Russell Crowe's UFO

Russell Crowe filmed  some UFOs  flying over Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens  this week and uploaded the film on YouTube. The film was taken from his Woolloomooloo apartment.
"A friend and I set camera to capture fruit bats rising from Botanic Gardens. This was a big surprise,'' Crowe tweeted to his followers this morning.

Les Miserables Murdochs

Wendi & Rupert at last night's premiere

Rupert and Wendi Murdoch graced the red carpet at last night's Sydney State Theatre premiere of Les Miserables joining local actors and the two male stars of the film Hugh Jackman and Russel Crowe.


The Murdochs were in Melbourne last week to attend the memorial service for the late Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, Rupert's much admired mother who died at the grand age of 103.

The Shuttle attended many parties at the home of Matt Handbury and his then wife Fiona at their harbour side mansion Altona (currently being rented by the Jackman clan). Fiona, who has since divorced Matt often spoke of the animosity between the Handburys and Murdochs. Matt inherited his mother Helen Handbury's  magazine empire which she as Rupert's sister inherited from Sir Keith Murdoch.

Now a Murdoch family insider Rodney E.Lever who assisted Murdoch in the creation of his media empire has penned a series of articles for the political website Independent Australia telling of the strained relationship that now bedevils the Murdochs : Rupert is estranged from his oldest son Lachlan and daughter Elisabeth who is married to Britain's ace PR consultant Mathew Freud.
While Matt Handbury attended Dame Elisabeth's service in Melbourne as did Lachlan and his wife Sarah Murdoch (Fiona has since become the Countess of Dartmouth), the Murdochs all went their separate ways and declined to attend the refreshments afterwards or to mingle with the other 1000 guests.

Is Lincoln Heading For Hollywood?

Rumours are circulating that good looking actor Lincoln Lewis could be headed for Hollywood and a star role in a new US TV series.

Lincoln Lewis

Lincoln, the son of former Australian rugby league great Wally Lewis has a number of appearances coming up on Oz TV including the new Underbelly Razor series that begins next Sunday evening on the Nine network and which is sure to receive high ratings.

Lincoln joined his co-stars in the drama Slide  ( screened on Fox8.) last week for a dinner in the Graceland's Room in Surry Hills Winery to celebrate the new series launch.

Slide is about a bunch of teens making their way into adulthood-something Lincoln has had some experience with, when he and his former co-star from Home and Away Jodi Gordon were involved in a bizarre episode in 2009 with police being called to a harbour-side house with claims of bikie members breaking in to attack the pair. Whatever happened that night, it's probably just added to Lewis's mystique especially after it became public knowledge that he and a 'starlet'; had made a saucy film together.

And on the subject of Jodi- she and fiancee  Braith Anasta attended last Thursday's Myer parade at the Carriageworks, cuddling in the first row throughout the parade.

Lincoln & Slide co-stars :Gracie Gilbert* Ben Schumann
Adele Perovic*Emily Iris Robins*

Jodi has just finished filming the tele-movie Blood Brothers with Lisa McClune. Gordon plays  the wife of the real-life 'perfect murderer' Jeffrey Gilham, jailed for the 1993 killings of his parents and brother.

Lincoln has also completed the film Bait which stars another Hollywood ex-pat Julian McMahon, the son of the late much loved social figure Lady Sonia McMahon.

Jodi at Myer

Braith & Jodi

Our source says McMahon's US agent was particularly taken by Lincoln's boyish good looks and charm and typical laid back Aussie style that has translated so well Stateside with actors like Russell Crowe , Hugh Jackman and Eric Bana and believes he is perfect for American audiences. To date the Shuttle still hasn't had a call back from Lewis's agent.
                                                  











Here's a clip from Home &Away that shows off Lincoln's perfect pecs that would look right at home in Malibu:

Why British tabloids should listen to us

Fast on the heels of our tale (below at the end of "Cate Blanchett Snubbed") a UK tabloid the Daily Star has published a tale about our pal Russell Crowe titled :

CROWE'S CONCERT CANCELLED

Music-loving RUSSELL CROWE abandoned plans to sing at a children's charity show on Monday (09Aug10) - and spent the evening reading stories to his sons instead.

The Gladiator actor had volunteered to perform a song at a show for the Australian Children's Music Foundation at the State Theatre in Sydney on Monday evening.

But after travelling to the venue, Crowe's slot was cancelled - and he took advantage of his night off by spending quality time with his kids.

                    ************************************************* 

Errr..not quite folks. The event to which the Shuttle was invited was  the Dueting For Kids concert to raise funds for the Australian Children's Music Foundation which was founded by children's TV host Don Spencer OAM who is the father of Danielle Spencer who is married to Crowe.

Although Russell is an Ambassador for the foundation along with a host of music identities like Dame Joan Sutherland,  Andrew Farriss from INXS, The Wiggles honorary Oz resident Leo Sayer,  Rolf Harris and Andre Rieu, Russell Crowe had never intended to either attend the function or perform at it.

Naturally Crowe and his wife Danielle are great supporters of Don who is a tireless charity worker and  the pair nearly always turn up at events to aid his works but Crowe is always mindful that being one the world's current top box office movie stars, he is bound to be the center of attention.

If the Daily Star had read the Shuttle as at least 4 other British tabloids do on a regular basis  (reproducing stories from here,) they would get these things right.

