Results tagged “celebrity”

Here's another update about Bernard Madoff's condition in federal prison, courtesy of the lawyers representing the investment faker's victims. Only this update paints a less rosy picture; while attorney Joseph Cotchett told ABC News, "[Madoff] looked pretty good and seems to be working out. He looked a lot better than he has in some months since I've seen photographs of him," today Cotchett told the CBS Early Show, "Look, it's a prison. He's suffering the immediate throes of being thrust into this. It's a new world to him. It's not pleasant, as it shouldn't be. The man is distraught." That sounds about right, but Madoff has time to adjust.

This week's NY Times Dining section has a long profile about Jamaica, Queens native Rocco DiSpirito, who many in the dining biz have criticized for focusing on TV shows and cookbooks when he could be running a restaurant. Some, like cookbook author Michael Rhulman, believe "he’s almost gotten to the point where people in the food world feel sorry for him and want him back." Others, like former NY Mag critic Gael Greene, opine, "I do believe that ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is kind of the last stop. I don’t understand—has he totally lost that passion to cook?" In his defense, DiSpirito paints himself as a populist who loves "advocating" for the "general public." But Ed Levine at Serious Eats scoffs at that, slamming DiSpirito and the Times in a fun blog post: "What DiSpirito really loves to do is bring attention to himself Paris Hilton-style and try to cash in on it. Only she can't cook."

Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins yesterday in France. Her doctor confirmed the births of baby boy Knox Leon (5.03 pounds) and baby girl Vivienne Marcheline (5 pounds), saying, "The babies are doing well" and that the Cesarean section "went just perfectly...The mother and father are very, very happy." The paparazzi have been camped outside the Lenval Hospital, and one celebrity photo agency owner told the AP photos of the fifth and sixth Jolie-Pitt children could go for between $15 and $20 million and the only thing that "would possibly come that close is Britney Spears giving birth to an alien."

After reports that both Madonna and Guy Ritchie have spoken to divorce lawyers, the Post now says Ritchie will be in NYC this weekend to try to save their marriage. Madonna has been rehearsing for her upcoming tour, and a source says, "It is make or break time for Guy and Madonna...they are both trying to rescue the situation....M has shown a willingness to patch things up [and] he has now decided to fly out there this weekend to try to sort things out." The couple have three children--two sons plus Madonna's daughter from another relationship.

The Times of London reports the Material Girl has spoken to a divorce lawyer fueling speculation the superstar is ready to dump husband Guy Ritchie. The lawyer, Fiona Shackleton, represented Prince Charles and Paul McCartney in their divorces. Notably, McCartney only gave up about $40-50 million in his divorce settlement, from his $1 billion fortune; Madonna's worth is estimated to be around $600 million--and she may not have a pre-nup. Now, will Madonna come back to borin' ol' NYC full-time? And more importantly, will she drop the British accent?

W Magazine has a feature on the famous spawn of celebrity, currently rocking out in the dim spotlights of downtown clubs. Amongst them are CBS CEO Les Moonves's son (Chief), Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbin's son (The Tangents), Michael Keaton's son (The Hatch), Jann Wenner's son (The Ellis Unit), Ellen Barkin and Gabriel Byrne's son (also in the Ellis Unit), and...you get the picture.

Almost no hitter has been happier after a strikeout. Billy Crystal, who turned 60 today, had the opportunity to play for the Yankees in their Spring Training game against the Pirates yesterday. Leading off and serving as the DH -- he said it stood for Designated Hebrew -- Crystal got a piece of one pitch and chopped it foul down the first-base line. He also showed a good eye to work the count to 3-1, but then Pirates lefty Paul Maholm threw the comedian two cut-fastballs, and Crystal proved why 59-year-olds don't play Major League Baseball. To make matters worse, home-plate umpire Mark Carlson said Crystal swung at ball four.

