Sotheby’s auction house is enjoying a renaissance since moving to Madison Avenue from Yorkville. Now “the ladies who lunch” are dropping in on a daily basis.
Sotheby’s moved into the former home of the Whitney Museum, on the corner of E. 75th St., and promptly set two records.
Gustav Klimt’s 1914 painting “Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer,” from the trove of the Leonard Lauder collection, went for $236 million, the highest price for any work ever sold by the auction house. A 1940 Frida Kahlo self-portrait, titled “The Dream (The Bed),” was hammered down for nearly $55 million, setting a new record for any female artist.
This image provided by Sotheby’s shows Gustav Klimt’s “Bildnis Elisabeth Lederer” (Portrait of Elisabeth Lederer), which sold for $236.4 million at auction Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in New York. (Sotheby’s via AP)
One source said, “Sotheby’s was losing money before on York Avenue, and the staff was worried about losing jobs in a soft art market. What a difference a few blocks makes.”
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Hollywood’s hottest rumored couple has got to be Glen Powell, who stars in “The Running Man,” and Michelle Randolph, who plays the skimpily attired daughter of Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman.”
The cute duo were spotted line dancing last weekend in his hometown of Austin, Texas.
Randolph was also with Powell earlier in the month when he made his hosting debut on “Saturday Night Live.” The two posed for a group photo with friends, including Powell’s one-time roommate, “Glee” alum Chord Overstreet.
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Hollywood jeweler Neil Lane — whose clients have included Zoe Saldana, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Reese Witherspoon, Lady Gaga and Madonna — just celebrated the launch of his new book “Radiance and Reverie” at Isabelle Bscher’s Galerie Gmurzynska in the Fuller Building on E. 57th St.
Guests included jewelry historian Marion Fasel, who introduced Lane’s talk, as well as Lynn Yaeger, Fabiola Beracasa, Wendy Fisher, Lionel Geneste, Christine Cheng, Levi Higgs, Lee and Lili Siegelson, and “Of Air and Men” author Damien Lay.
Attendees perused a rare collection of Paul Flato jewelry, paintings by Joan Miró and Roberto Matta, and key works by Wifredo Lam, whose retrospective is currently on view at MoMA.
Lane shared stories about Mae West’s diamond bracelet, and gems owned by Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich while signing copies of his book.
Lane has also been designing the engagement rings for ABC’s “Bachelor” franchise for nearly 20 years and said the first ring was inspired by Jean Harlow’s wedding band.
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‘Tis the season for sugarplums and cozy evenings by the fire, but not for the star of “The Verdict with Judge Hatchett.”
Glenda Hatchett, who’s been on the TV bench since 2000, is not only practicing real law with the Stewart Miller Simmons firm in her hometown of Atlanta, her honor has also added fashion muse to her docket.
Glenda Hatchett attends The Gordon Parks Foundation Awards Dinner and Auction 2025 at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 20, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Gordon Parks Foundation)
Known for her love of vibrant prints and textures, Judge Hatchett caught the eye of New York designer Cesar Galindo during his recent Fashion Week show, and the pair became instant besties.
Judge Hatchett, who later enjoyed a private fitting at Galindo’s Manhattan showroom, will be debuting special selections from his Spring 2026 collection as she gears up for her 25th anniversary on the air.
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The annual fundraising dinner for the Museum of Jewish Heritage began when Julianna Margulies, who served as emcee for the event, introduced the parents of Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old New Jersey native who was released in May after being held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 584 days.
Julianna Margulies and Michael Rapaport. (Getty Images)
The highlight of the event was a 15-minute impassioned speech by Michael Rapaport, who said that even though acting roles have been harder to come by due to his unabashed defense of Israel throughout the Gaza conflict, he would do it all over again.
In the audience were newly named Board Chairman Daniel S. Loeb, “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Jackie Goldschneider, fashion designer Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss and billionaire businessman Larry Silverstein, the developer of the rebuilt World Trade Center.
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Wall Street executive Joseph Hernandez has launched his campaign for New York state comptroller, seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic incumbent Tom DiNapoli.
“The state comptroller must be a strong, independent, fiscal champion, who stands up for taxpayers and restores confidence in New York’s finances,” Hernandez said. “I’m a business builder, not a career politician.”
Joseph Hernandez (@hernandezfornyc / X.com)
Born in Cuba and raised in Florida after fleeing the Castro regime, Hernandez built a career taking multiple health care companies public. He previously ran for New York City mayor as an independent against Zohran Mamdani.
“My father was held prisoner by Fidel Castro because of his political beliefs,” Hernandez said. “When a communist won the Democratic primary for mayor, I felt an obligation to step forward to defend freedom and the American Dream.”
Hernandez says the comptroller’s office must “serve as an essential check on the incoming Mamdani administration while protecting taxpayers and ensuring accountability.”
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Bartolo “Big Sexy” Colón — who pitched for the Yankees, the Mets and nine other MLB teams — teamed up with SOMOS Community Care founder Dr. Ramon Tallaj to hand out 4,200 turkeys and 10,000 pounds of groceries from Goya Foods in Washington Heights ahead of Thanksgiving.
Former New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon throws the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Sunday, May 7, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Since its founding in 2015, SOMOS has provided tens of thousands of turkeys to New York families in need.
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Patti Smith celebrated the 50th anniversary of her first album, “Horses,” at the Beacon Theatre with Clive Davis, who made it all happen.
Davis was sitting third row center and received a standing ovation from the crowd as he walked to his seat.
Smith performed the entire album and then came back and did an encore of “Because the Night.” The crowd got an added bonus when Michael Stipe, who fronted R.E.M., got up on stage and performed with Smith.
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Ne-Yo — currently in NYC to make his Broadway debut in Alicia Keys’ musical “Hell’s Kitchen” — stepped out last weekend to support fellow singer Celina Savage.
Ne-Yo and Celina Savage attend Savage’s Album Release Party on November 22, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
The listening party for her debut album, “Baby Names,” was held at a private space in SoHo and attracted music industry insiders like producer Alex Da Kid and rapper Sleepy Hallow.
Celina, 19, opened for Robin Thicke at a Hamptons charity event in August.
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Jay Leno — with more than 180 cars and 160 motorcycles in his collection, worth a staggering $100 million — took the wheel of a rare 1934 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood Town Sedan on his YouTube show “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
The comedian, joined by the car’s owner Steve Nannini, drove the enormous Cadillac, stretching over 20 feet long, on the streets near his massive garage in Burbank, Calif.
Engineered for royalty, just 206 of these Cadillacs were built, with only 53 surviving today.
Leno marveled at the Caddie’s solid walnut interior and how smoothly the car handled the road.
In between jokes, Leno said, “For three and a half tons, it steers pretty nicely! … The transmission is fabulous; you’d think you’re in a modern car.”
The Cadillac, which represents the peak of American pre-war luxury and engineering, is being offered for sale by M.S. Rau in New Orleans for $1.25 million.
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Out & About: Meryl Streep, Martin Short and Victor Garber lunching at West Bank Cafe in Hell’s Kitchen … Jerry Seinfeld and Colin Quinn at Shelly Fireman‘s memorial at the Redeye Grill … Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen and TV writer Mike Schur at a screening of “A Man on the Inside” at the Robin Williams Center … Bill Whitaker, David Muir, Peter Alexander, Rick Dees, Dr. Judy Kuriansky and Carmen D’Alessio at Gotham Hall for the Giants of Broadcasting luncheon.