Sweet Gwyneth Paltrow Maligns The Press, Calling Them "The Roaches"

Amid one friggin' downpour after another, beginning around 2 p.m. and still dribbling past 10 p.m., Ayhan and I were invited to Tribeca Grand this evening for a charity event, where Gwyneth Paltrow was the honored guest. It was supposed to be on the rooftop, but given that the city was sopping, it moved inside.The press gathered on a balcony above the setting for the $375-a-plate dinner as Paltrow entered amid the typical madness and mania that accompanies any celeb standing in front of camera crews. If you've never seen it, you'd almost pity the star (until, of course, you remember that this is a responsibility of their choice to be in the public eye), as photogs shout out, "Gwyneth, look here." "Look to the right." "Smile." "Turn your head." "You look great." "Hey, Gwyneth, turn around." "Look over your shoulder." "Can you smile again?" It's truly bombast like nothing else in the entertainment business, and you wonder how these folks manage to look relaxed and smile ever so sweetly. Then again, you consider that an actress like Paltrow makes $10 million per picture... and empathy evaporates. Deal with it. For that reason, it was astonishing to hear the disgruntled comments from the press on the elevator, as we were hurried back to the lobby, that Miss Gwyneth was overheard telling her publicist, "I'm done. Get the roaches out of here," referring to those very photographers that deliver her pictures to the wire services, newspapers and weekly celebrity magazines, helping her maintain any semblance of relevance. Considering that her last semi-hit film was "Running With Scissors" in 2006—while she is in post-production for action adventure "Iron Man II," starring Robert Downey Jr., not due until May 2010—you'd think she might maintain the slightest humility.Ayhan and I, posing as members of the detestable "roaches."Gloom without end over downtown Manhattan.A cool rooftop view overlooking Canal Street.More downtown views...