Gawker Stalker: Chris Robinson has Difficulty Mastering Whole "Celebrity/DJ" Thing
Sightings are sent in by readers and posted regularly to our Gawker Stalker Map. This is our occasional, old-school compilation. Send your sightings to tips@gawker.com.
In this 2005-nostalgic edition of the Stalk: Chris Robinson, Bridget Moynahan and Tom Brady, Barbara Bush, Anna Wintour, Ethan Hawke, Jodie Foster, John Mayer, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Janeane Garofalo, Ralph Fiennes, Erica Christensen, Martha Stewart, Jennifer Connelly, Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo, Katie Couric, Keanu Reeves, Patrick Ewing, Jason Lee, Cillian Murphy, Matt Dillon, Ashlee Simpson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Colin Quinn, Sarah Jessica Parker, Linda Evangelista, Elie Wiesel, Heather Graham, John Kerry, Diddy, Toni Collette, Leelee Sobieski, Chloe Sevigny, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Raven Simone, Sam Waterston, Jesse Metcalf, Alexandra Wentworth, Blythe Danner, Joe Pantoliano, Alan Rickman, and over 2000 words from the Earl Grey.
Chris Robinson spinning obscure psycheldic records at Frankie's 457 in Carroll Gardens last night (Monday night). Something was amiss with the turntable connection to the speakers and the sound was very scratchy. Robinson smoked lots of weed and seemed generally perplexed by the fact that his turntable sounded like crap. Ran out to the garden hurriedly one time to answer his cell phone. Wonder who that call was from...
Friday 7/21/06, around 6:45pm: Saw Bridget Moynahan & Tom Brady at the new Equinox in Soho. They were cute with each other, he slapped her ass as they checked in. He was wearing a white hoodie w/ the hood up the whole time, and she looked super thin, tall and ravishing even in her gym clothes. They started off on the bikes and she got bored after about 15 minutes and wandered around the some other machines and eventually did some stretching. He stayed on the bike for the whole time I was there—about 45 minutes or so—and she looked like she wanted to leave. I kept noticing her trying to catch his eye while they were working on next to each other but he seemed too into his workout to notice.
Saw Barbara Bush (the other half of the twins) on the 6 train at about 845 a.m. She got on at Astor Place and switched trains at 14th street. Very attractive in person. Looked a little awkward; think she was worried people may recognize her. Did not notice any Secret Service.
I saw a rich looking old lady ambling around the southeast corner of 43rd and 5th and realized it was Anna Wintour. She was dressed in an off-white and green botanic print knee-length dress, a skinny belt, cream colored cardigan, 2.5" cream colored peep-toe shoes, and was studying a Blackberry or some other hand-held device. Her hair was lighter than I expected, and sorry, makes her look older. She really stood out amongst the after-work crowd trying to rush home because she's really thin, was not in a rush and did not appear to be carrying a handbag.
Was munching on some fries in pop burger with a few friends this evening when I saw Ethan Hawke walk past. He walked out of sight and turned around and walked past pop burger again, which allowed my boyfriend time to turn around and confirm, "Yup. That's him."
Jodie Foster was rushing into the Greenwich Street Equinox on Monday early evening. She looked good - trim, pretty and was wearing glasses with a yellow tint.
Saw Donald Sutherland last night in front of rue 57 on 6th ave-looking rather bored, talking to another man
I saw John Mayer this miserably hot and damp Saturday on Rivington with a pretty auburn-haired girl(friend?). Looking like they stepped directly out of an American Apparel ad—him in black t-shirt and jeans and she in a plain black dress. They were pretty cute but I couldn't tell if they were dating or screwing or whatever... On a totally lame sidenote, has he been hiding out at the gym? He is looking very hot these days with his long hair and muscles.
