Curtis’ daughter more fan than kin

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis says she was more of a "fan" of her father, Tony Curtis, than his daughter.

In her first interview since the death of the Hollywood icon on Sept. 29, the actress discussed the rift Friday between the family and their famous father.

After doing a humorous imitation of her father, she told the co-hosts of the CBS show "The Talk" (Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne and Leah Remini), "The invention of Tony Curtis was his life. ... He was not a father. He was not interested in being a father.

"Now, by the way, that's not a slam against him. He was very clear. He did what he was supposed to do from a financial standpoint, which was honorable for him to do.

"But he was not an involved father and, therefore, I look at him much more from the perspective of being like all of you: a fan of him."

According to a UPI report, when Osbourne asked Jamie Lee whether she felt a bond with her father, Curtis' answer "was an emphatic, scrunch-faced, 'No, not at all. I mean, again, no, not at all.' "

Curtis' widow, Jill Curtis, told Vegas Confidential on Saturday, "I'm sorry they didn't know him like I did. Tony loved people. I think they missed out knowing a really interesting and loving person. Tony was very accessible. They could have come any time. They missed out. I'm sorry they can't make it up. It's too late now."

Jamie Lee earlier this year told the National Enquirer she was 4 when her mother, Janet Leigh, was served divorce papers on the set of "The Manchurian Candidate."

But the 10-year marriage had soured years earlier, she said.

TheAwfulTruth.com website on Friday reported that Jamie Lee was written out of more than one of her father's wills, including the last one.

Jill Curtis, who married the actor in 1998, said she preferred not to get into private matters.

PEREZ HILTON FLAP

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is accusing a gay club of fabricating a controversy at his expense. A consultant/publicist for Secret Nightclub said Hilton was booed by patrons when he addressed the crowd at its Oct. 16 launch event.

Eduardo Cordova said Hilton got "uncomfortable" when clubgoers asked him to stop being a cyberbully.

Hilton smells a conspiracy because this was three days after he announced on Ellen DeGeneres' show that he was done being "mean" on his website after a rash of bullying-related suicides in the gay community.

"The opposite happened, actually!" he told Vegas Confidential in an e-mail that said four people "came up to me to THANK ME, saying they had seen me on Ellen and on the video I posted for my site.

"I did not ask for any table or special treatment. There was a VIP area I was invited into and they invited me to have a bottle.

"They offered to give me a tour of the club and then they offered to have a go-go boy dance for me and my 2 friends in the big stripper part/pole area."

He added, "I'm all for promowhoring and clubs using me for press, but this is so gross! Making up lies is not cool!

"I even Tweeted I was at the club and enjoyed how fun and different it was."

Cordova did not respond to numerous interview requests, but he e-mailed to say the requested information was in a website that he included.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Celine Dion delivered premature twin boys Saturday in West Palm Beach, Fla. Earlier in the week, she checked into a hospital as a precautionary measure. She is set to return to Caesars Palace on March 15 for her second engagement at The Colosseum.

SIGHTINGS

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes, at Tao (The Venetian) on Thursday. Corey Feldman, riding the roller coaster at Fright Dome (Circus Circus) and touring "My Bloody Valentine" house on Thursday. ... Recording artist Jewel, backstage meeting "O" cast members Thursday night. Also at the early show was actor Hugh Grant.

THE PUNCH LINE

"We just had the Phillie Phanatic clipped, wormed and neutered." -- From David Letterman's Top 10 Reasons to Watch the Baseball Playoffs.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.