Morning Briefing:
Hilfiger vs. Rose: Apparently we missed it on Friday, but it appears Tommy Hilfiger and Axl Rose got into a bit of fisticuffs last Thursday at Rosario Dawson's birthday party at a Manhattan club. The seemingly one-sided fight was started by Hilfiger, according to witnesses, after Rose had the temerity to move Hilfiger's date's drink. The conflict ramped up quickly, Page Six writes: "As the punch-up escalated, Hilfiger introduced Rose to some 'November Pain' with a blow to the cheek. Club guards quickly tried to separate the men." Hilfiger left immediately afterward, but Rose took to the club's stage to perform "Crazy," and dedicated the tune "to my good friend Tommy Hilfiger." (Page Six)
Locklear pranks Richards? It's difficult to trust this story entirely, as it comes from a kind of biased point of view, but Denise Richards says she was at home the other day, "minding her own business," as Page Six puts it, when someone started blaring Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" from the street outside. Richards -- who has been dating Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora -- says she looked out and saw Sambora's ex, Heather Locklear, and a friend sitting in a car with the music on full volume, cracking themselves up. Richards didn't find it so funny, calling the whole thing "very high school." (Page Six)
"Da Vinci" opens big: Despite almost unanimous dislike from critics, the "Da Vinci Code" pulled in enormous amounts of money on its opening weekend. The $77 million it made in the United States was the second-largest opening for a movie aimed at adults (i.e., not a "Harry Potter," "Star Wars" or superhero flick). That number combined with the $147 million it made abroad (the biggest foreign debut ever) makes it the No. 2 biggest worldwide opener ever, after the third "Star Wars" prequel, with $224 million. (Box Office Mojo, Deadline Hollywood)
Also:
Madonna's current tour opened in Los Angeles over the weekend in typically humble style: At one point in the show she appears wearing a crown of thorns and suspended from a mirrored cross. (Reuters) ... The latest addition to the Nicole Kidman/Keith Urban wedding rumor mill has it that Bette Midler will perform "Wind Beneath My Wings" -- the couple's "special song" -- at the ceremony. (FemaleFirst) ... Despite the tabloid rumors that they've split, Nicole Richie and Adam Goldberg, aka DJ AM, are planning to get married, at least according to Nicole's dad, Lionel. On Saturday, the singer told reporters in London, "I told her, 'Honey, you do what you want and just send me the bill.' Of course I am going to be there for her, and I'll be singing -- there's no way I couldn't. I'm really happy that it's working out for her." (WENN) ... Conan O'Brien is set to host the 58th Annual Emmy Awards show in August -- it'll be his second time as emcee. (People) ... Bruce Willis says he's just about to begin work on the next "Die Hard" sequel: "It won't be called 'Die Hard 4' but that will be the story. Hopefully it will be out next summer." (WENN) ... Interrupted by photographers calling out to him during an award presentation he was giving in Cannes, France, Sir Elton John made a suggestion about how to deal with the paparazzi: "I'm talking ... you fuckwit, fucking photographers you should be shot, you should be all shot. Thank you." (Yahoo! News) ... Babyshambles singer/public drug addict Pete Doherty's antics have managed to get him and his band dropped from their label in the U.K., Rough Trade. A spokesman for the company said: "He doesn't have a contract with us. We are obviously very fond of him, but at the moment we are not working with him." (Independent)
Money Quote:
Dixie Chick Natalie Maines on regretting that she took back the infamous remark she made onstage about Bush in 2003 -- "We're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas," she told a London crowd -- now that times have changed: "I apologized for disrespecting the office of the President. But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel he is owed any respect whatsoever." (Time)
Turn On:
It's the final episode ever for the spy thriller "Alias" (ABC, 9 p.m. EDT), and both "24" (Fox, 8 p.m. EDT) and "Medium" (NBC, 10 p.m. EDT) wrap up another season. Also, VH1 presents the true history of hair bands in "Heavy: The Story of Metal" (9 p.m. EDT).
-- Scott Lamb
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