Finally! A New Jersey judge today ended the drama-filled marriage of Jim McGreevey and Dina Matos. The couple, of course, gained national prominence when McGreevey came out as a “gay American.” It was down hill from there.
And so he's done it: With less than two weeks before the DNC convention (aka D-Day), John Edwards has come clean, at least a little bit, about his extramarital relations with former webmaster Rielle Hunter — though he insists he's not the father of Frances Quinn, Hunter's new daughter.
In an interview with Bob Woodruff on tonight's Nightline, Edwards will admit he cheated on wife Elizabeth in 2006, which was after her cancer went into remission, but because of the timeline of when his affair ended and when Frances was born, he's certain he's not the dad, even without taking a paternity test.
Meanwhile, as recently as two weeks ago, when Edwards was answering reporters' questions about the scandal, he denied an affair ever took place. Liar.
So where does that leave us? Still with former campaign aide Andrew Young (a married father himself) claiming he's the father of Rielle's baby. Which means Edwards may not be the girl's daddy, but that Rielle was basically a groupie that got passed around the Edwards presidential campaign.
So, maybe now the Los Angeles Times and its media colleagues will find a reason to get on the story? Actually, why bother. Edwards breaks the news on a Friday night, and, for that matter, on the day the most-watched bi-annual sporting event is to kick off. Why not just let this revelation get lost in the weekend news cycle?
Congratumalations, Los Angeles Times! Just like some NYC tabloids, after weeks of all but ignoring the John Edwards scandal — and explicitly doing so — you've finally made your first public comment on the matter. And then you blogged about it. You're so on top of Web 2.0, and doing your jobs, it's making us dizzy. CONTINUED »
Both of New York's finest newspapers, the Daily News and the Post, hit today with items regarding a former senator named John Edwards and a racy love child scandal the mainstream media doesn't want you to know anything about. Except the News and the Post, um, are the MSM, so this gets confusing! They're both basically saying the same thing — which is to say they're reiterating what the Raleigh News & Observer already told you: the Dems want this matter cleared up before the convention, yo. But it's a moment of significance, because two newspapers the city actually reads are saying this! CONTINUED »
David Perel, the National Enquirer editor whose made it his personal newsstand mission to bring down John Edwards, has insisted he won't let anybody else, especially the mainstream media, dictate how and when his reports of the ex-senator's love scandal come out. Which is why he waited until yesterday to release the first photo of Edwards and his love child Frances Quinn Hunter.
This is sort of an empty promise, since the MSM has basically left the story alone, meaning there's nobody trying to beat the Enquirer's scoops. There's one exception though: the Raleigh News & Observer.
They've been trying to ask Edwards about the scandal, with little success. But that's not keeping them from advancing their own side of things; the paper hits today with news that Edwards better sort out his scandal if he expects to keep a date with the Democratic National Committee, whose convention is just two weeks away.
Oh, speaking of the DNC? Seems that's the one thing that Perel will let dictate his news breaking. CONTINUED »
Mickey Kaus, your prayers have been answered. After weeks (months, actually) of reporting on the John Edwards mistress scandal, the National Enquirer's editor David Perel has finally printed the "spy photo" of the former senator holding his alleged love child Frances Quinn Hunter, daughter of Rielle Hunter.
