Friday, December 01, 2006

Danny DeVito Apologizes For His Drunk Befavior

Memo to stars making the morning television rounds: Think twice before going out on the town with George Clooney on the night prior to your appearance.

Danny DeVito made the mistake of partying with People's Sexiest Man Alive Tuesday—and paid the price in a Wednesday appearance on The View.

"I knew it was the last seven limoncellos that was going to get me," a disheveled DeVito said as he plunked himself down on the View sofa.

The pint-sized actor, who was ostensibly on the show to promote his new movie, Deck the Halls, then proceeded to discuss everything from his political views to his sex life with wife Rhea Perlman, much to Barbara Walters' visible dismay.

DeVito made no secret of his distaste for President George W. Bush, whom he referred to as "numb nuts" in a moment that was bleeped out by ABC.

He expressed fonder feelings for former President Bill Clinton, who once invited him and Perlman to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom, where DeVito said they "made it [their] business to really wreck the joint."

"I mean, everyplace in that bedroom was utilized," DeVito crowed.

"Can we talk about this movie?" Walters asked dryly in response.

After the appearance, DeVito's publicist, Stan Rosenfield (who also reps Clooney), said that the actor wanted to apologize to Barbara Walters for his behavior.

"He wishes to keep this conversation with her private. No further statement is planned," the publicist told E! News.

On Thursday's View, Walters said she had received a message from DeVito, though she had not yet spoken with him.

“It said he was not going to say anything until he talked to me," she said.

Despite DeVito's booze-fueled antics, Walters said she would not hesitate to have him back on the show.

"We love him. We'll have him on again," she said.

Rosie O'Donnell, who held DeVito on her lap at one point Wednesday, defended his behavior.

"Danny DeVito is not an alcoholic. He's just a guy who had too many to drink with his friends," O’Donnell said Thursday. "He was here, he was enjoying himself, he had a wonderful night out and he was a little drunk."

Deck the Halls, which stars DeVito as a man who goes overboard while decorating his house for the holidays, opened last week in fourth place.

An Uncommon Drunk: Revelations of a High-Functioning Alcoholic

Parapolitics: Conspiracy in Contemporary America