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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > July > 10
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Atlanta friend surprised at Diddy split
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Apparently, after a scant couple hundred sets of diaper changes, Atlanta restaurateur Sean “Diddy” Combs has thrown in the binky. Just months after Kim Porter, his Atlanta-based longtime girlfriend, gave birth to twin girls, Diddy announced Tuesday that the two have split up.
A publicist for the 37-year-old rap mogul confirmed that he and Porter are no longer together. On Dec. 21, Porter gave birth to daughters D’Lila Star and Jessie James.
The parting comes a few months after the two publicly proclaimed their love for one another in a cover story for Essence magazine, which detailed their turbulent history. In a radio interview with Q100 here last year, Diddy devoted significant airtime to discussing his deep affection for Porter.
“He was all about her,” Q100’s Jeff Dauler told us Tuesday of the in-studio chat. “During our interview, he even called her on the air and had her join in.”
Afterward, Dauler and his wife, Jessica, had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Diddy’s Hamptons home.
“Most of the pictures in the house were of him and his kids or her and the kids,” he recalled. “It felt like a typical family home. It definitely wasn’t a bachelor pad.”
In the Essence article, Diddy told the mag he was an “ex-player,” but he admitted that he wasn’t ready to marry Porter and even wondered, “Do you really think that God meant for a man to have just one wife?”
‘FUNNY’ AGAIN
There’s a piece of dialogue in the first act of “Turned Funny,” the Theatre in the Square production based on the memoir of our late colleague Celestine Sibley, that accurately describes the rather tenuous nature of stage actors working together. Essentially, after a production closes, company members rarely see each other again. When we spoke Tuesday to Sibley’s portrayer, Linda Stephens, she also noted the oddity of re-staging last year’s sold-out run this month with her same co-stars, Jill Jane Clements and Ric Reitz and the show’s original director Fred Chappell. “We were able to go back to a place of exploration and we’ve been able to deepen the work,” Stephens told us Tuesday. “As a result, Celestine is just deeper in me this year. It’s like going back and reading a good book again. The work resonates differently.”
While many of the beloved Southern columnist’s readers have noted Stephens’ uncanny channeling of the reporter’s posture and movements, the actress says she can’t take all the credit. “Sure, some of it’s me, but I also think Celestine has had a hand in us getting things right. And the audiences’ imaginations fill in the rest. People are seeing Celestine on that stage, not me. For me, that’s the magic of theater.”
“Turned Funny” runs through July 29. Tickets: 770-422-8369.
A BIT OF DISORDER AT ‘ORDER’ SCREENING
Appropriately, before we were allowed to partake of one the first Atlanta screenings of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” Buzz was wanded Monday night at Atlantic Station. Alas, it was less like a wizard’s instrument and more like one of those airport screeners. We were quickly found in possession of a cellphone, the BuzzBerry and a metal spiral-bound reporter’s notebook. We relinquished two of the offending items to a film publicist. One other cellphone enthusiast was less cooperative. We witnessed the invitee having a humongous hissy fit over parting with his hunk of ringing metal and plastic. Inside, the latest two hours and 18 minutes of J.K. Rowling-inspired fictional child abuse was greeted with great excitement by the audience (seriously, Hogwarts must buy Bactine by the boatload). Our fave review overheard by a “Harry” fan on the way out: “I bought a large soda, but I stopped drinking it 10 minutes into the movie so I wouldn’t miss anything.”
HIGH FIVE
Top viewed Comcast on Demand selections made by metro area customers For the week of July 4 1. “First Cut Is the Deepest,” Episode 44, “Entourage,” HBO 2. “Tattoo,” Alliance music video, Music Choice 3. “Big Things Poppin’ ” T.I. (right) music video, Music Choice 4. “To the Tree House” episode, “Dora the Explorer,” Nickelodeon 5. “Lip Gloss,” Lil Mama music video, Music Choice Source: Comcast
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Actress Brett Somers (“Match Game”) is 83. Actor Tab Hunter is 76. Actress Sela Ward is 51. Guitarist Richie Sambora of Bon Jovi is 48. Singer Suzanne Vega is 48. Actor Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”) is 41. Actor Justin Chambers (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 37. Actor Michael Rosenbaum (“Smallville”) is 35. Rapper Lil’ Kim is 32. Rapper Lil’ Zane is 25.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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