Larson tells a tale of dating Clooney
Sarah Larson cleared up a big mystery on Wednesday: how she ended up in the company of actor George Clooney, one of the world's most eligible bachelors.
It was long before the much-reported "Ocean's Thirteen" premiere during CineVegas last June at the Palms, said Larson, in her first lengthy interview since their relationship got serious.
"It was on his birthday three or four years ago at Whiskey at Green Valley Ranch," she said. Clooney was with some friends, including Whiskey owner Rande Gerber, "and I was with some friends.
"We were all dancing, taking pictures, being silly," she said. Larson, who worked as a cocktail server at Whiskey, was dating someone else at the time.
Last June, when Clooney came to town for the "Ocean's" premiere, "he heard I was working at Moon," made contact at the nightclub, and "we hung out," she said. A month later, he invited her to go to Italy.
It's been a whirlwind romance ever since. She's attended world premieres with him, attended the Academy Awards on his arm, survived a motorbike crash with him and met his parents.
She continues to shuttle back and forth to Los Angeles, while her modeling career is taking off. She recently signed with the Los Angeles-based Nous Agency, which reps Mischa Barton.
She and Clooney, who turns 47 on May 6, are heading for Italy soon, a trip that could help expand her modeling career in Europe.
"We'll be in Como, which isn't that far from Milano," she said, dropping a big hint after appearing in a fashion show that featured Emilio Pucci's spring collection at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Clooney has been supportive of her new career, she said. "Your boyfriend better be. If they aren't, you gotta kick 'em in the butt and walk away."
The charity event, organized by the Clark County Medical Society Alliance, was a benefit for the Shade Tree.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Flamingo headliner Toni Braxton has canceled the rest of her shows this week after a heart scare. She spent Monday night in St. Rose Dominican Hospital after her heart started racing during her show. The six-time Grammy winner has been treated in the past for pericarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart. ...
A flurry of activity broke out backstage before the start of the Miss USA preliminaries on Saturday at Planet Hollywood Resort. Nevada first lady Dawn Gibbons was told the governor was in the front row. She was insistent he wasn't in town, and given their strained marriage, she should know. Suddenly, the curtain parted ever so slightly and the mystery was solved. It wasn't the governor. It was Mike Mecca, the dapper CEO of Planet Hollywood Resort. The first lady was there to deliver a proclamation on the governor's behalf. ...
I'm hearing the next new nightclub in Vegas will take excess to another level, with square footage in the same ballpark as Pure, the megaclub at Caesars Palace. Meanwhile, more rumblings that the Fountainbleau has cooled on plans to bring in Pure to do the nightclubs in Vegas and Miami. ...
Katie Rees, the dethroned Miss Nevada USA, won't be going to jail for resisting arrest. Those charges were dismissed in a plea bargaining deal Wednesday in Las Vegas Justice Court. Rees, 23, pleaded no contest to five other traffic counts, all misdemeanors. She was arrested Feb. 7 at 3 a.m. near her home as she was making an ice cream run. She had a front tooth chipped during an altercation with Las Vegas police officers, her attorney, Michael Cristalli, alleges. Cristalli told Vegas Confidential he's exploring plans to go ahead with a civil rights excessive force lawsuit, stemming from the incident.
THE PUNCH LINE
"General (David H.) Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill today. He was questioned by Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Obama and Clinton both had the same question for Petraeus: 'Are you by any chance a superdelegate?'" -- Conan O'Brien
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
