Looks like the third time isn’t the charm for the Piano Man.
Billy Joel and his latest wife, Katie Lee, are splitting up, the couple confirmed to the Daily News on Wednesday.
“After nearly five years of marriage, Billy and Katie have decided to separate,” reps for the pair said in a joint statement.
“This decision is the result of much thought and consideration. Billy and Katie remain caring friends, with admiration and respect for each other.”
Rumors have swirled for months that Joel’s third marriage was on the rocks.
Various reports have linked Lee, a 27-year-old chef and author, with Yigal Azrouel, a dashing 36-year-old Israeli-born fashion designer who has frequently escorted her to events.
Sources reported seeing them dirty dancing in Miami in January and have claimed that in unguarded moments Azrouel referred to Lee as “my girlfriend.”
Reps for the Joel’s insisted that Azrouel was just a friend and that Billy, 60, was happy to skip the parties, fashion shows and fundraisers that his younger wife enjoyed.
“Their decision to separate was absolutely unrelated to Yigal,” Joel’s spokeswoman, Claire Mercuri said.
“It was really the age difference that caught up with them. They grew apart. She is very career-oriented. She loves going out. She loves the city. When Billy isn’t touring, he’d rather be on Long Island with his motorcycles and boats.”
But a longtime pal of Joel insisted “he’s always remained faithful to Katie. When he was touring with Elton John, he flew home almost every night. He rarely stayed in a hotel room. When would he have done this supposed fooling around?”
In recent weeks, Joel has been living on Long Island, where he owns mansions in Sag Harbor and Sagaponack. Lee is said to have stayed at the couple’s Manhattan townhouse, not far from Azrouel’s boutique.
source: Billy Joel and wife Katie Lee split [ny daily news]
Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez were spotted getting cozy last month at a restaurant in New York City, and now a source confirms they are dating.
“It’s somewhat serious. He introduced her to a bunch of his friends.”
For her part, Hudson followed Rodriguez on the road late last month to Dallas, when the Yankees played the Texas Rangers in a three-game series. The actress and son Ryder, 5 (dad is Chris Robinson), stayed at the same hotel as Rodriguez, and the couple “worked out together in the fitness center,” says an eyewitness.
“For one of the games, she sent Ryder and his nanny to the ballpark while she stayed behind and watched the game from the hotel. She remarked several times about what a big baseball fan she is!”
Will their relationship last past the season? Another source says it’s too early to tell: “You never know with Kate.”
source: Romance Between Kate Hudson and A-Rod Heats Up [people]
Two years after an affair with a local television reporter ended his marriage, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigo was spotted getting close with another on-air journalist – one who has reported on the mayor in the past.
L.A.’s NBC Channel 4 broke the story Monday, posting photos of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Lu Parker in a local bookstore. Parker is a general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for KTLA-TV Channel 5. She is also a former Miss U.S.A.
Officials at the station confirmed that Parker and the mayor have been dating since March, the L.A. Times reported, and added that Parker will no longer cover politics.
Two years ago, the mayor’s affair with a reporter and anchor for the local Telemundo affiliate ended his 20-year marriage, the Times reported. Villaraigosa and his wife separated. Their divorce isn’t final yet.
The mayor’s spokesman had no comment on Villaraigosa’s current relationship, the Times reported.
The moral of this story is… um, nothing. He will obviously never learn.
LeAnn Rimes is selling her Franklin, Tennessee home on the market for a nice $7.45 million. So it leads me to wonder if her and husband Dean Sheremet are calling it quits?
Once plagued with cheating rumors and other rumors saying that her hubby is gay, the couple are moving out of the home that they shared together.
There has been no word as to where each of them are going, if together. LeAnn met up with Eddie Cibrian yesterday at a Lakers game to tell him the news.
The couple have only shared the home together since September 2008. Is it splitsville for the couple already?
Mel Gibson’s girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, is pregnant with his child.
Sources say Gibson has already told his estranged wife, Robyn, and their children about the news. We’re told Oksana is in her second trimester.
Robyn filed for divorce on April 13.
By the way, Oksana is living in a house Mel got for her. And guess what else? Until recently, Oksana was living in a house purchased by songwriter/producer David Foster, with whom she also had a relationship.
Photos of Katie Price boozing it up were the last straw that made Peter Andre dump her.
Peter had already told pals he was unhappy because things were growing strained between him and his high maintenance wife.
And he finally snapped when he saw photos that were published of her drunkenly slumped in a nightclub, with her 32D assets on full display.
Jordan looked a mess at the Syndicate club in Bristol last Friday, guzzling vodka and snuggling up to a mystery man. She also kissed a second man outside.
Peter knew nothing of her antics until he saw the snaps. And a friend said:
“To say he was furious is an understatement. It was the last straw.”
Hulk Hogan is sounding homicidal over the way his wife Linda dumped him, forced him out of his $18 million mansion, allegedly started spending his money at the rate of $40,000 a month and dating “some shaggy-haired pool boy 30 years her junior.”
“I could have turned everything into a crime scene, like OJ, cutting everybody’s throat.
You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can’t go to anymore, you’re driving through downtown Clearwater and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife . . . I totally understand OJ. I get it.”
He and Linda are battling it out in a Florida divorce court, where Linda’s attorney claims she’s entitled to use the car and that Hogan’s claims against her are merely an attempt to control her love life.
A second Russian beauty with the name Oksana is being linked to Mel Gibson, but unlike the previous woman, Oksana Pochepa actually claims to be in love with the actor.
The pop singer-model says she’s the woman seen cavorting with the ‘Braveheart’ star on a beach earlier this year, The Sun reports.
“This is serious and I hope that our union will be real and strong and long-lasting.”
