THE BUZZ

'Straight up,' is Paula new judge?

Is Paula Abdul coming to "The X Factor" -- as Simon Cowell reportedly told Deadline.com over the weekend? Let's not get too excited just yet, says Newsday's Verne Gay. Cowell and his PR army pushed back on the report Monday, telling The Hollywood Reporter: "Nothing is set, and Paula is one of many people Simon is talking to. He's said the same thing many times, including on the radio last week. There's nothing new." Well, not quite: The Deadline report said, "he has made up his mind to bring back Paula Abdul beside him." L.A. Reid is the only confirmed judge -- along with Cowell -- of the new talent show to bow this fall.

For Eminem, album is reunion of sorts

Eminem plans to release an EP of new material that he recorded with fellow Detroit rapper Royce da 5'9", The Associated Press reports. The pair first worked together in the late 1990s, calling themselves Bad Meets Evil, with Royce da 5'9" as the "bad" and Eminem as the "evil" half of the duo. One of the songs they recorded in those days, also called "Bad Meets Evil," appeared on Eminem's major label debut, "The Slim Shady LP." The new material will be released June 14.

It's a boy! 'King of Queens' gets a prince

Stony Brook-raised actor/comedian Kevin James ("Paul Blart: Mall Cop," "King of Queens") and his wife, Steffiana, welcomed their first son, Kannon Valentine James, on Sunday in Boston, Us Weekly reports. The couple, who wed in 2004, already have two daughters at home: Sienna-Marie, 5, and Shea, 3.