Waiter's bombshell claim New York's hottest restaurant is a hotbed of sexual depravity: Cocaine in spray bottles and 'anything goes'
Celebrities and the Big Apple's elite sip on $67 martinis - served on a silver platter with oysters and caviar - in dimly lit booths.
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Daily Mail
2 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Billy Joel sets record straight over DUI rumors after multiple concerning car accidents
is setting the record straight. In his candid new two-part HBO documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes, the music legend tackles the ups and downs of his life in the spotlight, including long-standing rumors that he's had multiple DUIs. The 76-year-old singer, who announced he is battling the brain disorder, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), earlier this year, makes it clear: those stories are false. 'I didn't like the tabloid kind of press. For example, there's this rumor that I have all these DUIs,' Joel says in the film. 'That never happened.' 'But people keep repeating the myth. 'Oh, he's got so many DUIs.' I never had a DUI. So f**k you,' he adds. 'The press can be mean. So having that much attention paid to you is not easy.' The deeply personal documentary, now streaming on HBO, explores a turbulent chapter in Joel's life during the mid-2000s when he stepped out of the public eye. During that time, he was involved in several car accidents, leading many to speculate about substance use. In June 2002, Joel crashed his 1999 Mercedes-Benz. The following year, he drove a 2002 Mercedes into a tree in Sag Harbor and was treated for head injuries. Then in 2004, he lost control of his 1967 Citroen in Bayville, crashing into an empty house. The final accident left him with a cut finger and minor damage to the car, according to the documentary. Still, Joel insists those incidents weren't alcohol-related. In a 2013 interview with The New York Times Magazine, he clarified: 'I never had a DUI in my life. That's another fallacy. Look at the police records.' Instead, he attributed the accidents to emotional struggles. 'My mind wasn't right. I wasn't focused. I went into a deep, deep depression after 9/11. 9/11 just knocked the wind out of me, and I don't know even now if I've recovered from it. It really, really hurt that man could do that to man. And then there was a breakup with somebody, and it took me a while to get me back on my feet again.' And So It Goes, directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, not only clears up misconceptions but also takes a closer look at Joel's battles with depression, substance abuse, and the road to recovery. As Joel told People in a recent cover story, it wasn't easy to revisit some of those moments. 'Some of the stupid stuff I did, that's painful to talk about,' he admitted. Initially hesitant about the documentary, Joel said, 'My goal was to get it over with… When I do interviews, people just ask you about yourself and you get a little self-conscious about it eventually. It's almost embarrassing. When you're talking about your personal life detached from the material… I suppose there's a little bit of wariness involved.' The film also includes insights from those closest to him, including his sister Judy, daughter Alexa Ray, 39, and longtime friends and collaborators like lighting designer Steve Cohen and booking agent Dennis Arfa. Cohen reflected on Joel's resilience and drive: 'You make mistakes. He always said to me, "You show up. You do the best you can. You admit when you're wrong and you let other people tell you how good you are. You don't tell yourself how good you are."' And ultimately, Cohen hopes fans walk away with a deeper understanding of the man behind the music. 'I hope fans walk away realizing how f**king human he is, and I hope they come back listening to these songs again with a deeper affection. I hope that you walk away from this thing going, 'I now justify my fandom. I know why this guy is as good and why I respond to it, because that's the kind of guy I can relate to his life. I can relate to those emotions.' Despite his hesitations to do the documentary, Joel was an open book as he looked back on his failed marriages, battle with alcohol, financial troubles and much more. The singer also opens up about pre-fame suicide attempts and his mother's alcoholism. And So It Goes has already gained glowing reviews from Rolling Stone, Variety, and Newsday. In May, the Piano Man singer shared that he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). The condition has impacted Joel's 'hearing, vision, and balance,' according to the social media post. A spokesperson for the singer said that his condition had been 'exacerbated' by recent performances. Normal pressure hydrocephalus is caused by too much fluid collecting in the ventricles, or spaces in the brain and spinal cord, putting pressure on these areas and triggering its symptoms, including struggling to walk, an inability to control the bladder and memory problems. This happens because the excess fluid compresses and stretches the brain tissue, interfering with the control of muscles and communication between nerve cells. When diagnosed early, NPH can often be effectively treated with surgery that drains excess fluid from the brain, relieving pressure and symptoms - but it can often be mistaken at an early stage for other illnesses such as dementia. However, if left untreated, the condition may lead to permanent damage in its later stages. Joel's illustrious career as a musician began back in the mid-1960, which led to the release of debut studio album, Cold Spring Harbor (1971). But it failed to gain any real traction until after the success of his follow-up, Piano Man (1973), that peaked at number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. Now an established name on the musical landscape, Joel became a million seller with the release of Streetlife Serenade (1974), but his commercial breakout making him a bonafide star came with the release of The Stranger (1977), which featured the hit singles Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), Just The Way You Are, She's Always a Woman, The Stranger, and Only The Good Die Young. He would go on to release a 13th album - Fantasies & Delusions (2001) - that features classical compositions from Joel, a first for him during his career. With over 160 million records sold worldwide, Joel is one of the world's best-selling musical artists, and the fourth-best-selling solo artist in the United States.
