People: Jan. 15, 2007

DARLING, THEY’VE SAVED THE LAST DANCE FOR REALITY TV

JENNIFER LOPEZ and her former husband, dancer CRIS JUDD, face off on the tube [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy or pdf.]

 JENNIFER LOPEZ CRIS JUDD THE SHOW MTV’s Dancelife, starting Jan. 15 WE’s Dirty Dancing, which debuted in December THE BASIC MOVES The former Fly Girl follows six dancers trying to break into the biz Judd emcees as pro male dancers pick female newbies as competition partners PARTNER WE’RE MISSING We’d rather watch her follow current hubby Marc Anthony’s lead Patrick Swayze, the 1987 film’s pro dancer, who made the Catskills sexy SIGNATURE STEP The Hustle: Lopez asks the wannabes, “Who can hang under pressure? Because honestly, the glory’s not always there.” And, kids, neither is acting, singing, a signature perfume … The Soft Shoe: Of going up against his ex’s new program, a diplomatic Judd says, “Hopefully both shows will be successful and they can both coincide, and we’ll have a great time.” He’s got one bit of ballroom dancing down. The gentleman makes all the supporting moves

WHEN BOB SAYS HE OWNS TRIBECA, HE MEANS IT

He often plays the heavy onscreen, but is ROBERT DE NIRO really a “raging bully,” as the owner of the arts website Tribeca.net alleges? Lawyers for De Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival, which owns Tribecafilm.com are demanding that Tribeca.net publisher Chuck Harris stop using the Tribeca name. They claim that the posting of short films on Harris’ site infringes on their client’s trademark and may confuse people looking for the festival. “We are not here for the Spielbergs and the De Niros,” says Harris, who adds that he registered Tribeca.net in 1995, six years before the film festival began. Reps for De Niro did not return calls. The star also co-owns two restaurants and a hotel in the downtown New York City neighborhood, so Harris might want to try eating uptown.

GAME, SET, COFFEE TABLE?

Sports drinks, sneakers–these are the sorts of endorsements we’d expect from the First Couple of tennis, ANDRE AGASSI and his wife STEFFI GRAF. Instead, the retired duo and parents of two have attached their names to an upscale contemporary furniture line, the Agassi Graf Collection by Kreiss. After Agassi won Wimbledon in 1992, he did what any exhausted, newly moneyed man would do–he bought himself a fancy sofa, from California-based Kreiss. Luckily Agassi’s 2001 bride liked his decorating style. Now he and Graf have helped Kreiss design a furniture line, including the AGK Ball Lounge Chair with a synthetic rattan base, for $1,695, right, and a sandstone coffee table, for $3,450. In décor, says Agassi, “I look for comfort and subtle elegance.” We also can’t help noticing all the white and the racquet-like materials. Can a Pete Sampras recliner with a huge serving tray be far behind?

Q&A RUPERT EVERETT

Actor Rupert Everett’s new memoir, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins, offers an insider’s view of celebrity

Did any famous friends object to their portraits in this book?

My portraits are filled with affection. These days you read very sugary things about famous people. They’re afraid to say anything beyond how much they enjoy everything.

So when you described Sharon Stone as stark raving mad, she didn’t call you up, stark raving mad?

You have to be stark raving mad to become an actress. Most people would agree with that, including actresses.

What’s the best kind of activism a celebrity can perform?

I know it’s very irritating to people sometimes to see a celebrity in a mine- field. But I think part of that irritation is a defensiveness. To those living in the Third World, we’re all celebrities, hopelessly self-involved and obsessed by hair products and skin care and things that don’t even cross the minds of 86% of the world.

In your book you talk about your affairs with women. Aren’t you supposed to be gay?

But you can still have affairs with gorgeous women once in a while, can’t you? That’s one of the great things about being young. Then you have to come to conclusions about everything. That’s the beginning of the rot.

Is Hollywood kinder to a gay actor later in his career, like, say, [Lord of the Rings’] Ian McKellen?

Once you put the wizard’s hat on, you can do lots of different things.

Your memoir describes a life lived almost for the pure sensual pleasure of it.

Oh, good. I have always thought that was an actor’s duty, to live a life that’s extraordinary and dangerous and fascinating.