Rich vs. rich: It's bitter in the Bahamas

REGULAR READERS know that nothing lifts Tattle from our Kardashian-induced koma than rich people fighting over rich-people things.

While the rest of us are merely trying to keep our heads above water, anger is escalating in the Bahamas (even the anger is better there) in one of the island's wealthiest, most exclusive communities.

It's probably only a matter of time before the mortar shells start flying.

More than 100 people, including Sean Connery and former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady, have filed a legal complaint against the Bahamian government over an effort by eccentric fashion mogul Peter Nygard to redevelop his fire-damaged Mayan-themed compound in the Lyford Cay community.

The complaint accuses the government of lacking transparency during a public consultation period (imagine that, a government lacking transparency) as Nygard seeks to rebuild his 150,000-square-foot complex (that's a very big house) in the hoity-toity community at the western tip of New Providence island.

The complex had been on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

Those who filed the complaint say Nygard, owner of Canada's largest apparel company, previously caused significant environmental damage during continuing renovations that they say occurred without the required permits.

In addition to redeveloping his compound, known as Nygard Cay, Nygard is seeking to develop and gain access to land surrounding his property, prompting an outcry from other residents, including billionaire hedge-fund manager Louis Bacon; businessman and philanthropist Sir Christopher Ondaatje; and Sarkis Izmirlian, chairman and CEO of Baha Mar, a $3.5 billion mega-resort under construction on the island.

Local environmental group Save the Bays also filed a similar complaint, accusing Nygard of building structures that it believes are blocking the natural flow of sand onto nearby Clifton Bay beach, which was made famous in the James Bond movie "Thunderball."

The British website Mail Online apologized yesterday to George Clooney for alleging that Baria Alamuddin, the mother of his Beirut-born fiancee, Amal Alamuddin, opposed their marriage on religious grounds. Amal's father, Ramzi, belongs to a prominent Druse family. The Druse are adherents of a monotheistic religion based mainly in Lebanon, Syria and Israel.

Citing unnamed family "friends," Mail Online, which is affiliated with Britain's Daily Mail tabloid, reported this week that Baria wanted Amal to marry a Druse man.

It said that Amal risked being "cast out of the community" if she wed Clooney, and claimed that several Druse women had been murdered for not abiding by strict Druse rules.

Clooney called the story "completely fabricated."

In a statement to USA Today, he said that Baria - a well-known journalist - was not even Druse and "is in no way against the marriage."

"We accept Mr. Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate and we apologize to him, Miss Amal Alamuddin and her mother, Baria, for any distress caused," it said.

Hence the motto: "All the Druse that's not fit to print."

* USA Today is reporting that Eva Mendes is seven months pregnant with Ryan Gosling's baby. Is it wrong to assume that will be an attractive child?

* For a second day in a row, visitors waited up to five hours to get on a new Harry Potter ride at Universal Orlando Resort, in Florida.

Tuesday it was seven hours.

That's nuts.

A sign at the entrance to Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, at midday yesterday, said the wait would be 300 minutes.

And what's better than standing in the Florida sun all day?

Some visitors, like Juan Sigler and his family, from Pembroke Pines, Fla., say the ride is worth the wait. They say they felt immersed in Harry Potter's world.

To wait that long for a theme park ride you'd have to immerse Tattle in Potter author J.K. Rowling's money.

* TMZ.com reports that Justin Bieber's lawyer agreed to a plea bargain in Justin's mansion-egging case and that Justin was placed on two years' probation and ordered to perform five days labor - probably picking up trash or graffiti removal.

Justin pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vandalism.

He also was required to attend 12 weeks of anger-management classes and ordered to pay his neighbor $80,900, making those eggs the most expensive this side of Faberge.

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.

Phone: 215-854-5678

On Twitter: @DNTattle