michaele-salahi

Pathological Liars Make Great Reality TV Contestants, Don't They?

cityfile · 12/02/09 08:32AM

Despite their protestations on Today that they really were invited to last week's state dinner, Tareq and Michaele Salahi weren't actually invited, as you probably suspected. A series of emails obtained by the AP indicate that up until 6:30pm last Tuesday evening, the couple was still trying to convince a Pentagon official to work his magic and get them in. But it also doesn't seem like honesty is one of the couple's strong suits. The Washington Post reports today that the Salahi's "signature social event," the Land Rover America's Polo Cup, isn't really sponsored by Land Rover (or any of the other companies the couple listed), and benefits a charity that is pretty much non-existent. But all that will make for fabulous TV, won't it? [AP, WP]

cityfile · 12/01/09 05:01PM

• The deal between Comcast and GE to hand over control of NBC Universal to the cable giant is done; an announcement may come Thursday. [CNBC]
• Job cuts hit Gannett today; USA Today is reducing its staff by 5 percent. [AP]
• So much for Lou Dobbs moving over to CNBC. The cable network now says it has no plans to hire the ex-CNN anchor/possible political candidate. [NYT]
• Will Bravo get into trouble if it goes ahead and casts White House state dinner crashers Tareq and Michaele Salahi on The Real Housewives of DC? Did the Today land an interview with the couple because of their pending deal with sister network Bravo? So many questions, so few answers. [NYDN, Gawker]

Tiger's Temptress Talks; The Salahis Crash 'Today'

cityfile · 12/01/09 07:10AM

• Rachel Uchitel, Tiger Woods' alleged mistress, is calling the allegations that she had an affair with the golfer "dumb," "stupid," and "ridiculous," and says "it's like asking me to comment if there are aliens on earth." Worst of all, she's bummed that as a result of this whole saga some "nice, normal guy" that she might eventually settle down with is "going to have a tainted view" of her. Meanwhile, friends and former colleagues of Uchitel say the party-promoting, celebrity-wrangling widow and divorcée has been obsessed with getting close to celebrities for years, is a "drama queen" and "fire-starter," and has had numerous run-ins with her employers in the past. [NYP, NYDN]
• What's Tiger up to? He bailed out of a golf tournament in California later this week and still hasn't come out of his house. [Us, NYP]
• Troubled Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson was arrested yesterday for stealing jewelry, clothing, shoes, and even underwear from a model pal. The really disturbing part: Johnson allegedly left a wet towel and "used vibrator" at the scene of the crime as her "calling card." [NYP, TMZ]
• Tareq and Michaele Salahi, "the most infamous party crashers in the world," appeared on the Today show this morning to tell Matt Lauer they did nothing wrong. The couple claim some mystery evidence—to be released at a later date— will prove they were invited to last week's state dinner. [MSNBC]

The Countess Does Not Approve

cityfile · 11/30/09 03:07PM

Because there are no more pressing matters of political import to attend to, the House Homeland Security Committee now plans to hold a hearing later this week into how Tareq and Michaele Salahi slipped by security to attend last Tuesday's state dinner, and some lawmakers are calling for criminal charges to be filed against the fameseeking couple. But what does fellow fameseeker and etiquette guru LuAnn de Lesseps make of Salahis? "I think the people that would go that far in order to be a celebrity really lack integrity and class," she tells Daily Intel. "I think they get nothing out of it. I mean, I think that they make themselves look bad. They're setting a really bad example of behavior." And you were thinking that marrying an elderly count in order to adopt a noble title was in poor taste! [NYM/Daily Intel]

Tiger Under Pressure; The Salahi Shakedown

cityfile · 11/30/09 06:56AM

• Tiger Woods hasn't spoken to the cops or the media since he crashed his SUV into a tree outside his Florida home on Friday morning, although he did release a statement on his website yesterday. Did the crash take place as Tiger was running away from his enraged wife? Did Tiger really have an affair with club promoter (and 9/11 widow) Rachel Uchitel? That's all up in the air at the moment, although Uchitel has already hired spotlight-loving lawyer Gloria Allred to represent her, so you can expect this story to play on for weeks to come. [NYP, TMZ, TMZ]
• The fame-seeking classy couple who crashed the state dinner last week, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, are looking for a six-figure fee to tell their story, according to TV producers. A spokesman for the couple says that's totally false. Decide for yourself who you'd like to believe. [NYT, NYP, NYDN]
• Did Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal break up? A "close friend" of the actress says yes, but the couple is denying it. [People]
• Tinsley Mortimer may have a German prince for a boyfriend and she may be traipsing around town with Constantine Maroulis, but she's still got her ex-husband, Topper, wrapped around her finger. They reportedly talk three times a day and he's offered to appear on her reality show to help boost buzz. They may even get back together "for ratings," according to a source. [P6]