The Reliable Source

Welcome to "The Reliable Source" with 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-bes.

Argetsinger and Roberts are online 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 leafy-green, protein-rich sections like Metro and National while Roberts brought you the champagne and bon-bons of Style's society beat.

A transcript follows.

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Amy Argetsinger: Good morning, everyone! This week, a glimpse at the hot new reality movie about Dewey Beach, a glimpse at Jim Moran's hot new bod (he dropped 46 pounds), and a glimpse of Nancy Pelosi's new grandson. Plus, some totally random sightings of Isaac Hayes and Alexander Butterfield. And we'll always have K-Fed. And TomKat. And Ryan Phillippe. If, like, that's what you're into.

Also, we'd like to call your attention to our Sunday column, which assessed whether the midterm elections were good for gossip or bad.

Sorry for the late start.... we await your questions...

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Rome, Italy: The Tom/Kat wedding: hoax or not? Or are you writing this from Rome, where you are preparing spend your day in a helicopter high above the wedding site, recording the day's activities for all of us to see?

Amy Argetsinger: I still haven't been able to wrap my head around this whole relationship. Are they really really REALLY going through with this? Alas, newsroom budget won't allow us to go to Rome to bear witness ourselves...

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Washington: Really disappointed in K-Fed's D.C., showing. Sitting in a club with his posse, sneering at Justin Timberlake music, and ignoring his 'fans' is no way to boost sales of his album beyond 6,000. I assume he turned down your request for an interview?

Amy Argetsinger: Um. Actually. Now that you mention it... never even occurred to us to try to get an interview with him. I mean, what would one ask Kevin Federline? What would he say? It boggles the mind. As it was, we were happy that our colleague Josh du Lac drew the short straw and got to go stand on the wrong side of the VIP velvet rope at Platinum Friday night, gazing at K-Fed as he did... nothing...

Will provide a link to Josh's excellent story in a bit.

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Tom and Katie: Since when is a six-month-old baby a "newborn"? Come on, guys.

washingtonpost.com: TomKat in Rome! Fans Swarm! Speculation Continues! (Post, Nov. 15)

Roxanne Roberts: Okay, maybe not exactly a newborn, but we get a little slack: A woman has a year to be a bride, a baby one year to be an infant.

More important: What does Suri wear to the wedding?

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washingtonpost.com: At Platinum, In the Flesh? Yes! It's Kevin Federstein! (Post, Nov. 12)

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Georgetown, Washington, D.C.: Any idea what Harold Ford is planning to do after leaving Congress? Hoping he sticks around town -- he is very, very pretty.

Amy Argetsinger: I've read speculation that he may become a lobbyist, a TV political commentator, or run for something else soon; AP reported today, though, that he's NOT going to run for mayor of Memphis.

As we noted in Sunday's column, Harold Ford may be gossip's biggest loss. He hasn't been much of a a character in the past year or so, but he's given our colleagues lots of fodder in the past and he retains that potential. The only thing better than a hot, young, single-ready-to-mingle congressman would have been a hot, young, single-ready-to-mingle senator -- and now we have neither.

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Kensington, Md.: How could they not invite Oprah?

Roxanne Roberts: Go figure, especially if the guest list is really 1,000 (or anywhere as large as rumored.) Best guess is that the infamous couch-jumping happened on her show and will always be mentioned when she's in the house. But unless the wedding is teeny tiny, it's a huge pr blunder in my book.

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Ballston, Va.: Why did Aliza Olmert eat at TenPenh after lunching with Laura Bush at the White House? Two lunches?

Amy Argetsinger: Lunch at the White House, dinner at TenPenh -- not a bad day.

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Arlington, Va.: Hi ladies,

Do you think the change in House and Senate control after the elections will positively or negatively affect activity in the gossip-world?

Also, has anyone ever seen Paris Hilton in the D.C. area?

Amy Argetsinger: Why, we devoted our Sunday column to this very topic! Here's a link....

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TomKat: Of course they're really going to do this. I think the spec. that this is a ruse so they can elope quietly is off. They're going to have to big wedding with the big dress and the big reception and the big guest list. Then People is going to have the official photo album. This is going to be the wedding of the century ... or at least of the decade. Hey, if Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Matt LeBlanc, and Marcia Cross can have the big wedding and release official photos, then TomKat is duty bound to do so as well!

