Kanye West's latest rumored girlfriend is Miss Universe Albania Angela Martini

Kanye Westhas a new gal pal:Miss Universe Albania Angela Martini. Sources close to the NEXT Model Management brunette say Martini and West have been seeing each other for a few months, though it's unclear how serious things are.

"They are dating,"one source tells us."I just don't know if it's exclusive."Another says, however, that Martini"really likes"West and is"hoping they'll announce a relationship soon." (A rep for West did not get back to us.)

The 5-foot-10 beauty seems to be discovering the perks of dating a celebrity: She hung out with West's palJay-Zat The Darby on W. 14th St. on Friday night. Also at the club wereChristina Aguileraand boyfriendMatt Rutler. West was not in attendance.

Oprah goes out with a bang

Ms. Winfrey's 100— That's how many guests we hear have been invited toChicago's Four Seasons hotelcago for cocktails, dinner and dancing following Tuesday's taping of the final episode of"The Oprah Winfrey Show."

Show me the ...alcohol?
  
Cuba Gooding Jr.never just phones it in. Clubgoers at downtown hot spot MPD were reminded of the"Jerry Maguire"actor's rousing1997 Oscaracceptance speech on Thursday night when Gooding, who was surrounded by lovely ladies, stood on a chair in the middle of the club to accept a surprise Rehoboam— that's 4.5 liters — of Bertaud Belieu rosé that was delivered to him with a cluster of lit sparklers protruding from the bottle's neck.

After the wine was delivered, a source tells us Gooding belted outChris Brown's latest single,"Beautiful People,"which was playing on the speakers,"for literally two minutes."When his performance was complete, the insider tells us the actor sat down with his slew of girls and was"very, very friendly."

What goes around comes around

DidJohn Mayerjust have a run-in with karma? A source tells us the guitar ace, who was sporting a long,"crazy"hair style, was chilling with friends at Spring Lounge inNolitawhen a woman approached to ask if he would say hello to her gal pal, who was sitting at the bar and too shy to approach. Mayer turned down the request, our spy says, but maybe he shouldn't have. Later that night, another bar patron bumped into Mayer's table, spilling several glasses  and leaving the pants of his beige suit drenched and stained. Our spy tells us that Mayer was more than annoyed. 

Nixon's grandson has political aspirations

Christopher Coxis being"groomed"for the presidency by his future father-in-law. Supermarket mogulJohn Catsimatidis, who was dinner chairman of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund event at theMarriottMarquis on Saturday, introduced Cox, the grandson ofRichard Nixon, as"my daughter Andrea's fiancé and future President of the United States."Cox, who lost a congressional bid in theGOPprimary last fall, will marryAndrea Catsimatidason June 4. Among those who got a kick out of the remark were Cox's future mother-in-lawMargo Catsimatidas, Rep. Carolyn Maloney,Olympia Dukakis,Moneywatch.comcorrespondent Alexis Christoforous, andDr. Robert Atkins' widow,Veronica Mersentesand her husband, Alexis. 

Nothing ambiguous about this all-star cast

We hopeRobert Smigelwas testing the waters for a feature-length, live-action"Ambiguously Gay Duo"movie on"Saturday Night Live"this past weekend. Sunday, the blogosphere was atwitter over  the comedy genius' conversion of the usually animated"Saturday TV Funhouse"characters into a live-action short that was co-written byStephen Colbertand featured a killer cast that includedJon HammandJimmy Fallonas the are-they-or-aren't-they? superheroes,  andEd Helm,Steve Carell,Fred Armisenand Colbert as their supervillain nemeses. At the very least, we'd love to see"TV Funhouse"back on"SNL."

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Frank DiGiacomo:fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
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Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton tie the knot in Texas

Talk about a country power couple.

Miranda LambertandBlake Sheltontied the knot on Saturday evening,US Weekly reported.

The two have been dating since 2006 and were engaged last May.

But Shelton, who admitted he fumbled the engagement, has been anything but the enthusiastic hubby-to-be.

"Even if it's your wedding, if you're a guy, it's boring,"he toldThe Country Vibethis month. "So, I'm ready for the actual ceremony to happen, because after that, the reception is going to be a party, and that’s what I'm looking forward to."

Shelton told the country website the duo had chosenNeal McCoyfor their musical entertainment.

"Mostly he's just a good friend,"he said."And I think when we asked him he was kind of shocked that we thought of him."

The couple are the reigningCMAmale and female vocalists of the year.

But despite their success - and star-studded future together - Lambert insisted to theAustin-American Statesmanthat they kept each other level-headed.

"We're a really normal couple. ... but it's so great to have success together,"she said.

