Lewis under glare for Griffin views

Jerry Lewis, who fired his publicist this week for saying the comedy legend charges $20,000 an hour for interviews, is back in the headlines for commenting that Merv Griffin "deserved to die."

Lewis, 81, made the remark in an interview with Entertainment Tonight co-host Jann Carl ahead of Lewis' Muscular Dystrophy Association telethon Sept. 2-3 at the South Point.

Lewis told Carl, "I was very angry when I heard (Griffin) died. He didn't have to die. He knew he had prostate cancer, and he did nothing about it. He deserved to die."

Lewis continued, "You can't have cancer and say, 'I'll be all right.' You're not going to be all right. It's a malady that has to be addressed. I had it. I went and had it addressed and got it out of there. I'm going to beat George Burns. Burns died at 100, I'm going to go for 101, and I want a television special for my 101st birthday!"

Lewis spokeswoman Claudia Stabile Marghilano said the remark was a case of an unintended comment being taken out of context.

"All he meant was that Merv neglected his care of prostate cancer," she told Vegas Confidential. "Jerry loved Merv, he adored Merv.

"They make Jerry look like a schmuck. Give Jerry an hour and he's going to step on it because he's so candid," Marghilano said. "Jerry's saying he knows what went on. Merv could still be with us if he had been treated."

The comments raise the question of whether Griffin, who died Aug. 12, knew his cancer had returned but chose not to treat it.

Steve Wynn said he talked to Griffin about six months ago "and he knew (he had it)."

BOOK FIREWORKS

Siegfried and Roy will officially come out of the closet in their upcoming autobiography, according to leaked reports.

While it won't come as a surprise to many locals, the relationship evolved from intimate partners to business partners and lifelong friends.

Meanwhile, I'm hearing that a Sept. 12 hearing probably will reveal more details about Siegfried and Roy's inner circle, including the bodyguards who have a book coming out early next year, around the same time the German illusionists will have their own book out.

The hearing deals with a lawsuit filed by Jim Lavery, one of the bodyguard-authors of "Buried Elephants: Siegfried & Roy's Secrets Revealed." He is suing his ex-girlfriend, Lynette Chappelle, an associate of Siegfried and Roy.

Lavery isn't talking, other than this cryptic comment: "I'm from Georgia. You don't mess with my mom and you don't mess with my dogs."

Lavery's co-authors are Jim Mydlach, a former Elvis Presley bodyguard, and his son, Lou Mydlach, both of whom worked security for the entertainers.

Wynn, who hired Siegfried and Roy for their Mirage megashow, is no fan of the co-authors. "Considering how Siegfried and Roy took care of that family all the time, even after the accident, they are sub-normals, flakeroos," Wynn said.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Dan Delgado, morning anchor at KTNV-TV, Channel 13 from 1994 to 2001, was to have been among the featured characters in the new Fox reality series "Anchorwoman," but Fox yanked the show off the air after its poorly received debut Wednesday. Delgado is a real-life news director at KYTX-TV in Tyler, Texas, where former pro wrestling spokesmodel Lauren Jones spent the month of June learning the ropes as a reporter and TV anchor. ...

I'll join Denver deejays Slacker and Steve on KALC-FM (Alice) at 2 p.m. today at Lucky Strike Lanes in the Rio to spill some Vegas tales. We'll be streaming at www.alice1059.com.

MAY I RECOMMEND ...

Stoney's Rockin' Country opens tonight at 9151 S. Las Vegas Blvd. after a computer glitch delayed last week's opening. Named after operator Stoney Gray, longtime general manager at Gilley's, the massive honky-tonk offers live music, a 2,500-square-foot dance floor, bowling, a pool and the Cowboy Ultra-Lounge; 384-2686.

SIGHTINGS

Chris Daughtry, of "American Idol" fame, hanging with Zowie Bowie backstage Thursday at the Rocks Lounge at Red Rock Resort. ... Ottawa Senators goaltender Ray Emery, partying Wednesday at Tangerine nightclub (Treasure Island). Also at Tangerine, actor Alan Tudyk. ... Sen. John Ensign, catching lunch Thursday at Vintner Grill.

THE PUNCH LINE

"There is a tri-state area dog food recall. The tainted dog food will be rounded up and fed to Michael Vick." -- David Letterman

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