People in the News for May 22, 1998

Friday, May 22, 1998 | 10:53 a.m.

For Geraldo Rivera, putting his money where his mouth is requires a lot of money. About $44,000, in fact; that's what it's cost him to put a gal named Brenda Natal through Long Island University. In 1989, Rivera was giving a talk to a junior high class in Harlem, stressing the importance of education, when -- not for the first time -- his mouth started saying strange things: "I blurted out, 'If you finish high school, I'll put you through college."' To make good on his offer, Rivera started the Miravella Foundation, funding it with the $350,000 advance for his book "Exposing Myself." Of the 24 kids in the class, nine are now in college; Natal graduated this week with a degree in nursing. "He's very down to earth," she said of Rivera, "someone you can relate to, someone you can talk to" -- even if you're not a pregnant lesbian nun or Simpson trial figure! After graduation, Rivera took Natal to lunch at chichi Le Cirque 2000, where they were seated near Barbara Walters, Mike Wallace and Beverly Sills. "Most kids, when they get out of college, you say, 'Welcome to real life,"' Geraldo intoned. "These kids have been in real life their whole lives and they did college, too."

Bouquet of Rosies

What's in a name? A free trip to Vegas, if your name happens to be Rosie O'Donnell. No, not that Rosie O'Donnell -- the other one, the retired Connecticut french-fry cook. Rosie No. 1 (the talk show host) met Rosie No. 2 in March, when No. 2 cooked some of her secret-recipe fries on No. 1's show. No. 2 mentioned that she liked to gamble, so No. 1 invited her to Vegas this week. A film crew will tape the Rosies O'Donnell for what will undoubtedly be a very special "Rosie O'Donnell' show -- not as extra-super special as, say, a visit by Barbra Streisand or Tom Cruise, perhaps, but it certainly promises to be touching. "It's going to be the two of us, baloneying around," says No. 2. "Nothing rehearsed, just saying what we want."

Dog story

Exists there a more passionate defender of stray Taiwanese dogs than Steven Seagal? Not likely! The pony-tailed he-man met with Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui this week when he sought his support for legislation to prevent the killing of stray dogs -- the Taiwanese citizenry routinely round up dogs, then drown, poison or electrocute them. Welcome to real life! The president, perhaps afraid of provoking a Seagal karate chop to the thorax, says he "completely agrees with and supports Seagal's views." That's the sort of fast accord that can be reached when two down-to-earth guys just baloney around, you know, nothing rehearsed, just saying what they want.

Compiled by Scott Dickensheets