Nestled in the Times coverage of disgraced HBO exec Chris Albrecht's move to IMG are oddly effusive statements of love and support for former HBO star Sarah Jessica Parker. Albrecht, it was just announced, will be helping IMG chairman Ted Forstmann expand his empire into more media and entertainment ventures by setting up a new investment fund. Forstmann, since taking over IMG in 2004, has already quadrupled the company's profits and vastly spread its domain. It now produces Fashion Week, broadcasts major sporting events like the U.S. Open, and owns television-production companies in the U.K. Albrecht is a good catch for Forstmann, as he has been much sought after since his ouster from HBO, even though his departure came after a domestic-battery arrest and revelations that he once choked a female co-worker.

It's one thing to want to work with a known moneymaker. It's another to go on the record gushing about how much you like a known lady-hitter. Especially if you are a female-empowerment icon like SJP. "I have a really great relationship with Chris," she says, explaining that when he left HBO it was like "losing a parent," but she wasn't interested in "the grisly details." Parker worked with Albrecht on Sex and the City, which made a lot of money for both of them. "It's a town of second, third and fourth chances," she adds. "I would never be reluctant to work with him again." That's a big statement, considering his past with female colleagues, but Parker admits to being a bit "Pollyana-ish." Aw, SJP! You're even cute when you defend accused domestic abusers!

After Scandal, HBO’s Former Leader Lands at IMG [NYT]