Gisele and Tom Brady Made Out in PublicMere mortals were forced to cover their eyes as the golden couple “sucked face” at a party at the Gramercy Park Hotel. And more, in our gossip roundup.
ByKatie Goldsmith
gossipmonger
Lourdes Just Couldn’t Take the Fighting AnymoreShe wants mom and dad back together, and Little Malawi David probably does, too. Also, come on with Cin to the Fulton Fish Market! In the Ides of January gossip roundup!
J-Vanka a Step Closer to Jew-VankaIvanka’s found a controversial rabbi to oversee her conversion so she can finally marry Jared Kushner and create perfect, Chosen offspring.
ByTim Murphy
gossipmonger
Governor Paterson Is Working His Tuchus Off in DenverCindy Adams reports that the lovable gov has been hauling butt around the Democratic National Convention. Plus, gossip about Chace Crawford (of course), Naomi Campbell, and Janice Dickinson.
P. Diddy’s Feet Are a Hot MessWhat’s got Diddy’s dogs barking, what Kim Kardashian is doing to get back at Paris Hilton, and another reason to dislike of Gwyneth Paltrow in our daily roundup of the day’s gossip.
George Soros: You Ain’t Seen Nothing YetPublishing musical chairs, bad news on the economy front, and gripes about law-school rankings — all in our daily roundup.
‘Blender’ Gives Britney Spears a New BodyMEDIA
• Britney Spears looks great on the new cover of Blender — too bad it’s not her body. [Radar]
• Stephen Chao, the former News Corp. exec who lost his job after hiring a male stripper for a company party and almost drowning Rupert Murdoch’s dog, announced a new Website for how-to videos. First video: how to get fired in two easy steps. [NYT]
• Now that Judith Regan’s settled her suit with Murdoch, will she give her winnings — likely north of $6.5 million — to charity like she once promised? [Mixed Media/Portfolio]
in other news
Naomi Campbell Picks Up the Microphone, Doesn’t Throw ItBarbara Walters. Christiane Amanpour. Andrea Mitchell. Katie Couric. Lesley Stahl. And, now, Naomi Campbell? The supermodel is trying to join the ranks of modern journalism’s most influential women interviewers. Campbell already had a sit-down with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and now she’s set her sights on infirm and possibly-retiring Cuban leader Fidel Castro. She’s on assignment from GQ magazine, and she’s “not going to be political.” She doesn’t have anything with Castro set up yet, but she’s not coming back from Cuba empty-handed. “She’ll spend Christmas out there if she has to,” reports Daily Telegraph “Spy” columnist Celia Walden. “She also said she’ll land [French president Nicolas] Sarkozy in the New Year.” Fascinating! This is bound to turn into a great story, of some sort. Wherever she conducts these interviews, let us all hope that there are plenty of witnesses, and lots and lots of cell phones.
Campbell in Cuba [Daily Telegraph via Fashionista]
gossipmonger
‘Journal’ Takes Beef with Mariane Pearl PublicMariane Pearl, the widow of murdered Wall Street Journal writer Daniel Pearl, and the Journal are no longer on friendly terms. Naomi Campbell told a crowd at a dinner for the Black Action Retail Group that she was done with throwing cellphones. (Her visit to Hugo Chavez also garnered praise from terrorist groups.) Former Giant Tiki Barber will attend the book party of NFL Network host Rich Eisen tonight at the Time Warner Center. Tyra Banks made out with a “gorgeous model type” at Thor in Hotel Rivington. Hilary Duff gave lap dances to a Joel Madden look-alike at Tenjune. Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg ran into her aunt Lee Radziwill at City Center.
cultural capital
Naomi Campbell, Serious Actress
Guess who stopped glaring at the help just long enough to look at a screenplay? Why, Naomi Campbell, that’s who! As she revealed to British Vogue, the fiesty supermodel has signed a contract to work with Spike Lee on his new WWII movie about a regiment of black soldiers based in Tuscany. “I’ll do anything for Spike,” she said. Normally we ignore the things Naomi says, seeing as she’s got some issues and all, but this makes a little sense, as we saw Spike last week in Fort Greene, surrounded by a ton of rather delicious-looking young men (in numbers and hotness great enough to suggest some sort of cast gathering). But what might Naomi’s role be in this new project? Was Spike inspired to hire her because of her fierceness with a BlackBerry, and thus create a Just One of the Guys–like role in which she dresses up as a dude to fight for her nation?
