.Welcome to the Smart Set. Every morning we bring you the gossip coverage, filtered. Today: Kate Middleton first official speech as the Duchess of Cambridge, Jay-Z wants $150 million for Beyoncé's next tour, and an endorsement from Majority Leader Eric Cantor upsets his caucus.
Ever since Beyoncé gave birth to famous and obstreperous baby Blue Ivy Carter back in January, questions have been circling about when her even more famous mother would get back out on tour. Apparently, that could be happening soon, very soon. Sources say that Jay-Z, Beyoncé's husband and Blue Ivy's papoose, "approached Live Nation about a $150 million deal for Beyoncé to tour following the birth of their child in January," but that Live Nation folks countered with a lower offer, which might not matter, since apparently Beyoncé would very much like to get back on tour this year. [Page Six]
Kate Middleton made her first official speech as a member of the Royal Family today at the opening of the children's hospice in Ipswitch, just outside of London. In the speech, which she reportedly wrote herself, she praised the charity's "inspirational" efforts that created "feelings of love and hope." Roughly 600 people were on hand for the address, where Kate sported "an electric blue Reiss belted dress and black heels." Afterwards, she did some light planting "adding four spades of soil onto the ground around the base of a tree on the grounds." [People]
The latest Broadway version of Stephen King's Carrie is struggling to perfect the whole pig's blood dumping thing, because the current concoction is sticking to the skins of leads of Molly Ranson and Molly Razzle, and they have to walk home like that, which has been very unnerving for their West Village neighbors. Those poor neighbors! Per a Carrie rep, director Rick Sordelet is testing out a new fake blood formula that might yet yet easier to wash off, but "definitely smells like cocoa butter." [Page Six]
Roll up your yard signs, remove the bumperstickers, and tell the Adjustment Bureau they need not bother altering the course of Emily Blunt's life: Matt Damon swears he has no interest in ever running for president, ever. Had Damon won the the White House, he would have been the first presidential Matthew in American history. [Inside Track]
The rumor last week that Lindsay Lohan might have gently grazed a club manager with her car appeared all set to die a normal, gossipy death with the media and members of the Los Angeles Police Department, but the actress apparently isn't content to let that happen. Reportedly, she's put the manager of the Hookah Lounge in West Hollywood on notice that if he does file a civil lawsuit against her the alleged Porsche-scraping, she will "counter-sue and will hold him responsible for the allegations he has made." Then maybe she'll get the lead in Lovelace back! [Radar]
Well this is nice: Keith Richards and Mick Jagger apparently settled their latest batch of differences last week following a "heart-to-heart meeting" in New York. Jagger was apparently smarting over the none-too-nice things Richards said about him in his 2010 memoir, particularly the claim that the Rolling Stones frontman had a "tiny todger." [The Daily Mirror]
Ten-term GOP Rep. Don Manzullo of Illinois is hopping mad at Majority Leader Eric Cantor for endorsing his primary opponent, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, earlier this month. The breach in leadership protocol was followed by the Cantor-affiliated Young Guns Super PAC spending $50,000 in support of Kinzinger. (The two sitting GOP congressman are running against each other because Illinois 16th Congressional District was redrawn after the last census.) Manzullo says Cantor's endorsement prompted southern Illinois Rep. Tim Johnson to break neutrality and endorse his candidacy. According to Manzullo, GOP leadership also isn't thrilled with Cantor. Manzulo says Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of California called him to distance himself from Cantor's endorsement. "McCarthy's madder than hell at Cantor," Manzullo told Politico. "He said, 'I'm fighting with Cantor.' I said, 'Well, that's interesting.'" Also not delighted with Cantor, per Manzullo: Speaker John Boehner, who reportedly "said he would talk to his deputy" about the situation. The primary is tomorrow. [Politico]