Breaking: Tyra Banks Accused of Divalike Behavior-The talkshow hostess’ audience rebels against her; plus P. Diddy ices Cassie, and John Mayer lets Jennifer Aniston down not-so-easy in today’s gossip roundup.
gossipmonger
Chloë Sevigny Down! We Repeat, Chloë Sevigny Down!The indie actress is felled by a viral infection, Salman Rushdie would vote for Barack Obama, and writer Peter Davis cares too much about a socialite contest. All that and the rest of the gossip from New York’s tabloids today.
gossipmonger
Nicolas Cage Was Only Borrowing That ChihuahuaPlastic-surgery-happy Jocelyn Wildenstein just bought a three-bedroom apartment in the Plaza for $7.96 million. An excerpt of James Frey’s upcoming novel, Bright Shiny Morning, is being published in Sex for America, a book of “politically-inspired erotica.” Nicolas Cage is suing Kathleen Turner for claiming in her autobiography that he had been arrested twice for DUI and stealing a Chihuahua. Fergie and Josh Duhamel are moving up their wedding date because she’s so pregnant.
in other news
Michael Jackson Has Been Living Right Underneath Our Prosthetic Noses!Michael Jackson has been spotted around town in New York periodically in recent months, but until today, we didn’t know where he was living. Turns out he’d been holed up with a private family in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, where he’d been “trying to be normal,” according to FoxNews.com columnist Roger Friedman. That’s less than an hour from here! Technically, that put Jackson miles and miles closer to our bustling city than he is to “normalcy.” Jackson has reportedly returned to L.A., but good for him for trying to introduce his family to the quiet life in the Jersey suburbs? Good for him. For a short time, his kids could finally have a normal life, going to the movies, attending public school, making regular friends. After all, if your new little friend has millions of dollars to spend at the Short Hills mall, who cares if he has to do it wearing a mask?
Jacko Lived with New Jersey Family for Three Months [Fox 411]
Earlier: Why the Fug Isn’t Anybody Paying Attention to Michael Jackson?
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.
company town
Oracle of Omaha Screws With Everyone’s HeadFINANCE
• Buffett to the rescue: The Oracle of Omaha may take a 20 percent stake in crisis-ridden Bear Stearns. If the deal goes through, Bear CEO Jim Cayne will have another new bridge partner to brag about. [NYT]
• Goldman Sachs named Edward Forst as co-head of investment management, a troubled group with a mere $796 billion in assets. Forst takes the place of Eric Schwartz, who’s retiring after 23 years with the bank. [NYP]
• “The tears of Chuck Norris would supply enough liquidity to solve the credit crisis. Too bad he never cries.” [Bloomberg]
show and talk
The Ladies, and Bergdorf, Love Posen
Zac Posen, clad in a white tuxedo, gabbed with the ladies at Bergdorf Goodman today. After a luncheon to celebrate his new beauty product, the Front Row Facial, Posen dropped down to the third floor to show off his new and hugely celebrated fall collection. His latest designs have a newfound touch of sophistication from joyful outbursts of color, like neon-green cocktail dresses, to architecturally inspired pieces, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar gown (pictured), Posen has made an aesthetic advance. We aren’t the only ones taking notice. Actress Lucy Liu, Posen’s date to last week’s Met Gala, “really loves” the collection, Posen admits. So how did the two meet up? “We dressed her for Vanity Fair, you know. And I sort of met her through that and really liked her.” “She’s a powerful, intelligent woman,” he adds. Considering the crowd at the trunk show today, Liu isn’t the only smart girl placing orders. Kendall Herbst
company town
A Last-Minute Bid for TribuneMEDIA
• L.A. Billionaires Ron Burkle and Eli Broad jumped back into the Tribune contest, offering $1 per share more than Sam Zell. [NYT]
• After Joy Press left for Salon, new Voice editor Tony Ortega rehired former editor Brian Parks to edit the arts and culture section. [Eat the Press/HP]
• Former Times public editor Dan Okrent appears in the upcoming film The Hoax, playing a publishing exec engaged in fraud. [WWD]
gossipmonger
Brit Bares It in Meatpacking BarBritney Spears changed out of her dress and into a bikini at One Little West 12th. Beyoncé is jealous of Jennifer Hudson. The New Republic is going bi-weekly but is not cutting any staff. Chelsea club BED was set to be closed for renovation, and the fatal brawl there earlier this month isn’t helping matters. Ian Schrager’s Chinese restaurant at the Gramercy Park Hotel is back on but will be helmed by a Japanese chef. Zac Posen kicked socialite Arden Wohl out of his Fashion Week after-party because she didn’t come to his show or wear his clothes to the after-party. Paris Hilton is jealous of fellow sex-tape star Kim Kardashian.