Roxanne Roberts: I think you're right, but for a different reason: After all the speculation that their relationship is the product of a deeply weird arrangement, I think they have to put on the dog and pony show and release the pictures to prove it's a real marriage. If they sneak off, there will always be speculation they never got married at all.

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washingtonpost.com: Winners? We'll See. (Post, Nov. 12)

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Manassas, Va.: I heard a nasty rumor that Matt Damon was going to play James Kirk in a new Star Trek movie. Is that true?

Amy Argetsinger: Dude, you've been reading some seriously geeky Web sites.

It was only recently announced that J.J. Abrams will be directing "Star Trek XI," due for an '08 release; no casting yet but lots of buzz about Matt Damon.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: When the newspaper reported about the newly-elected House and Senate members arriving in D.C. for orientation, it made me wonder -- how do these folks go about finding housing in the D.C. area? What about those members who are of relatively modest means -- how can they afford housing in the sky-high market there?

Roxanne Roberts: It's an interesting problem, because the first order of business for those with families is whether to relocate to Washington. Many choose not to uproot the kids, and commute back and forth on weekends (especially those from the east coast.) Senators are more likely to settle in a buy something because they have at least six years to live there. Reps have a harder decision: Those who do move here with kids usually end up in the burbs because the public schools are better. Those with bucks typically rent in the District and send the wee ones to private school. The bachelors tend to rent places near the Capitol---sometimes with roomies----as just a place to crash after late nights. From what I've heard, it's frat house all over again.

And yes, since this happens every two years, there's plenty of advice and guidance to walk them through the process.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm always astounded how you guys get all this gossip? How does that work -- are you guys everywhere? At the Palm when Shooter Jennings is eating Lobster Bisque and then at the Capitol when Isaac Hayes goes walking by? Do you have some sort of sixth sense of where celebrities may be?

Amy Argetsinger: We're really just that good.

Seriously, much of the credit goes to an elite yet secretive corps of highly trained celebrity spotters (you can think of them as kind of a cross between MI6's double-0 agents and the MacArthur "genius" grant nominating committee).

And then some of the credit goes to random people who write to us with these sightings at reliablesource@washpost.com.

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Shrimp?: I don't keep kosher myself, so this is NOT a judgment ... but I find it curious that the Israeli PM's wife ordered shrimp at Tenh Penh. Are you sure?

Amy Argetsinger: We are sure. We are told, however, that she's not particularly religious; and there are a lot of Jews who do not keep kosher.

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Swooni, NG: George Clooney is named People's Sexiest Man of the Year a second time. Bravo! Putting it in political terms, doesn't that make him the sex god equivalent of FDR?

Amy Argetsinger: Either that or People magazine's kinda run out of ideas. What does anyone else think? Who got robbed this year?

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Anonymous: Will O.J. Simpson get revenue from his Fox tell-not-all show over and above the money he's getting from the book the show is promoting? I have to hand it to Fox: after the recent elections, I didn't think anyone could look more sleazy than politicians. Fox, and the show's producer, did it. Maybe a knife company could sponsor the show.

Amy Argetsinger: Don't know the payment scheme, but I'm sure it's lucrative for him, or lucrative enough. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard of, and I already hate myself for the fact that I'll probably watch.

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Baby Spider: Toby Maguire, a dad? I had no idea he was seeing anyone, let alone engaged. Any his fiancee looks really ... normal. I mean, Maguire's partner in crime, Leonardo, dates models. Really, really, hot models. I just saw a picture of Maguire's fiancee and thought, "hmmm, really?" Did anyone else have that reaction or has Victoria's Secret completely brainwashed me?

Amy Argetsinger: No, it's true, she is kind of refreshingly normal looking (albeit in that expensively-groomed Jennifer Aniston kind of way, befitting her status as the daughter of a studio chief). But then again, talk about normal looking -- that's Tobey Maguire for you.

