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The Spark Files | Jan. 7, 2026: Need-to-Know News, Watercooler Moments & What’s Sparking Conversation
Your weekly Spark Hamptons news update covering the stories everyone’s talking about in the Hamptons, NYC, Palm Beach, and beyond.
New Year’s Eve Goes Viral With Anderson Cooper & Andy Cohen on CNN
Remember when drinking on air was taboo for news organizations? That feels like ancient history. Daytime doyennes Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb turned sipping wine at 10 a.m. into appointment television on Today, and in recent years, New Year’s Eve broadcasts have evolved into something closer to a competitive happy hour.
The Shots Heard ’Round the World
So did CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen take it too far this year?
After several shots, Cohen’s comments about outgoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams—made just after the ball dropped—went viral.
“I’d like to say, watching the final moments of Mayor Adams’ chaotic, horrible…” Cohen began, trailing off.
Guest B.J. Novak suggested Cohen be “cut off,” saying “he can’t help himself,” as Cooper wrapped an arm around his co-host. Cohen, shot glass in hand, pressed on:
“You pardoned your way through four years and all the clubs. We’ll see you there.”
After his truth-serum tirade, Cohen tossed Adams a sarcastic olive branch:
“I think he may have dented the rat population.”
Eric Adams’ Parting Shot
Adams responded on X on Jan. 1 with a blistering post:
“Another sloppy drunken rant. If anyone actually cares about him, they’ll tell him to get help. New Yorkers aren’t laughing with him. They are concerned about him… Seek help. AAA: Andy’s Alcohol Anonymous.”
Did Andy Cohen Have Work Done?
Cohen’s refreshed appearance also sparked plastic surgery chatter. He addressed it on Threads, admitting to “the smallest amount of Botox,” losing 20 pounds, and wearing “a lot of makeup.”
Makeup or not, the A-team delivered CNN’s second-highest New Year’s Eve ratings in the network’s 20-year history, averaging 4.5 million viewers between midnight and 12:30 a.m., according to Nielsen. That’s a 21% jump in total viewers and a 35% increase among adults 25–54—a real shot in the arm for 2027.
Dunking With Don Lemon
Once banned from drinking on CNN’s New Year’s Eve, Don Lemon returned—unfiltered and fully festive—broadcasting live from New Orleans on The Don Lemon Show. The independent stream, which surpassed one million YouTube subscribers in November, featured sparkly jackets, local revelry, and rum-heavy cocktails.
Dubbed “The King of New Year’s Is Back,” Lemon’s broadcast doubled as a fundraiser for Manning Family Children’s Hospital, honoring his late sister with a dunk tank event dubbed “Donate to Dunk Don.”
NYE Ratings Winner: Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
The alcohol-free broadcast still reigns supreme. ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, dominated primetime with 19.53 million viewers in the 11:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m. ET hour—a four-year high and a 9% increase over last year.
Highlights included an 81-year-old Diana Ross, still commanding the stage, and Mariah Carey—who could have been home warm and cozy, counting her December royalties from “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
NYC’s New Mayor—and the 4630 Boots That Stole the Spotlight
Just hours after Zohran Mamdani was sworn in on Jan. 1 as NYC’s 112th mayor—the first Muslim and first South Asian elected to the office—attention shifted to his wife, Rama Duwaji, and her $630 black leather Miista “Shelley Boots.”
Critics cried hypocrisy, citing campaign messages centered on affordability. Others shrugged: She’s 28, an artist, and holds no official role. It’s called style.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in on Instagram, labeling the couple “classic Communists” and criticizing the boots as “worth your weekly paycheck.”
If the Show Fits … Borrow It
But there was a toe jam. Duwaji didn’t buy the boots. Stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson later confirmed the entire outfit was borrowed, with the boots loaned by the brand.
The backlash then boomeranged—first onto Leavitt’s own designer wardrobe (and a reportedly $50K diamond cross), then onto Melania Trump’s inauguration fashion.