We are different people, but Mel is a grown man and knows precisely what he wants and me too — I know what I want.”
Gibson’s impending divorce from Robyn Moore, his wife of 28 years, has spurred much speculation that a “Russian musician called Oksana” was the other woman in the actor-director’s life. Earlier, there were reports pointing to Russian classical pianist Oksana Kolesnikova, but she has denied all allegations.
“The only explanation is that the names Oksana have been confused. It is a very popular name in Russia.”
The Gibsons have cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.
In a statement released by the couple, they say the following: “Throughout our marriage and separation we have always strived to maintain the privacy and integrity of our family and will continue to do so.”
There have been reports that the two have actually been separated for three years, having gone their separate ways following Gibson’s 2006 DUI arrest. The infamous bust was accompanied by an anti-Semitic rant by Gibson.
Mel Gibson’s wife Robyn has just filed legal papers to divorce Mel Gibson, her husband of 28 years, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Pretty ironic — Robyn signed the papers the day before Good Friday. [see documents]
Sources claim there is no prenuptial agreement — they were married in 1980, before Mel Gibson amassed a fortune estimated at $900 million back in 2006. Under the laws of California, community property — which includes earnings — is divided 50/50.
The Gibsons have 7 children, but only one — Tom, who turns 10 tomorrow — is a minor. In Robyn’s legal papers, filed this morning in L.A. County Superior Court, she seeks joint physical and legal custody of Tom.
Robyn is also asking for spousal support and attorneys fees.
Robyn lists the date of separation as “to be determined.” This is important, because earnings generally cease to be community property when the couple separates. There could be a skirmish over this. We’re told the couple grew increasingly apart over the last few years, especially since Mel’s drunk driving arrest in 2006.
There have been reports that Mel has been involved with another woman, which the actor denies, but we’re told the reasons for the divorce go beyond any third party. I’m putting my money on the two bimbos pictures with Mel above.
Romain Chavent, Shauna Sand’s almost ex husband - has just been arrested for allegedly assaulting her again!
According to TMZ, Romain was busted Monday morning after an argument with Shauna Sand allegedly got physical. When L.A. law enforcement officials arrived, Sand had bite marks on her body and claimed Romain had pushed her around.
The one-time stepmom of Shayne Lamas is reportedly doing okay. Chavent was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge and held on $50,000 bail.
After the story broke the story that Sam’s mother and sister went to a Beverly Hills police station yesterday asking questions about the restraining order process, sources reported that Lindsay has been an emotional wreck — crying uncontrollably.
We’re also told Sam has cut off all communication with Lohan — and that Lindsay isn’t handling it well. In fact, we’re told people close to Lindsay are worried she “might lash out.”
In an interview set to air Monday on the ‘Tyra Banks Show,’ Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol Palin’s infant son, described some tension with Alaska’s first family.
He told Banks that his former fiancee lets him visit but won’t let him take the baby out, and that Bristol’s mother, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, probably knew the teenage couple were having sex. “Moms are pretty smart,” he told Banks.
The Palin camp fired back in a statement from the family’s spokesperson, Meghan Stapleton, released Friday.
“Bristol did not even know Levi was going on the show. We’re disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship.
Bristol’s focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence. It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child.”
“Bristol realizes now that she made a mistake in her relationship and is the one taking responsibility for their actions,” the statement concludes.
The couple — who divorced in 2004 but reconciled last September after Barker’s near-fatal plane crash — called it quits “after a nasty fight broke out at his house last night and cops were called…[when] Shanna started freaking out and acting irrational.”
No charges were filed.
“Travis confronted Shanna about her having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was in the hospital recovering.”
Butler and Moakler were spotted getting cozy at the Hollywood opening of Shin Korean BBQ last October.
A source close to Butler insists, “They were always just friends. Nothing more.”
Barker “just wants to focus on his music and his children right now. He is done with her drama,” the source says.
Marriage and step-motherhood have come naturally to Gisele Bündchen – who in February wed New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, 18 months after his former girlfriend, model-actress Bridget Moynahan, gave birth to Brady’s child, John Edward Thomas Moynahan.
“It was definitely a surprise for both of us,” the supermodel, 28, tells Leslie Bennetts for Vanity Fair’s May issue. Yet the baby’s arrival in their lives, Bündchen insists, has not detracted from her bliss. In fact, little John Edward has contributed to it.
“In the beginning you’re living this romantic fantasy; you’re thinking, This can’t be true, it’s so good! And then, Whoops – wake-up call!”
Should She Leave?
The rude awakening came 2½ months after she had met Brady through a friend in late 2006, when she was instantly attracted to him thanks to his charismatic smile, she says. With Moynahan’s news, however, “[I]t was a very challenging situation,” says Bündchen. “Obviously, in the beginning, it’s not the ideal thing.”
“You question at times – ‘Should I stay here? Maybe you should work this out. But when people break up, it’s for a reason.”
In the end, working with Brady to deal with the baby, “was a blessing, because otherwise I don’t think I would have known what he was made of, and he wouldn’t have known what I was made of,” she says, noting his integrity and “the way he was a good person through all the times. I was like, You have the heart in a good place! It made me feel more in love with him; it made me realize who he was.”
Strengthened Relationship
As a result, says the new bride, who, with Brady, is due to celebrate their marriage with family and friends in Costa Rica this Friday, “Our relationship has become so much stronger, and I think I wouldn’t be as certain as I am today if it weren’t for that.”
What makes Brady perfect for her, says Bündchen, the world’s highest paid supermodel, is:
“He’s very close to his family. He’s Catholic. His parents have been married 40 years. He’s got a pure heart. That’s all that matters – he’s got the purest heart. I feel grateful because I have a lot of love in my life. I found the person I’m sharing my life with. I have a good man.”
