J-Lo: Managing to Cause Trouble

J-Lo | Teri Hatcher | Elton John, Oscar Parties

Jennifer Lopez sure likes the spotlight. She's busy making a few people in her world unhappy even as we speak.

Recent disappointments and missteps have caused her to once again re-evaluate her management situation.

Those setbacks include her disastrous duet with husband Marc Anthony on the Grammy Awards show, her failure to snatch a potential hit single away from an up-and-coming singer (more below) and the botching of a documentary that was supposed to accompany her new CD. (I told you that story in a recent column.)

Lopez apparently decided that that was it for manager Simon Fields, who produced her movie "Shall We Dance?"

According to the New York Post, Lopez approached former manager Benny Medina — whom she sued last year and eventually settled with — about taking her back.

Only one problem: Medina — who did not return my calls — now manages Lopez's mortal enemy, Mariah Carey.

Four years ago, Lopez and Tommy Mottola stole music from Carey and put it on Lopez's album before Carey could release it.

Carey — who does not consider Lopez a singer, and rightly so — has been furious with Lopez ever since.

Sources say she only signed with Medina after it was explicitly understood that he could not bring Lopez back as long as Carey was a client.

All of this is said to be proving a dilemma for Medina, who is about to launch Carey's comeback album, "The Emancipation of Mimi." All the early buzz is good, and signs point to a hit.

Not so for Lopez, whose "Rebirth" album — due around the same time — may reveal more of the actress/dance/singer's vocal deficiencies than anyone cares to learn about.

Who will now manage Lopez is up in the air, but one thing seems certain: It will not be Medina, at least not while he's working with Carey.

As for that potential hit single: I told you recently that Lopez's awful new record, "Get Right," had been lifted from an unreleased Usher song called "Ride."

Both records were produced by Rich Harrison, who also "created" Beyoncé's big hit "Crazy in Love" from the Chi-Lites' 1969 recording, "Are You My Woman?"

Harrison apparently liked the horn and percussion parts written by the Chi-Lites. He used almost identical ones for "Ride," aka "Get Right."

His major addition was an off-key horn riff so obnoxious it could wake the dead. It's been consequently dropped from the dance mix of "Get Right" so as to not cause illness in nightclubs.

In order to turn "Ride" into "Get Right," Harrison dropped Usher's lyrics and added a rap by Fabolous called "Get Right." Got that?

Now it turns out that Lopez and Harrison only concocted "Get Right" as a second choice. Their first choice was another "Crazy in Love" sound-alike Harrison had written called "One Thing."

Unfortunately, another shrill hip-hop "singer" named Amerie had been promised that song in advance.

I am told that Lopez tried everything to pry it away from her, but in the end Amerie stood her ground in this celebrity death match and kept it.

Now "Get Right" and "One Thing" are being played back-to-back on radio, and they sound suspiciously alike. If "Crazy in Love" is added as a third record in the sequence, oy vey!

You've got three Rich Harrison productions, two of which are based on the Chi-Lites and two that have a shrieky female lead vocal that can't keep up with the music.

Teri Hatcher Desperate for Oscar's Private Club

Oscar week is in full swing, even thought it really begins tonight.

Last night, "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher — looking fine — played pool up at the Hollywood Hills version of Soho House. This is the second annual temporary L.A. outpost of the London-New York members-only club — it's only open for five days.

Other stars who turned up last night for dinner under the stars and schmoozing included Dennis Hopper, Selma Blair, Hugh Dancy, Joely Fisher, art dealer Tony Shafrazi, Sienna Miller, Skeet Ulrich, Ellen DeGeneres' on-stage deejay Tony Okungbowa, agent Patrick Whitesell and "About a Boy" screenwriter, actor and producer Chris Weitz.

Earlier in the day, Demi Moore, Drew Barrymore and Hatcher were among the famous femmes who enjoyed the spa treatments set up by the Diamond Information Center's Sally Morrison for celebrities passing through Soho House. (DTC is the American name of the DeBeers Group, the global diamond powerhouse.)

Barrymore, according to our sources, showed off a new ring she received — not from her rocker boyfriend, but from her producing partner Nancy Juvonen.

It's a flower, for their Flower Films. It's for friendship and success in business, which the pair has certainly had.

Meanwhile, Oscar arrivals to Hollywood are just about fighting with each other to get dinner reservations at Soho House over the weekend.

One reason: The gourmet food and drink are FREE, since the club is private and foreign and not set up to take money as an eating establishment. And there's nothing actors like better than free food!

Across town, or diagonally, or something: an art gallery opening for sculptor Robert Graham, who is also the husband of Anjelica Huston, attracted an all-star cast last night, including Huston's ex, Jack Nicholson, as well as mogul David Geffen.

Elton Gets Out His Scissors

Elton John will perform on Sunday night at his annual post-Oscar party for the first time in many moons.

I'm told he'll be joined the hot, hot, hot Scissor Sisters. In the past, John has introduced Nelly Furtado, Joss Stone and John Mayer at the fundraiser for his AIDS Foundation.

Interestingly, Elton's party — sponsored by Chopard and to be held at the Pacific Design Center — is the one most celebrities choose to alight at on Oscar night after using Vanity Fair's red carpet as a perp-walk for photo-ops. Among John's guests of honor this year are Jamie Foxx, who is said to have his own late, late-night party planned following John's. ...

Meanwhile, ICM agent Ed Limato's annual Friday night bash has some big competition this year. Nominated director Martin Scorsese is hosting a Black and White night to raise money for his Film Foundation.

Lots of nominees, and all of the actors who've worked with Scorsese, are expected at the Mondrian Hotel's Skybar. This may cut into Limato's crowd, which usually consists of his clients (Denzel Washington, Mel Gibson, Richard Gere) and friends like Diana Ross. Music at the Black and White Party will be supplied by the aforementioned Tony O of DeGeneres' show. ...

And Premiere magazine's late night after-after party at producer Ted Field's house remains the hottest ticket in town. But People magazine will also be sponsoring a late party starting at around 11 p.m., while agents Patrick Whitesell and Rick Yorn toss their own!

Oscar night is destined never to end. That show had better not run past three hours!