The real questions remain: Do most socialists have stylists? And is $630 really “luxury” footwear?
Not in the Hamptons, Rama. Not in the Hamptons.
Moral of the story: Fashion outrage travels faster than policy.
What Were You Doing on New Year’s Eve?
Joy Behar and husband Steve Janowitz dined at Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor before catching a four-comedian lineup at Bay Street Theater.
“I don’t think they knew I was in the audience,” Behar said, “but one comedian referenced The View—saying that all we do is fight—which of course isn’t true—yet our names are Joy, Sunny, and Whoopi. It was kinda funny.”
Also spotted at Tutto: former NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele and wife Nancy Lynn. Nearby, producer Donna Rubin and Hamptons photographer Lisa Tamburini toasted the end of 2025—and another trip around the sun for Tamburini.
Billy Joel Rings in 2026 in Palm Beach
Music legend Billy Joel made a surprise appearance at Wellington’s New Year’s kickoff party, celebrating the town’s 30th anniversary by joining the Billy Joel tribute band Turnstile and did a two-song set: “We Didn’t Start the Fire” and “Big Shot.”
Joel, who owns Middlesea Farms in Wellington, is recovering from a medical condition and received a rousing welcome.
Holiday House Heads to Wellington
Speaking of Wellington, Holiday House Designs launches 2026 with its inaugural Holiday House Wellington Designer Showhouse on March 3.
Two fully designed homes will be open for two months, with proceeds benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
@bcrcure | holidayhouse.nyc.com
When One Restaurant Closes …
After 48 years on W. 44th Street, Café Un Deux Trois closed on Jan. 4. C’est dommage.
The legendary French restaurant hosted everyone from David Bowie and Al Pacino to Bette Midler, Meryl Streep, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter—who reportedly had their own table, No. 18.
The cassoulet, croque monsieur, and steak frites will be deeply missed.
… Another One Opens
Tutto Il Giorno’s Gianpaolo de Felice and Gabby Karan de Felice have opened Tutto Mare in Palm Beach—the town’s first intracoastal waterfront restaurant—at Royal Poinciana Plaza.
The 200-seat restaurant features two wine rooms, a 1,200-square-foot terrace overlooking Lake Worth Lagoon, and a restored 1950s trompe l’oeil mural in the Celebrity Room honoring celebrity regulars like Clark Gable and Joan Crawford.
Bernstein & Couric to Be Honored
A strong nod to journalism … Carl Bernstein and Katie Couric will be honored at Guild Hall’s 40th Annual Achievement of the Arts Dinner on April 27 at the Rainbow Room.
Each honoree will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Media & Communications. Academy President Susan Stroman hosts. guildhall.org
A Hampton Rabbi Heads South
Rabbi Josh Franklin, senior rabbi of the Jewish Center of the Hamptons for nine years, will relocate to Palm Beach Gardens in summer 2026 to become co-senior rabbi of Temple Judea.
Shabbat on the Beach won’t be the same.
We’ll never forget how he hit a game-winning ground double in the bottom of the 9th at the Artists & Writers Game in 2022, coming in as a pinch hitter who no one had heard of, and leaving as the game’s MVP.
Gettin’ Freezin for a Reason
Polar plunges are in—and raising serious funds.
- The Dec. 13 Polar Bear Plunge at Cooper’s Beach raised $350K for Heart of the Hamptons. (See Polar Bear Plunge photos by Ron Esposito, here.)
- New Year’s Day plungers at East Hampton’s Main Beach raised $15,000 for the East Hampton Pantry. (see New Year’s Day Polar plunge pics by Ron Esposito, here.)
Special kudos to new Amagansett School Principal Dr. Robert Vrisbane for taking the icy dip and to the student council—for the fourth year running.
That’s it for this week’s Spark Files.
**Have a tip, item, or photo? Send it to: angela@sparkhamptons.com
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Angela LaGreca, Editor, SparkHamptons
