loving her

Friends of Estella Warren say they have been concerned for some time about the actress and former model’s drinking. “Maybe this will be a wake-up call,” said a Warren associate Tuesday — reacting to the “Planet of the Apes” star’s arrest on multiple charges Monday night.

Warren was being held on $100,000 bond after crashing her Prius into three parked cars, allegedly assaulting a police officer and briefly fleeing a Los Angeles police station while being booked on suspicion of DUI. She was quickly apprehended — and that attempted escape added to her growing list of felony charges.

The owner of one of the cars told Radar Online that he chased after Warren, and when he caught up with her (after she hit a third vehicle), she began slapping him.

All this occurred only one block from Warren’s home — so tracking her down (after she initially fled from the scene) “wasn’t exactly a tough thing for the police to figure out,” said my source.

† Reportedly, Warren has been unhappy with the less-than-stellar path her career has taken in recent years, which has mainly included occasional TV guest spots and a few forgettable film roles.

Once a synchronized swimming champion, the Canada native turned her early athletic achievements into a successful modeling career — first gaining fame for spreads in Sports Illustrated, Vogue and Maxim, where she was named “Hottest Woman” of 2000.

“She needs to straighten herself out, get help and focus,” added the friend. “Estella’s always been a little crazy, but this is really a mess. . . . She’s going to have to deal with all kinds of legal problems here.”

FAMILY FEUD: Seems that Katy Perry cover story in Vanity Fair has stirred things up, both with the singer’s parents and other family members. Along with Perry’s mom disputing Katy’s allegations about being raised in a stiflingly strict religious home, another relative tells me it’s “baloney . . . Katy playing the pity card. . . . She thinks you have to have had a rough childhood — which she didn’t — to be considered an artist in her business.”

TAKE NOTE: While Kevin Bacon is best known for his acting, his fans know the movie star also has strong rocker roots. Kevin, brother Michael and their Bacon Brothers band will heat things up Aug. 30 at the Paramount Theatre. Also coming to the Aurora venue: Josh Turner (Sept. 9), Huey Lewis and the News (Oct. 21) and Cyndi Lauper (Oct. 28).

STAR POWER: Aussie heartthrob and superstar Hugh Jackman will be in our area next month, showcasing his terrific musical talents with Our Town’s own Richard Marx. The duo will give a one-night-only concert at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, 8 p.m. June 8. The event is being taped for a later broadcast on PBS.

While best-known for films, Jackman played many stage musical roles, including his Tony Award-winning performance in “The Boy from Oz.”