CRISS ANGEL FACES DOUBLE DILEMMA THAT NO MAGIC TRICK WILL SOLVE & DONALD TRUMP OPENS NEW VEGAS HOTEL
Mindfreak magician Criss Angel deals with a double dilemma tonight (FRI) that no amount of magic or trickery can solve—and his new girlfriend is under the spotlight just like the girl about to be sawn in half! In less than eight hours gorgeous Miss Nevada, 23-year-old Vegas resident, Veronica Grabowski will march on stage at the Planet Hollywood Resort and battle 50 other beauty queens for a shot at the Miss USA 2008 crown!
Criss will be front-row center rooting for his new “very special lady”—but if she wins they will immediately be separated! He would “disappears” to host a celebration at the new LAX nightclub in the Luxor and she would be whisked away by Miss USA pageant officials—and by the end of the weekend she’d be in a brand new apartment 3,000 miles away in New York ready to start her year-long reign!
“He wants her to win. He’s very proud of her,” one of Criss’ friends told me.” But if she wins it’ll be a year before they are really together again. She’d be based in Manhattan and will travel the world as the ambassador of Miss USA. That’s a tough spot for two people who care very much about each other to find themselves in.” If she becomes Miss USA Veronica would travel as an advocate for breast and ovarian cancer awareness, education, research and legislation—the organization’s charitable platform.
For the past two weeks Criss and Veronica have been separated while she has been “under curfew and sequestered” at the resort with all the other contestants.
“We have been relying on text and cell phone messages” confided Veronica. However, on Wednesday night Criss “worked a wizard’s wonder” and the “closerthanthis” couple got precious moments together on the mezzanine at the hotel on a “short family-time” gathering. Parents and relatives of all the competing ladies joined for one last-time group meeting to wish them “good luck.”
The striking couple have literally been inseparable since meeting earlier this year—even going dirt-bike riding together up in Red Rock Canyon. I’ve seen them together a number of times at the Luxor where he lives and at both the Cathouse restaurant and loungerie and LAX nightclub.
Criss is scheduled next week to move into the new theater at the Luxor to begin the onstage work of his new $150 million Cirque du Soleil Believe magic spectacular. It’s tentatively set to open in previews on July 31 with a gala opening penciled in for September 12.
As if the possible 12-month separation isn’t enough of a nail-biting worry for the twosome … they are also coping with a slew of screaming tabloid headlines about last year’s romance between Criss and actress Minnie Driver. After being spotted together several times in Vegas their dating spree came to a sudden halt—but now the tabloids are trying to find the identity of her new baby’s father! An overly excited far-reaching team of tabloid reporters and photographers are trying to pin an exclusive story about Minnie’s love-child on Criss—and offering huge-dollar bounties for anybody in his circle of intimates willing to spill the secrets.
That titillating turmoil broke yesterday—just hours before Criss “appears” for Veronica’s sexy swimsuit and elegant evening gown parade tonight. Here’s how she looked at last weekend’s preliminary competitions that cut the 51 contestants down to the 15 semi-finalists who will be announced shortly after the start of this evenings live NBC-TV broadcast—6 p.m. here allowing for the three-hour time difference back east.
We’ll get the tape delayed version here at 9 p.m. but for anybody who misses all the excitement and glamour the entire show will be available on the Miss USA Internet Web site at the end of the West Coast transmission at 11 p.m. While I’m away in LA and Florida my good friend, Frank Lieberman will be attending the pageant at Planet Hollywood Resort for me and Luxe Life will have the winner and the coronation crowning right here shortly afterwards. By the way that Mikimoto crown is valued at $200,000 and is made up of over 480 diamonds—more than 11 carats. Symbolizing a phoenix rising to represent status, power and beauty it also has 120 South Sea and Akoya pearls. The winner only gets to keep the tiara as part of her prize package, which is valued at $20,000.
Billionaire real-estate tycoon Donald Trump who owns the Miss USA pageant (along with Miss Universe and Miss Teen USA) has arrived in Vegas for the event—and the official opening of his new Trump International Hotel condo tower opposite fellow moguls Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson’s properties.
Donald’s third wife, Melania, his son Donald Jr., and daughter Ivanka from his first marriage will be at this morning’s 11 a.m. ceremonial ribbon cutting and will also join him at the telecast. Then they all take off for Florida on his private jet where former wife, Ivana Trump is remarrying—and she insisted their children are part of her bridal party!
They’ve invited me to join the more than 200 guests and showbiz stars linking up for the family celebration being held at their magnificent Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach. I’ll get all the behind-the-scenes secrets from the Miss USA pageant from “The Donald” once he lands. Beforehand I’m also going to check in on our Vegas resident rocker, Vince Neil’s new Dr. Feelgood’s bar-nightclub there.
Donny & Marie Osmond, who will become resident Strip headliners at the Flamingo this fall, are the co-hosts of tonight’s pageant which is being broadcast for the first time in HD technology. Watch for shots of all your favorite Vegas hotspots going out around the world.
Rock band Finger Eleven will perform their hit song “Paralyzer” live on the 57th annual show. The candidates will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview.
The judges have also all arrived at Planet Hollywood—including its CEO-chairman, Robert Earl. He’s joined by former Paul McCartney’s wife, Heather Mills from Dancing with the Stars; actor Rob Schneider from I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry; Joey Fatone, host of The Singing Bee; Olympic gold medal swimmer, Amanda Beard; actress Kristian Afonso from Days of Our Lives, Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson; this season’s Project Runway winner Christian Siriano, San Diego Chargers “Lights Out” linebacker Shawne Merriman and Vanity Fair celebrity journalist George Wayne.
Today you also get the opportunity to vote. Go online to nbc.com/MissUSA and vote for the contestant you think should win the photogenic “Hot Shots” award. The glamour girl who you believe best exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera will be revealed during tonight’s live telecast.
Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe parent organization summed up for us: “We have the hottest women in the country parading before world-class judges. We have two iconic hosts and ‘paralyzing’ music. Add in the electricity of Vegas and it’s all a perfect combination for the sexiest and most exciting broadcast of our 57-year history.”
Remember to click back here later tonight for the winner and the “crowning moment” and then we’ll have the full photo report and our interview with “The Donald” here at Luxe Life on Monday.