Yet another wrinkle in the Jesse James scandal: A former employee who settled a sexual-harassment lawsuit with the “Monster Garage” mechanic was actually a former mistress whom he paid to keep quiet, according to Radar Online.
The paparazzi site claims that Merilee Gerth — who, like Michelle “Bombshell” McGee, is a pale, dark-haired, heavily tattooed mom of two — had an affair with Sandra Bullock’s hubby while working, ahem, under him at West Coast Choppers.
“Only a select few get to go in Jesse’s office. That’s where Merilee and Jesse carried on their sexual relationship,” the friend said. And, fueling disturbing rumors that he might be involved in a white-supremacy movement, “not only did he have a copy of ‘Mein Kampf’ in there, but he also had a Nazi uniform hanging up in his office.” (Ugh.)
“When Merilee ended her relationship with Jesse in mid-2007, he fired her,” the friend said. “So she hired [high-powered lawyer] Gloria Allred and sued him, claiming sexual harassment.
“Merilee had irrefutable evidence of her affair with Jesse, so they ended up settling out of court.”
Not surprisingly, given Allred’s track record, the settlement was said to be in the six figures.
Ready to file those divorce papers yet, Sandy?
Family friendly
Why did Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey split up? Though Hollywood’s two class clowns seemed made for each other, their long-term romance recently fizzled out. But the shocking revelation (by celebrity standards) is that there was no shocking revelation behind the breakup.
“Jenny said it became very ‘Jerry Maguire’-esque, in the sense that she had this great guy, and he loved her kid, but they were no longer hitting their stride,” a source told OK! magazine. “She said when she and Jim worked, they worked. And when they stopped working, it was done, just like that.”
Though Jim was close to Jenny’s son, Evan, the former “Singled Out” star evidently came to realize they were more a functional family unit than a crazy-in-love couple.
Jim and Jenny are said to be “totally and 100 percent over romantically,” but will remain lifelong friends — and Jim still sees Evan daily, the insider said.
Hey, maybe they can have play dates with Sandra Bullock and her stepkids.
Mario: Extra critical?
Is Mario Lopez so appearance-obsessed that he’s taken it upon himself to mold his pregnant girlfriend into the “perfect” woman? A report in Page Six claimed pals of Broadway performer Courtney Mazza are worried that her man is putting too much pressure on her about her looks.
“Mario is obsessed with his image. He spends a lot of time working out, and he expects his girlfriend to do the same,” one source said.
After they got together, “He encouraged her to work out with a trainer every day. She underwent a boob job and liposuction last spring. Once her body was perfect, he arranged for them to be photographed on a beach.”
A rep called the tale “silly.” But if it turns out to be true, we’ve got the perfect woman for Mario — it’s just too bad that Heidi Montag is already taken.
Kitty Raymond is an entertainment writer and astrologer. She welcomes feedback at [email protected].