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Beyonce sends fans into a frenzy as she reunites with Destiny's Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for the 'perfect ending' to her Cowboy Carter tour in Las Vegas
Beyonce brought the curtain down on her record-breaking Cowboy Carter tour in spectacular fashion on Saturday night, as she reunited with her Destiny's Child bandmates for a medley of hits. As she took to the stage for her final show at Las Vegas ' Allegiant Stadium, the hitmaker was joined by Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams for a medley of 2000s hits Bootylicious and Lose My Breath. The trio also delivered a rendition of Beyonce's Renaissance number Energy, including the song's viral 'mute challenge.' It was the first time Destiny's Child had performed together since Kelly and Michelle made a brief cameo in Beyonce's Coachella performance back in 2018, following their split in 2005. It was no surprise that the performance sent die-hard fans into a frenzy, with many declaring it the 'perfect ending' to Beyonce's tour. Posts on X included: 'THE HUGGING AND HOLDING HANDS AT THE END??? I'M FALLING TO MY KNEES 'The Cowboy Carter era changed my life, just like renaissance did, and I cannot imagine where act 3 will take us. Oh Beyonce the once in a lifetime artist you are. 'Oh when Destiny's Child reunites, it's not nostalgia - it's divine timing... Beyonce closed Cowboy Carter with the loudest mic drop in history 'THE DESTINY'S CHILD B*****H I LIFE FOR THISSSS; The way my innter 2000s self just screamed 'SOME PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ICONIC THIS WAS; 'You thought this was just a tour? Nah baby, it's a family reunion with rhinestones 'Y'all will never understand how iconic this is considering they're one of the most successful girl groups of all time 'Beyonce closing Cowboy Carter with Kelly and Michelle by her side feels like the perfect ending.' It comes after Beyonce's tour was plagued with a string of incidents from poor ticket sales, on-stage tech malfunctions to choreography issues. Beyoncé recently concluded her epic six-night concern run in London and her shows in Paris. She closed out the European leg of her Cowboy Carter tour and brought out her husband to perform their hit single Crazy in Love in the French capital as the couple took the stage together for the first time in seven years. Her concert in France was a family affair as she was also joined by their daughter Blue Ivy on stage and had her mom Tina Knowles supporting them. After performing in cities around Europe, Beyonce performed in her hometown of Houston, Texas and experienced a horrifying moment when she suffered a stage mishap with a mid-air prop. At one point during her show on June 29, the red convertible she rides high above the crowd during her performance of 16 Carriages tilted dangerously, threatening to throw the Cowboy Carter artist off the car and into the audience. Still, Beyoncé returned to the main stage and finished the performance like the consummate professional she is. After the show, Beyoncé's team released a statement addressing the incident. 'Tonight in Houston, at NRG Stadium, a technical mishap caused the flying car, a prop Beyoncé uses to circle the stadium, and see her fans up close, to tilt. 'She was quickly lowered and no one was injured. The show continued without incident,' Parkwood Entertainment said.
Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Inside JFK's first love, a suspected Nazi spy who stole Adolf Hitler's heart
omantic life might have turned out different had his father Joe Kennedy, allowed him to marry his first love, Inga Arvad, a woman Joe referred to as a 'Nazi b***h'. In the new book JFK: Public, Private, Secret, author J Randy Taraborrelli claims that JFK never truly got over the heartbreak and being forced to split from Arvad - and held it against his father until the day he died. The young Kennedy met Inga Arvad in October 1941. At 28, the Danish journalist was four years older than him and already twice married. But their attraction was electric, writes Taraborrelli. 'He had charm that makes the birds come out of the trees,' the book reports that Arvad wrote of Jack, 'natural, engaging, ambitious, warm, and when he walked into a room you knew he was there, not pushing, not domineering but exuding animal magnetism.' Arvad's son, Ron McCoy, told Taraborrelli: 'For my mom it was pretty much love at first sight. That's how she described it to me anyway. She called it an "awakening," her chemistry with Jack Kennedy being so instantaneous. 'It was as if they'd known each other in some other life and were now picking up where they'd left off. It felt natural. It felt organic. Above all, she said, it felt real.' For his part, Jack was apparently also smitten. She had it all: brains, beauty, and the uncanny ability to see him for who he truly was. And, according to Taraborrelli, Jack referred to her as 'Inga Binga,' and they spent every night they could... in bed. But just two months into their romance, America was on the brink of war, and Arvad was accused of being a Nazi spy. The source of the accusation was an alleged photograph of her with Hitler. Unsurprisingly, the FBI - and its powerful director J Edgar Hoover - got involved, and Hoover demanded nothing less than weekly updates on the case. Arvad was forced to admit that she had, indeed, met the Hitler in Berlin six years earlier, when she'd interviewed him for a Danish newspaper. The following year, Hitler invited Arvad to join him in his box at the 1936 Olympics, then to a private lunch, during which he'd given her a questionable gift: a framed photograph of himself. 