BITS AND PIECES 04/05
PUSSS...@aol.com
--Genevieve Piturro from the Pajama Program, which collects and
distributes new pajamas and books for kids in need, was on yesterday's
"Oprah." The show informed its viewers in advance of Piturro's
appearance, and over 32,000 pairs of pajamas were collected for the
cause - and are now being shipped here. Pajama Program needs to find
someone to donate storage space for the PJs until they can be
distributed. Pajama program.org has info.
--Lauren Graham, Kris ten Bell, Kim Raver and Eric Mabius among those
expected at Elle magazine's "Party for the Planet" tonight at
Boulevard3 in Hollywood. Sheryl Crow performs.
NY POST/DON KAPLAN
--NBC seems to have figured out a way to keep "Heroes" alive while the
show is on hiatus. It's a feat whose results may not be seen until the
show returns on April 23, but signs point to a more successful
campaign than the one that ABC tried to mount when it pulled its own
popular serial drama, "Lost." The latest round in NBC's off-air
"Heroes" campaign was a three-minute video clip posted on an NBC
MySpace site in which a key character, underworld boss Linderman
(Malcolm McDowell), reveals that he is among the group of humans who
have super powers. "Heroes" online stuff has been a big hit,
generating more than 50 million page and 30 million video views.
NY POST/PAGE SIX...
--JAY-Z, who's boycotting Louis Roederer Cristal because the brand
distanced itself from its hip-hop clientele, has plans to enter into a
partnership with champagne label Ace of Spade - but the business is
starting off on a tipsy foot. Insiders told Page Six that 100 cases of
the bubbly, which was featured in the mogul's music video "Show Me
What You Got," were stolen from a Florida distributor last week.
Despite the loss, our sources assure us the deal is close to being
inked.
--BAD boy Josh Hartnett snuck away with his new gal, Penelope Cruz,
for a spring fling vacation. The two were spotted canoodling at the
Parrot Cay private island resort in the Caribbean's Turks and Caicos
last week. It wasn't a completely private love nest, however - cozy
couple Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, who were staying at Bruce
Willis' house on the island, were spotted locking lips in the resort's
restaurant.
--DURING a murder investigation involving rappers, music producers and
one jeweler to the hip-hop stars, a character on tomorrow's "Law &
Order" tells District Attorney Rubirosa (Alana De La Garza) that "his
broken arm didn't make it into Page Six" when he was hung out of a
window. The scene reminds us of the 1999 dust-up between Sean Combs
and Steve Stoute over a music video when Stoute claimed Combs' thugs
bashed him with a Champagne bottle.
--NETWORK sharks smell blood in the water with the recent slide of the
"Today" show in the ratings. While the NBC stalwart is still No. 1 in
the morning with 5.31 million viewers, its lead over "Good Morning
America" is shrinking. Only 570,000 viewers separated the two programs
the week of March 19, and this week's overnight numbers have been even
closer. Meanwhile, CBS' "Early Show" is gaining even more, although
it's still a distant third with 2.66 million viewers. "Last year that
week [in March], 'Today' led 'GMA' by a million. The 'Today' show is
losing audience. I've never seen a drop like this," said "Early Show"
executive producer Steve Friedman. "We [CBS] were 3.3 million behind
last year. Now we're 2.6 million behind. We've picked up 700,000." The
Washington Post is said to be preparing a story that will attribute
some of the "Today" erosion to the loss of Katie Couric and her
replacement by Meredith Vieira. But TV insiders say "Today" is losing
viewers because it has abandoned hard news to play up the
personalities of its hosts.
--GRIFFIN Dunne reading the Miami Herald in business class on the same
St. Martin-to-New York flight as advertising maven Mary Lou Quinlan.
NY POST/CINDY ADAMS...
--SO, comes publicist Jeff Barge 's eighth annual "Most Foolish
American" survey. As you've read, Michael Jackson, who won four years
straight, lost this year to Britney the Baldie, followed by Miss P.
Hilton, Jacko, George W. Bush, O.J., Cheney and Mel Gibson. But behind
them came astro-nut Lisa Nowak, former Rep. Mark Foley, "Seinfeld" 's
Michael Richards, Tom Cruise, Lindsay Lohan, Kevin "The Insect"
Federline, Scooter Libby, Christie Brinkley's ex Peter Cook and Katie
Holmes. This high-class survey, a telephone poll, was conducted by
Princeton, N.J.'s Opinion Research Corporation with a margin of error
of who-the-hell cares.
