Britney runs the Vegas gamut during whirlwind Vegas weekend

By Robin Leach

Monday, June 16, 2008 | 12:03 p.m.

It's been a wonderful 72-hour “relaxed restful” Fathers Day weekend for pop princess Britney Spears and her dad Jamie, who now acts as her court-appointed conservator. She and he have packed “family time” with a nonstop almost round-the-clock schedule of fun in our sun valley! And for those who keep count of such things not once was she spotted with anything stronger in her hands than bottled water!

Here’s the rundown that actually began Thursday evening, when Britney fooled everybody by arriving quietly on a private jet from Los Angeles and wasn’t even spotted sneaking into a Sky Villa below the Hugh Hefner Playboy suite at the Palms Fantasy Tower through a private rear alley entrance. It was only on Friday morning when she visited best pal George Maloof’s new Palms Place condo-tel tower that we learned she was here for Fathers Day weekend.

Britney went up to the Palms Place pool deck on Friday and swam undisturbed in an orange bikini .She was with a girlfriend and one female assistant under the watchful eye of her two private bodyguards. She ordered fruit platters for lunch from Iron Chef Kerry Simon’s new restaurant there. Friday evening was a busy one for Britney and Jamie. First they enjoyed dinner at the Nove Italian restaurant served up by Chef Gino Bernardino –- and Britney ate a dish of specialty artichokes. Then Maloof added four of his own Palms security team and they all showed up at the official CineVegas Film Festival 10th anniversary party back at the Palms Place pool. Britney, Jamie and their group with George took over a private bungalow cabana and they watched TV while trying to avoid the onlookers hoping for glimpses of the pop-singer behind the wall of security officers. Twice it took all six of the strongmen to escort her through the crowds to the ladies room. It was 12.30 a.m. when they called it a night and left in a limo.

On Saturday afternoon, Britney fulfilled a longtime dream. She camped out in a villa at the Mirage, donned a wetsuit and got to swim side-by-side with the dolphins in a private pool at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden. It was also the first full day of the new 6-week-old tiger cubs that the incredible illusionists have now added to the menagerie there, and Britney visited them in their special new nursery there. Remember Luxe Life will have the full exclusive new cubs photo album tomorrow. Britney had her girlfriend take photos of her with the cubs. She picked up some goodies in the Dolphin Habitat’s gift shop including a plush toy tiger and lion.

Wearing a blue print-patterned micro-mini sundress, high-heeled brown shoes with ankle straps and carrying a brown handbag, Britney wore oversized sunglasses to visit the neighboring topless optional Bare pool. Instead of staying on to see the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Love musical, a tired Britney decided to make it an early night back at her Sky Villa in the Palms.

Most of Fathers Day was spent in the privacy of her super-suite – and ordering special treats from room service for her dad, Jamie. One of her close friends told me: “It is so difficult for her to go out. She has to be surrounded by bodyguards to keep the photographers away. They’d mob her otherwise. She’s tired and exhausted from having to live in such a cage. There are times that she gets very despondent at having no life.

It’s a day-by-day thing at the moment dealing with this. Sometimes she’s in a great mood and other times she’s downright miserable in a trance to avoid the aggravation. Nobody leaves her alone. Everybody is always on her pushing at her, photographing her, staring at her, yelling at her. She has absolutely zero privacy. No wonder sometimes she feels like just giving it all up, calling it quits and vanishing.”

With Maloof at her side for most of the weekend and following two recent dinner dates he had with her the past month in Los Angeles, rumors have been fueled that the twosome are plotting a comeback show at his Pearl Theater at the Palms. George, who was swamped with media calls from as far as halfway around the world about Britney’s visit, only confirms they are good friends and admits that he would love to have her perform there. “That would be great,” he said, “but honesty, it hasn’t been discussed in any way whatsoever.”

