How to Lose Sources and Alienate Tipsters
On Thursday night, Page Six editor Richard Johnson defied all logic and decided to drive a car in Manhattan. Adding to the shock factor was that he was pulled over for using a cell phone without an earpiece (bad-ass!), at which point the cops noticed he was visibly intoxicated (even more bad-ass!). Johnson refused to take a breathalyzer (super bad-ass!) and ended up spending the night in the drunk tank (hardcore bad-ass!). For his efforts, he was awarded the DUI Badge of Honor.
Gossip blogger Mario Lavendeira broke the story on Friday afternoon, ensuring another shitstorm for Page Six. But how'd he get the scoop?
On the media shuttle bus over to Saturday night's MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, another journalist (and ANIMAL's source for the story) congratulated Perez on being the first to report Page Six editor Richard Johnson's DUI arrest. Perez accepted the compliment, then boastfully told our mole that Chris Wilson, Page Six's hangover-happy foot soldier, was who he received the tip from just a few hours after Johnson was released from the drunk tank.
If this is true, you have to admire Wilson's brave attempt to whack the Boss. More importantly, you have to marvel at how readily Perez burned his source. Stay away, Valerie Plame.
UPDATE: Animal revises its story — Chris Wilson is innocent, Perez was just joking, and the MTV Movie Awards are stupid. Nevertheless, a lesson for you all: when on a cracked-out media bus with many a professional bigmouth, don't drop names, facetiously or otherwise.
