Dispatch: Romney in Town; ScarJo at Townline; a Girls star at Global Witness; and More
July 11, 2012 | Talk of the Town
Mitt and Ann Romney
The East End Sees Red
The Clintons owned the Hamptons when they were campaigning for office. In fact, during their visits east, including Bill’s famed birthday party at Alec Baldwin’s house, they bonded with Arthur Wolf, the inspired chef at Smokin’ Wolf BBQ (formerly Turtle Bay), and ended up hiring him for numerous Hil- and Bill-related family fundraisers over the years.
Last weekend, when republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney touched down on the East End, it was as if we were all summering in a red state: Ron Perelman threw Romney a $25,000 per person lunch at The Creeks and David Koch had him over to his stately Southampton beach spread for a $75,000 suggested donation per plate dinner.
Romney’s team allegedly stayed at Southampton Inn and also did a surveillance sweep of Koch’s property that included next-door neighbor Eric Villency’s parents' modernist aerie. By the way, Villency now has a sensationally hot Swedish gal pal; they'll be off to Capri soon.
Spotted: ScarJo, a Beatle, and a Mad Man
Other celebs spotted last week include Sir Paul McCartney lunching at Hampton Chutney, Scarlett Johansson at Townline BBQ on the eve of July 4, tucking into barbecue pork and fries with a beefy, tattooed dude. The duo enjoyed a late-afternoon nosh in a quiet corner table inside. Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky recently dined at 75 Main in Southampton. And at Nick & Toni’s, we eyed Lorne Michaels. Also spotted at Nick and Toni’s this past Friday were Nathan Lane and friends, Ellen Barkin dining alfresco, and newlyweds Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas.
On Saturday, Mad Men’s John Slattery and his sexy wife Talia Balsam, who recently took a room at The Enclave Inn, popped into Everything But Water on Newtown Lane in East Hampton, where Nanette Lepore was holding court. Balsam snapped up a colorful Lepore cover-up and tote. At the new Blue & Cream on Main Street in East Hampton, supermodel/jewelry designer Nicole Trunfio held a trunk show. Victoria’s Secret hottie Anne Vyalitsyna (aka Anne V) checked out her wares.
Kellly Killoren Bensimon at the Charity Polo Classic
Charity Polo, Global Witness, and Love Heals
Also on Saturday, Talent Resources' Third Annual Charity Polo Classic took place at a dreamy new-ish private house on Deerfield Road in Water Mill. Talent Resources, founded by Mike Heller, a lawyer with a heart, put together the fundraiser that benefitted Rally for Kids with Cancer. Dispatches ran into Kelly Killoren Bensimon, just back from Vegas, Ramona Singer, and Countess LuAnn de Lesseps. We also crossed paths with event host Nic Roldan, the Palm Beach polo sensation, and Alan Lieberman, who looked like a movie star in polo gear with long, silvery hair.
Alexander Soros, Drew Grant, and Alex Karpovsky at the Global Witness gala
Alexander Soros and Hollywood producer Ed Zwick hosted the Global Witness gala at Fairview Farm in Bridgehampton on Saturday, where M.C. Hammer took the stage with 12 dancers. “He waited until the very last song to do 'U Can’t Touch This,'” Waris Ahluwalia later told Dispatches (this writer, after he ducked out early). Global Witness exposes conflicts of interest and corruption in the use of natural resources around the globe. There were no Hammer pants, but we did spot George Soros, Alexander’s dad, Girls regular Alex Karpovsky, and a tent full of young, altitudinous models.
Also tented—thank goodness, because the skies opened up—was the 13th Annual Love Heals jollification, which raised $300,000 at Luna Farm for AIDS education. The Patron mojito popsicles likely helped. A giant fake cake loaded with cupcakes was a crowd pleaser. Dispatches spotted Avis Richards, Kelli Delaney and Dr. Mark Kot, Peter Davis, Charlotte Ronson, and the omnipresent—this weekend, in any case—and seriously sexy Aussie Nicole Trunfio.
—JEFFREY SLONIM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES (ROMNEY) MOISES DE PENA (BENSIMON); PATRICKMCMULLAN.COM (SOROS)
