In the April 27 Reliable Source column, the name of the photographer who took a photo of Maury Povich and Connie Chung was misspelled. Her name is Barbara Gary, not Gray.
Lunch With Maury & Connie: Nothing Sour on the Menu
The luncheon for Maury Povich and Connie Chung was sold out, barely any standing room available. Reporters milled around the bar at Nathans, while camera crews hovered on the Georgetown sidewalks outside.
"He's in terrible trouble," Chung was saying to the room, as Povich gazed adoringly at his wife of 21 years. "It's so obvious."
  Maury Povich and wife Connie Chung in a carefully choreographed Q&A session at Nathans. (Barbara Gray For Nathans) |
The veteran news anchor was talking about President Bush , not her husband, the talk show host who was hit this week by a sexual harassment lawsuit and allegations of an office affair. But as the legendary TV couple took up the mikes for a long-scheduled Q&A yesterday -- and brightly bantered their way through topics like Katie Couric , press secretaries, D.C. vs. NYC, and How They Keep Their Love Alive, holding hands much of the time -- Povich's problems were the big unspoken subtext of the day.
A producer for Povich's syndicated TV show filed suit this week, claiming Povich and other members of his staff subjected her to sexual remarks and forced her to watch porno flicks and dress provocatively on the job. In her $100 million suit, Bianca Nardi also claimed that Povich was openly having an affair with another woman on the staff. Reps for the show, and for NBC Universal which syndicates it, flatly denied the allegations.
But yesterday, there were Povich and Chung themselves, in the city where both got their start, taking questions in public. "They could have canceled. I would have understood," Nathans owner Carol Joynt told our colleague Korin Miller. It was a carefully choreographed affair. An NBC exec was in the room, as were two network security staffers. Joynt made it clear the couple would take no questions from the floor. Instead, she invited the 50 or so paying lunchers (dining on salmon and asparagus) to write down questions and pass them forward. She said later that most she received involved the scandal, which she dispensed with in an opening comment.
After that, Povich started. "Because this matter is under litigation, we cannot talk about it. We will defend this lawsuit vigorously. That's all I'm going to say."
"I want to add something," Chung said. "I will say this: Because this matter is under litigation . . ." letting her words drift off into the embrace of the room's kind laughter.
That was that -- then they launched into responses in the affectionate repartee that peppers their new "Weekends With Maury & Connie" on MSNBC.
Do you share the same political views?
Chung: "I don't think so! As Maury has gotten older, he's gotten utterly outrageous with his positions."
Povich: "I think I'm slightly independent."
Chung: "Translation: He's an old fart." (He's 67, she's 59.)
Later, Povich mused: "It's a mystery to me why people come on the show and unburden themselves."
"I myself would never reveal myself to a talk show host, except for maybe one," Chung flirted back. She turned a glowing face to Povich whenever he spoke; he smiled lovingly and rubbed her back when it was her turn.
They left, hand in hand, amid applause. "How do you feel in the wake of this scandal?" a reporter shouted near the exit. They gave no response as they ducked into their waiting Town Car.
Today, the Vote; Tomorrow, the Stadium?
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| Kuwaiti Ambassador al-Sabah with guests at yesterday's lunch.(By Vicky Pombo) |
Seven Kuwaiti suffragists were guests of honor yesterday at the home of Ambassador Salem al-Sabah and his wife, Rima, and will be honored tonight by Vital Voices, a nonprofit designed to help women leaders around the world. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Liz Cheney, Lisa Ling, Christiane Amanpour, Julia Ormond and Diane vo n Furstenberg will hand out the awards. No baseball caps -- we think.
THIS JUST IN . . .
· Still expecting: Actress Angelina Jolie tells NBC that TMBBITU (The Most Beautiful Baby in the Universe) will arrive sometime next month. Some press reports had the birth just days away; Jolie says she's not quite eight months pregnant. Yes, she and Brad Pitt know the sex of their little darling. No, they're not telling.
· Exposed: A British spa worker claims Kevin Costner performed a sex act while receiving a massage from her at a Scottish hotel, reports the Associated Press. The woman sued the hotel for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal, claiming that managers ignored her complaint and fired her without cause months later. She went before a British employment tribunal with her allegations. The case was settled out of court, but the tribunal chairman allowed Costner's identity and the name of the hotel to become public Tuesday. Costner and wife Christine were honeymooning at the golf resort at the time of the 2004 incident.
"This is not about Kevin Costner," said the actor's spokesman, Paul Bloch. "This is a dispute between a hotel and an ex-employee."