Saw Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen at Bungalow 8 last night. When I saw MK there last month (27th of June) she wasn't dancing at all and was moping the whole time, wearing an ugly rhinestone headband. Last night you couldn't pull MK and Ashley off the dance floor. MK danced like a hippie, her long messy hair flying all over the place. Ashley on the other hand looked very pulled together in a white shirt and cute black vest. Unlike other times I've seen them they didn't just stay at their standard booth along the left wall, but instead danced with their entourage and other friends like socialite Lauren Davis, who was also there last night, in the center of the dance floor. The music was great, and when ABBA's "Dancing Queen" came on the fraternal twins jumped up to boogie along with the rest of the celebutant-esque crowd. Clearly they weren't missing anything skipping out of Scott Sartiano's party at Butter.
Today (7/25) I saw a skinny skinny (like, doubletake to verify it was her) Janeane Garafalo near Virgin Megastore in Union Square. She was looking flustered by all the people in her way who were trying to get where they were trying to go.
Saw Ralph Fiennes having a Whole Foods picnic at Central Park today around 1:30. He was lying with his head in some blond chick's lap. Both were in sunglasses and workout gear and I actually wouldn't have recognized him if he weren't talking/laughing, his voice is so distinctive.
Last night (7/25) stood behind Erica Christensen in line at Trader Joes...she was on her cell phone and was talking really loud about how tired she is from work.
7/24, 7:00pm—Martha Stewart at Le Cirque, toasting champagne with an older, blonde woman. Martha was wearing a very unflattering, dirt brown K-mart quality 2 piece. I exercised restraint by not calling to her, "Martha, what are the colors of summer??"
Saw Jennifer Connelly today (July 25) strolling at Crosby and Howard, walking north, with a girlfriend. Had a bag from ABC Carpet. Glad she's not ano—woman looked beautiful, in a baby blue shirt. Must have gotten sick of Brooklyn.
On Sunday, July 23, around 6 PM, saw Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo playing darts at George Keely's (Amsterdam b/t 83rd and 84th). They looked pretty approachable but no one was bothering them, which is probably why they chose that bar. They seemed to be having fun, very low-key.
Jul. 24th 2006, 9:00 PM. Saw Katie Couric dining at Quatorze on 79th btwn 2nd & 1st. She was sitting in the back corner inconspicuously with what appeared to be a male friend.
Keanu Reeves on my flight from JFK to LAX; AA#3 Thursday, 7/20 ARR 2:30pm, sitting in first class looking much like he always looks—aloof, in casual yet snappy looking attire with requisite scruff.
Patrick Ewing Wednesday night, 7/19 at Buddha Bar in the Meatpacking District in New York. Came with another gentleman and two ladies. Created a bit of a stir as the chairs in Buddha Bar have arms and he was not able to fit into any of the chairs at the table. Literally stood there patiently for a few minutes until the staff brought a proper sized chair to them.
Jason Lee afternoon of Wednesday, 7/20 wandering around looking at the various art installations at the Project Global Tradeshow at the Javits Center in New York. Looked somewhat scruffy and was mild-mannered and unnoticeable to the fashionista crowd.
Seen at Roc on Greenwich St. and Duane St: Cillian Murphy, aka Scarecrow, dining outside Roc with family and friends. He was a little on the short side and very thin, but, otherwise, he was kinda cute and not nearly as odd-looking in person. Very brilliant blue eyes.
Saw Matt Dillon running around the Central Park Reservoir Sunday afternoon with a guy who acted like a personal trainer. Lots of gawking even though he lives on the UWS and is everywhere up there. Must be his star turn in "Dupree."
I saw Ashlee Simpson at the salad bar @ Whole Foods Columbus Circle 12:30 P.M. In a black or dark navy hoodie, accompanied by her boyfriend, a female friend and what appeared to be a Latino bodyguard/personal assistant. The bodyguard dutifully followed her as she took items from the salad bar and placed them in the basket he was carrying. I thought she was taller and thinner than she appears on TV; my girlfriend thought she had overdone it with the self-tanner. Certainly seemed pleasant enough, remaining unobtrusive but willing to talk to those who approached her.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cornelia St. across from the Cornelia Street Caf taking a walk with his son (in a stroller). Seems to be enjoying more than just the walk as he took a second glance at me as I ate my brunch.
