Button v Branson: Jenson's Jealous Rage

From today's News of the World...


F1 ace's bust up with sponsor over lover

By Guy Basnett, 12/04/2009

FURIOUS Formula 1 ace Jenson Button blew a gasket when he thought new team sponsor Richard Branson was coming on to his stunning model GIRLFRIEND, we can reveal.

The Brit driver-winner of this year's first two Grand Prix-sped towards the married Virgin billionaire for an overheated showdown over sexy Jessica Michibata, 24.

Brawn GP team chiefs and Virgin execs then watched in stunned silence as the pair flew at each other during a boozy dinner-just one day after their sponsorship deal was clinched.

Click here for more sexy photos of Jessica Michibata

A source told the News of the World: "Richard was clearly very, very drunk and took a shine to Jessica during the evening. But there was a misunderstanding and Jenson became angry.


"The whole thing got very, very heated. Richard thought Jenson was over-reacting, and gave as good back. Both of them were livid."

The bust-up, at posh eaterie Nobu in Melbourne, Australia, came a few hours after Jenson, 29, qualified on pole for the Australian Grand Prix.

The previous day, Branson-worth £3 billion-had announced a six-figure sponsorship deal to put the Virgin logo on the side of Button's car.

The tycoon, 58, celebrated in the pit lane with Brawn GP before they headed off for the disastrous dinner.

Our source said: "This was before Jenson and the Brawn GP team won in Melbourne and Malaysia, and they were an untested team looking for sponsorship.

"So for Jenson to lose his rag at Richard, it was serious. But things were fine by the next day."


Somerset lad Jenson, 29, was with dad John and girlfriend Jessica-who has a Japanese mum and a European dad.

The pair have been dating for two months. Self-confessed ladies' man Branson was at a table with daughter Holly, 27, two Virgin Group directors, and Brawn GP chief exec Nick Fry.


Looks like there's vroom for improvement in relations . . .

http://www.newsofthe...-Michibata.html

Depends if there is any truth to it. Seems to me that something like this happening in a public place would not remain hidden for 2 weeks.

News of the Imaginary World.

Being reported by the News of the World you expect it to be fully factional news......

We said the same thing 12 months ago when NOTW reported Max Mosley had been in a Nazi dungeon....

Originally posted by Matt Somers
Being reported by the News of the World you expect it to be fully factional news......

Only when it's reporting spankgate....

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
We said the same thing 12 months ago when NOTW reported Max Mosley had been in a Nazi dungeon....

Exactly.

It may be a tabloid, but NOTW of the world is one of the top-selling such papers on the planet.

And it's part of the News International stable.

Which means if it is reporting total untruths they'd be a pretty lucrative target.

So they have to get things right.

Originally posted by potmotr
So they have to get things right.

happy Easter

Originally posted by potmotr


Which means if it is reporting total untruths they'd be a pretty lucrative target.

Hence why they are successfully sued many times each year, but the amount they have to pay out is far outstripped by the amount they make off the falsehoods they print.

Originally posted by potmotr


Exactly.

It may be a tabloid, but NOTW of the world is one of the top-selling such papers on the planet.

And it's part of the News International stable.

Which means if it is reporting total untruths they'd be a pretty lucrative target.

So they have to get things right.

Are you from the UK? The NotW's a joke, like the National Enquirer only less factual.

Sometimes they hit paydirt, but most often than not, it's all bull. And this story is practically mooing.

Originally posted by wewantourdarbyback
Hence why they are successfully sued many times each year, but the amount they have to pay out is far outstripped by the amount they make off the falsehoods they print.

Sure, but they'd be sued a hell of a lot more if everything was bullshit.

You'll remember on the first days of the Mosley scandal last year, many, many posters contended that the entire story was fiction.

Turns out it wasn't...

Originally posted by TickTickBooom

Are you from the UK? The NotW's a joke, like the National Enquirer only less factual.

Sometimes they hit paydirt, but most often than not, it's all bull. And this story is practically mooing.

Yeah, I live in the UK.

And I don't agree that it's like the National Enquirer.

NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

Has anyone read Tom Bower's biography of Branson, nothing would surprise me...

