New York's Biggest Divas

Concert riders reveal what performers like to eat

(NEWSER) - Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez certainly aren't the only divas in Hollywood: Nicki Minaj's concert rider, recently revealed in a magazine interview, show that she has some pretty involved backstage demands as well. Those include three 12-piece buckets of spicy fried chicken, no thighs, and scented candles smelling like baked goods, the Daily Mail reports. The Huffington Post rounds up the food requests of 13 other celebrities:

• Jordin Sparks: The American Idol alum only wants healthy food, including a jar of kosher pickle spears.
• Lady Gaga: Her rider doesn't demand food at all, just beverages including Red Bull.

Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta need help, says critic

(NEWSER) - New York's new restaurant, Joanne, gets a scathing review in the Post by restaurant critic Steve Cuozzo, a fact about which few would probably care ... except that the restaurant in question is owned by Lady Gaga's parents, Joseph and Cynthia Germanotta. In his amusing critique, Cuozzo starts off by noting that the restaurant appeared to be "running mainly on acrid-smelling burnt vinegar wafting intermittently through the raucous dining room." As for the celebrity chef running the debacle, "I felt sorry for Art Smith, the fine chef who somehow hooked up with Lady Gaga’s parents," Cuozzo muses. More»

Of course, that gets you quite a few female attendants

(NEWSER) - The hottest Grammys after-party must be the one Diddy is hosting, because tickets cost as much as $50,000. The black tie event will be held at the Playboy Mansion, and for $50,000 you'll get two cabanas with free bottle service and 15 female model attendants for up to 20 people—in addition to dinner and an open bar, of course. Can't quite afford 50 grand? The cheapest ticket will only set you back $1,500, TMZ reports. More»

It seems she agrees that 'Born This Way' copies 'Express Yourself'

(NEWSER) - No, it's not just you who thinks Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" sounds a lot like Madonna's "Express Yourself" : Madonna thinks so, too. The Daily Beast's Cheat Sheet has this little nugget from an upcoming Newsweek profile on the Material Girl: When she first heard "Born This Way," Madonna says, "I thought, What a wonderful way to redo my song. I mean, I recognized the chord changes. I thought it was … interesting." Click for another one of Madonna's passive-aggressive swipes at Gaga . More»

And it includes ... Teresa Giudice?

(NEWSER) - This season's Celebrity Apprentice cast is the smartest ever, according to an executive producer—but that might not really be saying much, considering members include bankrupt Real Housewife Teresa Giudice and mob-daughter-turned-reality-star Victoria Gotti. Even so, "We've never seen such a smart and funny group as this year's lineup of celebrities," Mark Burnett says of the season that starts Feb. 12. More»