Yeah, yeah, we all know the story. Last Thursday night, Page Six editor Richard Johnson was pulled over and was slapped with a DUI after leaving Soho House. While the greater crime may be driving a Ford Escape, the story of what and how much Richard had to drink is still a little murky.

Mr. Johnson told the officer that he had just come from the Soho House, a members-only club in the meatpacking district, and that he had drunk a glass of wine. He refused to take a Breathalyzer test, according to court records, and was taken into custody.

But then, Richard's lawyers decides to throw his two cents in the bucket. And the story, while sticking to the 'might have had one drink' idea, sort of makes it look like an multiple choice test in seventh grade health classes. (You know, the class where you learn a pint of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of liquor will get you equally not buzzed so that you can still drive? It's the same class where, to the disappointment of Joe Francis, they taught girls that showers won't make them sober.)

Mr. Johnson's lawyer, Edward Hayes, said that Mr. Johnson played basketball on Thursday evening before going to the Soho House for a birthday party; there, Mr. Hayes said, he "might have had a beer."

Now all we need is for Richard Johnson's basketball buddies to come around and say he may have only had a tequila shot or three.

Page Six Editor Charged With Drunken Driving [Kareem Fahim, New York Times]
Earier: Richard Johnson Keeps Fridays Interesting

• Our lives now officially have purpose. Our savior is born.

• This week it was 'EIC this' and 'EIC that.' Honestly, nobody actually knew who these people were until they got fired. Or hired. Or went to the beach.

• We can not leave our un-airconditioned apartment without Richard Johnson getting a DUI and making us come back and report on it.

• Anna Nicole Smith is reproducing. Well, did you really think the devil would be far behind?

• It would totally suck going to high school with these people.

• Yes, Katie Couric is gone. She's really, really, really gone. And everyone cried and sung songs about colonoscopies. And then, she bought a house. Go for it Katie!

Leave it to Richard Johnson to get us out of our summer Friday, stealing us back to the computer to report on his drunk driving arrests. And to Perez Hilton and his ridiculous vendettas for breaking all types of shit. But, Rich is kind of going through a hard time guys.

Word has it that last night NYPD pulled Mr. Page Six over driving a Ford Escape. The "police allege" (which we think we can take out now that we have the police report) he was bombed.

"intoxicated… had watery and bloodshot eyes, had slightly slurred speech and had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath." The criminal complaint also says that Johnson "refused" to take a breath test.

Johnson has been charged with a misdemeanor.

And, if he gets convicted, he'll do a year in jail. Yeah, that's really gonna' happen. Johnson's lawyer says,

"Richard went out for a couple of beers after playing basketball, nobody got hurt, there was no accident. I don't think he was drunk, he might have had one beer too many."

Come on people. It's not like he ran over sixteen people in the Hamptons. But, yeah, it's still hilarious.

Page Six Editor Arrested [TMZ]
Richard Johnson Arrested! [Perez Hilton]

And here we thought today was going be slow and mostly boring. That was until the Enron trial reached a verdict, and we got anonymous tip informing us that recently, Ian Spiegelman sent a somewhat controversial e-mail to Col Allen .

A Page Sixer being controversial? How odd. From a little birdie:

Ian Spiegelman's book party is this eve, and it looks like his die hard friends from p6 aren't going to turn out to support him b/c of a rant-y email IS sent to Col Allan (IS is presumed to have been drunk). Some have been told they can attend on the down low, but cannot be photographed.

Apparently, this is because of the Ad Age interview Spiegelman gave Simon Dumenco, in which he reverberated that Page Six is like a mafia. Maybe that's why everyone is scared to work there? Well, Spiegelman happened to respond to our emails, saying that he was not drunk when he wrote it, nor were his words intended to be off-putting.

You can decide for yourself … the controversial e-mail, originally sent to Col Allan (and supposedly cc'd to Richard Johnson), and then sent to us by Spiegelman himself, is after the jump. In it we find that former Page Six staffer loves the Post but thinks Rupert Murdoch is an evil, evil man. Wow, we didn't know anyone else felt that way.

