Celebrity Gossip From Las Vegas With Robin Leach | Luxe Life Digest

Thousands of adult entertainment fans lined up six-deep in a winding 1/4 mile Oscar-like velvet-roped red carpet walkway thru the lobbies and hallways of the swank Venetian resort here in Vegas this weekend -- just to catch a momentary glimpse of their favorite porn princesses. Some even taped their cameras and video recorders to broomsticks and poles 20 ft. high to go over the fans in front. This year's three-day Adult Video News Expo fest of flesh brought out 2,500 actress-models from all over the world, as Vegas became a City of Cleavage with a barrage of buxom, bountiful, bodacious bosoms and lacey lingeried leggy ladies. Tickets for the awards show, which was taped for future broadcast, cost $250 a piece -- if you could get them.

Even more amazing is that the press corp totaled over 1,000 to cover the convention, with a select 45 of those -- some from as far away as Europe -- on the VIP-only section of the red carpet, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Reuters, plus the more predictable Playboy cable channel and the new Howard Stern show, which debuts today (Mon January 9) on Sirius satellite radio.

It was a far cry from the original Adult Video awards back in the '80s, when just 20 people gathered! In the past 25 years, the adult entertainment industry has exploded into a staggering $12.6 billion business -- of which more than a third ($4 billion+) alone goes into sex-driven DVD's and videos. Sex
obviously sells!

After passing through airport metal screening detector devices, I was allowed alongside the red carpet for these exclusive photos, and an AVN exec told me: "This turnout of both fans, exhibitors, film-makers and stars is nearly double that of last year's record-breaking convention."

Here are just some of the hotter highlights:

Dancer/stripper/actress Jessica James (right) told me "No comment" -- with a wild wink and saucy smile -- when I asked for details of the stories about how she'd been the femme fatale to come between Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. But other porno-prom girls couldn't wait to dish: "They were both at a bachelor party type thing," one told me, "and Jessica was the featured stripper-party girl. She and Nick hit it off so quickly, the passion was on fire. It could have been a scene for one of our movies. Then shortly after, Jessica is seated behind Nick and Jessica at a movie, and she pinches his cheek. That just started the catfight of all time between the two Jessicas over Nick, and the rest, as they say, is history." Before her spin under the spotlights, Miss James did flash some flesh at me, pointing out her ample charms and tempting thighs with the line "This is what drove him wild..."

Actress Mary Carey (left) who back in 2003, ran for the California governor's office, told me Saturday night she's going to run again. "I'm older, wiser, smarter and I know how to get the financial support money this time." Amazingly, she wound up 10th amongst 135 candidates previously, so...who knows? I asked how she could be at the awards after being booted out of the Venetian by its security staff the last time she was there, for a fierce fight with her boyfriend in their suite. "We were so drunk and screaming," she explained. "I wanted to stay out partying and he didn't. It led to me calling for security to have him thrown out. But they wound up kicking us both out, and they told me I was going on the black list and could never stay in the hotel again."

I quipped: "Not very gubernatorial behavior" She didn't blink: "I agree, but it's very Mary Carey behavior, and that's all that matters. They gave me special permission to attend the Awards shows, but I cant ever stay here again..."

Playboy TV's Andrea Lowell (talking to hostess Jesse Jane right) interviewed me about AOL's CityGuide Vegas and our Luxe Life Journal. Then she told me she'll be starring in ten new episodes of VH1's 'The Surreal Life' debuting in March, with Sherman Helmsley ('The Jeffersons') as one of the new cast...

The newest trend in the adult movie industry is the search for twin sisters -- and this year's convention was the perfect place for Lacey and Lyndsey Lovefrom Cleveland (below -- born just two minutes apart!) to make their debut...

Fans started lining up along the walk-on-the-wild-side as early as 5 PM for the awards show, which didn't get underway until 10 PM, and was still going strong (with awards in over 100 categories) at 1 AM yesterday. Rapper DJ Quik, comic Mark Stone and the Canadian rock group Hedley joined co-hosts (comedian) Greg Fitzsimmons and Jesse Jane -- a self-proclaimed bad girl, who gave up her 'Miss Hawaiian Tropic' title and straight acting career (she debuted on 'Baywatch') for porn stardom...

