Angel’s comment gives Trump pause

Donald Trump has another Miss USA controversy on his hands, and you get the impression he would like to make illusionist Criss Angel disappear.

Trump opened Friday's Review-Journal and learned that Angel had told a Miss USA judge, "I hope you're going to give my girl high marks."

His "girl" is Miss Nevada USA Veronica Grabowski.

"We're going to have to look at that," Trump told me Friday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony at his new 64-story tower.

"That's not good," Trump said. "We don't like that."

The judge, Sandy Mecca, wife of Planet Hollywood Resort CEO Mike Mecca, said in a telephone interview with the Review-Journal on Thursday that Angel's comments Tuesday in the valet area of the hotel made her uncomfortable.

She acknowledged to me that she immediately had concerns that the conversation might be considered improper, even though her two-day preliminary judging duties had ended on Sunday. She balked at the idea of the three of them taking an escalator into the hotel.

Angel publicist Steve Flynn responded Friday: "Criss has been friends with Sandy and Mike Mecca for years and was absolutely joking around with her when he said that. The fact that it happened two days after Mrs. Mecca had completed her judging, I fail to see the relevance."

Asked whether Angel had contact with any other Miss USA judges or executives, Flynn said, "That's ridiculous."

Grabowski failed to make the top 15, and Crystle Stewart, of Missouri City, Texas, was named Miss USA.

Another preliminary judge, KVBC entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs, said, "Criss is a friend of mine, but I've had no discussions with him about the Miss USA pageant."

It's the latest Miss USA bump Trump has had to endure.

Miss USA Tara Conner almost had her crown stripped over a year ago for hard partying, sexual indiscretions and a general lack of reliability. Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees was terminated in December 2006 after scandalous photos of her surfaced on the Internet.

MILLS HAS A LONG MEMORY

Heather Mills got a laugh Friday during a Miss USA judges briefing.

When the accounting firm of Ernst & Young informed the judges how the points would be calculated, the ex-wife of Paul McCartney jokingly asked the company rep, "How can I trust you when you said my husband was only worth ($400 million)."

During the hearing in which she was awarded $50 million in a divorce settlement, she poured a glass of water over the head of McCartney's divorce attorney, Fiona Shackleton.

"Mrs. Shackleton said something under her breath, so I cleansed and baptized her," Mills told a British TV show on Friday. "I thought she looked fantastic. I thought it did her a world of good."

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Former Las Vegas headliner Earl Turner underwent a cardiac procedure Friday in Miami after blood clots formed in his lungs. Turner, who was on his way to Miami for a cruise ship engagement, had a cardiac catheter installed Friday and the blood clots were being dissolved, according to Kitti Heaton, his executive assistant. Turner is in good spirits, she said, and hopes to be back in Las Vegas by Monday. ...

Profanity blamed on an editing error led off the noon news Friday on KLAS-TV, Channel 8 in a report about the inquest into a shooting involving a Henderson police officer. The segment featured testimony by Henderson police officer Alan Olvera, who recalled language from the day of the shooting, including several F-bombs. A woman answering phones at the station said the profanity aired because of an editing error.

SIGHTINGS

At the two-year anniversary of Tryst nightclub (Wynn): Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest; members of UCLA's basketball team; NFL stars Steven Jackson, Shawne Merriman, Javon Walker and Melvin Fowler; Floyd Mayweather Jr., UFC legend Randy Couture, Rob Schneider and Gabrielle Union.