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that followed a group of D-list celebrities with previous reality credentials as they battle for their chance to shine with their own show. But, midway through the show, he walked away from production. He cited not wanting to have his young children subjected to cameras inside their home.
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while he was married to his first wife. Upon discovering this information, Benza offered to provide
Weinstein with gossip that would draw attention away from his affair. This was the beginning of a partnership between the two to preserve Weinstein's name.
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against
Weinstein began reaching the press in 2017, Weinstein reached out to Benza asking for his help. He discussed paying Benza "up to $ 20,000 a month" to investigate the claims made against him. Weinstein did not follow up on this offer.
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A clerk at a Los
Angeles art studio where he commissioned a gift for Mr. Weinstein — a painting of a reimagined "Hollywood" sign reading "Harveywood" — volunteered to Mr. Benza that a friend, Georgina Chapman, was seeing the
217:. It was on this show that Benza popularized the catchphrase "Fame, ain't it a bitch," which later became the title of his autobiography. The show ran for three seasons between 1998 and 2000.
361:, a film based on the award-winning YA book by Sarah Weeks. The movie premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in the summer. That same year he struck a deal with ReelzChannel to host
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for the show's sixth season. He wrote an open letter expressing his discontent with network executives at GSN in a post on his blog titled "Flop, A Turn, and a River of Shit".
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in the face, alleging
Melendez was screening out positive listener calls about him. Melendez then made a prank call making fun of the failure of
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He is currently married and living in Los
Angeles, CA, with his wife and two kids, Roxy and Rocco.
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Twohey, Megan; Kantor, Jodi; Dominus, Susan; Rutenberg, Jim; Eder, Steve (December 5, 2017).
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and was soon hired full-time as a gossip columnist for that paper and eventually for the
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shortly after his birth. He has two sisters, Rosalie and
Lorraine. After graduating from
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and paired Kaplan and Benza in the commentary booth for the first time since Season 5.
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718:"Harvey Weinstein Reportedly Tried to Hire Gossip Writer to Investigate His Accusers"
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The following year Benza turned his energies to film and executive produced
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In 2001, Benza had a short-lived late-night E! talk show known as
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and scandals involving celebrities, which necessitated a move to
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in the mid-1990s. This led to appearances on talk shows such as
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Soon after leaving the paper, Benza was offered a job hosting
691:"Harvey Weinstein had complicit network helping him: report"
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Benza also had an acting role as L.C. Luco in the 2006 film
151:. It was as a gossip columnist that he began appearing on
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He appeared as a co-host on the first five seasons of
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609:"BENZA...NEAT: A FLOP, A TURN and a RIVER of SHIT"
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547:"The Return Of AJ Benza. 10/01/04. 8:50am"
260:, a comedy film, starring and directed by
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528:Clearly, A.J. Benza don't belong to Mensa
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323:. Benza appeared on the sixth season of
272:In 2006, Benza hosted the reality show
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139:During college Benza began writing for
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553:from the original on October 1, 2004.
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251:. He appeared again in October 2004.
111:, though he moved with his family to
383:and RadarOnline. His daily podcast,
372:In 2020, Benza guest starred in the
752:Online interview at The Black Table
716:Arnold, Amanda (December 2, 2017).
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629:Maglio, Tony (December 10, 2020).
342:, a reality competition series on
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812:People from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
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807:People from West Islip, New York
660:"Weinstein's Complicity Machine"
297:. He was replaced by poker pro
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403:In 2003, Benza became aware of
183:, and various other television
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607:Benza, Aj (October 11, 2009).
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506:O'NEILL, ANN (July 22, 2001).
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478:Lavin, Cheryl (May 14, 2001).
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434:, Miramax Books: May 2, 2001.
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350:In 2015, Benza's second book,
235:, Benza punched Stern staffer
187:. He was later fired from the
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417:sexual harassment allegations
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451:, Gallery Books: July 2015.
399:Harvey Weinstein allegations
363:Demons in the City of Angels
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480:"Returning to high society"
367:Case Closed with A.J. Benza
336:In 2008, Benza appeared in
153:E! Entertainment Television
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237:"Stuttering John" Melendez
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564:"P.S. Your Cat Is Dead!"
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254:In 2002, he starred in
587:benzaneat.blogspot.com
431:Fame, Ain't it a Bitch
257:P.S. Your Cat is Dead!
209:, a program detailing
206:Mysteries and Scandals
121:West Islip High School
792:Writers from Brooklyn
517:– via LA Times.
508:"His Fifteen Minutes"
339:Gimme My Reality Show
232:The Howard Stern Show
180:The Maury Povich Show
105:Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
40:Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
772:American infotainers
376:series "Gravesend".
199:Relationship with E!
113:West Islip, New York
189:New York Daily News
148:New York Daily News
85:Alfred Joseph Benza
35:Alfred Joseph Benza
797:Poker commentators
697:. December 5, 2017
665:The New York Times
326:Celebrity Fit Club
268:Recent appearances
103:Benza was born in
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458:978-1-4767-3878-9
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311:High Stakes Poker
286:High Stakes Poker
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724:February 7,
701:February 7,
671:February 6,
491:January 14,
394:Controversy
344:Fox Reality
308:relaunched
291:Gabe Kaplan
241:After Hours
215:Los Angeles
211:true crimes
193:Pete Hamill
117:Long Island
76:Rocco Benza
766:Categories
465:References
299:Kara Scott
191:by editor
185:talk shows
125:journalism
99:Early life
78:Roxy Benza
720:. The Cut
678:producer.
304:In 2020,
293:) on the
168:Hard Copy
695:CBS News
640:July 27,
551:Archived
531:Archived
359:So B. It
73:Children
44:New York
25:AJ Benza
635:TheWrap
569:Variety
306:PokerGO
162:Geraldo
142:Newsday
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135:Career
65:Spouse
415:When
747:IMDb
726:2018
703:2018
673:2018
642:2021
616:2018
594:2018
515:2018
493:2019
454:ISBN
437:ISBN
365:and
245:WXRK
91:and
31:Born
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331:VH1
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