Paris to Gov. Ahnuld: Pardon Me, Please!
Paris Hilton is begging the Governator to give her a break -- and is pleading with her fans to sign a petition asking for her pardon.
On her MySpace page this morning, she says her friend Joshua Capone started a petition, and asks that her fans "help and sihn [sic] it," adding, "I LOVE YOU ALL!!!" The petition takes the somewhat puzzling tack of pointing out that she's an heiress to the Hilton fortune, and that Paris "provides hope for young people all over the U.S. and the world."
Meanwhile, TMZ has confirmed that Paris met with her longtime rep Elliot Mintz, whom she fired over the weekend, and now Us Weekly is reporting that Mintz has been rehired by Hilton. Later yesterday, Paris was accompanied by Mintz to an event called, appropriately enough, Sober USA. An Us witness says though Paris "held it together" at the event, her eyes were tearing. (At right, the merry pranksters at www.prettyontheoutside.com have produced their own image of Paris in the clink.)
Rosie -- Getting a New $40 Million "View"?
Rosie O'Donnell is on the hunt for a new gig that gives her plenty of independence, but she might be dreaming if she thinks she'll get the $40 million she's looking for from a more traditional studio deal. According to Broadcasting and Cable, O'Donnell wants creative freedom over her new show, but she won't be able to get as much cash under that arrangement, says a mag source. One possibility is that she'll do a show on CBS and guest host on the Early Show. Another is that she'll land on FOX stations, but her recent bashing of FOX overlord Rupert Murdoch may have scuttled that plan. Still, as one exec explains, "she may be a polarizing figure, but if we can get 5%-10% of those who agree with her and a few of those who don't, we would have a hit."It Takes a Village to Make Anna Nicole
Tonight's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" features an Anna Nicole-alike in its storyline, and according to the New York Post, it was no small task to get actress Kristy Swanson to do her best Anna. Despite the blonde and buxom Swanson's natural similarities to Anna, Law & Order producers used three hairdressers, three make-up artists, four wardrobe specialists, and a "host of grips, electrical technicians and production assistants" to get the look just right. Party Favors: Usher -- the New Britney? ... Owen and Kate Get Dissed at Tom Ford ... Borat's Brother Composes for Kazakhstan
In one fell swoop, Usher Raymond has fired his mom (as his manager) and his publicist, according to the New York Daily News gossips. Both have been Usher's team since the beginning, but discord with Usher's fiancée is reportedly causing the first firing, and of the second, his newly ex-rep Simone Smalls says, "Change is good!" ... Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson tried to get into the new Tom Ford men's store in Manhattan just after closing time, reports Gatecrasher, but were frostily denied by the manager, who had to be gently reminded of their identity before letting them browse the store. ... Erran Baron Cohen, brother of Sacha, was chosen by none other than the West Kazakhstan Philharmonic Orchestra to compose a piece for its big debut in London last Friday. Erran also composed the score for "Borat."