And while we have no actual confirmation as to whether the staffers were told not to attend the party — or whether they will in fact go or not — we hear that some Page Six and ex Page Six staffers will attend, including Jared Paul Stern … if he makes it out of hiding without being gunned down by Ron Burkle. Ok, now onto the good stuff …

CONTINUED »

Is working for Page Six losing its appeal? In today's Off the Record column in the Observer (which we knew was coming but had to do a little searching for it) we learn that a sleu of bloggers, freelancers, and even Observer staffers themselves have turned down an offer to work at the Page.

According to sources familiar with all or part of the search, people the Post has approached include Jacob Bernstein and Elisa Lipsky-Karasz of WWD, W’s Marshall Heyman, Gawker co-editor Jessica Coen, Us Weekly blogger Noelle Hancock, Christopher Tennant of Radar and 24-year-old freelance writer Derek Blasberg, who was among the young men profiled in an April 23 New York Times Sunday Styles story about New York’s new tribe of “Boldface Men.” Mr. Johnson has also contacted at least three New York Observer staffers.

The article suggests this collaborative "no" may be the result of the Ron Burkle/ Jared Paul Stern "shake-down" or because of the fact that this new full-time staffer will have to take on the partying of both Fernando Gil and Jared Paul Stern combined (a nearly impossible feat).

Whatever, we don't really care why people don't want to work there, we're just wondering if this means the Chris Wilson/Jessica Coen spat has come to an end? Oh, and what exactly is Derek Blasberg writing?

Times’ Siegal Imprinted Invisibly on Newspaper [Tom Scocca and Gabriel Sherman, New York Observer (2nd Item)

As if the party Doug Dechert threw for himself and his front page New York Press article wasn't embarrassing enough, try this one on for size. Dechert got axed from his NYP column after one (that's right one) issue.

A recently unconfirmed report from the Gawks has Dechert crashing Richard Johnson's wedding, which happened to be the topic of his first column, and the cover story of last week's Press.

We had found the item at the very least amusing, but it later came to light that Dechert had crashed the wedding (makes sense, as no one in their right mind would want him there), whereas the column read as if he were an invited guest. That might piss off an editor or two.

And to think just last summer, Dechert was on top of the world, "curating" the boss' son's art show. (Because "art curator" is the chosen second job of hack gossip columnists?) Full Damon Johnson (c/o Doug Dechert) invite after the jump.

CONTINUED »

You know that old scenario where one guy ruins it for everyone? Well, this just in, courtesy (like you had to guess) of the Daily News: Jared Paul Stern ruined it for everyone.

Along with JPS, all of Page Six's freelancers have been let go. The News is calling it a "housecleaning" and despite lack of comment from the competition, it's needless to say this all goes back to the "scandal."

Hints of a cleanup came last week when Post Editor in Chief Col Allan said in a published report: "We are going to tighten ship."

Freelance reporters Fernando Gil, Lisa Marsh, Christopher Tennant and Jared Paul Stern are the byline staffers who are being sacked.

While these four contribs shared the "fourth chair" spot over at P6, behind Richard Johnson, Paula Froelich, and Chris Wilson, they also worked with Page Six The Magazine … which is still moving forth full speed ahead without its editor.

The fate of the crew is yet to be determined, but as for for Stern, we're sure he can fall back on his fab clothing line, commission from Zink magazine, and contributors check from Nick Denton. Not to mention any other extraneous cash that may have exchanged hands.

Post cans four gossip scribes [William Sherman, New York Daily News]

Doug Dechert went to Richard Johnson's wedding. We went to Dechert's party last night.

Please, please don't ask us why. Maybe it's because we hadn't seen Doug since he spent an entire dinner hitting on our editor at Veronda last summer. Or, maybe because we were so high off our Ariel Foxman sighting we thought we were invincible to the horrors of Lloyd Grove and Jared Paul Stern's overage stringers.

Still, in the name of gossiping, we are publicly shaming ourselves and admitting our attendance at this pathetic showing — mainly so that we can publicly shame Baird Jones, who happens to be a huge Dechert groupie.

