File under the heading of “What Constitutes News.”
CBS Entertainment’s proud announcement that actress-turned-walking-tempest-in-a-teapot Lindsay Lohan would be presenting Thursday (Feb. 17) night’s Top 10 on “Late Show with David Letterman” felt only marginally newsworthy to us. Yes, Lohan has been the center of five or 10 different recent controversies and rumors and her via-sattelite appearance with Letterman would be her first “Late Show” visit since 2007, but that didn’t require a story being written.
Not news. Life is too short.
However, the official retraction from all parties is far funnier.
The back-pedaling began last night when self-described “Artist of all things” Lohan tweeted, “I am NOT going to be doing David Letterman, I’m not sure how this happened, but I am sorry for the confusion…”
That sounds pretty definitive — note the all-caps “NOT” — but honestly who would have been surprised if the confusion was on Lohan’s part?
Apparently, though, the “Mean Girls” star was in the right on this one.
Early Wednesday, Worldwide Pants Incorporated issued a statement conceding, “Lindsay Lohan will not be delivering a Top Ten list on Thursday”s ‘Late Show with David Letterman,’ as had been previously announced. We made a mistake. Someone purporting to be a friend of Lindsay’s reached out to the show yesterday, allegedly on her behalf, and booked her to appear. Clearly, this person was not authorized to make commitments on her behalf. We wish Lindsay well, and look forward to having her on the show in the future.”
Worldwide Pants offered no hint on the fate of the talent booker who figured that it would be OK to schedule (and eagerly announce) a Lindsay Lohan appearance based solely on the word of an alleged friend with alleged authority to confirm her talk show availability.
For whatever it’s worth, Lohan is due back in a California court later this month for further action stemming from the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace from a local jewelry store.
[UPDATE: According to TMZ, Michael Lohan has taken credit for duping Letterman. It’s the latest piece of his ongoing Father of the Decade campaign.]