For a while it looked like Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe–despite being hysterically adored and mobbed and showered with billion-dollar paychecks since he was 11–might miraculously turn out halfway sane. Of course, last year's bout of barnyard exhibitionism was the first clue that all the fame and adulation could finally be affecting his tender young psyche. Then earlier this week, AP reported that the 18-year-old Radcliffe had become bewitched by a beautiful girl who'd been staring at him during a recent film event in Australia–so naturally enough, with glass slipper in hand, he enlisted the media's help in finding his magical missed connection. Turns out, though, that it was all blown out of proportion; in fact, Radcliffe had simply made an offhand comment about the mystery girl within earshot of the press, who took the story and ran so far with it that two Australian women stepped up publicly to claim the grand prize of Radcliffe's undying love. Now, the presumably embarrassed would-be contestants, Cassi Mackay and Savannah Blount, have backpedaled, saying they already have boyfriends and that Radcliffe is merely "charming and very polite."
Hmm, I think I smell a potential Rock/Flavor Of Love-style reality show here… or at least another excuse to trot this out: