Seinfelds Enable Madonna and A-Rod’s Unholy AllianceThey let the couple sneak off to their Hamptons place. Plus, Cameron Diaz thinks something lives in the TV, and other spooky, weird tidbits in the Halloween gossip roundup.
Kristin Davis Is Not a Slut, Okay?Kristin Davis got annoyed that Evan Handler’s wife jokingly referred to her as a “slut” when Handler had to film sex scenes with Davis on Sex and the City. Real-estate developer and Observer owner Jared Kushner recently replaced his dinner table with a Ping-Pong table and says more people come visit him now. Carly Simon says she never slept with Mick Jagger, but Bianca Jagger doesn’t believe her. Folk legend Pete Seeger is still annoyed that his protégé Bob Dylan switched to electric guitar back in 1965.
Gwen Stefani says that she thinks celebrity gossip is gross, but she’s addicted.
party lines
Pregnant J.Lo Still Wears ‘Gucci Gucci Goo!’We were delighted to discover when we arrived at Wednesday’s Gucci party that we weren’t the only ones totally awestruck in the presence of Madonna. As we interviewed Women’s Murder Club star Angie Harmon, she became visibly nervous when Madonna walked up the red carpet behind her. “I’ve been running around Fashion Week,” she stuttered, trying to stay on topic. Then she interrupted herself and burst out to her date, hairdresser Stephen Knoll, “Did you just say ‘Hi’ to Madonna?!” she gushed. “I’m totally freaking out! You said ‘Hi’ to Madonna!” Harmon turned back to us and admitted, “I can’t handle it! I’ve never met her. Probably won’t get up the nerve to do it tonight. Look at Lourdes! Look at how big she is! I bet she has a British accent.” We bet she does, too. Most of the rest of the celebrities, who included Jennifer Lopez, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gwen Stefani, Salma Hayek, and Drew Barrymore, didn’t stop to chat on the red carpet. But when we asked the hugely pregnant Lopez what she was wearing when she tottered by on four-inch heels, she replied, “Gucci Gucci Goo!”
cultural capital
Jay-Z: From Marcy to Madison AvenueJay-Z has been shilling brand names in songs and commercials for his entire life. But now that he’s retired from Def Jam, he’s decided he might as well make a career of it. The Times this morning reports that the rapper-mogul formerly known as Shawn Carter is partnering in a new ad agency, Translation Advertising. An offshoot of Translation Consultation and Brand Imaging, overseen by Interpublic, the agency will help mainstream advertisers like Hewlett-Packard and McDonald’s be cooler about dealing with the consumers the Times alternatingly calls “minority,” “multicultural,” and “urban.” “There are people who don’t understand the culture,” Hova told the Times, referring to a cell phone commercial “that shows guys break dancing in the phone store … not something we do.” The work, Hova told the Times, is “part of the natural growth” of his career. Now, if only Fergie and Gwen Stefani would transition already.
A New Venture for Jay-Z, on Madison Avenue [NYT]
gossipmonger
Cameron Diaz to Invade ChelseaCameron Diaz is looking to buy an apartment in West Chelsea and also hooked up with Felicity’s Scott Speedman in the Bahamas. Samantha Stein-Wells, daughter of murdered real-estate broker Linda Stein, is turning her 35th birthday into a charity event in her mom’s name. Padma Lakshmi told Dave Zinczenko that she’d cover her body in chocolate if he put her on the cover of Men’s Health. Portfolio magazine named Newsweek fashion scribe Dana Thomas its European editor. Michelle Williams has pulled out of her upcoming movie with Ryan Gosling because she’s too beat up over Heath Ledger’s death. Maybe-pregnant Angelia Jolie went shopping at a baby boutique in Tribeca.
intel
Michael Shvo Pursuing Celebs in Their House of WorshipIt’s a strange real-estate market lately, what with all the mortgage-industry-driven doomsday talk, but that’s not stopping Über-condo marketer Michael Shvo from hawking his wares. He’s set up a swag-stuffed (iPod speakers, anyone?) lounge backstage at the Fashion Week tents to entice celebrities and fashionistas to stop by, all the while heaping them with brochures about his newest project, the 57-story W New York-Downtown Hotel & Residences on Washington Street. (It’s opening this fall.) The swank space, all dolled up in red and black by GRAFT, the celeb-friendly — Brad Pitt is a big client! — L.A.-based architecture firm, has had visits from rocker Gwen Stefani (twice!), Demi Moore, and Teri Hatcher. —Jhoanna Robledo
gossipmonger
Sarah Silverman to Explore the Joys of BlackfaceSome people allege that Kelly Klein, 50, is too old to have a baby via a surrogate mom, and must have gotten an egg from a donor. A crazy Italian lady made a lunge for Brad Pitt at the Venice Film Festival, and “Page Six” has the video! (Also, Pitt’s two-hour-and-40-minute Assassination of Jesse James is too long.) Sarah Silverman goes blackface in the next season of her show. John Edwards and Russell Simmons did yoga together. Mariah Carey’s ex-manager claims that she owes him money. David LaChappelle hates Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Christina Aguilera, and won’t work with them. Heather Graham sings and plays guitar in her upcoming movie.
gossipmonger
Ba Ba Ba, Ba BarbaraleeHollywood players like Ben Stiller, Toby Maguire, and Steven Spielberg can’t figure out which Democrat to support for president, so they’re donating to multiple ones. (Tom Hanks, Will Smith, and Jennifer Aniston, however, are firmly in Camp Obama.) Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel was passed over for appointment as executive director of New York State Council of the Arts, perhaps because she has donated money to Spitzer, who’s now trying to look ethically pure. Gwen Stefani loves breast-feeding even though she’s been getting bitten. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz refused to be photographed with their KY Intimacy Kit swag bags at Lollapalooza because they were scared of Joe Simpson. Tracy Morgan wants to get his SCRAM ankle bracelet “blinged out” at Jacob the Jeweler.
gossipmonger
JFK, LBJ, TRLThe CIA official who organized the Watergate break-in claims that Lyndon B. Johnson might have been behind the Kennedy assassination. MTV’s TRL may be on the way out. Mark Wahlberg doesn’t like being famous. Gwen Stefani is a character in an upcoming novel. Madonna and ex-husband Carlos Leon are still friends. Paris Hilton pal Kim Kardashian may be making some money off her sex tape. Alec Baldwin’s directorial debut is, after much financial wheeling and dealing, finally getting released. Howard Stern lackey Artie Lange might be leaving the program for Fox. Andy Warhol’s former house in Montauk sold for half its asking price. Penélope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar hung out at Cipriani Downtown.