Just saw Chris Klein walking with a PA outside of 55 Water Street. Looks like they were going towards the Staten Island Ferry for a shoot. He was smoking a cigarette and looked quite tan. Wearing a dark navy blue mod-style suite.
At the Brooklyn Diner on 58th Street, spotted Colin Quinn eating at the counter on Sunday July 23rd.
Spotted Sarah Jessica Parker walking uptown on 6th Ave between 14th and 15th at 6 pm on Saturday. She was digging through her bag with one hand (looking for a lighter to light her cigarette with) and holding on to a large Aladdin birthday balloon with the other. Much shorter than I would have though.
Saw Linda Evangelista at the Zaha Hadid show at the Guggenheim. She was very pregnant, wearing a gorgeous green bubble dress, and holding hands with a shorter, yet dashing-looking gentleman. Any idea who the guy is?
I do not know if this counts, but this morning, 7/24, at 10:15 on the corner of 56th and 5th, Elie Wiesel getting out of a black town car.
On Friday around 11:15 pm, I saw Heather Graham standing in line at Magnolia Bakery with a couple of guys. Gave me a weird smile when I went over to see if it really was her. I thought I was being inconspicuous.
At about 930pm at JFK, who comes strolling out of a Northwest gate but Senator John Kerry himself. The outfit looked much better than the suit he wore last week—grey with a pink-ish tie—very Nantucket. He was schlepping two big bags like any putz. With a millionaire wife. And a job in dc. No one batted an eye.
7.24.06—Diddy/Puffy, with entourage and kid, outside his studio on 44th with several earpieced security types waiting by a few Escalades to whisk him away from the common folk.
The criminally under-employed Toni Collette dining at Ono in the Gansevoort Hotel. She was with two men, one who seemed like a slightly oily agent type and another fellow Aussie who she laid one hot kiss on when Mr. Oily went to the bathroom. She looked great - blonde, great smile and much thinner in person. I so wanted to ask her if she jives.
Sunday 7/23 around 2:30 p.m. at Balthazar. Caught a glimpse of Leelee Sobieski leaving the restaurant with high ponytail and oversize shades. Then had a clear shot from our corner table of Matthew Modine looking very tall in a white polo shirt and very blond hair, waiting for his table with admirable non-star-like patience. Thought he looked very young for someone who's been around forever—until he walked by our table on the way to his and we witnessed his millions of wrinkles. Sad, sad.
Hello. I saw Chloe Sevigny yesterday, confused and stumbling, turning onto Third Avenue from 12th street. She was wearing some absurd pair of overall-shorts, (blue and white pinstriped...I think I once sported a similar pair in sixth grade from the GAP), huge black sunglasses, and a long ragged crow's nest of unwashed (!) hair. Doughy and smug. Did a full turn to see what she looked like from behind. Let's just say she should wear underwear. And maybe some pants, because that's quite a bit of cellulite for such a thin girl.
Jul 22—Just saw Jamie Lynn Sigler in line behind me at the Fudge Company in Southampton. She was tan, petite and cute but I totally almost missed her. Everyone still wanted ice cream despite the crappy weather out there.
Raven Simone, the ethnic Disney talent, was strutting around Columbus Circle around 5:15, i think coming out of whole foods. Girl has some tig old bitties and displays them proudly. So cute, even though she eats. Take note Nicole Richie.
Just spotted Sam Waterston in the Duane Reade on Chambers and Broadway. He was trying to fill a prescription, but was having difficulty and started chastising the pharmacist that the Duane Reade phone menu was too complicated because his doctor called in and couldn't figure out how to utilize the menu options on the pharmacy phone line and the pharmacist would not speak with his doctor via Sam's phone.
