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Thomas P. Campbell is out as director and CEO of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The New York Times has reported this month about spiraling finances at the museum and huge deficits. Russell was making $1.4 million and was suing a swanky apartment across the street on Fifth Avenue courtesy of the museum.
With Campbell gone, what happens to Anna Wintour’s Met Ball? The garish Costume Institute spectacular had direct expenses of $3.6 million in 2014, according to the Met’s 2015 Form 990 tax filing. It’s a very costly enterprise. But that’s the money needed to feed and entertain models and movie stars wearing crazy over the top costumes. And it’s not all top notch peeps like Meryl Streep. Lately, the guest list has devolved into the world of Kardashians.
This year, I am told, Melania Trump will likely get the spotlight. Wintour’s former aide de camp Stephanie Winston Wolkoff now works for Melania. Wintour recently indicated she would cover the new First Lady the same way she has the prior ones. There’s little doubt that while the Met bleeds money, a festooned Melania will head up the red carpet into Wintour’s waiting arms.
And how will Melania be received at a museum as her husband tries to cut the NEA, PBS, and NPR, as well as other arts funding?
But will a new Met CEO want to splash all that money around for the Met Ball? This question looms large, especially as the museum faces layoffs. Stay tuned…
Exclusive
What I’m hearing: Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges is going to star in Jonah Hill’s directing debut “Mid 90s.” The deal is as good as done.
The project was announced almost a year, with a script written by Jonah. Michelle Williams was already announced.
But now we get a clearer picture. Williams and Hedges were each Oscar nominees from “Manchester by the Sea.” And even though Lucas is 20 and Michelle is 36, they will likely play mother and son.
The story is based on Jonah Hill’s brother, Jordan Feldstein, who now manages Maroon 5 and is a big success in the music management field. “Mid 90s” is about his beginnings as a skateboarder and a hustler (business type), a Sammy Glick.
Of course, tall, blonde, lanky Hedges bears no resemblance to the more zaftig Feldstein in real life, but that won’t matter. A New Yorker, Hedges pulled off being from the north shore of Boston (or ‘nawth shaw’). And he’s been around show business enough to know the type. And this is back when Feldstein was a skateboarder.
Feldstein is a larger than life character. I saw him get into a huge fight with Sharon Osbourne a couple of years ago at Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy dinner. He scared the heck out of Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift. Osbourne wound up throwing a full wine glass at him after she thought he insulted one of her kids. But that’s rock and roll, kids! Hopefully Jonah has made the teen Jordan more sympathetic!
(And yes, Feldstein was also married for a week in November 2013 to Clint Eastwood and Frances Fisher’s daughter, Francesca. The marriage was instantly annulled. These days Francesca is dating actor Clifton Collins Jr.)
So let’s see what happens here. I’m already intrigued that “Mid 90s” will be Jonah Hill’s “Almost Famous.” I hope it all happens.
Former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have sold their memoirs to Penguin Random House, or what we used to call Random House.
There’s a suggestion that they were paid $60 million for the two books, but that seems a little excessive. In any case, they’ll be paid millions and gazillions, more than anyone. But the number isn’t so far off, since this worldwide rights, for hardcover, paperback and other media, forever and ever.
Of course, the books better be juicy, and filled with rich observations about the Obamas’ eight years in Washington, their relationships to the Clintons and Trumps, especially. For $30 million apiece, there will no soft shoe on any subject.
Random House is no stranger to this world. In 2001, they paid Bill Clinton $15 million for his memoir. But Hillary Clinton’s initial book after leaving the White House, called “Living History,” was published by Simon & Schuster in 2003. They paid Mrs. Clinton $8 million. It broke records.
So it’s instructive that the Random House group– rival to CBS’s Simon & Schuster– swept in and bought the books by both Obamas at once. It’s a smart move because Michele Obama has the potential to be a huge selling author. But also because CBS didn’t want to spend the money for S&S, even though that company has a rich history of publishing political tomes with editor Alice Mayhew.
Get back, honky cat! Elton John and David Furnish raised a record breaking $7 million Sunday night with their 25th annual Oscar bash. The money goes to their EJAF AIDS Foundation.
The event, which started years ago as a smallish dinner at the Maple Drive Restaurant, has now come to be this famed soiree in a massive tent facing the Pacific Design Center. Bravo! The fun, mostly non-political night was sponsored by BVLGARI, Neuro Drinks and Diana Jenkins. The event featured a five-course dinner prepared by Chef Gordon Ramsay, an exciting live auction.