From all the insiders I talked to about Britney’s lengthy Fathers Day vacation with Jamie, she’s well along with her recovery after the string of earlier incidents that wound up with her in hospital after she’d barricaded herself in a bathroom at her Studio City mountaintop home with her two children and police were called in. “She’s doing great,” said Maloof, echoing what Britney’s manager, Larry Rudolph, told me two weekends earlier. “Each week everything is better and stronger and when she does make that comeback concert tour it will be the biggest in show-business history.”

“This Father’s Day weekend with her dad was very important to her.” I was told. “It was a really good bonding. She wanted it all to go smoothly and George made sure it did. It was the best medicine for all involved.”

Britney returned to L.A. on a private flight Sunday night.

MEANTIME K-FED TURNS SHY OVER DUBIOUS "FATHER OF THE YEAR" AWARD:

Normally, star-wannabees crave awards like a drug addict needs his ecstasy, but would-be rapper Kevin Federline was shy, nervous, awkward and uncomfortable about picking up his dubious “Father of the Year” award here. However, a $25,000 personal appearance paycheck was good enough incentive to participate in the publicity stunt -- even though the gold statue was hidden away in the kitchen!

Photographers and reporters with recorders were told to assemble at the Prive nightclub inside the Planet Hollywood resort casino at 11 p.m. for his midnight arrival on the red carpet. But it wasn’t until 12.45 a.m. that he turned up in a group of 20, including his attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan. “He refused to answer any questions about the award and raced by us in less than 30 seconds, “one of the media mob told me.” Two hours hanging around for a half-minute walk is pretty miserable. He just wanted to get it over with as fast as possible He was very stiff and looked uncomfortable.”

Federline, wearing a new dark-striped suit, white shirt and tie, remained low-key even inside the club. He stuck to water and as the father of four kids (Britney’s two youngsters from their marriage and actress Shar Jackson’s two from their non-marriage) ignored the go-go dancers shaking their assets nearby in the VIP banquette. He even turned away when a provocative Ed Hardy intimates fashion show featuring our stunning Miss Nevada, Veronicas Grabowski, paraded past him! Fed-Ex finally, just before 3 a.m. and with two of his friends, went into the kitchen to pickup the award and then in the ultra-exclusive Table 69 zone, Prive owner Justin Levine showed him other trophies that so-called fans had bizarrely sent to honor the “best dad”. What a world we’ve come to- but yes a great publicity stunt. K-Fed called it a night at 3.30 a.m. -- and for whatever reason the dubious trophy did go back to Los Angeles with him.

There’d been rumors that Britney -– also in town by coincidence -- might surprise him. Although she left Palms Place in a limo with Maloof and her two private security guards at 12.30 a.m., they did not turn up at Prive on their Strip drive-by!

I’m told the only redeeming part of the wait for Federline for the photographers was when Maxxim model, Tammi Davidson, who was also celebrating with a Prive party, suffered a wardrobe malfunction. It exposed an eye-popping view of the left side of her body, but fortunately one of the lens-ladies jumped into advise her to fix it before the shutterbugs fast-focused and flashed on the flesh-candy!

THREE OF AMERICA’S RICHEST TYCOONS POSE FOR UNIQUE PORTRAIT:

As promised here is the story behind this unique, rare and extraordinary photograph of princely power! Hotel moguls Steve and Elaine Wynn were so impressed with the portrait that famed Timothy Greenfield-Sanders took of them in the Mouton salon at Wynn Las Vegas that they called billionaire investor Warren Buffet -– and he promptly turned up for his own portrait. He was so thrilled with his photo that he called Bill Gates. The Microsoft mogul immediately arrived for his sitting. No word yet on whom he’s calling, but Luxe Life is honored and privileged to have the exclusive group captured for history.

It’s the most unique photo of power and wealth I’ve ever seen taken in Vegas -- much bigger than just rich and famous! The billionaires were all at Wynn attending a NetJets corporate meeting, where Steve had his new Encore impressionist, Danny Gans, perform for them along with fellow mogul George Lucas and movie-star comic Steve Martin.

