The Noels Have Finally Rented the Mustique HouseWe can all finally exhale, thank God! Plus, Charles Barkley and Matt Dillon provide mug-shot do’s and don’t’s, in the very first gossip roundup of 2009! Yay!
ByTim Murphy
gossipmonger
Beckhams and Cruises Ride Horse Carriages TogetherYes, that cultlike chanting you heard from within those veiled surreys was the four of them. Then they served their kids milk. Goyische! In the post-tryptophan gossip roundup.
Rosie O’Donnell Seems to Think She Can Quit BloggingShe announced yesterday that she was going to take some time off from her special haiku blog. But quitting your blog is the biggest blogger cliché of all, and Rosie’s a bloggy lifer.
Nick Lachey and JCPenney Do Not Mix, Even If Paid to Do SoNick Lachey threw a hissy fit at a JCPenney party on Hudson Street, despite the fact that he was being paid to be there. Michael Strahan says he loves girlfriend Nicole Murphy, but isn’t sure about marriage. Execs at Sony are annoyed that Michael Jackson’s Thriller 25 is on the Billboard oldies’ chart instead of the Billboard Top 200 chart, despite the fact that it has six new songs. Nelly picked up the coat-check girl at Plumm. Outkast’s André 3000 is looking for an apartment in the city and just toured a multi-million-dollar penthouse on West 13th Street. Justin Timberlake gave menu recommendations to patrons at his Southern Hospitality.
gossipmonger
Spike Lee to Knicks Fans: ‘Don’t Die’Spike Lee advised a fellow Knicks fan, “Don’t commit suicide.” Chace Crawford and Carrie Underwood danced together at Marquee, but not well. Jules Nasso, who may or may not be an associate of the Gambino family, will chair the 2008 Staten Island Film Festival. 30 Rock’s Katrina Bowden exchanged her ravioli for a salad at the dinner at the Four Seasons for Juno. LeBron James sang and danced with Oompa Loompas at Marquee.
gossipmonger
Mr. Big Almost Gets Beat UpChris Noth was accosted by an angry trucker in the Bronx who wanted to know when he was going to marry Carrie. People were afraid to talk to Javier Bardem at the New York premiere of No Country for Old Men because he was so crazy in the movie. Dr. Ruth gave a copy of Sex for Dummies to Ivana Trump and fiancé Rossano Rubicondi while eating lunch at Michael’s. Anna Wintour had a meeting yesterday with Mayor Bloomberg. Ethan Hawke wowed the crowd at Off Broadway play Jump by breaking out a Karate Kid kick during an audience-participation bit. Zac Posen’s mom claims that her son can remember every outfit he’s worn to every party over the past 27 years.
in other news
Rosie O’Donnell Strikes Out With MSNBC
“You all heard about the whole big MSNBC thing?” Rosie O’Donnell said in a video on her blog this afternoon. “We were in the bottom of the ninth inning. We were almost there, the game was almost over!” But after she let slip to a blogger in Miami that she was in negotiations with the network to host a one-hour show, the network “panicked” and reneged, she wrote on her blog last night:
2day there is no deal
poof
my career as a pundit is over
b4 it began
According to the Times, however, it wasn’t panic that caused MSNBC to cop out, but the fact that Rosie would only commit to a one-year contract — as she had done previously on the View. “It’s all right,” Rosie sighed on her Webcam. “Maybe being a pundit wasn’t what’s best for me. You gotta believe, what happens is supposed to happen.” We bet Dan Abrams, who’s time slot she would have taken, believes that, too!
MSNBC and O’Donnell Can’t Make a Deal [NYT]
Earlier: Rosie Suffers Television Relapse
gossipmonger
Bill Clinton Made Rosie O’Donnell CryRosie O’Donnell burst into tears after Bill Clinton called her and apologized for being unfaithful to his wife. The guy who won the marathon said he did so by refraining from sex and eating pasta. Katie Holmes said her marathon run was “hard, but good.” (She also wore a velvet Hermès gown to a Museum of the Moving Image event honoring her husband.) Damien Hirst installed a bunch of dead sheep carcasses in formaldehyde tanks at Lever House. Ousted Citigroup chief Chuck Prince didn’t say hi to Sandy Weill at the Four Seasons. Annie Lennox gave a bunch of fans the finger. Governor Spitzer, Governor Corzine, and Nora Ephron went on a triple date to Cafe Boulud.
