It All Began When The Weasel Started Popping
It looks like damsels in distress can still count on knights in shining armor.
When Princess Diana left a London gym Monday, photographer Brendan Beirne started shooting. Di demanded the film; Beirne refused. Enter bypasser Kevin Duggan.
“He said, ‘Give her the film,’ and grabbed me in an arm lock,” Beirne said. “He twisted my wrist. I was frightened he would break it. I let the camera go and heard it being opened.”
Diana said she was “distressed” over it all. Duggan said he would have done the same for anyone: “It’s a question of manners. My mum brought me up to be a gentleman.”
Said Beirne: “I am stunned (Di) did not step in and stop it. It was outrageous. She knows I am not a stalker or a threat. I have been taking photographs of her for 10 years.”
Loose talk
Bette Midler, on Geraldo Rivera’s claim he slept with her in the ‘70s (in Newsweek): “Every time he lists his conquests, I get first billing. I find that fascinating. I guess he didn’t have access to the really big names.”
This papa has popped some paparazzi
Alec Baldwin turns 39 today.
Martin doesn’t watch his step, or anyone else’s
Speaking of ruckuses, comedian Martin Lawrence has been arrested for the third time in less than a year and charged with punching out a guy who bumped into him on the dance floor at the Gate, a Hollywood nightspot. By the way, Lawrence’s “Martin” TV wife, Tisha Campbell, who had accused him of sexual harassment, has returned to the set.
Guess Legge-Bourke lost out to the leggy dork
And speaking of the royals, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry whom Diana had hated so much, has left Prince Charles’ employ. The prince’s press secretary denied she was fired in an attempt to mend fences with Diana, who once allegedly accused Legge-Bourke at a party of having an abortion.
Better spare the odd, or they’ll spoil the child
The National Enquirer, which paid $2 million for authorized pictures of Michael Jackson’s son, says that mom Debbie Rowe saw the baby for the first time since its birth when she showed up for the photo session. Michael’s mother, Katherine, has reportedly moved into Neverland to take care of the child, making Rowe’s presence unnecessary.
So poor Kit went - you guessed it - home alone
Christopher “Kit” Culkin, the father of “Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin, on Tuesday abruptly dropped his legal battle for Macaulay and his five minor siblings, saying he didn’t want to force the children to choose between him and their mother, Patricia Brentrup. “Mr. Culkin does not wish to contest the proceeding and put the family through any more pain,” his lawyer said. Added Brentrup’s attorney: “I knew that if we stuck with this we would pull through because we were right.”
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Rick Bonino