Britney Spears backed out of "a Celine Dion-like" deal a year ago because "she didn't want him (husband Kevin Federline) part of the Vegas scene," according to Jack Wishna. Photo by The Associated Press
George Maloof says Britney has invite.
Wayne Newton suffers knee injury.
Lance Bass hosting book party tonight.
With a divorce in the works and her body looking like a million dollars, is Britney Spears plotting an Elvis-like comeback in Las Vegas?
That was her plan more than a year ago, according to Jack Wishna, who pitched her on "a Celine Dion-like deal."
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"She wanted to launch her comeback at a major hotel casino here," Wishna said. The deal would have put her in a Strip property in 2007 or 2008 for 20-plus weeks a year for $15 million to $20 million a year, he said.
"The deal breaker," Wishna said, "was she didn't want him (husband Kevin Federline) part of the Vegas scene." In fact, Spears had Federline "pretty much booted from the room" during negotiations, Wishna added.
Spears won't have to worry about that distraction now.
Citing "irreconcilable differences," she petitioned for a divorce from the aspiring rapper on Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Spears, who had a 55-hour marriage after a New Year's Eve weekend fling at the Palms in 2004, seeks both legal and physical custody of the couple's two children, 14-month-old Sean Preston and 2-month-old Jayden James, with Federline getting reasonable visitation rights.
Palms owner George Maloof, who has developed a close relationship with Spears, made his intentions clear on Tuesday.
"There will always be a standing offer for her to play at the Palms, particularly in our new venue," he said. The 2,500-seat showroom will be completed in the spring.
No deal has been discussed with Spears or her representatives, Maloof said.
Spears' divorce filing came five weeks after reports had Federline behaving like a bachelor at Tao nightclub at The Venetian and later in a suite at The Venetian.
Wishna, the dealmaker who brought Donald Trump to Las Vegas in a residential tower partnership with New Frontier owner Phil Ruffin, has no doubts that Las Vegas would put Spears' career on the launching pad.
"Everybody loves a comeback," said Wishna, who declined to identify the interested Strip property.
Spears showed off her new slender look during an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Monday.
NEWTON'S KNEE
Wayne Newton is recovering from a knee injury he suffered while making a guest appearance on NBC's "Las Vegas" last month.
He has floating bone chips after tearing the meniscus in his knee during the filming, said Trish McCrone, his publicist.
That was not the reason he did not attend the final show at the Stardust, McCrone said. He was out of town and "not scheduled to be at the final show," she said.
McCrone said Newton, who headlined at the Stardust from 2000 to 2005, said he "thoroughly enjoyed working for" Boyd Gaming Chairman Bill Boyd, whom Newton called "a class act."
Newton has decided not to have surgery on the knee and plans to be ready for his holiday show at Harrah's, which starts Nov. 22, McCrone said.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Former N' Sync member Lance Bass and his partner, Reichen Lehmkuhl, are hosting Lehmkuhl's book party tonight from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Tao. In his book, titled, "Here's What We'll Say," Lehmkuhl talks about being stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in the chapter headlined "What Happens in Vegas." He recounts a brief relationship with a pilot stationed at Nellis.
THE PUNCH LINE
"(Election Day) could be a bad day for the Republicans. Even Saddam Hussein is saying, 'I'm glad I'm not in their shoes!'" -- Jay Leno