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Lady Gaga is related to Madonna: Documents show pop singers are ninth cousins once removed

It's no wonderLady Gaga's music sometimes sounds suspiciously similar to Madonna's greatest hits.

The singers are related, according to celebrity genealogistChris Child.

"They are ninth cousins once removed,"he told theBoston Globe.

Child, who works for theNew England Historic Genealogical Society, reportedly provided proof, showing how he found their common ancestors: a farming couple who moved fromFrancetoQuebecin the 1600s.

"When I saw that Lady Gaga had French Canadian ancestry,"he explained,"I thought there might be something there."

Child said he can trace French Canadian families"back 200 years within minutes"because priests in Quebec handily indexed all marriages between the 1600s and the 1900s.

Another recent discovery:Prince WilliamandKate Middletonwere related before they walked down the aisle last month.

The pair is connected distantly through the latePrincess Diana's ancestry, Child said.

Madonnahas her own connection to the royal family, too. Or at least she used to.

The music icon's ex-husband,Guy Ritchie, is Middleton's fourth cousin.

Reps for Madonna and Lady Gaga have not yet responded for comment.

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Eric Dane is'a hundred times more attracted'to wife Rebecca Gayheart now that she's a mother

Motherhood is sexy. Just ask McSteamy himself.

"Grey's Anatomy"starEric DanetoldPeoplehe's"a hundred times more attracted"to wifeRebecca Gayheartsince welcoming daughter Billie last year.

"And I love her exponentially more than I did before,"he added."It's just great to see her be a mother."

In just one year Gayheart, 39, is back to her incredible pre-baby body, but it's clear Dane, 38, is more fixated on the emotional and mental impact parenthood has had on her.

"I don't know if there's any change more significant that a human being can make than that of a woman becoming a mother,"he told the magazine."There's no change more dramatic."

But Dane can't deny that he's been extremely affected as well by his 14-month-old tot, whom he can count on for"unconditional love."

"Seeing this kid laugh when you put her on the swing, or slide down the slide with her,"the actor said,"it's just… she owns me."

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Lindsay Lohan almost knocks over exhibit in rush to ditch paparazzi at friend Tyler Shields'gallery

Lindsay Lohanended up with an unusual bodyguard atTyler Shields' gallery exhibit"Life Is Not a Fairytale"in downtownLos Angeleson Saturday night. A source at the event tells us photographers covering the exhibit"went nuts"when the starlet arrived at the Poodle Parlor with her little sisterAlito see the photo Shields shot of LiLo as a fanged vampire. (As if we needed further convincing she's a member of Hollywood's undead.)

The paparazzi so overwhelmed the actress that she almost knocked down a Dyson Fan exhibit as she fled inside the venue and locked herself into a small room. Shields came to her rescue when, our source says, he assigned"one of his guys"to escort Lohan around the party while wearing a machine gun strapped to his body."The gun was unloaded,"says the source, but the photographers didn't know that— and adjusted their enthusiasm accordingly.

Artest likes to speak funny

Now that theDallas Maverickshave swept away the Los Angeles Lakers' championship dreams,Ron Artestis ready to elbow his way into the hearts ofNYCcomedy fans. The outspokenNBAsmall forward will bring his"Ron Artest— The Ultimate Comedy Tour"to the Big Apple this summer. TheQueensbridgenative and St. John's hoops legend will host four shows at Carolines on Broadway on July 15 and 16. Among those in Artest's starting comedy lineup will beHot 97morning manCipha Sounds.

On the subject of Carolines, we hear that"30 Rock"dudeJudah Friedlanderhas joined the roster for Tuesday night's"Ian O'Malleyand Friends"benefit at the club.

Liev is a momma's boy

What a mensch!Liev Schreiberplayed the role of good son when he picked up the 2011 Achievement in Film Award at the 25thIsraelFilm Festival at the Paris Theatre on Thursday. EmceeTovah Feldshuhreminisced about what a nice boy Schreiber was when she played his mother in the 1999 flick"A Walk on the Moon."In his acceptance speech, Schreiber thanked his"partner in crime,"Naomi Watts, and his"film mother,"Feldshuh. Then he told the audience that upon learning he would be honored, he did what any good Jewish boy would do: He immediately called his real mom, Heather, who must have been kvelling. The festival continues through May 19 at the AMC Loews at 84th St. and Broadway.

Paz de la Huertahas car troubles

We hope Paz de la Huerta doesn't need this much help remembering lines: A source spotted the"Boardwalk Empire"actress arriving for jury duty at 60 Centre St. Monday morning— with a female assistant in tow. While Paz filled out forms requesting a postponement of her civic duty, the insider says the assistant stood over the starlet reciting de la Huerta's address, phone number and work information. Paz, 26 — who learned about another part of our justice system whenshe was charged with assault last month over a run-in with former reality TV starSamantha Swetra— appeared to be in a pleasant mood. But she grew momentarily irritated when her assistant"didn't have the number for theHBOproduction office"at her fingertips, our source says. She smirked when the clerk who took her paperwork told her,"I've seen you— in the papers."