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Foggy Bottom: Hello ladies! I really want you to explain that comment on your Sunday column that Michael Steele's ex-brother in law was Mike Tyson ... Pleazzzzzzeee! I need to know! Further details!

washingtonpost.com: Winners? We'll See. ( Post, Nov. 12)

Amy Argetsinger: You didn't know this? It's true! Steele's sister Monica Turner was married to Iron Mike for six years -- we wrote about her in a column before the election (will post a link) as did our Metro colleagues. Tyson had an out-of-state press conference in which he endorsed Steele's campaign -- but alas, he was never spotted on the campaign trail.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Luke and Laura - they roused her out of her four-year catatonia (and probably threw a LOT of money at Genie Francis) to have them remarry on General Hospital tomorrow (the 25th anniversary of THE SOAP WEDDING). Unfortunately, I am one of those lame people who does not have TiVo and working VCR or DVR to record the event.

I heard that Ms. Francis's deal was only for about six weeks -- then what -- back to the land of the catatonic?

Roxanne Roberts: Haven't seen any reference to Laura making such a quick exit, but its entirely plausible, given that its sweeps and both actors seem less than thrilled with being back on the air. I figure something tragic will occur----my understanding is that the show has already laid the groundwork for Laura to revert back to the coma. Very "Flowers for Algernon" if you ask me.

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Let's get to the really important question:: Mario or Emmitt?

Amy Argetsinger: Anyone? I haven't really been watching, but I think that Mario Lopez is bad news, so I'll vote for Emmitt.

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washingtonpost.com: Michael Steele's Sis Jumps Into the Ring (Post, Nov. 3)

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Alexandria, Va.: I happened to see Xtina on SNL this weekend ... do you think she's cleaned up her act out of maturity, because it's the next step in a diva-ish career or because Britney took a giant GIANT nosedive in the PR dept? I think she knows what she's doing and I don't even really like her music that much. Actually, at all.

Amy Argetsinger: I missed it this weekend -- but yes, I think she's very savvy about her career. All these gals learned at the knee of Madonna -- you gotta keep changing up that image to keep people interested.

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Washington: I was watching John Edwards on The Daily Show last night and got a little concerned about you guys. If he runs for president and wins, will his kids be too young for gossip fodder? Who out there who may run for president had kids that will be in the ever-so-fun under 21 age group? You guys offering any early endorsements?

Roxanne Roberts: He's adorable, but John Edwards is unlikey to win in 2008, so no problem there. Check out our Sunday column for all our gossip picks.

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Post Newsroom: You guys impacted at all by the shakeups at The Post that I keep reading about on the Internet? They all seemed too complex for me to understand.

Amy Argetsinger: Yes -- the bean counters won't let us go to Rome for TomKat's wedding, which we find completely outrageous! Feel better, though, knowing Oprah's not going either... Also, we lost the driver and the stretch Navigator.

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Neil Patrick Harris: So, in this day and age, why is it such a big deal to "out" a celebrity? I mean, unless they lied about it, it's really not such a big deal. Of course, maybe it affects their fan mail.

Amy Argetsinger: It's more complex than that... You have some gay celebs who are maybe trying to keep certain parts of their personal life personal, just as straight ones do... and some journalists and quasi-journalists who want to make an issue of this, whether or not they have exact proof on what goes on behind closed doors, beyond just a hunch... But this is a very interesting trend these days, these young celebs who are deciding to come out to get ahead of all the gossip buzz. There's been Doogie, and Lance Bass, and that guy from Grey's Anatomy...

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K-Fed sighting: Hey -- heard on a local radio station yesterday that K-Fed (or Fed-ex) was sighted buying skivvies in Hagerstown, Md., over the weekend. Any confirmation? At least he's hygienic and wears skivvies, instead of being commando ...

Amy Argetsinger: It's absolutely true -- he was stopped off at the Hagerstown Wal-Mart on Friday (will provide a link to the local paper's story on it)... probably his tour bus stopped off there as they headed east from Chicago to D.C....

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washingtonpost.com: Federline Stops In at Local Store (Herald- Mail.com, Nov. 11)

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Pittsburgh, Pa.:"How could they not invite Oprah?"

I know. I mean, they invited Brooke Shields, for goodness sake, and we all know about THAT story.

Roxanne Roberts: They invited Brooke? Sez who? Doubtful at best: I know they made up and everything, but I gotta think its highly unlikely that they would blow off Oprah but invite Brooke.

