The Magic Newswire - Magic News

As much as we have tried to steer clear of reporting on topics with an overtly "gossipy" overtone, it seems a bit silly for us to ignore articles from such sources as the Los Angeles Times, Robin Leach's Luxe Life, and Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review Journal with regard to one of magic's most popular performers, Criss Angel. All report varying versions of an unhappy Criss Angel expressing his dissatisfaction with the fact that his girlfriend, the current Miss Nevada USA Veronica Grabowski, did not make it into the finals of Donald Trump's Miss USA (Universe) pageant. According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, reporting on local Vegas celebrities by local press, "has resulted in some epic feuds. And some silly ones. But certainly one of the ugliest -- with threats of violence -- happened on Friday night after the Miss USA contest between Criss Angel and the Review-Journal's Norm Clarke." Richard Abowitz, author of the piece goes on to report that, "According to Clarke, Angel flashed an obscene gesture on the NBC telecast after his girlfriend was out of the competition." Clarke who writes the Vegas Confidential Column for the Las Vegas Review Journal say in an article entitled, 'So, that's why it's titled Mindfreak, "Angel, his two brothers and a bodyguard ran down a corridor to catch up to this writer near the entrance of a VIP post-pageant party. "You're a (bleeping) idiot," screamed Angel, who kept repeating it. He added that he wanted nothing to do with me or this column in the future." Mr. Clarke, who wear an eyepatch because of a chaildhood injury which left him blind in his right eye, goes on to say that Criss threatened him by saying, "Don't ever write another word about me, or you'll need an eyepatch over your other eye." In his Luxe Life Colum for Las Vegas Magazine, Robin Leach reports, "Now that I’m back in town I will try today to get to the bottom of all the printed problems surrounding Mindfreak magician Criss Angel. Apparently disappointed that his new galpal, Veronica Grabowski, Miss Nevada didn’t make it into the Top 15 candidates he wound up in a scream fest with my gossip-guru pal Norm Clarke. He’s also alleged to have unleashed an F-bomb tirade and used his center-finger in an obscene gesture to the NBC cameras when they focused on him stunned that Veronica didn’t make the final fifteen! Instead of attending the official post-pageant Planet Hollywood Resort party celebration Criss took her off to the rival LAX nightclub at the Luxor for their own party celebration." We continue to admire the ability of Criss to entertain and to generate interest in magical performances, but hope that the dust settles soon so that he can comfortably begin rehearsals for his new Cirque show at the Luxor. All reports have stated their intent to try and get more information from the principals and we will report as updates are made available.