You looking for a job a job working for a magazine? Shoot, get in line, or go apply for Stylista Cycle 2. Because times are tight, but you already knew that.
So you'll be pleased to know you can start sprucing up your resume: OK!'s Kent Brownridge is looking to hire five full time staffer, two on the business side, three on the editing.
Brownridge is telling insiders that he's using "celebrity" friend's recommendations, like that of Bonnie Fuller, to help vet potential applicants.
Wait, is that the same Bonnie Fuller that was originally supposed to be taking over at OK!? Right after Brownridge fired editor-in-chief Sarah Ivens and executive Rob Shuter?
Well, at least now you know whose position you'll be taking if you get the gig.
JOSSIP REPORTS — The story behind Clay Aiken's coming out cover for People goes something like this: Lots of magazines were in the running for the photo exclusive, but People outbid them all for a cool $500,000. That's the way MSNBC's The Scoop reported it last week, and that's the story Page Six carried this morning.
Except as our sources tell it — and these are the type of sources who were, let's say, involved in the actual transaction — OK! didn't have a shot in hell at the pictures. In fact, no tabloid did. Not Us Weekly, not Star, and certainly not In Touch or Life & Style.
Despite what OK! might have you believe, the only way Clay's coming out would be told was in the pages of People. And that's exactly how it happened. Here's why: CONTINUED »
Despite OK! publicist Brian Strong's insistence that everything at the tabloid was A-, uh, OK, the ushering in of Kent Brownridge has brought real turmoil. Two weeks ago we told you executive editor Rob Shuter had been fired, but the tabloid tried playing it off as a "resignation." And today, on a news dump Friday, editor-in-chief Sarah Ivens hand delivers to Keith Kelly her own "voluntary resignation" — she'll be gone by Christmas, she says, and insists she made the decision in June before Brownridge ever showed up — which only fuels speculation that Brownridge is looking to team up with a one Bonnie Fuller, who was editing Us Weekly back when he was Jann Wenner's No. 2 at Wenner Media, to fill the top slot at OK!.
Oh, and if this series of coincidences isn't enough for you — the same day Ivens silver-platters her exit scoop to Kelly, an "anonymous source" tells Page Six that OK! that owner Richard Desmond & Co. are turning off the endless cash stream that's kept the American tabloid afloat since its inception three years ago. Shocking!
If Ivens is the plant on that one — and all sources point to a strong possibility — what a nice send-off it is to paint OK! as a tabloid in peril, with tightened purse strings and no cash on hand to pay for big photo exclusives.
Oh, and one final dig: CONTINUED »
Has OK! already hired a new executive editor to replace Rob Shuter? Yes!, according to one source rebounding off our earlier item. Or: No!, according to OK!'s publicist Brian Strong, who tells us things are just super at the magazine. Which has to be true — Sarah Ivens is still in engagement (and pregnancy) bliss!
Within a week of Kent Brownridge arriving at OK!, executive editor Rob Shuter was ousted, and senior writer Laura Schreffler, formerly of the Daily News, quit. The tabloid has tried spinning the news to Keith Kelly as an "everything is fine" scenario.
It isn't. Since Brownridge's arrival, we've heard there's much turmoil at the tabloid, despite OK! publicist Brian Strong's assertions otherwise.
When Richard Desmond brought Brownridge in to head the magazine — even editor-in-chief Sarah Ivens reports to Kent — he likely had little idea just how much calamity there would be. But staffers are picking sides, and most are sticking with the home team; Brownridge is seen as the outsider installed to right a not-exactly-sinking-ship. One source tells us the feeling inside HQ is that his hire was done more so because he needed a job, not because OK! had a place for him. And you didn't hear it from us, but there's already an informal office pool going on how long he'll last.
Oh, and also, Keith: CONTINUED »
JOSSIP REPORTS — We're hearing lying ex-publicist-cum-OK! exec editor Rob Shuter was just fired by the tabloid's new daddy Kent Brownridge. Not even two weeks on the job and already he's shaking things up. And Rob just got done saying, "Everyone is excited about Kent joining the team … Kent is here to add additional experience to the amazing talent we’ve already got in Sarah [Ivens] and Tom [Morrisey]. He’s joining the magazine in a time of growth (19 percent at newsstand, 12 percent in circulation), where we are standing out from the crowd, but the new challenge is to go further. We’re not satisfied with resting on our laurels. We want to continue to grow." Aw, sad.
Update: Says OK! publicist and resident hottie Brian Strong: Shuter "resigned" and will be leaving to pursue other options, "whatever they may be." Shuter will "be with us for another couple weeks." And the notion that Brownridge axed him? "Absolutely untrue." Because nobody ever fires anybody; they just leave of their own accord.
We're hearing Rob Shuter, the lying former Jessica Simpson publicist who just took over OK!'s executive editor post (since arriving as entertainment editor, then being named deputy ed), just named editorial manager Katie Caperton to the deputy editor slot, while nightspot staple Shauna Bass (of Life & Style) was installed as news editor. We're also told tabloid vet David Caplan, currently at People, was offered the exec ed slot by EIC Sarah Ivens about a month ago, but turned it down.
Exclusive
We're hearing that publicist Rob Shuter – who you'll most likely remember as the fella who spun Jessica Simpson's "still happily married" and "dating John Mayer, but not really, but actually, yes" yarn – just landed at Richard Desmond's OK! tabloid as entertainment editor. No word yet on whether the Dan Klores vet will continue to represent talent, but given OK!'s lax restrictions on keeping its editorial independent, it wouldn't surprise us if his Rolodex remains active.
