People: Madonna mines her raw material
The Material Girl parted with a few personal possessions – including the contents of her handbag – at a Cannes Film Festival benefit to raise money for AIDS research.
Madonna emptied her purse and came up with a magnifying mirror, hair clips, skin blotting tissues and lip gloss.
She put it all on the block along with a one-of-a-kind diamond-encrusted alligator bag donated by Chanel. The lot sold for $472,000.
The benefit late Thursday raised more than $10 million for the American Foundation for AIDS Research, a record for the annual event.
Sharon Stone‘s red 1976 Porsche 911 Targa went for $786,000. Twenty-four hours with Sean “Diddy” Combs fetched $314,000.
Other Madonna items included the white guitar she used during her “Confessions” tour ($472,000), and a backstage serenade for two fans during her next tour ($550,000).
Auctioneer Stone tried to get the crowd to bid for a kiss with Madonna, reminding everyone that George Clooney sold two kisses last year for a total of $700,000.
“That’s cheap!” Madonna retorted. “Everyone’s kissed George Clooney.”
Slick slips off the hook
Ricky Walters – better known as pioneering rapper Slick Rick – received a “full and unconditional pardon” Friday from New York Gov. David Paterson for his 1991 attempted murder and weapon convictions.
The pardon allows the British-born Walters to remain in the United States.
He spent six years in prison before his release in 1997. Federal authorities have sought to deport him under immigration laws applying to violent offenders, despite campaigns by fans and other rappers to let him stay.
So, who serviced whom?
A judge has vacated a $1.5 million judgment awarded to a woman who sued rapper DMX for claiming that she raped him, because he wasn’t properly served with legal papers.
Monique Williams became pregnant and gave birth after an August 2003 encounter with DMX (aka Earl Simmons) in a Washington, D.C., hotel room.
In a 2006 magazine interview, he said she raped him while he slept.
A real high-kicking musical
Legendary martial arts star Bruce Lee is headed to Broadway.
“Bruce Lee: Journey to the West,” a musical based on the life of the action hero who died in 1973 at age 32, is scheduled to arrive during the 2010-11 season.
The great wife way
Katie Holmes is looking to bounce back from a box-office flop with her Broadway debut.
Mrs. Tom Cruise, who starred in this year’s “Mad Money” alongside Diane Keaton and Queen Latifah, will hit the stage in a revival of Arthur Miller‘s “All My Sons” this fall.
The birthday bunch
Actor-comedian Tommy Chong is 70. Musician Bob Dylan is 67. Singer Patti LaBelle is 64. Actress Priscilla Presley is 63. Actor Jim Broadbent is 58. Actor Alfred Molina is 55. Singer Rosanne Cash is 53. Actress Kristin Scott Thomas is 48. Actor John C. Reilly is 43. Actor Eric Close (“Without A Trace”) is 41. Rapper Heavy D is 41. Country singer Billy Gilman is 20.