Tate Donovanlikes to dine

Tate Donovan is quite the foodie. The star of Broadway's"Good People"was dining with a pretty blond at 10 Downing Food and Wine on Sunday night when a spy heard him ask whether the eatery's short-rib burger was made with"grass-fed beef."The waitress was stumped, but Donovan's curiosity must have been satisfied. Chef Jonnatan Leiva soon sent one of the burgers to Tate's table, with a salad for his"vegetarian"date. The couple polished off their PC plates with a glass of red wine each.

Tom Wolfestirs the imagination

Tom Wolfe still knows how to rile the Establishment. The 80-year-old"Radical Chic"writer accepted the Creative Excellence Award at last night'sNational Magazine Awardsand dropped a little depth charge at the end of his speech. After mentioning that there were four great editors in the magazine business, Wolfe named three:Rolling Stone'sJann Wenner, The New Yorker'sDavid RemnickandVanity Fair'sGraydon Carter."As for the fourth, you know who you are,"Wolfe told the audience at 583 Park Avenue (otherwise known as the Third Church of Christ, Scientist). Then he exited the stage, leaving the crowd to debate whether he meant that there are only three Masters of the Universe left in the magazine business - and that the rest were figments of their own imagination.

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Frank DiGiacomo:fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
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ESPN sports correspondent Erin Andrews nearly faced malfunction without proper hat attire at Derby

Erin Andrewsavoided a hat calamity at theKentucky Derby. When theESPNcorrespondent had trouble finding a hat to wear for the race— tradition frowns upon going without one — she contactedAndre Wilson, CEO of image-development company Style Icon for help. Wilson not only found a chapeau for Andrews, he styled her, too. Hats off, to him.

Beatle'sgot a life-long lovebug

The odds have smiled onPaul McCartney's engagement toMTAboard memberNancy Shevell. PR consultant and Beatles buffJohn Horantells us that based on the group's track record with marriage, McCartney has a good shot at living happily ever after with his American bride-to-be. The key, he says, is that the Fab Four seemed to find lasting happiness with women who weren't British. John, George and Ringo's respective first marriages to fellow nativesCynthia Powell,Patti BoydandMaureen Coxdidn't last longer than 11 years. They fared better next time: Lennon had been married 11 years toTokyonativeYoko Onowhen he was shot in 1980. Harrison was wed 23 years toMexico-born Olivia Arias when he died in 2001.Ringo Starrtied the knot with American Bond Girl Barbara Bach in 1981, and they're still together. McCartney was married 29 years toN.Y.C.nativeLinda Eastmanwhen she died in 1998. His second marriage toBrit Heather Millsdidn't make it to six. Interesting.

Picture this: Me andLiz Taylor

Imagine spending a whole day with Elizabeth Taylor and not getting a picture with her? It almost happened to Outlaw Biker Magazine publisherCasey Extontwo decades ago when he accompanied Taylor andMalcolm Forbesto aNew Jerseybike competition. The photographer Exton assigned to cover the event shot everything he saw that day— except his boss hanging with the hawg-loving Hollywood legend.

The snapper was fired. But Exton did get a shot with Taylor courtesy of his wife's disposable camera. He also had a moment he'll never forget. In a special edition of his magazine, titled"A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor,"that hits stands Tuesday, Exton writes,"I really did fall in love with Elizabeth. When we met, she stared into my eyes, and I stared back for what seemed to be forever,"writes Exton, who just got out of the hospital after undergoing surgery on his ticker. Perhaps he was suffering from a broken heart over Taylor's death in March.

Love in theUSA

HasMiss USAfound love in N.Y.C.? A source tells us that shapelyRima Fakihand actorVincent Piazza, who has been seen in"Boardwalk Empire"and"The Sopranos,"certainly seemed to be enjoying each other's company at The Bunker"on Ninth Ave. on Friday night. They were all over each other,"says the source. Fakih has previously been linked withToronto Blue JayspitcherRicky Romero. A rep for Fakih declined to comment.

