People

By Joel Stein

THE RETURN OF...DI-PLOITATION WATCH

It's almost harmonic convergence: a Di-Ploitation Watch item that's also a Feud of the Week! Last Monday Princess Diana's estate and memorial fund filed suit against the Franklin Mint, which began selling porcelain dolls, plates, pennants and rings within days of Di's death. The suit claims that the Mint was denied permission to produce these keepsakes and that despite claims of giving all the proceeds to the Diana, Princess of Wales' Charities, it has "never donated a penny to the fund." On Friday the Mint retorted in a press release, saying, "This lawsuit must be a mistake," claiming that $1.5 million has been donated to the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, a favorite charity of the late princess. In a bid to seize the high ground, the Mint goes on to say, "Name calling and baseless lawsuits of this type don't serve anyone--certainly not the memory of Princess Diana."

OH, HARVEY! YOU MAKE ME GROOVE!

One of a movie star's most important jobs is to look like you're having the most spectacular time of anybody's life, and nobody is better at it than SHARON STONE. Chairing a celebrity auction in Cannes for the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Stone hit the hammer for one lucky bidder, who won a mini-concert from Elton John and Ringo Starr--and, though not listed in the auction book, backup singing from Miramax head Harvey Weinstein. With Harvey as inspiration, Stone did what appeared to be the frug in a sequined dress that, seemingly against the actress's will, prevented her breasts from popping all the way out.

GOOD STAR BAD STAR Tracking how celebrities handle the burden of fame

TED DANSON The 50-year-old actor told David Letterman that a Blockbuster clerk, seeing first his hair (undyed, gray), then his charge card (whereon he's called Edward), asked if he was Ted Danson's father. Danson said he said yes.

KATE MOSS The pixie, stick-shaped model was so vocally exuberant in her late-night partying during the Cannes Film Festival that she was banned for life from the usually sympathetic Hotel du Cap. Her manager insists that she was leaving anyway.

CELEBRITY DISABLED LIST

--Bruises to the ribs and chest of cadaverous guitarist KEITH RICHARDS have forced the Rolling Stones to postpone the European leg of their Bridges to Babylon tour for at least four days. The injury was suffered while Richards was reaching for a book in the library of his Connecticut home. Doctors say he's day to day. We're surprised about the library.

--Singer WANYA MORRIS of Boyz II Men came down with a severe case of laryngitis, sidelining him for 48 hours and causing the group to cancel at least four dates of the California leg of the group's tour. The tour, now in its first month, is scheduled to continue for 2 1/2 years. By then the group will be called Men II Viagra Userz.