Where Art Thou, Juliette?
Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t the demanding diva Jennifer Lopez who recently held up the cast and crew of her latest flick, Enough. This time, it was co-star Juliette Lewis who was anything but punctual, showing up 45 minutes late for a reading with J. Lo; director Michael Apted; producer Irwin Winkler; fellow actors Noah Wyle, Billy Campbell, and Jeff Kober; as well as four Columbia Pictures bigwigs. Our source tells us the high-powered honchos impatiently cooled their heels in the Valley until a red-faced Lewis finally waltzed in claiming she had gotten off “on the wrong side of Laurel Canyon.” Just in case you’re not familiar with Los Angeles, there is no wrong side of the canyon. Lewis’s rep said, “If she was late, she was late. I’m sure she had a good reason. She’s never missed anything.” Except, it seems, the right turn on Sunset.
Arnold’s Foiled Banks Check
Everyone’s favorite action hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is getting a reputation for being a little too active with his hands. Adding fuel to allegations that Arnie likes to prey on P.Y.T.’s, a source tells us of an indelicate encounter he witnessed between the Terminator and Tyra Banks at a Planet Hollywood Academy Award party. According to our source, Arnie was overheard wooing Banks with a breathtakingly original chat-up line. “If they gave an Academy Award for Best Ass, you would win,” the actor whispered, before reportedly goosing the model. The account will come as no surprise to readers of a recent article by John Connolly in Premiere magazine that included claims by three British talk-show hosts that they had been fondled by the star. Schwarzenegger reportedly mobilized his legal team to try to prevent the story’s publication, but they failed, and he has yet to proceed with further legal action. Arnie’s rep declined to comment, and a spokesman for Banks was unaware of such an incident. So what are we dealing with here? True Lies or Judgment Day?
Miss You Much
We hear those wanting a quiet night out in L.A. recently could just have gone to one of the clubs booked for a party honoring Janet Jackson. An inside source confirms that super-trendy club Deep was asked by MTV to reserve space for 80 to 100 revelers (the venue’s capacity is only about 200) to celebrate Jackson’s immortalization as the first MTV Icon. Unfortunately, it seems the music channel forgot about a tent it had already erected next to its studio and, according to the source, reservations that had been made at yet another hot spot, Vinyl, for the same event. The triple-booked diva wound up partying at the tent, while, the source says, someone forgot to let the clubs know, leaving them half-empty on a Saturday night. Vinyl and Deep had no comment, while MTV and the star’s rep admit having spoken to Deep and Vinyl, respectively, but deny making any firm plans. With the upcoming release of her new album, All For You, look for a launch party or two near you.
Sotheby’s Brooks: Big House Hunting?
Now that she’s pleaded guilty to price-fixing with rival Christie’s, we hear that ex-Sotheby’s CEO Diana “Dede” Brooks has turned her attention to her future home. Facing up to three years’ incarceration, the fallen powerhouse is rumored to be anxious about where Uncle Sam might send her and has been touring federal prisons looking for the most tolerable option. Dede’s lawyer wouldn’t comment, but the Feds point out that a final accommodation decision would rest with them. With less-than-glamorous contenders including minimum-security prison camps in Bryan, Texas; Alderson, West Virginia; and Pekin, Illinois, we guess the type-A scofflaw will at least make her preferences known. Our recommendations? Dublin, California, and Danbury, Connecticut, which have respectively hosted such other princesses as Patty Hearst and Leona Helmsley.
