(
)
Bradley Cooper may be the “World’s Sexiest Man,” Ryan Gosling’s pout might make women weak at the knees, but both could take some cues from Salman Rushdie, the Romeo of writing.
Rushdie, 64, who hasn’t left his home without a willowy woman on his arm for the better part of a decade, is also known for writing a few books.
But lately he’s been getting a lot of ink on gossip pages, after he publicly slapped down a female companion who eagerly tweeted to the world that she had dined with the literary ladies’ man.
PAGE SIX: RUSHDIE’S REVENGE FATWA
No matter that she was easy on the eyes, and half his age. Rushdie was “mortified” to have been linked to self-styled socialite Devorah Rose, and told Page Six he was “embarrassed” by the association. Meanwhile, Rose insists Rushdie sent her romantic Facebook messages, including one that told her how “hottt” [sic] she was.
But “did they or didn’t they” doesn’t really matter. The real question is: How could they?
Rushdie, who has been knighted by the Queen of England and has won the prestigious Man Booker Prize, should really get an award for his slick moves.
“It’s the voice and the intelligence. He has wonderful confidence. And really pays attention to a woman. The fame and mystery help a lot for certain women,” says society photographer Patrick McMullan, who has captured Rushdie with his glamorous ladies on the party scene.
Since his 2007 divorce from one of the most beautiful women in the world, Padma Lakshmi (who, by the way, was his fourth wife), Rushdie has been spotted with one jaw-dropping beauty after the next.
Before beginning a relationship with actress Pia Glenn, (she’s 3 inches taller and three decades younger), he was photographed with enough dazzling dates to populate a Miss Universe contest. A source says many of the women are just friends who accompany him to events.
Throughout 2008, he showed up at various functions with Aimee Mullins (then 32, 5-foot-9, blond), Olivia Wilde (then 24, 5-foot-7, brunette) and Aita Ighodoro (then 25, 6 feet, black hair). He met Glenn (a brunette) at a dinner party in Los Angeles in 2007.
They dated for five months in 2009 and, true to type, Rushdie is now rumored to be squiring another bombshell around town: Topaz Page-Green, a model-turned-charity founder with searing blue eyes and chiseled cheekbones. (Rushdie insists she is just a friend.)
The writer’s behavior has divided the chattering classes.
“I think Salman should try out for the next season of ‘The Bachelor,’ ” says Olga Liriano, a fashion casting director. “I don’t know what he needs to prove by constantly dating these women. I don’t know why he can’t ever date someone age-appropriate.”
She suggested Barbara Walters.
Liriano, who deals with beautiful women all day long, speculated that models are attracted to him because it raises their stock.
“A beautiful girl wants to be taken seriously — she wants someone with that kind of gravitas to help prove she’s not just a pretty face.”
Jezebel deputy editor Dodai Stewart says Rushdie probably suffers from a disease known as “trophyism.”
“Clearly there are other physical varieties of women in the world, but he seems to have a specific type,” she says.
“He’s probably one of those people blinded by symmetrical features,” she says. “He’s a literary rock star, and I guess having had so much praise heaped on him helps give him the ego to approach these women.
“As for the women, I’m sure it’s nice to be regaled by wit and intelligence,” she adds.
Shockingly, men don’t condemn Rushdie for playing out of his league.
“Good for him,” says Seth Porges, senior editor at Maxim. “He’s a testament to the appeal of the smart guy.”
Plus, says Porges, walking around with a fatwa on your head, while inconvenient, probably helps when it comes to the babes.
“He’s the ultimate bad boy!” says Porges. “There’s a certain confidence that inherently comes from having a large portion of the world wanting you dead.”
(Rushdie was condemned to death in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who felt “The Satanic Verses” blasphemed Islam.)
“More power to him,” agrees Alex Bhattacharji, executive editor at Details magazine, who calls Rushdie “the improbable ladies’ man.”
“We don’t expect men like him to be playboys, but the fact that he defies stereotypes probably helps him,” he says. “Iconoclasts are attractive.”