--ABOUT the problems of Paula Zahn and her husband of forever Richard
Cohen. Page Six and I did blind items about this TV anchor lady who's
having an affair. It was whispered at the top of everyone's lungs at
CNN. But we protected Paula. Not until now that it's officially made
public did we pinpoint her or allude to her lover also being married
with children. Here is what I know. The divorce is proceeding. Both
have lawyers. They're communicating. Under the same roof. Maybe not
all the time, maybe not in the same room but - for now - it's calm and
civil. Here now is what's rumored: He takes custody of their three
children. The timing is not great for Paula. Her contract, maybe even
containing a morals clause, is up. Now. While she's been "on
vacation," Lou Dobbs did some filling in. Last month news chief Jon
Klein told me how rosy CNN was and that Paula's show had the network's
smallest surge in numbers, but it was up 6 percent. Whatever and
however, this might precisely be the reason divorce talks for the
moment stay peaceful and pacific. It's contract time. She's needing
all as harmonious as can be. I know we frail mortals have only one
time around. I know this is wrong and I know this is painful and I
know it's their business not mine. I don't know Richard Cohen well. I
know Paula. I like her.
NY POST/LIZ SMITH...
--THE PAPARAZZI often deserve the bad rap they get. But there are
exceptions. And we have one. The other eve, Details and Emporio Armani
held a bash for the magazine's second annual "Mavericks" issue. This
party included one or two of my favorite guys, hot numbers like
music's Damon Dash and fashion's Tom Ford, as well as actors Chris
Klein, Justin Kirk, Adam Brody, Luke Wilson, Ian Ziering, Debi Mazar,
producer Ben Silverman and "American Idol" 's Randy Jackson. They all
crowded into the Hollywood house of film producer Mary Parent. Also on
hand was Rodrigo Santoro, the Brazilian hunk from the box office smash
"300." He appears as the Persian emperor Xerxes. Although Rodrigo
played the Persian leader as fey and effete (much to the ire of Iran),
in real life the actor is catnip to the ladies. And though he kept his
hands to himself, Rodrigo looked quite pleased at all the attention.
He was persuaded to pose for pictures with Emily Deschanel, the sister
of Zooey. After that he thought it was over, and when the flashing
cameras stopped, Rodrigo went to the photographer and said, "Look,
man, do me a favor. My girlfriend is really jealous. Could you,
please, delete those pictures?" Though reluctant, the photographer
actually erased his Rodrigo/Emily snaps. Well, even in muscle-
concealing modern clothes, Santoro looks like someone you might not
want to mess with. And he did say, "Please!"
-- BIG STUFF Monday night when the Film Society of Lincoln Center
honors the delightful Oscar winner Diane Keaton. Already Bette Midler,
Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meryl Streep, Martin
Short, Carol Kane, Lisa Kudrow, Jeff Daniels, Maya Lin plan to be
there. Me, too! It will be interesting to see if Woody stays on for
dinner after because though Diane was his co-star for years, on- and
off-screen, I have never seen Woody sit down for dinner in a large
public gathering, ever!
USA TODAY...
--Our own Will Keck spent some time with George Lucas earlier this
week, at the track training for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. He
tells us that Lucas and the other celeb competitors (tennis great
Martina Navratilova, Howard Stern radio sidekick Robin Quivers, Cold
Case's Kathryn Morris, actress Kelly Hu, ex-NBA player John Salley,
Ghost Whisperer's Aisha Tyler and the Girls Next Door's Kendra
Wilkinson) got a giggle when fellow competitor Emily Proctor, of CSI:
Miami, arrived at the first practice. She didn't know how to drive
with manual transmission -- a must for race-car driving.
--Today, Richard Gere makes his first appearance on Ellen. Gere's
comedy, The Hoax, opens April 13. Here's a look at what else is going
on in the entertainment world:
--Superstar singer Whitney Houston was dabbing her eyes in a
California courtroom as a judge ruled the singer's divorce from Bobby
Brown will become final April 24. The couple have one daughter, Bobbi
Cristina, 14; they have been married since 1992.
