Love keeps it together to refute charge she caused Cobain death

Courtney Love's problems just won't go away. The troubled rocker and actress has a lot more than merely her upcoming trial on drug and disorderly conduct charges to worry about.

(Love's lawyers lost one battle battle to suppress evidence when a Los Angeles judge ruled against them - allowing an April 16 start date for the trial, during which prosecutors will now be allowed to introduce urine samples and some of Love's statements into the record.)

Beyond the possible outcome of that court appearance, Love is facing potentially far more serious allegations in Max Wallace and Ian Halperin's Love & Death - a book about Love's late husband, Nirvana rock icon Kurt Cobain. The authors have been making the TV talk circuit further fueling their book's claim that Love may have played a part in Cobain's 1994 death - from what officials deemed a self-inflicted shotgun wound.

After days of silence, Love has issued a statement vehemently denying the book's charges. The entertainer states the authorities ruled Cobain's death a suicide "10 years ago, and nothing has changed for them to change that."

A spokesman for the Seattle Police confirms Love's point "at this time," and indicated the office "had yet to receive sufficent evidence to reopen the case. ... Of course, that could change, if evidence warrants it."

Love called Wallace and Halperin "opportunistic" and attacked them for using "the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death to promote their ongoing campaign of greed and exploitation of what remains an unbearable tragedy for us all."

GIRLS' TURN: Believing turnabout is fair play - and recognizing the amazing success of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" - the Bravo network is giving the go-ahead to "Queer Eye for the Straight Girl." This time a three-member crew of gay style experts will help frumpy females improve their image and lifestyle. The show is expected to debut in early 2005.

'FIRED' FOLKS: Things should get dicey when Donald Trump again faces Omarosa, Heidi and Ereka (who he's already told "You're fired!") when "The Apprentice" stars meet up with The Donald on "Oprah" today. Plus, expect fireworks when Omarosa and Ereka lock horns over the topic of alleged racism on Trump's hit series.

UP IN FLAMES: Here's a rare occurrence in Hollywood: A major studio is responding to citizen opposition to making a movie. Warner Bros. has pulled the plug on "3000 Degrees," only weeks before shooting was to begin. The fire disaster movie - based on the horrific 1999 blaze at the Worcester Cold Storage warehouse in Massachusetts - was set to star Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson and Billy Crudup. Danny Boyle ("Trainspotting," "28 Days") was set to direct. Six firefighters died in the fire, which made headlines around the world.

Worcester residents and family members of firefighters have strongly opposed the idea of the movie, based on Sean Flynn's Esquire story, later turned into a book . The dealbreaker for the filmmakers, however, came when the International Association of Fire Fighters stepped up to the plate.

The union, which represents 85 percent of all firefighters in North America, supported the families' wishes. It told producers it would not assist with the film's production, in effect denying "3000 Degrees" access to fire stations, firetrucks and technical consultation services essential for telling an accurate story.

Michelle Lucey, widow of firefighter Jeremiah Lucey, believes that instead of a feature film, a documentary should be made about the tragedy, pointing out "how little equipment firefighters across the country have to fight fires."