in other news
Rosie Suffers Television RelapseRosie O’Donnell’s new memoir, Celebrity Detox, is, according to Amazon, all about “withdrawing from celebrity life — and the terrifying dangers of relapsing into the spotlight.” But apparently whatever plans her Rosiness had for a simpler life have been put on hold. This past weekend, she was down promoting the book at the Miami Book Fair when she let slip to a superfan, Steve Greenberg, who runs a site called Lyingonthebeach.com, that she had just signed a deal for a new TV show, “competing with the guy with the suspenders and the long, long face.” The Times subsequently confirmed that Rosie is in talks with MSNBC to replace Dan Abrams in the 9 p.m. slot, opposite Larry King. But why is she eschewing normal life for the spotlight again? On her Website, a quote from Martha Graham suggests that the girl just can’t help it:
There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.
That’s right! If Rosie doesn’t share her 9/11 conspiracy theories and smack talk with the world, then there’s a chance those brilliant insights will be lost forever. It’s not just Rosie’s business, it’s her responsibility.
Rosie O’Donnell to Host Her Own TV Show? [Lying on the Beach]
Rosie O’Donnell in Talks to Join MSNBC [NYT]
gossipmonger
Padma: When in Doubt, Suck Face With SalmanA prankster made lewd comments to Ann Curry and Matt Lauer during a media conference call between TV writers and the Today anchors. Banker Rafael Follieri, boyfriend of Anne Hathaway, flew commercial from Atlanta to New York despite supposedly owning a private jet. Padma Lakshmi was overheard telling someone she still was “still trying to work the secret to a great relationship out” hours before she made out with Salman Rushdie at Bungalow 8. (Rushdie also almost fell asleep during a play at the Guggenheim on Saturday.) Ivanka Trump couldn’t get into East Village dive Black and White because she didn’t have an I.D. The smoking hot ex–First Lady of France, Cecilia Sarkozy, is coming to visit New York with her kid.
intel
Rosie O’Donnell Lashes Out at Matt LauerDid you guys see the clips of Matt Lauer’s quietly uncomfortable interview with alleged toe-tapping senator Larry Craig on this morning’s Today show? So did Rosie O’Donnell, and she has something to say about it on her cryptic blog:
you know there have been manywhispers about matt lauerand his marriage woes
no comment
and another baby
everyone smiles
i am watching
as he grills senator craig
and his shell shocked wife
about their sexy gay secrets
it makes me sick
in every way
Yeah, that’s right. She took it to the Bad Matt place. We did not see that one coming.
The News [R Blog]
Related: Rosie O’Donnell Lets Her Freak Flag Fly [NYM]
gossipmonger
J.Lo’s Pregnancy SpoilerJennifer Lopez will supposedly announce that she’s pregnant during her show at MSG on Saturday night. Jessica Simpson’s people say she didn’t drink and dash at the Box — her friend just accidentally took the receipt slip with him. Rosie O’Donnell did an impromptu ten-minute stand-up set during a show by Roseanne Barr at Comix. (Rita Crosby was there, despite having been served a subpoena earlier in the day.) Mariah Carey doesn’t know how many bathrooms are in her Tribeca penthouse. Howard Stein, the nightlife honcho behind eighties hangouts Xenon and Rock Lounge, died at 62. The Port Authority says the quality of its toilet paper is much improved, contrary to what Larry David said on last week’s episode of Curb. GLAAD forced “Page Six” to apologize for calling the pre-op transsexual who has a reality show on Fox a “she-male.”
in other news
Trump Triumphs Over Soho, Tumbles Under O’DonnellDonald Trump comes out a winner and a loser in the Post today. It’s reported that the city will back his 46-story condo-hotel in Soho, despite neighborhood protests that it will change the character of the area and that it violates zoning laws. The building is already eleven stories high, and Trump says, “it will be one of the finest buildings of its kind anywhere in the world.” Which is all great and happy-making, but we’re a little disappointed with his performance in his latest spat with former View host Rosie O’Donnell. “Page Six” reports that in O’Donnell’s book, Celebrity Detox, she takes some potshots at the real-estate mogul. She calls him “a slug,” “a torn scarecrow,” and “wrinkled, old and empty, with a Jell-O orange combover.” Pretty poetic imagery! But all that the usually verbose Trump can come up with in response was “Rosie is a loser and a very sad case — unattractive both inside and out. I’ll wager my book sells a lot more than hers.” Oh, come on! It’s Monday morning. At least call her fat!
