Robbins should do his research

Oct. 6 - Did Tim Robbins know he helped raise money for a group linked to Scientology? Robbins’s Actors’ Gang recently performed a run of “The Guys” in Vail, Colorado to benefit the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Fund. The group has drawn fire from certain quarters because it uses “purification” techniques developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

‘He and Susan Sarandon may mean well — they’re both been very active supporters of New York’s firefighters — but Tim was being used as a pawn.’ — RICK ROSS

“TIM ROBBINS should have done a little Web surfing,” says Rick Ross of CultNews.com.

“He and Susan Sarandon may mean well — they’re both been very active supporters of New York’s firefighters — but Tim was being used as a pawn. If he had gone to this group’s Web site, he would have read that Tom Cruise is the co-founder, and that might have set off a few bells. And he would have read that their methods of ‘detoxifying’ firefighters are the ones outlined by L. Ron Hubbard.”

“The theater contracted with the Actors’ Gang to do this play,” Robbins’s spokeswoman told The Scoop. “Tim has no knowledge that it was a fundraiser for anyone.”

Carey confessional

Mariah Carey is ready to tell all.

The diva is close to signing a deal to write her autobiography, says a publishing source. “She was making the rounds, pitching it,” says the insider. “She says it will be an inspirational story and she’ll write about her humble beginnings, about growing up biracial — everything. She said she’s tired of everyone else writing about her — now she wants to set the story straight.” The source says proposals were given to publishing execs, “but they made us give everything back at the end of the meeting so we wouldn’t fax them to people like you.”

Carey’s spokeswoman tells The Scoop that while there has been “a lot of interest” in the book, no deal has been signed yet.

Notes from all over

Being called “tacky” by Bette Midler is quite an achievement — but it’s the dubious honor bestowed on Madonna and Britney Spears for their on-air smooch. “It’s kind of tacky in a way, to say ‘I’m not responsible for the fact that there’s 10- [and] 11-year-olds watching this show,” Midler told Access Hollywood. “I mean, I know those two ladies don’t give a d—- about what I say, but I think it’s irresponsible in a way.” . . . Elizabeth Taylor is a fan of “La Femme Nikita” star Peta Wilson. “There was a knock at the door one day and [Taylor’s] masseuse was there saying, ‘I work for Miss Taylor’ and I’m like, ‘Sure you do.’” Wilson told the Sydney Morning Herald. “And he says, ‘Miss Taylor would love to meet you,’ and I’m, ‘Sure she would.’ And then the phone rang and it was Elizabeth Taylor and I went over to her house for an Easter party. It was surreal.” . . .

The cook on the set of “Cold Mountain” was not smitten with Nicole Kidman. “I didn’t fancy her at all,” chef Terry McShane told the Liverpool paper Echo. “She is not my type of woman. As a person you couldn’t fault her. She was, however, very careful of what she ate — it was mostly just chicken and fish, but she looked great and not too thin at all.” He was quite taken, however, with Natalie Portman. “She is the most adorable person you could ever meet in your life,” he said. But there was one topic he refused to discuss: the rumored romance between Kidman and Jude Law. “Absolutely no comment,” he said.

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Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop appears Monday through Thursday in MSNBC Entertainment.