Nicole Kidman Blows Up
As if Nicole Kidman’s image hadn’t been sufficiently emblazoned on our minds over the past couple of weeks, now comes word that a six-story blow-up of the star in a cancan skirt will be erected at Bloomingdale’s next month. To mark the release of Kidman’s new film, Moulin Rouge, the department store is opening a shop of the same name that will feature exclusive Belle Epoque-inspired frocks from Anna Sui, Katayone Adeli, Rebecca Taylor, and others. A line of cancan girls and the star herself are expected at the, uh, kickoff on April 19, when the larger-than-life Kidman’s skirt will lift up to reveal not Tom Cruise but Bloomingdale’s cabaret-themed windows. Vogue gets in on the action as well, with a party on April 17 that will be hosted by editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Kidman herself, along with Ewan McGregor. The film’s premiere will be followed by a dinner and an auction of one-of-a-kind designs from fashion designers such as Helmut Lang, Oscar de la Renta, Dolce & Gabbana, and Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel. Rest assured, all proceeds will go to aids research, not Kidman’s divorce-related legal bills.
Your Fifteen Minutes; Just $30 Mil
If you’ve always yearned to live in the hallowed halls where the Rolling Stones, Andy Warhol, Halston, Julian Schnabel, and countless other icons misspent their youth, your chance may have come. According to East End real-estate sources, Paul Morrissey is about to put the legendary Andy Warhol estate in Montauk on the market. Folks with enough cash to spare could find themselves settling in among such luminaries as Peter Beard, Dick Cavett, and Paul Simon. It seems “enough cash” will be something upwards of $30 million, according to a real-estate insider. “It’s a crazy price,” gripes our source. “It’s really just the house and a couple of cottages, so the price should be in the $10-to-$15-million range.” Price notwithstanding, with its seven acres of land perched high above a rocky beach in the “best location in Montauk,” the Warhol estate is a tempting prospect. Of course, there is one other selling point: Buyers’ millions might guarantee them their very own fifteen minutes of fame.
P.S.: You Forgot to Fix the Roof
The P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in Long Island City seems to be focusing on the art of building renovation. Just three years after its last major $8.5 million revamp, the institution’s calling in the builders again. It seems the city-owned building is still suffering and needs re-pointing, new windows, and roof work. This time, the museum’s board is spending an estimated $13 million, much of which is coming from city coffers. It’s a little unclear why the museum didn’t spring for everything while the previous construction was in the works. Apparently the workers were far too busy looking at the captivating artwork to notice the deteriorating masonry on the walls themselves.
Johnnie’s New Digs; Stewart Goes Solo?
Expect to see Johnnie Cochran doing the Hamptons rounds this season. Cochran confirms that he and his wife are in the process of purchasing a Sag Harbor manse – we hear for $3 million – from American Express CEO Ken Chenault. Chenault declined to comment, but the legal eagle beams: “We’re very happy about the place and plan to move in by summer. It’s a great neighborhood, and we have great friends there.” Friends like Sean “Puffy” Combs? Cochran’s close proximity could come in handy for the troubled rapper. “No, I hadn’t thought about him,” chuckles Cochran. But we bet he has.
OFF THE TREADMILL: Alexis Stewart, daughter of the ultra-perfectionist Martha Stewart, is having a less than perfect time in her marriage. According to an East End source, the relationship between Alexis and her husband, New York lawyer John Cuti, has hit a rocky patch. Alexis, who sold her East Hampton Gym last summer when she moved back to the city, has not publicly admitted to any problems in the four-year marriage. She would say only: “We’re not legally separated.” Of their low-key ceremony, Martha once commented: “It was not the wedding I dreamed about for Alexis.” We can only guess this wasn’t how she hoped the marriage would fare, either.
SOMEONE LIKE …
WYNONNA? It’s not often that Bono and Wynonna Judd find themselves competing for the same slot. A Tinseltown insider tells us U2’s “With or Without You” was slated for the soundtrack of Ashley Judd’s latest Lynda Obst-produced film, Someone Like You, until the starlet’s sister, Wynonna Judd, decided to compose the movie’s closing track at the eleventh hour after seeing it with her sister. Though the music for the film and the soundtrack album had been completed, U2 got the boot to make room for Wynonna. Wynonna’s rep confirmed that her song was a late addition and added, “Everyone was surprised they liked the song enough to reopen the movie and rearrange the CD.” No one more than U2, we imagine.
Additional reporting by Aric Chen, Paige Herman, and Daniel Keeler.
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