Trump Triumphs [NYP]
Rosie and Trump ‘Slug’ it Out [NYP]
gossipmonger
Harvey, Hillary, and Michael MooreMichael Moore’s new documentary, Sicko, points out how much money Hillary Clinton raises from health-care companies, and Harvey Weinstein tried to get him to remove a scene about it. Angelina Jolie claimed she was sorry Fox News was banned from her A Mighty Heart premiere, but then she banned Us Weekly and Life & Style (but not People and OK!) from the print-press roundtables. Former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey might adopt a kid with his partner. Rosie O’Donnell really wants to host The Price Is Right, but the show’s producers may not be into it. Lindsay Lohan may spend her 21st-birthday party in rehab because she is taking it seriously this time. That, or because Pure won’t host a party for her. Former senator Al D’Amato may play a judge on Law & Order.
gossipmonger
Not a Good ThingMartha Stewart’s driver was arrested for undisclosed reasons, and Stewart flipped out because he is Egyptian. Paula Abdul whines and moans a lot on her upcoming Bravo reality show, but it’s good TV. Actors from the Lord of the Rings trilogy are suing New Line, claiming the studio owes them a cut of merchandising revenue. Jean-Georges Vongerichten is set to open an authentic Japanese eatery where 66 used to be in Tribeca. HBO co-president of programming Richard Plepler, ICM agent Esther Newberg, and Lorne Michaels all back Chris Dodd for president. Barbra Streisand may star in a one-woman show on Broadway after her European tour.
gossipmonger
Blowin’ in the WindBobby Kennedy Jr. says he and his uncle Ted aren’t as opposed to the proposed Cape Cod wind farm as a book says they are. Liza Minnelli and Isle Werther are fighting over a dress. Barneys creative director Simon Doonan is happy to be a “card-carrying fag.” Boxing will go upscale when three Ford models replace the traditional ring girls at the upcoming welterweight championship at MSG. Former Justin Timberlake flame Cameron Diaz and current Justin Timberlake flame Jessica Biel will both be at the MTV Movie Awards, which may be awkward. Adam Carolla noted that Rosie O’Donnell is a fat female lesbian, and thus has “triple coverage as a minority.” President Bush’s chief domestic policy adviser, Karl Zinzmeister, reportedly said he’d never hire another woman because they “just get pregnant and leave.” Dean McDermott broke up with girlfriend Mary Jo Eustace via “Page Six.”
gossipmonger
Hassling HasselbackRosie O’Donnell’s chief writer at The View was busted for drawing mustaches on pictures of arch-nemesis Elisabeth Hasselback. Accused D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey wants to publicize more names from her client list, but ABC News says there are no other even remotely noteworthy names on it. David Blaine wants to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. (Please!) Mary-Kate Olsen and Matthew Modine are set to join the cast of Weeds. The maps have been removed from Jodi’s Shortcuts, the semi-famous Hamptons traffic-avoidance routes. Callers trying to reach Sarah Silverman as part of an MTV Movie Awards promo have been accidentally dialing some company in Texas.
gossipmonger
Jacko PornoMichael Jackson is trying to reclaim a trove of Jacko memorabilia set to be auctioned off this month, some of which is pornographic in nature. Lindsay Lohan and “boyfriend” Calum Best got into a shouting match at the Soho Grand. Jerry Hall called Mick Jagger cheap. Billionaire David Koch boasted that he had graduated college when his wife was only six weeks old. The Office star Jenna Fischer slipped and fractured four bones in her back at Buddakan, but she’s okay now. Charles Barkley thinks Don Imus should just have been suspended, not fired. Top Chef contestant Sam Talbot backed out of his deal to open a gastropub on the Lower East Side.
gossipmonger
RIP, IsabellaThe death of Isabella Blow by either cancer or suicide dominated conversation at the Costume Institute Gala last night. (We’ve got a Costume Institute slideshow and a tribute to Blow by Harriet Mays Powell and Amy Larocca.) Tom Brokaw won’t return to the anchor’s seat at NBC News despite the network’s slip in the ratings. While out shopping, Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson had difficulty getting into Tom Ford’s new store. The widow of Dr. Robert Atkins is embroiled in a legal battle for her late husband’s $100 million trust. Rosie O’Donnell is angling for the host slot on The Price Is Right. Amy Poehler and Will Arnett upgraded their West Village digs. Dan Abrams broke some cuff links, so he had to use dental floss to fasten plastic clips on his shirt. Like every other actor in New York, Cynthia Nixon will appear on an episode of Law & Order.