Sir Elton quipped before he introduced the live auction, “Wow. Thank goodness we didn’t have Warren Beatty do the auction.” Elton noted later that, “As much as I wanted ‘Moonlight’ to win, you have to feel bad for ‘La La Land,’ for having to give that trophy back.” Celebs Peter Fonda, Adam Lambert and Russell and Ciara Wilson were among the celebrity pledgers who were also nudged by Sharon Stone who got on stage and noted, “Last year $6.3 million was raised this very Oscar night. Let’s set our sights on even more this year.” The special performance by St. Paul & the Broken Bones had the VIP crowd on their feet. Elton joined in at the end, prompting lead frontman Paul Janeway to declare, “you can’t beat this shit!”
And what a group of guests! For one thing, Sting and Trudie Styler and a lot of their family headed over to the Elton gala after Sting finished his performance on the Oscars. Daughter Kate Sumner (who sings “Amazing Grace” on the new “Logan” commercial), son Giacomo, and daughter Mickey with fiancée Chris Kantrowitz all arrived as well.
There were plenty of other stars, too, starting with of course Bernie Taupin, plus the great Anita Baker, my pal Smokey Robinson and his wife Francis, as well as “Transparent’s’ Jeffrey Tambor, (who playfully was telling the reporters on the carpet to sneak into the main party) his TV ex-wife, the wonderful Judith Light, (currently at the Pasadena Playhouse co-starring with Al Pacino in “God Looked Away”) and their TV daughter Gabby Hoffman.
The “Transparent” team also took the stage to ask the bigwigs to donate. More celebrities included Big Sean, Tim Allen, Leona Lewis, Freida Pinto, Matthew Morrison, Michelle Dockery, Lea Michele, Tony Goldwyn, Andie MacDowell, Heidi Klum– you get the picture! Longtime Elton friend Eric McCormack, they first met when Elton was a guest on “Will and Grace,” was fielding congrats from all about the show being revived. He and Laverne Cox had a playful dance, with Smokey Robinson and Sharon Stone joining in. Quincy Jones bopped along.
Laverne shouted with glee when her pal Viola Davis won– and that got the room’s attention. Elton then added, “I never thought we’d get to 25 years. It’s grown from a little seed into a big tree.” Furnish said: “HIV/AIDS continues to be a global issue. We’re making some fantastic strides, but its important people are not marginalized in society and that everybody is treated equally and fairly.” Elton and David, this party never fails to be star studded, and always raises a ton of money for a most worthy cause.
A couple of weeks ago, ABC revealed that the Shonda Rhimes hit was renewed along with “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
But I’m told that “Scandal” will return for a seventh season that’s much shorter than usual. There will be just 16 episodes, and then that’s probably it. This season– on now– is also just 16 because of Washington’s pregnancy last fall. The first 5 seasons were orders for 21 or 22.
A main reason would be Kerry Washington. She wants to get back to movies, and she should ASAP. As much as “Scandal” has done for her, Washington just had a hit movie playing Anita Hill on HBO called “Confirmation.” She received a Golden Globe nomination and high praise all around. Prior to “Scandal,” Washington starred in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained.”
I hear that Washington will definitely do some kind of movie between seasons 6 and 7 of “Scandal.” But after that either the series will end or she’ll do shorter seasons to accommodate her film career. She should, too. Kerry just turned 40 and looks 30. She still has the potential for a breakout film career a la Halle Berry or even Viola Davis.
As for “Scandal”– we’ve seen Tony Goldwyn’s character as president, then his First Lady ran for the office. If the show went as long as “Grey’s Anatomy,” Kerry’s Olivia Pope might get a whack at the job. Of course, these days, we’ve learned, anyone really can be president!
This is really real, and I hope Mariah Carey really reads it. I ran into her on Sunday night. We walked into the Vanity Fair Oscar party together. There was no one in the long entry tunnel but her, me, and her manager Stella Bulochnikov. Stella is not a day at the beach. She is tough. And I don’t mean that she’s a b—h. She is fiercely protective of Mariah. But it may be too much. Back to that meeting in a minute.
Yesterday — Monday– I caught word that Epic Records is very unhappy with Mariah. That recent single, called “I Don’t,” was a total failure. It was also a total surprise to Epic. They were sent the track all completed, with no forewarning from Carey’s camp that it was coming, I am told. They hadn’t heard it. “We were just told to put it out,” says a source. So they did. And it flopped.
Now my sources say Epic chief L.A. Reid is considering dropping Mariah from the label. In the time since she signed with him, Carey has had two singles– “I Don’t” and “Infinity.” They were not sellers, and didn’t get played on radio. There is no work being done toward an album, and no conversations are taking place between Epic and Carey’s team.
