The long-simmering feud between Scarlett Johansson and her mom, Melanie Sloan, finally has come to a head.
According to those close to the actress, Johansson no longer wants to be her mother’s primary financial supporter — apparently even refusing to bail Sloan out of a real estate jam involving a condo deal that has fallen apart. For years, Sloan was her daughter’s manager, a relationship that ended about two years ago, when Johansson signed on with major Hollywood player Rick Yorn.
The actress previously has tried to keep the family squabbles private, but as the New York Daily News reports, Johansson also is unhappy about her mom’s longtime beau, Gilles Arondeau, whom she disses for not pulling his weight financially in her mother’s life. “It just boils down to Scarlett being tired of being the cash cow for her mother. … She’s done more than her fair share for a long, long time,” said a friend of Johansson, who adds, “Enough is enough.”
LILO & LIZ: Who knew? Apparently, Lindsay Lohan long has harbored a desire to play Elizabeth Taylor in a film or TV show about the late Hollywood legend and two-time Oscar winner. On top of that, Lohan wants to own a piece of La Liz — though the sky-high bidding at the recent auction of Taylor’s famous jewelry was too rich for LiLo.
Reportedly, she’s hoping to have better luck when the remainder of the actress’ possessions go on the block next month. † Mean-while, Lohan is said to be the leading candidate to play the title role in Lifetime’s “Elizabeth & Richard: A Love Story,” a film focusing on Taylor’s long and turbulent love affair with and marriages to Richard Burton.
Like Taylor, Lohan had a childhood acting career — but not much of a childhood — and also had a domineering stage mother. The younger actress also has pointed to her struggle with addiction as another shared issue with Taylor. Of course, Taylor’s trip to the Betty Ford Clinic came late in her life, and by all accounts she maintained her sobriety until she died last year.
† Lohan clearly will need that film job — and probably a few more — in light of her problems with the IRS. According to TMZ, the actress has been slapped with a $93,000-plus lien over allegedly unpaid back taxes for 2009. Between that and her pile of legal bills, Lohan had better keep those roles stacking up for quite a while to come.
STILL SPLIT: Despite recent reports speculating that Maria Shriver was backing off from divorcing Arnold Schwarzenegger, those who should really know say they don’t believe it.
Yes, the former California first couple did spend Christmas together, but that was all about being there for their children. While Shriver’s deep Roman Catholic faith long has kept her from leaving Schwarzenegger (even before the housekeeper baby-daddy scandal broke last summer), she is said to be at peace with her decision to move on with her life — without her husband of a quarter-century.
HAPPY AT LAST: While the most recent news about Elin Nordegren has concerned her buying a $12 million “teardown” in Florida — in order to build a new mansion — it’s nice to know Tiger Woods’ ex-wife also seems to have found love again.
Good friends of Nordegren report the Swedish beauty is quite serious about wealthy businessman Jamie Dingman. Apparently, Woods was leery of Dingman — until he learned the rich financier had his own big bucks and is extremely good to Woods and Nordegren’s children.
An early threat to Elin and Jamie’s relationship — the revelation he had had a fling with Woods’ infamous mistress Rachel Uchitel — was a non-issue once Nordegren learned that unfortunate coincidence was long before Tiger’s tumble with her.
STAR TRACKS: It’s not like the rest of us haven’t broken New Year’s resolutions, but Miley Cyrus’ pals thought she might have been able to keep her big one — a promise to quit smoking — a bit longer than she did. Just one day into 2012 and the singer was spied puffing on a cigarette by one of those ever-present paparazzi. The entertainer’s increasingly hoarse voice has those close to her worried it’s exacerbated by her smoking.