The Reliable Source

The Reliable Source is back, under the stewardship of Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts. Appearing in the Style section on Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays, The Reliable Source brings you gossip from across the region and around the world -- candid looks at the lives and loves and hijinks of all your favorite bold-faced names, be they congressmen or millionaires, ballplayers or newsbabes, nightlife divas or master thespians, DJs or gadflies, has-beens or will-be's.

Join Argetsinger and Roberts each Wednesday at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, what you thought about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.

Reliable Source Columns

Argetsinger is a veteran of all those leafy-green, protein-rich sections like Metro and National while Roberts brought you the champagne and bon-bons of Style's society beat.

The transcript follows.

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Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone. Since last we met, we enjoyed a whirlwind 24 hours of Diddy and a pleasant hour and a half with Prince Andrew. We found some old naughty pictures of Marilyn Monroe (kinda looks like her -- right? right?), and heard about Prince George's erotica author Zane's plans for hooking up sexy singles. We determined that neither Michael Steele nor Ben Cardin actually have puppies at the moment, despite their professed love for them. We learned that Ice Cube and Tyson Beckford will both be officiating at Howard Homecoming (which one do you think is cuter?). We put the former abodes of Gerald Ford and Marvin Hamlisch on the market, in the low seven figures. We were shocked to hear that Aaron Carter's NOT gonna marry that Playmate after all. And we were taken aback by DMX's claims that a local woman, er, took advantage of him while he was sleeping.

Thoughts, anyone? We await your questions...

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Pat F's future hometown: Wow, tough break for poor DMX! My advice for the accused woman, is to plead either that she was asleep too, or that she slipped and fell on him, and had to struggle around for a while before she could get herself, ummm, free.

And about those sexy public service guys: After this chat is over, you and I are just going step outside and settle this thing once and for all. Pat F. is mine, I tell you, all mine!

Amy Argetsinger: Very good legal advice! Though it's worth noting that DMX hasn't actually gone so far as to file charges against this woman for abusing him -- he's simply leveling those claims to the editor of Sister 2 Sister magazine, while his wife sits next to him....

Anyway, DMX appears not to have even come close to O's list of sexiest men... You're welcome to fight us for Patrick Fitzgerald, but you'd still have to get past Oprah.

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Loudoun County: RE: Anna Nicole Smith....now her lawyer says he's the father and the baby has a name. Are lawyers supposed to have sex with their clients?

Roxanne Roberts: Her lawyer and spokesman, Howard K. Stern, went on Larry King last night and claimed to be the baby's father. Of course, her ex-boyfriend is also claiming to be the father. No word (as of right now)from Anna herself, so we'll take both claims with a raised eyebrow until a statement from mom.

Stern says the baby is named Dannie Lynn Hope---no last name given yet.

And no, I don't think lawyers are supposed to have sex with their clients. Does that count as billable hours?

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Baltimore, Md.: They're filming Die Hard 4 in Baltimore the rest of the week. Haven't seen Willis yet, and don't know the plot, but, if it has to do with messing up traffic in the Inner Harbor, it's going to be a good movie!

Amy Argetsinger: Hey, Baltimoreans -- holler at us if you see Willis, okay? reliablesource@washpost.com.

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John Corbet and Bo Derek: After seeing your piece about these two being in the area, I started to wonder...what's the age difference between those two? (Go, Bo!)

washingtonpost.com: Playing With Fire: From the NSO, a Sparkling Display (Post, Sept. 26)

Amy Argetsinger: Not as big as you think -- he turned 45 this past spring, she turns 50 in November. But their respective career peaks were a full decade apart (she hit it big with "10" in 1979, he with "Northern Exposure" in the early '90s), so I understand how it seems like she's been around much longer.

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which one is cuter: Tyson Beckford is way cuter.

Amy Argetsinger: Yes, but don't you think Cube has a certain je ne sais quoi?

Anyone? Am I alone here?

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Reston, Va.: What was Howard K. Stern on last night? He was a train wreck. Also, Larry King came off as un-sympathetic.

Roxanne Roberts: Alas, I missed the interview. Then again, you were expecting reason, maturity and sobriety from the Smith household? How, exactly, was he a train wreck?

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Washington, D.C.: Not sure if you knew, but the new show on CBS called The Class stars Sidwell Friends' own Jon Bernthal.