This is, of course, damning proof that the Edwards scandal is real! Or at least it should be. Common wisdom suggests that now that there are photos — pixelated, out of focus, and blurry — of Edwards holding his daughter, the MSM who have so far mostly ignored the story will jump on it. That's the thing with television news, at least: Without a picture (or video), a story is pretty limp. But now they can splash the Enquirer's pages all over your television screen! Though there's no guarantee they will. CONTINUED »
Oh, you heard about the John Edwards scandal? How? Because nobody is covering it. Supposedly! This trend is back for the media, and bad for America, and there are at least five reasons why. Slate's Mickey Kaus, who's been calling on National Enquirer editor David Perel to release any photo evidence of Edwards' love child he has, has a few bullet points for anyone else — like the LAT or CNN — not interested in covering the scandal. CONTINUED »
By now everybody in America should have been aware that John Edwards maybe, possibly, probably(?) carried on an extramarital affair that produced a love child. Except everybody in America is not! This is because the news media has blanketly refused — with perhaps one exception — to cover the National Enquirer's story. The LAT and WaPo aren't getting their hands dirty with the matter, and neither are cable news networks like MSNBC or CNN. But wait, what's this? One cable news network is covering the Edwards saga? CONTINUED »
While America's other newsrooms continue to ignore the possibility John Edwards may be at the center of a torrid extramarital affair, as expected, one of his hometown papers is getting in on the National Enquirer's story. The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C., has news that on the birth certificate of Frances Quinn Hunter, daughter of Rielle Hunter, Edwards' supposed mistress. That's despite Edwards aide Andrew Young claiming he was the father two months before Frances was born; it's also led to claims that both Rielle and Young are being paid by an Edwards associate to keep quiet.
With the birth certificate — available to anyone, as it's a public record — there is now some "photo evidence," though not the kind that the Enquirer's David Perel claims to have, of Edwards at the Beverly Hilton visiting his allegedly lady friend. But still not enough to get Edwards to answer any questions. CONTINUED »
"On Wednesday, [John Edwards] was eager to duck the press when the questions took a tabloid turn. About a dozen reporters and photojournalists attended a speech Edwards gave to an AARP Foundation symposium on poverty and aging in Washington. Afterward, he avoided most of the waiting reporters, at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged an inappropriate relationship with a former campaign videographer." [NO]
Though he claims to have incriminating photos of John Edwards, David Perel is refusing to publish them. Some might see this as reason to question the National Enquirer's reports that Edwards carried on an affair with mistress Rielle Hunter, fathered a child with her, and has arranged $15,000 a month to be paid to her to keep quiet (and, perhaps, pay for diapers). Others see this as a savvy business move that allows the Enquirer to keep the story, and newsstand sales, to itself, since without photo evidence, other mainstream publications are wary to jump on the story and steal Perel's exclusives.
Others see it as Perel being a dick. CONTINUED »
Sure, John McCain blasted Barack Obama’s international popularity earlier today, but that doesn’t mean he’s above name dropping. Take, for example, a 1999 speech he delivered to New Hampshire high school students, who McCain’s clearly trying to impress with a tale about bonding with his then 15-year old daughter:
In pursuit of that, a few months ago I went to the MTV awards. What a guy, huh?In New York — I now know who Puff Daddy is; Busta Rhymes, he was wearing a dress that night. I’m going to try and borrow it from him for part of this campaign. And who here likes Nine Inch Nails?
I knew you’d like Nine Inch — well, I kind of lean towards the Back Street Boys. Thank you very much. Obviously, a woman of taste and class.
Anyway, we had a great time at the time MTV awards.
It’s worth noting that Britney Spears performed at those particular awards.
South African newspaper The Sunday Sun must print an apology after publishing an inflammatory article by journo Jon Qwelane.
Qwelane caused a stir earlier this month after writing that while he doesn’t approve of Robert Mugabe’s insanity, he does appreciate the Zimbabwe President’s anti-gay politics. Homo activists were not impressed and promptly organized a protest.
After hearing activist calls for media justice, press ombudsman Joe Tholoe ruled yesterday that while Qwelane didn’t necessarily incite homophobic hate, he did cross the line:
Still helplessly ignoring the John Edwards love child scandal, the Washington Post, Fox News, and, certainly, the Los Angeles Times won't mind if the National Enquirer moves right on ahead with its beat of the year. So it will, with this news update: Edwards' alleged mistress Rielle Hunter is being paid $15k/month to shut up about the whole thing. But perhaps that cash flow just isn't enough for an opportunist, because there's word a "major TV network" is trying to secure a primetime interview with Hunter, and despite what anybody says, expect plenty of cash to change hands for the exclusive. One interesting note in this whole ordeal, though, is Enquirer editor David Perel's decision to keep the photo evidence of Edwards' affair under wraps — until the time is right. (He also won't name the wealthy Edwards benefactor said to be paying Hunter's hush money.) Exactly what will signal the time is right to plaster the pics all over the world is anyone's guess, but perhaps a certain nationwide event in November would be a great time to make a play for free PR.
