Columnist Kate Maddox: Stars sparkle, shine at HBO’s post-fight soiree

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999 | 9:32 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, only in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach her at kmaddox@vegas.com or 259-2309. This week Kate's Sunday column will move to the Accent page in the Sun's combined edition.

HBO held its private post-Lewis/Holyfield fight party at the Hard Rock Cafe on Saturday night, and the stars packed the place.

Billy Crystal, LL Cool J, Ray Romano, David Spade, Robert Wuhl (star of HBO's "Arli$$") sportscaster Jim Lampley (who recently separated from his news anchor wife, Bree Walker), actress Kristy Swanson, Scott and Dean Winters (the real-life brothers who play convicts in the HBO prison drama series "Oz"), handfuls of HBO executives and the usual crowd of "beautiful people" and hangers-on all mingled at the private soiree, enjoying drinks, food and pleasant debate about the heavyweight bout.

Supermodel Rachel Hunter was there with a couple of her stunning girlfriends. It must have been strange for Hunter to be surrounded by billboards of her ex, Rod Stewart, all around town. Stewart is one of the mega-stars coming to Vegas for a millennium concert on New Year's Eve.

David Spade tried to play it cool at the bar. He wore his baseball cap low on his head and chatted with his brother, Andy Spade. Andy's wife, Kate, is the designer of the fashionable Kate Spade line of handbags and accessories.

LL Cool J, a rabid Holyfield fan, was one of the few big stars who left the special VIP section to mingle with the other party guests. Strange that there would be a VIP area within a private VIP party. ...

And for gossip junkies, Richard Johnson, editor of the New York Post's Page Six -- considered the bible of gossip sheets -- held court at a booth in the VIP section. Johnson, a big fan of boxing, was in Vegas a couple of months ago for the Trinidad/De La Hoya fight.

A few other big-name stars, Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry, hung out at another after-fight party at Planet Hollywood.

Willis played with his band at the party, but he only had eyes for his Spanish girlfriend, Maria Bravo.

Bravo, Willis and his pal, Perry, arrived a little late at the fight. The three were briskly ushered through the VIP entrance to their floor seats just as the third round was ending.

And speaking of being ushered into the fight: Park Place Entertainment President and CEO Arthur Goldberg, his wife and guests, swiftly entered the Thomas & Mack Center through the private VIP entrance as well.

Curiously, however, Goldberg had six private uniformed security guards in a circle formation around him as he and his wife walked in.

The paparazzi around the entrance -- which included crews from "Entertainment Tonight," Fox, local channels and the BBC, as well as print reporters from US magazine and other papers -- were a little confused as to who the "big star" was who required so much personal bodyguarding.

Others who weren't so lucky in the personal security department included Eddie Murphy, Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

Murphy and his young son were mobbed upon entering the arena. The actor tried to breeze by the paparazzi and local fans who jammed cameras in his face, but they wouldn't allow him to pass without a struggle. In-house security eventually came to Murphy's aid and brought him to his seats.

Agassi and Graf had a similar problem. As their dark Suburban pulled up to the entrance, the two tennis stars -- and one of the hottest couples on the planet right now -- jumped out and quickly raced inside.

Other sightings around town last weekend included Dennis Rodman in the Versace boutique at the Forum Shops at Caesars. A crowd gathered outside the entrance and the buzz about who was inside trickled down the line to shoppers. Unfortunately, those on the outside edge of the crowd were misinformed -- somehow, the name "Dennis Rodman" turned into "Ricky Martin" -- that's how rumors get started.

After the Saturday night fight a few local bigwigs retired to the private House of Blues Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay.

City Councilman Michael McDonald was spotted there with his pal, attorney Louis Palazzo. Palazzo is not only McDonald's attorney, he also represents jailed Binion murder suspect Rick Tabish.

One of the hottest -- and most affectionate -- couples around took in the sights and smells of Cigar Aficionado's Big Smoke at Paris Las Vegas over the weekend.

And, no, it wasn't Andre and Steffi, it was the perpetually tan and charming George Hamilton and the first lady of romance novels, Danielle Steel. The two longtime friends, whose relationship took a romantic turn a few months back when Steel's fifth marriage fizzled after 17 months, were spotted checking out cigars and swapping kisses.