Morning Briefing:
Paris ex has a crying fit: Paparazzi staking out Paris Hilton's Hollywood home apparently got the treat of seeing a lovesick Stavros Niarchos go on a crying jag on Monday after getting dumped by Hilton over the weekend. The photographers say Niarchos showed up at 1 in the morning and spent an hour begging to be let in, at one point laying down in Hilton's driveway. According to TMZ's sources, when Hilton finally let Niarchos in, there was a lot of yelling, some of it about Matt Leinart, the USC star quarterback that Hilton has been draped on recently. Niarchos finally left around 8 a.m. -- and while TMZ has photos of a zonked-looking Niarchos arriving in the back seat of a car, no paparazzi shots of the tantrum itself have appeared yet. (TMZ)
More, kinda, on Anna Nicole's pregnancy: The latest rumor about Anna Nicole Smith's (still highly speculative) pregnancy is that some USA Today freelancer named Larry Birkhead is the father -- he and Smith have been seen out partying together in the past. Smith's lawyer, Howard K. Stern, also sent out a curious, double-edged nondenial e-mail to the press: "If Anna Nicole is pregnant, she obviously doesn't want anybody to know yet. If she's not pregnant, she's not denying the rumor, because she thinks it's funny how much of a stir it's causing. She'll leave it up to you to guess which one it is." (Rush & Molloy)
"Da Vinci Code" boycott: Joining the Vatican chorus calling for a boycott of the book and forthcoming film version of "The Da Vinci Code," conservative Christian groups in the U.S. are now calling for a boycott of film. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission -- the group that helped bring you a boycott of "The Last Temptation of Christ" -- is circulating a petition with the headline "Shame on You!" to be sent to Sony, director Ron Howard and star Tom Hanks. Baehr says the film is "fraught with misconceptions and blatantly false claims about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the history of Christianity, and the Catholic Church." (Human Events via Drudge)
Oprah's right hand to join "The View"? You may know Gayle King as Oprah's best pal and star employee -- she's the editorial director of O magazine -- but she may soon have a more public face as another new member of "The View," provided Star Jones hits the road. Jones is no big fan of newcomer Rosie O'Donnell, and as soon as O'Donnell was named to fill the chair left open by "Today"-bound Meredith Vieira, rumors began to fly about the tension between the two. Fox 411 reports that King's move to join the show isn't confirmed (and Jones hasn't announced she's leaving) but O'Donnell is reportedly "crazy about the idea." (Fox 411)
Also:
Tori Spelling and boyfriend Dean McDermott have reportedly eloped to Fiji to tie the knot. (National Enquirer) ... Jack White and his wife, Karen Elson, are parents. Elson gave birth to a daughter named Scarlett on Tuesday in Tennessee. (Associated Press) ... George Michael is hosting a baby shower for ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell at his English estate on Sunday. (3 a.m. Girls) ... On Thursday, CBS launched the first online, advertising-supported network channel, Innertube, which will air original programming and CBS reruns. (Post Chronicle) ... Piers Morgan, a former editor at both London's News of the World and the Daily Mirror, is launching a brand-new British tabloid, aimed at children. Called First News, the paper launches today, with headlines like "Is Blaine Bonkers?" about David Blaine's current underwater stunt in New York. (Women's Wear Daily)
Money Quote:
Uma Thurman on the media's apparent interest in her size 11 feet: "I don't know why everyone keeps wanting to film [my feet] and do weird things to them. I want them to leave those damn feet alone!" (Times of London via Page Six)
Turn On:
Jack Black hosts the broadcast debut of "School of Rock" (Fox, 8 p.m. EDT), and Coldplay's Chris Martin is interviewed by guest host Joe Levy, executive editor of Rolling Stone, on "Charlie Rose" (PBS, check local listings).
-- Scott Lamb
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