Conveniently, Jesse is the co-star (along with Janeen) of the biggest budget triple-x flick ever made, 'Pirates,' which won an all-time record 11 awards including Best Video, Best DVD, Best HD Production and three Best Acting awards -- two going to Jane and Janeen (that's them, below right), who also sizzled on-screen together. The $2 million production (reviewed favorably in Newsweek!) was filmed on location in Florida and California.

It was interesting talking to Jesse and Janeen, because both had set out completely differently in their business. Said the heavily-tattooed Janeen (who admitted to being 37 and a single mom of two kids): "I wanted to be a star in regular movies. I wanted fame in regular Hollywood, but there were too many dirty old men producers wasting my nights with nothing but a casting couch mentality. At least here the casting couch is the movie and you wind up the star."

Petite 25-year-old Jesse Jane -- a former Hooters manager -- reminded me that I'd judged her at the aforementioned Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty pageant, and she'd gone on to appear on 'Baywatch,' Showtime's 'Family Business' and HBO's 'Entourage.' "But I wanted to be in porn," she told me, "because I love sex, I love my body, and I love having fun. I don't even have one boyfriend -- I have many!" While some girls get paid $1000 for each sex scene and may film twice in a day for different movies, Janeen and Jesse are contract stars. Said Janeen: "I left my former video company, where I was earning $300,000 a year, for this one, which made me an even better offer!"

Native Vegas star Jenna Jameson, who has gone more mainstream than any other actress in the adult world, won several awards including a Best Picture at the event. She also got the most fan applause and the most recognition from other actresses thanking her in their acceptance speeches for taking the industry from out under the sheets to full-frontal view of the world.

The startling financial numbers of this industry account for x-rated producer John Stagliano being able to keep his hard-edged 'Fashionistas' musical dance drama alive and running at Krave in the Aladdin's Desert Passage. He admitted that his $20 million-a-year XXX movie business allows him to cover the $20,000 a week (it was once up to $40, 000) in losses on his live Vegas show. His original 'Fashionistas' movie won 10 awards back in 2003, and he was determined to turn it into a respectable (read "fashionable," instead of "topless") yet controversial erotic Vegas spectacle. He is convinced some time this year it will finally break even, and that gets him talking about the movie sequel.

"Yes, I've already signed two girls, Katja Kassin and Belladonna (above, with Stagliano) for 'Fashionistas 2,'" he told me. "I write the script once I know the girls I've signed for the movie." Stagliano won a Special Achievement award at the ceremony for taking "the significant step of mainstreaming adult entertainment, and being the first pornographer to stage a Broadway-quality show." Of course, that could only happen in Vegas...

The actresses, just like "straight" Hollywood, even have agents. Thanks to my print pal Richard Abowitz (LA Times) for introducing me to big guy Mark Spiegler, whose business card actually reads "Patron of the Tarts." He's got 15 girls on his roster, each with different talents and temperaments for the porn world. He told me that some of his clients manage to save over $200,000 a year from their earnings. "For them, it is way more than 15 minutes of fame," he explains. "They genuinely want stardom, and thus fame and fortune. They know they won't find it in any other business than this one. They revel in their fame, and none of them think for one minute they are doing anything wrong. But it's an exhausting job ensuring they are where they are supposed to be for their movies, dressed, made up and ready for work. I let most of them live in my home so I can keep them away from all other temptations and just stick to work and saving..."

Sunday would have been Elvis Presley's 71st birthday, so it was fairly appropriate that a King imposter walked the Adult Convention. He had his photo taken with (and by) the preening porno girls, he got and gave autographs, but in the end the bejeweled bewigged man turned out to be local Las Vegas Sun writer Tom Gorman looking for one very unusual angle on two stories:  Elvis' birthday and the Sexpo! I'm betting Elvis would happily have fled the building if he'd been around today!

