• June 26, 2006
• Vol. 65
• No. 25

Scoop

SPRING FLING?
Jessica Simpson hits the town with Jared Leto. (Lindsay Lohan may not be pleased)

Jessica Simpson, who will release her new single "Public Affair" on June 27, seems to be engaging in a rather public flirtation with Jared Leto, 34 (left). "They're an item," a source close to Leto tells Scoop. The Chapter 27 star chatted up Simpson and then scored her number on June 2 at L.A. club Hyde. Four nights later, Leto partied solo at N.Y.C.'s Plumm, then headed to Double Seven, where he met up with Simpson, 25. "They were hanging all over each other," says a witness. ("She is single," says her rep. Adds Leto's rep: "There is no truth to these rumors.") And how is Lindsay Lohan—who was linked with Leto, her Chapter 27 costar, last year—taking the twosome talk? "She's telling friends she's furious," says a source close to the actress. "She feels betrayed by Jared." (Lohan and Simpson also clashed in April over the attentions of mutual pal Brett Ratner.) Still, Lohan's rep says, "Lindsay could care less."

NICK'S DOUBLE TAKE

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo? That's so two months ago. But—step aside, Kim Kardashian—the two looked hot and heavy again June 8 in Los Cabos, Mexico. "They were wrapped around each other [in the pool] making out," says one eyewitness at the Las Ventanas resort. They met up again two days later at MIXX nightclub in Atlantic City and left together around 4 a.m. "He's a single guy," says a Lachey pal.

For the bathrooms at N.Y.C. nightspot Bungalow 8 ... THE WAITING IS THE HARDEST PART

It's got a VIP section, bodyguard escorts and celebs lining up at the door. A hot new club? Nope—the bathrooms at the N.Y.C. club Bungalow 8, site of a June 6 showdown between actor Stephen Dorff and Entourage's Jeremy Piven. One eyewitness said Dorff "tried to cut [the half-hour-long] line" and Piven wasn't having it. Fists never flew, but questions did. Are Bungalow's bathrooms really worth fighting for? Well, scarcity equals demand, and with four unisex, single-stall rooms for the 110-capacity crowd, there's almost always a line. (One loo goes VIP-only.) Plus, owner Amy Sacco notes, the rooms are "gorgeous," with black tiles, Kohler fixtures and smoked mirrors. Do guests, er, get physical in there? "They have my blessing," she says. "As long as they're quick." Otherwise they'll have to answer to Piven.

Meredith's Adieu to The View

Heartrending montages and tearful farewells? Hardly. Meredith Vieira capped off her nine-year run on The View June 9 with a far more spirited send-off: a roast featuring jabs from comedians Joan Rivers and Mario Cantone—and definitely no sobs. "I've been emotional ever since I announced I was leaving," the future Today show coanchor tells SCOOP. "I didn't want to go out as a blubbering idiot." Still, there was a bit of blubbering among the cast and crew after the cameras stopped rolling. Who will miss Vieira the most? Could be Star Jones Reynolds (called Auntie Star by Vieira's son Ben), whose feud with incoming moderator Rosie O'Donnell has been well-documented. An emotional Reynolds told SCOOP at a June 8 YWCA gala, "[Meredith] has been my right arm and I've been her left arm since day one."

CHILD MODEL MATCHUP: WHO'S THAT GIRL?

Before these actresses were stars, they were pint-size posers shot by photographer Jade Albert for Sears, Target and Gitano. The girls were pros even then, she recalls: Mischa Barton "knew how to move in front of a camera." Kirsten Dunst "always got the shot." And Lindsay Lohan? "She wasn't wild, but she had a twinkle in her eye." Can you tell who's who?

