There were plenty of celebrities in the room last week when Oscar winner Anne Hathaway and her producer husband Adam Shulman premiered their movie “Song One” at the new Palm restaurant in Beverly Hills.
But the biggest celeb wasn’t even invited– Lionel Richie just happened to wander in for dinner separate from the roaring crowd. The first person he saw, by luck, was the night’s organizer, New York publicist Norah Lawlor. Smart girl, she immediately invited him. Suddenly the whole party was taking selfie’s with Lionel, who was talking about his upcoming European tour and hanging with money guy Kevin Allyn of Winnick and company.
Not only Anne and Adam wanted their photos taken with Lionel, but also “Song One” director Kate Barker Froyland, rockers Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice (who wrote the music for the film), as well as an eclectic bunch of Hollywood luminaries invited by Peggy Siegal including Susan Blakely, Billy Zane, Gary Busey, Rebecca Dayan, Illeana Douglas, Nastassja Kinski, Heather Matarazzo, Penelope Ann Miller, Ben Platt, Tony Revolori, Peter Mark Richman, Dominique Swain, Jess Weixler, and Madeline Zima.
New York philanthropist Jean Shafiroff hosted the party in awareness and support of The New York Women’s Foundation. And yes, Jean tells me, she got her Lionel selfie too.
