Dan Gross: Gettin' Dirty on reported fling between Kobe, cheerleader

N

IK RICHIE

, the editor of TheDirty.com, is conflicted. He's a big Lakers fan. But he's also slowly reporting a story about an alleged affair between the Wynnewood-raised Lakers superstar

Kobe Bryant

and an 18-year-old former Lakers cheerleader named

Vanessa Curry

.

The married-Bryant's wife is also named Vanessa. His lawyer Adam Streisand, cousin of Barbra Streisand, demanded that the site remove a post that vaguely detailed an inappropriate relationship between Curry and Bryant.

The site has not taken down the posts, and has made several more since and stands by its story.

In an interview last week, Richie, who lives in Arizona, says that he's "not an investigative reporter, I can barely spell," but hopes someone else will report the full story.

Richie says that just after he asked the Lakers about Curry and Bryant, Curry was let go as a cheerleader, and any info relating to her was removed from the Lakers Web site. The team says that she resigned.

TheDirty.com, which Richie says gets about 500,000 visits from 50,000 to 60,000 users per day, made waves in the past for posting a photo from hardcore porn site bangbros.com with Terrell Owens in the background, and before that for posting pics of Cardinals QB Matt Leinart appearing to be drinking with underage girls at a party at his house.

They're sad to see Huddleston go

Some readers say that they were sorry to see our posts Friday on PhillyGossip.com and in Saturday's paper that Fox 29 News at 10 anchor Dave Huddleston will not be renewed at the station, and will be leaving June 13. Huddleston, who told us that he was disappointed and that he and his family had "fallen in love with Philadelphia," hopes to stay in the area, but is pursuing TV jobs nationwide. A search is under way for Huddleston's replacement; in the meantime, anchor Dawn Stensland will be teamed with other Fox faces.

* In other Fox 29 news, the station has added John Krasting, as a weekend meteorologist.

Colleen's to be Benny's neighbor

Phillies Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Kyle Kendrick came to Benny The Bums (9th & Packer) late Wednesday night after the game. 610 WIP's Hugh Douglas and local "Jackass" Bam Margera were also hanging out. Meanwhile, Matt and Bret Levy, of Benny the Bum's, are working with Les Friedman, who runs Colleen's Caterers, to relocate the banquet room from its longtime home on the Parkway. Friedman tells us that he lost his lease on the Parkway, where he'd been for 25 years, and hopes to be up and running as The Original Colleen's by Les very soon, right next to Benny the Bum's inside the Holiday Inn Stadium.

Horsin' around

CNN Anchor Lou Dobbs' daughter Hillary headed right from her finals at Harvard to the Devon Horse Show, where she cleaned up. Dobbs, a sophomore at Harvard, won the Grand Prix on Corlett and also the $10,000 Open Jumper Hit & Hurry with Marengo Wednesday.

* Former Fox 29 anchor George Mallet fared well in his first horse show at the Willow Hill Riding Club in Fredonia, Wisconsin. Mallet, who at 6-foot-4 is awfully tall for a jockey, has been riding a horse named Jenkins and they took 6th place in equitation and 4th place jumping. Mallet may soon purchase Jenkins.

Out and about

Tappan Wilder, a descendant of Thornton Wilder and executor of the playwright's estate, was among the audience at the Wednesday premiere of "Our Town," by the Arden Theatre (40 N. 2nd). Gov. Rendell was also there to open the show, which runs through June 22.

* Pat Burrell whipped out his credit card and charged a $10,000 donation to the PSPCA Thursday night to make a total of $200,000 raised for the animal welfare agency from the first annual Utley All-Star Animals Casino night at F.U.E.L (3rd & Arch). Burrell and wife, Michelle, joined Chase and Jen Utley, who's on the PSPCA board, and many Phillies including Cole Hamels with Playboy model wife Heidi Strobel, Jimmy Rollins, Brett Myers, So Taguchi, Adam Eaton, Jamie Moyer and Jayson Werth. *

Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest stories. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.