"What," you might be wondering, "ever happened to Page Six editor Richard Johnson and his drunk driving incident?" Richard, as you'll recall, was arrested just over a year ago as he attempted to drive off from Soho House in his 2005 Ford Escape.
At the time, he refused a request to take a blood alcohol test (he only had one glass of wine, he told the officer) and was summarily charged with two misdemeanors.
Now, more than 12 months later, where do things stand?
Did Nello Balan really slip Richard Johnson $1,000 in an envelope in order to boost his holiday cheer? If he did, he's not exactly racked with guilt. In an Oscar caliber "damage control" performance, the restaurant impresario nobly defends his right to give unsolicited monetary donations to make-or-break gossip columns—and accuses those of us who fail to grasp his selfless generosity of being Scrooges, Grinches and penny-pinchers who've lost the Christmas spirit.
“If I did, so what?” he wondered in his Romanian accent between bites. “What is wrong with a Christmas gift? What, Americans have to be such Grinches about Christmas?” Americans, not so much. Journalists, maybe. Along with other allegations, the New York Post’s admission that Johnson accepted the cash has sparked a media frenzy. But it’s been too long to remember the details, Nello said. “It was 1997. I was in Aspen.” He wondered if he hadn’t asked his assistant to send over truffles, or possibly scarves, gloves, and ties (Hermès is across the street), and just maybe the assistant got flustered and sent cash instead.
Meanwhile, the NY Times tries to figure out just how beneficial Malan's selfless act really was, asking "was there a quid pro quo?"
[Spoiler: Yes.]
Earlier, we told you Page Six had taken a preemptive strike at former freelancer Jared Paul Stern in a lengthy item entitled "Lies & Smears Aimed At The Post." Despite the fact that, as recently as four months ago, the very same column attempted to cast Stern as a martyr, today they opted to actively discredit him, addressing his defamatory allegations—and the incendiary Ian Spiegelman email—head on, and contesting the litany of charges in advance of the upcoming court battle.
And though the Posties predictably brushed aside most of the charges and as complete and utter falsehoods, they did, however, acknowledge that, on one regrettable occasion, Page Six's Richard Johnson made a "grave mistake" in accepting a $1,000 gift from restaurateur Nello Balan back in 1997, and they offer a prompt (albeit rather vague) apology for this transgression.
Following this morning's testimonial in the NYP, The Smoking Gun re-examined the circumstances surrounding the Payola Six scandal, and questioned whether or not their apology addressed all of the relevant facts.
CONTINUED »
This morning, we told you about rude, crude Rosie and her potty-mouthed emceeing of yesterday's Matrix awards luncheon.
At least, that's how it was according to Page Six.
But, as Gawker observes, Cindy Adams had a whole different take on things. Which could be interpreted to mean that she rather enjoyed Rosie's lambasting of Rupert Murdoch, which could then, in turn, be interpreted to mean that Cindy actually hates Rupert—or that she loves Rosie. Or that she's a batty old woman who loves her Yorkie and sometimes gets confused.
Regardless of Cindy's machinations, however, we think we've figured out Page Six's motivation for the anti-Rosie manifesto. And, unsurprisingly, like pretty much everything else that happens, it can all be traced back to Richard Johnson.
Because, according to a well-placed tipster, this was a case of pure, unadulterated revenge.
CONTINUED »
• Ricky Gervais puts the kabosh on Extras, dooms us to an unfunny, "television programming written for Americans, by Americans" existence.
• Publisher of the Baltimore Sun chooses a 77 woman* over her job.
• Richard Johnson's "little Johnson" is twelve inches long. (We're talking about his new baby, pervs!)
• Editors hate covering the war in Iraq almost as much as the U.S. soldiers hate fighting in it.
CONTINUED »
• The King of Page Six, Richard Johnson, attributes his gossip super-stardom to marrying a hottie and punching Village Voice columnists in the face.
• The obligatory Anna Nicole Smith update includes the number of meds in her system at the time of death (ten) and reports that her mom abhors Howard K. Stern.
• Vince shows up for Jen's bday bash. Must mean they're doing it again. Or else he wanted to see her new nose.
• Lindsay Lohan proves she's serious about turning her life around by buying the former pad of suicidal pin-up girl Marilyn Monroe.
