The model as muse

Wale was at Eastern Minerals in Chelsea yesterday shooting a video for "Chillin'," a tune from the rapper's debut CD "Attention Deficit." Lady Gaga, who's featured on the track, stopped by and was hard to miss. Wearing her signature blonde wig with bangs, the singer was filmed clutching two enormous Great Danes. (Gaga was in town to gig last night at the House of Blues.) Wale took time out to talk to fans and pose for pics. He performs Friday at Harpers Ferry.

It's Caroline Kennedy's kids - Rose, Tatiana, and Jack - who convinced her not to run for the Senate, according to a new book. In "Ted Kennedy: The Dream That Never Died," which is excerpted in the new Vanity Fair, author Edward Klein claims the kids "felt that [Caroline] was becoming a different person - one that they didn't much like." According to an unnamed family friend, the children "told her that if she was getting this worked up just getting the job, they didn't want to see what she would be like in the trenches of a political campaign or a fight in Washington." The book also claims there's a bitter struggle between Joe Kennedy and Victoria Reggie Kennedy over who'll succeed Ted as head of the family.

Justin Timberlake's new MTV reality show "The Phone" may not be any good - but it's local, at least for the next two weeks. Tonight's and next Tuesday's episodes of the poorly reviewed, Timberlake-produced show will feature Boston-area scenery and contestants. Locals on tonight's episode include Katelyn Kennedy of Marblehead; Chris Hanoian of Seekonk; Stephanie Hallett of Allston; and Rob Wilson of Worcester, according to the network. Not surprisingly, they're all 18 to 22. Timberlake has described "The Phone" as action-packed and inspired by movies like "The Bourne Identity." Decide for yourself at 10 p.m.

Brooke Hogan, daughter of Hulk, called us yesterday, just before she boarded a flight to Las Vegas to start a week of 21st birthday celebrations, which ends Friday with a party at the MGM club Shrine at Foxwoods. Hogan said she had plans to meet her dad and his girlfriend in Sin City, but would be parent-less by the time she gets to Connecticut this weekend. "I thought I'd like to make a stop in my own hometown," she said, explaining that when she was 2, she and her parents lived in Connecticut so that Hulk could be close to Vince McMahon and the WWE headquarters. Brooke turns 21 today.

Designer Carmen Marc Valvo has dressed so many celebs he sometimes forgets their names. Trying to remember a certain A-list actress who's a fan of his couture, he said: " 'Sex and the City' girl. Blond. Kim Cattrall." Valvo, who's also dressed Queen Latifah, Patti Lupone, and Lucy Liu, showed off his label at the Liberty Hotel the other night as part of a benefit for Ovations for the Cure, an ovarian cancer research organization. Spa magnate Gretchen Monahan, a regular on "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" gabbed about Gunn - and "Project Runway" - before the show. "I cannot wait to see the new season on Lifetime, and I can tell you, a little birdie told me it is the best season yet. It's a good source, I promise. A very good source."

Is Donnie Wahlberg psychic? We'll find out as the Celtics make a run for banner 18. Wahlberg's prediction: "First of all, they're gonna beat Orlando in five or six. Then we're gonna hope that K.G. comes back, and even if he does, Cleveland is gonna be really overconfident. . . . We're gonna steal one of the first two in Cleveland, then LeBron's gonna sprain his ankle and the Celtics are gonna beat them in five. . . . Then we gotta see if we can beat the Lakers. We gotta get me back in LA and have me like, uh, take Phil Jackson's hearing aid so he can't coach the Lakers properly. Then we can win the whole series. I think we can do it." So do we, Donnie, so do we. . . . Wahlberg has been pitching positivity all over town these past few days. He spent Saturday at the Garden rooting on the gang in green. Sunday, he hosted a party at the Hard Rock Cafe for local hip-hop artist Jimmy Marsh, the first artist signed to Wahlberg's Donnie D record label. Guests at the party included fellow New Kid Jordan Knight, UFC pinup Rachelle Leah, who told us she's been friends with Wahlberg since the two met in Vegas a few years ago. Wahlberg finished the good-will tour by surprising all 63 students at the Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester with tickets to the New Kids on the Block show in June. "There was a lot of screaming. I've had a headache all day," joked Beth Griffin, the school's director of development. Wahlberg was connected to the school through hedge fund hotshot (and Celtics co-owner) Jim Pallota, an academy donor.

Josh Fink is still recovering from his wild weekend at the Kentucky Derby. The CEO of Boston-based Nokona Brands hit the hottest parties with wife Anita and business partner Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Brooke Shields, Kid Rock, En Vogue, Mike Vrabel, and Tom Brady, who was at Churchill Downs sans his supermodel bride, Gisele Bundchen. "It's nonstop partying," said Fink, whose apparel and accessory company has deals with MLB and the US Open. Unfortunately, he wasn't a winner at the window. "My wife told me to put $1,000 on [Mine That Bird], but I listened to my buddy," Fink told us. "I should have listened to the wife."