Naomi Signs With Spike Lee [British Vogue]
gossipmonger
Alex Kuczynski Has a Smart BrotherA drunk Justin Long spilled soup on himself twice at Veselka, and then fell for the old beer as “stain remover” trick. The Observer tried to hire event planner Elli Frank to help throw some upcoming parties, despite the fact that the paper referred to her as a “madam” three years ago. James Frey sold a book (this time a novel) to HarperCollins. John-Michael Kuczynski, brother of plastic surgery maven Alex Kuczynski, wrote a book titled “Conceptual Atomism and the Computional Theory of Mind.” Retired Giant Tiki Barber attended a book party celebrating the memoir “I Dream of Blue,” where coach Tom Coughlin was the butt of some playful ribbing. Knopf editor and Gabriel Garcia Marquez champion Ashbel Green is retiring at the age of 80.
party lines
Models, Breasts, and a ‘Marie Claire’ Charity AuctionMarie Claire threw a party at Milk Gallery in Chelsea last night in honor of supermodel- cum-photographer Helena Christensen’s photo spread in the mag’s August issue. Christensen’s photographs of “Super Role Models” (supermodels who are role models, get it? Ha!) were silently auctioned for charity to the hipper-than-thou crowd, which seemed more into the free booze and their accessories than the art. Oh, and breasts. They were also into breasts: Christensen’s shot of a breast-baring Naomi Campbell (you could see her nipple!) was the night’s star attraction. How does a model feel when her nip slips out? Naomi wasn’t there for us to ask — and we might not have asked her such a probing question, either, at least not without taking away her cell phone first — but up-and-coming young model Chanel Iman was, and she recalled her own breast’s inadvertent runway debut. “I saw the video,” she recalled of a fashion show two years ago, “and I saw my nipple just jiggling, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ And at the time I was really young, you know, so I wasn’t that mature.” Now a worldly 16-year-old, she got over such petty humiliations long ago. “It’s just a breast,” she said, sagely. We hope Campbell feels likewise. —Haven Thompson
Find out what Helena Christensen, Amy Sacco, Rachel Roy, and others had to say in our Interactive Party Lines.
gossipmonger
A Royal PainPrince’s highly publicized performance at the Ross School in East Hampton didn’t exactly get the crowd going. And he wouldn’t attend the after-party until everyone else left. Padma Lakshmi has been spending a lot of time with billionaire Teddy Fortsmann. Hillary Clinton has a subscription to the Post but not the Daily News. Jon Lovitz put a beating on Andy Dick at an L.A. comedy club during an argument over murdered SNL star Phil Hartman. Paris Hilton drugged her newest boyfriend with pills. Naomi Campbell gets to throw a temper tantrum in a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial directed by Zach Braff. Some staffers don’t like the cubicles and the food-paying system in the new New York Times building.
gossipmonger
Next Year in ‘Playboy’!Some female Israeli government officials are not happy that the consulate sanctioned Maxim’s “Women of the Israeli Defense Forces.” Bloomberg staffers overbooked a dinner at the home of L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and had to uninvite people. Harvey Weinstein is going after people who illegally downloaded Sicko, which he produced. Megan Ruddy may be the scribe behind the Southampton Press gossip column. A movement is afoot to get Isaiah Washington back on Grey’s Anatomy — and it’s being spearheaded by a gay activist. Paris Hilton’s neighbors aren’t pleased that her release from jail will cause a media frenzy at her house. A lot of famous people showed up at the funeral of former gossip reporter Claudia Cohen.
gossipmonger
Happy Birthday (Again), KanyeKanye West hosted his birthday party at the Louis Vuitton store then got free Vuitton swag. Anne Heche might be back on the ladies. Zach Braff loves New York, he says. The Sopranos cast didn’t know what Sunday night’s finale was going to be, and they went to Miami. Paris Hilton’s father wants to throw her a party in Vegas when she gets out of jail, but several clubs have said no. Owen Wilson left his bike at Scores West. Hugh Hefner wants Daphne Merkin to show his girls a little love. New York socialite Dori Cooperman is at Promises for rehab and trying to cozy up to Lindsay Lohan. At a benefit for the American Institute for Stuttering, Harold Evans wanted to take the Queen Mary for a spin.
gossipmonger
Wang vs. WangDesigner Vera Wang is suing another Vera Wang for copyright infringement. Bonnie Fuller is looking to branch into TV, and her NYU film-student son may be involved. Silly Billy, the clown from weird documentary Capturing the Friedmans, now goes the name by Dr. Blood. André Balazs and Naomi Campbell might be dating. An upcoming bio of Condi Rice claims she’s accrued power personally but not professionally. The broker for Bob Guccione’s East Side mansion (current asking price: $50 million) quit. Ellen Barkin reiterates that she regrets marrying Ron Perelman. Gisele will jump ship to H&M when her contract with Victoria’s Secret expires. Court TV is going through a rebranding process.
