Celebrities shined, squabbled in 2014

This was a sure bet in 2014: celebrities making headlines, from delicious feuds to a cult confession.

Here are some of the top stories that had Las Vegas buzzing:

■ Actor George Clooney storms out of a dinner with Steve Wynn in April at Wynn’s Botero restaurant when tempers flared over politics. Wynn confirmed the clash in an interview with the Review-Journal and doubled down, saying Clooney had 16 shots of tequila. Clooney, while denying the tequila claim, admitted he called Wynn an “a-hole” after Wynn described President Barack Obama with the same word.

■ Mayor Carolyn Goodman zinged Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak after being disinvited from a Britney Spears key presentation in November. “It’s the most ridiculous, infantile thing in the world,” said Goodman, who blamed the move on Sisolak.

■ Radio deejay Mark DiCiero shocked fans of the powerhouse “Mark &Mercedes in the Morning” show when he announced on Facebook Dec. 18 he was leaving KXMB-FM, 94.1 after nearly 18 years together with Mercedes Martinez in Las Vegas. He indicated he was staying in the market, possibly in radio. Beginning Jan. 5, Martinez will team up with the show’s longtime producer J.C. Fernandez.

■ Mirage headliner Terry Fator revealed in March he not only grew up in a Texas cult, but that it was led by his father. Fator said he was in his mid-20s before his father, Jephtha Fator, allowed him to date. The father threatened to kill the family after discovering Fator’s older brother had fallen in love at college. Fator made the allegations during “Conversations with Norm,” a quarterly interview series at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

■ Comedy giant Bill Cosby withdrew from a November show at TI, “by mutual agreement,” amid growing allegations that he drugged and raped women.

■ TV food show stars Giada De Laurentiis and Buddy Valastro added their starpower to the Strip’s celebrity chef scene. De Laurentiis opened her first restaurant in June at The Cromwell.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Global superstar Andrea Bocelli will be the headliner for Keep Memory Alive’s Power of Love gala on Saturday, June 11. There’s been a discussion to have other big names join him for duets. ...

Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper is sporting a bold new look in the offseason as his wedding day nears. He showed up wearing a topknot, also known as a “man bun” at the UNLV-Arizona game on Tuesday. Harper is reportedly getting married in separate ceremonies Jan. 2-3 in San Diego. He is marrying Ohio State soccer player Kayla Varner, who was Nevada’s high school soccer player of the year in 2009 and 2011 while at Green Valley High School.

SIGHTINGS

ESPN basketball guru Dick Vitale clearly loves Las Vegas. He and his wife, Lorraine, came in for a busy Christmas getaway. They dined at Martorano’s at Paris Las Vegas on Tuesday before heading for “Jersey Boys.” He lamented in a tweet that he didn’t get to see UNLV upset No. 3 Arizona 71-67 because his wife decreed it “a no hoops vacation.” They celebrated Christmas Eve at the Palms (Forum Shops at Caesars) before going to “Legends in Concert” at the Flamingo. They also attended “Human Nature” featuring “Headline News” (HLN) anchor Robin Meade at The Linq. Meade spent her Christmas vacation performing with the Aussie group. The Vitales’ had Christmas lunch at Il Fornaio at New York-New York. ... Las Vegan Matthew Gray Gubler, who stars in the long-running CBS series “Criminal Minds,” with a group at Dom DeMarco’s Pizzeria and Bar on Friday. ... Pro dancer Mark Ballas of “Dancing with the Stars,” dining at Giada (Cromwell) on Tuesday.

THE PUNCH LINE

“After closing their final session, the outgoing 113th Congress has an approval rating of just 16 percent. To give you some perspective, Cosby is at 17.” — Seth Meyers

Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 702-383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more at normclarke.com. Follow @Norm_Clarke on Twitter..