Oprah: “I want to say officially how proud I am of my friend Gayle King.
“Back a lifetime ago, 1976, Baltimore. We were both on a local TV station. She was a production assistant. I was an anchor. We became friends, especially after a big snow storm. When she couldn’t go out, get home and didn’t have enough clothes, I said, ‘OK, you can have my underwear.’ But then I added, ‘And don’t return it.’
“When time came and things happened to me, I asked her to quit her job and come to my new Oprah magazine to help me. But the truth is, the whole time I felt guilty taking her away from TV because I know how much she loved it.
“And now she’s doing so well, and I’m thrilled for her. Mostly because at least she can have her own underwear.”
Alec’s naughty
More about America’s favorite pinup, Alec Baldwin: Berner High in Massapequa, LI, he ran for senior class president. Night before, he went into the school cafeteria with his father and hung a huge banner in bold letters: “S-E-X. Students Elect Xander (Alec’s nickname).” He won.
Worst-dressed flock to film screening
A downtown screening for an Aaron Paul movie. The area surrounded by glossy stores — Armani, Kors — showing glitzy clothes. But every guest wore garage grunge. Black-tie was funky jeans, junky T-shirt, hunky leather jacket, clunky boots. Who made their outfits, the answer should have been “Manure.”
Exceptions were the narcissistic models fearing they won’t be noticed enough, skinny enough or daring enough. Skirts so tight, so short you could see where the Brazilian wax missed a section.
The lone soul properly dressed — Emmy Rossum. And even she teetered on the edge. Stockingless, slim, skinny, sleeveless sheath. So sheer you could see through to the bra.
“I work out so I can eat,” she said. “Steak, potatoes, fried. It’s yoga and pilates because then I can eat a lot. I don’t do much alcohol and I like to sleep, although I only got two hours last night. In Austin last night for a premiere, I had to be up at 4 for the plane, then stayed up the whole way watching a movie.”
She’d removed her coat for the photographs. Now, finished with the photographs and me, back went the coat. And back I went to the roomful of invited schloomps.
Pay attention
Action star Jason Statham got inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame . . . AT PBS’s screening of “The Royal Tour,” a special on Israel, Tourism Minister Uzi Landau told the audience, including P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu: “Use your Bible in the Holy Land. GPS stands for ‘God’s Positioning System.’ ”
New book alert
Eastertime books: “Brothers Forever: The Enduring Bond Between a Marine and a Navy SEAL That Transcended Their Ultimate Sacrifice.” Takes you from the Naval Academy to the streets of Fallujah to the mountains of Afghanistan. Dedicated to their country, it’s two who left home to fight and never return.
Sony classic
SONY Pictures Classics makes nothing but money. It rep’d the movie that won Cate Blanchett Best Actress. Co-president Michael Barker schleps around in a jacket that says “Capote.” Its other co-president, Tom Bernard, told me: “It’s because we did that film and he got it free.” . . . That little gold statuette hustles dollars. So far nominee “American Hustle” grossed nearly $150 million.
From A.N. Torun: “On a nondescript door adjacent to Box 73 at 33rd and Eighth’s main Foley Post Office: “Cannot be used for entrance or exit.”
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.