Scene in the Tropics

Out of the Bleau: Is Kate Hudson dating Jeff Soffer?

Last she was in town, Kate Hudson was dating Alex Rodriguez. Things have changed. Although she showed up solo the Barbie retrospective launched by Chrome Hearts at Alchemist in the garage at 1111 Lincoln Rd. Friday night where she hung out with Oribe and Elaine Lancaster, we are hearing murmors that while Rodriguez may be sneaking around with Cameron Diaz, who has reportedly been sneaking in and out of town and was spotted poolside at the W South Beach, Hudson may be seeing Fontainebleau owner Jeff Soffer, who, last we saw, was with model Elle Macpherson. A source tells us that Hudson was staying with Soffer, who has a penchant for high profile women. No confirmation or public outings of either alleged couple yet but considering all we've had to deal with lately has been nothing but reality show dreck, all eyes will certainly be peeled for something of celebrity substance, that's for sure. And even if it's not even close to being true, it's something to speculate besides where Kim Kardashian and Pauly D. will be dining tonight. Not that we know anyone who would do such a thing.

Fergie and Josh Duhamel make nice at STK Miami

Either rumors of their marital demise have been greatly exaggerated or Fergie, despite the fact that Nine is a big flop, deserves an Academy Award, as she and hubby Josh Duhamel made nice with each other at a late night dinner at the yet-to-open STK Miami at the Gansevoort South Saturday night. The duo arrived for a friends and family freebie at 11 p.m. and was joined by a party of 12 that included father Fergie, Patrick Ferguson. According to our spies, the couple looked "very much in love," as Duhamel was seen rubbing wifey's arm, warming her up from our frosty Miami  Beach temps. They even shared bites of food from each other's plates. Awww, sounds like marital bliss to us, despite the fact that we've heard otherwise. In fact, we heard the duo was totally splitting but putting on a happy face for professional and family reasons--at least for now. Who knows. More impressive than that, STK Miami is finally open after all these years.

Fergie before going to STK Miami, singing happy b-day to Don Shula at his 80th bday celebration Saturday night at Land Shark Stadium.
 

Miami Babylon backlash, backstabbing and bitchery

 
There wasn't an Eames chair to be had last night at Design Within Reach where Miami Babylon author Gerald Posner spoke before a packed house at his Books & Books signing that was peppered with lots of familiar faces. We saw and heard ex mayor /inmate Alex Daoud, who applauded Posner's "courage to write this book," and noticed publicist Tara Solomon, who said nothing, but her presence spoke volumes, especially after the whole Page Six party pooper incident. Also there: current beach mayor Matti Bower, artist Carlos Betancourt, legendary designer and Biba brainchild Barbara Hulanicki, modeling mogul Irene Marie, real estate heavyweights Kevin Tomlinson and Monica Harvey, and, of course, party fixture Merle Weiss.  Missing from the action, however, were a few players, including Michael Capponi and Ingrid Casares, who, incidentally, Posner, told the crowd was his most difficult interview, and who took to Twitter this morning to write the following statement: "Gerald Posner's book... is complete fiction..maybe all those facelifts clouded his memory..pathetic." She also contacted us this morning with an official statement, saying "I've been through this before with authors writing books about me but never once did I do an interview with them. I was referred to [Posner] by my friends Nick D'Annunzio and Tara Solomon. I figured if I told [Posner] my side--a few things, not all of it---I would at least get quoted correctly. From the few things I read, he quotes me saying I had nothing better to do than taking drugs and being a sycophant. Not only would I not describe my disease of addiction that way, I would never describe a friendship with Madonna of 20 years as me being a sycophant. How ridiculous. A person who my son and I spent last weekend in New York with. He is a lame excuse for an author and has [screwed] over a lot of people who worked very hard to make this city what it is today."

To that, Posner, who also quoted yours truly twice in the book,  replied, "The book has 37 pages of source notes. Ingrid should check the source note for the quote about being a sycophant. It's not from her interview with me. It's cited Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture by Frank Owen."

Capponi contacted us last night and said he, too, wanted to give a statement, saying the few parts of the book in which he is mentioned are also false. "Miami Babylon is filled with overwhelming falsities and inaccurate quotes," he says. "It is a shame that I, like many, let this author into my home only for him to misconstrue my words. A perfect example is cited on page 327 where it states I was present at Chris Paciello's bail hearing on the verge of tears, consoling his mother. I never attended any trials or preliminary hearings nor had I spoken to Chris for at least seven years after his arrest." Capponi cites another passage where Posner quotes him as saying, "I decided to be an addict," and refutes it, saying, "Not only is this a complete misquote, but it is extremely offensive to people like me and others who once suffered from the disease of addiction. No one decides to be an addict. I lost many years of my life to this addiction and for the last thirteen years, I have never touched a drug and do not plan to do so again." 

Finally, he also offers some advice to future authors who plan to write a book on our fair city, saying, "I would encourage publishers to do more fact checking . . . I do not feel as if I was personally attacked in this book, but I feel it is my responsibility to stand up for my rights and all of the  other people who Gerald Posner has trashed in this book. I am also standing up for my city. Miami is not a city  built from nothing, as the author said, but is a city built from the sweat, creativity, and vision of a multi ethnic community of which I am very proud to be a part of. It is clear to me that this is just a cheap attempt to make money."

