The Gossip Show

LONG TIME NO SEE: GOSSIP TURNED AUTHOR AJ BENZA

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We haven’t seen former gossip columnist AJ Benza out and about for awhile. Apparently he’s been putting the finishing touches on his new book. We both appeared on The Gossip Show on E! for years and it was always one of their top rates series. It was cancelled when some important celebrity publicists took offense at what we gossip reporters said about their clients (the truth can hurt!) PR people threatened to ban the E! channel from their red carpet events and celebrity interviews if the show wasn’t cancelled. That was IT. AJ ‘s new book is called ‘74 and Sunny and it is described, surprisingly, as a sensitive memoir. Above, he and Lisa Gastineau are at Craig’s.

Photo Credit: AKM-GSI

MARILYN BECK WAS A RELUCTANT HOLLYWOOD GOSSIP

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The late Marilyn Beck was a piece of Hollywood history. We had the pleasure of appearing with her on The Gossip Show on E! in the 1990’s. She considered herself a serious journalist and didn’t love the word “gossip.” Indeed, she preferred being friendly with celebrities and writing more about their projects than private lives. Marilyn was a syndicated writer in the days when it really meant something – in the 70’s and 80’s her column appeared in hundreds of newspapers and she had 20 million readers. In spite of the fact that she looked down on our obvious delight in juicy gossip, she was always friendly and professional, and she will be missed. Certainly she took a plenty of Hollywood secrets with her.
(Above, Marilyn with George Burns)