Vanity Fair To Gina Gershon: No Correction To Bill Clinton Story

TMZ reports:

Vanity Fair is standing by its story insinuating that Bill Clinton had an affair with Gina Gershon.

In a statement to TMZ, V.F. honcho Beth Kseniak says, "Todd Purdum's article does not indicate that former President Bill Clinton had an improper relationship with Gina Gershon. The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior. We don't believe that any correction is warranted."

Earlier this week, Gershon had her lawyers fire off a letter to the venerable publication:

The demand letter claims the article "outrageously insinuates that Ms. Gershon has had an inappropriate sexual relationship with President Clinton. This is absolutely false."

The letter demands "a retraction and correction."

In the July Vanity Fair, a profile on Clinton mentions "more recent high-end Hollywood dinner-party gossip that Clinton has been seen visiting with the actress Gina Gershon in California."

Comments

[auntiecairo]

You can't sue for inference -- very easy to prove if they hang out together. The article was about behavior that can be construed for inappropriate - which is what Bill Clinton has been doing for years. Can you imagine if he spouse of another candidate or former President was seen jetting around with young swingles? The continued enabling of Bill Clinton's bad behavior by so many smart men (and women) is fascinating - I think part of his recent anger is he's finally be called on some of his bad behavioe and like a spoiled child - he's just not used to it. I still haven't seen him deny anything in the article - just that it was written about him.

[kevinw]

The reason they are not going to give a retraction, is that they really did not specifically say anybody did anything wrong. What they said was that they had been talking to close friends and employees of the Clintons and these people (un-named for their safety of course) said they had concerns that these tawdry things may have occurred. People would challenge this story in a bar while the listener was drunk. I heard it from a relible close source that he is doing Gina Gershon. Really man, this is so heavy man, she is so hot. There a bunch of other women that my friend said he was doin. I wonder if Purdung only checked this with Dee Dee or if he got a second source to verify the story, like Matt Drudge.

[Raymondf]

I see a law suit coming.

[pdsldl]

If you want to be in national politics your personal life (especially after being president and having an affair in the White House) and your business dealings are part of the discussion. I really do not want to be dealing with the Clinton shenanigans for 4-8 more years. The US reputation is in bad enough shape. We would look like idiots opening this country up to all this scandals and shady deals, etc... again, especially after 8 years of Bush. We need to put all our efforts into rebuilding the US at home and around the world and having all the open questions that come with the Clintons would only make that more difficult. If you are in the spotlight and you don't want your life in the press practice discretion or simply don't do anything you don't want reported on.

[johnnygoodwud]

do bill and hillary even live together? i don't think so. to me it's a marriage of convience. i have a sneaking hunch she may dump his sorry ass, after he screwed up her campaign, and start fresh. when i think of them, the words co-dependent, enablers pops into my head. sorry not the role models i'd want my kids to emulate.

[CostaMesaJoe]

If I were Bill, I would be telling anyone with ears that Gina Gershon is a notch on the ole' belt.
After Monica, he needs to gain some credibility back.....

[ohnoyoudidnot!]

What would happen if everyone just minded their own business when it comes to people's personal lives?

[Gmoney1]

You say personal lives - if you want privacy, get out of the public eye and stop pretending in front of the cameras to be what you are not - when you demand acknowledgement, you then give us the right to acknowledge and address all that you do -

[MNfreeze]

Look on the bright side...at least Bill has stepped up his taste in mistresses!

[livesimply]

What a bunch of crap! First TMZ says "Vanity Fair is standing by its story insinuating that Bill Clinton had an affair with Gina Gershon." Then goes on to quote Vanity Fair as saying "Todd Purdum's article does not indicate that former President Bill Clinton had an improper relationship with Gina Gershon. The story merely examines the concerns of some of Clinton's aides about reports of his behavior. We don't believe that any correction is warranted." So now are they going to sue TMZ? I'm just so sorry Bush never had an affair that we know of. We could have gotten rid of him long since. The immaturity of the American public never ceases to amaze me.