--With the Cannes Film Festival starting May 16, more details about
what to expect are being released. According to Variety, U2, the Coen
brothers and Martin Scorsese have joined the festivities at the 60th
Cannes Film Festival, while Zodiac could be the closing-night film.
Oscar-winner Scorsese will be the guest of honor. http://snipurl.com/1f8b5
--Couples watch: According to People, Reese Witherspoon and Jake
Gyllenhaal are spending more time together. In addition to co-starring
in the upcoming suspense film Rendition, the two were spotted dining
with two other couples at L.A.'s Il Sole recently.
--Adam Sandler will make his Disney debut in the family comedy Bedtime
Stories, scheduled for a holiday 2008 release. Sandler will play a
real estate developer whose life is turned upside down when the
elaborate bedtime stories he tells his niece and nephew become a
reality.
--On the same day that Dennis Rice talks about the Keith Richards dad-
snorting comment on behalf of Walt Disney Studios, news breaks that
Rice is leaving Disney-land for United Artists, where Variety reports
that he will be president of worldwide marketing and publicity. Rice
will report to Tom Cruise biz partner and pal Paula Wagner, who will
oversee all aspects of UA's marketing and publicity efforts. Even
though Keith Richards' camp is saying the comments he made about
snorting his dead dad's ashes were a joke, the marketing folks at Walt
Disney Studios, which is behind the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean:
At World's End, aren't exactly laughing, according to a report in the
Los Angeles Times. Richards has a cameo role as the father of Jack
Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the film, opening May 25. "When (a senior
Disney publicist) forwarded the (Richards) story to me ... I thought,
'How are we going to spin this?' " Dennis Rice, Disney's senior vice
president for publicity, said at a media presentation of the studio's
upcoming films Wednesday. The LAT says that Rice added, "Keith won't
be doing a lot of publicity for this movie."
--There's plenty of buzz that Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez, who
directed her in Grindhouse (arriving in theaters Friday), are
romantically involved. Neither would comment on those reports in a
story we're running tomorrow. "There's nothing you can do that doesn't
have people talking behind your back -- or right at your face,"
McGowan says. "I was in a Home Depot a few days ago and a guy just
said 'You're fatter in real life.' I don't care how tough you are,
that's hard to hear." McGowan concedes that Grindhouse "may propagate
the misconceptions of me; that I'm dark, or an ice queen. But that's
OK. Part of the reason I act is to prove people wrong." In the film,
McGowan plays a go-go dancer who loses her leg, then replaces it with
a machine gun to mow down flesh-eating zombies. Hmm. Definitely not
dark at all.
--Entourage comes back to HBO Sunday, and in a story coming Thursday,
the show's Kevin Connolly (Eric) says the Vince Chase posse has bonded
in real life. "(Fans) want to know that we're actually friends," he
says. "It may sound clichéd, but I love them." Says Jerry Ferrara,
who plays Turtle: "You hear a lot about how tight casts are. In this
case, I can honestly say it's true. We break each other's balls in
real life, too. We are the best of friends. We're like family." The
Hollywood family gets some airtime again this season, with guest stops
from Dennis Hopper, Adam Goldberg, M. Night Shyamalan and Anthony
Michael Hall. Hit
--What's a proper lady-like soul like Nicole Kidman (who squirmed away
from green slime at the weekend's Kids Choice Awards) doing at a rough-
n-tumble hockey game? And the Blackhawks, to boot! Kidman and her
recently rehabbed husband, Keith Urban, took in Tuesday night's game
between the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks.
--Doesn't look like critics were wowed by Firehouse Dog, this
weekend's family fare for the movie-bound minivan. That DVD collection
of old Lassie episodes (or even Scooby-Doo shorts) might be looking a
lot better now, especially if viewed from a homemade couch-tent. Get
out the Band-Aids, this might hurt: Variety calls Firehouse Dog a
"likeable but ungainly mutt of a movie." The Boston Herald quips it's
"predictable and cheesy." A "wholesome throwback," according to the
Houston Chronicle and "painfully long," per The San Francisco
Chronicle. The biggest sting, from New York's Daily News: "A kid would
have to be pretty desperate to leave the house -- and waste allowance
money -- for this modest distraction."
