Safe Bette: The cold was too much for Midler

Next time Bette Midler gets a wintertime job opportunity in Minnesota, maybe she should decline.

The Honolulu native (is she a real American?) tested the motoring skills of her limo driver when he had to back down the alley to deposit the Divine Miss M at the stage door entrance of the Orpheum last week. This vehicular ruse was a first for me.

The maneuver seemed designed to minimize to the maximum Midler's exposure to the frigid air. An anxious energy seemed to be keeping Midler company in the back of the limo. Then there was a funny moment when the limo driver didn't recall that the front passenger door was locked, so he couldn't open it. Midler, who had apparently girded her loins for the cold dash, hit the car locks herself and then bolted inside.

I got a clumsy shot of the top of her head as I yelled: Any advice for Ricky Gervais? About that time, a solitary fan ran up behind me holding something he wanted autographed. Based on the fact there was only one autograph-seeker and the audience didn't exactly seem to be arriving in droves, I wrongly concluded not many people were present for Midler one-woman chatfest.

City Pages' Andrea Swensson told me the first floor actually was full, with a mostly middle-aged female crowd, while the balcony had a few empty seats. That was shocking. I saw more people getting out of the limos that accompanied Midler's than I observed entering the Orpheum at any time.

While showing my mostly Midler-less video to Hayley Herst, exec producer of the Fox 9 morning shows, I expressed befuddlement over why Bette is still rolling with an entourage, a minimum of four, at this period of her career.

"She's A DIVA!" said Herst.

"No!" said Herst.

Word is Midler was polite and talkative to airport and hotel workers, including someone she asked, Where's your coat?

He told her he was accustomed to Minnesota's cold. Midler, who clearly was not, shook her head. Honestly, if you are the kind of celebrity baby who can't suck it up for repeated strolls from buildings to the limos, maybe you should wait to work gigs during Minnesota summers.

Prince ex remarryingOne of Prince's ex-wives is engaged to marry another musician, Eric Benet.

Benet and Manuela Testolini have been keeping their engagement quiet, as it happened in November, reports People.com, which says they are planning a summer wedding.

An entrepreneur and founder of the charity In A Perfect World, Testolini didn't let a little thing like filing for divorce from Symbolina in 2006 stop her from being the star attraction at a Free Arts Minnesota event. On that day, Testolini did art projects with kids who had experienced violence, neglect, poverty or homelessness, as a means of healing.

Testolini has been dating Benet for three years. Benet's divorce from Halle Berry was finalized six years ago, according to People. Berry is having a hot romance with raffish actor Olivier Martinez, who's raked over a few women in his time.

In a 2005 interview with People, Benet said, "We all know I cheated," that he'd done "a lot of therapy" after his marriage broke up, and that the woman who ended up with him would be with "a very evolved man." He also claimed he's not a sex addict, although he did a stint in rehab to save his marriage at the behest of Berry's mom. Strange.

Odds that the Benet-Testolini marriage will last: 50-50. Odds that Martinez is into Berry for the long haul: 5 percent.

Happiness is ...Author Dan Buettner discusses happiness Wednesday on Oprah with Goldie Hawn.