David Cassidy in the News
David Cassidy
December 20, 2000
Las Vegas Review-Journal
By Norm Clarke
This David Cassidy-Tony Tillman feud just keeps getting nastier, although both are bound to silence.
That was the deal last week when Tillman agreed to return to the show. No more shots through the media. But Cassidy's publicist, Jo-Ann Geffen, must have missed the memo. She's still hammering Tillman, who played Sammy Davis Jr., in "The Rat Pack is Back!" at the Sahara.
Geffen violated the agreement Monday when she told another newspaper that Tillman absolutely was fired. I labelled it bogus because how do you fire someone who resigned on Dec. 3 and didn't talk with Cassidy for a week?
This is the same publicist who called me a month ago to rage and rant and demand a retraction for the item I ran that the Rio was pulling the plug on Cassidy's "At the Copa" show. When the news conference was held, confirming Cassidy's departure, Geffen was on the phone again, this time with the spin that Cassidy made the decision on his own "to pursue other entertainment opportunities and spend more time with his family."
Ten days ago when I called Geffen for comment on Cassidy's "Where's-the-melody?" zinger during Tillman's "Rat Pack" performance, I was first told that "it didn't happen" and "why are you letting people make a fool of you?"
Then after checking with Cassidy, the publicist changed her tune to "David can't remember saying it." A while later the story changed to "things are often said in jest during a show all the time." Or it could have been Cassidy was being a cheerleader, she said, hollering out things such as "sing that song" or "come on, Sammy."
Save that spin for a naive young columnist who is so green she's been fibbing about her age, adding three years, apparently so people don't consider her a cub reporter.
Now she's disputing my report that "The Rat is Back!" is being renewed for a year. Let's compare sources: Mine was Cassidy, who asked that it not be published yet. I honored his request. A few days later, at the height of the Tillman brouhaha, Cassidy personal assistant Robin Hadden called to say Cassidy had apologized, had accepted Tillman's resignation and, oh by the way, the show was being renewed for a year effective Feb. 18.
Now I know they pulled one of the oldest tricks in P.R.: Leak "news" that deflates the controversy.
So, to paraphrase that great philosopher Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders, "Just spin, baby."