'She accepted it,' said Taraborrelli, 'but it made her nervous because it was starting to feel to her that maybe he was interested in her.' She had reason to worry. Hitler was likely infatuated with her, having described her as 'the most perfect example of Nordic beauty'. Arvad told Jack - and the FBI - that, following the lunch, 'someone with strong Nazi connections suddenly tried to recruit her as a spy' but she 'immediately rejected the proposition'. Terrified at the implications of her refusal, she escaped to Denmark, then Washington, where she met Jack. While disturbed by the revelations, Jack believed his lover, according to Taraborreli. They'd been together only three months, but they'd already discussed marriage. He was determined to fight for her. But Joe Kennedy was reportedly having none of it. During a heated showdown with his son, he demanded that Jack break it off with the 'Nazi b***h' immediately. The FBI eventually dropped its investigation in August 1942, finding no evidence against Arvad. But, ultimately, it wasn't enough to save the affair. Jack had caved under pressure and broken off the relationship five months earlier. It would be 10 years before he was ready to commit again. Like Arvad, Jacqueline Bouvier was incredibly intelligent, and independent. And, while her dark hair and close attention to her perfect makeup were in stark contrast to the free-spirited Dane, what she had on her side was timing. The family was all in agreement: Jack needed a wife if he was ever going to be president. They worried that he was 'obviously lukewarm' about Bouvier - but if not her, then who? Joe reportedly responded: 'I actually don't care who, so long as she didn't go to Hitler's funeral.' Jack proposed the following summer, but the author suggests that it took a long time before it became a love match. He reports Bouvier's mother, Janet Auchincloss, asked her daughter, upon hearing of their engagement: 'Do you love him?' 'It's not that simple,' she replied. 'It is, Jacqueline,' her mother shot back. 'Do. You. Love. Him?' The future First Lady's response remained non-committal: 'I enjoy him.' Taraborrelli also claims Bouvier confided in Betty Beale, the society columnist at the Washington Evening Star, around the same time, saying she felt 'Jack had been pulling away ever since the engagement was announced'. 'True to his character,' writes Taraborrelli, 'while they had been dating, he was interested in her on some days, less interested on others. She said she saw in him what she often noticed in his father toward his mother: indifference.' Just a few weeks before his wedding, Jack insisted on going on a boys-only vacation to the famous Cap-Eden-Roc hotel in Cannes where, if he'd had his way, he would have begun a torrid affair with a woman who bore more than a passing resemblance to Inga Arvad, according to Taraborrelli. Gunilla von Post was Swedish, and just 21 when she met the future president in the south of France. She was 'definitely young,' writes Taraborrelli, 'but he didn't see that as a problem.' Both blondes also bear an uncanny resemblance to the woman who would be forever inextricably linked to the Kennedy: Marilyn Monroe. On Jack's return to the U.S., he made the unusual step of asking his future mother-in-law to add his first love, Arvad, to the wedding guest list. But under questioning about this last-minute addition, he let it drop. Taraborrelli notes: 'While Jack hadn't seen Inga in six years, apparently he was still in touch with her. Maybe it shows the bond he still had with her that he wanted her at his wedding, but it also shows a foolish lapse in judgment. Certainly not much good would come from Inga's presence.' Two years after his wedding, however, it seems Gunilla von Post's rejection of his sexual advances was still very much on his mind. And, in the wake of a devastating miscarriage, which left his now-wife with crippling anxiety attacks, Jack made the astonishingly selfish proposition that they go on separate trips: she to visit her sister in England, while he would attempt once more to get von Post into bed on her home turf. Kennedy and von Post reportedly spent a week together in Sweden, with Jack's partner in crime Torbert Macdonald as fixer. And this time, he got what he wanted, says Taraborrelli. 'Some of Gunilla's descriptions of her time with Jack that week - "We were wonderfully sensual. There were times when just the stillness of being together was thrilling enough" - sound a great deal more like some sort of starry-eyed, fictional version of JFK than a realistic one,' reasons Taraborrelli. 'Much of what she'd recall… sounds unlikely given what we now know of his remote personality of the 1950s. It does, however, maybe sound like the JFK of the 1940s, the more romantic version of him back in the days when he was with Inga Arvad. Maybe, in this case, the devil isn't in the details, though. 'There are enough witnesses to Jack and [Gunilla von Post's] public outings, including close friends and relatives she identified by name, to confirm that they were definitely together.' On the flight home, Macdonald told a friend that Jack suddenly felt the weight of what he'd done, and was filled with remorse. 'This was a s****y thing to do to Jackie,' the book reports him as saying. 'This was a mistake.' While von Post was convinced it was just the start of their affair, in the end, the two never saw each other again. 'Jack told intimates… that he'd been rationalizing his bad behavior for so long, it had become second nature to do so,' writes Taraborrelli. 'His father was to blame, he'd sometimes reason. After all, if not for Joe, he would've ended up with Inga Arvad, someone he truly loved, instead of Jackie, someone he married for political purposes and then grew to love.'
