When Hilary Duff hosted a party at the new hot spot Tropicana Bar at the legendary Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to celebrate being named the latest Candie’s girl, she went nuts when a squirrelly guest crashed her bash.
It’s not what you think: as fuscia-clad Hilary was entering the party with an entourage of giggly gal pals and handlers, a gigantic gray squirrel darted out of the palm-lined path, provoking horrified shrieks from the ladies. Some of the girls climbed up a metal fence in their minis to escape the valiant varmint, who’d stop and stay statue still before suddenly charging them again. A squealing Hilary tried to dodge the nasty little nutcracker, but the sky-high heels of her Candies were designed more for club-hopping than running, and she nearly toppled over. Fortunately, her big, burly bodyguard was on hand to shoo the squirrel off and whisk Hilary–who later said she’s been terrified of mad squirrels since watching a TV docu-item on them–to higher ground.
The squirrel was summarily ejected when his name wasn’t on the list. Just kidding: I think he went back to his tree and ordered acorns from room service.
Once the party crasher moved on, the rest of the bash-which also served to launch Hilary‘s summer concert tour and show off the Candie’s at Kohl’s junior brand found exclusively at Kohl’s-went swimmingly, with a Who’s Who of Young Hollywood showing up–including Hilary’s sis Haley Duff, Frankie Muniz, Michelle Trachtenberg, Nicky Hilton (with her Entourage beau Kevin Connolly), Tyler Hilton, Jason Biggs, Eddie Kay Thomas, Desperate Housewives” Andrea Bowen, Spy Kids” Alexa Vega, Napoleon Dynamite‘s Efrem Ramirez, Hustle & Flow‘s Taryn Manning and Unscripted’s Jennifer Hall.
The of-agers safely sipped Red Bull and vodka or champagne and noshed on mini-cheesburgers and fries. There was, I noted, a decided absence of mixed nuts.
