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.

Lil Wayne didn't "propose" at Barton G. The Restaurant, but there was a huge yellow diamond involved

While the internet was erroneously (?) abuzz with the news that rapper, Lil Wayne was off the, er,  eligible list, allegedly  popping the question to his girlfriend Dhea, which he later recanted, saying he meant he asked her to be his Valentine (groan), it should be noted that whatever it was, it happened at  Barton G. The Restaurant. Over the top it was not, but pure and simple and sweet are the reports, no champagne on bended knee, just Lil Wayne toasting his Valentine with his usual non-alcoholic Courtney Spritzer cocktail made with cranberry juice, Sprite and a strawberry. Lobster Pop Tarts and Coconut Crusted Voodoo Shrimp launched their V-Day dinner followed by some Good Ol' Southern Fried Chicken and Tango Time Skirt Steak. Chef Arthur Jones topped it off with a special a la mode dessert with a huge yellow diamond perched atop a mound of ice cream. All this romantic whimsy and a yellow diamond for a Hallmark holiday? We think not. Did someone have a change of heart or are they just playing into the, to use a Lil Wayne song here, Gossip?

Model Joanna Krupa to join second season of Real Housewives of Miami

Proving yet again that Nostradamus may not have been so far off about 2012, Bravo is allegedly, actually, unbelievably going forward with a second season of The Real Housewives of Miami, but, like many of its castmembers, it's going to be a retweaked version of the hideous, poorly rated original. Hollywood Reporter has confirmed this, while Bravo remains noncomittal confirmed it a day later, but we also have it on excellent authority that two of the new "wives" are model and ex Dancing With the Stars contestant Joanna Krupa, who, we think is still engaged to Mynt nightclub owner Romain Zago (who ironically refused to allow Jersey Shore to film in his club), and Lisa Hochstein, the wife of plastic surgeon Lenny of the short-lived Bravo version of Nip/Tuck called Miami Slice. Beverly Hills it ain't, and although Miami has proven to be ratings posion for the reality show network, we hear that the real reason that a second season was even considered wasn't the new, willing and eager castmembers who were harder to find than Bin Laden, but the curiosity that is Elsa Patton, for whom Andy Cohen has a fancy or something. Still, others say it's not definite and it's just a test. "They're filming with these new women to see if it makes it more watchable, which compared to the first season, shouldn't be that hard," says one TV insider. We'd go to Bravo for confirmation, but they keep giving us the standard canned "No decision has been made on The Real Housewives of Miami." Their unwillingness to admit to this isn't surprising. Filming is set to start soon so keep an eye out for the cameras capturing all that feigned camaraderie and, they can only hope, more drama than the first season's slow, painful IV drip of, well, absolutely nothing.

Update: Bravo finally confirmed the second season, saying "The Real Housewives of Miami follows a group of the most beautiful, connected and influential women in town who work hard and play harder. This
season will give viewers an inside look at these aspirational women as
they juggle family, work and the fabulous social scene in a city where the food is spicy, and the drama is even spicier." Pass the Tums. We can't stomach the excitement.