Jesse Metcalfe was at Gusto restaurant on 60 Greenwich St. last night at 9 PM. He was wearing a black Hollister shirt and looked very sexy. He appeared to be with his sister and mother.
I saw Alexandra Wentworth looking haggard on Newtown Lane in East Hampton this past weekend talking with some friends. Very soccer momish. I think I overheard her saying her new house had been robbed of some pretty valuable artwork. She was very blase about the whole thing and was more interested in discussing the party she was headed to that evening.
Saw Blythe Danner yesterday at 1:30pm (July 23rd) on the corner of Hudson and North Moore in Tribeca (in front of Mr. Chow) walking alone...
I saw Joe Pantoliano on 5th ave btw 46th and 47th this afternoon...sporting a white Nike jumpsuit and an ugly matching beret, talking on his cell phone
Just saw Alan Rickman at Blue Fin in Times Square. He and two lady friends were seated at the table behind me. They all sat down, the waiter came to take my order and when I looked back at the table, they were gone. Maybe he didn't like sitting in the back.
Ed: And last but not least, your latest installment from the Earl Grey: Earl Grey Tries To Talk British
Shopping with Plum Sykes & Toby Rowland in the Country
11-ish am, Thursday July 20, 2006. Citarella on Main Street, East Hampton. I am wandering the produce & fruit juice aisles at Citarella [or Cinderella as Pete the cab driver calls it], when I notice that the woman right next to me looks exactly like PLUM SYKES. She was much taller than I imagined Plum would be- she was about 5'10" and maybe even more. She was shopping with an even taller Continental looking man, whose accepting, chivalrous demeanour in pushing the shopping cart & generally following the tall woman led me to believe it's her husband. Later on I looked at his hands and he had no wedding ring on, only a gold band on his pinky, strangely enough. A day or so before I had picked up an issue of Hamptons Style magazine, with Plum on the cover, and she's been frolicking on the East End for at least a decade or so I would say, so i was quite certain that I had chanced upon Plum & hubby in Citarella. I was right, as I would soon find out, but for the moment I wanted to observe the author & Vogue contributor with husband asmuch as I could while maintaining my signature nonchalance & aloofness in the public fray. Plus I just love shopping for salads at Citarella, the Mediteranean Chopped is boss.
Plum was wearing a Tory Burch caftan, possibly a dark purple or brown shade with orange T's all over it. Credit to Tory, somehow she's gotten tons of NY society-type ladies to wear her brand. I don't find TB's designs particularly seductive but then again Ive never worn a caftan, and I probably never will. She had on deep indigo blue Levis, they looked almost unwashed/brand new. The leg cut was fairly slim, but not severely so like so many too-tight at the calves jeans that one sees too much downtown this summer. I like these straight leg, deep blue Levi's, they have long been popular among the 'now' set in England: I recall Paul Weller sporting unwashed Levi's circa "Absolute Beginners" [the 45], a very good time. The hem of the jeans went down quite far, touching the top of Plum's sandals. Her sandals were spongy foam, of a green base, with white straps with light green writing on them. They looked mostly like a Lilly Pulitzer kind of thing, the light spring green, but Im not really a sandals fan so I didn't inspect the writing on the straps further. As I say, I was startled at Plum's height. Ive seen her twin sister Lucy & she may reach 5'9" or so, but I was not prepared for Plum's near 5'11" height, and it threw me at first. Her height & her tapered jeans gave her a very trim silhouette. Later in the day I read that Plum is pregnant, and I never would have guessed from observing her slim build. At first, seeing her without makeup, I thought her
face was more full than I imagined from so many magazine photos, but upon learning that she is perhaps 3 or 4 months pregnant, her physiognomy seems just right. Another plus to Tory's generous caftan cuts.