Even if it's only in a preseason game, and even if it's only against the Pirates, Billy Crystal will realize his lifelong dream of playing for the Yankees. The team announced Monday it had signed him to a one-day minor-league contract. Publicity stunt? Sure. But as far as the Yankees, who will send him to the field Thursday, see it, a harmless one.

Actor Roy Scheider died yesterday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, after battling multiple myeloma for several years and suffering complications from a staph infection. He was 75 and had been living in Sag Harbor, New York (after moving out his house in Sagaponack that Billy Joel purchased).

After intense speculation about why the masseuse who discovered Heath Ledger's body last Tuesday called actress Mary-Kate Olsen multiple times, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly spoke to reporters yesterday to clear the air. Kelly said, "We believe that of the three phone calls by the masseuse to Mary-Kate Olsen, only one got through. That call was 99 seconds long."

The NYC Medical Examiner's office says Heath Ledger's autopsy is inconclusive, citing the need to more tests. Spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said, "The autopsy is inconclusive and we have to do further testing which includes toxicology and tissue testing. We expect to have results in about 10 days to two weeks."

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a ceiling collapse at Franklin Ave. and Union St. in Brooklyn, a pedestrian was fatally struck on Queens Blvd. in Woodhaven, Queens, and an unusual rescue on the south bound tower of the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens.
• An undercover cop forgot to turn off the wire he was wearing while discussing 11 bags of cocaine he seized in a Brooklyn bust that were never turned in. He was also sure to repeatedly refer to black people using the "N-word." [No link yet, but we saw the story on NY1.]
• The mother of an escaped convict is telling him through the press to keep running, and knows some day he'll be exonerated of his crime. We foresee either a one-armed man eventually brought to justice or subsequent imprisonment in a South American jail.
• Civil disobedience on 5th Avenue. We did not realize this, but the city has offered free vendor licenses to military veterans since the Civil War. Dan Rossi is protesting the curtailment of the practice by parking his hot dog cart right in front of The Metropolitan Museum.
• There's an interesting installation at the Gavin Brown Enterprise on Greenwich St. created by artist Urs Fischer, who's dug a hole in the ground. It is an absolutely enormous hole in the ground.
• Michael Douglas is the new announcer for the NBC Nightly News. Anderson Cooper responds that he would also consider a celebrity announcer, like Fran Drescher, Clint Eastwood, Paul Reubens, or Cher.
• Macy's is going to stay open 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve. Those are going to be some tired elves.
• A siamese cat named Yoda was bludgeoned to death in an Upper East Side doorman building. Sarah Favorite, the girlfriend of Yoda's owner, was arrested and is being charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

We imagine practices with the Knicks aren't much different than the video - lots of cursing and uses of sunt. Because one thing's for sure, the Knicks don't usually play with heart.

Last year WNBC got up close and personal with the Civic Fame statue atop the Municipal Building, and this week The NY Times looks at the woman who modeled for that statue, and many others -- Audrey Munson, "a long-forgotten New York celebrity whose face and figure continue to grace the contours of statues all around Manhattan."It was Ms. Munson’s eyes that stared stoically from the marble forms of the Firemen’s Memorial on Riverside Drive,...

EVENT: Tonight Coney Island historian Charles Denson will be enlightening all about the "Genesis of the Coney Island History Project" at the American Folk Art Museum. He'll be discussing "the fascinating changes Coney Island has undergone" from its amusement park glory days to its struggle to survive. Expect to see some never-before-seen photos. More info here. 6:30pm // American Folk Art Museum [45 W 53rd St] // $10 MUSIC: We highly recommend getting over to...

It's all in an Upper West Side day for the Material Girl! The tabloids have reported that Madonna is suing her co-op, claiming the board blocked her attempt to buy a neighbor's apartment. Madonna has a 6,000 square foot apartment at Harperley Hall at 41 Central Park West - a duplex with hair salon and gym. The summons filed in Manhattan Supreme Court accuses the board and Midboro Management of "breach of contract...and orders...

