Some turning Ledger’s death into business

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Howard Stern sidekick Artie Lange made jokes about the recent death of Heath Ledger during a Feb. 2 comedy show in Las Vegas, and the New York post reports New York City tour company Rich and Famous Tours has added the SoHo apartment where Ledger was found dead to its list of stops.

Both actions have prompted some to ask, “Is it too soon for this sort of thing?” No one asked me, but I say yes. Jim Dykes, Rich and Famous Tours president, defends his decision.

“I suppose some people would say that (it’s in poor taste), but I hear what the public wants to know about,” said Dykes, who noted the stop was added at the request of customers.

“It (where Ledger lived) is in the media, and of course people want to know about it. We point out the building and talk about the neighborhood, the rent he paid, his toxicology report. We mention everything that’s in the news.”

One person who knew Ledger feels that both developments — Lange’s jokes and the new tour stop — are callous to say the least. “There hasn’t even been time for his family to really mourn, and now they have to deal with this? It’s amazing what people will do to get attention,” said the friend.

On a lighter note, Eva Longoria’s not pregnant!

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No, it wasn’t a baby bump. Mr. Eva Longoria, aka Tony Parker, set the record straight in his first major interview since battling infidelity rumors last December.

“Eva and I talk about it, but with our careers it isn’t the right moment," Parker told French newspaper Le Parisien. “Right now, we’re enjoying the young married life. Because of the writers strike, Eva has spent a lot of the last three months with me in San Antonio. When she’s working, we see each other less,” said Parker.

Bridget Moynahan speaks out
Tom Brady ex Bridget Moynahan is slowly putting herself back in the spotlight following the birth of her son, John, last August.

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Word is she recently finished a photo shoot for jewelry company Diamonair, and now she’s released a YouTube video that was shot by a friend. On the video she appears with her pal Sam Harris and he asks Moynahan questions about her pregnancy, which took place right after her breakup with Brady.

“What was the most difficult thing about the pregnancy?”

Moynahan laughs and responds, “What was the most difficult thing about the pregnancy? You know what the most difficult thing about the pregnancy was!”

“Bad question,” was Harris’ witty reply.

Viewers say no, no, no to Grammys
According to the early numbers, the Feb. 10 Grammy telecast was the third least-watched Grammys in the show’s history. Only 17.5 million viewers tuned in, according to Nielsen, a number that has to be viewed as a disappointment considering all the work the Recording Academy did to ensure this wouldn’t happen. The Academy hired an outside PR firm to generate buzz and even created a high-end clothing and accessories line pegged to the event.

Perhaps Matthew McConaughey is free for next year — he had a much better weekend, and obviously Amy Winehouse cannot be depended upon.

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