Birthday Boy Rob

The stars were out in abundance in our Eden by the Beach when perpetually youthful actor Rob Lowe celebrated his 60th birthday with a host of Hollywood stars who traveled up the 101 to help the 9-1-1: Lone Star star celebrate until the early hours with a live band.

“I love the milestone birthdays because they really are an opportunity to reflect and to think where you want to go,” says Rob, whose Hollywood stardom reaches back four decades.

Recent Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr., Cameron Diaz, fellow Montecito residents Gwyneth Paltrow and her TV producer husband Brad Falchuk, warbler Katy Perry and British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom, former TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and wife actress Portia de Rossi, and former TV anchor Maria Shriver, actor Chris Pratt and wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, Amy Poehler, instrumentalist Kenny G, and Netflix boss Ted Sarandos were among the celebrity firmament.

Clearly Rob, dressed impeccably in a black pinstripe suit, is still putting the sex into sexagenarian…

A Fixer Upper

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has taken out a hefty $22 million mortgage to update her Montecito mansion.

The Oscar winner, 51, and TV producer husband Brad Falchuk, 53, bought the estate for only $4.9 million, according to London’s Sun.

The duo, who married in 2018 bought the property in 2016, demolishing the four-bedroom house on the 2.36 acres of land, constructing the current mansion with two guest houses and double garages.

It was completed last year after seven years of construction.

The mortgage was obtained from City National Bank in November, 2021, according to The Sun.

Top Honors to Taupin

Former Santa Ynez Valley resident Bernie Taupin and his piano playing partner Sir Elton John have been awarded the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, America’s highest honor for achievement in popular music.

The tony twosome received the honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Taupin has written memorable lyrics for Sir Elton for 56 years.

The award was established in 2007 and named after composers George and
Ira Gershwin.

The all-star tribute concert will air on PBS on April 8.

O Has a Good Eye

Oprah Winfrey played a pivotal role in ensuring her longtime friend CBS anchor Gayle King’s son, William Bumpus Jr.’s proposal to his girlfriend Elise Smith went smoothly.

In a video, taken before the 36-year-old got down on one knee and popped the question, King could be heard asking the Montecito resident where the engagement photographer should stand to record the big moment.

Oprah gave advice to the shutterbug on where to hide while taking shots of the happy couple agreeing to spend the rest of their lives together.

King shared photos and videos from the big day on her Instagram account with more than one million followers.

Speaking from Beyond the Grail

Former Montecito funnyman John Cleese, 84, claims he still communicates with his Monty Python co-star Graham Chapman – 35 years after his death.

Chapman played roles in both The Holy Grail and Life of Brian films before dying of tonsil cancer in 1989.

And now Cleese has revealed he hired a psychic to “explore his consciousness,” but received a message from Chapman.

He told the Club Random podcast with Bill Maher: “She said, ‘Who’s Graham?’ I said, “Is he Graham Chapman?’ She says, ‘He’s going on about a pipe.’ I said, ‘He always smoked a pipe.’”

Making a reference to the group’s famous parrot sketch, the psychic told Cleese he’s rolling up his trouser leg. “And I said, ‘That’s a sketch we made about the Freemasons.’ I know she didn’t see it. It was only broadcast once or twice.

“She said, ‘He’s waving a parrot at you.’”

Fascinating stuff…

Biopic Partners

Carol Burnett wants to see Angelina Jolie portray her in a potential biopic.

The legendary Montecito comedienne, 90, whose eponymous CBS variety show garnered 25 Emmys from 1967 to 1978, envisions a film about her illustrious life story starring the one and only Oscar-winning beauty.

Carol, a longtime resident of our rarefied enclave, enthusiastically affirmed the 48-year-old ex-wife of Brad Pitt for the role on ET, exclaiming: “I think she’s perfect!”

Sightings

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection SoFi event in L.A… Michael Douglas and actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones lunching at Tre Lune… Humorist and actor Mo Rocca noshing at Opal.

Pip! Pip!