It actually pained us to see the poor guy, sporting his usual Yankee cap and 1980's Sherlock Holmes business suit, dancing awkwardly to Sugar Ray. If you don't get the picture, this still rendition of the clash might help. Jump at your own risk.

CONTINUED »

Richard Johnson's wedding may have been totally ruined by Jared Paul Stern and Ron Burkle … and Campbell Robertson … but thank Jesus, Moses, and Suri, not all is lost.

Page Six The Magazine will return to fill the void of glossy celebrity gossip that is obviously missing from all our lives. And, from the sound of things, a lack of JPS is not going to change much in the way of the Post's/Page Six's reporting policy.

Page Six reporters routinely cultivate relationships with publicists who feed them and other reporters items about celebrities spotted in the restaurants, hotels and nightclubs they represent.

Placing an ad in the Page Six magazine may be another way for advertisers, and the publicists they hire, to stay on friendly terms with The Post, said Robert S. Boynton, the director of the magazine program at New York University and the author of "The New New Journalism."

"Put it this way: it's a small price to pay for the possibility of getting favorable coverage," Mr. Boynton said.

What was that delectable little Stern quote again? Something like "It's a little like the Mafia. A friend of mine is a friend of yours."

Oh, mafia schmafia.

Page Six, the Magazine, Is Returning (With an Edge, of Sorts [Julie Bosman, New York Times]

• While we thought Dave Chappelle was having a mental breakdown, it turns out that all he wanted to do was to trash white people a little more than usual. But damn those caucasian bosses, they wouldn't have any of it. [AP]

• Nerve goes to the gossip columnists for sex advice and, somehow, we were included. [Nerve]

• Kate White spends 10 hours a month perfecting the craft of the perfect Cosmopolitan cover line. With two million newsstand sales, it's 10 hours well spent. [Forbes]

• More Paid $ix fallout: News Corp. is denying, on Richard Johnson's behalf, deceased landlord-slash-media powerplayer Lou Rudin ever gave the Page Six editor a rent-controlled Upper West Side flat, though former NYTer Blake Fleetwood stands by the story. [Daily Politics]

• Meanwhile, Jared Paul Stern will answer Gawker's questions, but not ours. It's nice to know he's still got kind words for Page Six, the institution. [Gawker]

• Egads! Sometimes the Washington Post news desk and editorial board don't match up. [Washington City Paper]

• Meanwhile, President Bush wants WaPo to apologize for its "reckless reporting" regarding White House intelligence. [E&P]

• Leaks don't only come from the White House; they arrive from the taping of Will & Grace's series finale, too. (Spoiler warning.) [MNH]

• The inevitable finally occurs. DCFS pays a visit to Britney Spears and company. [Socialite's Life]

• Mariah Carey's home is fantabulous. It even comes complete with a Hello Kitty bathroom. We don't know what's more exciting — that or the first issue of In Style Home. [NYO]

• In a final act of destruction, Jared Paul Stern totally ruins Richard Johnson's honeymoon. [Gawker]

• Lockhart Steele goes forth to build his empire. But, he had to leave New York? Ew. [SFG]

• Brad Pitt hits the little screen. Well, they keep putting Jen in movies, so at this point, we're like whatev. [Unbeige]

• Welcome to today's Daily Transom, in which we learn more about inter-office IMs at the Observer than we ever cared to know. [NYO]

• You know that whole ethics thing where reporters aren't supposed to accept any swag from anyone? Yeah, Richard Johnson and his entire staff must have skipped that class. [Daily News]

• Katie Couric, on the cover of Newsweek. God print media, this is so last week. [Fishbowl, NY]

• Turns out J-Schoolers just getting out of college won't only be greeted by coworkers who aren't very hot, but the job market's not looking too good, either. [CNN]

• Forget The Devil Wears Prada, Ann Coulter's soulless bod sports Spandex. [Drudge]

• The price of nobody wanting to take your picture? You have to relinquish your "secret Hollywood salary." [WSJ]

• Giant magazine lives up to its name in staff cuts. [Gawker]

• Hachette's new website is so bad, it's even worse than Office Pirates. We didn't think it was possible, but simulating sex next to a car bombing? That's wrong even in our book. [WWD]

Spring is in the air, people. Despite Jared Paul Stern dominating every other inch of black and white print, a few people managed to go through with their planned nuptials last week.

