Diana Ross was bizarrely poked by a belligerent fan — and given the middle finger — during her surprise midnight concert at the opening of Ian Schrager’s Edition hotel in Times Square on Monday night.
A male fan pushed his way through the crowd for a spot close to the stage to watch Ross perform in the hotel’s Paradise Club. When Ross hit the stage, the seemingly tipsy dude proceeded to poke and try to push the icon, 74, from the front row, as she sang hits like “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.”
Ross grew irritated and attempted to slap the guy’s hand away and scold him with her finger, which only instigated him to repeatedly “flip the bird” at her.
The disrespectful lout even grabbed at Ross’ fabulous tulle boa before security rushed to escort him out of the venue.
Also at the packed party were top models Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and Hailey Bieber, who appeared at the hotel’s Terrace Restaurant — and we hear their appearances came with a hefty payout. “They were each paid a significant amount,” a source told Page Six, saying $250,000 each. But insiders said that the fees for some of the models actually went all the way up to $2 million.
Disco pioneers Nile Rodgers and Chic also played the over-the-top opening for a crowd that included Andy Cohen, Joan Smalls, Harry Brant and Ellen von Unwerth, who danced on a banquette.
Schrager, who legendarily created Studio 54 with Steve Rubell, told us after the bash: “Everything seems to have come full circle,” pointing out that Ross played his famed club’s final night and “serenaded us for a goodbye party.” “Then we jump forward all these years, and she does the first night . . . Too bad Steve wasn’t around to enjoy it.”
Rubell died in 1989.
Suki Waterhouse also sang at the party for scenesters including Theodora Richards, Peter Brant Jr., Jean Pigozzi, Maxwell Osborne, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Claudine De Niro, Andrew Warren, Mia Moretti and Jason Binn.