intel
By Dogsled or HMS Beagle, Celebs Prepare for ‘Time’ 100The Time 100 dinner, to be held tomorrow night at Jazz at Lincoln Center in celebration of the magazine’s annual “Most Influential People in the World” issue, is a hot ticket, an exclusive and glittering black-tie affair. And it seems the influential people will go to great lengths not to miss it. Virgin mogul Richard Branson, on the list this year, is currently on a 325-mile dogsled journey across Canada’s Arctic province of Nunavut to see the effects of global warming. He’s rushing to reach his endpoint — the delightfully named Igloolik — by Tuesday morning so he can be whisked to New York to make the dinner that night. “Will get the husky dogs to work a little bit harder!” he e-mailed.
gossipmonger
Back and to the LeftA new book by Salon.com founder David Talbot claims that the JFK assassination was the joint work of the CIA and the Mafia. Philadelphia TV reporter Alycia Lane mistakenly sent risqué e-mails intended for NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen to his wife. Pete Wentz wants his new East Village bar, Angels and Kings, to be a place where people can have sex in the bathroom. A lot of bankers can no longer expense meals at Hawaiian Tropic Zone. Alec Baldwin skipped the premiere of his new movie to go to Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. Good move: The screening — of a movie in which he plays an estranged father after a messy divorce — would have been awkward. Penélope Cruz bought the wait staff at the Waverly Inn a round of shots. Rosie O’Donnell dropped a subtle hint that she may be headed to CBS. Boy George was arrested in London for keeping some guy chained to his wall. Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields gambled together in Vegas.
gossipmonger
Billie Jean Is Not My Talk-Show HostBillie Jean King says she wouldn’t mind taking fellow lesbian Rosie O’Donnell’s spot on The View. Socialiterank.com will post no more, but its (still anonymous) founders do have a book deal. Arthur Sulzberger Jr. was marginally insensitive toward deaf people at the New York Times Co. annual meeting. American Idol contestants put on a private performance at Rupert Murdoch’s house. Christie’s exec John Hays made a quip about Katie Couric at the Children for Children benefit. Cameron Diaz went shopping in Soho, then freaked out when the paparazzi showed up. Kate Winslet likes New York’s paparazzi more than London’s. A woman obsessed with Sandra Bullock tried to run over Bullock’s husband with a car. Hugh Grant was arrested on an assault charge after throwing baked beans at a paparazzo.
gossipmonger
De Niro and Bowie, Kushner and Trump, Wenner and Nye Make NiceRobert De Niro and David Bowie were cordial at Vanity Fair’s party for the Tribeca Film Festival, despite reports that De Niro is mad that Bowie’s High Line Festival comes right after Tribeca. Also at the party: “Friends” Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump (as we told you yesterday). And Jann Wenner, with cuckolded boyfriend Matt Nye. Amy Sacco will open a hotel in the financial district. CBS’s Bob Schieffer and Lesley Stahl may have been behind a hit piece on Katie Couric in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Speaking of Couric, her cell phone ringtone is the Pussycat Dolls’s “Don’t Cha.” Bill Clinton is going to a party at Gabriel Byrne’s house to fundraise for Hillary. Les Moonves went to go see his son’s rock band play at the Plumm.
it just happened
Rosie Fades From ‘View’And so Rosie O’Donnell is out at The View, leaving when her contract expires in mid-June, according to today’s announcement. It’s sad news for fans of unexpectedly in-your-face happy-talk morning TV, but if you were paying attention, you’d have seen it coming. Lloyd Grove profiled View creator Barbara Walters in New York recently, and he questioned how much longer O’Donnell would be with the show:
O’Donnell’s arrival in September — to replace the deferential Vieira as moderator — has been unquestionably a success. She has been credited with an over 20 percent hike in the ratings in the key 18-to-49 female demographic, which has fueled speculation about her bright future on daytime TV. Will ABC cash out Walters’s stake and retire her in favor of O’Donnell, who, after all, had her own very successful show from 1996 to 2002? The betting in Las Vegas at last month’s programming-executives convention was that O’Donnell will leave soon to launch her own show for either ABC or a major syndicator. At minimum, O’Donnell — who’s said to be pulling down nearly $3 million from The View, about twice what Vieira was paid — will likely be demanding a big raise.
