• December 05, 2005
• Vol. 64
• No. 23

Scoop

SIMON'S IDOL POWER PLAY

He hasn't signed for the new season—and he has a new show to shop. Will he walk?

The fifth season of American Idol is about a month away—but nobody knows if tart-tongued Simon Cowell will be there to hurl insults from his accustomed chair. According to The New York Times, Cowell's contract negotiations are not yet complete, leaving FOX executives fearful he may walk. Cowell is in a strong bargaining position because he's set to market X-Facfor—the super-successful British talent show he created in 2004—and could take it to another network. His $8 million annual salary already makes him one of the highest-paid celebs on TV, but now he can demand bigger bucks and more control of the show. (Cowell also wants to sign the winner and runner-up of the next Idol competition to his own record label, a right he is set to lose this coming season.) Odds are he'll stay, however. "We all know they can't carry on with Idol without Simon," an on-set source tells Scoop. "He'll be back. But he's in a good position to make things rough right now." It's not Cowell's only fight: British Idol creator Simon Fuller has sued him for stealing the idea for X-Factor. All of this makes for one unhappy Idol set. "The tension is high," says another set source. "They're cutting back with things like travel, hotels and food for the staff. And no raises." But as long as the show goes on, judge Randy Jackson fearlessly predicts the season will be a winner. "It's hot, man," he says. "We still have some great, amazing talent."

The Big Money Competition
American Idol showcases singing, but listen carefully and you'll hear another sound: ka-ching! FOX's fat cash cow brought in at least $900 million in revenue last year. Besides ad sales, there are profits from text message voting, dozens of foreign Idol spinoffs and money generated by Idol winners. The franchise is owned by several privately held companies. Now Simon Cowell has another idea: American Inventor, a ABC show he and Idol producers have created, will pit inventors and their creations against each other, starting in January. Ladies and gentlemen, start your better mousetraps....

Oprah: Peace In Our Time
And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Top 10 most likely reasons why Oprah Winfrey ended her 16-year rift with David Letterman and agreed to appear on his CBS Late Show Dec. 1.

No. 10: She's producing a Broadway musical, The Color Purple, across the street.

Nos. 9 through 1: See No. 10.

What was the problem? In 2003 Winfrey told TIME her past appearances on Letterman's show made her "completely uncomfortable." At the 1995 Oscars ceremony, for example, Letterman quipped about introducing Winfrey and Uma Thurman ("Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah"). No matter. "[We'll] put bygones behind us, the water under the bridge, over the dam, wherever water goes," joked Letterman at his Nov. 21 taping. "She's going to be here on this show, a and it's going to be fantastic."

J.Lo to Go
You want fries with that? To be shot for the cover of the annual Pirelli calendar—an honor that has previously gone to Giseie Bündchen and Kate Moss, among others—Jennifer Lopez flew to France with her mom, Guadalupe, in a private jet in May and stayed at the famous Grand Hotel du Cap-Ferrat near Nice. She enjoyed vamping it up à la Brigitte Bardot—but hungered for familiar food. "So she sent out for McDonald's," said a source on the shoot. "We sent a car to Nice for it, and she was very happy."

CROWE GOES FREE
Russell Crowe won't be going to jail for throwing a phone at a hotel clerk this summer. The actor appeared in a New York City courtroom Nov. 18 to face misdemeanor charges stemming from the June 6 incident at Manhattan's Mercer Hotel. (In August he settled a civil suit with the clerk for an undisclosed sum.) In a low voice, Crowe agreed to a $160 court fee and was given a conditional discharge; he'll face no further legal fallout from the case if he stays out of trouble for a year. After the sentencing his wife, Danielle Spencer, kissed his cheek, and the two left through a back door. Originally, Crowe, 41, had been charged with a felony that carried a possible seven-year sentence and could have affected his visa status. Said his lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt: "It went as well as could be expected."

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES UPDATE

Happy BIRTHDAY Nicollette

Nicollette Sheridan didn't let the recent cancellation of her engagement get in the way of enjoying her 42nd birthday. The Desperate Housewives star, decked out in pink Armani, was feted by 60 guests, including costars Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross and Brenda Strong, at the West Hollywood eatery II Sole Nov. 19. "Nicollette was in excellent spirits," says a guest. "She was very happy and thankful to her friends." Presents for Sheridan included items from Hermes, Tiffany and Gucci, but the biggie was a right-hand diamond ring from her manager Marcia Hurwitz. Sheridan donated a similar ring to an animal charity for auction. Also on hand were Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore, who happened to go to the restaurant and dropped by to say hello to the birthday girl.

