Celebrity photographer Annie Leibowitz captured Lady Hillary Clinton in the White House Red Room this week. The holiday photos of the First Lady, decked out in burgundy, were shot upon her return from the Wye River peace summit and will be featured in the December issue of Vogue magazine. She’s no longer the headband sporting fashion calamity of her early days as Prime Spouse. President Clinton did not participate so we can’t expect anything reminiscent of Harry Benson’s photos capturing the Reagans, dancing romantically in the White House. But then again, mercifully Vogue won’t be featuring Monica gallivanting on the Malibu beach a la Vanity Fair either.
America’s most celebrated castaways — Bob Denver, Dawn Wells, Russell Johnson and Tina Louise — the four surviving cast members of the hit 60’s TV sitcom, “Gilligan’s Island,” were reunited aboard the Odyssey III on an evening cocktail cruise down the Potomac to raise money for Women in Film & Video. “I was mesmerized by the Oval Office, how private it is,” the still glamorous Tina Louise exclaimed. She visited the White House earlier in the day and like many of her show biz colleagues is among Clinton’s most loyal supporters. She says “He’s pulling everything together. He’s sensational.”
Again, show biz meets politics. Former pop musician Ginger Spice has made the transition from Spice Girl to goodwill ambassador to the U.N. Population Fund in Britain. Now known as Geri Halliwell, she’ll be campaigning for reproductive rights.
At their embassy row manse the Al Gores are preparing for their annual Halloween costume party for the press and their kids. No word yet as to costumes for the Second Couple who last year dressed as werewolves. In keeping with a semblance of Washington etiquette, most pressies will likely save their Monica wigs and berets for a less official occasion.
Linda Tripp, who once feared that betraying her friend Monica Lewinsky, would cost Linda her Pentagon job, has received a $2500 routine Uncle Sam raise bringing her annual salary to $90,767 and what’s more, even gets to work from home in an effort to maintain a low workplace profile. Bet lots of folks would relish similar perks — a raise plus quiet work at home. But Linda won’t be tiptoeing before the Grand Jury. She used some of that extra pocket change to pamper her feet and shop for size 11 1/2 shoes the other day. . . The Maryland probe into the legality of her wiretapping goes on. . . New York literary agent Lucianne Goldberg and her son, Jonah, have been called to testify.
California Congresswoman Mary Bono, who is probably better known as the widow of the late Sonny Bono, is one of those deciding Bill Clinton’s future. Bono, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, may be distracted by a love interest. She seems more focused on her new beau, drummer Brian Prout, than on official committee business. The drummer for country vocal band Diamond Rio squired Bono to a reunion of sorts, a gala celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Country Music Association this week in his hometown of Nashville. Love critics are buzzing that it’s too soon for Mary widowed last January to get involved romantically, but according to Sonny’s mom, all wasn’t so rosy in the Bono household and the two were headed for divorce at the time of his death. Bono, in keeping with 90’s style immediately scanned Prout’s photo into her Palm Pilot. As for the drummer, “I’m levitating.”