• Sarah Jessica Parker may not still have her original nose but she definitely hasn't surgically altered those catcher's mitts hands of hers.
CONTINUED »
With today being Richard Johnson's birthday and all, we thought we'd take a leisurely stroll down memory lane and celebrate all of Richie's highlights from this past year in eager anticipation of the scandals that are still to come!
April 7, 2006
Jared Paul Stern is suspended as the FBI investigates charges that he was extorting money from billionaire Ron Burkle in exchange for "favorable press." Stern claims he was set up, Burkle claims his rights were violated, and Richard Johnson couldn't give a shit cause he's marrying third-wife (and mega-hottie) Sessa Von Richthofen on a yacht in the midst of it all.
April 10, 2006
Article in U.S.A. Today blasts Jared Paul Stern for having shitty journalism ethics, and off-handedly mentions that Richard Johnson (wait, he's the editor of Page Six!) frequently accepts gifts in exchange for coverage, a "clear violation" of journalistic ethics:
And Page Six editor Richard Johnson accepted use of a Mercedes and a room at the Four Seasons Hotel to cover this year's Academy Awards, a Post spokesman confirmed. Stern said that he accepted a hotel junket to the Bahamas two years ago and that he often gets use of cars from carmakers in exchange for ink.
April 21, 2006
Page Six officially fires Stern, then Richard Johnson closes his eyes, makes passionate love to his much-more-attractive wife, and waits for the whole ugly mess to "just go away."
June 2, 2006
Two months have passed since the JPS scandal and Richard Johnson (and Page Six) are finally starting to sit pretty again. That is, until Johnson racks up a DUI for drunk-driving in the meatpacking district after a members-only party at Soho House. Best of all, those friendly folks over at the NYO helpfully remind us that this is, in fact, Johnson's second DUI, (his first citation was back in 1997).
June 26, 2006
Richard Johnson is questioned by the FBI about Jared Paul Stern. In an amusing "coincidence," Murray Richman will be representing Johnson in this matter while Richman's daughter, attorney Stacey Richman, reps him on that nasty DUI charge.
CONTINUED »
Page Six editor Richard Johnson, on who should be named I Want Media's Person of the Year:
How about Richard Johnson? His latest challenger for gossip supremacy, Lloyd Grove, was vanquished with a whimper after three years of getting beat by Page Six. The Post finally surpassed the Daily News in circulation nearly 30 years after Rupert Murdoch came to town. And Page Six weathered the Jared Paul Stern scandal, despite the best efforts of the Daily News to destroy the column.
Nice to see old grudges – and egos – don't die hard. Quaint.
One of our favorite games to play is Anatomy of a Page Six Retraction, and today's "For The Record" item in Richard Johnson's column gives us some great footing. It takes quite a bit to get RJ & Co. to back off from their "heavily" vetted items, so what brought this?:
JENNIFER Aniston went on "Oprah" to tell the world she and Vince Vaughn are still together. We apologize to Vaughn for reporting on Oct. 11 that the "The Wedding Crashers" star had been photographed "making out" with a "mystery blonde" at a party in London. The item, first reported in the London Sun, was incorrect. We're advised Vaughn was merely greeting a friend at the event and not kissing her "passionately." Any suggestion that the actor was being unfaithful to Aniston is totally false.
From what we understand, the New York Post received a well-versed letter from the offices of Hollywood power firm Lavely & Singer, which reps Vaughinston's interests. After several conversations between News Corp.'s legal team and editor Col Allan, a decision was handed down to Johnson: Apologize for the original item, or the Vaughn will very likely make good on his threats to sue. (Britain's Daily Mail and The Sun remain on the list of remaining targets.) And just when you thought all the angles for items on Page Six were exhausted this month.
FOR THE RECORD [Page Six]
We hope the below isn't true foreshadowing — of the Lloyd Grove type. But when sending an email to Page Six's chief, you might be on the receiving end of this:
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification.
Delivery to the following recipients failed.
RJohnson@nypost.com
Final-Recipient: rfc822;RJohnson@nypost.com
Action: failed
Status: 5.2.2
X-Display-Name: Johnson, Richard
Today, Animal brings us a handy little round-up of the best way to pitch gossips. If you call Keith Kelly at 5:30 and he will cut you, Richard Johnson wants you to spit it out in 10 seconds, and David Carr prefers your e-love letters.