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, right you are! Born and raised in D.C. It's always the kids from Sidwell, isn't it?

Anyone seen that show? Is it going to make him a star?

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Die Hard 4?: What's the subtitle? "I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up?"

Amy Argetsinger: Ha!

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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to the person urging us to check out the local VIP's divorce records. Will do! You know we can't post your msg without checking this stuff out... but you totally made our day!

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Washington, D.C.: George Allen, a Jewish redneck? Is this even possible? Does he have to turn in his redneck card after revealing his Jewish heritage?

Roxanne Roberts: Ah, now we're getting to the nuances of labels. Jeff Foxworthy cornered the market on the subject, and he defines redneck as "a glorious absence of sophistication." So yes, it seems very possible.

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Seeing Is Believing: In your "Hey, Isn't that..." section of your article how do you confirm those sightings? Do you just take people's word for it?

Amy Argetsinger: We confirm them like we would any other news tip. In some cases, the sighting comes first-hand from someone we know to be reliable; in many other cases, the sighting comes from someone we don't know, or maybe someone who is less than 100 percent sure of who they've seen, and in those cases, we have to check with corroborating sources (i.e., the restaurant or event managers who know who was there and who wasn't, the celebrity's representatives, etc.)... Suffice it to say, there are LOTS of delightful sightings, many of which were probably credible, that we couldn't run because we couldn't corroborate.... And there are lots of delightful sightings we spiked because we had evidence the VIP was nowhere in the region when it allegedly happened.

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San Diego, Calif.: What if any, do you think that celebrities who are elevated to the status of American Royalty, should be expected to give back to society in a public way? I like the charity work, but it is hardly publicized. Why is that and what can reporters like yourselves, help in furthering good causes?

Roxanne Roberts: Oh, come on! We write about celebrity do-gooding ALL the time, which is why Washington is a must-stop on the Compassionate Star world tour. They care---they care deeply. Or at least their publicists would have us believe.

As for giving back---well, it's a slippery slope when were start using A-listers as moral role models. One day they're hugging orphans, the next they get busted for DUI or affairs or crack.

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Winchester,Va.: How do we get The Post to do an article in the "real life" of athletes series on that Nationals cutie, Ryan Zimmerman?

Amy Argetsinger: already done! Barry Svrluga did an excellent and very lengthy profile of Zimmerman in January (link to follow), which I'm sure is just the first of many you'll see if Zimmerman stays in D.C. for a while....

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washingtonpost.com: Calmly Fielding Anything Life Throws at Him (Post, Jan. 18, 2006)

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Sterling, Va.: Hey, I know you ladies are probably sick to death of Paris, Lindsay, etc etc. But WHAT is the deal with Lindsay's taken/single status? Someone made a public statement that Harry had broken up with her and then she came out and said "we're together and we're great" and now she's making out with Paris' ex? Wearing a hat that says "Team Harry" (people.com). I am so confused.

Amy Argetsinger: Korin Miller plunged headfirst into a pile of this week's celebrity glossies in order to provide you with this Cliff's Notes on LiLo:

"Apparently Harry broke up with Lindsay at the Chateau Marmont last Thursday. Her rep confirmed they had split, but later told People magazine that they were back together. Some magazines spotted her out with Stavros Niarchos (Paris Hilton's ex) over the weekend in an alleged attempt to make both Paris and Harry jealous. Sources say Harry's sick of Lindsay's dependency and neediness and doesn't like her partying ways."

Hope that helps!

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George Allen: How exactly can someone raised in Chicago and California reasonably think they can pull of being a Virginia redneck? Does he think we'll believe he learned it at UVA? Besides, the Jewish thing was out and about (and he/his staff were questioned on it) way back when he was a congressman.

Roxanne Roberts: Some people believe redneck is a state of mind, not geography.

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Washington, D.C.: You do realize that since his ancestor was a Portuguese Jew, Senator Allen can also claim to be in part Latino... that could be interesting...

Roxanne Roberts: Si!

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Washington,D.:. These puppy ads are hysterical. The one that ends with Michael Steele and W in a heart is great! Kudos to the DSCC for putting some humor into political ads.

Roxanne Roberts: And---to be fair---kudos to Steele's ad agency for coming up with a fresh, funny take on campaign ads. They all really stand out from the pack. Arf!

