Bonnie Fuller Courting the Press, Hatching Plots
Bonnie Fuller, the recently deposed editorial chief of American Media, the company that publishes illustrious titles like the Star and National Enquirer, has been on a press blitz in recent weeks, part of an attempt, we're guessing, to divert attention from the fact she was fired a few weeks ago, lied about it on her mother's grave, and teamed up with a venture capital firm for about five seconds before they, too, cut their ties. On Sunday, Fuller managed to finagle the Times' David Carr into penning an absurdly saccharine-sweet profile of her. It was apparently pegged to some sort of digital venture she has in the works, and yet she revealed next to nothing about her upcoming plans. How Bonnie!
Fuller, who manages to sidestep her five-year failed attempt to revive AMI's gossip properties (Carr says she made the Star "viable"), is now working with Russ Pillar, an investor and former web bigshot at Viacom on something. The only thing that seems to be certain is that Fuller will the centerpiece of the brand.
Russ Pillar, an investor and a former head of the interactive division of Viacom. Mr. Pillar says his company, the 5850 Group, is seeking to raise “tens of millions” to back Ms. Fuller as a brand: she has created a company called Bonnie Fuller Media, based in New York. He says the start-up will be heavily digital and offer a variety of femme-friendly products that will include, but not be limited to, gossip, fashion and romance. Mr. Pillar sees Ms. Fuller as a reliable cash register. "Everyone who ever did business with her got paid and got paid very well," he says.
Well, except for Pecker, who tossed her to the side precisely because he wasn't getting paid. Confidential to Russ: Make sure Bonnie doesn't conveniently manage to "forget" to sign her contract. Jann Wenner can tell you all sorts of stories about that trick. Indeed, Wenner and Fuller still despise each other, as this brief Q&A with Fuller in Portfolio this month makes clear:
Portfolio: Who is a better boss, Us Weekly owner Jann Wenner or A.M.I.'s David Pecker?
Fuller: All I can tell you is that David was a great boss. I had a great relationship with him.
Portfolio: What about Jann?
Fuller: I've had many terrific bosses, and David was a great boss.
