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The New York Post has had a field day this week with the (quite possibly false) rumor that Eliot Spitzer is supposedly thinking about jumping back into politics. That Tuesday cover story led to a Wednesday cover featuring a response from Ashley Dupre's mom; then, yesterday, Ashley herself responded to the Spitzer story before going on to suggest that she really isn't all that different than many women in Manhattan, and that the line between a prostitute and an ordinary gold-digger is a thin one. Dupre's remarks generated a third Post cover yesterday, and although a response to Dupre's comments from a handful of random women today didn't justify the cover of the paper today (despite the fact the Post it's now describing it as a "citywide catfight), it did give the paper an excuse to post one more photo gallery of Dupre in a skimpy bikini. Think the Daily News is feeling a little left out? You bet it is!

Not surprisingly, the News wasn't going to let the Dupre buzz pass without coming up with its own way to wade into the story. And now it has one.

Apparently, designer Yigal Azrouel has decided to keep a "low profile" this Fashion Week, since Ashley Dupre's appearance at his show last year generated some negative attention for him. He's not doing that by skipping Fashion Week entirely. He's still throwing a party for 800 people. But security is going to be tight this year to prevent any, say, notorious ex-prostitutes from slipping inside and sitting in the front row:

Azrouel's show will take place at The Promenade next Friday, and although almost 800 people will be invited, the source says handlers will be extremely strict with the guest list. "Every invite is being scrutinized," another snitch says, "so that what happened last year will not happen again."

But Katie Lee Joel, who split up with Billy Joel earlier this year after reportedly having an affair with Azrouel, is still on the invite list.

So Ashley is a publicity liability for just having attended his show last year. But Joel, whose marriage quite possibly fell apart thanks to Azrouel, is still okay. Maybe Ashley had a point about double standards, after all!

Yigal Azrouel's not looking for an Ashley Dupre repeat [NYDN]