NAMES & FACES
Saturday, December 2, 2006; Page C03
It's All About the Peeps
Call him what you want, but Chris "Ludacris" Bridges is a man on a mission.
"You can call me 'Chris,' 'Ludacris,' 'Bridges' -- whatever kids identify with, that's who I am today," the rapper-actor yesterday told press at George Washington University. Bridges was on hand to talk about the YouthAIDS "Kick Me" campaign, a student-run initiative to raise HIV/AIDS awareness.
  Ludacris: "I have a natural gift for speaking and just being political in general." (By Brian Kersey -- Associated Press) |
Bridges was one of several celebrities who stepped out on the eve of World AIDS Day, including Washington Wizards Caron Butler and Etan Thomas (at Thursday's launch of the One Million African Lives Initiative) and model Iman (who touted AIDS awareness at Capitol File magazine's first anniversary party Thursday).
After the news conference, Bridges, 29, sauntered into the packed auditorium in a baggy track suit, his oversize diamond earrings glinting. He cupped the microphone like he was ready to unleash a song, but instead began to talk about his involvement with YouthAIDS.
"A lot of kids don't listen to their parents," he began, "but . . . you may listen to what the hell I have to say. . . . I'm here to tell you that I definitely practice safe sex. I don't know about everyone else in the entertainment industry, but I do." (Wild applause.) Bridges then led a lengthy Q&A session with students about HIV/AIDS awareness as media folk were ushered out.
"I think they're in awe of me," Bridges told us about his audience before he took the stage. "Being in the music industry and being successful, you're pretty much looked up to. Whether it's your choice to be one or not, you are kinda a role model."
Okay -- on Wednesday he met with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), he has his own youth-friendly organization (the Ludacris Foundation) and he's in Washington stumping for a cause . . . could a future in politics be that far off? Here's what he told us: "I'm one of those people who is like, man, I never want to do that, but it's like, you know how the allure calls on you to do certain things? I feel like I have a natural gift for speaking and just being political in general. With that being said, you never know. It's not like I want to do it, but I might be forced into it.
"Ludacris for president . . . ha. Yeah."
Party Pooper
Eyebrows arched Tuesday night when Chris Matthews missed his wife's WJLA farewell party. Kathleen Matthews told partygoers her husband was sick: Turns out the "Hardball" host was in the hospital.
A source close to the talking head told us yesterday that Matthews, 60, fell ill on Monday. He later checked into a local hospital because of complications from diabetes and has been off the air all week.
MSNBC publicist Jill Schwartz yesterday said, "Chris Matthews was hospitalized this week. . . . He's doing fine."
Perry Taylor: Law Man
Manny watch!
Former Britney Spears bodyguard Perry Taylor is back in the public eye -- and this time he's guarding Jude Law. Again. The Alexandria-born U.S. Naval Academy grad turned up Wednesday on the red carpet in New York at a premiere for the nanny-loving Casanova's latest flick, "The Holiday." Taylor was also spotted with Law back in September while the actor plugged his movie "All the King's Men."
Law's publicist Simon Hall told us yesterday that Taylor still hasn't been brought on full time to guard the actor: The "studio hired him."
A Wiggle No More
Greg Page is all wiggled out. The yellow-shirted frontman for the Wiggles announced Thursday he would be leaving the group because of illness.
Page, a magician and singer for the popular kid's musical group, suffers from orthostatic intolerance, a condition related to blood pressure that affects his balance, breathing and coordination.
Page weathered several fainting spells during the quartet's summer North American tour and bowed out of an August show in Washington after he fainted backstage. Yellow Wiggle understudy Sam Moran, who filled in that night, will permanently replace Page.
-- Korin Miller