Why I Left The Show
Why was Page Kennedy fired from Desperate Housewives Nov. 4? The studio says "improper conduct," but the actor disputes it. "There are a lot of stories out there," Kennedy tells SCOOP. (They include published reports of on-set nudity.) "The truth is that Touchstone decided to go in a different direction." The actor, 29, who played the fugitive Caleb, says he is hurt and concerned about the effect of the reports on his career and on his two young children. Still, he says, "I'll get past this." For now, Kennedy can be seen in the Usher film In the Mix. Nashawn Kearse, 33, has taken over the role of the basement denizen.

Live from New York
On Saturday Night Live Nov. 19, guest host Eva Longoria portrayed Teri Hatcher as a Desperate Housewives cast member intent on inserting herself into the middle of a Vanity Fair photo shoot. Teri's take? "I think the Vanity Fair thing feels like an old issue to me," she told Scoop at the Spirit of Hollywood Awards ceremony in L.A., a few hours before SNL aired on the West Coast. "I don't know that I would have written that sketch." As for Longoria playing Hatcher, "She'll be a little short," Hatcher said, adding, "I'm sure she'll be great. I'm TiVoing it. I can't wait to see it."

heart monitor

EDDIE: NOT QUITE HER STEADY
There may be a thaw in Hollywood's relationship with the entertainment media. Access Hollywood anchor Shaun Robinson arrived at a Beverly Hills steak house Nov. 10 for the show's 10th-anniversary bash with Eddie Murphy on her arm. So are the two an item? The press certainly thinks so, given their coverage of the evening, although the funnyman has also been romantically linked with Robin Givens and Marian Carey since splitting this summer from his wife, Nicole, after 12 years of marriage. "They are friends—that's the deal," said a show spokeswoman. Robinson made a cameo in Murphy's 2001 comedy Dr. Dolittle 2. Murphy also considers many execs and staffers at Access to be his pals. His rep declined comment.

Ross and Voight: Out and About
At the Nov. 1 launch party for the Lady Sings the Blues DVD, a beaming Diana Ross turned up hand-in-hand with actor Jon Voight. In October both attended another showbiz soiree. Which begs the question: Could Angelina Jolie's dad be Supremely in love? Alas, no, say reps for the actor, 66, and the singer, 61. "People want romance. They want it to be real, but it's not like that," Ross's rep told Scoop of the longtime friends, who met at the 1979 Academy Awards (Ross presented Voight with his best actor Oscar for Coming Home). "He thinks she is a wonderful lady, but this is not love."

Still Engaged
No need to buy a gift just yet for 24 star Elisha Cuthbert and Trace Ayala, who got engaged last year. The actress, 23, has been spotted sans her engagement ring—and her fiancé. At a recent Hollywood party, the two barely spoke. "Neither one of us is in a hurry to get married," Ayala, 25, told Scoop at the launch of William Rast (his clothing line with partner Justin Timberlake). "We've both got so much going on right now. I love her to death, so whatever happens, happens." Cuthbert's rep declined comment.

Q+A

Usher

After a handful of small movie parts. Usher takes a whack at a leading-man role as a deejay turned Mob bodyguard in In the Mix. The Grammy winner, 27, talked to Scoop.

Your character protects a Mafioso's daughter. What's your favorite gangster film?
Scarface and The Godfather Part II. I love the drama, man. When Al Pacino finally takes on his responsibility as the don, it really gets crazy.

Favorite movie?
I don't have one. I'm a connoisseur of movies. There are so many I love.

Such as?
The Five Heartbeats—that's the ultimate. The Exorcist. The Notebook. The NeverEnding Story. Batman. Shrek.

Shrek? Seriously?
Yeah, guilty pleasure, man. Eddie Murphy killed it as Donkey! I really love animated films. It's almost not cool. I'll sit in there with the kids at Chicken Little and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Quick: Best animated film scene?
In Shrek 2, when Puss-in-Boots is introduced. It's funny, man!

Your dream costar?
Rachel McAdams from The Notebook. She has such great energy on-camera, it's ridiculous—it just pops off the screen. I'd Love to do a period piece with her.

Movie hero?
James Bond. Dresses the best, has the flyest cars and never loses his composure. I'd be the first black man to play him.

Think you'll get the chance someday?
Who knows? Give me another 20-30 years.

• Contributors:
• Olivia Abel,
• Rennie Dyball,
• Carrie Borzilio-Vrenna,
• Mark Dagostino,
• Michael Fleeman,
• Dede Gallagher,
• Diane Herbst,
• Jessica Herndon,
• Kim Lansing,
• Marisa Laudadio,
• Tiffany McGee,
• Peter Mikelbank,
• Gail Nussbaum,
• Frank Swertlow,
• Fannie Weinstein,
• Nicholas Whi.