But it wasn't all porn primping this weekend in Vegas (believe it or not). As I told you Friday, reunited Britney Spears and hubby Kevin Federline were back in Vegas (that's Britney right, smiling for me on Thursday) and they hit the hot spots (including the Aladdin's Houdini magic store, where she bought a purple wig for future disguise purposes). Friday night, they took her sister Jamie Lynn for dinner at Nobu in the Hard Rock Hotel (where Kevin had been partying solo on his most recent trip to town--click here for details). Saturday night, the new parents were still up late together with Palms hotel mogul George Maloof and Motley Crue rocker Tommy Lee on either side. They all turned up at 2.30 AM yesterday morning in TAO's VIP area alongside the dance floor.

Moments later (after playing craps at the new WYNN hotel), in walked Sean "Diddy" Combs and his 30-strong entourage, which included 'Girls Gone Wild' producer Joe Francis. As he entered Tao for the first time, Diddy marveled at the decorating and commented "This place looks like my house in Miami" (good eye, Sean -- funnily enough, the club was designed by the same Thomas Schoos who designed Diddy's house on Star Island before he bought it from Tommy Mattola). He then walked into the club, whereupon DJ Vice went into a 20-minute Diddy set and the crowd -- which included Derek Jeter and Shane West -- went wild. He stayed until just after 3 AM and then left solo with his galpal Kim Porter. Alas, I'd actually called it a night just an hour too early, staying there until 1 AM while the Yankees slugger was partying with Kobe Bryant and members of Matchbox 20! 24 Hours earlier, the Black Eyed Peas returned to TAO for the 2nd time in a week. With them inside the VIP section Friday were boxer Mike Tyson, 'Entourage' star Jeremy Piven and superstar chefs Todd English and Daniel Boulud. Just another celebrity studded night at TAO! But with the hot stars of the adult film world on hand too, was it any surprise that a couple of the platinum porn principals would jump into the rose-petal filled bathtubs and sizzle steamily, splashing around as if the cameras were rolling?!

Can it get any hotter than this!? Well tomorrow (Tues. Jan. 10), we'll check out the current state of the Tom Cruise/Kate Holmes romance, suddenly seemingly chilly while they were here in Vegas, and bring you the highlights (the world's largest ever 103" plasma TV screen) of the other mega-convention that was in town at the weekend, the Consumer Electronics Show.

Before we go, a reminder: Wolfgang Puck makes the dramatic debut of his 'new' restaurant tonight on NBC's hit 'Las Vegas' show with James Caan, Molly Sims and Josh Duhamel. It's the opening of the new Puck Grill -- and the superstar chef gets involved with a customer who refuses to pay his bill, accusing the hotel of letting his wallet get stolen. Ghosts and goblins? Well that haunting storyline is back in time for Wolf's gala party tonight...

We say a fond farewell to the old Boardwalk hotel, which shuts today and will be imploded soon. It makes way for the 66 acre, 37 storey complex of 4 hotels, casinos, condo towers and shopping promenade all known as Project City Centre that MGM is spending a whopping $5 billion to build between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo properties on the Strip (opening 2009)! Bye bye Boardwalk, hello brave new world! Plus, congratulations to Vegas 'Surreal Life' star, motocross racer and owner of the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Parlor, Carey Hart (30), who married punk pop-singer Pink (a/k/a Alecia Moore, 26) this weekend on the beachfront of the Four Seasons hotel Costa Rica. Carey plans on having her name tattooed down his ring finger when he gets back here. They already have "Tru Luv" tattooed around their wrists from the parlor in the Palms hotel... Coming Thursday, we'll go on a sexy shopping spree with Paris Hilton as she hunts down lacy lingerie and seamed stockings. Meantime, click 'Alert Me' up top for a personal ping every time we post the new daily Luxe Life Journal for your pleasure. And send your Vegas thoughts, be they dreams, desires or dismays, to us at robinsvegas@aol.com.

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