Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: Hotel lives in present for Ben & J. Lo

A sure sign that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez might actually be getting married at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, Calif., this weekend, as has been widely reported: The Hard Rock Hotel is getting them a wedding present.

Casinos typically send gifts to favored guests on birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions -- such as weddings.

For a recent birthday, for example, the Hard Rock gave Affleck a $20,000 motorcycle.

"Yes, we have done something for them," a hotel source told VegasBeat. "We will present it to them on their next visit."

The source refused to say when or if a next visit was scheduled.

The source also would not confirm or deny a rumor that the gift is fire-engine red, has four wheels and a Ferrari logo.

The couple, and Affleck in particular, have been regular visitors to the Paradise Road hot spot. On their last visit in late May they dined at Nobu, had drinks at Simon Kitchen and Bar and gambled in the high-stakes Peacock Lounge.

During the springtime trek Lopez scolded Affleck for leaving too large a gratuity for a blackjack dealer.

Officially, the couple have made no announcement about their pending nuptials. But according to various service providers such as the Four Seasons' in-house caterer, it has been reported the big day is Sunday. The first mention was last week in the New York Daily News.

The global media is in a tizzy about the wedding, and is working all the angles to get information and photos.

"This is the Super Bowl of celebrity events," US Weekly Editor Janice Min told VegasBeat.

USA Today reports that Min offered the couple $80,000 for exclusive wedding photos, but she denied the newspaper's account.

The Brit mag OK! does not deny it has offered the couple $1.5 million for exclusive images of the walk down the aisle.

"I've gotten lots of insane calls," one of the couple's spokesmen, Ken Sunshine, told USA Today.

Hot hire

Frank Tucker, the general manager of rumjungle who has made the nightclub into a prime evening destination for locals and visitors, has a new job. He was just signed by Steve Wynn to be the director of nightclub operations for Wynn Resorts.

Neither side would discuss dollars. The new Wynn Las Vegas resort is scheduled to open in early 2005.

Hanging around

Another hooker is coming to Las Vegas -- a meat hooker.

Get ready for Masochisto -- an entertainer whose act consists of performing yoga positions while suspended over the audience by meat hooks stuck into his shoulder muscles.

In early October, he'll be joining the cast of "Shock!," the "Jackass"-style human oddity show that is developing a cult following at Bourbon Street.

"It is very artistic, actually," insisted the show's co-producer, Dr. Scott Lewis. "Especially the trickles of blood that drip down his back."

You can get a free taste of "Shock!" on the KVVU Channel 5 morning show on Thursday when its star, Tim Cridland (aka Zamora), eats lightbulbs and then lies on a bed of nails with some of the Fox news anchors standing on his chest.

Remembering

Las Vegas has several public events scheduled for Thursday to mark the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

At 6:55 a.m. all Las Vegas area fire stations will ring their bells in remembrance of the firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The time coincides with the collapse of the first tower of the World Trade Center.

At 8:30 a.m. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman will lower the flag at City Hall Plaza and he and city council members will lead a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

City Councilman Lawrence Weekly leads a Teen Town Hall meeting in the council chambers at 9:30 a.m.

Finally, law enforcement and elected officials will come together at 1:30 p.m. at Police Memorial Park on West Cheyenne Avenue for a tree planting and plaque unveiling.

Vegas Hits 1

Today is unofficially Vegas Day on VH1 (Cox cable channel 33).

In the afternoon, three shows featuring Celine Dion are on -- "Celine Dion: A Brand New Day ...," from her Caesars Palace show, something called "TV Moments: Celine Dion," which offers career highlights, and "Divas Duets 2003," taped at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

At night the music net is airing the "Summer's End" concert that was filmed at Paris Las Vegas last weekend, featuring the Goo Goo Dolls and The Donnas.

VegasBits

New pal? The man with whom LaToya Jackson was having an intimate dinner at Piero Selvaggio's Valentino at The Venetian on Monday night was not her on-again, off-again partner, Rene Elizondo, fellow diners report ...

Beauty: All the contestants in the Miss Mesoamerica International Beauty Pageant are scheduled to attend "Legends in Concert" at Imperial Palace tonight. The pageant, part of the CarnaVe Latin culture festival, takes place Sunday afternoon at the Showroom at The Venetian ...

Play date: Simon & Garfunkel confirmed Tuesday that Las Vegas is on the list of cities that will host concert dates for their reunion tour. No venue has been announced, but a source says to look for a Thomas & Mack date around Christmas ...

Face time: Leading Las Vegas criminal defense lawyer attorney James "Bucky" Buchanan has been scheduled to talk about the 311 Boyz case on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" tonight. Buchanan represents defendant Steven Gazlay ...

Letter: "Wheel of Fortune" hostess Vanna White will be at the Carnaval Court at Harrah's on Sept. 20 for a $100,000 contest giveaway. She'll also take fan questions and sign autographs.

From Sun wires

Colin Farrell has been named "best signer" in Autograph Collector magazine's 12th annual poll of celebrity autograph givers. The worst when approached by fans? Cameron Diaz.

"She might be an Angel for Charlie, but Cameron is nothing short of a witch ... when it comes to signing autographs," contributing editor Jeffrey Woolf said in a statement this week.

The best signers: Farrell, Kate Bosworth, Asia Argento, Jennifer Love Hewitt, LeAnn Rimes, The Osbournes, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Kelly Hu and Jessica Simpson.

The worst: Diaz, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Orlando Bloom, Shannon Elizabeth, Janet Jackson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eric Bana, Hugh Jackman and Christina Aguilera.

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