But, what about the great and powerful Lloyd Grove? How should you pitch him stories?
Name: Lloyd Grove
Phone: 212 210 1647
Fax: 212 643 7832
Email: lgove@edit.nydailynews.com
Bio: He joined the NYDN in 2003. Before that, he wrote the “Reliable Source: gossip column in the Styles section of the Washington Post. He worked at the Post from 1980 – 2003, working as a features writer, theater critic, campaign reporter, and style reporter before becoming the Gossip columnist in 1997. He also worked as Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Dallas Morning News.
So, uh, yeah. They don't really say. But we know how to get your name in Lloyd Grove's column. Oh yes we do.
CONTINUED »
• Ok, this was in New Jersey … but still. What's the point of having a cop car if you can't get busy in it? [ABC]
• If you have a pet tiger, you may want to ditch that mescaline stash — stat. [Gothamist]
• Richard Johnson is just like us. When he gets a DUI, he has to take the freakin' subway. [Gawker]
• Hide your underage daughters! The Clintons are coming to a Hamptons party near you .. .and we're sure Jeffrey Epstein will be their plus one. [Newsday]
• Mayor Bloomberg wants us to know that the NYPD isn’t “dumbing down†the requirements in order to help minorities join the force. They’re just cutting out the smart parts which have no real relevance anyway. [NYDN]
• Scissors can be dangerous, even when you're not running with them. Just remember, always walk with points down and stay away from crazy ladies throwing them at you. [NYP]
Ah, yes, Richard Johnson's DUI. We know — by now the Page Six editor's little arrest is old news. But every time Johnson takes a crap the Daily News is there, ready to pounce on it, and today the News is reporting on something about as interesting as that. Johnson's case is being adjourned until October 12 in order to give his lawyer time to review the case.
Well, the details are murky. Johnson was pulled over on Ninth Ave and, after refusing a Breathalyzer, was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Ed Hayes said RJ was drinking a beer … or two, Johnson said he had been drinking wine … they just need a little more time to review the facts. Whatever.
But what we love about this article is the Daily News' coverage of the story, dedicating a full page to recapping last month's news,
The writer and editor of the Post's gossip column — which some have called "Page Fix" since one of the column's reporters was accused in an extortion plot — insisted he had only one glass of wine, with his wife, Sessa, at SoHo House.
And by "some have called 'Page Fix'" they mean "we have called 'Paid Fix.'"
Page Six's top gun has DWI case Post-poned [Daily News]
We've discovered yet another quality which separates us from the dreaded "mainstream media." And this little distinguishing quality is the ways in which we make fun of the New York Post.
See, the Post (which according to Ad Age is not MSM), has a gossipy tabloid tone that the stuff shirts tease … because they're jealous.
Like the teen who writes nasty things about a girl in his MySpace profile because he can't admit he likes her, many mainstream-media journalists and pundits sneer at the Post because they can't admit how frustrated they are by their inability to achieve the paper's lively, confident, insider's tone.
Whereas we make fun of the Post for getting EIC's names wrong, not crediting blogs, running items on the psychic who says the Daily News will die, and Richard Johnson's DUIs .
Plus, doesn't everyone make more fun of the New York Times?
Second-Day Coverage of 'Post' Stories Is Just Yellow Journalism [Scott Donaton, Ad Age]
The Page Six scandal continues to chug along, and this time, the feds are getting involved. Richard Johnson, Chris Wilson, and Paula Froelich (which the Daily News spells "Frohelich") will face questions relating to their former fellow gossip Jared Paul Stern.
Post spokesman Howard Rubenstein confirmed that the Page Six staffers would cooperate with the investigation, while one of Johnson's 10 lawyers, Ed Hayes, thinks it's a bit unnecessary — considering JPS hasn't actually been charged with a crime.
Johnson can't be repped by Hayes, though, because Hayes once repped Stern, and while he says it is Murray Richman who will get Johnson's back, Richman denies having any involvement. So, basically, we don't know who amongst the Sixers has a lawyer or who they are.
What we do know is that the word "kerfuffle" is slowly being reintroduced to the vernacular of media gossips.