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Olney, Md.: What is up with Entertainment Tonight and the "All Anna Nicole, all the time"? Are people THAT interested in this poor woman's life? I feel sympathy for her for the death of her son, but every night there are more updates and interviews. I tune in for some fun, entertainment news after work. I am ready to give it up! Am I the only one?

Amy Argetsinger: I don't regularly see Entertainment Tonight, but I do find myself weary of this sad, sad saga....

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John Edwards: He has a very pretty older daughter (Cate) who is about 23-24. She seems quite mature, but would be fun to watch nonetheless. (Although I agree Edwards [in] '08 isn't going to happen anyway).

Roxanne Roberts: Mature? What fun is that for us? Jeesh. How much fun was Chelsea Clinton? C'mon.

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Sexiest Man: Patrick Dempsey, Milo from GG and Heroes, Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman ... There are a ton of guys ... They really don't need to do repeats

Amy Argetsinger: Exactly! Hell, this should have been Daniel Craig's year. Or Derek Jeter. Or Dominic West. Or Dennis Haysbert. Or Desmond from "Lost." Or Chris Pontius. People is suffering from a total lack of imagination.

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What you could've asked Fed-ex: You could've asked Fed-ex about getting a vasectomy.

Amy Argetsinger: Doh!

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Clooney!: Of course named People's Sexiest Man Alive. Shouldn't they just name him Sexiest Man Alive in Perpetuity?

Amy Argetsinger: I mean, I'm all about Clooney, I just think they could have retired his number by now, know what I mean?

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Washington, D.C.: Do you think the TomKat marriage certificate will be as odd as Suri's birth certificate? Do I recall that one or both of the parents didn't sign and it was done quite a while after she was born? Or am I mixing her up with Britney's babies?

Roxanne Roberts: Nope, it was Suri's, with lots of weirdness: The document was filed May 8, almost three weeks after the birth, and the person who signed is identified as friend, but you can't read the name. Can't wait for the marriage certificate!

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Guest list add-on: Oh and I forgot -- Kelly Preston and John Travolta will be at the wedding too.

Roxanne Roberts: That one makes sense: They're longtime friends and fellow Scienctologists.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi guys! What do think about Ashley Judd's snarky comments about FHM magazine on that radio show? Do you think it makes her less appealing in the eyes of fans if she bad-mouths the magazine that deemed her one of the hottest women?

Amy Argetsinger: I don't know -- girl's entitled to her opinion. Female fans will probably agree if she says FHM is trashy, male fans aren't really going to care...

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Big Luke and Laura Fan: I read that Laura is only back on G.H. for four weeks. If Pittsburgh has Soapnet, they could catch the G.H. marathon over the weekend to see the wedding (it's tomorrow).

Roxanne Roberts: Pittsburgh and the other TIVO-deprived fans thank you.

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Orange County: I stumbled home drunk one early evening (don't ask) a couple weeks ago, and swear I saw Ryan from The O.C. cage fighting. Wasn't this a show about rich kids wearing rich clothing and driving rich cars? What happened? Or was I really drunk and was dreaming this?

Incidentally, I thought the show was way good.

Amy Argetsinger: You really saw that! Just proof, in my opinion, of the evolving depth and complexity of this awesome bit of television programming.... Everyone needs to start tuning back in to "The O.C." right now. Don't believe the hype -- it's as preposterous and as good as it's ever been! My only complaint is that they seem to have dropped the cage-fighting subplot already, but we can hope...

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TomKat: Have Tom and Katie special ordered their 'Pimps' and 'maids' track suits? I hear that is very popular among celebrity couples.

Amy Argetsinger: I'm sure it's gonna be class all the way...

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K Street, Washington, D.C.: Guess Aliza Omert doesn't keep kosher! Shrimp?

Amy Argetsinger: That's our understanding... not everyone keeps kosher...

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Back to Dancing: Hate to say it, but I've been watching. My fingers are crossed for Emmitt based solely on the fact that he's older than 25-year-old and has some serious moves. He also seems to be very charming and down-to-earth.

Roxanne Roberts: Agreed. Although I'm not a regular fan of the show, there's something very appealing about men who are willing and able to cha-cha all night long. Good for him.

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Maguire's fiance: Yeah, but she is the daughter of a studio head and richer than Croesus!

Amy Argetsinger: Yo, I just said that!

