Paris

ANGELINA JOLIE SHOPS TILL SHE DROPS

We can tell by the number of paparazzi photos we see of Angelina Jolie and her kids shopping that the family really loves to shop. Angelina and the kids are in Paris this week and she coaxed a large consumer electronics store called Darty (like our Best Buy?) to stay open from 10 to midnight so that she and Pax could browse alone with no other customers. Darty specializes in household appliances,TVs, home goods, etc at reasonable prices. One person who cannot anticipate a Christmas gift from Darty is, of course, Brad Pitt.

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JOCELYNE WILDENSTEIN IN PARIS

Former billionaire Jocelyne Wildenstein, 84, and her longtime fiance, fashion designer Lloyd Klein, 57, are still living it up in Paris – hitting designer shops by day, and famous clubs and restaurants in the evening. Jocelyne was granted 2.5 billion when she divorced her wealthy husband, art dealer Alec N Wildenstein, in 1999, but after he died a few years later, she claims she was cut off by his family and was broke. How much money she has spent on plastic surgery and facial injections can only be speculated, but she still has enough money to vacation in style in Paris. Jocelyne’s face might be a warning to anyone considering having their face plumped “just one more time”…

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HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW

Emma Roberts made headlines when she remarked that Hollywood women are far more often called out as “nepo babies” than Hollywood men, while appearing on the podcast Table for Two. She pointed out George Clooney as the ultimate nepo baby. Emma had a valid point: although George is talented, his aunt was the iconic Rosemary Clooney which opened doors for him in Hollywood. Although she sort of backtracked her comments, Emma’s aunt, who just happens to also be one of George’s best friends, Julia Roberts, was miffed over the incident. Our source told us that hours after the podcast became news, Julia got on the phone to Emma and gave her quite the earful. We can reveal that Emma, at Julia’s urging, reached out to George and apologized for bringing his name up. Even though Julia was upset, good-natured George just laughed it off.

Alec Baldwin made the news again for all the wrong reasons. This week his attorneys asked the New Mexico judge to dismiss the case against him over firearm evidence. The long shot move is unlikely to fly and here’s what we know. Behind very closed doors Alec’s legal eagles are trying to negotiate a plea deal which will allow him to serve any time in house arrest, pay a substantial fine, and work on legislation banning REAL guns on movie sets. Nothing has been agreed to as of yet, but secret negotiations continue.

Estranged lovebirds Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez created some buzz when they were spotted in the same Beverly Hills office building. Although they arrived and left separately we are hearing that the “meeting” was actually part of a therapy session. Ben arrived first and had an individual session, and then later in the day J.Lo arrived to join him for a joint couples session. Their future together seems to change by the moment, but they want to make sure they give their marriage every chance to survive.

Miranda Lambert’s handsome hubby, former NYC cop Brendan McLoughlin made news and she ain’t happy about it. Brendan was seen getting chummy with other females that weren’t his wife, and he did it at the Nashville bar, Casa Rosa, that Miranda’s OWNS! While Brendan claimed he was just being a good host (he occasionally works there) we are hearing that Miranda was nonetheless irked at his misstep, and put him on notice that he won’t be hanging out in her bar, or any other bar for that matter, unless she’s WITH him!

Finally to end the week on an uplifting note, Selma Blair was spotted all over Paris this week looking great during the countless fashion shows. We know this. Selma’s trip wasn’t all pleasure. The brave MS sufferer also spent a great deal of time meeting with designers to encourage them to include canes in their accessories. Selma relies on a cane to help her with stability issues caused by the MS and she’s made no secret that it’s hard to find anything stylish. As my source puts it, Selma wants to make canes more attractive and fashionable.

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TOM CRUISE IS PREPARING FOR THE OLYMPICS

Tom Cruise is going for the gold and participating in the Olympics! Although he still does his own stunts, 61-year-old Tom is NOT becoming an Olympic athlete, but he IS filming a top secret promo for the upcoming summer games. According to an observant insider, Tom recently filmed part of the promo near the famous Hollywood sign – with plans to continue filming in other locations, including the host city of Paris. The games begin in July, so Tom has plenty of time to complete the promo, which will air during the opening ceremonies.