gossipmonger
Not Super EnoughThe Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation wanted to donate the late Superman’s wheelchair to the Smithsonian, but the museum wanted more stuff. Katie Couric is dating a 33-year-old triathlete named Brooks Perlin. Scorned socialite Olivia Palermo gave an interview to New York about her relationship with Tinsley Mortimer and socialiterank.com without the consent of her publicist. Naomi Campbell was in talks with MTV to film a reality show but suddenly went MIA. CNN is prepared to pay Anderson Cooper $50 million over the next five years. Reports conflict on whether Marc Anthony and J.Lo have split. Stevie Wonder had to buy back a Grammy he won in 1974 because he never reported it stolen in the first place.
gossipmonger
Al for Hill?Al Sharpton claims he is not backing Hillary Clinton for president, despite a rumor that he and Bill smoked cigars in Harlem two weeks ago. Rupert Murdoch would back Michael Bloomberg for president, if Bloomberg were to run. A $1.5 million lawsuit against Beyoncé, regarding her House of Dereon clothing line, was thrown out. Michael Jackson was reported to have been hospitalized for pneumonia, but his flack says he’s just fine. Bravo is shooting a reality show about photog Patrick McMullan. Jenna Jameson hasn’t been attending meetings with mainstream producers regarding the film adaptation of her book How to Make Love Like a Porn Star because she’s allegedly unhappy with her vaginoplasty.
new york fugging city
Dressing for Community-Service Success, Naomi-Style
Most people don’t show up for court-mandated community service at the garbage dump wrapped in a luxe gray fur. Then again, most people don’t try to discipline the help by smacking them with a bejeweled cell phone. So we shouldn’t be surprised that supermodel Naomi Campbell raised the bar on celebrity penance this week. For the last few days, Our Lady of the Bitch-Slap has sauntered in to work as if she’s moonlighting at Condé Nast rather than the Sanitation Department, dressed in a parade of outfits that included high-heeled boots, fedoras, and jackets in fur and leather. Don’t forget omnipresent giant, dark sunglasses — no doubt vital for guarding her anonymity.
And for that exhibition, frankly, we salute her.
Naomi might be battier than a Transylvania attic, but at least she’s giving back to society by providing her sad, bored comrades with something stellar to gawk at. In fact, the other celebrities headed for the purgatory of community service could take a few lessons from her. And so we present a Celebrity Guide to Giving Back With Glamour, as we imagine Naomi Campbell would have told it to us.
photo op
Campbell Continues Serving Her Community
After all the excitement in this morning’s tabs about Naomi Campbell’s first day of community service yesterday — and, more important, about what she wore to it — let us be among the first to show you what she wore this morning, when she showed up at the Sanitation Department depot for day two. With that jaunty fedora, Naomi, you can throw your phone at us anytime.
Boot Camp [NYDN]
Naomi Makes Boot-y Call [NYP]
the morning line
Cops Plead, Naomi Cleans
• The three cops indicted in the 50-shot shooting of Sean Bell pleaded not guilty yesterday. They have quite a bit to deny, too: The charges could get two of them 25 years in prison. [NYT]
• Yesterday’s antiwar rally in the financial district brought a whopping 44 arrests for disorderly conduct. Considering the event involved a total of 70 people — in organizers’ estimation! — that’s quite a percentage. [amNY]
• Naomi Campbell started her community-service sentence yesterday, in a ritual that, once we’ve seen Boy George wield a broom, has become a kind of routine (if bizarre) photo op. The News lists the details of her work attire for the curious. [NYDN]
• Coming soon to NYU: the treasure trove of the Communist Party of America. Marvel at Joe Hill’s rhyming will, Lenin buttons, and “smuggled directives from Moscow”! [NYT]
• And the Health Department is still on its rat-fueled, restaurant-shuttering rampage; the latest victim of the new zeal is Brasserie LCB on 55th Street, where the French owner says the inspectors “acted like the Gestapo.” So he didn’t mind closing, then? [NYP]
gossipmonger
Death By ImplantsJosh Hartnett was involved in a bar brawl on the Lower East Side, but it’s unclear whether his posse started it. Siberia owner Tracy Westmoreland is the new nightlife correspondent for Fox News’ Redeye With Greg Gutfeld. (Also, Siberia is still open!) Naomi Campbell will have to sweep an undisclosed New York City facility for five days as punishment for assaulting a maid with a cell phone. Robert Downey Jr. plays a drunken journalist in Zodiac but wouldn’t want to be one in real life. Governor Jon Corzine’s ex, Carla Katz, is “getting cozy” with Newark mayor Cory Booker. Courtney Love claims Paris Hilton had a “big pile of white powder” in the bathroom of her birthday party on Oscar eve. A new Anna Nicole Smith rumor: death by implants.
