Wife of 'Satanic Verses' author wants a divorce

Contra Costa Times

Apparently, being married to a guy many Muslims wouldn't mind feeding a couple rocket-propelled grenades for lunch got to be too much for Padma Lakshmi.

That's just a guess.

Salman Rushdie's wife is filing for divorce, ending her three-year marriage to the controversial British writer, whose recent knighthood infuriated Muslims already angry over his 1989 novel, "The Satanic Verses." The book prompted Iran's late spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, to issue a fatwa, or religious edict, ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie because "The Satanic Verses" allegedly insulted Islam. The threat forced Rushdie to live in hiding for a decade.

"Salman Rushdie has agreed to divorce his wife, Padma Lakshmi, because of her desire to end their marriage," his representative, Jin Auh, said in a statement. "He asks that the media respect his privacy at this difficult time."

Great. There goes poker night.

Besides "The Satanic Verses," Rushdie's novels include "The Moor's Last Sigh" and "Midnight's Children," a Booker Prize winner. Lakshmi is the host of Bravo's "Top Chef" and the author of the cookbook "Easy Exotic." She starred in the 2006 ABC miniseries "The Ten Commandments."

PARIS HILTON STILL NOT VERY BRIGHT: Paris Hilton may have lied ... OK, of course she lied... when she told Larry King during her post-prison interview she'd never done drugs.

Speaking a day after being released from jail after serving a 23-day sentence for violating her probation, the heiress told King on Wednesday she had never been addicted or taken drugs.

But TheSmokingGun.com has video footage of Hilton talking about "smoking pot," taking magic mushrooms and a clip it claims shows Hilton "smoking hash in an Amsterdam coffee shop." She is also filmed discussing smuggling drugs from The Netherlands to the United States. In one segment, her sister Nicky asks Paris, "Do you have herb?" Paris replies, "Yeah, the best pot. You wanna smoke pot? I have the best pot. I have the best pot." Paris -- who is filming at the time -- then says to a friend, "Dude, we're smoking pot if you guys want to smoke."

It's fascinating to watch people lie about saying or doing things they've filmed themselves admitting or doing. It's like watching puppies try to sneak food.

FREAK TRIES TO MAKE WIFE DISAPPEAR: Criss Angel's wife says the magic has gone from their marriage, and she now wants to make him vanish from her life.

By the way, that's just one of many, many "vanishing" jokes with which we're about to burden you. Be prepared.

Angel, known for his "Mindfreak" show on the A&E network, subdued his sometimes flashy look for a court hearing Friday. But he flashed a bit of humor during a break, gesturing toward his estranged wife's lawyer and saying, "I can make him disappear."

Angel, whose real name is Christopher Sarantakos, married wife Joanne, 37, five years ago, says her lawyer, Dominic Barbara. But the magician kept his marriage quiet, then deserted his wife as he became famous and started dating famous people like Cameron Diaz. Also, he hasn't given her "a cent" of his millions, Barbara said.

Angel's lawyer, Elliott Wiener, said accusations of mental cruelty and abandonment were unfounded, and "the notion that she's not being supported is simply not accurate." He also pointed out that Diaz is much, much hotter than Angel's wife.

The 39-year-old illusionist dedicated his latest stunt -- a seeming escape from a box encased in concrete and suspended 40 feet above the ground near Manhattan's Time Square on June 5 -- to Diaz. But he demurred when asked if they're dating, telling AP Radio they're "good friends."

Barbara said he'll subpoena the 34-year-old actress in the divorce case. Diaz's publicist, Brad Cafarelli, said Monday that Angel was separated from his wife when Diaz met him in May.

JUST ANOTHER LAUNDROMAT OWNER PROMOTING THE OBJECTIFICATION OF THE MALE GENDER: Former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss is diversifying, airing her Dirty Laundry in Nevada as she makes plans for a legal brothel for women.

Dirty Laundry is a 24-hour, coin-operated laundry the one-time leader of a high-priced ring of call girls to the stars is opening at a shopping center in Pahrump, west of Las Vegas.

Fleiss moved to Nye County in late 2005, after doing jail time for running the prostitution ring. She then announced she'd open "Heidi's Stud Farm" in Crystal, about 20 miles north of Pahrump.

The 20-man operation would be Nevada's first legal bordello catering exclusively to female customers. It still needs approval from the Nye County Liquor and Licensing Board, and Fleiss said she plans to submit an application within the next three months.

"I have at least 400 women who are ready to buy a membership," and men applying for jobs, she said.