I wrote a few weeks ago that Carey’s friends and former employees felt that Stella had cut the singer off from everyone. Reid is apparently one of those people. “He can’t reach her,” says a source. “That’s really bad.”
When I ran into Carey and Bulochnikov, they were alone. I remember the days when Mariah was really attended to by Michael Richardson. Now it was just this pair. Mariah looked fantastic, I will say that. She is still very funny.
I was quite thrilled to see her, and I think the feeling was mutual. We talked about Nick Cannon and his current troubles. She said, “How would you like to be the only black guy on a show that’s all white?” We agreed Nick is a good guy and he’ll get through it. I told Mariah no one knows how to get hold of her. Stella advised me to call her publicist. Mariah interjected: “I’ve known Roger since I was in diapers!” she exclaimed, and gave me an email she promised would work. (It didn’t.)
I told Mariah and Stella I’d seen a clip of her singing “Vision of Love” recently that was outstanding. Stella asked, “Why don’t you say that in your column?” So I’m saying it. I asked Mariah about a new album. She said, “We’re doing a series of singles. No one wants albums anymore. We have one now with this great rapper YG.” I’m not sure if she realizes “I Don’t” didn’t, and has come and gone.
Our time together was over. We turned a corner from the long entry tunnel, and arrived at the head of paparazzi line for Vanity Fair’s red carpet. Suddenly, Pharrell Williams and his producing partner Mimi Valdez, and they launched into a happy chat with Mariah. (Pharrell’s wife Helen was at home, recuperating from and adjusting to triplets!) She congratulated them on the births of their new triplets. “I have my own feisty pair!” she declared, speaking of son Moroccan and Monroe (she loves those kids and she is so proud of them).
I don’t know what happened to Mariah and Stella after that. No one saw them at the party. I saw L.A. Reid across the room, but she wasn’t with him. (One of our associates got that great photo of him and wife Erica with Smokey Robinson, et al.) She could have just used Vanity Fair as photo op. Let’s hope that things get sorted out– and fast! Communication is always key.
Here’s that clip of Mariah singing “Vision of Love” on Jimmy Kimmel. I wish she’d made an album of great ballads like this, and give up the hip hop. We have no great theme album of Mariah showing off her voice on classics. Stella, this is for you:
Everyone wants to know what happened– why didn’t “La La Land” win Best Picture? After all, it was supposed to sweep the awards with 14 nominations. Emma Stone won Best Actress. Damien Chazelle won Best Director. They had the Best Song and the Best Score. How did it all go wrong– Envelope Gate notwithstanding?
Easy answer easily forgotten: the Best Picture must have a Big Idea. It must elevate the culture, teach us something. It can’t just be dessert. And if it doesn’t do that, the Best Picture has to least be so highly entertaining and fresh that it outshines everything else. (That’s what happened with “The Artist,” a movie that deserved to win for its ingenuity.)
Last year, “The Revenant” was favored to win Best Picture but it was beaten by “Spotlight.” Leonardo DiCaprio was Best Actor from the former movie, and Alejandro Innaritu was Best Director. But “Spotlight” took the big prize. Why? “The Revenant” was a revenge movie. It was self contained and meant nothing to the outside culture. “Spotlight” was about a Big Idea. The Boston Globe reporters did something noble that helped people. The Academy was always going to vote for Tom McCarthy’s movie. They rewarded Innaritu, but the bear and the hollowed horse did not make a Big Idea.
And so it is with “La La Land.” Chazelle’s movie is gorgeous and fun but what does it mean? It is in and of itself. Chazelle and his leading lady Emma Stone were rewarded. In the end though “Moonlight” carried many messages that are Big Ideas. Black, gay, inclusive. Made for relatively nothing by someone few people were aware of, with not big stars but faces who’d been supporting everyone for a long time: Naomie Harris as you’d never imagined her. Mahershala Ali– a face you sort of recognized but never put to a name. And Janelle Monae– a revelation after years of being a hit singer.
“Moonlight” is a satisfying meal. “La La Land” is the best pastry cart at Bouchon. And that’s how the Academy saw them.
So now we have “Spotlight” and “Moonlight.” Maybe someone should make a movie this year called “Daylight.”
Mick Jagger told me a few nights ago that the next Stones album will not be covers but new songs. “I’m working on on new songs now.”
The Stones had a huge hit this winter with “Blue and Lonesome,” their album of blues covers. “B&L” was their biggest hit in years, and sustained itself on the charts much longer than anyone would have guessed.
Now, building on that momentum, Mick says the new album will be new. The Stones are eying their 55th anniversary next, after a triumphant 50th celebration that has almost never ended.