--MySpace goes prime time today at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT with a twist for
the Fox series Bones. Fans of Booth and Brennan will be able to
immerse themselves into the characters, storyline and fictional murder
on 18 MySpace profiles leading up to an episode airing May 9 (8 p.m.
ET/PT). That's when the Jeffersonian team will be called in by
Homeland Security to investigate some green-glowing radioactive bones,
and MySpace will become a virtual fact-finding tool. The MySpace pages
are accessible through the Bones website. http://www.fox.com/bones/
--Feeling nostalgic? Here's some summer TV to look forward to. Turner
Classic Movies, from June-August, is bringing back kid-friendly
classics on Sunday nights at 8 ET/PT. And, in hopes of hooking wee
ones, it'll be hosted by Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob. Some films
go waaay back (1938's Bringing Up Baby, 1938's The Adventures of Robin
Hood). The most current: Sounder (1972). But then there's the totally
timeless Wizard of Oz -- it's still stunning to realize it was made
back in 1939. ("Toto, we're home. Home! And I'm not gonna leave here
ever, ever again. There's no place like ...") READ MORE: http://snipurl.com/1f8bz
ROTTEN TOMATOES....
Scott Weinberg writes: "Already two of my movie-nerd pals have
messaged me to complain about the "over-the-top" nature of this just-
released "Live Free or Die Hard" trailer. I think those friends are
nuts, because this is one seriously enticing little promo clip. (Plus,
we have a new flipbook!) "Somewhere between the jet fighter and Kevin
Smith I forgot this was a John McClane flick," is what one of my
friends whined, to which I responded, "Hey, throw in the kitchen sink
if you want to. It's "Die Hard 4," for cryin' out loud, not a Merchant
Ivory production." Bigger, louder, faster is the way action sequels
work, and I say this brand-new theatrical trailer does a fine job of
selling "Live Free or Die Hard." Between the high-flying mega-mayhem
and the always-cool Bruce Willis, the movie's already a guaranteed
smash. Here's hoping it's up to the standards of its three
predecessors! (I'm counting on you, Len Wiseman!) Once you're done
with the trailer, feel free to click around the newly-updated official
site for the fourth "Die Hard" adventure, which hits screens (loudly)
on June 27th. http://snipurl.com/1f8ew
USA TODAY/Whitney Matheson
--The Office finally returns with a new episode tonight, and Yahoo has
a couple clips (http://snipurl.com/1f8fc). Note that the 45-minute ep
starts at 8 p.m. ET, so record accordingly. More Office goodness:
Writer and actress Mindy Kaling chats with the Onion A.V. Club about
playing Kelly in this interview (http://www.avclub.com/content/
interview/mindy_kaling), and TVGuide.com has a Q&A with Rashida Jones.
"In a sense I am like Karen, because I truly believe that you are the
captain of your own ship and you take risks," Jones says. "To the
outside viewer it may be obvious because they want Pam and Jim
together, but when you're in it, it doesn't play that way." Man, I
really hope my mother-in-law is an Office fan ... I guess I'll find
out tonight! http://snipurl.com/1f8fg
--Did you know the new Nine Inch Nails album is streaming online? Big
thanks to Pop reader Beth S. for letting us know -- the buzzed-about
Year Zero doesn't arrive in stores until April 17, so I'm quite
psyched about this early present. Share your reviews in the comments.
(So far I like what I'm hearing, but I'm only on the second track.)
http://yearzero.nin.com/
--David Cross will star in a CBS comedy pilot alongside Jason Biggs
and Erika Christensen called I'm in Hell. He'll play the devil.
http://snipurl.com/1f8fo
--And finally, the headline of the day: "Coke complaint delays Jesus
film." http://snipurl.com/1f8h0
--Today's L.A. Times has an interview with Battlestar Galactica's
Katee Sackhoff about how she dealt with her TV death this season.
"Everyone thought it was because of me," she says. "It turned into,
'Katee Sackhoff, the angry actress, pulling a Duchovny.'" The show
begins filming its fourth season in May, though we won't see new
episodes until 2008. (A TV movie also arrives this fall.) http://snipurl.com/1f8i1
--NBC.com has posted the premiere episode of its new comedy series,
Thank God You're Here. http://snipurl.com/1f8it
--Here's a feature about Terry O'Quinn, who plays Locke on Lost.
http://snipurl.com/1f8j2
--7th Heaven is signing off for real this time.