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Brooke vs. Oprah: E! News (yeah, I know) last night, or maybe the night before, reported that Brooke would be going to the wedding with her husband and that she was looking for a dress. As a side note, Jim Carrey is taking Jenny McCarthy, the Beckhams are going, as are Will and Jada.

Roxanne Roberts: If any of this is true, the Oprah shutout doesn't make any sense? Amy? Got a theory?

Amy Argetsinger: I think one day we'll look back at this as the celebrity equivalent of Archduke Ferdinand's trip to Sarajevo.

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Baltimore, Md.: Whatever happened to that Jimmy McNulty character from "The Wire"? Remember him -- perhaps the greatest character in TV history? At least the greatest police officer since TJ Hooker.

Amy Argetsinger: He went back to being a beat cop, found a nice girlfriend and got sober... Also, he started doing a lot of high-end stage work in London.

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Raljon, Md.: I know that the Slater guy from "Saved By The Bell" is a little creepy and it is tough to cheer for him on "Dancing with the Stars." But still, he never played for the hated Cowboys. After all Emmitt Smith did to beat the heck out of the Redskins, how can you cheer for him?

Amy Argetsinger: Because.... well, because Mario Lopez is just that annoying!

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FWIW: Of the three ladies on the cover of MAXIM this month, one of them is local. Hilary Burton is a Sterling, Va., native and has made it "big" by landing a role on "One Tree Hill." This may be old news to everyone else, but I just found out and I went to high school with her! So, go Sterling.

Amy Argetsinger: Just looked that up -- you're right! Who knew? Go, Sterling!

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Kensington, Md.: A quick question: I thought that there scuttlebutt that the TomKat wedding might not be legally binding and they still would have to have or have had a civil ceremony in the states. Any news on that front? Thanks.

Roxanne Roberts: The problem appears to be that Cruise is divorced, which means they can't have a Catholic ceremony----and that the local parish priest hasn't given permission. There are reports the ceremony won't be legal---but the couple has four days, the money and a team of lawyers to cut through the paperbook.

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Germantown, Md.: K-Fed is total trash and the lowest form of society, BUT at least he was smart enough to dupe Britney Spears longer to get a big payday in the end (largely due to "the" video he holds) He is a classless jerk, but she is the bigger loser ...

Amy Argetsinger: There's no confirmation of this video rumor.... Honestly, I don't think he's smart at all -- I don't think he's going to get much money out of this situation, she supposedly had an excellent pre-nup. If he were financially smart, he'd have been a better husband...

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Kosher: Well, duh, of course not EVERYONE keeps kosher, but don't pooh-pooh the question as if it's silly: the wife of the PM of the Jewish State eating shrimp is noteworthy. That's not to say she SHOULD keep kosher, it's just to say that if someone saw, oh, the Pope's wife eating meat on Friday, it would be fair to say "Huh?"

Amy Argetsinger: I'm not pooh-poohing it, it's just that we'd answered it already... It is indeed interesting - that's why we put it in the column. And why we're talking about it now.

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Suffern, N.Y.: As a fan of all things Roxanne -- when are you next on Wait, Wait?

Roxanne Roberts: That's so sweet: I'm on next month, right before Christmas. Peter says I'm not allowed to show up in Chicago without some of my semi-famous Christmas cookies.

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Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Things in town are already starting to change after the election -- I think all GOP Senate leaders are wearing blue ties. How quickly they turn their backs on Red State America.

Amy Argetsinger: Such hypocrisy.

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Rochester, N.Y.: I've been hearing that since announcing her split with K-Fed, Britney has been spending a lot of time with DCCC head Rahm Emmanuel? What have you been hearing? Any truth to that? Truthfully, who could blame her?

Amy Argetsinger: Oh my god, did you have that dream last night too? I was so sad to wake up and realize it wasn't true...

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Amy Argetsinger: Hey, awesome questions today, everyone. Where've you all been lately? Hope you come back next week...

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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: You both are SO getting a copy of the O.J. book for Christmas, so don't spoil the fun and buy it yourselves.

Roxanne Roberts: Ah, you elves are so adorable! Don't know if we're on the "nice" or "naughty" list, but it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! If you want to send an early present, give us your tips, ideas, and sighting at reliablesource@washpost.com. Then we can all go off to Grandma's with plenty to talk about over turkey. Next week, gang.

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