Joe Jackson ‘fine’ after mild stroke
Joe Jackson, the 83-year-old patriarch of the Jackson family, is recovering at a Las Vegas hospital from a mild stroke he suffered Wednesday.
"He's fine," family friend Rutt Premsrirut said. "He's back to the regular Joe Jackson, cracking jokes and talking."
Flowers arrived from Jackson's daughters Janet and LaToya, and his wife, Katherine, was en route to Las Vegas from her home in Los Angeles, according to Premsrirut.
Angel Howansky, a Los Angeles-based family spokeswoman, told The Associated Press that Jackson was at an unidentified hospital after having trouble standing up and walking.
Howansky told The AP that Jackson, a longtime Las Vegas resident, previously had experienced small strokes.
I had a chance meeting with Jackson over the weekend at the Regency Towers inside the Las Vegas Country Club Estates. He was in the company of Majestik Magnificent, the Jackson family magician who lives in the towers.
OOPS
A top executive involved in TLC's upcoming "Sin City Rules" reality show apparently thought he was sending a private direct message on Thanksgiving Day when he live tweeted one of his most worrisome concerns.
"Actually said over dinner: 'the guy with the eyepatch could actually be a big problem,' " wrote Dustin Smith, TLC's vice president of public relations.
TLC has good reason to worry after the torrent of leaks from a cast that takes backstabbing to despicable lows, even by reality show standards. The show premieres Dec. 9.
LOHAN ON THE LOOSE
What's left of Lindsay Lohan's acting career continues to unravel.
Lohan, 26, was booked on misdemeanor assault charges after she was accused of sucker-punching a female patron inside a New York City nightclub 4 a.m. Thursday.
Her history of trouble includes a feisty night in Las Vegas when Lohan, then 19, told a female fan at the Palms pools and bungalows, "Get out of my face vodka breath, or I'll kick your ass."
Then there's her famous entrance at Pure at Caesars Palace when she arrived, fresh out of rehab, wearing an alcohol-monitoring bracelet on her ankle, her first night out in Las Vegas as a 21-year-old. She held a water bottle that night.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Fans of Las Vegas chef Carla Pellegrino are being urged to join a Twitter and text message campaign to get her back on Bravo's "Top Chef: Seattle." She was voted off the show during Wednesday's episode after her grilled squab didn't pass muster. Fans can tweet the hashtag #SaveChefCarla and add reasons why she should be allowed to compete in the finale. Texts can be sent to 27286. Voting ends next Thursday.
SIGHTINGS
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, at "KA" (MGM Grand) Wednesday with a group that included son Taj Tallarico. Afterward, Tyler shook hands with the cast and passed along his compliments. In town for an Aerosmith concert at the MGM Grand on Saturday, he was hanging out with former Las Vegas Hilton executive Ken Ciancimino at Battlefield Vegas. "Mystere" celebrated its 9,000th performance Tuesday at Treasure Island with a cake presentation between shows. Two original cast members - Brian Dewhurst and Bruce Rickerd - had cake-cutting honors. ... Harrah's headliner Kevin Burke, the star of "Defending the Caveman," was pressed into pinch-hit duty Wednesday when the scheduled host of the "NASCAR Chasers Champion Week Game Show" couldn't make it to the Fremont Street event. Burke was notified at 5:30 p.m., filled in and managed to do his own show as well.
THE PUNCH LINE
"The Abe-olitionist." - From David Letterman's "Top 10 Other Nicknames for Lincoln."
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 and norm@reviewjournal.com. (Twitter: @Norm_Clarke). For more info, go to normclarke.com. His weekly segment, "Norm Clarke's Vegas," airs during "Morning Blend" on KTNV-TV, Ch. 13 every Thursday.
