The John Hancock Champions on Ice tour is under way with golden girl Sarah Hughes and perennial favorite Michelle Kwan. But where are Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, the Canadian pairs gold medalists whose market value rose precipitously in the wake of Salt Lake City's Olympic judging scandal? Sources say tour promoters and reps for the skaters couldn't come to an agreement on salary. Although the skaters' agent Craig Fenech says "the figures are inflated," I hear the Canadians wanted $20,000 per show for the 85-city tour, twice what promoters were willing to pay and at least $5,000 more than most U.S. Olympic stars. Salé and Pelletier eventually dropped their price to $14,000, but that was still too much, so the show went on without them.
Richard Gere and director Adrian Lyne didn't see eye to eye on Unfaithful, the new erotic thriller. Lyne wanted his star to appear a little pudgy in a bathtub scene, so he kept sending cookies and ice cream to Gere's trailer. But the actor did just the opposite, working out extra hard for the scene. Lyne also changed the film's ending, at the actor's request, to improve the flick's "karma." However, after fielding complaints from journalists who felt the denouement was too tidy, Lyne reverted to his original, more ambiguous ending and cut the final scene.
After tying the knot in Miami on April 20, Sex and the City star Kyle MacLachlan and his bride, publicist Desiree Gruber, kicked off their marriage with a brunch for friends and family the following morning. A romantic dinner in New York City, where they'll live when not in Los Angeles, came next. Their two-week European honeymoon began in earnest on April 23 with a flight to Paris, where they spent time shopping before hopping a plane to Rome. There, friends of the couple threw them a party at a home overlooking the ruins of the Coliseum.
Everyone carries a lot of secrets in 24, FOX TV's spy thriller starring Kiefer Sutherland. But the best-kept secret was an off-screen romance between costars Sarah Clarke and Xander Berkeley, who play Nina Myers and George Mason on the series. They had been dating since they met while filming the pilot episode a year ago. Not many on the set knew until one day in April when everyone gathered for a big announcement. Most thought it had to do with the show getting picked up for next season, until Clarke blurted out, "I'm marrying George!" The wedding is set for Sept. 7.
Catherine Zeta-Jones hails from Wales, so it's only fitting that Dylan, her 21-month-old son with Michael Douglas, have a Welsh pony. At a charity event in Cardiff, Wales, recently, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society presented the actress with just such a steed to thank her for all she has done for their country. Zeta-Jones plans to ship the 3'9" shaggy gray pony named Highland Jinks to the couple's home in Bermuda.
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