A TAMER TWEETER
So vocal with Demi, Ashton learns from Mila to keep a few things private
Sounds like Ashton Kutcher has learned a lot from the mistakes he made with earlier relationships — especially in his soon-to-be ended marriage to Demi Moore.
According to those who truly know, the actor has new lady love
Mila Kunis for most of it. A longtime friend of Kunis — and this column — shared some insight into how Kutcher will be handling his personal life going forward.
“Ashton has always been an open book, plus he has been way too trusting of too many so-called good friends for far too long,” said the source. “He was in the forefront of realizing the power of social media and things like Twitter, but he unfortunately didn’t just use them to build his professional brand, he allowed his personal life to be showcased there as well.
“Both he and Demi just put too much out there and then had to pay the price for tweeting all those personal photos and things like that,” added the source.
“Mila is so private, and she made Ashton realize that when it comes to the public or the press you simply do not have to respond to personal questions — of any kind.”
This new chapter is well reflected in an interview Kutcher gave to Elle magazine, where he would not go on the record about Kunis or Moore — at least in any direct way.
As the “Two and a Half Men” star put it, “You know, I’ve learned the hard way how valuable privacy is. … And I’ve learned that there are a lot of things in your life that really benefit from being private. And relationships are one of them.”
That, the source said, includes public appearances for things like film premieres. Kunis, for example, was seen solo at the principal red carpet events for her new film “Oz: the Great and Powerful.”
As her longtime buddy put it, “There was no reason for Ashton to be there, except to provide fodder for the tabloids … and who needs that?”
HISTORY REPEATED: As we all know, when Hollywood remakes old hits, they often are big disappointments. Let’s hope that doesn’t hap- pen with the team revisiting Chevy Chase’s old “Vacation” — with this new one starring Ed Helms as a grown-up Rusty (played by Anthony Michael Hall in the original). Christina Applegate will play Rusty’s wife — an updated take on the role portrayed by Beverly D’Angelo in the old movie.
TV TALK: Since the news leaked about Jimmy Fallon being promised the host’s job on “Tonight,” I’ve learned that Fallon as had several very intense and gracious chats with Jay Leno himself.
A Fallon friend said Thursday, “Jimmy is horrified at how this whole thing has been developing, and will do anything he can to prevent a repeat of the Conan
[O’Brien] disaster,” when O’Brien was given the “Tonight” gig — then was forced to hand it back to Leno in less than a year.
One thing working in Fallon’s favor. The “Saturday Night Live” alum is said to have had a far better relationship with Leno than O’Brien did — and has been consistently respectful of the veteran comic and talk show host. † Steppenwolf’s own Lau
rie Metcalf is getting yet another shot at a sitcom gig. HBO has picked up the pilot for “Getting One” with an initial order of six episodes.
Metcalf, Alex Borstein and Niecy Nash star in the medical comedy — based on a BBC series — about a group of overworked nurses in the women’s geriatric extended-care wing of a hospital with very limited resources.
LOHAN LOVE? While there are conflicting stories about whether or not Lindsay Lohan is dating Avi Snow, a club promoter and guitarist for City of
the Sun, a longtime LiLo intimate expressed strong feelings on the subject Thursday.
“Lindsay should only be concentrating on one thing and one thing only: straightening out her life! … She’s got to get all her legal problems behind her, get sober permanently and try to revive her career.
“That’s a tall order. … There’s no room for a guy in her life right now — particularly someone who is involved in the club scene that has always been the kiss of death for Lindsay.”
FREE SPEECH: An appeal by the folks at Lifetime has ensured their movie “Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story” — starring Eric McCormack, Matt Barr and Chicago native Lolita
Davidovich — will air at 7 p.m. Saturday on the cable network. Lifetime won an appeal to air the film after a judge issued an injunction Wednesday to prevent it.
Porco’s attorneys had fought to prevent broadcast of the film based on the handsome college student who became the prime suspect in the shocking murder of his father.
SEEN ON THE SCENE: Things were hopping at the Pump Room the past few nights with separate sightings of Denis Leary — in Booth One — plus Cat
Deeley, Kal Penn and the
one and only LaToya Jack
son. … Dessert lovers were happy to spy TLC’s “Cake Boss” Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro Jr. partying it up with pals at Studio Paris. … The Bulls’ Nate Robinson and (separately) Steve
Harvey added star power to Mastro’s Chicago this week. … While in town for a TLC advertisers’ event, Honey Boo Boo and “Mama June” Shannon were spotted at the McDonald’s near the Wrigley Building.