Timothy’s new movie, The Black List, with Chris Rock, Sean Combs, Colin Powell and Serena Williams that he made with my old pal, Scott Richman from Madison Square Garden, was screened as part of CineVegas Sunday at Brenden Theaters in the Palms. Venetian President Rob Goldstein and his wife, Cheryl, who had also been selected to sit for Timothy, had to postpone their appointment because of a minor medical emergency and have rescheduled it in his Manhattan studio later.

NOTEBOOK JOTTINGS FROM THE FIRST FOUR DAYS OF CINEVEGAS:

Year 10 of the biggest and best CineVegas Film Festival yet kicked off with a wild, wacky, way-out hilariously funny comedy and then packed in more premieres, more screenings, more parties and more stars than ever before. Here’s our full photo rundown report since all the festivities began just 96-hours ago!

Day 1: “This is my favorite event of the year at the Palms,” says owner George Maloof. “Its got glamour, excitement, premieres and some very talented people. This is so good for Vegas.” Alongside him, actor Dennis Hopper, who serves as chairman of the festival, told me: “We have two big entertainment capitals of the world so close together in Vegas and Hollywood and when I got my award here 5 years ago I said there should be fare more Hollywood involvement in the Vegas festival. Now its happening and it sure is good.”

You can see all our first-night red carpet video interviews soon by clicking here on the CineVegas link on this Web site.

Comedy actor Rainn Wilson, who is in NBC’s smash hit The Office stars as a washed-up rock drummer in the truly laugh-out-loud comedy The Rocker. It was shot in just six weeks with a mere $15-million budget, but comes up one of the must-see films of the year. I haven’t laughed this hard in many years! So make sure it’s definite summer movie viewing when it opens nationwide Aug. 1. Rainn told me that in a sense it’s a little like his own life because 20 years ago he was a starving struggling actor in Manhattan having to drive a moving van. “I was at the very bottom of the showbiz cesspool, and now here I am starring in Vegas. That took so long I feel I deserve the success,” he told me. Rainn says everybody knows him as the weirdo Dwight from The Office and that he loves the character, which he predicts will be around for many years. “But as an actor when something comes along radically different like this spaced-out, wacked-up, failed heavy-metal drummer, I jumped at the chance to show audiences a different side of my comedy,” he continued. “When I read the script for the first time and it called for me to take off my clothes and go naked, I did exactly that and finished reading the script with all my clothes off. Any opportunity to take off my clothes for comedic effect I will do it.”

Day 2: Actor Bill Pullman is one class act. He stars in Your Name Here, which premiered Friday. It’s the story of America’s greatest science-fiction writer, who wakes one day to discover himself, like his characters, is trapped in an alternate reality –- and then another! Bill is high on the movie, and he and I chatted about that he’d come to CineVegas because chairman Dennis Hopper had talked him into it. Their paths crossed just two weeks ago by coincidence at the Cannes Film Festival, where both men had films entered in competition -– but didn’t win! I also talked with former porn star Traci Lords, who has put that world behind her and now stars in mainstream films. She is one bright, smart, balanced and attractive woman, who told me: “I started adult films at 15, but stopped in 1996 when I was 18. That was another life, another person and another age ago. She’s written a book, Underneath It All, to explain how her own childhood molestation and rape led to the underage porn career and how she now uses her “straight” film income to save the lives of other troubled teenagers!

Day 3: A dream of blues music, seduction and murder haunted the Dark Streets world premiere .The film noir is set to music of B.B.King, Herbie Hancock, Etta James, Aaron Neville and Natalie Cole, and among others stars Bijou Phillips. In a unique CineVegas event, she joined forces after the film with blues guitarist Chris Thomas King for a fundraiser concert to assist creative folk in Louisiana still suffering from the devastating Hurricane Katrina after-effects.

