June 13, 2000

Ivanka Trump: From catwalk to commencement line

By ROGER ANDERSON Scripps Howard News Service

TRUMPS IN TROUBLE: People magazine was on the case recently when it became known that Ivana Trump failed to fly in from London for the high-school graduation ceremony of her supermodel daughter, Ivanka, although Ivanka's famous dad was present and accounted for.

Ivana's "rep," one Catherine Saxton, was very eager to put Ivana's nonappearance in the best possible light.

"She had her flight booked," Catherine says, perhaps in a somewhat defensive tone, "but she had an inner-ear infection and her doctors told her she wasn't allowed to fly.'

Thanks, Catherine, that explains everything.

"Ivana was disappointed that she couldn't be there," Catherine goes on. "She called Ivanka several times that day."

Were they collect calls?

"She understood," Catherine says, apparently with reference to the girl. "Ivanka is leaving for London to spend the summer with her mother," who, one hopes, will be sufficiently recovered from her earache to take the child out for burgers or something.

ENRIQUE IN THE HOT SEAT: Also, a strong rumor making the rounds lately is that Enrique Iglesias - the Latin heartthrob warbler whose dad is none other than Julio Iglesias - actually can't sing worth beans, witness an audiotape that purports to reveal him straining, without success, to carry a tune in a bucket. However, Enrique's people say the idea is absurd on its face.

"Enrique has many times demonstrated his vocal ability through many live television performances in the United States that do not allow artists to lip-sync," Enrique's publicist, John Reilly, tells a reporter. "In fact, we always choose that he does sing live, with a fully live band, even if given the option of playing to track."

Thanks, John, for that very thorough and persuasive disclaimer.

"I have attended numerous live concerts and TV performances by
Enrique," the flack elaborates, and always witnessed him singing live, I'm sure numerous TV talent bookers and concert promoters would verify."

Have them give us a call, and thanks again.

PLANET HOLLYWOOD: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? A while back, Arnold Schwarzenegger let it be known that he was bailing on his financial and personal involvement in the bankrupt Planet Hollywood chain, which raises the question: Is Arnold's fellow muscle-bound has-been, Sly Stallone, following suit?

Apparently not.

"My own life is comebacks and redemptions," Sly tells a New York Daily News columnist with reference to Planet Hollywood's vicissitudes, "so I love this stuff. Everybody gets knocked down. The talent is in how fast you come back up."

Assuring everyone that the company is now in good financial shape despite its earlier reverses, Sly goes on to offer cogent analysis of the chain's troubles.

"It grew too big too fast," he observes owlishly. "There was no way to nurture all those places at one time. The restaurants have been pared down to the few lucrative ones that will work. There were way too many, almost 100.... There were not enough celebrities to plug them all. It was becoming impossible. Now, they're down to 28."

So there are fewer of them? Great, we knew there was good news somewhere in this item.

PLANET HOLLYWOOD: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? PART 2: But Arnold himself has gone way, way beyond the old Planet Hollywood thing, instead offering to a reporter his current views on gender relations, especially as they pertain to his marriage to Maria Shiver.

"I don't have to be in touch with my feminine side," Arnold says, "because I try to have a total understanding of what a woman's needs are, specifically Maria's. You need to have ultimate respect and love for your wife. Even though we're so different, that to us is the key. I might not agree with her. I might find certain things she does annoying."

Arnold, take our advice: Quit while you're ahead.

"There are a lot of things that are important to her that aren't important to me," Arnold goes on, ignoring us. "But we always try to support and love each other." Well, we'll see.

BELEAGUERED HOLLYWOOD CONSERVATIVES: Finally, here's the New York Post offering a big two-page article about how mean Tinseltown liberals are to performers who think the GOP is just as grand as it is old.

"They are very adamant and almost militant about their views,“ says Bo Derek, who places herself on the conservative side of the aisle. "It's tough to have a nice, open conversation of any kind. People get really angry and they treat me as though I'm some hateful monster."

What else, Bo?

"I have been told that I’ll never work again." Well, they seem to be making it stick so far.

Roger Anderson is arts and entertainment editor at Scripps Howard News Service.

back to top