Did Rosie Want to Boot Babwa?
Rosie O'Donnell's exit from "The View" had nothing to do with contract terms and everything to do with Rosie wanting to kick Barbara Walters off the show Babwa created, according to reports this morning.
Yesterday, Rosie claimed that her departure was the result of a contract dispute, but the New York Post reports that what Ro really wanted was to take over the show by herself. What's more, the Post's source says that ABC could've kept her by buying out Babwa's share of the show, but decided they had had enough of the outspoken O'Donnell.
Rosie's rep says that the report is "categorically false." Meanwhile, buzz about what Ro will do next is just that -- buzz -- and her rep says she's "going to sit back" and decide.
Alec – Hate-Spew Was Meant for Kim, Not Kid
Alec Baldwin claims that the ugly venom in his voice mail message to daughter Ireland that TMZ posted exclusively last week was really directed at Ireland's mom Kim Basinger, not at the 11-year-old herself. "I took [my anger] out on the wrong person," said Baldwin yesterday during his taped appearance on "The View," slated for broadcast Friday morning, according to a transcript obtained by the AP.
Baldwin told Rosie & Co. that "there's nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry," but when asked by Barbara whether he meant it for his ex-wife Basinger and not for Ireland, he replied, "I think that goes without saying." Still, he wouldn't say whether he had actually spoken to Ireland since the voice mail was made public.
Did Prince Diss Paris in Public?
Prince challenged Paris to a sing-off at his Las Vegas show -- and Paris Hilton couldn't step up, if a report in Us is to be believed. The hotel heiress was in the audience at Prince's Club 3121 show at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and Prince invited her onstage. When, according to Us, she skipped up to take her place in the spotlight, Prince handed her a mic and called out to the crowd, "Let's see if she can really sing," a challenge that so dismayed Paris that she ended up ditching the stage and leaving just two songs later. Paris' rep denies the incident.
Party Favors: Even When Mandy Moore's Bad, She's Still Good ... Could Jacko Come to Big Apple? ... Spidey Needs Rocking Chair
Mandy Moore tells Parade magazine in an exclusive interview that she's been very, very bad: Her abuse of her celebrity, she admits, includes cutting to the front of the line at roller coasters. Uh, OK, Mandy, you naughty girl. ... Talk about a circus: Michael Jackson might be coming to Manhattan for a June 18 trial date of a case in which a New Jersey financial firm is claiming they were stiffed for $48 million. Federal marshals, say Rush & Molloy, have been alerted, but it's unclear whether he'll actually turn up. ... Spider-Man might be capable of flying through the concrete canyons of the big city, but his real-life alter-ego Tobey Maguire needs a rocking chair, according to Page Six. He travels with an entourage of 10, a personal chef, and a rocking chair wherever he's at.