Tori Spelling vs. Candy Spelling
Candy Spelling thinks her daughter, Tori, should call more. Lots of mothers think that, but Mrs. Spelling said it in her book, Stories from Candyland. Tori had already bashed her in two books, so Candy struck back, declaring that Tori hasn’t allowed her to see her new granddaughter. She said later that Tori’s ingratitude and refusal to return calls was responsible for “killing” her dad. That’s a story even Aaron Spelling, who died in 2006 at age 83, might have thought too far-fetched to put on the air.
Whitney Houston vs. Barbara Houston
When Whitney lost her father in 2003, she got his US$1-million life insurance policy to console her. But her stepmother, Barbara, sued her, claiming some of that money was to pay off the mortgage on her dad’s condo. Whitney filed a countersuit, saying the condo was bought with money she lent her father, and Barbara owes her money. It seems Whitney’s TV turn as the fairy godmother in Cinderella taught her not to be afraid of stepmothers.
Anthony Marshall vs. Philip Marshall
Anthony Marshall, the heir of mega-rich American socialite Brooke Astor, is on trial for allegedly embezzling his mom’s money and investing it in Broadway shows, while making extra millions by selling priceless art from her apartment. To be fair, his wife left an Episcopal priest for him, and she didn’t do that just to wind up with a poor man. The person who blew the whistle on Marshall’s alleged activities was his son, Philip, who didn’t appreciate being deprived of the money his grandmother was to leave him. So the good guy in this scenario could be the guy who snitched on his own father.
Julie Myerson vs. Jake Myerson
Julie Myerson’s book The Lost Child was to be about the life of a girl who died in 1838. But she also wrote in it that she kicked her teenage son, Jake, out of the house because he was “addicted to cannabis.” When advance excerpts were published, Jake said his mother had “betrayed” him, and that he only started smoking pot to escape his parents’ fighting. In response to all this family trauma, the publisher moved up the book’s release date. Nineteenth-century girls don’t sell, but marijuana and betrayal sure do.
Mulroney Tories vs. Harper Tories
Talk about a dysfunctional family. Members of the Harper government told the press Brian Mulroney was “no longer a member of the Conservative party.” It may have been wishful thinking on the part of Harper officials. But a recent poll had Harper ranking ahead of Mulroney on the list of worst Canadian PMs since 1968. So maybe Mulroney should be worried about Harper giving him a bad name.
Octo-mom vs. Octo-mom
Nadya Suleman doesn’t like being displaced as the world’s most famous mass-mother. After the marital antics of Jon and Kate Gosselin became news, she went to Radar Online with a belated response to some things Kate had said about her: “It’s really annoying. It’s like my mother.” Suleman, who plans to star in a reality show, said her rival mom needs to “stop pulling at straws for attention.” But she has a charitable side: she says Kate’s behaviour is typical of “people who are less educated.” Finally, someone the Octo-mom can look down on.