Attention Pacific Northwest: New Yorkers don't care about your cuisine. None of Jeffrey Chodorow's blogging, full page ads in the Times or other theatrics could save Wild Salmon from its imminent closure. After Eater circulated news of its potential doom, Chodorow issued a statement, published on Grub Street, "Regrettably, we will be closing Wild Salmon after the new year. We were excited about bringing the food and wine of the Pacific Northwest to New York,...

EVENT: Earlier this year Holly Hunter encountered an interesting situation with an interviewer for a news station (we highly recommend watching the YouTube video of this). She discussed her tv series Saving Grace at the time, and she'll be doing the same tonight at the Paley Center (old Museum of TV and Radio). There will be a Q&A as well as a screening of one of the episodes. 6pm // The Paley Center for Media...

There's finally been an arrest in the murder of Linda Stein. Yesterday it was reported that the police were interested in re-interviewing Stein's assistant, Brooklyn resident Natavia Lowery, who has a shady past involving identity theft. So it's not all that surprising that today the NYPD announced Lowery has been taken into custody. They found the 26-year old in Virginia Beach, apparently visiting her boyfriend.Police spokesman Paul Browne said Lowery "made statements implicating herself" in...

The NY Post has two reports regarding the ongoing investigation of Linda Stein's death. Yesterday the police removed a section of her door in an attempt to get some new clues in the week old case, the frame (which is metal) may hold fingerprints. They also removed part of her bathtub drain and pipe (did the killer wash his/her hands?). Investigators are saying it could possibly be a "crime of passion" because of how she...

Britain's Paula Radcliffe made a stunning race to the wire to win the 2007 ING NYC Marathon in 2:23:09. Australia's Kurt Fearnley repeated as the champion in the men's wheelchair division. Kenya's Martin Lel won the men's division, finishing today's race in 2:09:04 with a 12 second margin of victory. We'll have more results as they become available. If you have any photos of Gothamist readers competing in today's event, please tag them "gothamist"...

Fridays are bustling on 34th Street, but yesterday was a little different. Billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg was spotted with billionaire developer Donald J. Trump and his three adult children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric. What were they doing? Walking, talking, and eating hot dogs. Or at least Mayor Bloomberg was eating a hot dog - he loves hot dogs and they love him!

In addition to running the kitchen at NY dining landmark Brasserie, Chef Franklin Becker is also a tireless advocate for two particular causes: Raising awareness for Autism research, and developing recipes and healthy food choices for diabetics. Becker, who turned 38 at the beginning of the month, has been in the business for a staggering 24 years. Many New York Times stars later, he now cooks at Brasserie, and was an awarded a StarChefs Rising Star Award last year. After one recent lunch rush, Becker spoke to us at a side table about the benefits of growing up in Brooklyn, an Arthur Avenue restaurant with no menu, and what it’s like to clean the kitchen at 4 AM with the ghosts of Studio 54 keeping time at the bar.

The center of the paparazzi universe might be the Waldorf Towers at 100 East 50th Street. That's because Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and their brood of children are renting a $100,000/month apartment at the hotel. The Post reports that the Jolie-Pitts "began recently living in a newly renovated, roughly 6,000-square-foot apartment" that has "five bedrooms plus a library that they have converted into a sixth, up to six baths and a huge gourmet kitchen." And there are terraces (plural!).

The Michelin Guide announced selections today for its third New York Edition, which officially goes on sale Wednesday.

A look at some of this week's noteworthy television:

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Wakiya in the Gramercy Park Hotel, gives it no stars. “There’s a crushing sense of letdown” in the restaurant, he says, and “the slickness of the red and black setting and the poise of the best servers are undercut by dishes that too often look three times as good as they taste.” He likes the desserts, though.

A look at some noteworthy television this week:

Escaping a closed world: CNN's Randi Kaye talks with a woman who successfully left a polygamist society.