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We were delighted to discover when we arrived at Wednesday’s Gucci party that we weren’t the only ones totally awestruck in the presence of Madonna. As we interviewed Women’s Murder Club star Angie Harmon, she became visibly nervous when Madonna walked up the red carpet behind her. “I’ve been running around Fashion Week,” she stuttered, trying to stay on topic. Then she interrupted herself and burst out to her date, hairdresser Stephen Knoll, “Did you just say ‘Hi’ to Madonna?!” she gushed. “I’m totally freaking out! You said ‘Hi’ to Madonna!” Harmon turned back to us and admitted, “I can’t handle it! I’ve never met her. Probably won’t get up the nerve to do it tonight. Look at Lourdes! Look at how big she is! I bet she has a British accent.” We bet she does, too. Most of the rest of the celebrities, who included Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Salma Hayek, and Drew Barrymore, didn’t stop to chat on the red carpet. But when we asked the hugely pregnant Lopez what she was wearing when she tottered by on four-inch heels, she replied, “Gucci Gucci Goo!”
Before the event had begun, it had already raised $3.5 million for the charities Raising Malawi and UNICEF. But another $2 million more was raised in the Chris Rock–hosted live auction that night. Burlesque star Dita Von Teese alone donated $600,000 to spend some quality yoga time with Madonna. We can only imagine what Kabbalah moves Von Teese might incorporate into her next burlesque routine stripping over a martini glass. But more importantly, Dita Von Teese has $600,000 to burn? —Jada Yuan
