Family Forum / Marriage / Marriage / July 2007

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/r_m/index.html

Rush & Molloy

Greeks bear Paris grudge

Tuesday, July 24th 2007, 4:00 AM
     
Greece's biggest shipping families have banded together to make sure
their sons don't even think about marrying Paris Hilton.

"Letters have been exchanged between them," a knowledgeable society
source tells us. "It's fine that they dated her, but they don't want
her in their families."

Though she's with a po' boy at the moment - T-shirt designer Tyler
Atkins - Hilton seems to favor Greek boys whose billionaire families
specialize in big tankers ceaselessly crisscrossing the ocean, filled
with oil.

She's had a long on-again, off-again with Stavros Niarchos, was
briefly engaged to Paris Latsis and dated Chris Contogouris. She
stayed at currently platonic pal Niarchos' place in Hawaii just after
getting out of the hoosegow, which had to make his parents nervous.

They don't care that Hilton makes her own millions; the "Simple Life"
star stands to earn even more if producer Christine Peters casts her
in "Fashionista" with Lindsay Lohan.

Hilton, 26, is also likely to inherit part of the estate of
grandfather William Barron Hilton, who just sold Hilton Hotels to
Steve Schwarzman's Blackstone Group for $20 billion. Though a source
notes, "[Her father] Rick is one of eight children, and they all have
children."

But it's not about the money - it's about class, which the Greek
families take very seriously. X-rated videos and jail time haven't
helped Hilton's image as completely vacuous and self-absorbed.

Stavros, 22, is the son of Philip Niarchos and Victoria Guinness -
daughter of the legendary socialite Gloria Guinness and Franz-Egon,
Count von Furstenberg. He's the namesake of Stavros Niarchos, who
invented the supertanker and was married to royalty, as well as to
Charlotte Ford and Aristotle Onassis' first wife.

Latsis, 28, is the son of socialite Marianna Latsis, whose own parents
were scandalized when she was briefly married to his father,
water-skiing instructor Gregory Katsidokostas. Marianna reportedly
refused to meet Hilton during her son's five-month engagement to her
in 2005.

A spokesman for Latsis could not be reached. But a friend of the
Niarchos family told us: "[Stavros] is a big boy. They don't need to
talk to him, because he can handle himself. Yes, everybody knows she's
trouble. But he doesn't need his family to tell him who to date."

Side Dish

Are Usher and Tameka Foster ready to make it legal? The buzz is that
the two, who are expecting a baby this fall, may wed as soon as this
weekend. An insider says they're personally calling friends like Jay-Z
and Beyoncé and Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri to attend the
nuptials, which could take place at music honcho L.A. Reid's Hamptons
spread. Big question: is Usher's mom, Jonetta Patton, invited? Sources
say Patton, who's also Usher's ex-manager and isn't on the best of
terms with Tameka, may be traveling this week.

Kelly Clarkson must've just wised up to the adage, "The music business
is fast and ugly - like your mama." Yesterday, she blogged apologies
for dissing Clive Davis, the head of her label BMG/RCA, after she'd
said, "You're 80; you're not supposed to like my album." Duh. Davis
then promptly snubbed Clarkson on this spring's "American Idol" finale
when he plugged records by fellow Idolites Taylor Hicks and Katharine
McPhee but not Clarkson's, which has sold a hefty 463,500 copies. Then
again, Hannah Montana's (aka Miley Cyrus ) sold 642,000. Yesterday, a
backtracking Clarkson said: "I'm well aware that Clive is one of the
great record men of all time. He has been a key adviser and has been
an important force in my success to date."

The rich have such problems. "Hairspray" star and pilot John Travolta
has sued an airport in Ocala, Fla., for trying to keep his personal
jets off the runway. It seems when he bought an estate at Jumbolair,
an aviation-themed development in central Florida, the actor
understood he could land his planes -including a Boeing 707 and a
four-engine Qantas commercial passenger jet - next door at Greystone
Airport. "The runway is not suitable for heavy aircraft. It is
cracking and breaking," said Greystone airport owner James Garemore.

John Mayer was in high spirits at his Borgata show Sunday night -
despite having lost $64,000 the night before, we hear. The crooner
told the audience it was the best show of his summer tour and joked
throughout his set. Saturday night, Mayer was up about $20,000 at the
blackjack tables before finishing deep in the hole, says our spy, who
adds: "He's got a very unorthodox way of playing. He stands when he
should hit, and he hits when he should stand. It's enough to make a
seasoned player leave the tables!"

A buxom female fan leapt on the stage during Billy Joel's Saturday
night set, and the Piano Man had to share a standing ovation when the
audience leapt up as one at the sight of "The Sopranos'" Steve
Schirripa. A former casino staffer himself - he was entertainment
director at the Riviera in Las Vegas when he got a "man at the bar"
part in Martin Scorsese's "Casino," natch - Schirripa gave a huge grin
and waved to the crowd, spending 10 minutes taking photos with fans.
The Vegas stint must've given Schirripa sizing-up powers: His
on-the-street takes on people for Jay Leno 's show are incredible.

Surveillance

Domestic life agrees with oh-so-on-again couple Danny Masterson and
Bijou Phillips. The two sprang for a $3 million Los Angeles villa last
month, and on Saturday in the Hamptons, the lovebirds stayed out until
4:30 a.m. after Stereo by the Shore's 10 Cane Rum dinner in
Southampton to fete pal Wilmer Valderrama 's Calavana clothing line.
"They were kissing and holding hands," says our spy. "Danny was even
playing with her hair."

Glenn Close has set legions of lesbian fans abuzz with her FX series,
"Damages," which starts tonight. Lady-loving bloggers such as the
girls at afterellen.com confess they're salivating over Close's
portrayal of a high-powered attorney with a sexy young protégé, Rose
Byrne. "You never know what's going to happen," Close teased us at the
show's premiere Thursday. "I actually think it's a very sexy
relationship. Rose's character is a neophyte, she's innocent, she's
gifted - and she doesn't know what she's getting into."

Topher Grace and Russell Simmons, front row at the Inca Fashion Show
at The Estate in the Hamptons Saturday night.

Elijah Wood and pals made a low-key appearance at Duff's Bar in
Williamsburg Thursday night. "He was just drinking Pabst and hanging
out" at the heavy-metal gin mill, says owner Jimmy Duff. "He's a nice
guy."

Director Oliver Stone took his favorite date - mom Jacqueline - to
Megu Saturday night, where they cooked their own Kobe beef on a
sizzling stone.

Rachael Ray treated herself to lash extensions at Pierre Michel at
57th and Lex.

Michelle Williams checked out the Children's Museum of Manhattan,
where soon-to-be-2-year-old daughter Matilda whipped her up a (fake)
sandwich in the kids' deli.

Amanda and Peter forever! Reunited "Melrose Place" lovebirds Heather
Locklear and Jack Wagner canoodled last weekend in Malibu.

Lindsay Lohan gave an impromptu swimwear photo shoot at the Polaroid
Beach House over the weekend, pairing a teeny-weeny bikini with her
new fave accessory - her trendy alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet.
Like, it goes with everything!