Vv Magazine’s industry insiders and undercover scenesters fill you in on the best first-hand gossip from Hollywood, the media and everywhere in between. Who are we talking about? We don’t tell – but when we see and hear gossip, we let you know. Check in every Wednesday for freshly-squeezed juice, served ice cold.
Baroness Black of Crossharbour flat on her face
Juice Factor: 10/10
At the highly successful Mad Hot Ballet fundraiser at the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts last week, one haute socialite was brought down low. Literally. Barbara Amiel, Baroness Black of Crossharbour, fell in the aisle of the theatre. Not so much tripping but ultimately staying upright mind you; full on splat horizontal a la Carrie Bradshaw’s fatal catwalk debut in Sex in the City. Whispers and gasps quickly spread through the monied crowd, no doubt basking in schadenfreude at the fallen scion.
This is all well (and embarrassing) and could’ve easily ben brushed under the rug if it were any other week. Coming so quickly on the heels Amiel’s universally reviled column makes the physical fall all the more painful. In her Maclean’s column, Amiel takes Michelle Obama to task over use of the “negro patois” term “baby momma” in a commencement address to Tuskegee graduates. Apparently, Babs got this street cred perspective from visiting her paramour Conrad in prison. Does it get more ridiculous? Ah, the guileless gall of this entitled, pale plutocrat.
Amiel is clearly of the “you can never be too rich or too thin” school of Ladyhood. Apparently, you can be too thin if a ball gown can so easily take you down at a gala. This gives us pause to reconsider the core strength of Suzanne Rogers and Stacey Jordan in pulling off the almighty fabric pounds of Giambattista Valli. All hail bone density ladies.
Blind Item: Self-sabotaging Jian Ghomeshi supporter is freakin’ us out
Juice Factor: 10/10
The media is a tight circuit in Toronto, even if we still pretend not to know one another at parties. That’s why it’s beyond shocking that this on-screen media personality has voiced her support for Jian Ghomeshi just as his trial begins, ruffling feathers in the industry. Her contemporaries are left wondering if she’s imploding her otherwise jet-set career before she even gets to shine on her own. Yikes.
Spotted: Rob Ford partying at the MMVAs with, gulp, Mariana’s Trench?
Juice Factor: 10/10
We love that Rob Ford won’t get caught dead at Pride, but partying backstage with Mariana’s Trench at the MMVAs after-party like a pre-pubescent fangirl somehow is totally kosher. Repping the 905 hard, RoFo wore a flattering, somewhat breathable track suit to show he’s still street like that, even post-crack.
Toronto’s self-proclaimed Every Man had a blast celebrating his favourite way: VIP and guest-list only. He was surrounded by Ed Sheeran, Hailee Steinfeld, Shawn Hook, Cody Simpson, Kardinal Offishall and Debby Ryan. So far, everyone seems to have surfaced unharmed.
Yorkville a celebrity hot spot again
Juice Factor: 10/10
Yorkville is suddenly relevant again. From Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss cavorting at The Hazelton Hotel last month to Scott Eastwood and Lily Collins at Amber last week – the land of overpriced lattes has been drawing bold face names like bees to honey. Clint’s doppelganger son cozied up to two smart variety blondes while local impresario Ralf Madi worked his mojo on Lily Collins, daughter and mercifully non-doppelganger of Phil Collins. The Madi effect works wonders as it is an attentive, slow, friendly burn – never too eager, never showing all his cards. You can never tell if he’s actually flirting or just exercising his PhD in Nightlife. In any case, the 26-year-old actress seemed to enjoy Madi’s moves. Collins, who split from her Mortal Instruments co-star Jamie Campbell Bower after one year of dating, confirmed they are back together via Instagram. The brunette beauty, who was linked to Captain America: The Winter Soldier star Chris Evans in March, posted a photograph of her new-old beau kissing her cheek.
Alison Pill holds a lovely sphinx pose at 889 Yoga
Juice Factor 7/10
Up the road, indie darling-cum-Aaron Sorkin muse Alison Pill was spotted getting her plank on at Yorkville’s preeminent body temple 889 Yoga. This isn’t just any yoga studio mind you, this is the preferred go-to holistic hotspot of Claire Danes, Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz. Pill is pretty jacked these days, and has one of the loveliest Sphinx poses in creation. In one of the final storylines Sorkin created for her character Maggie Jordan on The Newsroom, Jordan must wear big boss Mackenzie McHale’s dress on camera. McHale is played by the ever svelte Emily Mortimer. Who knew Pill had one of the most rockin’ bods in Hollywood? A highly underrated actress sporting (her ingenue performances in Pieces of April and Dear Frankie were spot on) what we now see are an underrated set of healthy gams!
Canadian PR firm takes massive leap
Juice Factor: 9/10
Anyone knows that one of the major power moves a Canadian PR firm can boldly make is to open an office in New York City, or at least have a Manhattan mailing address that no one has to know is your second-cousin Stephanie’s boyfriend’s bachelor. It’s almost a rite of passage to the top tier. That’s why this PR firm is going to cause quite a stir when it soon announces its LA mailing address. 90210NoSheDidnt!
Blind Item: Guess the fashion line
Juice Factor: 8/10
This indie label gem looks like it was designed with West Queen West boutiques in mind… and that’s because, well, it was. The fashion moguls behind the little-known but totally chic label are keeping mum on their role as founders of the line despite their very well-respected name in the industry. Why? Only time will tell. Perhaps it’s a money-making side project with plans for greater expansion?
And the next celebrity clothing line is…
Juice Factor: 8/10
…Jaden Smith? His statement-making prom dress and disinterest in pants aren’t the style philanderings of a modern-day wallflower – Jaden likes to shine bright like a diamond. We’re gonna go out on a limb and bet serious cash that Jaden Smith is the next big celebrity clothing line to force the haute couture roundtable led by Lagerfeld, Wintour, Jacobs, and friends to pay attention. Hey, it worked for the Olsen twins – ditto for Victoria Beckham and Kanye West. After all, his dad holds some serious power in the land of the rich and famous.
Which explains why Will is in Toronto filming the latest installation of Batman, Jaden is busy discussing fashion with GQ – specifically, why he wore a Batman costume to Kim and Kanye’s wedding. “I wore the Batman suit to heighten my experience at the wedding and [at] prom, which was fun… But also, at the wedding, I felt as though I needed to protect everyone there, and needed to have the proper gear to do so.” Oh man. Jaden – before we take your intellectual musings seriously, we just want to see if you can get your GED.
Blind Item: Toronto reality TV vet making huge career change
Juice Factor: 10/10
This television land vet has worked on some of the biggest shows shot in our fair city, not to mention other high-profile prime-time reality insanity that we’ll be embarrassed we fell for in just a matter of years. You could even say he’s one of the key players giving Canadian reality TV its life-line – with our apologetic, beige demeanour not exactly the fireworks America can pull off just by putting five women and a chair in the room. If all reality TV does is throw a bunch of fame-whores into the cable Coliseum and wait for bodily fluids to splash camera lenses, then this guy just “gets” it. That’s why he’s latest sign-on-the-dotted-line contract – still in the television industry – will surprise everyone. And not just Canadians. Americans too.
What? Did we say too much? Gotta run. Until next week.
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What had your blood boiling and your mouths gasping from this week’s Scene & Heard column? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us at @ViewtheVibe.
