Washington was graced this weekend with a lineup of the rich and the fabulous from New York, Hollywood and D.C. — all here to celebrate those being recognized at the 32nd Kennedy Center Honors.
This year’s honorees include comedian Mel Brooks, composer Dave Brubeck, opera singer Grace Bumbry, actor Robert De Niro and singer Bruce Springsteen. But the friends who came to support their culturally supreme pals were fair game.
And, as we accept these beautiful people into our humble capital to mingle at one of the most exclusive, heavily guarded events of the year (similar to a, um, state dinner), Yeas & Nays can’t help but wonder if any of these stars have ever resorted to say, crashing.
Jack Black, who was spotted on the red carpet tripping over wife Tanya Hayden’s dress — then grabbing her to turn the flub into a dance move — said he’s never crashed.
“Maybe a party in college, but no one is really invited to those,” Black said.
Rocker Melissa Etheridge said even before she reached her moment in the sun, she never resorted to crashing.
The thought of crashing, though, left Katie Couric saying, “I was sick of the Salahi story about a week and a half ago.”
Ben Stiller barely got a chance to chat with the press when his wife, Christine Taylor, showed us who wears the pants by dragging him quickly along the red carpet.
Also spotted on the red carpet: “Wonder Woman” Lynda Carter, Brian Williams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Mayor Adrian Fenty, Richard Kind, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Nettles, Newt Gingrich, Martin Short, David Gregory, Donald Sutherland, Harvey Keitel, Aretha Franklin (not wearing a hat) and Harry Connick Jr.
A new addition to the Washington and Hollywood cultural scene, Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester in “Glee,” also was spotted on the red carpet.
And though our stars say they’re really not crashers, Sharon Stone has a different story: Our spies said Stone’s car was rear-ended by a red Kennedy Center shuttle bus Saturday as she was trying to leave the building, leaving the actress with little choice but to remain in the building while the issues were being resolved.
Even if you couldn’t slip past those tight red ropes this year, you can watch the award ceremony on Christmas on CBS, where it has been exclusively broadcast since 1978.
Mix 107.3’s Tommy McFly contributed to this report.
