The Great Gatsby crowd partied on last night well after their cha-cha at the Plaza Hotel in a mostly no press scene. The gang moved on to the Darby, the pale imitation of long shuttered Nell’s on West 14th St. Among the guests: Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest best friend to be arrested, art dealer and high stakes poker player  Helly Namhad. Helly is at least the second Gatsby type character to be bff’s with DiCaprio–which maybe is why Leo is so good in the role. He’s seen it all close up.

From around 1997 to 2001, DiCaprio was inseparable from fake money manager Dana Giacchetto. He lived in Giacchetto’s Soho loft, traveled with him, and took advice from him. Leo also invested his money with Giacchetto. It ended very badly, of course. Giacchetto was running a massive Ponzi scheme and stealing from his clients. Leo reportedly lost millions, Giacchetto went to jail, with a five year sentence. He was ordered to pay $14 million restitution. GIacchetto’s Hollywood friendships were over in seconds.

Now DiCaprio is apparently standing by Helly, as he’s known, even though he’s out on bail after his Madison Avenue art gallery was shut down by the government recently. Helly allegedly, according to reports, is part of a massive international gambling ring.To fund it, the government alleges Helly stole $1.35 million from his own father, who started the art gallery, so Helly could participate in a fraud for money he didn’t even need. Helly, if convicted, could get a maximum sentence of 92 years. Of course, he could be innocent.

Photos of Leo and Helly are all over the internet, on party websites and photo pages like WireImage, etc.

It’s not many Hollywood stars who’ve seen two best friends led away in handcuffs. But DiCaprio may just be doing research.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-life-of-hillel-helly-nahmad-2013-4

Jeanne Cooper, the beloved 84 year old star of The Young and the Restless, is back in the hospital. Cooper was released on April 27th after two weeks that included a stay in intensive care. She’s believed to have had an infection. But yesterday her son, actor Corbin Bernsen sent out messages that she’d relapsed, and Cooper was in critical condition again. Her character on the show, Katherine Chancellor, is also in grave health in the fictional hospital in Genoa City. Other actors on the show, including Jess Walton, have been sending out Tweets with prayers and worries. Let me tell you: Jeanne Cooper started on that show when I was in high school and Richard Nixon was president. Recently my dad retired, and he knew exactly who she was when I mentioned her name. Now that’s name recognition- — and quite a run!  We’re sending positive thoughts.

Mom resting in hospital – a truly testing day. Purgatory. Spent the day between Heaven and Hell. A little #psych coming up 2 lift me

— Corbin Bernsen (@corbinbernsen) May 2, 2013

Yes, the 2013 Academy Awards won’t be decided until March 2, 2014, But the buzz for Best Actress is the loudest and earliest it’s been in years. People are raving– raving– about Cate Blanchett in Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine.” I mean, they are loving her and saying the movie is on a par with Woody’s classics like “Match Point” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors.”  I first heard this weeks ago, but now that the film is screening in advance of its June 21st release, the word is spreading.

Blanchett will have lots and lots of competition. Oprah Winfrey won tons of plaudits last week from very private screenings of Lee Daniels’s “The Butler.” If Oprah really is that good, then look for a major campaign. I’m also hearing about Nicole Kidman in “Grace of Monaco.” Kidman, now headed to Cannes to be on the jury, is ready for a big Oscar movie. Her last was “Rabbit Hole,” and her win was for “The Hours.”

And then there are many question marks, beginning with Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County.” It’s still possible they will each for lead, in which case Streep obviously has the upper hand. And Naomi Watts will be back as Princess Diana.

Exclusive: Lindsay Lohan— yes, you know the name. By tomorrow morning she must be registered and attending a 90 day residential rehab program– lock down, no leaving, no furloughs– somewhere in the world. By order of a judge. So far, like right up until now, she hasn’t chosen a place, although there have been several spa like facilities to choose from. One– I won’t give the name yet– I can confirm has offered Lohan a $30,000 honorarium to come stay with them for the three months.

That’s right. They will pay her. Not the other way around. Plus the entire rehab will be free of charge. Why? Publicity? The place is not Promises or Exodus or Hazelden. They want to make a name for themselves.

This is what it’s come to. Drug addicts are now being treated like high school basketball stars.

My sources tell me that the situation with Lohan is a bleak one. “She won’t ever go for real rehab,” they say. “All these places are like spas. It’s a vacation and that’s the way it’s treated.”

Lindsay basically is making her decision based on locale– California, the Caribbean, and so on. But if she doesn’t make her decision some time today and go there, the talented but troubled actress will find herself in hot water with California Judge James Dabney. The ruling is a decision on three misdemeanor charges. Lindsay must serve the 90 days in rehab plus undergo 18 months of psychological counseling and 30 days of community service.

The word from the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial in Los Angeles is the usual combination of the sublime and the ridiculous. Sources tell me that Michael’s brother Randy brought a financial advisor to court today to meet his mother, Katherine Jackson. The man was not allowed in the courtroom. So Randy stationed him outside in the hallway. “He wanted this man to meet Katherine and discuss what to do with the money they’re going to win,” the source says. “Randy wants that money, and he wants to make sure it’s divvied up correctly.”

Meantime, Randy was almost tossed out of court today by Judge Yvette Palazuelos. This astute jurist cautioned Katherine Jackson that she cannot bring all of her children into court every day. Seating is limited already and it’s a small court room. Having many Jacksons in the courtroom, the judge reportedly reasoned, would be too much of a distraction for the jury. Mrs. Jackson will be allowed one family member to help her in and out of court. Today both and Rebbie Jackson came with her.

It’s of note that so many Jacksons want to be in the courtroom when money is involved–money they think they will get. When Michael Jackson was on trial for child molestation and conspiracy in 2005, there were many days when Mrs. Jackson was alone in the courtroom. She often sat right behind Michael, listened to all the prurient testimony, and had to be stoic.

Meantime there were also reports today that the AEG lawyers threatened to reveal “Michael’s darkest secret.” What could that possibly be? Don’t we know everything by now? I can’t imagine there’s anything left about the King of Pop that would shock anyone.