Russell & Danielle at a Don Spencer event in 2008

 Fortunately one daily London newspaper has now come to an arrangement with the Social Shuttle to have first access to our exclusives. That's one to us and nil to the Daily Star

As we noted yesterday Crowe would not be at the event (with organisers confirming to us today that he was never going to be). He twittered that  night that he felt he was coming down with the flu.

Which didn't stop him taking his usual morning walk with his kids today around Wooloomoolloo and through the Botanic Gardens where he gave the Shuttle a cheery wave. Crowe has told us in the past that one of the reasons he loves being back home in Sydney is because of the relative freedom he has to wander about unbothered by paparazzi.

2 Years ago he devised a scheme perfect in it's simple brilliance to maintain that privacy. Every time he leaves his home now for  his daily constitutional he wears exactly the same clothes, thereby devaluing possible sales of snaps of him out in public.

Style pixie for fashion week ?

Tavi

There was much talk at Thursday night's bash for Marie Claire hosted by editor Jackie Frank and heralding Australian Fashion Week which begins this Monday.

Will the 14 year old US fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson be in town?. She's been invited, as have several fashion bloggers, with airfares thrown in.

Tavi has become a teen sensation with her Style Rookie blog. She's been interviewed by Interview and Grazia, attended White House parties, profiled in the New York Times and been guest editor for Fashion Television at the New York Fashion Week.

Some at the party were bitching about whether Tavi is really capable of writing the blog herself at such a tender age and if she really could understand the nuances and vagaries of fashion. She does make references to past fashion eras that were well before her time. Which could mean she does her research. Probably at school at the back of the class.

Tavi is one of our heroines. She's demonstrating the power of the blog and why by 2025 there will be no printed  newspapers or magazines. She's at the vanguard of a generation that is leading the charge of citizen journalism and anarchy media.

designer Jayson Brunsdon & Simon Lock

 The other talk at Marie Claire was just what is the rift between Australian Fashion Week creator Simon Lock and the current owners of the event. Lock's been frozen out and although he sold his share of the Week 5 years ago he did have a 10 year consultancy contract. Simon was at the party but staying silent on the subject.

Don Spencer & Marie Claire's Jackie Frank

 why we love Marie Claire parties

Marie Claire's bash was to show off the art works created by a dozen fashion designers like Marnie Skillings and Sass & Bide . The works will be auctioned over the coming weeks at the Marie Claire website and the funds raised will go to aid the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. 

The foundation was started by TV presenter Don Spencer. Don has a famous daughter Danielle who is married to Russell Crowe. They usually come to aid Don's charity but he said they couldn't make it that night as Russell was off somewhere promoting his Robin Hood movie.

Tavi at the New York Fashion Week                                       

little bay with big problems

It's only 3 kilometres from the city centre and a stone's throw from Kings Cross-Elizabeth Bay, a harbour-side suburb where a battle royal is about to break out.

The suburb has some rich and famous residents overseen by the imposing  Elizabeth Bay House, the historic homestead of Governor Lachlan Macquarie whose wife Elizabeth the area was named after. Chef Kylie Kwong lives there as does trucking magnate Lindsay Fox who stumped up $29M for the 1920's Spanish style residence Boomerang, built by the Albert's music family and the locale for the film Mission Impossible 11. At one stage actor Tom Cruise considered buying Boomerang as his Aussie base for he and former wife Nicole Kidman . Just up the road from Boomerang in Billyard Avenue have lived Russel Crowe and Lachlan Murdoch. A few hundred metres in the other direction in Roslyn Gardens is the imposing 4 storey terrace being restored by former Prime Minster Paul Keating-to date a 15 year project.

Rene Rivkin

 Owner of the fashion label Diesel and former James Packer partner , Theo Onosforou has a house there as does the head of the  Broome pearl empire Nick Paspaley while Consolidated Media's chairman, John Alexander lives in a magnificent penthouse. Right on the small park at the end of a marina where the action is taking place is controversial West Australian businessman Warren Anderson who has his elegant terrace for sale for give or take $30M.

Opposite Anderson's house is the Elizabeth Bay marina whose owners, rag trader Michael Dalah and the rich  panel beater Peter Fitzhenry wish to turn from it's present 30 vessel berth into 50. It's a fight that is sure to end  up in the courts as the residents oppose the development. They successfully saw off the last entrepreneur, the late stockbroker Rene Rivkin.

The Danish royals partied at Boomerang

Meanwhile John Alexander who led the fight to prevent the previous development has had to halt the renovations of his large terrace overlooking the harbour after another tenant of his building Julie Schaeffer took out an injunction in the Supreme Court citing lack off council approval. Schaeffer was the previous owner of Boomerang where she hosted the return home party for Princess Mary of Denmark when Mary paid her first visit back to Oz with her husband Frederick-the future King of Denmark.

Boomerang

And right across the road from Boomerang is the multi storey apartment of property entrepreneur Gary Baker and his wife Karin Upton Baker the head of the fashion label Hermes where they have hosted parties for Elle McPherson and Cate Blanchett. The Bakers-noted for their series of black autos-a Bentley Continental,  a Rolls Phantom , a vintage Mercedes sports car and a Mini Cooper all with XXX numberplate's, are facing a Supreme Court fight over their investment in a set of Bondi beach-side apartments once owned by the late singer Peter Allen the former husband of Liza Minnelli. The Bakers are being  sued by a credit company for around $18M and risk losing their home.

 

Directly across from the marina where all the woes are about to descend is tSS contributor Bill Ranken who has a pied-à-terre . He's not buying into the fight-he doesn't like boats.