--The new cover of Out magazine features two celebrities -- Anderson
Cooper and Jodie Foster -- who have never said they were gay.
http://snipurl.com/1f8j9
--Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia has signed on to a horror flick co-starring
Alyssa Milano. http://snipurl.com/1f8jc
--Tobey Maguire hasn't ruled out doing a fourth Spider-Man movie.
http://snipurl.com/1f8jg
--Zach Braff introduces this clip from his new movie by saying, "Vote
for Sanjaya!" He also updated his blog the other day. http://snipurl.com/1f8jk
--CSI: Miami has run out of ideas. http://snipurl.com/1f8jo
NY DAILY NEWS/RUSH AND MOLLOY....
--We hear that St. Martin's Press has brokered a deal with rapper Lil'
Kim for her prison memoirs, to be published in 2008. In the book, the
Grammy winner (real name: Kimberly Jones) dishes on her conviction for
perjury in 2005 that led to a stint at the Philadelphia Detention
Center - and on the "personal life lessons" she learned about loyalty,
law, prison, friendship, humanity and perseverance.
--Designer Anand Jon Alexander is out of jail but not out of the
woods. Beverly Hills prosecutors announced yesterday that the fashion
rajah, who was busted March 5 for alleged sex crimes, faces 13 new
charges, including two counts of forcible rape, five counts of
forcible oral copulation, two counts of a lewd act on a child, one
count of sodomy, one count of false imprisonment and one count of
sexual penetration by a foreign object. According to the D.A.'s
office, a total of 32 counts are based on testimony from 12 accusers.
Alexander, who has dressed Paris Hilton, Paula Abdul and Michelle
Rodriguez, has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is out on $1.3
million bail.
--Bum-mer. Justin Timberlake had shots of his bare derriere cut from
"Black Snake Moan." The "SexyBack" singer says of his love scenes with
co-star Christina Ricci: "I'm not going to say it doesn't feel weird
pretending to f- someone in front of a man with a sound boom ... in
the first cut you could see my ass, but I had a word and that's now
out."
--Charlie Rose and Amanda Burden are looking less and less broken up.
Despite reports that they've split, the PBS talk host and the city
planning chairwoman keep hitting the town together. This week they
checked out "Frost/Nixon," where a spy says, "They looked very
chummy." (P.S.: Director Ron Howard tells us he's going full speed
ahead with a movie version of Peter Morgan's play and hopes to keep on
Michael Sheen as Tricky Dick's interrogator.)
--While her dad, Keith Richards, was busy claiming and then denying
that he snorted his father's ashes, Theodora Richards did a timely bit
of shopping at the Apollo Braun store on Orchard St. Modeling a shirt
that read, "You can't trust men. Period," she exclaimed, "I love it.
This is so true. I will wear it for sure."
--Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Patti Smith packed the house at Star
Lounge Tuesday, chomping matzo for Passover and playing songs off her
new album, "Twelve," which covers everyone from Stevie Wonder to
Nirvana. Asked who will follow in her footsteps, she told us, "I'm
still trying to follow in Bob Dylan's footsteps. No, I'm just kidding.
We all have to make our own footsteps. I made mine and they'll make
theirs."
--Jay-Z and pals spread out at two tables at Butter Monday night,
throwing back Budweisers and Snow Queen Vodka.
--A "stunning" Nicole Kidman dined with friends as Ben Stiller sat at
a table nearby at Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica
Tuesday night.
--Mariel Hemingway tried her best to turn down wine at dinner with TV
cook Rachael Ray last week. "Rachael insisted they drink a bottle of
wine that was served at her wedding," said a spy at Morandi, Keith
McNally's new boite on Waverly and Charles. "Mariel said she didn't
drink, but Rachael wasn't having it." Hemingway had been on Ray's show
earlier that day to promote her new book, "Healthy Living From the
Inside Out."
--Billy Baldwin climbed atop a table to perform a few high kicks with
Candis Cayne during her Monday cabaret show at Aspen on W. 22nd St.
"His kicks were definitely not as high as hers," spills a spywitness.