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MADONNA EXPRESSES HERSELF

Madonna is spending her nights in Paris onstage dressed in incredible fashions created by famous designers, looking spectacular for her Celebration performances. But she’s saving the glamour for the stage. Coming and going to the venue, she is understated, to say the least. She’s wearing a plaid flannel shirt with no-nonsense Birkenstock sandals and socks, along with her usual braids. Maybe her feet need some pampering. She doesn’t take any chances on misplacing her phone – it’s hanging on a strap around her neck. With Taylor Swift and Beyonce’s incredibly successful tours to motivate her, she is expected to earn over 100 million dollars …

 

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IS THIS THE PERFECT FAMILY, OR WHAT?

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck didn’t spend ALL their time smooching in Paris, where they’re honeymooning with four of their kids. Jennifer brought her twins Max and Emme, and Ben brought his two daughters Seraphina and Violet – he left his young son Sam at home. From all the photos we’ve seen, the kids seem to get along really well and love to hang out together. Ben and Jen took their blended family shopping and after visiting Dior and an art supply store (for Serephina) they visited Micromania– a popular video game retailer. Ben stocked up on games (for Sam at home?) while their eagle-eyed bald bodyguards (above) looked on. You can see Emme in the shop doorway and Max is next to Ben. Crowds gather outside the Costes Hotel in Paris to watch the honeymooners coming and going.

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PARISIANS DON’T GIVE UP EASILY WHEN IT COMES TO HAVING FUN


Before Covid

After Covid
Parisians were NOT happy when the Prime Minister cancelled elaborate plans for a flamboyant New Year’s Eve 2022 at Champs Elysees due to the resurgence of Covid. Three popular DJs had been hired to provide music and fireworks were promised at the Arc de Triomphe every hour. Surrounding cafes and restaurants were all taking part in the festive evening. Bottom photo: Guess what! The disgruntled French citizens turned up anyway and mobbed the area – with and without masks…

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IS THIS WHAT PARIS WANTS WOMEN TO LOOK LIKE?

Are we crazy or does this model look like DEATH WARMED OVER? Expensive Haute Couture collections are showing in Paris and this designer apparently does not hire models who weigh over 100 pounds. This Lebanese designer is Georges Hobeika, and his evening wear STARTS at $7000. We looked at his entire collection and all the models look painfully starved and skeletal like this one. In fact, they were so gaunt we hardly noticed the fashions! Isn’t this a giant step BACK for women, who have long struggled with body image? What was this guy thinking?

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“I KIDNAPPED KIM KARDASHIAN” IS NOW A BOOK

Now THIS is funny. One of the criminals who robbed Kim Kardashian four years ago when she was in Paris for Fashion Week, has written a book on his experience titled “I KIDNAPPED KIM KARDASHIAN.” We’ve heard Kim’s version of the event, now we can hear the robber’s story. You might remember, it was the biggest robbery of a single individual in France in 20 years. Three months later, 12 men were arrested for the crime – the five men who actually broke into the Kardashian apartment were aged from 60 to 72 and dubbed the “grandpa robbers “ in the press. One of the men tied up Kim with cables and tape and put her in the bathtub. The crooks got away with 10.8 million dollars worth of jewelry (on bicycles no less!) and it was never found. The book’s author Yunice Abbas, 67, called it “the perfect crime.” The embarrassed night watchman at the luxury building where Kim was staying is trying to seize any profits from book sales.

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JASON MOMOA SEEMS TO HAVE A HAPPY FAMILY

Jason Momoa looks quite content in this photo with his kids Lola and Nakoa in Paris. He’s there with the kids, his wife Lisa Bonet, and Lenny Kravitz– the whole family’s in town celebrating Jason’s step-daughter Zoe Kravitz’s wedding to Karl Glusman. Lisa’s ex-husband Lenny and Jason happen to be good friends, which makes life easier. Lola and Nakoa carry on the family tradition of eccentric fashion…

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