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Washington, D.C.: Following up on the celebrity charity comment - Brangelina just gave $1 million to an organization headquartered here in DC. Why no mention? People magazine is all over this story!

Amy Argetsinger: Did she? She didn't call us about it... And anyway, the honest truth is that $1 million isn't such a big gift these days. Institutions around the region are collecting gifts like those on a weekly basis, and granted, they'd all like us to write about those, but if you wrote about one, you'd have to write about them all, and then you'd end up doing nothing but putting a bunch of rich people's names in the paper.... This was the lesson I learned, anyway, while covering higher education at the turn of the millennium, very hot years for philanthropy...

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British Embassy, Washington, D.C.: So give us the scoop on the Prince and guest list at last night's scotch soiree....

Amy Argetsinger: This was actually in today's column -- link to follow... IT was in the dazzling residence of Ambassador Manning, in the big British Embassy compound on Mass Ave.... There were great little shots of single malts, and some very exotically British hors d'oeuvres... Basically, the room was filled with liquor distributors and distillery reps, and every British or Scottish person you've ever met in D.C.... I thought the Prince looked great, actually -- better than I expected. The big headline, of course, is that he was making jokes about never having drunk scotch, haw haw haw, except that it turned out not to be a joke -- he doesn't drink!

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washingtonpost.com: Hello, Norma Jean! One Man's Trash May Be a Real Treasure (Post, Sept. 27)

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Washington, D.C.: Since the Mets are going to be in town soon to play the Nationals, I was wondering if you knew anything about David Wright - does he have a gf? He's soooo hot and humble... just wondering if I have a chance with him when I go to the game on Friday... to, of course, watch the game... haha.

Amy Argetsinger: We temporarily relieved Korin from her LiLo duties to research this:

"Looks like David Wright grew up in Norfolk and went to Hickory High School...According to Wikipedia: Wright is single and resides in Chesapeake, Virginia during the offseason. While with the Mets, he lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan."

Hope that helps!

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Pittsburgh, Pa: "One day they're hugging orphans, the next they get busted for DUI or affairs or crack."

Of course, if you are Bobby Brown, all three - sometimes in the same week. Speaking of Mr. Brown, did you hear that he would only agree to appear on a TV show if the producers would give him a car as his appearance fee? I guess that's what has come to, now that he no longer has access to Whitney's bank account (which probably isn't a large as it used to be).

Roxanne Roberts: It was a joke---maybe. Brown's friend Ray Pouncey told TV One that Brown wanted a car instead of an appearance fee. Brown's rep later confirmed Pouncey was joking when asked for the car. Sure he was.

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Yes in Portuguese!: Yes in Portuguese is "SIM!" -- with the "m" pronounced like a nasalized "n."

Roxanne Roberts: This chat is a constant education.

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Re: Angelina's Gift: Snarky!!!!!!

Amy Argetsinger: You think? I honestly didn't meant for it to sound that way. I'm serious -- if you start writing about one $1 million gift, it's hard to tell other institutions that you're not going to write about their $1 million gifts.

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Omaha, Neb.: Hey, being way out here in the Midwest I've heard lots about the puppy ads, but haven't seen any. Is there a link where I might view them for myself?

Amy Argetsinger: You can see Steele's puppy ad on his Web site... right now can't find the Dems response ad, don't know if it's on the DSCC Web site or elsewhere...

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washingtonpost.com: Michael Steele's Web site

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Clooney-toons: George Clooney "shrugs off" talk of candidacy (see yesterday's Celebritology) -- this is terrible! How can we get him on some sort of Washington-bound ballot? I'd happily vote for him, especially if the duties of his office included appearing regularly at black tie functions.

Amy Argetsinger: Honestly, why would someone who makes that much money want to go into politics?

Roxanne Roberts: C'mon: He's too hot to be in politics.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Where are the Bush twins? Are they engaged/married?

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, goodness, how many times do we have to go over this? Barbara has moved to Manhattan, where she is working for the Cooper-Hewitt museum and has not been publicly linked to any boyfriends lately.... Jenna left her job at a D.C. charter school at the end of the last school year and is making her way to a teaching job in some undisclosed location south of the border; it's expected she's going to keep a long-distance relationship going with serious steady Henry Hager but so far as we know there are no wedding bells in the immediate future. Not that she's likely to loop us in if they were. Treasures her privacy, that one.

