Craig Ferguson Stays Put; Madonna's 'Crazed Stalker' Is Loose
Welcome to the Smart Set. Every morning, we bring you the gossip coverage filtered. Today: Craig Ferguson is closing in on a deal to stay at CBS, Madonna's "crazed stalker" is on the loose, and Fox Business says so long to its entire primetime lineup
RELATED: Clooney's Obama Fundraiser is Huge; Demi Moore Is Twitter Single
Ah, good news: CBS is apparently close to signing Craig Ferguson to a contract extension that will keep him with the network through 2014. As of last month, the future of The Late, Late Show host was up in the air. His contract was going to expire later this year, and he reportedly wanted a raise and a bigger production budget. A source says that under the terms of the new deal, the show is going to move to a new, bigger stage at CBS' TV City. [The Hollywood Reporter]
RELATED: Anne Hathaway Must Diet; Paul Haggis Takes Manhattan
Gore Vidal, for one, believes reputed 88-year-old Hollywood gigolo Scotty Bowers, author of the new memoir Tell All, when he says he set up Katharine Hepburn with "over 150" women and had an orgy with the Duke & Duchess of Windsor. At a book party for Bowers at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, Vidal told guests that he's known the author for more than 60 years, and never caught him in a lie, even though Los Angeles is a town "where you can meet 1,000 liars a day." [Page Six]
RELATED: Demi Moore's Night of Nitrous and Seizures; A Possible 'Office' Spinoff
Nicole Lapin -- the much photographed former CNBC anchor who left the network last year to start her own "financial production company" -- has reportedly moved in with billionaire Michael Rubin, who is 14 years older than her and separated from his wife in June. According to the New York Post, there's also "chatter" that Rubin is funding Lapin's production company, something her rep denies. [Page Six]
RELATED: Biel and Timberlake Share Pork Tacos; Sam Donaldson's Ranch Is In Flames
This is troubling: Robert Dewey Hoskins, Madonna's "crazed stalker" has escaped from a mental institution in California. In 1996, Hoskins jumped over a wall at Madonna's house and was shot by a security guard. He said he planned to cut her throat. Sources say that Hoskins continued to fixate on the Material Girl during the ensuing 15 years he spent in prison and various mental institutions. [New York Daily News]
RELATED: James Franco Adapts Cormac McCarthy; The 'Luck' Horses Are Dying
Demi Moore, who has reportedly consulted "an intuitive healer and a psychic medium" since checking into rehab at the Cirque Lodge, would also like Deepak Chopra's advice. According to a source, she's "seeking help" from the guru, who she knows from way back, but there's no word if they've actually gotten in touch. [People]
The newsroom at Politico got a surprise visit from All-Pro Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings yesterday. Per Mike Allen, "everyone was wowed by his humility, as he shook hands and took photos throughout the newsroom." Super guy, that Greg Jennings. He also visited with Sen. John Thune and Michigan Rep.Fred Upton to talk up his chairty, and also talk some football. [Playbook]
