Halle and Fred Freakin' Durst? WTF ??

[image]http://www.nypost.com/images/front100203.gif[/image]

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htm

October 2, 2003 -- JUST a week after PAGE SIX revealed the deep friendship between Fred Durst and Halle Berry, word comes that the sultry actress has split with her sex-addict husband, Eric Benet.

Berry made the decision last weekend and released this statement yesterday:

"Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out together. However, at this point, I feel we need time apart to re-evaluate our union. We ask that you respect our privacy as we are going through this emotional time ."

Berry is now filming "Catwoman" in Vancouver.

The 21/2-year marriage of Berry and Benet has been a rocky one. A year ago Benet sought treatment for sex addiction, and Berry - after she had all female assistants and extraneous women removed from Benet's life - claimed she had forgiven her cheating spouse.

While Berry is close to Benet's daughter, India, whom she adopted, she and Benet have spent a lot of time apart in the last year while she was making "Gothika" and now "Catwoman."

Benet, meanwhile, has been trying to put out an album - without drawing much interest. The singer/songwriter is said to be down about his struggling music career.

"During the summer he was out drinking wine and just kept going on about how his music wasn't selling," a friend of the couple told In Touch magazine. "He wasn't good company, and Halle wasn't happy about how he's been wallowing in self-pity."

The pal added: "Eric is distraught. He doesn't want to go out. He just wants to spend time alone, moping around their home. His friends have been trying to get him to go out, but . . . I think he is afraid he will just burst into tears in a public place. He is very, very upset."

Benet's insecurity couldn't have been helped when Berry's new, close pal Durst visited her twice in Canada, on the "Gothika" and "Catwoman" sets.

Durst told mtv.com just days after his last visit with Berry: "Someone has come into my life that I really, really bonded with like I've never bonded with anybody."

Benet's spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg declined comment.

 

Ever notice how stars tend to make it in the news just as their new movies open? Her Gothica opens soon.

 

If you really must know...


October 2, 2003 -- A female city probation officer has been arrested for having a string of sexual trysts with a 17-year- old in exchange for offering him a favorable review before his sentencing hearing, officials said yesterday.
Nicole Waite, 36, was charged with felony third-degree bribe receiving and misdemeanor official misconduct for having sexual relations on three occasions with the unidentified teen, whom she plied with booze and pot, authorities said.

Waite, a 12-year veteran of the Probation Department, engaged in three sex romps in May - at a Times Square pizza parlor, in her city office, and in a Washington Heights hotel room, officials said.

She also was overhead telling the youth to lie to police about their involvement, city officials said.

"The conduct of this probation officer is egregious and goes against everything expected from a representative of law enforcement," fumed City Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn.

Officials said that Waite, a Brooklyn resident, had been assigned to conduct a pre-sentencing report on the youth in April.

City officials would not disclose the teenager's crime. He eventually received community service.



But during her initial interview with the youth, Waite almost immediately made sexual overtures - saying he had to "behave" to receive a positive evaluation, according to the Department of Investigation.

Then, in their first rendezvous, at the pizzeria, Waite allegedly gave the teen wine and they had sexual intercourse.

On the second occasion, she asked the youth to come to her 100 Centre St. office with a condom. When he showed up without one, she performed oral sex on him, according to investigators.

She is charged with giving the youth liquor and mar1juana during their tryst at a hotel at 145th Street and Broadway.

Officials are investigating whether Waite engaged in similar illegal conduct with any other defendants.

The 17-year-old reported the indiscretions to the Department of Investigation two months after his case was disposed of - out of fear that Waite had written untruthful and negative things about him.

"This is deeply troubling, particularly because integrity violations among probation officers are so rare," said Martin Horn. "If it is true, it is disgusting."

Waite will be suspended from the department today, officials said.