Friends just returned from Paris and related this Kate Moss story. When they tried to check in at the posh Ritz Hotel last Wednesday at about one in the afternoon, they were told the room was not ready. Not unusual for Europe. So they did what all French do at 1 p.m. – ate lunch.
When they returned to the Ritz at 3 p.m., the room was still not ready. They were told the occupants had just checked out and had “trashed the suite.” So it would take a little extra time to prepare their accommodations. Before leaving the Ritz for another stroll down Rue de St. Honore, they spotted an attractive female in the lobby chain smoking – it was supermodel Kate Moss with her boyfriend, Pete Doherty, former singer of the Libertines and now frontman for Babyshambles, known for his drug addiction problems.
Turns out Moss and Doherty had stayed in the suite being cleaned for my friends. We understand it took at least five people to clean the mess, and scented candles were burning everywhere in the suite when they finally were able to move in.
Stick to modeling, Kate
“Moss is pretty, but I heard her talk to her boyfriend as we exited,” reports my source. “Her accent and vocabulary indicate she was not an English language or speech major in school.” As my friends hit Rue de la Paix they spotted a billboard showing Moss: “In the advertisement, she appears to be at least 6 feet tall. In real life, she is maybe 5-foot-5, and based on the advert, unbelievably photogenic.”
A non-judge to judge?
It’s difficult to even think about – much less write about – anything aside from the Karl Rove debacle. But it’s summer, and we all need a little diversion since this is likely to drag on and on and on. And with Chief Justice William Rehnquist back in the hospital briefly, rumors of his impending retirement are back in play as well.
I hear that there is a strong feeling – especially among Democrats – that President Bush is feeling pressure to nominate a non-judge to at least one of the High Court’s vacancies. Perhaps a Republican senator, governor, or even congressperson, who could easily move through the confirmation process, would be a wise choice to balance a difficult nominee.
An example would be Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, or Rep. Chris Cox, R-Calif., whom the president nominated to head the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not been confirmed at this time. We all should remember Justice William O. Douglas, who did not have a judicial background and who had been, in fact, head of the SEC.
Muscling the art of acting
Kevin Levrone, one of bodybuilding’s most legendary personalities-turned-Hollywood bad boy, was spotted in D.C. at last weekend’s fitness spectacular, the GNC BodyRock Mega Event, signing autographs and speaking as a national fitness consultant for the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness. Levrone, 40, nicknamed the “Maryland Muscle Machine,” holds the best record in the 58-year history of the IFBB.
Now he’s given up his barbells to follow in the footsteps of his friend and colleague, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He will star in the upcoming Tritan Northstar action-adventure film, “Backlash,” due for release in January 2006. Is politics next?
Lunden’s camp of luxury
Longtime “Good Morning America” co-host Joan Lunden, 55, and her husband, Jeff Konigsberg, 45, are spending the summer at Takajo, the exclusive boys camp which he owns and directs on Long Lake in Naples, Maine. Lunden and Konigsberg have built themselves a luxurious compound on the grounds near the lake and away from the campers. That’s where they stay with their two sets of young twins and four nannies. Their second set of twins – named Kimberly Elise and Jack Andrew – from the same surrogate, Deborah Bolig of California, was born in March. Word around this small town in southwestern Maine is that Bolig says that’s enough – no more kids for her.
One of Lunden’s favorite items for the cool Maine nights is Cozy Rosie, a mom-invented Polartec stroller blanket that attaches securely so the babies can’t kick it off.
Not only are the twins well-cared for, but Lunden has a personal trainer and masseuse come in on a regular basis to insure that she stays in shape as well.
A working mom
Lunden, who has three older kids from a previous marriage, is still working as well. She appears as – what else, a talk show host – in the upcoming film, “Thank You for Smoking,” based on Washington writer Christopher Buckley’s novel and screenplay about a tobacco spokesman. The cast also includes Dennis Miller, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliott, Adam Brody, Virginia resident Robert Duvall and Katie Holmes, now known as Mrs. Tom Cruise. It’s scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Ticked off … under the weather
Sure sign of summer: San Francisco-based fiction writer Amy Tan and bassist Daryl Hall – half of the chart-topping soul duo Daryl Hall & John Oates – are battling (not together) debilitating cases of the tick-borne illness, Lyme disease. Hall, who is hospitalized, canceled summer concert dates. Stay out of the woods, please!