Baldwin and Cayne are costars in the upcoming ABC show "Dirty Sexy
Money."
--Damon Dash and Patrick McMullan will host a birthday party for
Sapphic supermodel Eve Salvail tonight at the Plumm. Salvail wants one
thing for her birthday: strippers. So Plumm owner Noel Ashman has
handpicked a dozen pole dancers from Scores West to keep her happy.
--The always-lovely Eva Longoria dazzled the Laureus World Sports
Awards in Barcelona.
--Ladies, start your engines ... Aisha Tyler and Robin Quivers revved
things up at the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying rounds in Long
Beach, Calif., Tuesday.
--BFF alert: NYC socialite Tinsley Mortimer and "Big Love" star Chloe
Sevigny looked chummy at the Mercedes-Benz party.
--Fall Out Boy's resident hottie, Pete Wentz, rocked the Manchester
Apollo in London Tuesday.
NY DAILY NEWS/BEN WIDDICOMBE...
--Two months before Lana Clarkson was fatally shot in his Los Angeles
home, legendary music producer Phil Spector granted his first
interview in 25 years. Writer Mick Brown includes that conversation in
his new unauthorized biography, "Tearing Down the Wall of Sound,"
published in the U.S. this July by Knopf but already available in
Britain. "I have devils inside me," Spector told Brown. "I'm my own
worst enemy. ... To all intents and purposes, I would say I am
probably relatively insane." Brown says his four-hour interview with
Spector was marked by the automated voice of the producer's talking
wrist watch. Spector, who refused to talk to the author after Clarkson
was shot, has called the death an accidental suicide. Jury selection
is underway in his murder trial.
--William Zabka, the blond bully from "The Karate Kid," has directed a
music video complete with a cameo from his old co-star Ralph Macchio.
The band No More Kings was inspired by the film to write the song
"Sweep the Leg." But Zabka says being in the iconic '80s hit has been
a mixed blessing. "I've spent a lot of my life diffusing the idea of
who people think I am," he tells the May issue of Stuff magazine. "To
this day people will come up to me and say, 'Man, you're such a d-.' "
--David Bowie is a lovely boss. Last month he plunked down $3,800 for
a a white gold, coral rose and diamond ring from designer Karen Karch.
"Everyone assumed it was for [his wife,] Iman," says an insider.
However, when the lucky recipient had to have the ring resized, it was
revealed to be assistant and constant companion Corinne (Coco) Schwab.
Bowie's fondness for his assistant is well documented. He dedicated
his 1987 song "Never Let Me Down" to her. Said Bowie's rep: "He bought
her a ring for her 60th birthday. The big 6 - 0. Coco Schwab has now
been Bowie's assistant for close to 35 years."
--Kelly Ripa was spotted buying teensy size 24 Hudson jeans at Olive &
Bette at Columbus Circle.
--Maroon 5 previewed their new album on Friday to guests, including
Ivanka Trump, at the Musicians on Call benefit held at Sotheby's.
--Edward Norton got out of jury duty at the Supreme Court on Centre
St. Monday afternoon after his case was dismissed.
--Quentin Tarantino was accosted by four hotties as soon as he walked
into Butter Monday night. A spy says the keen young ladies "made out
with him all over the dance floor for a half hour," before he walked
out again to tape the Conan O'Brien show. Jay-Z was also there, as
were "The Hills" star Lauren Conrad and fellow semi-reality star
Ashley Parker Angel.
NY DAILY NEWS/Leo Standora...
--Hip-hop artist 50 Cent added his two cents on the Tony Yayo assault
case - and inserted his foot in his mouth at the same time. Yayo, a
member of 50 Cent's notorious G-Unit crew, was arrested last week for
allegedly attacking the 14-year-old son of music industry rival Jimmy
(Henchmen) Rosemond last month in Manhattan. 50 Cent called into "Miss
Jones in the Morning" on Hot 97 yesterday and said the 29-year-old
Yayo's troubles won't hurt his crew. But then he added, "Worry about
the Je-Je-Je-Jew unit. They're the real goon squad. When the lawyers
come out, you'll see what it is. I don't pay nobody. I only pay the
lawyers." Fitty said neither he nor Yayo had anything to do with the
assault.
