Christina Aguilera’s arrest sign she needs help, friends say

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

For quite some time, members of Christina Aguilera’s inner circle have been trying to get her to face up to personal issues that have led her to drinking so heavily that close friends firmly believe the superstar needs to get professional help.

Aguilera, 30, was arrested with her young boyfriend Matthew Rutler in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning, after the couple plowed through two bottles of wine at Mario Batali’s L.A. eatery Osteria Mozza during a late Monday night dinner.

A cop witnessed Rutler, 25, driving erratically about 2:45 a.m., pulled him over and charged him with a DUI. Aguilera was booked on a misdemeanor public intoxication charge but not jailed. Rutler posted bail and was released midday on Tuesday.

“There have been several unsuccessful efforts to get Christina to go to rehab over the past month or so,” said a close Aguilera associate. “Now, maybe she’ll listen.

“I think she will make the right decision — maybe after another push from friends and family members, as early as the end of this week.”

Few in Aguilera’s camp are fans of her relationship with Rutler, a production assistant she met on the set of her 2010 film “Burlesque.”

“Matt is not good for her. He’s bewitched her. It’s like she’s under some kind of spell when she’s with him,” said another longtime Agui­lera galpal.

ON TO NEXT YEAR: In the wake of the weak Oscar show ratings and tough reviews of co-host James Franco, in particular, Academy insiders say early talk is focusing on possibly teaming veteran emcee Billy Crystal with Hugh Jackman (who hosted in 2009). Other names in the mix include George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Craig Ferguson.

Chicago International Film Festival founder Michael Kutza has a suggestion: “No host. It can stand alone without stand-up comics. The films are the stars.” Kutza also says it might be interesting to bring back “amazing past winners to introduce” the individual award categories.

In short, Kutza joins a lot of Oscar show critics in saying, “It needs a new look and a new feel.”

† While Franco and co-host Anne Hathaway didn’t really connect well, don’t believe those reports the duo came to “hate” each other — totally not true. Franco was unhappy with how things turned out and used the excuse he had to get back to Ph.D classes in New York as his reason for immediately flying out of L.A. once the show ended Sunday night — even blowing off an “Oprah” appearance early Monday.

STAR TRACKS: As expected, Katie Holmes has filed a $50 million defamation and libel suit against Star magazine for that Jan. 20 cover story implying the actress was a drug addict. … Once Natalie Portman became aware of that alleged anti-Semitic rant by just-sacked Dior designer John Galliano, the Jewish actress and new “face” of Dior issued a strong statement denouncing Galliano. The delay was due to Portman being, uh, a bit busy with all the Oscar hoopla prior to her win Sunday night.

RED CARPET ROUNDUP: There is a strong Chicago connection to Scarlett Johansson’s Oscar date Sunday. Joe Machota — the newly single Johansson’s agent, not a romantic interest — went to Marist High School, where the performing bug bit him. Machota starred in the title role of the school’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” opposite future Sun-Times investigative reporter Chris Fusco’s Pontius Pilate!

Before turning to representing Johannson, Jane Fonda and “Glee” mainstay Matthew Morrison, Machota found success on Broadway, where he ended a four-year run in “Mamma Mia” in 2005.

THE SHEEN SHUFFLE: Along with Brooke Mueller working to change her children’s custody agreement with Charlie Sheen, I’m hearing earlier ex-wife Denise Richards is planning a similar action, in light of Sheen’s recent over-the-top rants. …. Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan, Sheen rescinded his demand for a raise — if “Two and a Half Men” ever returns.

SEEN ON SCENE: Joakim Noah was spied celebrating his 26th birthday with a bunch of his Bulls teammates at the Underground. … Bradley Whitford, best known for starring on newly crowned Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing,” was seen in the audience at the new “Working” musical at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place. … Bears QB Caleb Hanie chowed down with pals at David Burke’s Primehouse. … A reality TV crew was following around Chicago fashionista Corri McFadden of shopedropoff.com — including shooting Shelley MacArthur Farley’s closets — for a proposed cable show hosted by McFadden.