David Perel, editor of the National Enquirer, told us yesterday that he thought the mainstream media was simply too lazy (and also, lacking the resources) to report on the John Edwards love child story. You know, the same way they let the Enquirer break tons of O.J. Simpson news, or that Patrick Swayze had Stage 754 cancer. But while the cable news channels and the country's most respected newspaper continue to ignore the oft-named potential vice presidential candidate's possible philandering, the press in Edwards' home state of North Carolina isn't sitting quiet. CONTINUED »
It really is quite a sad state of affairs when the one gossip rag devoted to exposing beloved politico John Edwards for the possibly cheating-on-his-dying-wife is in deep, deep financial trouble. The National Enquirer, which seems to be the only media outlet beating the drum on Edwards' alleged cheating, is in the shitter. More accurately, its parent company American Media Inc., which also publishes Star, is the one getting a swirlie in the outhouse. With hundreds of millions of dollars in debt (this is not new), much of AMI's equity is about to be handed over to its creditors THL Partners and Evercore Partners (this is new) as makes the near impossible struggle to rid itself of endless red ink stains.
Oh, speaking of stains? Nobody is talking about the ones Edwards might be leaving around various hotel rooms as he cavorts with his maybe mistress. And here's why! CONTINUED »
Sen. Jon Edwards isn't the only high-profiler to be accused of cheating by a tabloid. Today, Star firmly places Matthew Broderick, husband of future reality TV show franchise and mole-free Sarah Jessica Parker, in that section of the Venn Diagram. Supposedly a 25-year-old red headed lass is the object of Broderick's affection, and they began a tryst earlier this year after meeting at a bar, and continued things while SJP was shooting Sex and the City. That Broderick's mistress calls him "Matty Cakes" adds a whole layer of authenticity to the report.
Michael Verdugo just got a taste of reality.
The Floridian police officer, who also appeared on HGTV’s Design Star, has been put on administrative leave after colleagues discovered his porny past. Verdugo and his lawyer, however, say the 1996 skin flick has nothing to do with his current career. They also claim the officer faced anti-gay harassment after coming out:
What do you get when you cross every little girl's best friend Barbie — seen here as Beach Fun Barbie — with a DC Comics superhero? Outraged activist groups, that's what. Religious mouthpiece Christian Voice — who, among other things, hates the gays — is less than pleased with Black Canary Barbie, which debuts in September with fishnets, a motorcycle jacket, black gloves, and boots.
Mattel says the new Barbie is just a riff on a superhero of the same name. To its credit, it got the look down perfectly. CONTINUED »
That's what Washington City Paper Angela Valdez is asking to mostly deaf ears. The National Enquirer ran with a story about CBS star Lara Logan having Baghdad romances with CNN's Michael Ware and U.S. State Department contractor Joe Burkett, and the New York Post picked it up from there. The story even made it to Howard Kurtz's CNN show Reliable Sources (video here), where he played Jossip's favorite game: Cover the gossip by reporting on the coverage of the gossip, and asking whether we should be reporting on this at all. Well, perhaps somebody like Kurtz shouldn't be wasting air time with it, but the Enquirer has a history of reporting on our news men and women; it just so happens that Logan's story involves sex, with multiple partners, and she's a pretty lady. So should we be upset by it? Maybe — it's likely Logan got heavier treatment because she's a woman, while plenty of male on-air sex trysts go unreported. But also: She's a high-paid attractive public figure who brought together the words "sex" and "Iraq" for the first time since this war began, and shouldn't the gossip industry be celebrated for that?
Editorial Director
