Rihanna has put to rest rumors that she was romantically linked to rapper Jay-Z. The Umbrella singer tells US magazine Cosmopolitan that she was horrified at the recent gossip. But she said she’d managed to ignore the whispers, thanks to Jay-Z himself, the 19-year-old chart star’s mentor. She said: “I felt self-conscious around him until he took me aside and said that I just had to ignore it.” Internet reports had linked the Barbados-born star with her record label boss. It was claimed that Jay-Z - real name Shawn Carter - was cheating on his girlfriend, Beyonce, with Rihanna. But both denied any romance. And Rihanna insists that her love life should remain private. She said: “It’s tough because you want to be able to talk about it and be proud. “But you have to be sure of that person first. “Christina Aguilera and her husband are my favorite couple because they’re in love and that’s all that matters to them.” And she warned any potential boyfriends not to be over-confident around her. She added: “If a guy is hot and he knows it - forget it it. “I hate arrogance. “I have three girlfriends and about 20 guy friends. “I love listening to guy talk because I learn a lot. “Here’s the key - you can’t lower your standards for a guy because he won’t respect you and he’ll tell his friends. You always have to stick up for yourself and speak your mind.” Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, poses in a revealing yellow Versace dress for the March 2008 cover of Cosmopolitan, on newsstands in the States now.
West Babylon’s Harold Dieterle and Great Neck’s Ilan Hall won the first two editions of “Top Chef.” When the fourth premieres March 12 on Bravo, the local scene and cuisine will belong to Richard Blais, born and bred in Uniondale. His parents and sister still live on Long Island. “I like to refer to it as ‘Strong Island,’” he tells us, with a wit that says as a comedian, he’s a pretty good chef. The onetime “Iron Chef America” contestant, who says he’s a proponent of molecular gastronomy - the study of the chemical nuts-and-bolts of food behavior - got his start at Mickey D’s. He worked in various kitchens while studying comparative humanities and religion at SUNY Old Westbury, and in 1998 got a degree from the Culinary Institute of America.
A culinary trail-Blais-er - cheeseburger with foie gras milkshake, anyone? - he may have been too avant-garde for Atlanta, where he now lives; his restaurants Blais, Bazzaar and Element are no more. His latest venture, BlaisCuisine.com, is being revamped as TrailBlais, which has something to do with “taste2″ (taste squared). Seven of the show’s other chefs work in New York City.
Remember “Circus of the Stars”? Well, do your parents remember?