Day 4: Former wrestler “The Rock” turned rising star actor Dwayne Johnson had a double-duty throwdown Sunday. He hosted the first advance charity screening of his new summer blockbuster hit Get Smart, that opens nationwide this coming Friday and co-stars Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway, at the Planet Hollywood resort casino –- and then he criss-crossed Sunday Strip traffic to limo the Brenden Theaters at the Palms for his official celebrity star presentation. I had the pleasurable task of introducing CineVegas Film Festival artistic director Trevor Groth, who introduced Dwayne. Then Palms owner George Maloof and Brenden Theaters owner Johnny Brenden flanked Dwayne as his star was unveiled. Dwayne told me he’s got two more weeks on Race to Witch Mountain before wrapping and said the week of location sequences here at Planet Hollywood had been a fun and successful time. The Get Smart screening was to raise funds for his own Project Knapsack foundation which links schools across the world including one here in Vegas -– Martinez Elementary School -- with their peers in a school in El Salvador. He told me he was really pleased with its progress and fast growth and support.

After Brenden donated a $2,500 check to the foundation, Dwayne and I talked exclusively in Johnny’s new luxurious office-suite that was rushed to open for The Rock: “Being a wrestler versus being an actor -- both are hard. Both are difficult but the wonderful thing about the acting is the creativity that comes into play. It wasn’t that bad for me the first time I acted because I came from a world of live TV. I had to execute 4-hours of live TV every week all 52 weeks of the year. Coming from that guerilla style of shooting benefited me. I had to write these long monologs -- sometimes they were funny but sometimes they bombed. At the end of the day you still had 20 or 30,000 people you were playing to. I’ll pick the acting over the wrestling though -- I don’t get banged around as much!”

STRIP SCRIBBLES:

Wicked Whispers & Racy Rumors: The drumbeat bangs louder that one of our major resort-hotel groups has agreed to take back a troubled nightclub situation with the approval of its out of state bankers if it becomes necessary as a result of the ongoing IRS investigation … just asking if a problem has developed between Bette Midler and the Nevada Ballet Theater’s decision to name her their “Women of the Year” honoree next February? … Is it true that one allegedly hot new restaurant-lounge is already very quietly up for sale? … One of the longest-running Strip nightclubs may very well shed its old name and image and be fully made over with a completely different modern look and management … One high-ranking nightclub executive is “in the dark” as to why his longtime live-in lady love is telling her co-workers she’s nicknamed him “LD” for his lack of physical attributes when they slip between the covers! … MGM Grand brass assure me there is no truth whatsoever to the current rumor that its “Lions Lair” is to be converted into another new nightclub attraction although they did admit it’s a rumbling that crops up with regularity every six months or so and something they would eventually like to see happen for real … Is sexy Jenna Jameson pitching a Strip club concept that would put her in the burlesque nightclub business.

-- Mindfreak magician Criss Angel moves into his new Luxor Theater this week as rehearsals for his new Cirque du Soleil show Believe pick up the pace. His cast and crew have been working on routines and costumes in a large warehouse dance studio the past few weeks while workmen put the finishing touches on the reconfigured and re-designed theater. Now the new look is ready and everything moves over, safely behind ever-tightening security and locked doors so no secrets are spilled!

-- Congratulations to former rival nightlife columnist and celebrity reporter Jeremy Pond on his appointment as new Media and PR Director for Victor Drai’s venues (Tryst in the Wynn & Drai’s After Hours at Barbary Coast) and the launch of his new XS nightclub in the new Encore resort when it opens in December … Congratulations to our ecologically themed Springs Preserve 180-acre attraction for its 1st anniversary success in setting a new single-day attendance record of 7,400 visitor who went through over 825 gallons of ice-cream during the eight-hour party on June 8!

Star surveillance: comedienne Roseanne Barr, headlining at the Sahara, finally got to see the Jersey Boys at the Palazzo, while comedy count Eddie Griffin helped Marcus Stroud celebrate his 30th birthday at Jay-Z’s nearby 40/40 Club … Dressed as a uniformed UPS deliveryman in brown short shorts, Spamalot star John O’Hurley was the star host of the 22nd Golden Rainbow Ribbon of Life fundraiser for AIDS affected families at the Paris resort casino … Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, backstage in Sir Elton John’s dressing room at Caesars Palace as a birthday treat for the notorious writer’s sister … No sooner did Jared Leto check into the Hard Rock hotel casino than the ravenous traveler hit the Pink Taco for its Mexican taste treats.