So after loading up a heaping full grocery cart, Plum exited and left hubby Toby to check out. As usual, the wending Citarella line moves slowly, but I observed that besides an over-flowing grocery cart, Plum & Toby had also picked out 5 or so full flower arrangements. I don't mean the little mini hand-held flowers that you see at the corner deli. I'm talking about huge 3 foot stems and multiple big flowers encased in plastic. It would have been nice to get the exact total & shopping list of their purchase, but it must have been $100-200 easy, and I saw Toby writing a check as I moved to the cashier with my humble spinach salad [superb, especially the white raisins], cranberry juice & small Citarella bottled water- quality spring water, every bit as good as Poland Spring - perhaps better.
If you were out East today, Thursday, you know that clouds & rain was the dominant weather of the day, interspersed with some hazy sun after noon & then occasional brighter sun towards late day. As luck would have it, just as Toby & I are checking out, it starts to rain. Immediately murmurs rise from the assembled shoppers waiting on line, noting the light dewy drops. Toby with his rammed shopping cart stands by the exit waiting for the rain to stop, and I take my place next to him. "How long do you think the rain will last?" I query. "I don't know," he replied, both of us presumably knowing it would be perhaps 5 or 10 minutes at most. "If we had a horse here, he could tell us," I joked, met with bemusement and some confusion from Toby. "Horses always know when it's going to rain, "I said, "they feel it in their bones." Later I read that Plum & Toby are avid equestrians in England, funny how that works, eh? "I do too," Toby said, "My bones hurt me." "Me too, " I agreed, "I get pains in my neck and back." Toby's educated English accent was obvious from the start, {he is described as 'an English entrepeneur' in Hamptons Style} and I ventured, "You must be from England, it's always raining there."
"Yes, it does rain a lot," he agreed. "That's why Burberry makes such great Macintoshes," I asserted, did I tip my hand too strongly with the luxe English fashion label reference? I saw a circumspect glint in his eye. "I love certain English phrases like Macintosh," I continued, "jumpers, trainers..." I thought Toby might appreciate that a Yank in a black Lacoste polo on Long Island actually knows English colloquialisms like jumper & trainers, and I used the phrase 'colloquialism, slang' but I gather now that, since these phrases are second nature to a Brit like Toby, he didnt grasp at all that few Americans say trainers or jumper. OK, Oscar Wilde I am not, but Plum is reading his collected works this summer, it's on her reading list in Hamptons Style.
For whatever, unknown reason, as we're shooting the breeze and watching light raindrops, Toby brings up the NY Post, always a favourite topic of discussion of mine.
"The New York Post," he stuttered, "it's unbelieveable, it's mind-blowing." "Yes it's very entertaining," I said, he nodded assent, "but very conservative," I said. "We have some conservative newspapers in England, but nothing like the Post." I laughed at the Post's blind support of Bush, and I compared its tabloid tone to the Sun in England. I then lauded the News of the World as another entertaining, yet perhaps politically more sound organ. I mentioned that the Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch, as is Fox 5 news, and both are basically venues for Murdoch's right wing views. He mentioned Lachlan Murdoch, whom he knew had briefly published the Post, but I mentioned to him that Lachlan had been shipped back to Oz and is happily cavorting with Sarah O'Hare. I wasnt sure if Toby knew of that fairly famous model. I stated that much of the Post is written by Australians, to which he reacted with some surprise. Isn't that strange? Murdoch publishes the Sun in England & who knows what other tabloids, etc. Shouldn't Plum's hubby know
that Murdoch staffs his papers with Aussies doing his bidding?
Toby also likes the News of the World, and he mentioned a columnist with, I think, an Indian or perhaps Iranian name, who he said, "offers great sums of money to people to get them to do things that they normally would not." I let the exploitative & crass overtones to his example pass, and I brought up what I thought would be a common denominator for us, Ali G. "Is he known here?" Toby asked. Yes, I explained, I know that Ali G. started in England but he's extremely famous here.I guess Toby doesnt watch much HBO with the missus. I then mentioned Sasha Cohen's other character Borat, whom we agreed was even better than Ali G. "Borat really gets people to let down their guard," Toby said. "And allows them to be themselves," I concurred. "In the extreme!" we were both laughing out loud conjuring Borat's rabble-rousing cheer-leading.
