She’s Cruzin’ For A Bruisin’

Posted Friday, December 7, 2001 at 9:45 AM Central

by Heather Koehler

Hot pepper Penelope Cruz has found herself caught in a nice little scheme set up by Paramount, the studio behind the upcoming blockbuster Vanilla Sky.

Journalists nationwide were invited to a press junket and promised time with the Spanish star. But when the writers arrived they were told they must cover Orange County, a low-budget film from the studio, before they could speak with Ms. Cruz, Orange County on Saturday and Penelope on Sunday.

“Unless I agree to send a reporter to do Orange County on Saturday, I couldn’t have Penelope Cruz on Sunday,” one veteran news producer complained. “It was out-and-out extortion.”