Celebrity Budgets Exposed: Stars Who Scrimp and Scrooge
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The more you make, the less you have to spend. Many multimillion-dollar celebrities think the only payment necessary for goods and services are the words "Don't you know who I am?" And the people on the other side of the transactions are getting tired of it.
Last month, a celebrity stylist sued Jamie Foxx, claiming the actor failed to pay for work she did in dressing him for an awards show and press junkets for his film "Miami Vice."
Paris Hilton "forgot" to pay her $208 bill for items in an L.A storage center last year, so all her treasures and trash (everything from embarrassing photographs and diaries to medical information and home videos) wound up on the Internet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And who can forget Winona Ryder's shoplifting spree?
“Cheaping out is a symptom of diva disease,” said California public relations consultant Richard Breyer. “Some celebs are so used to taking, they don’t want to have to give."
When it comes to tipping, some stars seem so accustomed to big paychecks that they don’t carry around any small change.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The tangle of fame and fortune can also result in terrible tippers," said Eliza Pharrell, an assistant manager at a high-profile New York restaurant. "For instance, Kirsten Dunst came through and ran up a $233 bill and left without even the smallest gratuity."
But the "Spider-Man" star isn’t the only one weaving a web of whining waiters.
According to the Web site bitterwaitress.com, where workers spill on the stars who do the Scrooge, Bill Cosby spared only $3 from a $375 meal, Ricki Lake parted with only $8 from $142.50 check (even after having been granted free dessert) and Sean Penn didn't top his $450 wine-and-dine in New Orleans with a single penny.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“It’s normally the ones who’d you least expect to be stingy,” said Corey Sandusky, a bartender at Tut's in New York City. “So every now and then you have some high-profile person that’ll only leave a dollar per drink.”
Paris Hilton has made headlines several times for refusing to part with her dough.
The staff at Sloanes Cafe were unimpressed when on a recent New Year's trip Down Under the heiress walked out without paying a $9.80 drinks tab, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"She's got bucketloads of money and she didn't pay for her drinks," waitress Jo Pfahl told the paper.
Elected officials aren't always politically correct in their tips, either.
According to the bitterwaitress site, Sen. John Kerry visited a restaurant in St. Louis and added only 2 percent to the signature line, while former Vice President Al Gore left only 8 percent at a restaurant in Alexandria, Va.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Al and Tipper Gore were regulars in the restaurant I used to work at,” wrote one bitter waitress. “You'd think this would be cool, waiting on a former vice president. And it would be, if not for the fact that Al Gore is cheap.”
And when it comes to overnight luxury, some stars demand more than what they're paying for.
“We tend to get an older crowd of celebs like Bill Clinton and Michael Jordan who are great guests,” said Stephanie, a front office manager at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas who didn't want to reveal her last name.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“But occasionally you’ll have someone in a penthouse package who wants more and more yet may not want to front the billed extras," she continued. "It’s always kept very discreet, though.”
But if you have status attached to your name, you’re going to get a few freebies, anyway.
“We do go out of our way for high-profile guests with services such as free limos and good rates,” Stephanie. “They normally gamble enough to make up for it.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}So what's the excuse for all the cheapskate behavior?
"Celebs easily fuse fame and freeloading," Breyer noted. "Designers are constantly at them to wear their outfits to showy events, jewelers are happy to add the bling and car companies loan cars to cruise in. Some of them then lose touch with what's free and what's not."
Breyer also thinks some stars are trying to buy a little more spotlight time by being cheap.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"A little controversy means a little extra attention," Breyer said. "It's not like most of them can't afford to pay their bills in the first place."
But if it's a reality check that the stars need, perhaps a little kicking to the curb doesn't hurt.
"We've refused entry to a number of VIPs who take advantage of our services," Pharrell said. "The message is simple: We have to make a living, too. Famous or not, we always remember those with scrimpy tendencies."