While many partygoers got denied at the door of D.J. Cassidy’s birthday party at the New York Public Library, Jay-Z and Nas celebrated inside as Bobby Brown gave an impromptu performance. Beyoncé has prohibited photographers from shooting her from behind on her “Sasha Fierce” tour. The justification? “Beyoncé’s costumes are so tiny and her choreography is so complicated that inevitably she sweats.” Joe Simpson is trying to revive his daughter Ashlee’s “career” by pitching an album where she records Michael Jackson songs. Meanwhile Jackson’s London concert producer discusses the licensing of a special-edition MJ charm bracelet over dinner at Solo with his PR rep and the owner of the Franklin Mint. Under the influence of her new Jewish beau, not only is Britney Spears flashing her Star of David necklace around Paris, but she’s enlisted a rabbi to instruct her in the ways of the chosen people. And speaking of Jews, Jerry Seinfeld is shooting commercials (in Long Island) for a bank in the Australian outback, Greater Building Society.
A Marc Jacobs–less Lorenzo Martone was spotted on the arm of French designer Pierre-Henri Mattout at the Cooper Square Hotel on Tuesday, and Jacobs partied solo at Greenhouse the other night. The Brits are abuzz because 19-year-old Emma Watson just bought a $3,000,000 London pad for her and her boyfriend. Apparently they’re just smitten with each other. Katie Lee Joel is getting over her break-up with Billy by opening Burger County, a West Village eatery with producer Charlie Walk and the Charles’s Sean Largotta. Vegan Natalie Portman is making a guest appearance on Top Chef. Jeremy Piven has traded in his Katsuya cravings for downward dog, claiming he hasn’t touched fish in nine months and is finding his inner calm through yoga. Gwyneth Paltrow gushes about being on a juice cleanse and other crucial matters.
After badgering Miley Cyrus on his radio show, Jamie Foxx poked fun at an “annoyed” Rihanna, who was hanging with Jay-Z, at Tao in Vegas the other night. When Lil’ Wayne didn’t show up for his scheduled 2 a.m. concert in Nassau, the police found him intoxicated and passed out in his Bahamas hotel room. Vanessa Williams texted in traffic on West 57th Street from the seat of her blue Maserati. Katy Perry’s busy tweeting about tanning in Turkey. And Jim Carrey is going to be a grandpa.
Maria Shriver invited Kate Gosselin to attend the California Governor Conference for Women. L.A. police chief (and former New York City police commissioner) Bill Bratton has been busy touting Manhattan district-attorney hopeful Richard Aborn, whose opponent married Bratton and his wife. The University of Utah sent a cease-and-desist letter to HBO for using the school’s insignia on a recent episode without their permission. After Chanel No. 5 spokeswoman Audrey Tautou admitted that she only wore the brand “sometimes,” adding that she “wore the rain boots,” Karl Lagerfeld responded, “I didn’t even know we made rain boots. After that, I don’t have to be nice.”
