I always tell visitors to LA that the best way to spot a star is to just go out on the town and let Fate take care of the rest. Even so, I'm still constantly surprised when it happens to me. No sooner did I get used to bumping into Billy Baldwin and Mindy Cohn at the gym, than US presidential candidate Barack Obama turned up for a workout (complete with a ubiquitous security team! The way he was throwing the weights around, he should have engaged one of them as a spotter...). That same day I ran into Jane Fonda in the hallway of my office building (she's one pretty hot granny! She's still rockin' that aerobicized bod'). Only a few hours later, I was at the airport to pick up my mother and noticed a blast from the past: Vicky Lawrence ("Mama's Family" & "The Carol Burnett Show"). But the big score at LAX was none other than headline grabbing Melanie Brown, aka Mel B, aka Scary Spice. And what a scene I saw!

Amazingly, there was not a paparazzi in sight. Particularly strange since she had just made a high profile appearance the night before on CNN's "Larry King Live," along with her lawyer and my longtime gal pal, Gloria Allred. She was at the First Class Ticketing Counter for a flight out of Los Angeles and had her hands full with the business of schlepping a trolley full of luggage, along with a stroller for her new baby (Eddie Murphy's recently acknowledged daughter, Angel Iris Murphy Brown). A nanny was present but not offering much help and her other daughter, 8 year old Phoenix Chi Gulzar, was absolutely adorable...carrying a little pet Yorkshire Terrier with its own bottle of purified drinking water. Oh yeah---and also present was her brand-new hubby, handsome Stephen Belafonte, who spent the entire time engrossed in a cell-phone call. Mel looked gorgeous--a yummy mummy in every sense. She wore a conservative but clinging dark brown dress and pumps. Her hair and makeup were flawless and her attention and devotion to her pink-clad newborn girl was obvious (and the infant, it should be noted, lived up to her name "Angel!"). Mel B has been going through a firestorm of tabloid press recently with stories that have even managed to eclipse news of her impending Spice Girls Reunion Tour. Not only is there rampant criticism of her multi-million dollar suit against Eddie Murphy, but her new hubby is facing down scandalous rumours, reports and allegations of assault (including with a deadly weapon), vandalism, fraud, theft and a laundry list of other related scams. Even with this maelstrom swirling around her, all I could think was: here's a pretty, well dressed mum juggling 2 kids, a dog and a dozen bags while her husband's busy on the phone. Nothing "Scary," just downright normal! No press, no bodyguards, no entourage. Completely different from the tabloid image of her portrayed in the media. I walked over, introduced myself and simply told her "Congratulations. Your girls are beautiful." Her eyes lit up and she was so obviously grateful to hear a kind, positive unsolicited remark. I hope she takes that with her...judging by the hands-on sweetness she was candidly showing toward her kids, I think she will.

So when you have a chance encounter with a celebrity, you may very well be star-struck but try to remain objective enough to evaluate where they are coming from in that particular moment. Most will be gracious enough to sign an autograph if they're in a public place. If they aren't looking their best, don't presume to take a photograph (wouldn't YOU hate that!?). Maybe, like with my airport encounter, the best thing to do is just offer some encouragement. Hey...there isn't a star in the world who's too big not to enjoy being told "Good on ya, mate! Well done!"