Tabloid Prodigy: Dishing the Dirt, Getting the Gossip, and Selling My Soul in the Cutthroat World of Hollywood Reporting

by Marlise Elizabeth Kast

“Hollywood’s Hottest Couple Exchange Mystery Rings!” “The Truth Behind Screen Beauty’s Pregnancy Rumors!” “Song Diva Sneaks Past Airport Security and Lands Behind Bars!” “TV’s Favorite Childhood Star Faces Drinking and Drug Charges!” “Teen Beauty Downplays Anorexia Rumors with Hot Dog!” “Hollywood’s Favorite Funnyman Has Secret Love Child!” “Couple Goes Head to Head in Custody Battle!” Who writes these stories? Marlise Kast used to. In fact, she was so good at it, at such a young age, she was considered a “tabloid prodigy.” Marlise, the daughter of a minister, grew up in a loving, conservative, slightly sheltered family, and aspired to a career as a respected journalist or television news anchor. She was perhaps the least likely person to become a star reporter for Globe. But, right out of college, with a journalism degree and few job prospects, she became a tabloid writer, playing the high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities. There was almost nothing Marlise wouldn’t do to get the story behind the celebrity facade. Dumpster diving and hiding in the bushes were child’s play compared to ploys like posing as a drunk to crash one star’s wedding or bluffing her way through the L.A. Police Department to confirm the DUI of another celeb’s daughter. Using a combination of charm and brains, Marlise convinced co-workers, waiters, bouncers and bartenders to confess the juicy secrets of Hollywood stars. On the red carpet and VIP guest lists, she assumed countless identities, including those of a florist, a tennis player, a mourner, and a bridesmaid.Along the way, though, Marlise continually wondered: was she abandoning her principles in exchange for a shot at celebrity reporting? Torn between her journalistic duties and her moral responsibilities, Marlise tried to ignore the battle with her conscience, telling herself this wasn’t a permanent job, just a stepping stone to a more respectable career. Right? This riveting and entertaining memoir is full of her outrageous-but-true tabloid experiences. Marlise’s narrative details the behind-the-scenes deals, manipulations, and deceptions used to break the big stories. In an industry where turnover is high, and loyalty low, Marlise survived multiple bosses, a rotating roster of photographers, professional shenanigans, terrifying situations, and comical predicaments, as well as legal threats from some of the celebrities and “personalities” she wrote about. She eventually wrote over 200 articles for the tabloids. Her biggest story, though, is the one she’s never told before; how-after a dangerous high-speed chase, a corporate betrayal of her trust, and the doubts that continued to plague her-Marlise came face-to-face with a story her conscience would not allow her to tell. After so many years of lying about who she really was, Marlise had to discover her own truth. As this riveting memoir reveals, her redemption is more honest and personal than any celebrity news she’s ever reported.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Bob Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the book. I hope she one day writes another one similar to this one. A couple things I didn't like about the book was: Her journey sounded completely exhausting and crazy, but that's what it takes when you work for a tabloid newspaper. The book didn't have any pictures that would be interesting to the readers, ones that would be OK to use like pics of her and her family and her Scottish boyfriend at the time.

[huntsmanic · Rating 5 out of 5]

a tremendously fun read. and i am tremendously biased: marlise kast is an old friend. it's about the years right after college when she magically created herself a job as a reporter for the globe. i just bought it last week, and am really enjoying it; one of the early highlights is her getting into william shatner's 50-guest wedding reception by pretending to be drunk and pee in the bushes--this after being turned away at the gate, to which she brought a big lavender tiffany's box with a pickle dish in it.

this led to a fun email string -

i've always liked you, marlise. and now ... what can i do but marvel at the retardedly high extremes of likeability to which you've traveled: you brought a pickle dish to william shatner's wedding... you gave william shatner a pickle dish. a tiny wittle dish in a big purple box, for him to put his pickles in.
--
a great deal of thought went into that purchase. it was either that or a key chain, but the key chain would have come in a pouch. couldn't do that to shatner.
--
1) no, i don't expect you could

2) couldn't do that to shatner is destined to become a fantastic hit song, a party song, maybe with a scissor sisters disco rock kind of sound, like

3) whoa-oh / you can't do that to the shat / no no / can't get on the list / put his pickles in a dish, oh no / i said you can't / can't ride the shatner / dip his fish in your batter / oh yeah / best bring a platter / or a dish if you wish / to ever do that to shatner / if you wanna do that to the shat / oh yeah / oh, no.

[Bob Andelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are people who read supermarket tabloids and – aw, wait a minute. We all know everybody reads the tabs, why lie?

And if there are that many readers, there have to be some pretty good writers and editors. Writers such as Marlise Elizabeth Kast of Globe magazine.

Marlise spent three years at Globe, covering the likes of Morgan Freeman and Mary Bono, Bobby Brown and Madonna, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

She lived through it and wrote a book, Tabloid Prodigy: Dishing the Dirt, Getting the Gossip, and Selling My Soul in the Cutthroat World of Hollywood Reporting.

Listen to my podcast interview with Marlise here: https://mrmedia.com/2008/08/marlise-k...

[Lou · Rating 2 out of 5]

A somewhat depressing read if you're a starry-eyed would be reporter. It could be uplifting if you're truly interested in exploiting celebrities for a buck.

[Samantha]

I'm embarrassed to be reading this. And embarrassed that I don't know whether or not I spelled embarrassed wrong.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this book very much so far...Marlise is a fearless tabloid reporter, with many insights into the Hollywood media scene...

[MelMel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look into the inner workings of the gossip-mongers. I had no idea it was so cutthroat.

[Genevieve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying the book until i met the author and then i didn't like it as much. It was an interesting turn of events.