Las Vegas Sun

April 25, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: DiCaprio’s event snub tees off Baldwins

It's a titanic celebrity dis.

And as a result, Daniel Baldwin wants to confront Leonardo DiCaprio and "kick his ass."

Simply, two of the Baldwin brothers, Daniel of NBC's "Homicide" and Stephen of "The Usual Suspects" are furious that DiCaprio partied all over Las Vegas last weekend -- but didn't show up at a charity event they hosted, despite the fact they arranged for the private plane that went to Los Angeles and got him.

Then DiCaprio asked the charity to foot the bill for his plane, the charity says.

"Not only did DiCaprio stiff a kids' charity by not showing up, but then he asked to be paid back for the cost of the plane," Jonathan Scott told VegasBeat Monday. Scott is one of the producers of the upcoming Chevy Chase movie, "Bad Meat," and was one of the key organizers of the charity event.

"That punk DiCaprio should be ashamed of himself," Scott said.

Ken Sunshine, DiCaprio's New York-based spokesman, did not immediately return a phone message on Monday.

Scott and his pals the Baldwins had put nearly a year into the planning of the Several Sources Foundation golf event and dinner that went off without a hitch Friday at the Royal Links Golf Club and The Mirage, respectively.

The Several Sources Foundation runs several shelters in New Jersey for at-risk teens. The weekend events were designed to raise local awareness of the charity and to start work on a Las Vegas facility.

Kathy DiFiore started Several Sources when she took a pregnant teen into her home in 1981. President Ronald Reagan publicly embraced the charity when he invited DiFiore to the White House in 1988.

"Leo said he was going to come, and I arranged for transportation," Stephen Baldwin said. "He came to Las Vegas, but not to us."

Baldwin's brother was somewhat less diplomatic.

"DiCaprio better not run into me before he runs into Stephen," Scott said an angry Daniel Baldwin told him and a group of people from the charity on Sunday.

But none of them -- Scott or the Baldwins -- said they would hold a grudge if DiCaprio would do what they feel is right: make a donation to the charity.

"He has enough money where he could easily do a shelter by himself. We are all hoping he'll be generous enough to do something of that magnitude," Scott said.

Greene day

Happy Birthday to Shecky Greene, who turns 77 today.

Greene was on the bill the first time Elvis Presley played Vegas at the New Frontier on April 23, 1956.

After Elvis was nearly booed off the stage, Greene did his bit, and then the headliner, the Freddy Martin Orchestra, entertained.

Tally up

They are not calling it a victory party, but they might as well.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and three councilmen who are all expected to garner, oh, about 100 percent of the vote, will gather tonight for an election-night celebration.

Goodman, Michael McDonald, Gary Reese and Lawrence Weekly and supporters are getting together at 7 p.m. at the Fremont Street Experience Third Street Stage to celebrate the election returns.

And drink Bombay gin, of course.

Celine neon

That is an impressive seven-photograph layout in the new People magazine devoted to Celine's March 25 opening at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

In addition to some backstage and onstage shots of Diva Las Vegas, there are red carpet snaps of Siegfried & Roy with Pamela and David Hasselhoff, "Bachelorette" Trista Rehn with beau Ryan Sutter and Kathy Griffin with a Caesars gladiator.

The magazine also has a recent photo of Robin Leach (it has him sporting the new goatee) in a story about celebrity real estate broker Barbara Corcoran.

Bobby baseball

Steve Schirripa -- Bobby Bacala on "The Sopranos" -- was at Sunday's baseball game between the Las Vegas 51s and the Salt Lake Stingers at Cashman Field.

He told Sun sportswriter Rob Miech that he was appalled at the sparse crowd, which seemed even smaller than the announced figure of 2,248.

"Such a beautiful day," Schirripa said from his second-row box seat behind home plate. "Why don't people stop playing the slot machines and bring their kids to the game? I'm serious! You can write this.

"They should stop smokin' and drinkin' and come down and see a great game at a beautiful facility."

Filming of the fifth season of the HBO series in New Jersey began last week and Schirripa flew back to Vegas for the weekend. He is due back East today.

How-weird

Howard Stern was talking about a VegasBeat item on the air Monday.

The self-proclaimed King of All Media went on a riff about an item we ran last week (and was subsequently picked up by Page Six in the New York Post) about a Palms patron videotaping Britney Spears sunbathing by the hotel pool.

Meanwhile things are shaping up for Stern's April 22 to April 24 visit to the Hard Rock Hotel.

Plans have been made for a listener to wager $100,000 on a single hand of blackjack, and a contest to find a woman with "the most beautiful body and the most ugly face."

Also, some of the acts that make people cringe from the "Shock!" show at Bourbon Street may get some national exposure, including Tim Cridland, aka Zamora the Torture King.

Don't ask.

Media stars

Despite the fact that their news divisions are busy with the war in Iraq, plenty of high-profile broadcast journalists are expected to be in Las Vegas this week for the National Association of Broadcasters convention (see story, page 1E).

Among the folks expected for various lectures, panels, seminars and award ceremonies are WB network Chief Executive Jamie Kellner, "60 Minutes" legend Don Hewitt, President Bill Clinton's communications chief Mike McCurry, Bud Paxson, Barry Diller, Jeff Smulyan, John Cochran, Bob Schieffer, Scott Shannon, Cokie Roberts, Michael Eisner, Sam Donaldson and FCC chair Michael Powell.

His father is Secretary of State Colin Powell.

From Sun wires

Country singer Toby Keith says he feels vindicated by the three video awards he won for his hawkish anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)."

"The night we had tonight vindicates me for the controversy from that song," said Keith, who won Video of the Year, Cocky Video and Best Male Video for the song during Country Music Television's 2003 Flameworthy Video Music Awards on Monday.

Last year Keith wanted to sing the song as the opening act on ABC's July 4 television special, but producers rejected it because the lyrics were too angry and he ended up not performing.

The lyrics include the lines that warn terrorists: "And you'll be sorry that you messed with/The U.S. of A./'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass/It's the American way."

Keith, who was the host of the show along with actress Pamela Anderson, was the biggest winner at the fan-voted awards show in Nashville, Tenn.

About 3 million fans cast votes by Internet -- nearly a million more than last year.

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