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Who leaked Robert Kraft's cheesy video??
Jul 11, 2012 (Boston Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Now that we've all seen the Robert Kraft/Ricki Lander video at least once -- or in our case about 87 times before it was yanked from YouTube -- a burning question remains: Who leaked the uber embarrassing "screen test" to the World Wide Web???
The list is long, and the boys at barstoolsports.com ain't talkin', but wethinks we can scratch the Patriots boss from the list of suspects. We're told Kraft is mortified that his "prank" meant for "The Internship" screenwriter and star Vince Vaughn went viral.
The less-than-2-minute audition tape, where RKK, 71, runs lines with his bikini-clad lady love, actress Ricki Lander, 32, was recorded a month ago and was meant for Vaughn's eyes only, we're told. (He and Kraft reportedly met a few times.)
The comedy, due out next year, is about two downsized techies -- Vaughn and his "Wedding Crashers" co-star Owen Wilson -- who are hired as interns for an Internet company where they work for a pack of 20-somethings. (No word on what exactly the Mary Elena role Ricki was reading for entails. But we guess exotic dancer.)
Apparently Robert thought Vince would get a kick out of seeing the Patriots poohah playing a guy macking on the actress. The hope was that Vaughn would think the audition was "money" and give Bob's galpal the gig. Sadly, for Kraft, lots and lots of casting people see these things and all of them have access to YouTube!
The video was leaked to barstoolsports.com and posted late Tuesday night. Ergo, Robert and his galpal were topic numero uno on yesterday's morning radio shows. Which meant that the boss, who lost wife Myra to cancer less than a year ago, had to explain his play.
"I tried to help Ricki prepare an audition tape for an upcoming Vince Vaughn/Owen Wilson comedy by reading Wilson's lines," he said in a prepared statement sent out to many media outlets. "I never intended that it would be made public and I regret that it has. I think we can all agree that Owen Wilson has nothing to worry about. I am going to stick to my day job."
Good thinking, Olivier.
Shortly after Kraft issued his mea culpa, the suits at Twentieth Century Fox yanked the video from YouTube claiming it contained proprietary information, i.e. the script.
Now, when we floated the idea that Miss Lander -- who we outed as Robert's squeeze at a Celtics-Heat playoff game last month -- could have leaked the tape, the feedback from Gillette was something akin to a body blow from Vince Wilfork!
"She's a serious actress," said an F.O.R., directing us to Ricki's vast resume of bit parts -- a flight attendant in "Iron Man" and walk-ons in "CSI" and "True Blood."
"I'm sure she only wanted to set herself apart from the masses," said the Ricki apologist.
Touchdown!!!!!
But while the viral vid may be good for Ricki's career, what of the Patriots?
For years Kraft and his organization have been held up as the model NFL franchise with excellent ownership, coaching and model players who are dedicated to football as well as community.
When Myra Kraft died of cancer July 20, there was an outpouring of sympathy from the league, its players and fans.
"The New England Patriots brand is so solid, I cannot believe this thing would be an issue," said a team insider who asked not to be named. "It's enough to get people to raise their eyebrows. But if there's a string of these kinds of things, and the team is 1-15, it can be an issue.
"(Robert)'s a widower, but he's always been a classy guy who should go out with a just as classy woman," said the source. "I'm not seeing it here."
BTW, the NFL logo can be seen on the right side of the screen peeking out from the "green screen" that many believe is at Gillette Stadium.
File Under: Fumble
trackgals@bostonherald.com
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