gossipmonger
Rosie Offends WomenRosie O’Donnell emceed a luncheon for Women in Communications, and she offended audience members with off-color jokes. Cindy Adams liked her act, though. Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Norman Mailer, and Anna Wintour all showed up for the memorial service for JFK aide Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Rudy Giuliani’s success in presidential polls is making Mike Bloomberg want to run for president. Martha Stewart’s billionaire boyfriend, Charles Simonyi, returned from a visit to the International Space Station. An Icelandic billionaire bought an Ian Schrager penthouse in Gramercy Park for $10 million. Hotelier Jason Pomeranc celebrated his birthday with Kate Hudson. Sheryl Crow may be an environmental activist, but a performance rider shows she demands three tractor trailers, four buses, and six cars for a gig. Speaking of Crow, she may have had a falling out with fellow activist Laurie David during their anti-global-warming cross-country tour.
gossipmonger
Jack Donaghy Is an Angry FatherAlec Baldwin called his daughter “a rude, thoughtless little pig” after he phoned her and she didn’t pick up. Julianne Moore complained about the price of a bottle of water at the theater. Police think the Anne Bass robbery was an inside job. Neither Russell Simmons nor L.A. Reid attended Al Sharpton’s National Action Network dinner, although both were invited. Britney Spears fired her manager because she was mad he made her check into rehab, but her father stands by him. Rosie O’Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck went to Radio City Music Hall together. Donald Trump and Barbara Walters avoided each other at Larry King’s party at the Four Seasons. Paris Hilton hooked up with James Blunt.
gossipmonger
Donald and Rosie, Still FightingDonald Trump tried to reignite his feud with Rose O’Donnell by sending Barbara Walters a giant framed bustier that O’Donnell wore in Exit to Eden. Usher’s fiancée may be pregnant, and it may not be Usher’s child. Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun had quite the send-off Tuesday at Jazz at Lincoln Center. A man is claiming to be Larry Birkhead’s former gay lover. Seagrams heir Matthew Bronfman unveils his Ikon condo complex in Williamsburg tonight. The father of deceased singer and socialite Kitty Carlisle Hart knew Abraham Lincoln. Nick Lachey is still sensitive about his divorce from Jessica Simpson. A lot of American films will screen at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Ryan Gosling won’t say whether his relationship with Rachel McAdams is over. Snoop Dogg’s love of video games and weed caused a chain reaction of snafus at the Pussycat Dolls’ UNICEF benefit at Cipriani Wall Street.
new york fugging city
Let Rosie Be Rosie!
It probably can’t be a coincidence that in the same week rumors surfaced that she’ll stay on The View another year, co-host Rosie O’Donnell announced she’s laying down her machete in her very loud, very public, and very ugly feud with Donald Trump.
In the last several months, people have jumped on every challenging statement to drip from Rosie’s mouth – whether daring to call into question the solvency and taste of our most perplexingly follicled business blowhard or suggestion racism by the producers of America’s most cherished and holy institution (American Idol). Rumor had it that View boss Barbara Walters was displeased with her new hire, even hated her. Elisabeth Hasselbeck found herself on the other end of a Rosie rant and started crying a lot. Web site and magazine polls eagerly asked readers if Ro should go, and the answers trended toward yes. So why bring her back? Two words: ratings and publicity, both of which The View garnered in spades over the last year.
But now the confluence of her new contract and her surprising attempt to take the high road with Trump have us worried the producers have convinced Rosie to dilute herself. And we can’t be the only ones with the fervent hope that’s not the case.
gossipmonger
Graydon Carter Is Everywhere, All the TimeAnderson Cooper, Bono, and Tom Hanks, among others, roasted Graydon Carter at a National Resources Defense Council gala (we had quotes yesterday). Harvey Weinstein introduced Graydon Carter to Jared Kushner at the Waverly Inn. Rosie O’Donnell has made The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselback cry multiple times during the show’s run. Gisele may be pregnant with quarterback Tom Brady’s baby. Linda Evangelista may be pregnant with billionaire Peter Morton’s baby. Maggie Gyllenhaal got husband Peter Sarsgaard a diaper bag for his birthday. Scarlett Johansson wants to go on a date with Patrick Swayze. Jessica Biel and Ryan Reynolds went on a dinner date. Rosario Dawson is dating a photographer.
