Jennifer Lopez is hot — in Russia.
The diva, whose career has cooled a bit in the U.S. — is reportedly being paid $2 million to sing at a 30th birthday party that a Russian tycoon is throwing for his wife.
Andrei Melnichenko, a 35-year-old Russian banker, is flying Lopez to the U.K. to entertain his model wife, Aleksandra, and her 60 guests at their home for her birthday bash, according to various overseas reports. The tab is said to be $1.2 million fee, plus $800,000 for Lopez and her entourage’s expenses. Melnichenko’s personal fortune is reportedly close to $5 billion.
“Andrei and Aleksandra are both very great fans of J. Lo, so Andrei put the call in and personally put the offer to [Lopez,]” a source told London’s Daily Mail. “She accepted immediately. She will sing for about 40 minutes — not bad money for the work.”
A London spokesman for the tycoon would say only: “This is strictly a private party for close friends and family.”
Women, can't live with 'em ...Justin Timberlake says he doesn’t understand the opposite sex. The man who proposes to bring sexy back — and who for years dated Britney Spears and recently ended a long-term romance with Cameron Diaz, admits that he’s clueless about women.
“I haven’t really learned anything about women,” the former boy-bander said while promoting his latest movie. “I’m still a man so I have some kind of learning disability.” Then he added with a grin: “Women wouldn’t have us any other way!”
Romance, he claims, is not on his front burner. “My priorities are my relationship with my mom, my family, my peace of mind, my friendships and my career,” he said. “In that order.”
Notes from all overPerry Farrell is not a fan of “American Idol.” “If you hear garbage music on your radio station, you have only yourself to blame,” the Lollapalooza founder and Jane’s Addiction front man tells the upcoming issue of Spin. “If you don’t support the arts, that’s what you’re going to get. You’re going to get ‘American Idol.’ It’s fine if you want to hear that, but I don’t.” ... Now that Halle Berry has hit 40, she says she’s comfortable being appreciated for her looks as well as her talent. “I think I’ve been learning as I’ve gotten older to become comfortable with that side of who I am,” the “Catwoman” star tells DarkHorizons. “In the beginning, I used to have to downplay it because I wanted to be taken so seriously as a ‘thespian,’ as an artist and as an actor, so I’d play crack heads, down trodden women and disguise myself. But I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable with who I really am and all parts of me knowing that my physical self doesn’t diminish me in any way or my talent.”. ... Meg Ryan has an uncomfortable relationship with fame. “When I first because famous, it was kind of traumatizing, actually. You just constantly feel like you’re getting hit, you know?” the “When Harry Met Sally” star tells the May issue of Redbook. “I would say there’s no real upside to fame. No really measurable one. There’s money, but that doesn’t necessarily come along with fame. People always say that they can get dinner reservations, but c’mon. You could always figure out some other way to dinner reservations.”
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