Campbell Brown and Richard Johnson were both married this weekend — though, unfortch, not to each other.

Brown, the weekend co-anchor on the Today show tied the knot with Dan Senor, "a Republican strategist and Fox News analyst," last weekend, and their dreamy story was the subject of yesterday's New York Times Weddings section.

And an obviously gleeful Johnson married Sessa von Richthofen on a yacht Friday night, among a who's who guest list. (Seriously, doesn't he look thrilled?) Though the details of their relationship were covered ad nauseum by the Times, it was the Daily News who shed publicity on the figures they are attempting to destroy with every breath.

These two really lucked out with the wedding gifts this year. Brown received a huge dis from the Today show when she was passed over for Meredith Vieira, and Johson got linked to one of the biggest scandals in New York Post history.

Mazel tov, medialites!

Campbell Brown and Dan Senor [Lois Smith Brady, New York Times]
Page Six editor makes own gossip at chic nups [Angela Mosconi and William Sherman]

As if the Daily News features of Jared Paul Stern, and Lloyd Grove throwing in his two sense in weren't enough, the gossip on gossip action was taken to the next level this weekend as Campbell Robertson thoroughly recounted the "scandal."

Though Stern's official statement reads

"Mr. Stern said it was a set-up and questioned both Burkle's motives and the Daily News' role in the proceedings. He looks forward to getting to the bottom of the matter.

'Mr. Stern has been the victim of a smear campaign, and expects to be fully exonerated and re-instated in his position,' said his lawyer Joseph Tacopina,"

dust has not yet settled on the rumors, allegations, and of course, gossip, that continued to swirl like Tenesee tornadoes all weekend.

On Saturday, in a New York Times cover story, Roberts revealed that Ron Burkle is not the only one involved in "finessing" his coverage in the column. Harvey Weinstein, Ron Perlman, and Joe Francis are all "friends of Page Six."

And because no eight-part story is complete without thorough background info on the players, the Times introduces us to the Page Sixers, and sheds light the dark, gritty details of a gossip columnist's life.

Of course, the most shocked of all is Alec Baldwin, who just can't believe (he's shocked!) Stern sunk so low — good thing we have Cheryl Tiegs to sum it all up in one word: "creepy." A full calendar of the stories runs along today's Times installment — New York's roses, the News and the Post, are dished about in the same fashion as the subjects' most poured over pages.

But you know what's really creepy? With so much drama in the NYT this weekend, we didn't even need to pick up Page Six for our weekend gossip fix.

Behind Gossip, There's Often a Relationship [Campbell Robertson, New York Times]
Post to Daily News: Drop Dead (& Back Atcha) [Richard Siklos, New York Times]
Earlier: Page Six's Jared Paul Stern stung by Daily News

We have honestly never been more afraid of Page Six in our entire lives. The Daily News, as part of their constant quest to report the truth (especially when that truth involves exposing Post scandals) has a thousand or so words on NYP staffer Jared Paul Stern.

You may remember Stern from a much talked about January 2005 story in Black Table, of which most of the blogs and gossips focused on his rants concerning Bonnie Fuller and Tara Reid.

Yet in light of today's Daily News cover story, we now find this quote much more enlightening. When asked if gossips “protect certain people and ruin others,” Stern answered:

“Good gossip is the coin of the realm and the only thing that matters. Everything else is either paranoia or wishful thinking.”

Or a sting operation busting you for extortion.

Stern has been suspended from the Post upon allegations brought by today’s News cover story, which reports the gossip monger solicited $220,000 from Democratic fund raiser, Hollywood womanizer, and supermarket billionaire (depending on which paper you read) Ron Burkle, in exchange for a year free from false and “unflattering items” about him in the Post’s most read pages.

