Did Victoria Gotti
promote a cult?

Did Victoria Gotti promote a cult?

“Growing Up Gotti” recently featured a counseling session with the Gottis' “friend,” therapist Debra Pearl. But Pearl’s controversial form of counseling has been labeled a cult and accused of being anti-Semitic. The so-called “Social Therapy” is headed up by a man called Fred Newman, who has blasted the institution of families, and who once said, “The Jew, the dirty Jew, once the ultimate victim of capitalism’s soul, fascism, would become a victimizer on behalf of capitalism; a self-righteous dehumanizer and murderer of people of color; a racist bigot.”

“It’s ironic that someone as family-oriented as Victoria Gotti could have as her professional helper a devoted disciple of Fred Newman, a man who has stated he is against the institution of the family,” Rick Ross of CultNews.com tells The Scoop. “Ms. Gotti had better watch out who she lets into her life.”

A spokesman for Gotti dismisses any controversy. “Victoria didn’t like the way her personal assistant was fighting with her retarded groundskeeper Luigi,” he told The Scoop. “She called in [Pearl] for conflict resolution.”

Scaring the audience

Kevin Winter / Getty Images file

Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg got some tough cross-examining during an interview by German magazine Spiegel. A reporter for the mag questioned the star and director of the upcoming flick “War of the Worlds,” and suggested that they were playing off the fears of Americans in a post 9/11 world.

“Would you have made the film if September 11 had not happened?” the reporter asked.

“Probably not,” replied Spielberg, who added that the film is coming “at a time when Americans feel deeply vulnerable.”

“Won’t this film actually heighten that sense of vulnerability?”

“It probably will,” said Spielberg, who then hedged a bit.

The testy exchange also extended to a discussion of Tom Cruise’s religion, Scientology, which is considered highly suspect in Germany.

Then the reporter even asked Spielberg if he felt guilty for taking the fun out of swimming because people were afraid of water after his 1975 blockbuster “Jaws.”

“Not at all!” Spielberg replied. “On the contrary, I was impishly pleased. The reactions of the public showed me that the film worked and was touching the primeval fears of the audience.”

Notes from all over

Michel Boutefeu / Getty Images file

Former “American Idol” contestant Corey Clark is planning a media blitz in the next few weeks that some would-be publishers worry might make his proposed exposé of the show obsolete, says a source. As The Scoop reported, the failed reality-show star — who was booted after his police record was revealed — has been shopping a book alleging an off-screen relationship with "Idol" judge Paula Abdul.  . . .  Life & Style weekly is saying that it has a photo of Reese Witherspoon where she appears to be showing signs of pregnancy.  . . . Paris Hilton has been working so hard researching her role in “House of Wax” that it seems to have made her brain go a tad squishy. Stuff magazine asked the partying heiress what she did to prepare for the role. “I watched a lot of old horror movies,” Hilton said. When asked which ones she replied, “I don’t know. I forgot.”

Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop Mondays through Thursdays on MSNBC.com

MORE FROM GOSSIP

Gossip Section Front

Scoop: A fresh dose of reality for Britney? Scoop: Mags battle over Jamie Lynn rumors Tidbits: Insider claims Angelina had a ‘mommy tuck’ Scoop: Vanishing 'SNL' sketch stirs controversy Scoop: Palin may appear on ‘SNL’ Tidbits: Hasselhoff favored bottle over me, ex says Scoop: Hathaway able to laugh at herself on 'SNL' Scoop: Brangelina bunch blocks New York traffic The Scoop section Tabloid Tidbits section Gossip Section Front   Add Gossip headlines to your news reader: