Dan Gross: Lori Delgado leaves NBC 10

NBC 10 ANCHOR

Lori Delgado

abruptly resigned on Monday, just days after she and the station were named in a lawsuit by former anchor

Vince DeMentri

.

"I wanted to let you know that Lori Delgado has resigned from NBC 10 to spend more time with her family. We thank Lori for her contributions to the station and wish her well," was the full text of a statement released yesterday by the station's VP of news Chris Blackman.

DeMentri sued Delgado and NBC 10 for libel and slander in a praecipe to issue writ of summons, which is typically the precursor to a detailed civil complaint. DeMentri disappeared from the station in July, after meeting with Blackman over the alleged vandalism of Delgado's car in the parking lot. As we have reported, DeMentri, who is now divorced, and Delgado, who is married, once enjoyed a particularly close friendship, that soured at some point. Delgado filed a report with Lower Merion police. A Lower Merion Township official later said the department considered the report a nonissue and was not pursuing the matter any further. Delgado did not return a voice-mail left on her cell phone yesterday. Her attorney, Eric Weitz, declined comment.

Delgado, 29, started at NBC 10 in January 2005. Before her resignation was announced, she had not been on air for about a week.

On Monday, station spokeswoman Eva Blackwell had said Delgado was in the middle of a previously scheduled vacation.

Local agency reps Bill Ayers

A West Philly-based talent agency been inundated with e-mails and phone calls related to its representation of former Weather Underground radical Bill Ayers.

Gov. Sarah Palin has recently ramped up criticism of Sen. Barack Obama's ties to Ayers, who, along with his wife, Bernardine Dohrn, and other members of the radical group bombed various government buildings in the '70s.

Obama and Ayers, now a University of Illinois professor, served on a nonprofit foundation's board together and Ayers once hosted a party for Obama.

We're told that Evil Twin Booking/Lost Film Fest partners Scott Beibin and Liz Cole have received more than 1,000 e-mails and tons of calls in recent days with everything from interview requests to attack letters accusing the pair of aiding and abetting terrorists.

Evil Twin books speaking engagements with Ayers, his wife and several other Weather Underground members and others including actor Ed Begley Jr., authors and filmmakers.

Beibin and Cole declined comment yesterday.

Out and about

Actor/rapper Chris "Ludacris" Bridges went for a well-done burger at Smith & Wollensky at the Rittenhouse Monday afternoon while he was in town with "Max Payne" co-star Mark Wahlberg promoting the film.

Despite their loss to the Redskins, most of the Eagles were festive enough to celebrate running back Correll Buckhalter's 30th birthday at the Luxe Lounge (7th & Arch) Sunday night. Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins, just back from pounding the Brewers, were also there, as were Ludacris and Robin Thicke.

Dennis Quaid squeezed in a cheesesteak from Tony Luke's (Front & Oregon) between interviews yesterday at the Four Seasons promoting his movie "The Express: The Ernie Davis Story," which opens Friday.

Short film features CN8 talent

CN8's Art Fennell and Gregg Murphy had cameos in director Jeff Stoltzfus' "Victim's Song," which took the top prize at the 2008 Project Twenty1 Film Festival over the weekend at International House. The film's producer Russ Lichterman, and many crew members on the movie are CN8 staffers as well. A few scenes were shot at the set of CN8's New Castle, Del., studios.

Charitably minded

Miss Philadelphia Brintha Vasagar, NBC 10's Mike Strug, CN8's Janet Zappala, and Q102's Richie Rich will be among guests at Variety, the children's charity's celebrity casino night Oct. 15. Musician Eddie Bruce will perform at the annual fundraiser for children with disabilities. The event is at 6 p.m. at the Jason Matthew Salon (1426 Walnut). Tickets are $35 and include $15 in chips, which can be redeemed for prizes. For more info, visit varietyphila.org. *

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