• Perhaps Canada doesn't realize that Sean Penn can do whatever he wants. Because he's Sean Penn. [Page Six]
• Jessica Simpson is in Rob Shuter recovery, which includes placing calls to top tabloid editors apologizing for the PR stunt Shuter pulled. We're sure Bonnie Fuller gave her a full eight seconds before switching back to Tommy Mattola. [Radar]
• If Tom Cruise's legal team doesn't squash a tell-all book, we're sure the aliens who spawned his child will do something. [Scoop]
• The New York Times manages to snap photos of the only four sober people at Don Hills Saturday night. [NYT]
• Radar calls Anna Wintour a fucking bitch, forcing all of Bryant Park to flee from them, for fear of association. [Lowdown]
• Rob Shuter just won't quit. And as long as he's working the spin, he won't get fired either. [Radar]
• So, it turns out that Anna Nicole Smith's son died of "unnatural" causes. We suggest everyone flush their TrimSpa immediately. [TMZ]
• Zach Braff uses slow celeb gossip days to promote his new movie. Which looks like the only thing is should be kissing is Garden State's ass. [AP]
• Yep, Dakota Fanning is still terrifying. [Mollygood]
• It's always after your dead that everyone pulls out the euphemisms. Like "empire." [NYT]
We wouldn't want you to head off into the weekend without knowing what's really going on between Jessica Simpson and her love affair-contriving publicist Rob Shuter. Yesterday, Radar trounced on a supposed scoop that daddy Joe had fired Shuter on Thursday, furious he invented a romance between his eldest daughter and John Mayer — a romance that very publicly backfired when both Mayer and Simpson denied the romance (he through a blog post riddle, she on The View). Then TMZ trumpeted the news as well (sans Radar nod), repeating the claims of Shuter's axing.
But as of a few minutes ago, TMZ is reporting a statement from Jessica herself, wherein she proclaims not to have fired Rob; according to the free swag diva, he remains her flack and good friend.
Which only makes for more "he said, she said" because Shuter is not denying that he was given the ax — but not confirming it either. What the TMZ update boils down to is: Joe fired Rob, not Jessica. Like there's a difference.
And because Rob is running around telling some people "I'm still working with Jessica" and some "I'm not denying I was fired," it gets a litte murky. And on top of it, ex-flack Brad Cafarelli – who fired Jessica in November – is rumored by more than one insider to be whispering sweet gossip into the ears of anyone who will listen. Aren't publicists supposed to be the ones controlling the damage — not creating it?
(This item was updated from its original version.)
Now we know who gave that "I'm in love" quote to People magazine. We're going to go with the publicist of Jessica Simpson, along with sister Ashlee Simpson, Rob Shuter.
How do we come up with this conclusion? Well, Shuter confirmed to (code for: tipped off) the tabloids like Us and People that Jessica and John Mayer were openly dating. But after John referred to the rumors on his website, telling fans "don't believe the hype," Us Weekly was forced to cover its tracks with a "Jessica Dumped!" cover, and Jess was left to deny the "love" on The View. Oops.
After a series of embarrassing blows for his girls (most of them Ashlee), Joe Simpson axed the celeb publicist. It hasn't been a year for Shuter, as this major drop comes on the heels of other
Compounding the blow, Shuter, who was forced out of Dan Klores Communications several months ago after getting busted for various shennanigans (sic), has also lost his other main client, Insider host Lara Spencer, according to the source.
Wait, his other main client is Lara Spencer? We know the Simpsons are kind of a joke, but a powerhouse joke none the less. Shouldn't Ken Sunshine, or somebody who has at least one A-Lister on their roster, be repping these two? At least somebody who doesn't rep both celebs and celeb gossips?
Joe Simpson Fires Rob Shuter [Jeff Bercovici, Radar]
Ashlee Simpson: Miracle woman. From collapsing on stage and being rushed to the hospital to returning home in under 40 minutes? We don't care if she can sing or not: That takes talent. And uber-PRedator Rob Shuter.
It was the breakup heard 'round the world, except we were too busy filling our bellies with sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie to care: Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson are over, officially, forever and ever.
But let us just remind you: Jessica's new publicist Rob Shuter as of the Friday before last assured us on Tuesday that all was fine in Nick and Jessicaville. And then, on Wednesday night, he drops the deflated bomb that they had split. Just in case you need any more reason not to trust publicists.
And, in case you need any more reason to believe Jessica's father Joe is the devil incarnate, let's also point out that he released the news on Wednesday night, which meant the staffers at Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and the rest of their ilk had to work on Thanksgiving instead of letting their pretaped shows run.
Holiday Killer [Page Six]
Earlier: Jessica Simpson's exhaustion of PR reps continues
We're hearing rumors that Jessica Simpson, hot off getting dumped by uber publicist Brad Cafarelli, is signing with also-uber publicist Rob Shuter. You know, the Dan Klores honcho who just dropped Paris Hilton.
A call to Rob's office was met with an low talking office lackey who promised to get back to us.
We love a world where clients can hire their handlers and handlers can fire their clients.
UPDATE: Well look at that, somebody does love us. Rob confirms to us that he and Jessica have been working together – "officially – since Friday. You can next see Jessica .. at home with her family for Thanksgiving. And as for Rob vs. Brad, the official word is that they're "friends" and Brad would like nothing more than you to ignore those harsh stories circulating about his fall out with Simpson. Okay, we're done being the talking head for the talking heads.
Editorial Director