Jeannette Walls/MSNBC....
--Salma Hayek says that she was so hard on her own looks that for a
long time she considered herself "deformed."
--Tobey Maguire has been a vegetarian for 14 years and says he's
almost - but not quite - a vegan. "I do eat honey, and a piece of milk
chocolate here and there," the "Spider-Man" star tells Parade. "It's
never really been that hard for me. I've never had any desire to eat
meat. In fact, when I was a kid I would have a really difficult time
eating meat at all. It had to be the perfect bite, with no fat or
gristle or bone or anything like that."
http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/
--Sandra Bernhard headlined the entertainment for the girls at the
Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs. The audience loved her standup
act but she was concerned because a few of her jokes fell flat and
there were awkward silences. Backstage someone pointed out to Sandra
that sometimes her sophisticated act was too hip for her audience. For
example, the comic made a joke about Manolo Blahniks - "These women
have no idea what those ARE!" And Sandra made a reference to Barneys
that got no reaction because "these gals don't shop there - they're
'golf lesbians.'" Sandra also made fun of the lesbian series "The L
Word" and nobody laughed. Why? "It's their FAVORITE show!"
--Who knew Kevin Connolly from Entourage was so important? Here he is
being whisked into Hilary Duff's party at The Abbey and practically
manhandled by the security guy, and for what? Do they think he's as
popular as Angelina Jolie? A big fuss about nothing, if you ask us.
PHOTO: http://snipurl.com/1f8nb
--To be honest, we never thought we'd see the day when Hilary Duff's
panties were exposed, but it's already happened. She arrived at her
record relase party at The Abbey at such a level of excitement that
she blanked out when it came to climbing out of the limo in a graceful
manner. Fortunately she WORE panties and they were color coordinated
to her outfit so the gaffe wasn't so apparent. But there they ARE.
PHOTO: http://snipurl.com/1f8nd
3 A.M. GIRLS...
--SPORTING a towering platinum quiff, outsize shades and leather
jacket, Gwen Stefani bears more than a passing resemblence to 80s
rocker Billy Idol. The Hollaback Girl hit the stores of LA yesterday
for some retail therapy. We reckon she's looking really Hot In The
City. PHOTO: http://snipurl.com/1f870
L.A. DAILY NEWS/Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
--Debra Messing was put through such physical paces during filming of
the May 4 release "Lucky You" with Drew Barrymore and Eric Bana, it
almost sounds as if the multi-Emmy-winning actress was doing an action
flick. But it was all for laughs, folks. "I swam with 20,000 fish
underwater in a mermaid costume dancing to country and western," says
the former "Will & Grace" star, who plays a Las Vegas aquatic showgirl
in the romantic comedy directed by Curtis Hanson. "It took 18
hours. ... I chose not to become too intimate with the fish. We kept a
respectful distance from each other." She plays Barrymore's big
sister, whose sometime lover (Bana) falls for lil' sis, but Messing
says her character takes the triangle in stride. "She's world-weary,
seen everything in a very hedonistic world, so it's 'C'est la vie.' "
She adds, "Robert Duvall plays Eric Bana's father. They have a
strange, contentious relationship between them, and they enter into a
World Poker Championship. It's both a funny and dark look at the
characters who inhabit that world." Messing says it wasn't the chance
to show off her forte for outrageous slapstick comedy that drew her to
the role. "It was the pedigree of the people involved ... Robert
Duvall, Eric Bana and Drew it was like a no-brainer to me. Curtis
Hanson ("L.A. Confidential," "8 Mile") is one of the greatest American
film directors, and I thought having the opportunity to just be in his
world and watch him work would be great. I'm a perpetual student. I
wanted to be there and learn." She adds, "A wonderful byproduct of
being on the set was that Drew and I really clicked. She's become like
a little sister to me now."
--You may remember Three 6 Mafia as the first rap group to score an
Academy Award for best song. Now the fellows are trying to take things
to new heights with a reality show, MTV's "Adventures in Hollywood,"
debuting tonight (4/5), about their move to La La Land in pursuit of a
movie career. "This is going to be a new 'Three's Company,' 'Good
Times,' and 'Sanford and Son' all mixed in one," claims DJ Paul.