By this time, perhaps 5 or more minutes by the exit at Citarella, the rain had completely stopped. I saw a large-ish, but not offensive white SUV [some kind of a Ford wagon?] pull up to the curb and an elderly, grey haired lady pop out. Perhaps this was Plum & Lucy's mother? She was quite elegant & low key and had that wiry casual wisdom that one imagines all suburban English mothers possess. Oh, I've yet to describe Toby Rowland fully, nor his attire. He's a tall & dashing looking fellow, maybe 6' or 6'1", with curly/wavy black hair. I would say he looks like a more manly Hugh Grant [ha!], or a much better-looking Jeff Goldblum. Or the young Euro-socialite version of Tom Stoppard. He looks, dresses, acts & speaks like an Englishman, I sensed it from my first glance at him & before I heard him speak. He was wearing an extremely thin cotton white shirt, so sheer as to expose the skin beneath. Never my favourite look but Toby did pull it off in a Continental manner rather than the greasy mooks you see at Crobar or Pacha. The white shirt was unbuttoned from the neck perhaps 4 or so buttons. Again it was showing more chest & even perhaps chesthair than I might suggest, but he is a good looking chap. The shirt was untucked and was also unbuttoned 1 or 2 buttons at the bottom too- Toby was wearing his sheer translucent summer blouse loosely. His pants were a baby blue/powder light blue. They also had a weird crease/exaggerated seam down the front pants leg, like a super-duper heavy crease stripe down the front, all in light blue. Now I know that the media's stereotypical presentation of "the Hamptons" makes people think that everyone dresses like Palm Beach or Juan les Pins, 1960, but if you spend any real time on the East End, you know that 'the locals' or 'residents'
dress much more comfortably & casually than any bullshit "Hamptons" or "Quest" fashion layout tells you. Showy, ostentatious & too-loud, too-luxe clothing is a bit of a no-no, at least among the regular folks I know on the East End.
Ironically, in the 'Hamptons Style' Plum Sykes cover issue, Plum derides Americans/New Yorkers for dressing up Too Much! And says that in England it would be tacky to arrive at a dinner party with jewellery, fussy hair & makeup! Well, Plum was dressed a bit more par for the East Hampton course today, but I still spotted both of them in an instant as Euros or English, even before I was sure it was Plum herself. And their so-chic Euro finery, especially his, stood out as being from Across the Pond. And I don't mean
the East Hampton Town Pond. To see Toby showing out in his South of France/GQ threads was a little overt. So I had to puncture his bubble just a wee bit. As we are saying goodbye outside Citarella, I ask him, "Where do you get trousers like that?"
"Argentina," was his reply. "Good answer!" I said, his repartee gracious to the end. Later in the day I re-read the HamptonsStyle magazine with Plum on the cover, and the couple
had in fact been in Argentina at Christmas. Maybe Plum even picked out his creased powder slacks.
The most impressive part of Toby's ensemble to me were his beige calf-skin looking moccasins, similar to a Tod's driving shoe, but since so many companies now are making soft, sleek driving shoe/mocs I cant say whose they were. However the leather was quite new, supple and a nice shade of tan which did work well against his South of France powder blue slacks, even if the see-through, unbuttoned white chemise was maybe over-the-top, a bit too much 'where Queens meets the East End,' perhaps?
We shook hands & introduced ourselves & as we parted, I said, "Next time you read the New York Post, remember it's written by Australians." Toby chuckled, the Post was his conversational gambit, after all. Horses, Burberry, the NY Post. Not bad for 5 minutes watching the rain at Citarella.