In response, Posner said "[His wife] Trisha and I spent hours and hours with Michael Capponi and he told us in great detail his own story and what he thought about others. It's all on tape. He often said he was telling us things that he had not told any other reporter. If he's upset, I can only imagine that it's either second thoughts about being so frank, or that he's distressed at not being a main character in a book about the Beach." As for Casares's Twitter comments, Posner faces them head on, laughing, "I guess I should take it as a compliment that Ingrid thinks I've had 'facelifts', although she's sure to be disappointed to learn I've never had any. Maybe she lives in a world where cosmetic surgery is the answer for someone looking good for their age. I just call it clean living." Meanwhile, Casares didn't only Tweet her ire, she also dropped Posner as a Facebook friend several months ago, an action which, while some may consider the social equivalent of the fatwa declared on Salman Rushdie, is one the author will hardly lose sleep over.  "It's so bitchy and childish," laughed Mrs. Posner. But even if  Mr. Posner did have trouble sleeping, he could always try counting the number of books sold in the wake of all this hype.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo, here's Nacho!

 

Spotted checking into the Hotel Victor yesterday, the David Beckham of polo players, the face of Ralph Lauren, Nacho Figueras, in town for this weekend's 5th annual Miami Beach Polo World Cup. According to some yentas out there, Figueras, whose wife Delfina Blaquier is preggo with their third child, is next on Madonna's hit list of married men with pregnant wives with whom she's allegedly having a fling. The rumors started when Nacho gave Madge some polo lessons not so long ago. It was during that lesson, say the yentas, that the pop star decided she'd try to go for yet another unattainable and try to adopt--er, woo, the comely player. Sounds fishy, sort of, and, besides, who else would someone like Madonna take polo lessons from, Tommy Lee Jones? We think not.

Sharon Stone 'n' Shareef Malnik redux?

Many moons ago we reported right here that Forge owner Shareef Malnik may have been dating Sharon Stone. That story disappeared faster than Basic Instinct 2 did from the theaters--until now. Stone, who we saw last night at the opening of the Viceroy, is having lunch right now at Brosia with none other than Malnik, who was also there last night. We didn't catch the two canoodling or anything, but hmmm, could they be more than friends? We know Malnik likes brunettes, but Stone, we guess, is a hot exception.

Robin Williams in intensive care in Miami hospital?

Update: Williams is going to undergo aortic valve replacement surgery a la Barbara Bush. He should be just fine.

Our colleagues at the Herald are reporting that Robin Williams, who canceled two shows at the Seminole Hard Rock due to health issues, is in intensive care in a Miami hospital with a serious respiratory or heart ailment. We contacted his publicist but haven't heard back yet. In the meantime, here's the official press release from his website:

March 4th, 2009

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:
MARCH 3, 2009 NEW YORK, NY – Robin Williams has postponed four upcoming performances of his one-man comedy show entitled “Weapons of Self-Destruction.” The comedian was scheduled to perform at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on Wednesday, March 4th, and Thursday, March 5th, at the UCF Arena in Orlando, Florida on Friday, March 6th and at the Sundome in Tampa, Florida on Saturday, March 7th. Williams was experiencing shortness of breath and is currently being evaluated by doctors who are recommending a week of rest.

The four shows will be rescheduled and new dates will be announced shortly. Tickets for all performances will be honored once the new dates are set.

Robin Williams “Weapons of Self-Destruction” resumes previously scheduled tour dates starting with the March 11th show in Jacksonville, Florida.

Williams has been on a sold-out 80-city comedy tour since September 2008 which will continue throughout the Spring 2009 including sold-out dates on Broadway.

Huh? Chris Brown with a Kardashian?

This is weird. After all the hoopla about Rihanna and Chris Brown shacking up at Diddy's on Star Island today, we are now being told that Brown is with Khloe Kardashian  at the Gansevoort to party with Young Jeezy at the hotel's rooftop lounge, Plunge. Hmmm. We guess Rihanna is still home licking her wounds and Brown is just, well, out for the night.

Are Chris Brown and Rihanna holed up in Diddy's Star Island love shack?

We hope Jay-Z isn't in town, because if he is, Chris Brown better stay holed up in Diddy's Star Island manse, where we hear he is right now, allegedly reconciling with his  battered girlfriend Rihanna. If the duo is on the island, they most likely won't leave, or else face a litany of gawkers. South Beach isn't exactly the place you want to be for privacy, you know.

SPOILER--ER, HOAX ALERT: Don't read if you plan to watch the Oscars. Read if you plan to bet on them.

We have no idea about the validity or authenticity of this, but we have received an alleged list of the winners for Sunday night's Academy Awards. How it was leaked is unknown, but it's going viral on the internet. We are checking into it's validity or lack thereof. If it's the real deal, it has saved many four hours of their lives. Update: So the Academy claims it's a hoax, but what may be hoax-ier is if these supposed winners suddenly became losers Sunday. Hmmmm.

Before Rihanna, Chris Brown allegedly threw dishes

While police investigate Chris Brown and the alleged assault on Rihanna, tabloids are also digging into the singer's past and guess what they found? According to Life & Style, Brown was in Miami in 2007 when police were allegedly called to his unnamed hotel room after complaints that he had been screaming, throwing dishes and fighting with his mom. No charges were filed. Brown's tantrum could have been true, considering he was only, what, 16 at the time? We asked our Miami police source to confirm the incident and as soon as we do, we'll let you know.