COOKED-UP CONTROVERSY?

File this under "provocative": Isaac Hayes did not quit his gig voicing South Park's Chef over some Scientology flap. In a follow-up to last week's hubbub, FoxNews.com deems it "ridiculous" that the singer, who has been recovering from a stroke suffered in mid-January, would all of a sudden turn against the show for poking fun at his religion. Those close to Hayes are said to be "mystified" by the statement released March 13 and attributed to him. As one friend tells FoxNews.com, "Isaac's been concentrating on his recuperation for the last two and a half, three months." In related news, the Scientology-skewering "Trapped in a Closet" episode, pulled last week amidst allegations that Tom Cruise had flexed some muscle, will air this Wednesday at 10 pm/ET.