“Date by which the head of Russia’s foreign-service academy says the United States will have totally disintegrated – July 4, 2010.” This is from the Harper’s Index. Love this kind of stuff, and I’m also watching the Mayan calendar for the end of the world in 2012!

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Here’s a story that, when I write it, will get me taken to Harlem in ermine and pearls along with Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz in the company of movie director Lee Daniels. We’ll make a hot foursome and I’m just kidding about the “ermine and pearls.” 

Lee is a guy I was seated next to at a Vogue dinner party arranged by the giant fashion plate, André Leon Talley. After five minutes, I realized he had been the driving force who helped Halle Berry win an Oscar for “Monster’s Ball.” He was as impressed with his “overnight success” as I was!

Recently, not having seen Lee in ages, I wrote a story about his surprising next triumph – the $3 million movie “Precious.” Now Lee, having seen his unsolicited publicity, calls to fill me in.

The movie won three awards at Sundance. And it won Oprah’s backing, plus it has Lionsgate behind it. The film will open next November 6 and it is expected to knock the world’s sock off. It stars young Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe as the tormented teenager whose father impregnates her, whose classmates bully her, whose witch of a mother beats her. (Lee says the latter role is that of a classic villainess, acted by award-winning comedienne Mo’Nique “in a way that makes you ask, ‘Whatever happened to Baby Jane?’ —  you have never seen such a horrible woman!” Lee was full of raves for another actress, Paula Patton, who plays a lesbian who intervenes on behalf of the abused girl. Mariah Carey, who is one of Lee’s pet talents, has a role here as “Mrs. Weiss.” And the adorable (to my way of thinking) Lenny Kravitz. In this movie he plays a nurse. 

“Did Oprah really back this film all the way?” I ask Lee, who is kidding around on the other end of the phone. He settled down: “Indeed she did. She connected to it with bells and whistles and is an executive producer with Tyler Perry.”

Lee Daniels is a guy on the verge, concerned that he makes the right choices. He says he is looking forward to working with Halle Berry again. He is being offered big money to make big films, but wants to be sure he is doing the right thing, “because we never had money to do movies like this before … though this one cost us only $3 million.”


Mariah Carey, Gabourey Sidibe, Lee Daniels and
Paula Patton © Getty Images

Lee is doing the right thing, I think. At least, he agreed to take me to dinner with Mariah, a long-admired mutual friend, and with Lenny, on whom I have had a big crush since being introduced to him in Orso one night, whereupon he rose, crushed me to his chest and gave me a big kiss. (I’m such a pushover!)         

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Natalie Cole shows herself as a writer in her article for Jason Binn’s magazine, Los Angeles Confidential — this issue is Binn’s début as editorial director. (I suppose today’s youngsters don’t mind using the name of a sensational exploitive publication of the ’50s!) 

Natalie, a ten-time Grammy winner, writes movingly of her bouts with addiction and illness: “Whatever horror stories you have heard about chemo are true. It is absolutely one of the most debilitating and difficult experiences that could ever happen to a human being … Trying to perform was a real challenge. Just picture an IV hanging from a wardrobe rack in my dressing room in Japan as I tried to prepare for two shows in a night!”


Natalie Cole/Flickr