Did Beyoncé sent a look-alike to a meeting so that she could go shopping? Who does she think she's fooling?
—Beth, New Harmony, Ind.
The people of Vienna, apparently. Officials at a highbrow Austrian art museum were quoted today as saying that Beyoncé Knowles blew off a private tour they had arranged just for her—and sent a look-alike to meet them instead.
But is it true? Maybe not...
New reports surfacing from Vienna say a radio station is to blame for the mixup, not Beyoncé or her camp.
While the real star was taking a walk in the city, just before her Vienna concert, a prankster from the radio station Kronehit called the prestigious Albertina museum. They claimed to be Knowles' manager and asked for a last-minute private tour, the broadcaster confessed to the outlet Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
Original reports had Beyoncé blowing off the private tour in favor of a shopping trip around Vienna. As for Beyoncé's people, they didn't immediately comment. Beyoncé's publicist's look-alike didn't immediately comment either.
To be fair, many a celeb has employed a decoy; veteran publicist Howard Bragman says stars often recruit them through security firms or even casting agencies.
But the motive is usually safety or privacy, not a day lollygagging in a changing room. Katie Holmes has reportedly used look-alikes and decoy cars to avoid photographers, for example. Ditto Michael Jackson.
Even Jamie Lynn Spears, whose fame wattage falls somewhere between phosphorescent fungi and a stick-up bulb, has spurred safety officials to recruit look-alikes to divert paparazzi.
(Inexplicably, Paris Hilton once reportedly presented a decoy of the famous dog Tinkerbell at a movie set. Hilton denied the dog was anything but 100 percent Tinkerbell, but come on. The dog's nail color was so totally different.)
As for Beyoncé, she was in Austria to perform a concert. I am happy to confirm that the woman on stage was really her.
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