Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Gretchen Bonaduce tells us she and ex-husband Danny have been able to remain on good terms for the most part since their divorce, but things turned ugly when he appeared on her upcoming reality show "Re-inventing Bonaduce."

"I asked him to come on my show because everybody wanted to see us together on TV, and that turned into a nightmare. I didn't talk to him for a couple of months after that because I was really angry. Now we're trying to rebuild some kind of relationship," she says of the former "Partridge Family" star.

"On one hand, I was disappointed and completely traumatized because he went crazy again. As a producer on the show, though, I did realize that it will make people watch. They want to see how things worked out between us. I'm not sure, though, had I known he was going to be so unkind that I would have traded that off."

However, Gretchen admits she does wish him the best. "He's engaged to a really nice girl, and I'm just thrilled he's doing fine."

Despite some bumps, Gretchen tells us the show, which she got as a result of winning "Gimme My Reality Show," is generally lighthearted.

"It's about me being a single mother, getting my company off the ground, my '80s band, and it happened to be something that people were interested in," she notes. "I wanted to do something positive. I wanted to empower women in my age bracket to let them know you can do whatever you want. I'm 43 years old, and I'm singing in a cover band! Mainly it's an opportunity to show people me. I'm having fun, and I'm doing what I want to do. The only time the show is negative is when Danny is on." The show premieres May 23 on the Fox Reality Channel.

ANOTHER CHAPTER: "Supernatural" costar Jim Beaver admits he had misgivings about publishing his "Life's That Way: A Memoir" — which consists largely of emails to friends and family that he wrote during and after the terminal illness of his wife, actress and casting director Cecily Adams (daughter of "Get Smart's" Don Adams). Her lung cancer was discovered shortly after their daughter Maddie was diagnosed with autism. Jim's book has won widespread acclaim and been likened to such cathartic works as Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking."

"The weirdest part of it is, within a month or two of my starting the nightly newsletter email, several thousand people were reading it. Yet when it came time to think of turning it into a book, it seemed too personal and private to share," says the actor, also known as kindhearted prospector Ellsworth on "Deadwood" and as the sheriff in "Harper's Island." "There is a big difference between sending out emails and putting something into book form." Writing those emails was a healing journey for him, and, "As hard as it was, I think that was what empowered me to continue with it in its original period of creation.

It was tough to sit down every night and spend 90 minutes or two hours, especially when I was getting no sleep anyway, and feeling drained in just about every possible way. But at the same time, it allowed me to process what was happening.

"If it's helpful to other people, that's actually gravy," he adds.

In fact, Beaver already has received scores of letters from readers who say they've been touched and helped by his book.

He's currently focusing on time with Maddie, as both his latest shows are out of production — and he's mum about the fate of his "Supernatural" demon hunter character, Bobby. "I can't say much at this point. Soon I'll be able to. The cat will be out of the bag," he says.

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Bruce Greenwood, who plays Captain Christopher Pike in the new "Star Trek," says that making the No. 1 box office J.J. Abrams movie gave him a whole new appreciation for the "Star Trek" universe. "As a kid I'd watch the original episodes, more to see the crazy aliens and the kooky outfits and figure out which lump of rock was real and which rock was fake. I had no idea that the conflicts were so classic," he admits. Pike is known as the captain of the Starship Enterprise prior to James T. Kirk's ascension to that command. "My Pike's dilemma is very different from Jeffrey Hunter's on the old show," points out Greenwood, who's played parts from John F. Kennedy to Beach Boy Dennis Wilson thus far in career. "Not to give too much away, but there was one day of shooting that was very uncomfortable for me. When you see it, you'll understand."

A MUSICAL NOTE: "Wizards of Waverly Place" lead Selena Gomez says she's aiming for a late summer-early fall release for her first album. It's been slow-going on the record, partly because she's been so busy with her TV show (it goes back into production in June) and her forthcoming movies — the June-airing Disney Channel "Princess Protection Program" and the currently shooting feature "Ramona and Beezus." And also because, "I'm taking my time to make sure the album is perfect and right for me. It's been going really good, but we're keeping it under wraps a lot," she tells us. However, she says, she wants fans to know "It's going to be fun and energetic."

With reports by Emily Feimster.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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