafe. The county prosecutor says the rapper hit John Guerra over the head with an unloaded (and unlicensed) 9mm Smith & Wesson after he spotted him kissing his wife, Kimberly Mathers (his lawyer says he will enter a plea of not guilty). Kimberly, subject of the eponymous jealous-rage track on Eminem’s latest LP, told the Detroit Free Press that the Slim Shady misinterpreted the peck, ”I don’t think anybody in their right mind would cheat on a millionaire husband — especially with a nobody at a neighborhood bar.” And ESPECIALLY when said spouse is likely to stay reasonably solvent for a while. Eminen just signed a contract for representation with United Talent in all areas except touring, and he is in the process of inking out a deal with Universal-Imagine to star in film based loosely on his life story. At least he can’t be charged with giving the scriptwriters dull material.

CROONING Enrique Iglesias plans to sing on the Howard Stern show in response to allegations by the host that he fakes his performances. Stern has played a tape on his show for last two days of Iglesias singing off-key, and heckled the young hunk for his alleged Milli Vanillian live appearances. Iglesias’ publicist says it is ”highly usual” for an artist to lip synch when performing on a TV show with substandard technology. Now the publicist better hope Stern has all the right buttons and knobs to make Iglesias sound good.

WEB NEWS Starting today, Britney Spears lovers can bid for the chance to see the ex-Mousketeer in the flesh on mtv.com. The highest bidder wins a meet-and-greet pass for a show on the bubblegum queen’s summer tour, which runs from June 20 to Sept. 18. Proceeds will go to charity.

COURTS Michael Abram pled not guilty yesterday to attempting to murder ex-Beatle George Harrison and his wife in their home in London. He also denied the charges of aggravated burglary, causing grievous bodily harm, and malicious wounding. The trial is set for November…. Sharon Stone‘s former housekeeper was sentenced to 16 months yesterday, after she pled guilty to charges of stealing jewelry from the actress.

MUSIC NEWS Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker will sit out the next month of the band’s U.S. tour because of a broken pinkie acquired when two hoods jumped Barker and his girlfriend as they left an Ohio fast food joint before a show on Sunday. His hand is in a cast that will not be removed for four weeks…. A man was shot and wounded outside a Phoenix nightclub where Sisquó was playing Monday night. Though he was not involved in the incident the ”Thong Song” man was immediately whisked off the stage and into a waiting limo…. Robert Smith told Wall of Sound that he plans to break up The Cure once and for all. Smith says the band’s latest LP includes a swan song track, ”Bloodflowers,” and that he has been hoping to dissolve the group since they cut their breakthrough album ”Disintegration” in 1989. This is really big news, since most of us had forgotten that they didn’t break up in 1989.

TV DEALS Showtime has greenlit a miniseries entitled ”It’s a Girl Thing” featuring Linda Hamilton, Rebecca De Mornay, and Stockard Channing. Writer creator Nancy Pimental has left a Jenny McCarthy sitcom that Fox has tentatively planned for midseason.

CASTING ”Mumford”’s Jason Lee has been cast in Barry Sonnenfeld’s ensemble comedy ”Big Trouble,” starring Tim Allen and Rene Russo.

CUBANS IN THE NEWS As is if we hadn’t noticed, a poll by the Center for Media and Public Affairs indicates that the network evening news hammered viewers with more Elián Gonzalez-centered shows than any other nonelection story since the reign of O.J. Simpson…. Tennessee Williams‘ Key West house sold to an Ohio couple for $1.5 million, a tidy sum that shocked the late playwright’s brother who said, ”Why, that was just a shack that floated over from Cuba!” Maybe he should have asked the networks about the revenue potential of things that wash up from Cuba.