With Deborah Schoenbaum
The 1,400 guests at the Legally Blonde 2 premiere at Christie’s on June 30, including Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Leann Rimes, Rose McGowan, Tina Brown, and Tommy Tune, all agreed that the party was, like, totally super-excellent. Manicures, massages, blowouts, and makeovers were on offer, and the movie’s Jennifer Coolidge prowled for freebies: “I’m obsessed with makeup. I have buckets at home, but I want more.” Hairspray star Marissa Jaret Winokur was in all pink as a tribute to Witherspoon’s pastel-loving character, Elle Woods. “It’s my night off,” she said. “I’m just excited to be able to go to a movie.” But she kept herself in check: “One glass of champagne is enough.”
“It’s amazing to me that they even had to rule on sodomy. Middle America is now going, ‘Wow, we never did that. Want to try that tonight?’”
– John Waters on the Supreme Court’s Lawrence v. Texas ruling
Does Lizzie wear Prada? We hear that Robert Rave, a former flack at Lizzie Grubman’s firm, is close to selling his first novel, For Immediate Release. It goes to auction this week, and bids are expected from several houses, including Harper Collins, St. Martin’s Press, Random House, and Putnam. While Rave insists his tome isn’t a roman à clef, we’ll let you be the judge. The protagonist is a young man, Taylor Green, who—like Rave—moves to the city from small-town Illinois. Most of the book centers on Taylor’s escapades working for Jennifer Weinstein, a party-happy, acid-tongued taskmaster who drives—what else?—a Mercedes-Benz. Rave has also teamed up with producer Paul Aaron (In Too Deep and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, among others) to develop a TV series based on the novel.
Count Sheryl Crow in as another millionaire celeb always on the lookout for a bargain. We’re told that the Grammy-winning rocker was recently having dinner and playing Monopoly at Joey’s in the East Village when she took a liking to a vintage velvet ottoman in the back garden. While the joint’s furniture isn’t usually for sale, Crow asked co-owner Joey Gossett—he owns the place with his Next-model girlfriend, Haylynn Cohen—if he’d be willing to part with it. Crow balked when Gossett offered to sell it for $100. But after some haggling, she eventually went home with the ottoman. Final price? Fifty bucks.
We’ve got some details on Brad Pitt’s architectural aspirations. As we first reported last month, Pitt is in serious talks to design West Coast hotel and bar spaces for Whiskey Bar impresario Rande Gerber. We now hear that the two have narrowed it down to Palm Springs and Las Vegas. While talks about partnering with the Venetian in Sin City reportedly fell apart, the two still want a Vegas outpost, with George Clooney as a financial backer. As for Palm Springs, we’re told Pitt has already visited the desert city to scout several plots of land.
Looks like Nicky Hilton may have found romance. Friends of the 19-year-old hotel heiress—who was linked to socialite Todd Meister after she broke up with former MTV personality Brian McFayden in March—are buzzing that she’s become more than just friends with L.A. club promoter Hartwell, best known for his Tuesday-night party at Deluxe. Just what Nicky needs—another reason to go out at night.
Kate Hudson isn’t too happy with what Us Weekly has touted as an exclusive interview with her in its recent cover about her pregnancy. Turns out that Wenner & Co. got their story from a freelancer who happened to run into Hudson at a Noah’s Bagels shop in Pacific Palisades, California. No biggie, except that the reporter identified herself merely as a fan and never mentioned she was on assignment for the magazine. Although Hudson’s quotes were completely innocuous (on morning sickness: “It hasn’t been too bad so far”), Hudson’s rep, Brad Cafarelli, says the weekly went too far: “I’m shocked, but not surprised.” The issue turned out to be editrix Bonnie Fuller’s last before she jumped ship to be editorial director of American Media, parent company of supermarket tabloids the Star, the National Enquirer, and the Globe. “The supermarket tabloids will show up at your house, hand you a business card, and say, ‘I’m with the National Enquirer; can I ask you a question?’ ” Cafarelli says. “If you say no, they go away. They do not do what this girl did … and then Us Weekly, expects to be invited to press junkets and into parties. They can’t have it both ways.” Or can they?
Apparently the restaurant biz isn’t doing so badly. Last week, Four Seasonsco-owner Julian Niccolini closed on a studioco-op at 440 East 56th Street for about $200,000. He lives in tony Bedfordwith his family, but he wanted a crash pad close to work. “A tremendousamount of business has come back to the city,” he says. “And I have to spendmuch more time here than I used to.” Broker Sabrina Kleier of Gumley HaftKleier declined to comment.
It looks like Janet Jackson is thinking about moving out of her pad in TrumpInternational Hotel & Tower on Central Park West. We’re told that the Grammywinner is looking to buy a downtown apartment. She recently checked out a$6.8 million loft in Chelsea, where Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhartshare a penthouse. Jackson may want to give Vincent Gallo a ring. About twomonths ago, the loudmouthed director bought an 1,800-square-foot loft in thenorth tower of Richard Meier’s Perry Street building for $1.695 million.However, a source tells us, he’s already put the place on the market for$1.999 million because “he was unable to do all the plumbing that hewanted.”
What: Broadway Barks 5!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon hosted byBernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore. Harvey Fierstein is guest emcee as theater stars like Edie Falco, Tom Wopat,Tammy Blanchard, Brain Stokes Mitchell, Melina Kanakaredes, Frenchie Davis,Joel Grey, and Mary Stuart Masterson present animals available for adoptionfrom several of the city’s animal organizations. Also, help raise funds bybidding on celeb-autographed memorabilia at eBay.com, using key wordsSeller/Gypsythemusical.When and Where: Saturday, July 12 in Shubert Alley (between 44th and 45th streets; betweenBroadway and Eighth Avenue). Festivities begin at 3:30 pm (in case of rain,Barks moves to Sunday, July 13 at 12 pm)Info: OfficialBroadwayBarks.org or call (212) 840-0770, x 477.
