Scene in the Tropics

Alex Rodriguez sells Miami Beach manse to a mystery Palm Beach celeb for $30M

TMZ reports that ARod has left the building--that is, his 9 bedroom, 11 bathroom Miami Beach manse, which he just sold for $30 million. Though the Yankee slugger took an $8 million pay cut in the price of the home, originally listed at $38 mil, he bought it in 2010 for $7.4 million, raking in a pretty impressive profit nonetheless. The buyer, TMZ says, is a Palm Beach celeb. Rush Limbaugh? Rod Stewart? G-d forbid Donald Trump?  No one knows--yet. Says our real estate mole, "It's a couple from Palm Beach." The home is not so far from Matt Damon's, which is currently on the market for the bargain basement price of $20 million. True high rollers, however, may want to consider the Versace mansion, which just dropped its asking price today from $100 million to $75 million.

Diddy hook up with Naomi Campbell?

Diddy and Naomi Campbell were seen at Club Space late Saturday night early Sunday morning, checking out DJ Erick Morillo. According to our spy, they were "partying their asses off." The duo was also seen earlier in the night at LIV, where Victoria's Secret model Doutzen Kreos was with boyfriend DJ Ruckus and cousin Lenny Kravitz sipping on Belvedere cocktails and Veuve Cliquot. According to a spy, "Naomi didn't stop dancing from the moment she arrived."

Ok, so Madonna and A-Rod did not jet off for cozy Thanksgiving

Madonna and A-Rod were supposed to have jetted out of Miami on Thanksgiving morning to spend a cozy holiday together in New York City. As you can imagine, from what we heard, ex wife Cynthia Rodriguez was livid, not because her ex was spending Thanksgiving with Madonna, but because he was spending it with her kids and not his own. So, according to everyone who claims they know, A-Rod did the right thing and spent the holiday with his kids and ex. Oh to be a fly on that wall....

Chris Ciccone did not attend Madonna show in Miami

Again we are refuting claims, this time that Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone was at the show on Wednesday night. Contrary to reports, we know for a fact he was not. Instead, he was at Halo, the gay bar off Lincoln Road. Chris and his sis were slated to have a friendly lunch yesterday instead.

Madonna and Gwyneth did not spend Thanksgiving at Soffer's

We just confirmed that rumors saying Madonna, A-Rod and Gwyneth Paltrow spent Thanskgiving at Jeff Soffer's home are completely, according to our as-inside-as-you-can-get-source, not true. We repeat, it is not true. It never happened. As we reported earlier this week, Paltrow and Soffer are not an item, and according to our source, she has not been staying at Soffer's home.

Madonna and A-Rod hook up at concert after party

So here you have it. The official word on the Madonna Sticky and Sweet after party on Wednesday night. Hosted by Madge BFF Ingrid Casares and Fontainebleau owner Jeff Soffer at his Indian Creek manse, the party's guest list included Pharrell, Timbaland, A-Rod and his and Madge's manager, Guy Oseary. Food was catered by Fontainebleau restaurant Scarpetta, with sushi from Blade.  Of course we know you don't care who catered the party, but what went on inside, and whether or not Madonna and A-Rod made out or something. Use your imagination on that one. According to our inside (literally) source, "We all danced and partied until 5 a.m. Beyond that I can't divulge any more." No need. We got the picture, although wouldn't it be amusing if, after all the hype, Madonna was really hooking up with Soffer? Hmmm....

A-Rod played the field at Madonna concert

Contrary to what his ex wife Cynthia said, player Alex Rodriguez sure didn't seem to lack any soul at Madonna's final leg of her Sticky & Sweet concert last night at Dolphin Stadium. While the diva kept her 50,000+ fans waiting for over two hours, A-Rod made his rounds on the floor, sporting a white T-shirt with grey sweater tossed over his shoulders, making sure everyone there noticed him. He waved at fans, said hi to friends and pretty much made it as obvious as could be that he was in the house. While we're not sure what his Thanksgiving plans are today, we are certain that he wanted to be seen last night, which was a pretty blatant display of something.

Madonna and estranged brother to reconcile in Miami?

It was never a secret that Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, didn't get along with his ex-bro-in-law Guy Ritchie. Just read Chris's scathing tell all Life With My Sister Madonna and you'll understand (at least from his perspective) why bro and sis were on the outs. But now that Madge is divorcing Guy, it seems that she has extended the proverbial olive branch to brother Chris and has reportedly invited him to her last concert tomorrow night at Dolphin Stadium in the hopes that the two can bridge their rift and heal their wounds. We already that Madge has been making amends over cocktails with ex hubby number one Sean Penn. Can a reconciliation with ex best friend Sandra Bernhard be far away? Probably.

Jeff Soffer says he and Gwyneth Paltrow are just friends.

We just got off the phone with Fontainebleau and Turnberry heir Jeff Soffer, who told us categorically that, no, he and Gwyneth Paltrow are not an item. "She is just a personal friend of mine and my family's," Soffer told us. Enough said. Or is it?

We didn't think Gwyneth Paltrow looked like a damsel in distress.

So everyone's going nuts over speculation that Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay hubby Chris Martin, who was in town for a concert, are having issues, saying Paltrow looked skinny, sad and like a woman on the verge of a breakup. We disagree. We saw her thisclose and thought she looked radiant, not too skinny at all, and happy. If she wasn't why would she have showed up at a party with over 2,000 people?  As for the rumors that she hooked up with billionaire Fontainebleau and Turnberry heir Jeff Soffer, well, we're just not buying it. At all. Not even for a billion dollars.

Photo: Manny Hernandez

Shaquille O'Neal holding court again.

NBA-All Star Shaquille O’Neal dribbles into the courtroom of Judge Mathis on November 24. Turns out the NBA All-Star and popular TV Judge Greg Mathis have more in common than you would think. In 2002, Judge Mathis presided over the marriage of O’Neal and his wife Shaunie.  Both men share a love of the law and equal justice, Judge Mathis celebrating 10 years of courtroom success and O’Neal is a deputized sheriff in three states.