Former New York gossip writer Jared Paul Stern, who was dismissed from his job on New York Post's Page Six after he had been accused of trying to extort money from a wealthy California businessman, is hitting back.
He is writing a book about his 11 years on The Post — and intends he says to reveal a lot of its secrets.
Among the tales he is threatening to tell, according to a proposal circulating in the publishing world, is one about a famous columnist who accepted a free trip to Brazil that included an all-expenses-paid visit to brothel in Rio.
He also intends to reveal, he says, the name of another columnist who, he alleges, had heroin hand-delivered to the New York Post's office. Also in the book — which he is calling Stern Measures — he intends to name the New York newspaper editor who made sure the strip club where he was given free lap dances always got good mentions in his paper.
Also the editor who kept an unflattering story about President Bush's daughter out of print. And which diplomat's extra-curricular activities went unreported because of the paper's proprietor's business dealings with the diplomat's country.
Stern claims his book will not paint a very pretty picture. Missing from the book, however, is thought to be any mention of supermarket billionaire Ron Burkle, who Stern allegedly tried to "shake down" by offering to keep unflattering stories about him out of Page Six in return for a payment of $200,000.
The offer was reportedly secretly recorded on tape and led to Stern's departure from the Post — although so far no criminal charges have been brought.
The reaction at the Post? According to the rival New York Daily News, Post editor Col Allen is livid.
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