Chefs soak in the celebrity

N.Y.C. chefs used to be referred to as rock stars in this town. Now, they're becoming movie stars. A culinary crowd that included Spotted Pig chefApril Bloomfieldand Le Perigord proprietorGeorge Briguetcame away impressed by the onscreen charisma of Corton Chef Paul Liebrandt and the restaurant's co-ownerDrew Nieporentat a screening of the documentary"A Matter of Taste,"that the latter hosted atTribecaGrill on Friday afternoon. The film tells the story of Liebrandt's quest for gastronomic glory, and the impish chef is clearly ready for his closeup. He comes off like a matinee idol even when he's threatening to put two of his sous-chefs' heads through a wall because they're not cooking to his standards. As for Nieporent, he has been a character for years. During postscreening cocktails, Briguet, who employed the restaurateur long before he became known as the owner of Nobu, said to Nieporent:"May I tell you something? You are a fantastic actor!"HBOruns the documentary next month.

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Frank DiGiacomo:fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
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Lil Wayne is missing from Jennifer Lopez's steamy'I'm Into You'video because of probation: source

Where's Wheezy? Viewers ofJennifer Lopez's latest video,"I'm Into You,"may wonder why they can hearLil Wayneon the track but can't see him interacting with the luscious Latina as she frolics among Mayan temples and on a beach in Mexico. 

A source familiar with the situation tells us that the conditions of Wayne's probation prohibited him from traveling South of the border to shoot the video with Lopez, who wanted a clip ready by the time her album was released last Tuesday.

But wait! Thanks to a bit of product placement, we hear the rapper will eventually appear in a version of the video.
The source says theKluger Agency, which specializes in product placement, is the reason J.Lo is holding a relaxation drink called Koma at the top of the current clip. The fee that Koma paid to be included in the video enabled producers to shoot new footage of Lopez and Wayne inL.A.

Couric gets corny

Katie Couricis quite the prankster. When the departingCBS Newsanchor interviewed media mogulDan Abramsat the 92nd Street Y on Wednesday, he told the story of receiving a recent phone call from a woman with a come-hither voice, who said:"Hello, is this Dan Abrams?"Abrams, who said he was with his girlfriend, hung up the phone to avoid trouble. But the woman immediately called back and left a voicemail that went from sultry to familiar:"Dan, it's Katie,"Couric yelped."What is your problem?! I was just calling to discuss the event!"

O'Malleybrings in the funny people

Ian O'Malley will get a little help from some very funny friends at Caroline's comedy club on Tuesday night. The Q104.3 deejay has enlisted a quartet of killers to perform for a good cause at"Ian O'Malley& Friends":Greg Fitzsimmons,Dave Attell,Jim Breuerand"The Daily Show's"John Oliver. The charity event will also feature coveted raffle prizes, including a guitar autographed byJon Bon Jovi, premiumYankeesandMetsseats and tickets to the summer's biggest concerts.

The comedy extravaganza is the latest chapter in O'Malley's quest to win theLeukemia and Lymphoma Society's annual Man of the Year contest by raising the most amount of money for the organization over a 10-week period that ends May 19.

Tickets to the laugh-fest, which are just $27.25, can be purchased atCarolines.com.

Jodie Fostersticks up for Mel

Jodie Foster should do all ofMel Gibson's PR. A source who caught a screening of Foster's"The Beaver"atLincoln Centeron Wednesday night tells us the actor-turned-director spoke in"extremely"glowing terms of the controversial Gibson, who stars in the picture, at a Q&A that followed. She even compared Gibson favorably to"an actor-director who was a major pain."The insider adds that Foster later told a guest over dinner at the Atlantic Grill that she was referring to the lateDennis Hopper, who directed the actress in 1990's"Catchfire."Maybe their lack of chemistry had something to do with film bombing at the box office.

A 'Real' house-pup scuffle

Kelly Bensimon's dog Chief ruffled some fur inEast Hamptonwhen things got rough between the pup and a pair of pooches last weekend. A source tells us the rescued lab-pit mix tussled with two of interior designerZina Glazebrook's dachshund and Jack Russell terrier.
 
Glazebrook declined to comment, but we hear that her dogs had to visit the vet and that Bensimon's daughter Sea was bit trying to break things up. Fortunately, she wasn't seriously hurt.

Bensimon's rep told us that"Kelly was out of town when the incident happened"and is"sorry"if Glazebrook's pooches were hurt. She said that Bensimon"took care of the medical bill,"adding:"It was a case of dogs being dogs."

Lance who?

Maybe the sun was inLance Bass's eyes, but a source tells us he looked a little stunned when he was only semi-recognized inSouth Beachrecently. Our insider tells us that the former boy-band member had just approached a table of handsome lads at The Lords pool partywhen the lone woman of the group squinted at Bass and said:"Do I know you from somewhere? Do you live inNew York?"The source says Bass, who had been taking snaps with fans all afternoon, replied,"Uhh ...,"before his friend jumped in and explained who he was.

Contact Gatecrasher:
Frank DiGiacomo:fdigiacomo@nydailynews.com
Carson Griffith:cgriffith@nydailynews.com

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