An exasperated Burkle finally said, "How much do you want?" after Stern said he could control coverage by Richard Johnson, the column's chief writer, and his staff. "Um, $100,000 to get going and then you could get it to me on a month-to-month, maybe like $10,000," replied Stern.

We are still trying to wrap our minds around these allegations, which Richard Johnson calls "horses," but the Post staff is investigating. The News has the whole story in gritty, shady detail, including weird ties to Stern's online clothing rig and Burkle hiring Richard Johnson's fiancee.

The most unbelievable part of this whole story? The Post's promise to start fact-checking their gossip stories — and the fact that someone actually believed them.

The billionaire, the Post and the $220G shakedown [William Sherman, New York Daily News]

It's Richard Johnson's Hollywood. And the only inclination we've ever had to to read Cindy Adams.

Page Six Magazine Prototype Found [NYO Media Mob]

(Click image for larger version)

Rupert Murdoch's attack on AMI and Wenner Media may not "officially" begin until tomorrow, but why hold off for Thursday's debut of Page Six The Magazine (P6TM) when you can have it today? We've scored an advance copy of the 74-page glossy and, in between all the Michael Kors fragrance ads and American Express still trying to convince us its "IN:NYC" card is hip, we managed to find all the shiny content.

The front of the book's "Gossip Extra!" is simply an expanded version of the daily Page Six column: same look, same feel, same blind items that may or may not be held over from last season's Fashion Week. Names dropped: Ed Koch, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, Mark David Chapman, and Dita Von Teese.

The Angelina Jolie cover story splashes pics of her at age 13 looking, well, not so sultry. Scribe Steve Garbarino offers us the vixen's childhood tale that you'd never find in OK!. Scathing, we know.

Next up is the "Oscar Special," which was likely slapped together several months ago, then updated with photos and boldfaced names of the stars that ended up receiving nominations. Blame the Post's Kyle Smith for the third-grade one-liners filling the copy. But flip through a couple pages of this section and you'll get New York Observer mascot Simon Doonan revealing shocking revelations like "we've become overly focused on movie stars." So let's write about 'em some more!

Moving on, we arrive at "A Shore Thing," P6TM's attempt at a photo shoot with Victoria's Secret models Gisele Bundchen and Alessandra Ambrosio, as well as newcomer Izabel Goulart. You'll find the same exposed-breasts-but-not-really that Jennifer Aniston offered up so eagerly on GQ.

"Hot Wheels" comes next, showing stars and their whips, which as we all know is just filler to attract Detroit's ad dollars. If Out can do it, so can P6TM.

"Style File" interviews Heidi Klum with headlines so heavily dotted with exclamation points we almost forgot Joe Dolce wasn't behind this title. But Heidi, god bless her, isn't afraid to throw around some dirty words. P6TM, however, is still keen on being part of the Post's "family paper" image and won't print them in full: "It always rains during Fashion Week. There is always shi– weather in New York." You connect the hyphens.

The Hilton clan are sized up next to the Hearst socialiting crew (Amanda and Lydia) in "Social Studies," with subject matter even more mundane in this course than Western Civilization. We get it: Both Paris and Lydia have dated losers. No Venn Diagram needed. (Though we do love the Vogue vs. French Vogue faceoff, with Anna Wintour's daughter Bee Shaffer and Carine Roitfeld's offspring Julia grabbing mentions.)

Since we're quite ready to actually ditch this glossy and pick up a book at this point, it's only natural that the uppish Accompanied Library Society feature shows up. In sum: Rich kids think drinking Moet is even classier when surrounded by books.

Flip, flip, flip, and we get a hotsheet of the hot eateries (Four Seasons! Nobu 57! Michael's! Cipriani!) you already knew about; a fashion accessories spread to rationalize not returning those Louis Vuitton earrings; Amy Sacco pouring dirnks; Stephen Starr's Manhattan restaurant takeover; Keith McNally vs. Graydon Carter in a half-page item aptly titled "Food Fight" about their upcoming foodie endeavors; a roundup of posh nightclubs opening this spring (G-Spa at Gansevoort, Pink Elephant at Crobar); photos of stars making movies in town; Page Six nearly taking credit for nicknaming Owen Wilson "Butterscotch Stallion"; Richard Johnson explaining why it's fun to feud (and why you shouldn't mess with the Sixers); gratuitous shots of stars at the beach (including Ricky Martin and his "trainer"); cartoons of P6 targets; and A.J. Daluerio opining on Scores and their celeb clientele.

