Nice work if you can get it
The world’s entertainment press tripped over themselves, making embarrassing errors along the way, fighting to be first to report the biggest celebrity story of the year: the birth of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins.
In the end, the scoop went to a provincial French newspaper, Nice’s Nice-Matin.
Pitt “said to the doctor that the local media should be the first informed about the birth,” said assistant editor-in-chief Olivier Biscaye.
Nice-Matin’s reporter was given access that the rest of the media pack camped outside the Lenval hospital could only dream about.
That provided such exclusive nuggets as Pitt’s first words after the birth of the twins, as reported by Jolie’s obstetrician, Dr. Michael Sussmann – “Marvelous, wonderful!” – and the doctor acknowledging that the date of the delivery had been moved up by about 10 days “for the mother’s comfort.”
“Nice-Matin has always chosen not to play the game of paparazzi toward the celebrities who have chosen to live in the region,” said Christophe Caietti, magazine section editor.
“This is why I think Brad and Angelina have chosen to make this gift to Nice-Matin.”
The magic is gone
It’s all over between Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, their publicists said Monday.
During their five years together, they were one of Hollywood’s funniest couples, with Silverman (“Jesus is Magic”) making frequent appearances on Kimmel’s talk show.
Whoopi’s next roll
Whoopi Goldberg is going back to Broadway.
Goldberg, a co-host on the ABC’s “The View,” announced Monday that she will appear in the Tony-nominated roller-skating musical “Xanadu” as one of the evil sisters, Caliope.
The show, loosely adapted from the cult 1980s film featuring Olivia Newton-John, stars former Spokane-area actor Cheyenne Jackson.
Bail to the chief
Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, along with five members of a crew filming an Oliver Stone movie about President Bush, were arrested during a bar fight early Saturday morning at the Stray Cat club in Shreveport, La.
Brolin plays Bush in “W” and Wright plays former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Guess she’s hooked
Former “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss is facing felony drug use and possession charges stemming from a February traffic stop in her hometown of Pahrump, Nev.
Fleiss said she has “a bit of a substance abuse problem” and intends to seek treatment.
Playing with fire
Britain’s The Daily Telegraph reports that Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, who has long battled alcohol and drug addiction, is drinking two bottles of vodka a day.
Wood, 61, also reportedly has left his wife of 23 years for an 18-year-old Russian waitress.
The birthday bunch
Actor Ken Kercheval (“Dallas”) is 73. Actor Jan-Michael Vincent is 64. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 62. Actor Willie Aames is 48. Model Kim Alexis is 48. Actress Lolita Davidovich is 47. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 47. Actress Brigitte Nielsen is 45. Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin is 40. Actor Scott Foley is 36. Actor Brian Austin Green is 35.