gossipmonger
Boobs at ‘Jane’Jane magazine asked girls to bare their breasts for a picture spread but canceled after a staffer mistakenly unveiled the identities of the participants. Jake Gyllenhaal and David Fincher had some “artistic differences” on the set of Zodiac. Phillip Bloch was not impressed by how Vogue’s André Leon Talley styled Jennifer Hudson’s thighs at the Oscars. Rosie O’Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselback got into (another) fight at The View, which ended with Hasselback (again) in tears. Graydon Carter and Jim Kelly hosted a book party for Kurt Andersen at the Waverly Inn, and a lot of media bigwigs showed. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are not looking to buy an apartment in the Dakota, according to a rep. Spike Lee hung out with Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall.
gossipmonger
Judi Nathan Must Be ThrilledFormer Giuliani spokeswoman Cristyne Lategano-Nicholas is back at his side for his presidential run. Unable to pick just one, Barbra Streisand donated money to Clinton, Obama, and Edwards. David Letterman asked Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump to appear in a Super Bowl spot with him, but they declined. Scarlett Johansson hooked up with Justin Timberlake — and won a $50k condo lease — while in Miami for the game. And also during the big game, Bud Light may have “borrowed” inspiration from a sketch-comedy troupe and Sierra Mist for two of its commercials. Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld bought a $21 million fixer-upper on Park Avenue, which only requires $10 million more to fix it up.
gossipmonger
Donald Trump Has ‘Jealous Enemies’Donald Trump claims that “jealous enemies” are spreading rumors that contractors working on his Atlantic City properties haven’t been paid for their work. After much deliberation, Daniel Boulud has decided to name his forthcoming Upper West Side bistro “Bar Boulud.” Jade Jagger had some serious air rage on a flight from London. Paramount head Brad Grey allegedly said that the reason Dreamgirls wasn’t nominated for a Best Picture Oscar is that “everyone hates David [Geffen].” Jim McGreevey’s wife is planning a tell-all.
in other news
Rosie Turns Her Wrath on ‘Idol’ JudgesThe nice thing about covering Rosie O’Donnell’s feuds is that you’re rarely faced with a slow news day. Today, for example, brings news and uploads of her latest feud, this time against a formidable trinity: The judges of American Idol. As reported in the Posts both New York and Washington, Rosie said that Wednesday’s hugely watched Idol premiere — 32 million viewers is the estimate — contained elements of both drunkenness and cruelty: Paula stumbled around drinking what the View host doubted was Coke, and Simon mocked a contestant as looking like a “bush baby.” Missed the fun? To YouTube! First there’s this bit from Idol, in which Simon tosses off that insult and Paula does a fair amount of stumbling, if one can stumble in a chair. Then there’s the clip of Rosie criticizing Paula on The View. Take a look and judge for yourself. And then wonder how frustrated Barbara Walters must be that Rosie is always the audience’s pick.
Rosie’s New Target: American Idol [NYP]
Another Precinct Heard From: Rosie Weighs In on America’s Idol [WP]
in other news
Roman à RosieFollowing the Rosie O’Donnell–Donald Trump kerfuffle, what better time for a Rosie tell-all? Little Pink Slips is a “novel” written by Sally Koslow, who just happened to be shoved out of her editor-in-chief position at McCall’s when O’Donnell improbably took over the magazine after a six-year stint as a talk-show host. In the book, according to early chapters obtained by Radar Online, Koslow harps on boss Bebe Blake’s “well-fed face,” “lady-wrestler legs,” and predilection for spandex. After the success of The Devil Wears Prada and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, the publicist for Putnam can sit right back and plan her upcoming trip to Bermuda. The rest of us will hope for the movie, something to cleanse our minds of Rosie’s performance in Riding the Bus With My Sister.
