I had such a nice talk with Renee Zellweger on Sunday night at the Oscars– I had no idea the internet was buzzing with all kinds of ridiculous crap about her. I’ve read that she was drunk, and that maybe she’d had some massive Botox injections. I’m pretty surprised. Renee is one of the nicest actresses, very down to Earth, and always a lot of fun.
I ran into her and her newish boyfriend, blues guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, toward the end of the show. They were leaving the Dolby Theater, walking hand in hand. If Renee was drunk she should get an Oscar for playing sober. It never crossed my mind that she was anything but happy. Her face also looked completely normal. And believe me, I’ve seen some distorted faces in this town.
Bramhall is the son of the late Doyle Bramhall senior, himself the legendary guitarist who died in 2011 at age 62. Doyle II is 44 and plays in Eric Clapton’s band among other gigs. He’ll be on Eric’s tour this spring, and at the Crossroads concert at Madison Square Garden. Doyle is from Texas, like Renee, and just a year older. They seem like a good match.
Renee told me she has a lot coming up: a TV series she’s writing and producing, a new film in the works, and maybe a play in London’s West End next fall. The Oscar winner may have been exhausted and hungry–as everyone was–after four or five hours in the Dolby. It’s not a place very conducive to personal enjoyment. The food situation is always an issue–it’s terrible. And the drinks? Bar access is minimal. And the main players are watched so no one is over-served. Bloggers and Tweeters do have over-active imaginations, however!