I wouldn't equate their popularity with their quality.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I wouldn't equate their popularity with their quality.

Exactly, NOTW has been known as News Of The Screws for donkey years.

Now NOTW is reporting that Hamilton will take Barrichello's place at Brawn GP.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
I wouldn't equate their popularity with their quality.

They get it wrong on occassion and get sued, there's no disputing that, but that is in the absolute minority of cases.

But those papers are chasing material which is by its nature incredibly prone to litigation.

They're spilling the beans on any number of highly embarrassing episodes, often involving celebrities or public figures who would sue in a heartbeat if the story was inaccurate.

It wouldn't be economic for those papers to print fiction. They'd be sued out of existence.

If it is NOT true, it is only because Bunson's girl was not there


Branson is a sleasey old skag of a buzzard who makes Bernie look like an honest, trustworthy man of high class and distinction

My guess is that if Brawn had already won the first two races and still needed a sponsor, "Virgin", would have dropped to the bottom of a long list

(edit: I am not defending the NOTW which is a true skag all in its own right, that occaisionally gets a little lucky)

Originally posted by potmotr


They get it wrong on occassion and get sued, there's no disputing that, but that is in the absolute minority of cases.

But those papers are chasing material which is by its nature incredibly prone to litigation.

They're spilling the beans on any number of highly embarrassing episodes, often involving celebrities or public figures who would sue in a heartbeat if the story was inaccurate.

It wouldn't be economic for those papers to print fiction. They'd be sued out of existence.

That may be, but they're still not papers of record. You don't go there for an intellectual education. I will admit to skimming the Mail and the Sun daily, but just to see what everyone else is talking about. I stick to The Times and The Guardian for my news-news.

I've always assumed it's like Gail Wynand's The New York Banner.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


That may be, but they're still not papers of record. You don't go there for an intellectual education.

Agreed, but I go there for the big scoops like this one.

And Little Alfie...

Originally posted by TickTickBooom

Are you from the UK? The NotW's a joke, like the National Enquirer only less factual.

Sometimes they hit paydirt, but most often than not, it's all bull. And this story is practically mooing.

NOTW is nothing like the Enquirer. They are a world apart.

That's like comparing the International Herald Tribune to a porno mag!

The only thing that the NOTW and the Enquirer share is being tabloids. That's it.

IMO all the NOTW is good for is lining the bottom of my budgies cage.....

Branson trying to get his grubby hands on some-one else's woman? Well I never; whoever would have thought it.............................

I would think the tabloids have developed a pretty good grasp on what will get them sued and what will not. This seems like something that likely wouldn't, regardless of factual innaccuracies.

I'd feel more sympathy for Button if he hadn't fallen for the good looking bird looking to find someone to provide an exciting lifestyle. Is that anyway to base a relationship on?

With such a shallow relationship you can't complain when a billionaire comes along with even more of an exciting lifestyle and luxury islands to boot too and makes you seem ordinary ;).

Look how many birds DC went through for example. It's all complete froth from both sides. Nothing substantial at all. Pah.

Regards

Andy

Originally posted by kismet
I would think the tabloids have developed a pretty good grasp on what will get them sued and what will not. This seems like something that likely wouldn't, regardless of factual innaccuracies.

A fair point.

Originally posted by potmotr


Yeah, I live in the UK.

And I don't agree that it's like the National Enquirer.

NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

Mostly yes ;)

The tabloids may have reported it, but Branson has previous, a history of handling other people's women; it sometimes seems to observers that his publicity stunts are set up to allow him to do just that...........................

Originally posted by potmotr


Yeah, I live in the UK.

And I don't agree that it's like the National Enquirer.

NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

Well reviewing the MS sabotage thread morons is pretty close from the very limited sampling I have conducted.

Just a casual observation.

Originally posted by rolf123


NOTW is nothing like the Enquirer. They are a world apart.

That's like comparing the International Herald Tribune to a porno mag!

The only thing that the NOTW and the Enquirer share is being tabloids. That's it.

I find myself agreeing with rolf123 so I've decided not to post my full opinion because I'm clearly talking out of my arse.

