Rihanna can coo all she wants that she and Chris Brown are ''just friends'' (she told Elle magazine ''We're very close now,'' which makes us wonder if they are friends with benefits or Frien-efits), but our own friends at the Kanye West spectacle Tuesday night spied Brown in the audience catching Rihanna's performance. What's the big deal? David Hasselhoff was in the audience crying over Taylor Hicks a few years back and as far as we know those two never dated. But, furthering the rumors, Brown went to Mansion with Rihanna for Lupe Fiasco's after party, and they displayed more ''close friend'' behavior till the wee hours.
Fans of the Discovery Channel's Emmy-nominated show Deadliest Catch may want to make a reservation at Mary Brickell Village restaurant The Oceanaire Seafood Room, which has purchased 40,000 pounds of Alaskan King Crab from one of the show's Bering Sea cruisers, The Time Bandit. We had some and it's worth the trip, that's for sure. Turns out, Oceanaire's chef Sean Bernal was selected to brave the treacherous waters of the Bering Sea and travel with the crew in October. Says Bernal, ``It's an incredible honor to have been asked to join the crew of The Time Bandit, and I know it will be the experience of a lifetime.''
Actors Elizabeth Peña and Steven Bauer were at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens on Wednesday for a screening of their film, How The Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, which also stars Ugly Betty's America Ferrera. The film hits theaters May 16.
On Tuesday, a slew of sporty types at The Florida Room for the vitaminwater-sponsored 30th birthday of Miami Heat's newest star player, Shawn Marion. It was a late night for Marion, who blew out the candles at 3 a.m. Guests included Chris Tucker, Dennis Rodman (on a break from outpatient rehab, we're guessing), Fat Joe, J. Holiday, Terrell Owens, Vince Young and Heat teammate Ricky Davis.
Speaking of Rodman, his best friend, Elaine Lancaster, is hosting a birthday bash for him at 10 p.m. Saturday night at Cameo. Rodman is set to arrive in true diva fashion at midnight.
After trying to settle the confusion as to when, exactly, John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston dined at Il Gabbiano in downtown Miami (the owners told us it was a few weeks ago while three staffers insisted it was this past Tuesday), we forgot all about it when we found out Mayer was, indeed back in town, with Aniston at the Mandarin Oriental and here for Marley & Me's Saturday night wrap party at Nikki Coconut Grove, where the singer will allegedly perform a ditty or two. Farewell Jen, Owen, Scott and co. We'll miss you. Thanks for the blog -- er, memories.
