Scene in the Tropics

Rush Limbaugh isn't Elaine Lancaster's type

Miami's very own drag diva Elaine Lancaster made an unknowing, unwilling appearance on Howard Stern's radio show last week. According to Lancaster, "He was going on and on for fifteen nauseating minutes about Elaine's odd friendship with ultra conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh." Lancaster, who was in Aspen hosting the 31st Annual Gay Ski Week, said her phone was ringing off the hook when friends heard Stern's show. "I was on top of a mountain skiing and people are calling saying 'Howard Stern is saying you and Rush are in a relationship.' Even with a frozen face, I burst into uncontrollable laughter." 

Positive Results for Lindsay Lohan in 09?

Sorry to disappoint all the hopeful fans of Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson out there, but as we said, all is not well between the two, especially with Lohan. In addition to the knockdown fight the duo had in the American Airlines Admirals Club at Miami International Airport yesterday and allegedly at Mansion on New Year's Eve, where we hear the fight continued all the way to the Gansevoort, where they were staying, we are receiving multiple reports of trouble in paradise for Lohan, starting with one report saying "I was at the Shore Club on the eve of the Eve and downstairs using the restroom, when the door flung open and in walked Samantha the DJ friend of 8 Ball Lohan. They both went directly into the last stall and were making obvious snorting sounds, when all of a sudden I hear one say, 'Not so loud.' Then it sounded as if someone lost their sushi." When Lohan said she was wishing for positive things in 09, we didn't think she meant urine tests. We wish the both of them best of luck for a different kind of positive, or rather, a negative 2009.

 

Surely Samantha Ronson and Lindsay Lohan were making sure they had enough cash, right?

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson were leaving Nobu last night when our Miracle Ear of a spy overheard Ronson asking Lohan, "Do we have enough left?" At which point, Lohan started rifling through her pocketbook, frantically looking for whatever that enough was.  Hmmm, could it be cash? Mints? Yeah, Altoids, that must be it.

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 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

A-Rod, "Just Like Peter Cook"?

Bathing suits are good and all, especially when they cost several  hundred dollars and can only fit stick figures, but it seems that not too many people care as much about bikinis as they do this whole A-Rod Madonna hype. And while we've been rather reticent on the subject, we figured it was a good enough time to throw in our two cents on the matter since everyone seems to think we know. We don't, but here's what we think, or don't think, rather: We don't think Madonna and A-Rod had a sexual affair. At all. Sure, he was probably smitten--who wouldn't be with a pop icon who looks better at 50 than she did at 25? And sure, she probably touted the virtues of Kabbalah and he may have bitten. Not to mention all this scandal may help sell out stadiums when Madonna hits the road this fall. But besides that we just don't think they've done it--yet. We know Madge's BFF Ingrid Casares is BFF with A-Rod and we'd seen Casares and the baller out a lot together last season--from the now defunct Social Miami at Sagamore to Jeffrey Soffer's big b-day bash cum Prince concert at the Opa Locka Airport. Sometimes with soon-to-be ex Cynthia, sometimes without. We saw A-Rod and Cynthia at the big Bay Point fundraiser at the Ritz Carlton South Beach just before Cynthia was about to pop out their child. We also saw Cynthia give Pamela Anderson dirty looks (and Pammy returning them back to her--see photo) for flirting with her hubby. We just think, and that's all we can do is think, that the whole Madge thing was just a grand excuse for Cynthia to finally, officially break the ties that bound her, ties that have allegedly been broken by her hubby in the past. According to Cynthia's friend, this is it, though. She's done for good. "Cynthia is NOT taking him back. Cynthia despises Alex now and he will be very sorry for what he did. Just like Peter Cook." We shall see. 

Look Out, Nobu!

We have it on good word that Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto has been scouting locations in the South of Fifth area and may stab his knife into a prime location on 1st Street. Says our source, "He really loved the space and is thisclose to signing a deal." That would be cool even though we need another sushi spot--even if Morimoto's may be the best--like we need another Italian restaurant. In other restaurant news, Philippe, the Mr. Chow resto opening in the Gansevoort South, is opening . . . eventually.