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Queen Latifah Bowed out of DIFFA, but was Present for Essence

Back in December, Dimples announced that Queen Latifah would be the headline performer for DIFFA’s new event, DIFFA 2010, on March 3 at the Winspear. Yahoo! Loved her in Chicago. Loved her with Steve Martin. Always love her voice.

By mid-February after DIFFA’s silent auction at Reunion Station, an uneasy rumor started making the rounds that the Queen would not be appearing after all. Surely not!

Before you could slam that rumormonger’s mouth shut, the rumor became reality . . . the Queen had to “cancel all March engagements.”

This “development” is a nightmare for any organization. Do you proceed with a Winspear full of people and no “big name” entertainment? or do you postpone? The DIFFA leadership evidently opted for the latter.

Checking with Queen L’s schedule, it seems that she didn’t cancel all of her March engagements.

UPDATE: Gail McGovern Had More on her Mind Than Haiti During Dallas Visit

If you’ll recall, dearest ones, when the Haiti earthquake broke loose back on January 12, American Red Cross President/CEO Gail McGovern (pictured) was in town to visit the facilities and meet with the influentials of Dallas. By the end of the day, she was guest of honor at a private party at Myrna and Bob Schlegels‘ and afterwards at Margot and Jim Keyes for an even more private dinner, plus putting into place the Haitian relief efforts. All of this and it was her birthday, too!

As if that wasn’t an example of multi-tasking in overdrive, the next day she visited with former President George W. Bush, ExxonMobil’s Rex Tillerson, T. Boone, and the head of Kimberley-Clark.

No one would have suspected that during her day with W and the rest of the big boys that she had just received word that she had breast cancer.

Let’s see. Within 48 hours, she had met with the former president, started coordinating relief efforts for a major catastrophe, and learned she had cancer. Seems a little overwhelming, doesn’t it?

This news about her health and her undergoing surgery on February 11 was revealed over the past weekend. According to American Red Cross spokesperson Roger Lowe, the reason for the delay was Gail “wanted to wait until she knew what she was dealing with and what the effect would be on her work before she announced it.”

Luckily, the doctors report the prognosis is “excellent” and Gail has added the Chile earthquake situation to the Red Cross’s “must-do-list.”

Limbs For Life Co-founder Craig Gavras’s Sackcloth Admission and Apology

On stage at the Saturday night gala for Limbs For Life in front of blinding spotlights and 500 people who have financially and emotionally supported his efforts, LFL Executive Director/Co-founder Craig Gavras (pictured) admitted and apologized for a lie — allowing the world to think that he had lost his leg as a result of a “mob” incident while serving as a Dallas police officer. Choking back tears, he was contrite and humble emphasizing that it was stupid and not one cent had been earned through his telling his tale.

That is where a question must be raised. (more…)

Washington Post Leads Gail McGovern Story With Dallas Event

In a February 8th Washington Post article on Gail McGovern, head of the American Red Cross, reporter Annie Gowen writes:

“American Red Cross chief executive Gail J. McGovern was about to give a fundraising pitch to a roomful of Texas millionaires when news of the earthquake in Haiti reached her by text message.

She knew right away that this would be her first real test as chief of the renowned relief organization, which had fallen into debt and disrepute after missteps after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Katrina. But she wasn’t about to abandon her talk to donors at the home of a concrete-paving magnate, an estate modeled after a French chateau.

Without “an eyelash out of place” — as one Dallas charity blogger noted — McGovern went on coolly with her prepared remarks, making scant mention of the disaster then unfolding. And she stayed and mingled afterward, charming the wealthy crowd with a self-deprecating anecdote about her first meeting as Red Cross chief with their home-town son, George W. Bush. (She’d burst into tears telling him that she’d dropped her kid off at college the previous day.)”

SweetCharity covered the party at the Schlegel estate and enjoyed her chat with Annie.

Author Michael Gross Spotted Mordan As Atypical Dallas Typecasting

While Mordan wiles away the hours in a San Francisco jail with DA’s throughout the country trying to decide what lies in his future, reports have been flowing in on his reign of supposed scamming in Dallas.

Locals are chattering about which groups were taken in by the chap. So far, the nonprofit sector has been silent about possible victimization. Heidi Dillon‘s Fashionistas evidently escaped unscathed from a Mordie event earlier this month. Let’s keep our manicured fingers crossed that none suffered from Mordie’s alleged conning.

And it seems that visiting Rogues’ Gallery author Michael Gross, who was photographed with Mordie back in September, was taken aback by the bleached blonde at the Adolphus book signing. Now Michael is not a tourist to the high profile set. No indeed. He’ s made the literary rounds with the likes of the 740 Park Avenue set to Helmut Lang. In other words, he’s been around the character block and can spot a questionable character immediately.

So, imagine after attending a cocktail party at Laura Hunt‘s the night before, Michael finds himself at the Adolphus book signing with Mordie suddenly cozying up for a photo with him. Ever the gentleman Michael sensed Mordie seemed shall we say out of step with Dallas social folks:

“I must admit that Mordan was not what I had expected. But the other guests like Linda (Ivy) showed the graciousness that people associate with Dallas.”

By the way, Michael’s book Rogues’ Gallery is exceeding expectations despite the headwinds of the economy and the campaign by the Met to blacklist it. Thanks to a word-of-mouth wave, it’s becoming a publication sensation.

Mordan Did Dallas, But Dallas Ain’t Done With Him

There’s a flurry of activity about the news that Bella Boyz Mordan has been arrested in San Francisco for a string of unpaid bills and other felonious no-nos. How quickly people fall from grace! Why it was just two weeks ago that SweetCharity was scratching her head about missing the party being tossed by Mordan and his buds at Bella benefiting The Fashionistas.

Because SweetCharity has absolutely nothing to do (please note the sarcasm in that last comment), she put on her Jessica Fletcher thinking cap, dug around, and discovered some of Mordan’s socializing in Dallas. (more…)