Y2K: BAD YEAR FOR LOVE BUG
The Millennium dawns, and couples hit the rocks. Should auld acquaintance be forgot?

Focus

Missiles didn't fire and computers didn't crash, but Y2K appears to have caused some major glitches—in the world of romance. Gwyneth Paltrow, 27, reportedly dumped record mogul Guy Oseary, 27, following a New Year's party in South Beach, though her publicist says "there was never any sort of a clear understanding that they were ever dating." Scary Spice (Mel Brown), 24, announced she was splitting from Jimmy Gulzar, 32, her husband of 16 months, after reports of a New Year's Day fight at their home.

Ted Turner, 61, and Jane Fonda, 62, put their marriage on hold; Billy Joel, 50, and his sweetie, artist Carolyn Beegan, 34, severed ties; and Joan Rivers, 66, and retired New York state parks commissioner Orin Lehman, 80, called it quits after more than three years together.

Developer Donald Trump, 53, put his presidential ambitions aside long enough to tell his girlfriend and Millennium Eve companion, model Melania Knauss, that it was over. He didn't give a reason but did release a statement simply saying, "Donald has incredible respect and love for Melania—and who knows what will happen."

Rivers jokingly blamed another man, saying, "With everything that Puff Daddy is going through, I just felt that he needed more of my time." Worth noting: Everybody apparently waited until after the big night to break up—suggesting that whatever the future held, no one but no one wanted to be dateless on New Year's Eve.

Sequels: The Star Search

Did you like The Mask? Would you love to see a sequel? So would the producers. Except...the odds of luring star Jim Carrey for a repeat appear slim. There's the money thing, of course. Carrey received a reported $450,000 for the 1994 movie but now commands $20 million per picture. And today the actor craves more serious roles, striking another blow against a cartoonish Mask II. So don't hold your breath...for Carrey.

The same phenomenon—big roles gone begging—has plagued sequels to 1992's Basic Instinct, 1991's Silence of the Lambs and the Batman films of 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1997. The original star (including the latest Batman, George Clooney) probably won't come back for an encore. "There was a script [for Basic Instinct II], but it did not appeal to her," says a source close to Sharon Stone. Jodie Foster wavered, then nixed reprising her Lambs role. And then there's the Star Wars dilemma. Phantom Menace star Jake Lloyd, 10, won't return as Anakin Skywalker—but only because of his age. The sequel script calls for a 19-year-old Skywalker, and a spokesman for director George Lucas says the role will likely be filled by "someone you don't know."

POP QUIZ

with Rosie Perez

As everyone who has been there knows, you never forget your first arrest. Ask actress Rosie Perez (White Men Can't Jump, Do The Right Thing), who was charged with disorderly conduct during a Jan. 6 demonstration outside the U.S. mission to the United Nations. Protesters objected to Navy plans to resume using Vieques, a small Puerto Rican island, as a practice bombing target. Perez, 35, now faces up to a $250 fine if convicted.

Why this protest?

We felt we had to take drastic measures to receive some attention. Ricky Martin made a statement at the Billboard Awards [about Vieques], and still that did not get any press. And he's an international star. I was like, "What is going on?"

What did you do?

We were [at the American mission] chanting "U.S. Navy out of Vieques." Then a police officer announced we were breaking the law. I kept thinking, "They can't arrest us. We're not doing anything wrong." But we were arrested.

Did you expect to get arrested?

The news came to me five minutes prior. When we were there, we were asked to raise our hands if we were willing to get arrested. Everybody raised their hands except me. I stood there, and everybody turned around. They let me decide. And I said, "All right, here we go."

What was it like?

It wasn't romantic. It wasn't glamorous or glorified. I was scared to death. I didn't feel proud. It wasn't a feeling of "Look what I did for my people."

Did you go to jail?

We were taken to the precinct in the paddy wagon. And then all of a sudden I blurted out, "What does this mean? Are we going to get finger-printed and everything?"

How long did it last?

We were in custody for about 4½ hours. But we were processed quickly. I don't know if that was because we were in complete cooperation or because I kept shouting that my cousin Sylvia worked there at the precinct.

And the cops?

The police were extremely respectful. It wasn't anything like the movies. They put us in a large holding area, and everyone calmed down. We could make one phone call, but I made four. I kept getting answering machines.

What happens now?

I have my court date Feb. 16. I'm full of anxiety and apprehension about that.

A Pooch in Paradise
How much is that doggie in the window? A lot, especially if you count the perks. Moose, the Jack Russell terrier who runs the house as Eddie on TV's Frasier, was livin' la dolce vita on the set of his first movie, My Dog Skip, with a limousine, air-conditioned trailer and the respect due a star. "It's like working with Brando," says the film's director, Jay Russell (no relation). "There's the rules: Don't touch the dog, don't speak to the dog, don't look the dog in the eye." People were also forbidden to eat in front of Moose, and he was thrown other bones as well, including his own house—not a dog house, mind you, but a human-size two-story, where he could frolic during breaks.

The Category Is: Robbery
On Comedy Central, Ben Stein hosts the curious game show Win Ben Stein's Money. On Jan. 5, two who'd followed him into his garage decided to take a shortcut and simply steal Ben Stein's money. "The irony came to me very quickly," says Stein, who, dutifully, handed over about $300 and a couple of credit cards. "But if they did recognize me, they were very cool about it. They were very professional."

Ringing Endorsements

Back in the 1870s, the New York Stock Exchange opened and closed sessions with the ringing of a Chinese gong. The privilege was reserved for business professionals—not show business stars.

Times change. The Stock Exchange now opens with the simultaneous ringing of four brass bells. And, more recently, the ringer comes from a studio lot, not the trading floor. How'd the Dow respond? There were off days, of course (Neil Simon, down 14; Linda Evans, down 59; Vanna White, down 63). But many celebs rang in good returns (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, up 22; Rosie O'Donnell, up 79; Stephanie Seymour, up 92; Kelsey Grammer, up 112). The man with the golden touch? Bill (Mr. 189) Cosby. For more market watch, check the charts.

ON THE BLOCK

GEORGIAN STYLE
Georgia O'Keeffe's southwestern landscapes helped sell the beauty of New Mexico to the world. Now the late artist's former 20-acre Santa Fe estate is on sale for $12.2 million. The Pueblo-style main house features five bedrooms and a yoga room. Nearby are guest quarters for 35 people and a lodge with a meeting room for 80, a sauna and a 13-sq.-ft. skylight. A 4,000-sq.-ft. greenhouse boasts a bodhi tree propagated from a seed brought by the Dalai Lama. The property, called Sol y Sombra (Sunlight and Shadows), is also used as a conference center. O'Keeffe died at 98 in 1986.

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