| Revision as of 01:59, 21 April 2006 view sourceJokestress (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers50,855 edits →Work in film: add '79-80 work← Previous edit | Revision as of 02:13, 21 April 2006 view source Jokestress (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers, Rollbackers50,855 editsm →Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals: pellicano PINext edit → | ||
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| ==Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals== | ==Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals== | ||
| According to an investigative report by ], "Barresi moved sharply higher on the Hollywood notoriety scale in 1990 when the '']'' ran a front-page story showcasing his claim that he'd had a two-year love affair with John Travolta. Barresi told the tabloid he'd met Travolta in 1982 when the actor followed him into the shower room of an L.A. health club" <ref name="Ebner"/> | According to an investigative report by ], "Barresi moved sharply higher on the Hollywood notoriety scale in 1990 when the '']'' ran a front-page story showcasing his claim that he'd had a two-year love affair with John Travolta. Barresi told the tabloid he'd met Travolta in 1982 when the actor followed him into the shower room of an L.A. health club." <ref name="Ebner"/> Several months later, Barresi retracted his story, saying in a letter to Travolta's attorney that he'd never engaged in homosexual activity with Travolta. <ref name=Enclan>Enclan, Jake (March 3, 2000). ''Fab!'' (retrieved from Google Groups)</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | According to Ebner, in the wake of that incident, Barresi became an unlicensed ] and a broker of ] ], attempting to sell a story of allegations involving ]. He got involved with ] ] around the time of the 1994 Jackson incident. He later attempted to broker stories following a 1997 incident involving ] and a ] ]. <ref name="Ebner"/> | ||
| Several months later, Barresi retracted his story, saying in a letter to Travolta's attorney that he'd never engaged in homosexual activity with Travolta. <ref name=Enclan>Enclan, Jake (March 3, 2000). ''Fab!'' (retrieved from Google Groups)</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | According to Ebner, in the wake of that incident, Barresi became an unlicensed ] and a broker of ] ], attempting to sell a story of allegations involving ]. He got involved with ] around the time of the 1994 Jackson incident. He later attempted to broker stories following a 1997 incident involving ] and a ] ]. <ref name="Ebner"/> | ||
| Barresi told ABC News about his involvement with Pellicano, "Whenever there was a damaging story involving a celebrity client that involved sex, then I was involved." Barresi said that Pellicano hired him to "get dirt on" ] and that the actor's phone was allegedly bugged by Pellicano during a lawsuit over ]. <ref name=Primetime>'']'' (February 16, 2006). </ref> | Barresi told ABC News about his involvement with Pellicano, "Whenever there was a damaging story involving a celebrity client that involved sex, then I was involved." Barresi said that Pellicano hired him to "get dirt on" ] and that the actor's phone was allegedly bugged by Pellicano during a lawsuit over ]. <ref name=Primetime>'']'' (February 16, 2006). </ref> | ||
Revision as of 02:13, 21 April 2006
Paul Barresi (born 12 January 1948 or 1949 ) is an American film director and media personality who has been involved in various capacities in several high-profile celebrity scandals.
Early life and military career
Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, when he was 12 his family moved to Annapolis, Maryland for his father's job with the United States Navy. He attended the University of Maryland on a wrestling scholarship. Barresi left college and enlisted in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant in 1973 after completing his tour at March Air Force Base.
Work in film
Barresi had an uncredited role as a bartender in The Wild Party, released in 1975. In March 1975, Barresi appeared with a pre-Elvira Cassandra Peterson in a Playgirl pictorial.
This led to a number of appearances in print and film as a pornographic model and actor. He appeared in the 1979 gay classic L.A. Tool & Die, and he says his first straight feature role was in 1980's Co-Ed Fever, where he is credited as Jason Thorpe.
Barresi has been nominated for several AVN Awards, including 8 nominations for his 1998 gay mafia epic, GoodFellas, BadFellas.
In addition to his work in pornographic film, Barresi appeared as a member of the Sports Connection gym in the 1985 film Perfect, starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Involvement with tabloids and celebrity scandals
According to an investigative report by Mark Ebner, "Barresi moved sharply higher on the Hollywood notoriety scale in 1990 when the National Enquirer ran a front-page story showcasing his claim that he'd had a two-year love affair with John Travolta. Barresi told the tabloid he'd met Travolta in 1982 when the actor followed him into the shower room of an L.A. health club." Several months later, Barresi retracted his story, saying in a letter to Travolta's attorney that he'd never engaged in homosexual activity with Travolta.
According to Ebner, in the wake of that incident, Barresi became an unlicensed private detective and a broker of tabloid gossip, attempting to sell a story of allegations involving Michael Jackson. He got involved with private investigator Anthony Pellicano around the time of the 1994 Jackson incident. He later attempted to broker stories following a 1997 incident involving Eddie Murphy and a transgender prostitute.
Barresi told ABC News about his involvement with Pellicano, "Whenever there was a damaging story involving a celebrity client that involved sex, then I was involved." Barresi said that Pellicano hired him to "get dirt on" Sylvester Stallone and that the actor's phone was allegedly bugged by Pellicano during a lawsuit over Planet Hollywood.
The New York Daily News reported that In November 2002, Barresi arranged for porn actor "Big Red" to meet with Pellicano to discuss selling his story about his alleged London sexual encounter with Tom Cruise.
Jim Mitteager, a former New York City police officer who became Los Angeles bureau chief of tabloid The Globe, taped his phone conversations. Mitteager died of throat cancer in 1997, and his wife gave the tapes to Barresi seven years later. Barresi told reporter Drew Griffin " indicated to the person who gave them to me that I would know what to do with them," and Barresi made a deal with KCBS-TV to air them in a multi-part series in 2004.
Since that time, Barresi has continued to direct adult films, primarily for the gay market. He has been sought out for comment by the press as the Pelicano case has unfolded. Barresi told the New York Times he has been aiding the defense team for entertainment lawyer Bert Fields, a long-term client of Pellicano's who is now under investigation, in hopes of a later payday.
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References
- Most sources give 1948. Paul Barresi entry at Adult Film Database, or Paul Barresi entry at IMDb
- Birth year given as 1949 in Paul Barresi entry at LukeFord.com
- D'Entremont, Jim (March 1998). "Profiled: Paul Barresi." The Guide
- Dr. Mardonov (March 2003). Standing Tall with Paul. Adult Video News
- ^ Ebner, Mark and Jack Cheevers (April 26, 2001). The Bagman. New Times Los Angeles
- Enclan, Jake (March 3, 2000). "Paul Barresi: Still angry after all these years." Fab! (retrieved from Google Groups)
- ABC News Primetime (February 16, 2006). Hollywood 'Fixer' Now Has Some Celebrities Fearing the Worst.
- Rush, George and Joanna Molloy (May 20, 2005). Holmes is where Tom's heart is. New York Daily News
- Kinke, Nikki (March 14, 2006). Old, Old News: Pellicano/Tabloids. LA Weekly
- Drew Griffin (February 12, 2004). The Real Source. CBS 2 Special Assignment, KCBS-TV
- Halbfinger, David M. and Allison Hope Weiner (April 6, 2006). Complex Maneuvering Over Evidence in Hollywood Wiretapping Scandal. New York Times
External links
- Holson, Laura M. and Bernard Weinraub (November 17, 2003). Hollywood's Investigator To the Stars Heads to Jail. New York Times