Hilary Duff denies her engagement and tells me she “doesn’t know” why she and boyfriend Mike Comrie are good together at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of War, Inc.

The Duffster shakes off my question with a pained face and flick of the wrists as she walks away, disappointing the slew of reporters shoving their tape recorders out.

Oh well. She will talk about her date with the scorpion down her pants in the thriller. Hilary, 20, plays an oversexed Eastern European pop star.

“Working with the scorpion was scary,” she says. “It was real. We did it about four times. They were like ‘we have a fake one here, but it looks terrible’ and I was like ‘I’ve done this for the movie, and this and this and this’ – I can’t back out now. I’ve gotta go for it. All the guys on set were telling me that they would never do this.”

Hilary is on her way to join sister Haylie inside the theater as co-star Marisa Tomei is escorted inside by her team without a word for anyone. (What’s up?)

Luckily, Montel Williams and wife are happy to chat.

“I’m just the voice,” he tells me. “I’m excited tonight because I get to see it for the first time.”

Director Joshua Seftel tells me the scorpions got special treatment on set.

“We had two. We had an extra scorpion in case one of them got tired. This is the first movie I’ve worked on that had a scorpion wrangler on the set, and they were in charge of the scorpions.”

He assures me Hilary was safe just in case anything went awry.

He adds, “It was so brave and bold and smart of her to do this role. I loved that she embraced it.”

War, Inc. opens in limited release May 23.

 

Pick up the OK! on newsstands now for more coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Questions about her family and personal life are off-limits at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of the Rumer Willis thriller From Within. Only questions about fashion and film will be permitted less than 24 hours after the spawn of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis enjoyed a night out with Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford. (This is always the policy when there’s a scandal brewing.)

Rumer’s white Stella McCartney dress is drooping on the concrete as reporters pepper her with fashion questions. She’s very media-savvy.

How does she choose her roles?

“I don’t discriminate whether it’s a big studio movie or an indie, but what I look for are finding characters that will either push me outside of my comfort zone and challenge me or do things that I want to explore.”

While shooting in Maryland, Rumer, 19, and her co-stars liked to hit the local Applebees. “The scene at Applebees is hoppin’, man,” she says. “We had a great time. In Aberdeen, Maryland, there’s not too many things to do. I like to order chicken fingers and french fries.”

Last question. What does she make of the Chace Crawford romance rumors? “Huh?” she says, as her rep shoos her away.

Here comes dad Bruce with his girlfriend. “I’m very excited for her,” she says. “I’m a big fan.”

No wonder Rumer’s sensitive about her famous family.

“You can’t help but notice her similarities [to her parents],” director Phedon Papamichael tells me. “Sometimes she sounds or looks like Demi, sometimes she’s like Bruce. I try not to think in those boxes. She’ll find her own identity I’m sure.”

From Within is in theaters August 29.

 

Pick up the OK! on newsstands now for more coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Mariah Carey lets her facial expressions do the talking during the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her drama Tennessee.

As the whirlwind that is Mariah slides through, reporters shout out their questions. What does she look for in a man? “Who says I’m looking?” she responds. Well then, is she taken? She smiles, turns and makes a “wouldn’t you like to know” face. What about Nick Cannon? There’s that look – again.

Days later she married the actor!

 

To take the spotlight off the engagement ring, Mariah is showing off her other hand bandaged with a pink Hello Kitty band-aid to cover up a bite her dog Jack gave her. “People keep shaking my hand really hard, like ‘hi’ and I’m like ‘get off my freaking dog bite!’” she says. “So anyways, if I’m wearing a band-aid, I thought it might as well be a cute one. Everyone’s making it a whole dramatic moment about the band-aid. Golly. Really! It’s a band-aid.”

Executive producer Sarah Siegel Magness tells me, “Jack is very important to her. She’s very loving with him. If you don’t have kids, animals are extra important to you.”

Anything we don’t know about Mariah?

“She is an incredibly intelligent human being,” she tells me. “E=MC2, which is the name of her album, makes sense. She’s such a strong business woman.”

Let’s hope Tennessee puts Glitter to shame.

 

Pick up the OK! on newsstands now for more coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester knows how to make an entrance – even if it’s eight hours after she is expected. This afternoon I schlep out for the junket with the promise of Leighton and co-star Kaley Cuoco interviews – only to be informed on the spot that director Jeff Fisher and actor Jason London are actually the only ones attending, and both girls had canceled. Not cool.

All is forgiven – but not forgotten – when lovely Leighton struts out of her black limo all smiles and sunshine for the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her comedy horror flick Killer Movie.

What’s the deal with her character?

“I don’t want to give away too much,” she deflects. “She’s not for long of this world. She’s very naïve and unsuspecting.”

And it’s time for another belly rub for my pregnant reporter friend. “Hi, how are you?” she says, giving her stomach a massage. “I do it every time I see her. Rub her stomach.”

What’s the biggest diva moment Jason London – Jeremy’s twin -- has witnessed? He won’t name names, but says stars who seem the nicest are often the biggest divas. “Usually the people who come off as the most wonderful, sweet, kind and mannered have issues,” he tells me. “Quite often the last person you’d think would be a diva is, and the person you think would be a diva is not. They’re intelligent actors who know what an audience wants.”

Fascinating!

 

Pick up the OK! on newsstands now for more coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Angelina and Brad's Wedding of the Year” is the cover line.