1 LINDSAY LOHAN
2 JENNIFER CONNELLY
3 KIRSTEN DUNST
4 KATHERINE HEIGL
5 MISCHA BARTON

ANSWERS: 1) Lohan, C; 2) Connelly, D; 3) Dunst, E; 4) Heigl, B; 5) Barton, A

heart monitor
PETRA & JAMES: THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL

Ever since they met last December, Petra Nemcova has insisted she's "just a fan" of singer James Blunt. Make that his No. 1 fan. A source close to Nemcova, 27, confirms that she and Blunt, 32, have been quietly dating for about two months. That much was clear on June 5 when the pair were snapped kissing and cuddling on the beach in Ibiza, Spain. (Reps for both declined comment.) This is the first serious relationship for Nemcova since her longtime boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, died in the 2004 tsunami. "She's moving on, living her life, and she deserves to be happy," says the source. "And James makes her really happy."

CHARLIE: DATING AGAIN

Denise Richards isn't the only one enjoying a new relationship. Single since January, Charlie Sheen, 40, hit the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in L.A. June 10 with 28-year-old actress and real estate investor Brooke Mueller. Sheen's rep confirms: "She's his girlfriend."

ROUND TRIP TO PARIS

The ping-pong continues: Paris Hilton (recently linked to NFL player Matt Leinart) cuddled with ex Stavros Niarchos (recently linked to Lindsay Lohan) June 9 at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge and later at model-actress Caroline D'Amore's birthday party. Whose serve?

BORN IDENTITY: A GIRL

Matt Damon and wife Luciana welcomed a new baby June 11 at South Florida's Memorial Regional Hospital—and perhaps no one was more thrilled than big sister Alexia. "If it was a boy, it would have been a problem [for her]," the Bourne Identity star told PEOPLE last month of his 7-year-old stepdaughter from Luciana's prior marriage. "She definitely wanted a sister." She got her wish. Newborn Isabella weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz. "The family is very happy, and everyone's healthy," says a rep for Damon, who begins shooting Ocean's 13 (with fellow new dad Brad Pitt) next month. The baby is only days old but Damon's parenting style is already drawing rave reviews. Says brother Kyle: "He's a terrific uncle, and he's going to be a wonderful father."

POP QUIZ
Encore!
Eric McCormack

Eric McCormack played a gay lawyer on Will & Grace for eight years, through its finale May 18. For his next role as a soon-to-be-married womanizer in the just-opened Off-Broadway dark comedy Some Girl(s), he's finally going straight. The actor, 43, sounds off to SCOOP about leaving Will Truman behind and going back to his native Canada.

You just wrapped Will & Grace. Didn't you just want a vacation?

As tired as I am and as much as I wanted a break, I needed to do this.... I'm happy to be in New York, but I [do] miss my wife [Janet] and son [Finnigan, 3].

David Schwimmer originated the role in London. How did it come to you?

One of the women's parts was offered to [Will & Grace costar] Debra Messing. She couldn't do it but she told me about it. So I threw my hat in the ring.

How does playing your character, "Man," differ from playing Will?

It's about 180 degrees from Will Truman, which is exactly what I was looking for. For one thing, Man has ex-girlfriends; Will has none. The fact that he isn't a gay man changes the musicality in my voice. I'm almost using a different side of my brain somehow.

Would you ever do another sitcom?

I don't think episodic TV is in the near future for me. You have to let an iconic character go away a little bit before you try to create another one.

After the play, what's your next act?

When the play is over, I'm just going to take the summer off. We have a place in Vancouver. If I can create a "next phase" that doesn't involve me being in Los Angeles every day, we might [even] stay there.

ON THE BLOCK
SWANK(Y) HOME for SALE
PRICE: $8.25 million
PLACE: Manhattan

Hilary Swank and Chad Lowe are unloading their $8 million baby. The couple, who announced their divorce in May, are selling off the 4,000-sq.-ft. Greenwich Village brownstone they purchased in 2002 and painstakingly restored. The four-story residence boasts a home theater, six fireplaces and a private garden. Oscars not included.


> For Breaking Celebrity News Every Day people.com