At an exclusive party on a private yacht in Cannes, Jessica Simpson reportedly "spent the whole night following Leonardo DiCaprio around like a lost puppy," a source tells Page Six. "He just seemed freaked out and kind of ignored her."
· Employees at ABC are taking sides in the matter of Rosie O’Donnell vs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck. O’Donnell’s chief writer, Janette Barber, was allegedly escorted from The View offices after she was caught drawing moustaches on photographs of Hasselbeck that hang in the studios.
· A source for Page Six alleges that Paula Abdul did not actually break her nose trying to avoid her Chihuahua as she claims. “She had pitched a fit, threw something into a mirror or glass object, and a shard of glass struck her in the face, which explains why Paula's nose didn't seem swollen.”
· When Sarah Silverman fans call the number listed on the 2007 MTV Movie Awards promotional poster (which reads: For a good time, call 1-877-SARAH07), they get a recorded message from Silverman and her dog telling callers they’re going to die.
· Despite the fact that Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Manson are in the process of ending their marriage, Rose McGowan may still have hard feelings toward Von Teese, who the rocker began dating the same month he and McGowan broke up. The Grindhouse actress stepped outside when the burlesque star performed her act at the AmFAR benefit in Cannes.
· You only have three years left to find out whether American Idol judge Simon Cowell actually has a heart in there somewhere. He has told friends he won't renew his contract past 2010.
Israeli leader asks the actor for help
Leonardo DiCaprio's reputation as an activist has reached as far as the Middle East: On his recent trip to Israel, he was asked to help promote environmental conservation and peace in the region, PEOPLE has learned.
Israeli Vice Premier and former Prime Minister Shimon Peres requested a meeting with DiCaprio, 32, within hours of the actor's March 11 arrival in Tel Aviv with his Israeli girlfriend, model Bar Refaeli, 21, a Peres aide tells PEOPLE.
"The meeting was pleasant and interesting," says the aide. "Shimon told Leo about his Peace Valley project [a joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian economic development plan] and Leo spoke about [11th Hour,] his documentary on the environment."
The aide says Peres asked DiCaprio to help promote the stalled Middle East peace process and to further campaign for protecting the environment globally. According to the source, DiCaprio promised to help on both issues.
Reps for DiCaprio confirmed the meeting but had no further comment.
Meanwhile, Israeli police said Thursday they were deciding whether to charge two bodyguards in a scuffle with photographers during DiCaprio's visit to a holy site on his second day in the country.
According to the Associated Press, three photographers were injured on March 12 as DiCaprio, Refaeli and Refaeli's family toured a tunnel near Jerusalem's Western Wall. DiCaprio's rep, Shawn Sachs, told the AP the photographers were to blame. "Leo is horrified that anyone might have gotten hurt in this situation, but the paparazzi really made this happen," he said.
Later in the week, DiCaprio was able to escape the paparazzi and take a quiet trip to Galilee in northern Israel. The actor, on his first visit to the country, stayed at Refaeli's family's home in suburban Tel Aviv, where he struck up a friendship with Refaeli's 10-year-old brother, On, the boy told Israeli TV.
DiCaprio left Israel on Thursday, after an emotional airport goodbye from Refaeli. "They were hugging and kissing until the last minute when he had to go on the plane," a witness tells PEOPLE. "It looked liked it was really hard for them to stay apart."