Mick brought three of his kids to the Vanity Fair Oscar party last night, and has never seemed in a better mood. He laughed when I asked him about a Tweet he put out the other day. A rumor started that he was bringing rising star Priyanka Chopra to the stars. “I’m not even going to the Oscars!” Mick Tweeted. And he didn’t.
But a new Stones album? Bring it on. I don’t care how old they are. It’s a sound I will never tire of!
Vanity Fair’s annual all-star Oscar party was bigger and more crowded than ever. The In-and-Out Burgers were flowing, and so was the Dom Perignon as Oscar winner after Oscar winner, as well as Hollywood’s hottest A list, poured through the front doors of the landmark Annenberg Center (formerly the Beverly Hills Post Ofice) to the sounds of a Mariachi band on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Oscar nominee Michelle Williams arrived with her pal, the very funny actress Busy Phillips. The latter told me what it was like to sit at the lip of the stage when all hell broke loose at the Oscars: “We were sitting next to Ben Affleck, and I kept saying to him, Can’t you do anything? You’re…important!”
The stars were all around. To the left: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel chatting with Ciara and Russell Wilson, to the right LA Reid and his wife Erica hugging Smokey Robinson. The age range went from 8 year old Sunny Pawar to the very legendary Martin Landau. In between, you could see Amy Adams, Vin Diesel, Patricia Clarkson, Lucas Hedges (and his father, Peter– the writer-director who wrote “Gilbert Grape”), all the ladies from “Hidden Figures” plus Viola Davis clutching her Oscar.
Toward the end Casey Affleck and Kenny Lonergan came over from the Amazon party at Delilah, plus David Furnish arrived from their annual EJAF Oscar dinner, and so on. Armie Hammer told me all about his new movie coming later this year from Sony Pictures Classics, and Sia came in a huge headdress. Quincy Jones sailed past all of them.
The Vanity Fair party can only be explained this way: take every famous or important person who’s around and pu them in an enormous glass box, then shake. Faye Dunaway arrived with two friends fresh from the Envelope disaster. “It wasn’t my fault!” she cried. It wasn’t. And Faye was accepting kudos for getting out of the Dolby Theater alive and in one piece. She was the one who said “La La Land” without realizing that it was wrong.
Meanwhile “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins– finally finished with press, and in a daze– wolfed down an In and Out Burger as various tuxedo clad men came over to offer him the moon and the stars. “Just say the world, I’ll fly you there,” said one. It’s nice to be King! Was he shocked, I asked? “Shocked,” he said, and fell into a couch.
Dev Patel arrived with the “Lion” guys, Andrew Garfield took a lap, Katy Perry kicked up her heels, and Mariah Carey ran into Pharrell Williams (more on that later). You get the picture: everyone was there. Literally everyone. And even at 2am, some of them were still there. In and Out had changed over to Bouchon Bakery, which handed out the most delicious vanilla milkshakes in small glass bottles, and tiny sweets that melted in the mouth.
And where was everyone going now? “I guess we’re going to Madonna’s house,” shrugged Kenny Lonergan, holding his Oscar for writing “Manchester by the Sea.” “I just wish,” he said, “when they said they made a mistake on stage, it was Manchester.” He laughed. Ruefully.
There’s no accounting: PwC has issued an apology for their shoddy work at the Oscars:
We sincerely apologize to “Moonlight,” “La La Land,” Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for Best Picture. The presenters had mistakenly been given the wrong category envelope and when discovered, was immediately corrected. We are currently investigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred.
We appreciate the grace with which the nominees, the Academy, ABC, and Jimmy Kimmel handled the situation.
Nothing can really satisfy very stupid people, like Gersh Kuntzman of the New York Daily News, who took his venom out on Warren Beatty this morning. But the answer is, the envelope snafu was human error. The Academy will have to investigate as well as the production company. They will have to explain why a live woman’s face was on In Memoriam card, too. (That’s pretty stupid.)
But there were plenty of great things last night. Two black actors won. A black man won best adapted screenplay. His movie won Best Picture. The whole look of the Oscars has changed, seemingly, overnight. And I learned that Red Vines– the west coast equivalent of Twizzlers– are disgusting.
![Elton John Jokes About Raising $7 Mil for AIDS at Oscar Bash: “Thank [blank] we didn’t have Warren Beatty do the auction!”](https://www.showbiz411.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/elton-john-and-david-furnish-768x575.jpg "Elton John Jokes About Raising $7 Mil for AIDS at Oscar Bash: “Thank [blank] we didn’t have Warren Beatty do the auction!”")
