THE battle by clubs to bag A-listers caused a tizzy this weekend when two spots wrangled over prime prize Cuba Gooding Jr.
The Oscar winner was flown into the Hamptons by the Star Room Saturday with the intention to bring the star exclusively to the Wainscott club.
But the moment the private plane, paid for by Star Room, touched down at East Hampton airport, Gooding was whisked away in a limo by Dragonbar promoter Mike Heller, with whom the star had arranged to stay along with his lawyer Peter Toumbekis, who works for Heller’s dad, Mark.
“They’ve kidnapped him!” joked Lizzie Grubman, who said she’d arranged to bring in the star for Star Room.
Not so, said Heller and partner Jeff Goldstein, who also work for Star Room but plug Saturday dinner at Dragonbar.
“Cuba’s here because of us,” bragged Goldstein.
While Gooding enjoyed his first-ever afternoon in the Hamptons, sipping wine on Heller’s oceanside deck in Southampton, the clubs argued over when the actor would show up where.
In the end, Gooding was shunted in for appetizers at Dragonbar – absolutely no pictures, no interviews – before being zipped to Star Room for the late-night slot.
“I think it’s hilarious,” Gooding told Diary, admitting he just went where he was told.
He said the problem began because he’d promised to host a party at Star Room Friday night but got delayed on set in Philadelphia where he’s filming the dark drama “Shadowboxer” with Helen Mirren, and he couldn’t face flying in so late.
But the star, who danced until 4 a.m. on the VIP balcony of Star Room Saturday, clearly enjoyed the frenzy of attention.
He’s says he’s hoping to come back next week.
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John Stamos was in a reflective mood.
The bearded actor, who split up with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos in April, people-watched at Star Room early Sunday morning.
Stamos had plenty to look at as party-loving strangers whooped it up with a mix of notables, including Rita Schraeger, Stephen Dorff and a club-hopping Jason Biggs, who had just come from Dragonbar.
Stamos said he was in town to celebrate that his new half-hour romantic comedy show has just been picked up by ABC.
“I kind of wanted to play Warren Beatty in ‘Shampoo,’ a guy looking for love,” a character finding that it’s “time to grow up, be a man,” Stamos said. “I guess it’s what I’m going through now.”
The show’s title?
“They’ve been calling it the ‘Untitled John Stamos Show.’ I need a title,” he said. “Do you have one for me?”
Stamos switched to a more serious tone, explaining that he’s spent most of his life feeling guarded and trying to move past his role in “Full House” by working in theater and independent movies. Now, he says, it’s time for a change.
“I want to be around people,” he said. “I never was for so many years.”
Stamos’ new attitude seems to be paying off.
Yesterday he was spotted sitting with a beautiful woman who was drinking out of his beer mug at Bobby Van’s restaurant in Bridgehampton.
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Star Jones had a different view over the weekend.
The “The View” personality got up on a raised light box at East Hampton’s Resort early Sunday morning and danced high above the VIP clubgoers with her fiancé, Al Scales Reynolds.
Reynolds turned 36 yesterday, and the two lovebirds got up on a go-go girl’s station, swaying to the birthday-laden lyrics of 50 Cent’s “In Da Club.”
Earlier in the evening, the couple showed up at Jaci and Morris L. Reid’s first party of the Martell Blue Dinner Series, which is held throughout the summer at the Reids’ East Hampton home.
Reynolds, a Wall Street banker, was the guest of honor, and was joined by a multitude of guests, including Resort owners Frank Cilione and Shamin Abas and fashion designers Rory and Elie Tahari.
“The point of the dinner party series is to honor people who have contributed to their community,” said Morris, a political consultant. “It’s just really to say thank you for your good work.”
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The prize for chic party of the weekend goes to Calvin Klein’s No. 2, Kim Vernon, who threw a birthday soiree at the Zen-like bungalow she’s renting in Sagaponack.
Guests including W’s fashion director, Alex White, Times style editor Stefano Tonchi, celeb decorator Anthony Todd, “Queer Eye’s” design doc Thom Filicia and financier Euan Rellie being led around a natural green pool lined with lanterns in a garden dotted with candles, cushions and flairs.
The waiters, who looked like they’d stepped straight off a Calvin Klein billboard, were handpicked by Vernon: “It’s key for a party,” she said.
Contact Hamptons Diary at (212) 930-8500 or [email protected].