Next Post scoop: Grilled gossips [William Sherman, Daily News]
We Hear . . . Stern Questions [Geoffry Gray, New York]
After asking just about everyone under the gossip sun to join their staff, Page Six finally wrangled somebody from their own turf to fill the Page Six spot left open by the mass freelancer firing a couple months ago. Veteran New York Post reporter Bill Hoffmann will join Richard Johnson, Paula Froelich, and Chris Wilson at New York's vodka soaked page.
Last month, the New York Observer reported that Johnson had been conducting a broad search for potential candidates, speaking with a number of gossip-beat reporters and bloggers about the position. The Observer described the position as "legwork on the party scene…going to events at night and trolling for sources and tidbits."
Considering he'll be doing the work of Jared Paul Stern, Fernando Gil, Chris Tennant, and Lisa Marsh combined, we hope he's got of nightlife life left in him. Or, a year's supply of Redbull.
Breaking: NY Post Vet Bill Hoffman Joins Page Six [Rachel Sklar, Eat the Press]
Another listicle issue for New York — hooray! It's been an excruciating month or so since the Influentials issue, so we guess we were due for another elitist best of the best lifesavers round-up. (And while it's great and all, may we please request the next list be "the top hot single doctors?" Thanks.)
Intern Zack approached his weekly NY mag reading with vigor, jumping on the fake Richard Johnson that's been running about town, the millionth "anchor wars" article, and the best ways to drink your way around the World Cup. (We are this close to shouting, gooooooooaaaaaaalllll ….)
• We know that break-ups are always rough, but did Jay-Z really put Damon Dash out on the street? Give us a break … the guy still drives a Maybach! [Why Damon Dash Hates Mondays]
• As Joe Hagen tackles the "evening news wars," we can't help but think of Anchorman. Well, at least until we realize that Charlie Gibson isn't at all funny … even if the bizarre cartoon depictions of him and his war enemies are. [Charlie the Conqueror]
• From the "other" Richard Johnson, we learn that the Page Six editor is not welcome at La Esquina and people think RJ knows what's up with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. [Richard Johnson’s Doppelgänger]
• Andy Warhol's nephew honors his legendary uncle by selling off all the crap that Uncle A left him. [Uncle Andy’s Hand-Me-Downs]
• All that stuff about the World Cup bringing people together? Complete bullshit. Go drink with your own kind! [It's The World Cup: Drink Up!]
• Despite having one of the more off-beat jobs in this industry, New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz inpsires New York to label him the biggest word-nerd of our time. [The Puzzlemaster’s Dilemma]
Table of Contents [New York]
• Everyone went nuts over Page Six editor Richard Johnson's DUI on Friday … but seemed to have forgotten about his prior. [NYO]
• NYC Judge to plaintiff: "shellfish have shells." Jossip to Jessica Simpson: "you are not alone." [NYP]
• Because poor kids are stupid and don't deserve to learn, parents of NEST students shake their maracas and try to protect their chosen gifted children from an eroding future. [NYT]
• Oh, come on. Stop complaining. If they're old enough to go to summer school, kids are old enough to take the subway there. Unless the MTA strikes again. Then we're all screwed. [NYDN]
• Please keep the disgusting smell of clean clothes to yourself. Nobody wants to breath in the scent of your spring fresh underthings. [Curbed]
The best way for a gossip to ruin his career? Dance all over a town like LA, during an event like the MTV movie awards, singing about who gave you information on Richard Johnson's DUI.
If the following piece of information is true, we would like to see Perez Hilton win the biggest sell-out award.
On the media shuttle bus over to Saturday night’s MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles, another journalist (and ANIMAL’s source for the story) congratulated Perez on being the first to report Page Six editor Richard Johnson’s DUI arrest. Perez accepted the compliment, then boastfully told our mole that Chris Wilson, Page Six's hangover-happy foot soldier, was who he received the tip from just a few hours after Johnson was released from the drunk tank.
Notice how Animal refers to their source as "a mole" and not by name. Smart move. After expressing our shock that Chris Wilson tattled on the boss man, we then moved into the second stage of gossip tragedy. Why spill to Perez?
Not that we're jealous of the scoop, it just makes us wonder if Chris himself had something to hide? In which case, we're totally sure it's completely safe.
Perez Hilton Rats Out Chris Wilson [Animal via Gawker]
