Fine Print 03-10-2004

Prayer stalker

Los Angeles, Oct. 2 (Reuters): Mel Gibson, producer and director of The Passion of the Christ, has obtained a restraining order against a man he says stalked him to demand that they pray together, according to court papers.

Zack Sinclair, a 34-year-old homeless man, also has sent a number of letters that Gibson described in a court declaration filed on September 21 as ?alarming, harassing and annoying.?

Gibson said Sinclair came to his Malibu home on two consecutive days last month and ?demanded to see me, saying that he wanted to pray with me.?

After he was ?told to leave and not return,? Sinclair showed up at Gibson?s church the following day and ?approached me, interrupted my worship, stood extremely close (approximately six inches) from me and demanded that I pray with him,? Gibson said in the statement. When Sinclair returned to the actor's home again the next day, Gibson?s wife called police and had him arrested.

Sinclair was still in jail on Friday on charges of disorderly conduct and misdemeanor loitering on private property, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

Sean award

Panama City (AFP): The Panamanian government has said it has a diplomatic passport held by Sean Connery that was among 121 handed out by former President Mireya Moscoso. Connery was a friend of the former president and visited Panama to receive an award in 2003. A well-known Panamanian rap singer, Edgardo Franco, was also among the recipients. But top foreign ministry official Guido Fuentes said ?for us there is no justification for giving the passports.? The foreign ministry said in a statement that Moscoso, who left office on September 1 after losing an election, gave diplomatic passports to government employees, friends, politicians and entertainment figures such as Connery.

Jagger roll

New York (Reuters): Mick Jagger is on a major songwriting roll, penning new tunes for an upcoming Rolling Stones album and basking in the glow of praise for the soundtrack he helped create for the upcoming film, Alfie. Jagger, famed frontman of the Stones, teamed with Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart to write and perform 13 songs for the film, including the haunting Old Habits Die Hard, which will be released by Virgin Records on October 19 as the first single from the soundtrack CD.