Whew. And the back page? Photos – a la Us Weekly – of stars reading the New York Post, from Lindsay Lohan and Janice Dickinson to Sophie Dahl and Kate Moss. We love a good narcissist.

If we've spoiled tomorrow's surprise, we apologize. But at least we saved the best part for publication: Richard Johnson's editor's letter where he gives his bosses a lapdance that Jon Friedman would be proud of.

Oh, who are we kidding? We've printed it in full, after the jump.

CONTINUED »

Tomorrow morning, try to stay calm now, the much anticipated Page Six, the magazine will hit stands. Will the gossipy, irreverent column, as much a New York staple as a Metrocard, translate in magazine form? Will it prove relevant and transform into a weekly? What do Bonnie Fuller and Janice Min think about the new sixers?

We were scared, too. So many unanswered questions, so much to prepare for. Luckily, Gabriel Sherman was here to gossip some answers, and reassure us that the mag will stick closely to its underground celeb detective audience (which means blind items on blind items).

Tomorrow's launch issue, featuring Angelina Jolie on the cover, will be handed out as a free insert inside the New York Post. And expect it to displease some of the city's top socialites.

Mr. Johnson said, the magazine will cover the local society scene. A section entitled “Social Studies” includes a spread on the erudite-socialite-hipster scene of the Accompanied Library, while a piece called “Tale of the Tiaras” compares the lineage, loves, pet projects and bankrolls of the Hilton and Hearst girls.

Somehow, Richard Johnson explains, they are going to have to differentiate themselves from the New Yorker. So, bascially, by getting rid of the "Sightings" section, and making sure nothing goes over two pages, the Post hopes it won't scare of its readers who might be afriad to pick up something with too many words in it.

Buckle Your Belts, It’s Going to Be Glossy Page Six [Gabriel Sherman, NYO]

Gossiping about a fired gossip columnist's book about the gossips he worked with? So meta, they should just call it jossiping.

Ripped from the Gatecrashing pages of the New York Daily News, Ben Widdicombe brings us preview of Ian Spiegelman's about-to-premiere book, "Welcome to Yesterday."

Set in the two days preceding his Page Six axing, Spieglman takes stabs at everyone in the office, from Paula Froelich ("I could've shaved her blonde head right there in the office") and Richard Johnson (with "a mischievous penchant for investigating the conspiracies of any syphilitic who managed to dial his number in the middle of the night") to Col Allen ("Like so many editors, he clearly hadn't worked a reporter's phone since college, if ever.") and Lloyd Grove, (understandably).

Joked one Miramax insider of the Robert Harris character: "I don't know why he didn't just call him Jichard Rohnson."

How easily the folks in this industry will turn around and try to slash each others eyes out! In a fight between Froelich and Spieglman, however, you know Paula would so kick ass. Lloyd Grove, on the other hand, might want to stick with his pen for a sword.

Canned Postie fires back [Ben Widdicombe, Gatecrasher]

The mystery of the missing Richard Johnson has been solved. Page Six, in all its gossip glory, is going glossy. Or, at least transforming into a glossy second version of itself. (Is anyone else reminded of Jem in situations like this?)

Anyways, the new Page Six magazine won't be replacing the daily New York Post column, but the 76 pager is set to be distributed along with the paper. Expect it to stray away from pure gossip to include:

"… a feature on Victoria's Secret, with pictures from a [catalogue] shoot; an Oscar package, because the issue is coming out between the nominations and the Oscars, and we're going to have a nightlife guide, focusing on clubs opening in New York."

The cracker-jack team on the launch is made up of Johnson, along with old school industry insiders Jared Paul Stern and Steve Garbarino. Finally, a group of people who actually care about Victoria's Secret fashion shoots as much as we do.

Page Six Spin-Off [Sara James, WWD]