It’s hard to imagine anyone bullying Madonna, but that’s just what the pop superstar alleges estranged hubby Guy Ritchie did. In divorce papers, Madge reportedly claims the director told her she “looked like a granny” onstage and was “past it” — i.e., washed up — no doubt the worst thing you can say to an aging icon.
According to the U.K.’s Daily Mail, Guy put down his wife constantly: “He would laugh sarcastically at her jokes and [make fun of her] in front of other people,” a source said.
“Outwardly, she’s the Material Girl and bursting with confidence, but turning 50 really hit her hard,” added the source.
“Madonna says Guy never said the right things to get her over that hurdle. She felt particularly vulnerable and felt Guy played on that, telling her that she looked ‘past it,’ which would damage her confidence.”
Somehow we’re guessing Madonna has more than enough confidence to spare.
TWO FOR TÉA?
When news broke that David Duchovny and wife Téa Leoni have been separated for months, the immediate assumption was that his sex addiction — for which he recently completed rehab — was to blame. But then came buzz that the actress might have indulged in a little side action of her own — with Billy Bob Thornton, her costar in an upcoming film.
Téa gushed about the five-times-married actor in More magazine as “maybe my new favorite person in the world.” And the U.K.’s Daily Mail claims they have been sighted together at his rock gigs: “She even helps him load and unload his truck,” a pal told the paper.
But “Billy Bob Thornton and Téa Leoni are just friends,” the actor’s publicist tells E! News, saying it was purely as colleagues that they connected.
Too bad — they say the sixth time’s the charm.
SHANNA: BAD VIBES
Travis Barker’s ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, says she narrowly avoided joining him on the September trip that resulted in a tragic plane crash — because she had a “bad feeling.”
“I was supposed to go with [Travis] to South Carolina, and at the last minute, I had this gnarly feeling and said, ‘I don’t think we should fly together anymore,’ “ the former beauty queen told Us. “God forbid something ever happened … our kids wouldn’t have both parents.”
Before the fateful return trip via private jet, “he e-mailed me pictures of the plane and wrote, ‘It’s really small and scary,’” Shanna recalls. “I had a bad feeling, but didn’t want to sound strange, so I said, ‘Be safe.’ ”
As for her former hubby pointedly debunking reconciliation reports on MySpace, Shanna explains, “Trav and I are so crazy. We are off for one week, on the next. I haven’t thought about the long term. We’re just trying to get him well and home.” And maybe get a little media attention in the process.
PARIS AND PRINCES
Britain’s princes are continuing the grand royal tradition of revelry with fair maidens. Heirs to the throne William and Harry were out clubbing at London’s Whisky Mist last week, reports the U.K.’s Mirror, when they chatted up A-list U.S. hotties Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton.
Hanging in the VIP room, Wills and Harry were making merry with cousins Beatrice and Eugenie (we’re talking real merry — the latter princess was dancing on a table) when Wills — whose girlfriend Kate Middleton was nowhere in sight — decided to approach Xtina. The pop singer’s husband, Jordan Bratman, looked on helplessly as his wife and Wills “sat very close, swapping numbers and flirting outrageously.”
However, Jordie could rest easy once Paris walked in — and, after a few failed attempts to attract Wills’ attention, she managed to move in on him. From then on, he was “glued to her side or the rest of the night,” until closing time, after 3 a.m.
The mind reels to think what would happen if these two actually hooked up. Paris already believes she’s a princess — imagine what she’d be like if she were actual royalty?
Kitty Raymond is an entertainment writer and astrologer. She welcomes feedback at [email protected].