Axed Editor Takes Revenge on Rosie [Radar Online]
gossipmonger
There’s Plenty of Bill to Go Around, BoysFormer DNC chair Terry McAuliffe says he once had a fight with Harvey Weinstein over Bill Clinton; Weinstein denies it. Madonna didn’t fire back at Angelina Jolie over her adoption comments, but she did defend Rosie O’Donnell. Speaking of which: Rosie and Howard Stern used to be enemies but are now friends. Macy Gray was almost arrested in Barbados for cursing on stage. Lindsay Lohan’s mom is not exactly the best role model for Lindsay. New York Giant LaVar Arrington, on the other hand, is a good role model. An aide of City Council Speaker Christine Quinn senses some vulnerability in Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi’s hold on his seat, and may run for it. Dolce and Gabanna have a pictorial spread in W that some say is a cheap knockoff of a spread Tom Ford had in the same magazine. Disgraced former Miss Nevada might bare all (or, at least, more than you’ve seen) for Playboy. Stephen Dorff uses text messaging to try to pick up Australian model Miranda Kerr. The son of John Phillips and brother of Bijou Phillips wants to be famous. Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct 2 was proclaimed the “Worst-Reviewed Movie of the Year” by Rotten Tomatoes. George Takei is too old to run marathons anymore. Rev. Ted Haggard’s former male prostitute, Mike Jones, is writing a book. Liz Smith enjoyed Rupert Everett’s autobiography.
in other news
The View From 43rd StreetAnother sunrise means another opportunity for Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump to hurl invective at each other. What’s new news today? Well, yesterday (a) Donald claimed protean litigator Star Jones, who was effectively replaced by Rosie, called to congratulate him, (b) Rosie and Barbara Walters high-fived after Baba dubbed The Don a “poor, pathetic man,” (c) Rosie got in a dig about the mediocre ratings for Trump’s new Apprentice season, (d) Trump finally flipped on Barbara, calling her a “sad figurehead dominated by a third-rate comedian,” and (e) Trump’s slur du jour for Rosie was upgraded from “fat” to “gross.” Oh, and let’s not forget the most striking bit of business: Apparently the Times now cares about this. That’s our signal to stop, right?
Back to ‘Talking Smack’ With Rosie, Donald and Barbara [NYT]
in other news
Katie Couric Perhaps to Consider Lesbianism, Too?Yes, yes, we’re a little late in getting around to today’s Observer. But have you seen soon-to-be-Timeswoman Rebecca Dana’s profile of the perkily gummy Katie Couric? The mega-million-dollar anchor has been severely ratings-challenged at the CBS Evening News, and the piece has lots of fun details on the woman, on the Iraqi-like divisions her arrival has caused in the CBS newsroom, and, especially, on her sometimes less-than-sensitive on-air reactions:
On Sept. 7, after a piece about the cervical cancer vaccine that mentioned teen sex practices, Ms. Couric, a mother of two adolescents, told correspondent Jonathan LaPook that he had “just ruined my day.” On Oct. 27, she handed correspondent Steve Hartman a pair of pink slippers after his feature about a Texas sheriff who makes his prisoners wear pink. On Oct. 30, in her introduction to a story about Arnold Schwarzenegger, she mimicked the California governor’s pattern of speech.
Which points, perhaps, to a strategy: What other TV show made a high-profile cast change recently? And what high-profile new TV star has been regularly offending people? And what regularly offensive new star has seen her show’s ratings jump — rather than fall — since those changes? Um, Miss O’Donnell, that’s Katie Couric on line one.
Katie Go-Nightly [NYO]
in other news
Rosie’s Feuds: Fun for the Whole Family!We were a little concerned when last week passed without any untoward eruptions from Rosie O’Donnell, but thankfully she’s now back in fine fettle. On yesterday’s show she upped the ante by both calling Donald Trump “obsessed” with her and coining the term “comb-over bunny.” (This was after, as the tabs report, she accosted Barbara Walters pre-show, called her pinch-faced superior a liar, refusing to hug her and claiming she’d failed to provide sufficient support in the Trump War while on a two-week vacation.) So far, a quick count has Rosie at five blowouts in recent weeks — the three majors (ching-chong-gate, the Barbara’s-rich remark, and Trump War) plus two more juicy Babs-Trump aftershocks (yesterday’s fights with, first, Barbara and, second, Donald). Naturally, we’ll now stay glued to The View each morning, looking for the next explosion. We hear once she hits ten we get a free feud of our choosing.
O’Donnell: Trump Is ‘Obsessed’ With Me [AP via AOL News]
Rosie Blows Up at “Liar” Babs [NYP]