[darthdarcy]

I would so have sex with that woman, Miss Gershon...!

[livesimply]

You mean you would have sex with her body.

[mero909]

I think that's what he was implying.

[RJII]

adultry is between him and Hillary, unless it happening on the taxpayers dime and in the citizen's house-- like with intern Monica L.

Then its fair game. We have a right to know everything, probably so does The Office of Personnel Mgt, EEOC, and The Office of Investigations, etc.

[segagman]

Ok look Gina Gershon is smoking hot Hillery is freezing cold i think they have an open relationship Hill dateing rosie o donnle and billy is living it up so what i would do it to and my wife knows it.

[kroses98]

Hasn't he embarrassed us enough already? I voted for him twice, but enough is enough! His dallying cost us the White House for 8 long years, and I am sick to death of him! Enough is enough!!!

[Steve1976]

He's simply following the legacy left by JFK, RFK.and Teddy. The Democratic presumptive nominee will do the same. They all do it. Why do you think it's the "Secret" Service.that guards them?

[SteveCox]

What a dumb thing to write. It's obviously not true, or they would have said it without the insuation. Bill is right, the guy is a scumbag as is anyone else who like's to make insuations about people's sexuality etc. But you know I don't mean you Sagawoman.

[Kally]

i HOPE TO HELL SHE SUES THE PANTS OFF THEM AND TAKE THE MAGAZINE AS PART OF THE PRIZE. It is absolutely sickening what the press does to Hillary and Bill and gets away with it. They have story after story after story that is true they could print about fart face and they don't do anything.

[truthyguy]

yeah, right. like that will happen. get real.

[Gmoney1]

I would love to see that suit - wow - I wonder if Monica Lewinsky and Paula would be called to testify -

[AnnoyedCanuck]

Who the hell cares? Bill has been a private citizen for almost 8 years. This so-called affair, true or not, is of no more consequence than Jerry Ford's golf scores in 1984.

Clinton was a hell of a good president. He maintained American influence in the world, presided over the biggest economic boom since the 1960s, increased real personal incomes for the first time since 1973, ended the Reagan/Bush deficits, and overcame the most vicious partisan divide in living memory. He's been a hell of a good ex-president, too. Millions of people in Africa have access to cheap AIDs drugs because of Clinton and his foundation. Countless lives have been saved because of this.

FDR committed adultery in office. He also led the nation out of its worst economic crisis, and defeated Germany and Japan. Eisenhower had an affair while he was Supreme Commander in WW2. Kennedy had affairs. Johnson had affairs. Reagan committed adultery with Nancy before he divorced Jane Wyman. Bush41 had a long-term affair with a woman he set up in a State Dept job. Nixon, Ford, Carter and Bush43 were, by all accounts, loyal husbands. The adulterers were, on balance, better presidents.

To the the finger-wagging moralists who care about this story: you're being had. Get a life, people.

[Gmoney1]

As long as Bill and Hillary stays away from the white house this time -

[Axolotl]

Hillary is the biggest finger wagger of them all. Look at her in every speech.

[sherrzinpa]

so you're basically saying it's okay for a president to cheat on his wife because it'll make them a better president?

[SiberianRat]

True, and given the overall infidelity statistics in the US, seems there are probably a lot of stones coming from glass houses.

[Pupster]

It's not that he screws other women, it's the hypocrisy of them pretending like they are a lovey-dovey couple when they're not. If they divorced and led separate lives, or even if they stayed married and just let the public know that they aren't romantically involved, I think most people would understand. But no, they have to go through this farce, and he continues to dally, humiliating her in the process because people think she is wronged.

For the record, the Gina Gershon rumor has been around a while. I heard it a year ago. And it's probably true. Just like the Markie Post rumor from the 90's was also true. Not a big deal, if not for the fact that Bill keeps denying it as if the public were so gullible.

[haleywins]

Vanity unFair.

[LGrace]

I would LOVE to see Hillary get in the White House (as VP or whatever) and dump Bill on his ass.