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Portuguese Jew...Latino?: Ugh- Portugal is on the Iberian peninsula in Europe. It's bordered by Spain on the North and East and the Atlantic on the West and South. If you are Portuguese you are European NOT Latino. For crying out loud...

Roxanne Roberts: We know where Portugal is, but let's clarify: What's Hispanic, what's Latino, and what's European? Are we talking broader definitions---everyone with Spanish or Portuguese roots? What's the line?

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Puppy ads: Dude, everything's on youtube, including all these ads. Search for "DSCC steele" or somesuch.

Amy Argetsinger: good idea...

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Washington, D.C.: I thought Babs Jr was going to be a doctor. What's she doing in museum work? Maybe curating some weird science exhibits?

Amy Argetsinger: I could be wrong, but I don't think that was ever on her agenda.

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Falls Church, Va. : Clooney is too hot for politics? Hello, have you ever seen a Kennedy? Well - I mean, the hot ones...

Roxanne Roberts: The last hot Kennedy was JFK Jr.

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Lanham, Md.: Re: Who is cuter, Tyson or Cube?

Ice Cube, of course!

Amy Argetsinger: okay, thanks!

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Charlottesville, Va.: I'm puzzled by the praise First Lady Laura Bush deservedly receives for her very public work on issues such as literacy campaigns, compared to the scorn First Lady Hillary Clinton received for similarly wading into the public debate, her's obviously on public health. Why the enormous disparity? Was there really a vast conspiracy, right wing or otherwise, to disparage Hillary? Why does Laura get off so easily? Thanks.

Amy Argetsinger: Well, let's break it down here. Laura Bush's work on promoting literacy, while very commendable, is not terribly controversial (where's the debate?), and is fairly similar to the kinds of awareness campaigns other First Ladies have promoted. Whereas Hillary Clinton was actually put in charge of Bill Clinton's plan to overhaul the nation's health care system -- a matter of serious policy debate, and one that did not get very far off the ground, and like any other failed policy initiative, one that's going to draw criticism from some quarters. It's the rough game of politics -- and Hillary chose to put herself into it, while Laura did not. So, apples and oranges.

Roxanne Roberts: Yeah, that anti-literacy movement never really caught on.

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Re: Anna Nicole: Isn't the real question: why is CNN televising an interview regarding the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's child? I mean come ON. I'm as much of a Celebritologist as the next guy, but yeesh--this belongs in Us Weekly, not CNN.

Roxanne Roberts: Ratings?

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Ice Cube is FINE!: Yes! Ice Cube is definitely hot to DEATH! Sexy eyes, smile... yummm!

Amy Argetsinger: Very good. Feeling much better, now.

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Washington, D.C: So I have a question for you. I read from some place seemingly reputable (I think) that an unidentified (in the column that is) Hollywood socialite did a line of cocaine off of her blackberry/sidekick/whatever in front of people she knew to be in the media knowing they wouldn't dare report it. It kind of made me sick. Is it really any of my business? Absolutely not, but I also hate the idea of drug use being so prevalent and that I assume, for better or for worse, that the unnamed socialite is a role model for young girls. I know in the golden days of Hollywood people and their secrets are protected for various reasons, but if some journalists are willing to "out" Kate Moss, why don't they out the other drug abusers? They seem like enablers to me. Maybe then celebrities would get help before they end up like River Phoenix, Chris Farley, etc.

Roxanne Roberts: This doesn't add up. "Knowing they wouldn't dare report it?" Sez who?

Amy Argetsinger: If this publication had its information solidly corroborated, then they'd have named the socialite -- as well as the people allegedly standing around her ignoring it, right?

This publication is trying to have it both ways. That's the problem with blind items.

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Feeling Terrible...: I have a terrible head cold. I have bigger bubbles in my nose and head than the one Bush lives in...

Why can we put people in space but can't find a cure for the cold?

Amy Argetsinger: Sounds like a good question for Weingarten...

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Panda romance: Any chance our boy Tai Shan will hook up with the cute little girl panda cub born at the Atlanta Zoo recently?

Amy Argetsinger: Let's try to make it happen!

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Washington, D.C.: So does the dog in the ads actually belong to anyone? Is he up for adoption?