Anyway, implications: Does Jenson necessarily have to get on with Branson, given the team are hoping he'll up his financial contribution?

Originally posted by PassWind


Well reviewing the MS sabotage thread morons is pretty close from the very limited sampling I have conducted.

Just a casual observation.

I've been contributing to the lowest common denominator over there, but can't really protest you assessment!

Don't know if its true, can't say I really care, its an internal matter thats either makes the team look stupid or blown up to make the team look stupid.

Two ways of looking at it, either Branson was too forward or Button acted irrationally jealous.

A storm in a thimble.

Originally posted by Anomnader

A storm in a thimble.

Much like the situation Lewis Hamilton and McLaren were in before it became the trans-global hysterical witchhunt we're currently seeing.

Branson is starting to annoy me already... way to support your star driver, try and cop off with his girlfriend the night before the most important race of his life to date

Punching Branson in the teeth must be easy. You could hardly miss them.

Originally posted by potmotr




NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

There are an awful lot of morons in the UK...

So Branson was trying score 24 year old model while his 27 year old daugher was at the same table ??

Way to go, dad

Originally posted by potmotr


Yeah, I live in the UK.

And I don't agree that it's like the National Enquirer.

NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

Well, now you come to mention it...I don't know anyone who reads those newspapers, and none of my friends could be described as morons, so I guess we'd have to do the math. If you want news, you read a broadsheet. If you want sensationalist "celebrity" gossip followed by an awful lot of pages on football, you read a tabloid.

I know you desperately want this story to be true, so you can go on believing what you like. But I'm 100% certain that there's not a grain of truth in it. They're just picking on Jenson because, well, where's Lewis? A year ago it would have been him punching out Norbert for making a pass at his Pussycat Doll.

Originally posted by potmotr



NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

5 million readers with a combined IQ of 7.


Why do Sun readers have Black willies?

Because the print comes off on their hands.

Originally posted by potmotr


Yeah, I live in the UK.

And I don't agree that it's like the National Enquirer.

NOTW and The Sun are the two top selling papers in Britain.

Does that make all their readers morons?

Definately, they drink like fish, throw up anywhere, piss anywhere, idolise idiots, believe their government are there to help them LOL, most of the drivers there couldn't drive a pig down a passage, they can't find a Prime Minister who hasn't got his dick up an American President's arse, think Obama will save the world ha ha ha, they are indeed ignorant, self righteous, media manipulated (as you said) morons!!!

Originally posted by moody


Definately, they drink like fish, throw up anywhere, piss anywhere, idolise idiots, believe their government are there to help them LOL, most of the drivers there couldn't drive a pig down a passage, they can't find a Prime Minister who hasn't got his dick up an American President's arse, think Obama will save the world ha ha ha, they are indeed ignorant, self righteous, media manipulated (as you said) morons!!!

Guess you must be British too huh!

The Americans have tabloids too you know.

I've never seen the tabloids so desperate as this year, it's because they're a dying industry and need every last note of dirty money they can lay their hands on to survive. The internet, mobile devices like the iPhone and online advertising will kill off the tabloids, but the idiotic journalism will still be there in some form.

And yes there are a lot of morons in the UK. I should know, I live here. Never has a country seen such a mix of people. It's like the British have split into two species.

Thing is in America tabloids are sold at the checkout lane in the grocery store and have front pages detailing the latest Elvis signing. No one actually takes them seriously.

A transcript of the encounter from a reliable source:

Branson: Hello, aren't you gorgeous, would you like to fly into space with me?
Babe: In your dreams, grandad.
Button: Knock it off me old china, she's my girlfriend.
Branson: Omigod, it's Jenson Button. Jenson, can I have your autograph - er, it's for my nephew of course.

Originally posted by potmotr
From today's News of the World...

http://www.newsofthe...-Michibata.html

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Battle of the beards....

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld
Thing is in America tabloids are sold at the checkout lane in the grocery store and have front pages detailing the latest Elvis signing. No one actually takes them seriously.

You seem to have completely overlooked Fox News. It's about as tabloid as you can get and yet americans lap up every word as if it were the gospel.

Nah, only the idiots

Actually, Fox News the closest we have to journalism left here in America, sadly.