New Miss Nevada hosting at Lavo
Newly crowned Miss Nevada USA Jade Kelsall makes her first public appearance Tuesday when she hosts her 26th birthday party at Lavo (Palazzo).
A move to Las Vegas and a chance meeting paid off for the self-proclaimed tomboy from New Jersey.
Three years after moving from New Jersey to Las Vegas, the former Privé and XS nightclub cocktail server was discovered two months ago by 2011 Miss Nevada USA Sarah Chapman.
Kelsall was at the Aria at CityCenter when Chapman spotted her.
"She asked if I had ever done a pageant. I hadn't," Kelsall said.
Chapman informed her that prospective contestants would be gathering at Amp salon at the Palms the next day and encouraged her to attend.
Kelsall loved "the sisterhood there," just beating the deadline for the pageant, which was held a week ago at the Palms.
"The most fun I ever had was doing that pageant," she said.
Kelsall attended a small private school in Berlin, N.J., and excelled in basketball, volleyball and soccer.
She planned to pursue forensic pathology until she got involved in modeling in New York.
Starting today, she begins a separate deal as ambassador of Topshop, the U.K.-based retail giant that opens an outlet at Fashion Show mall next month. Topshop is owned by British billionaire Sir Philip Green.
THE SCENE AND HEARD
Sandy Murphy, who was convicted and later acquitted in the 1998 death of casino owner Ted Binion, had a baby girl last week in Huntington Beach, Calif. She married Laguna Beach art gallery owner Kevin Pieropan about three years ago.
SIGHTINGS
New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, NBA great Charles Barkley, and NASCAR champion Dale Jarrett, at Haze nightclub (Aria) with Bill McBeath, president and COO of Aria. Earlier in the day, Barkley drove 150 mph at the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while hanging with Jarrett. ... George Clooney's girlfriend, Stacy Keibler, hosting at The Bank (Bellagio) on Saturday night. Her group included Kendall Towers, who was a member of the Baltimore Ravens cheerleading squad with Keibler. Earlier they dined at Yellowtail at Bellagio. ... Kevin Dillon with "Entourage" cast mate Andrew "Dice" Clay at the Riviera on Saturday. ... Wilmer Valderrama, celebrating his 32nd birthday at Hyde Bellagio on Saturday. In his group: Joe Jonas, Minka Kelly, Mandy Moore and Jaime Pressly. At a nearby table, Hugh Hefner's runaway bride, Crystal Harris, hanging with Dillon and friends. Former NFL star Jerome Bettis also was spotted. ... UFC welterweight fighter Carlos "Natural Born Killer" Condit, celebrating his win over champion Nick Diaz earlier in the evening at UFC 143 during an after-party at Chateau (Paris) with his wife, Seager McCullah. Also at Chateau: British pop vocalist Leona Lewis and Rev Run's daughter Angela Simmons. ... Former UFC champ Chuck Liddell, dining at N9ne Steakhouse (Palms) on Saturday. ... Pittsburgh Steeler great Franco Harris, in front of Lavo on Saturday. ... Fox News political pundit Sean Hannity, at Wynn Las Vegas on Saturday. ... Christina Aguilera's ex-husband, Jordan Bratman, dining at Postrio (The Venetian) on Saturday.
THE PUNCH LINE
"I haven't seen a handshake that awkward since Nixon met Elvis." -- Alec Baldwin, host of The Associated Press' "NFL Honors" awards show Saturday in Indianapolis, on the postgame altercation between coaches Jim Harbaugh of the San Francisco 49ers and Jim Schwartz of the Detroit Lions
Norm Clarke can be reached at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter @Norm_Clarke.