Amy Argetsinger: See today's column -- the dog in the column belongs to a Republican consultant Brad Todd.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: I just watched a few of Michael Steele's ads on his Web site. His PR folks who put together the ads should get a raise. They are terrific, and he does a great job. If I lived in MD, rather than PA, and wasn't a Dem, I would give his campaign a closer look. He comes across as informed and personable, (plus, he's good looking, which doesn't hurt either).

Roxanne Roberts: People are really buzzing about them, and the Dems are racing to get the attention back on Steele's record.

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SW Washington, D.C.:: Hey ladies, can we chat about Bill Clinton's angry discussion on the news the other night?

Amy Argetsinger: That was something else, wasn't it? Alas, we're running out of time...

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Alexandria, Va.: Good Job on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell me!" last week.

Roxanne Roberts: Ah---thanks! I just love doing it. Last week, they had to edit out a long stretch where all the panelists were laughing so hard we couldn't speak.

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Virginia: Hey - in Loudoun County is the super-cool Howard Hughes Foundation, where they are bringing in all these Nobel-prize-type scientists. Any dish on who the celebrity nerds - oops, I mean geniuses - are?

Amy Argetsinger: I don't even know what to do with this question.

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Not an eyewitness sighting but probably true: This may be old news, but a friend of a friend saw Katherine Heigl from Grey's Anatomy in College Park (of all places) a couple of weeks back: I guess she was there because her musician boyfriend was playing a set at a CP bar? I Googled him and his Web site did indeed list a stop in CP!

Amy Argetsinger: Yeah, I think someone told us belatedly they saw her in town recently... We did an item several months ago when she was spotted at Josh Kelley's 930 Club show. They're engaged now...

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Washington, D.C.: Not sure if you guys can help, but my scenseter friend from NY is coming down to visit this weekend. She hates going places unless people she "knows" are going to be there. Granted that is unlikely around here about can u suggest a place that might fill her need to be seen?

Amy Argetsinger: Wow -- sounds like you're going to have a really not-fun weekend.

Cafe Milano tends to be the place where people desperate to see famous people go -- and, actually, they do reliably manage to see famous people. If that's what you're looking for.

Roxanne Roberts: "Her need to be seen?" Yikes, who IS this woman? Paris Hilton?

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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to Dupont Circle with the hot-starlet-in-the-Escalade sighting -- Thanks! Please e-mail us at reliablesource@washpost.com with more details, and we'll try to find out!

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washingtonpost.com: Where's the Party? Nowhere To Be Found In Steele Ads (Post, Sept. 19) Democrats Dismiss Steele's Puppy Commercial (Post, Sept. 27)

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Wallace/Clinton: So I didn't get to see Chris Wallace's interview of Clinton, but certainly read of the debacle. Did you see it? Was Chris "smirking"? Did Clinton come off as pushy/evasive or justifiably irritated?

Amy Argetsinger: John Dickerson, with Slate, wrote on Monday that how it came across all depends on what side you're on... Lots of different views on this one..

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Washington, D.C.: Why does Barb Jr. look like a homemaker, unlike the blonde one?

Amy Argetsinger: Similarly, many different views on this one. Some people think Barbara is the prettier twin, others think Jenna is.

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Panda Romance: I think Su Lin (baby girl panda born a few months after Tai) from the San Diego Zoo has dibs.

Roxanne Roberts: My little Butterstick is all growed up! Snif!

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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to the person who kept writing to us inquiring about the health of an elderly mogul: Okay, thanks for clearing the reasons for your interest! Never hesitate to drop us a line at reliablesource@washpost.com

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Amy Argetsinger: Goodness, you were a sparky group today! Thanks for all the questions -- way more than we could ever have gotten around to. I'm glad to see that George Allen is the new Jessica Simpson in this chat, at least in terms of your obsessive interest - maybe we're all growing up. On another note: Shame on you naughty folks trying to sneak slander and quasi-blind items into this chat -- haven't we taught you better than that?

Meanwhile, in all the frenzy today, we forgot to thank all of you for making this such a fun year for us. Roxanne and I celebrate our 1st anniversary doing The Reliable Source today. Let's hope we make it through another year!

Got anything you want to say to the folks, Rox?

Roxanne Roberts: The first anniversary is paper, which is perfect for us. We couldn't do it without you, so consider yourself sprinkled with confetti! Oh, and send your tips to reliablesource@washpost.com. Cheers!

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