VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Hawk cries foul over ‘Survivor’ incident

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 | 10:27 a.m.

Some explosive charges are being made by Las Vegas resident and "Survivor: All-Stars " contestant Susan Hawk.

She walked off the show during last week's episode, and is now claiming that another player harassed her.

"I was sexually violated, humiliated, dehumanized and totally spent," Hawk told "Survivor" host Jeff Probst during Thursday's episode.

Hawk, who runs Juices Wild, a smoothie bar on West Lake Mead Boulevard, charged that she was touched in a sexually inappropriate way by original "Survivor" champ Richard Hatch, known for playing the game in his birthday suit.

During a challenge on the current show, Hawk and Hatch met face-to-face on a beam, where Hatch moved toward Hawk so that their bodies touched.

According to People magazine, Hatch said, "You want some of this?" as he raised his arms and moved his pelvis toward her.

Hawk said nothing and pushed past him, while Probst noted to viewers the inappropriateness of Hatch's behavior.

"That evening, when I had time to be by myself, I just kept reliving the incident. It just kept eating into me more and more like a cancer," Hawk said on CBS' "The Early Show" Friday.

She then announced that she was quitting the game: "There's no way I can continue with my emotions pushed to the ground that much."

Since then, however, she and Hatch "have had a chance to sit down and hash it out and talk about the incident. And we both have different perspectives on it. But we have come to terms with it and agreed to move forward and past it."

Calls to Hawk's Las Vegas business were not returned.

School's in

Andre Agassi was more excited than if he had just won a Grand Slam tennis tournament.

But he was talking about school -- his own -- and the recent visit by former President Bill Clinton to the Agassi Charter School.

"The president was in a social studies class, talking and listening to the kids about some different historical figures -- many of which he actually knew. It was surreal and mesmerizing at the same time. Talk about history coming to life!

"It was the first time I ever actually wanted to be in a classroom," the tennis deity said.

He spoke to VegasBeat at the Agassi Charitable Foundation fund-raiser Sunday night at the Golden Nugget, which also served to welcome the hotel's new majority owners, Tom Breitling and Tim Poster. Agassi is a minority partner.

"But the best part was the looks on the faces of the kids. They were absolutely enthralled with learning, and that's what it is all about," Agassi told us.

More reality

One beautiful single woman, 14 sexy bachelors and a million-dollar prize. Oh yes, some of the bachelors are gay.

That's the heart of a new Fox network reality show, "Playing It Straight," which debuts Friday. It airs locally on KVVU Channel 5 at 8 p.m.

The unscripted, eight-part series was co-created by former Las Vegas resident Kim MacQuarrie, who attended Valley High School and UNLV.

It is a light-hearted, non-mean-spirited reality series that pokes fun at our notions of who is gay and who is straight, and the stereotypes associated with both, MacQuarrie said.

Good get

In other Golden Nugget news, they've snared one of the town's most respected -- and effective -- casino hosts, Richard Wilk, from Mandalay Bay.

Wilk spent the weekend hanging at the hotel with Hollywood director Renny Harlin -- also known as Geena Davis' ex-husband.

At the Agassi event on Sunday, Wilk told us that he's secured the season-closing party for "The Sopranos."

"We expect to have the show's entire cast down here at the Golden Nugget for the last-episode party at the end of May," Wilk told us.

Anniversary

The regular Monday night show of Dr. Scott Lewis, the Outrageous Comedy Hypnotist, will celebrate its third year at the Riviera next week.

Lewis says he holds the distinction of having the longest-running hypnosis show "in a major casino" on the Las Vegas Strip.

Thanks to the show's success, Lewis recently opened the nightly "Hypnosis Zone" at the Riv, featuring different hypnotist performers, which he co-produces with Robert Allen.

VegasBits

Fan: First daughter Jenna Bush had a private backstage meet-and-greet with Britney Spears before attending her MGM Grand show on Saturday night ...

Catch: Pro-bowl receiver Terrell Owens was spotted at the Green Valley Ranch Station Casino on Saturday night ...

Shepherd: Tom Cruise brought his two kids, plus a party of 16 others, to the Adventuredome (Circus Circus) on Saturday afternoon. That night the same group was riding the Manhattan Express roller coaster at New York-New York ...

Date: Grammy-winner Christina Aguilera and rapper Chingy play the Aladdin on May 21. Ticket information has not yet been announced ...

Downtime: ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Steve Levy and a group of friends were at Nine Fine Irishmen (New York-New York) on Sunday night. In Las Vegas on an assignment? No, he was there "on my own dime, having fun," he told a friend of ours who was also bellying up to the bar ...

Party: Brothers Geoff and George Stults -- who play brothers Ben and George Kinkirk on the WB series "7th Heaven" -- were at the "The Sopranos" viewing party at House of Blues (Mandalay Bay) Saturday night ...

Racer: Early Saturday morning NASCAR star Elliott Sadler was at ghostbar (Palms). Sunday morning he steered his No. 38 car to a sixth-place finish -- and a $131,100 check -- at the UAW/DaimlerChrysler 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway ...

Tour: Sting is coming back to Las Vegas. As part of an upcoming world tour, he plays the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 24. Opening act is Annie Lennox. Ticket info has not yet been announced ...

Special: Vintage Vegas entertainer Keely Smith is 72 today ...

Remote: Michael Perry and Larry Price -- from Hawaii's No. 1 morning radio show -- will be broadcasting live from the Ohana Room at the California on April 3 ...

Winner: Albuquerque real estate escrow officer Beverlee Groves hit a Megabucks jackpot of $8,065,000 at the Palms on Sunday. She was personally congratulated by another Albuquerque native, hotel owner George Maloof.

From Sun wires

Hung gets contract: Who needs "American Idol"? William Hung doesn't -- he already has a recording contract.

The singer, who became a fan favorite -- but not a judges' favorite -- during open auditions for the Fox series with his spirited version of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs," has signed a deal with Fuse Music Network and Koch Records.

His debut album, tentatively titled "The True Idol," is scheduled for release April 6, it was announced Monday. It will contain "She Bangs," along with another Martin hit "Shake Your Bon Bon" and Elton John's "Rocket Man."

Hung, a 21-year-old Hong Kong native and civil engineering student at the University of California, Berkeley, has inspired fan clubs and websites.

Simpson accused of pirating: DirecTV is accusing O.J. Simpson of pirating its satellite television signal.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami, the company demanded the former football star pay DirecTV $20,000.

Theron back home: South Africa President Thabo Mbeki congratulated Charlize Theron on her recent Oscar win, telling the South African actress: "The whole country is very proud."

"Very well done, Charlize. Excellent," Mbeki told Theron when she met him Monday at a government guesthouse in Pretoria.