Last month, we spewed the tale of Rolling Stone photo director Jodi Peckman, whose intra-office minglings got her fired back in 1998. History, of course, repeats itself ???????? and she didn’t abide by Jann Wenner‘s warnings to quit masquerading with then RS managing editor Sid Holt (who’s now at VNU).
So where is Jodi now? An insider tells us she’s still coming to work each day at 1290 Sixth and busies herself with convincing Jann that her romantic relationship with Holt is long over. Meanwhile, she’s hunting for a gig with Corbis should Jann not take the bait.
Jann, however, isn’t so pleased his lion’s den is filled with loose lips, so he’s had Wenner’s IT guys hunting for the leak. And, well, he may have found it. The last email from our insider included only this very curt line:
Dont respond to this email address, Wenner IT has hacked into it
But surely if Wenner’s SWAT team can access an anonymous free email account, they’d be able to troll through Jodi Peckman’s outbox as well.
Oh, Rolling Stone magazine. When not endorsing Madonna‘s geriatric routine or crowning Bono as the king of rock again (again), it’s a great place to breed a gossip-worthy love affair. Just look at Jann Wenner‘s celebration of traditional family values: hanging on to wife Jane while shagging partner Matt Nye in full view of the Michael’s crowd.
With the bar set so high, we thought fellow Wennerites might have a hard time topping the boss’ feats. Luckily, there’s Jodi Peckman to prove us wrong.
Who’s Jodi Peckman? She’s the Rolling Stone photography director that might just earn herself a second go-round in the Wenner firing machine. You see, back in 1998 the 20-plus year RS vet was unceremoniously flung from Jann’s den of systematic order when he learned she had spent the last year shagging Sid Holt, then Rolling Stone‘s managing editor. Surprise, surprise: Holt got the boot too. (Technically, Jann got rid of Holt, while Holt’s replacement Bob Love summarily ousted Peckman.)
Peckman dallied around the photo offices of FHM for a bit until Maximer Ed Needham headed to Rolling Stone and brought Peckman in through his velvet rope. Holt, the one-time Us Weekly editorial director who joined Wenner in ’84, has since moved on to plusher plains at VNU, where he went from AdWeek Group editor-in-chief to director of VNU Business Media in January ’05.
All was rainbows and snowflakes from there, right? Uh, no.
You see, Peckman and Holt (whose personal motto is “More. Better. Faster.”) have been continuing their affair, and it’s a not-so-well-kept secret at 1290 Sixth. Everyone on staff knows they’re sleeping together — some even having been privy to nude photos Peckman had photog Isabelle Snyder take as a gift for Holt, which we’re told were only recently removed from a web gallery, much to the dismay of staffers.
Well, not everyone on staff knows. There’s one guy in in particular still in the dark: Jann Wenner.
Granted, even we’re reluctant to believe Jann is out of the loop. But then again, he does think reality TV could save his magazine, so we can roll with it. And it’s Jann’s obliviousness that’s keeping Peckman on his payroll.
Meanwhile, she and Holt continue to canoodle (oh you know we had to say it) on company time, taking lunch dates at China Grill or Brasserie — and never Michael’s. For after work drinks, it’s “some place close to Grand Central, on his way home to his wife and kids, or close to her place in the East 60s, for a quickie, [at] Gino’s [or the] Four Seasons.” Oh, we didn’t mention Holt is married with kids? Our bad. (Quick tangent then: When Holt’s wife learned of the affair, she kicked him out, forcing him to move in with Peckman for a short time. Wifey has since taken him back, “stupidly,” according to our insider.)
So how is Jann still not in the know? Perhaps it’s his own denial.
No one wants to tell Jann, he has some odd fondness for her. They hang out with Sheila Rogers, Karen Johnston, [Wenner mouthpiece] Cathy O’Brien, [former editor of now defunct Sync] Tony Romando (I think they even went to his wedding together) — I bet even [former Wenner PR flack] Stu Zakim knew. They are not what one would call discreet.
And what about current managing editor Will Dana? Check! Will is a willing participant in the “cover up.”
Now, while our insider claims “EVERYONE knows” (except Jann) about Peckman and Holt, the question arises: Why is our source so willing to dish? Sure, our source might have an agenda to push, but we’re content in knowing maybe this person just wants to turn Jann’s world of “everything in its place” into a clusterfuck. And for that, we applaud. (It’s probably time we mention that when asked about all of this, Rolling Stone’s spokesperson issued a standard, “No comment.”)
One last bit: In the enusing melee of all this, there is one person with a smile on her face. That’s former RS fashion director Patti O’Brien, who got booted when (get this) Jodi wanted her office. Last we heard, O’Brien relocated with the same masthead position to, of all things, Men’s Journal – a Wenner title – replacing Vicky McGarry.
BONUS: After the jump, some fun facts we’ve gleaned about both Peckman and Holt.
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