"There are a lot of people who want to be rappers or get into
entertainment, and in the TV show we're chasing all that, so you can
see how it is to pitch movies and try to become actors. You can see
situations we go through with the label and trying to get our record
turned in on time, so there is a lot of seriousness mixed in it as
well. I'm here to teach, too, baby." Adds Juicy J, "We may come across
as cool, funny guys, but behind the scenes, we're trying to make music
and it's not easy."
--"Without a Trace" regular Eric Close says this Sunday's (4/8)
episode, which marks his directorial debut, was based on a story idea
he originated. "I wanted to do a straight-up kidnapping," says Close,
who plays a member of an FBI squad specializing in finding missing
persons. The actor explains, "I wanted the show to be based on my own
fears as a family man with small kids. I think everyone can identify
with that moment when you turn around and don't see your kids, even if
it's for a second. I tried to capture that experience." Close says the
segment is "pretty dynamic ... just the story of this family and what
they're going through was something I was able to bring some of my own
personal experience to because I've got two girls, 6 and 8." Close
says as a result of all he's learned playing his FBI character, "my
awareness has definitely been heightened, maybe a little too much but
it's better to err on the side of caution. I find that I'm even more
aware of other kids. In a mall, if I see a kid wandering around
without a parent, I'll yell out, 'Hey, who's kid is this?'"
--With its near proximity to Hollywood, the Children's Assault
Treatment Services (C.A.T.S.) unit at Northridge Hospital gets quite a
few calls from series like "Strong Medicine" and filmmakers looking
for technical guidance on matters involving abused children. Now it's
the TV and film community's turn to support the unit, with its Victory
for Victims 8K and 5K Walk/Run Event coming up April 15 in Encino,
Calif., C.A.T.S. has also garnered the interest of celebrities
including Christina Aguilera, a committed supporter of help
organizations for those who've suffered domestic violence, as she
recalls suffering herself. Christina has been performing her "I'm OK"
song before a giant screen reading "Thanks, Mom" during her current
concert tour. She's donated some $200,000 to the Women's Center and
Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, her hometown, and she recently gave the
C.A.T.S. unit the green light to set up a showcase at her Staples
Center concert in Los Angeles. Olympic hero Rafer Johnson, who also
discussed having been abused as a child in his "The Best That I Can
Be" book, is among the notables who'll be at the Walk/Run in support
of the unit, where specially trained staff is available 24/7 to
provide treatment for victims of sexual assault.
ASSOCIATED PRESS...
--Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Levi Jones is still sporting a gash
over his left eye from an altercation in a Las Vegas casino two weeks
ago. And he says ex-Steelers linebacker Joey Porter is not the only
one to blame. Jones told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he was jumped by
six other men from behind before Porter hit him. Porter, now with the
Miami Dolphins, was cited by police for misdemeanor battery and
released. Police said the players, rivals on the field, exchanged
trash talk at a casino blackjack table before the fracas. Jones called
it a "cowardly act," the Enquirer reported. "[Porter] got my attention
from the front and wouldn't get near me until the six guys jumped me
from behind, [then] he took part," Jones told the Enquirer. "What
started everything was the dude hit me from behind. From then on, I
had to protect myself. I was attacked by seven guys. I don't know what
man is going to withstand that, especially with an NFL player
involved." "It was like that, it was problematic for me and my family,
especially when the true story wasn't out there," Jones told the
newspaper. "The particulars about how everything went down, I mean,
ESPN, all they wanted to report was Joey Porter hit me in the face."
Jones, who did not need stitches, would not say if he would file a
civil suit, the Enquirer reported. "We'll see how it plays out," he
told the newspaper.
--NEW YORK - Dolly Parton has been selected by the Songwriters Hall of
Fame as this year's recipient of the Johnny Mercer Award. The award is
presented to a songwriter "whose body of work is of such high quality
and impact, that it upholds the gold standard set by the legendary
Johnny Mercer," the organization said Tuesday in a statement. Parton
will be honored June 7 at the annual awards dinner in New York.
Previous honorees include Kris Kristofferson, Smokey Robinson, Stevie
Wonder, Carole King, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Hal David and Burt
Bacharach. Hits by Parton, 61, include "I Will Always Love You," "Here
You Come Again" and "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That." She
was inducted into the hall of fame in 2001.