VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Anderson boasts animal (free) magnetism

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004 | 10:30 a.m.

It was more of a struggle than one might think for Pamela Anderson to get her cruelty-free clothing up and running.

"Men in general run everything in fashion -- and for that matter entertainment -- and don't get the subtleties of who I am, or understand me," the actress told VegasBeat Monday. "It's always a fight! Sometimes I just give up and other times it's important enough for me to work through it.

"This is one of those times."

The actress will unveil her new clothing line, The Pamela Collection, today at the MAGIC (Men's Apparel Guild in California) show at the Convention Center. (See Kirk Baird's story on MAGIC and celebrity clothing lines on page 1E today.)

In addition to jeans, jewelry and lingerie, the collection features PETA-friendly faux-shearling boots and nonleather shoes that will be marketed as modern alternatives to animal skins. Proceeds from the sale of the cruelty-free footwear will benefit PETA.

The 36-year-old actress will also screen a short video "expose," as she terms it, of the wool and leather industries to illustrate "the immense suffering that animals endure when they are shorn or killed for their skins."

Good enough. But what about the news America wants to know? Who is she going out with?

After well-publicized relationships with Kid Rock and Tommy Lee -- and a reported weekend fling in Miami with an old flame, model Marcus Schenkenberg -- Anderson says she is happily single and that her focus is on being a mom to her two boys, Brandon, 7, and Dylan, 6.

The boys' father is Lee, the former Motley Crue bad-boy drummer.

"Maybe I won't date again until my kids are 18," Anderson said.

Oh, Mamma

"Mamma Mia!" star Tina Walsh hosted a dinner party for the cast -- including the many new additions -- at her Las Vegas home Friday night to mark the show's one-year anniversary.

There were toasts all around for co-star Jennifer Perry, who plays Rosie and who announced she is getting married to New Yorker Andy Cook on March 13.

Meanwhile the buzz on the updated cast is superlative -- there are about a dozen newcomers in the Mandalay Bay Theatre production.

"If the old production was a 10, then this is an 11," Robin Leach said after catching the anniversary performance. He and several others cited the addition of Suzie Jacobsen Balser -- the new Sophie (Walsh's stage daughter) -- and Michael Pemberton, who plays Sophie's Australian "father" Bill, as especially powerful additions to the troupe.

Fashionable

Evan Schindler and Jyl Elias -- publisher and vice president, respectively, of Black Book, were at the Light (Bellagio) anniversary party Saturday.

Black Book is the must-have journal that New Yorkers-in-the-know have been referencing for their bimonthly dose of cool for nearly a decade. The glossy is sponsoring the grand opening of the new Fornarina Boutique at Mandalay Place on Tuesday night.

Bible trial

Have you ever wondered what the verdict would be if Abraham were tried for the attempted murder of his son, Isaac? Well, some people in Las Vegas have.

Temple Beth Sholom in Summerlin is having a most unusual event March 21 called "The People vs. Abraham" -- and it has lassoed "People's Court" Judge Joseph Wapner to preside. Really!

District Judge Michael Cherry will serve as the prosecutor and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will once again work as a defense attorney -- this time for Abraham.

The public -- or at least those who pay $18 for a ticket -- is the jury.

Tickets are available by calling the temple at (702) 804-1333.

Olivia returns

Paris Las Vegas headliner Olivia Newton-John will take part in the national introduction today of The Liv Aid.

It is an FDA-approved, self-breast-examination device that increases sensitivity and enhances the feel of any lump or bump during self-examinations. Newton-John has suffered from breast cancer.

She'll also get a key to the city from Goodman and a certificate of recognition from Gov. Kenny Guinn at the National Consortium of Breast Centers' annual conference, which is taking place at the Flamingo Las Vegas.

VegasBits

Combo: TV's "Bachelor," Andrew Firestone, and "Girls Gone Wild" producer Joe Francis had a double date Monday night, sharing a booth at Nobu (Hard Rock Hotel) with two young lovelies. Afterward they went to the hotel's penthouse suite -- the one with the bowling alley -- for a Blender magazine-hosted party. All four ended up leaving together.

Hunk: "Sex and the City" co-star Jason Lewis was also at the Blender magazine party ...

Rap: Eminem starred at a private 9:30 p.m. performance in a Venetian ballroom, to support his Slim Shady clothing line. Shortly before 1 a.m. he was behind the bar at ghostbar (Palms), slinging drinks ...

Dinner: Steve Wynn and five lieutenants, including Wynn Resorts prez Marc Schorr, had dinner Monday night at Simon Kitchen and Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel. Also dining at Simon: members of the punk band Good Charlotte ...

Party: Russell Simmons, Seal and perhaps 2,000 others were at the "Love's Divine" fund-raiser event for Los Angeles' Children's Hospital at the CMX Studios on Petra Avenue ...

We rock: The story we broke back on Nov. 10, that the Queen musical, "We Will Rock You," will open in September at Paris Las Vegas, was officially announced Monday. "Queen's music is timeless. We think this show is going to really rock Las Vegas," Robert De Niro was quoted in a news release. De Niro is a principal of Tribeca Theatrical Productions, which is producing the show.

Show: "Charlie's Angels" director McG and Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath attended the early "O" show (Bellagio) Saturday night. Barbara Walters attended Friday night ...

Answer: The Clue Crew from "Jeopardy!" was filming some behind-the-scenes segments at the Treasure Island Cirque du Soleil show "Mystere" on Friday. "Jeopardy!" will air the Vegas footage throughout the coming season ...

Divas: The seventh "VH1 Divas" concert will air live from the MGM Grand on April 18, the station announced Monday. So far, Patti LaBelle and Jessica Simpson are the only two confirmed performers ...

From Sun wires

Rooney draws ire: Andy Rooney set the phone and e-mail lines at CBS buzzing over his commentary -- in which he said God was speaking through him -- calling Mel Gibson and the Rev. Pat Robertson "wackos."

CBS said Monday it received its heaviest audience response to a "60 Minutes" report since Rooney's commentaries on the Iraq war last spring.

P. Diddy prevails: A jury Monday found in favor of Sean "P. Diddy" Combs in a lawsuit filed by a TV talk-show host in Detroit who alleged he was roughed up by the hip-hop impresario's entourage.

Cuban to become TV host: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will give away $1 million of his own money this summer as the host of an ABC reality series called "The Benefactor."