Vanessa Williams is headed to Wisteria Lane next fall on "Desperate Housewives."

ABC said yesterday she'll play a "wicked new housewife" as the series enters its seventh season.

Williams will hit the neighborhood fresh from performing in the Broadway musical "Sondheim on Sondheim," which runs through June. She starred in the recently concluded ABC series "Ugly Betty."

Ongoing stars of "Desperate Housewives" include Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria Parker.

TALK OF 'TWILIGHT' DISPUTE DISMISSED

The matriarch of the Cullen family in the "Twilight" films says talk of contract disputes are overblown.

Elizabeth Reaser, who plays Esme Cullen, says people need to understand contract negotiations are a part of show-biz.

Summit Entertainment says it won't comment on negotiations or business discussions on its films.

The studio also won't say when filming is expected to begin for the fourth installment of the franchise, "Breaking Dawn," and Reaser hasn't been given a timeline, either.

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" opens June 30.

FRANCO RETURNING TO 'GENERAL HOSPITAL'

James Franco is checking back in to "General Hospital."

The "Pineapple Express" and "Spider-Man" actor who guest-starred last fall on ABC's soap opera will return in the role of a bad-boy performance artist — who happens to be named Franco.

The executive producer of "General Hospital," Jill Farren Phelps, said in a statement yesterday that Franco was coming to Port Charles to take care of "unfinished business."

Franco's first "General Hospital" episode will air June 30. He's also appearing this summer in the movie "Eat Pray Love," starring Julia Roberts.

BET AWARDS PITS JAY-Z AGAINST BEYONCE

Rapper Jay-Z and his wife, Beyonce, will compete in three categories at the 2010 BET Awards.

They're both nominated for video of the year, best collaboration and viewers' choice. Jay-Z received two nominations in the video of the year category, which includes newcomers B.o.B and Melanie Fiona.

Jay-Z is the top contender with five nominations; he's also up for best male hip-hop artist.

Queen Latifah will host the awards show, which airs live June 27 from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

GUNS N' ROSES DEBUTS VIDEO BOOK

The latest Guns N' Roses project is not an album, a video or a book: It's all three.

The band has completed a multimedia edition of the biography "Reckless Road," in which author Marc Canter tells of the making of Guns N' Roses' multimillion-selling debut "Appetite for Destruction."

The video book goes on sale today and was produced by Vook, an Alameda, Calif.-based digital publisher.

Vook says the edition will include text, studio and concert footage and interviews with band members, but not lead singer Axl Rose. It has a suggested price of $4.99 and can be downloaded from Vook's website, www.vook.com, or from Apple's iTunes.

— Advertiser News Services