Signs point to romance between Jennifer Lopez and Bradley Cooper

Jennifer Lopez Appears At PURE Nightclub

While there have only been two reported joint sightings of Jennifer Lopez and Bradley Cooper over the past month, theres buzz the duo have been seeing each other much more than that!

A good J. Lo source tells me the two stars really connected when they dined at New Yorks posh Per Se in mid-September, after being seated together earlier that day for a Tommy Hilfiger fashion show.

That initial dinner quickly was dubbed a business meeting by the actors reps, who insisted it was merely to discuss a possible movie project.

Since then Ive heard a budding romance has begun, with Lopez and Cooper skillfully keeping it all under wraps (using disguises and elaborately separate arrivals and departures) at rural, out-of-the-way places, including Marylands Eastern Shore, New Jerseys countryside and quiet towns in Connecticut.

Now that the couple have been caught by a paparazzo in Coopers SUV in L.A. with J-Lo hiding her face in her hands its likely they will soon go public with their romance.

Another affair seems to be flaring up nicely between Ryan Reynolds and his Green Lantern co-star Blake Lively, who reportedly was sending flirty texts to Reynolds even before she split with Leonardo DiCaprio last month.

CATS MEOW: Antonio Banderas feigned irritation while posing Monday night with the title character from Puss in Boots, his upcoming animated film. You! r feathe r is messing up my hair, he joked to the costumed character, pointing to his own short locks. And it took them hours to do this!

Before introducing screenings at the ShowPlace Icon theaters, he and co-star Salma Hayek were asked what they associated with Chicago. For Banderas, it was buildings and cold, but Hayek cited Oprah Winfrey and that popcorn, meaning hometown favorite Garretts. Gotta have that popcorn!

SICK WARD:

Best wishes go out to part-time Chicagoan Giuliana Rancic, who revealed on the Today show Monday she is in the early stages of breast cancer. The E! News anchor explained the diagnosis came during her third in vitro fertilization procedure, as she and husband Bill Rancic continue to attempt to have a child.

Rancic also said she is scheduled to undergo a lumpectomy later this week, followed by six weeks of radiation treatments.

LOCAL LIGHTS: Highland Park High School grad Richie Keen executive produced and co-created Aim High, starring Jackson Rathbone (Twilight films), Aimee Teegarden, Greg Germann and Rebecca Mader. Warner Bros. launches the series on Facebook today, making it the first Hollywood studio project premiering on the king of all social networks. An added twist: When people watch Aim High, Facebook pulls information from their page and includes it in the show.

Keens girlfriend, Jackie Seiden also a Highland Park High alum soon will be seen in two high-profile flicks: Adam Sandlers Jack and Jill and Garry Marshalls New Years Eve. Among Seidens proud family members is NBC-5s Jeff Goldblatt.

CBS-2 investigative reporter Dave Savini will showcase his acting skills, playing the title role in Tootys Corner being staged Saturday at the Arcada Theater in St. Charles. Michael Maione is directing the play, based on the true stories in his book about! guys gr owing up on the Near South Side in the 1950s hanging out at 28th and Princeton, a corner anchored by Tootys, a popular neighborhood grocery store.

SPECIAL TRAINING: Broadcaster Marianne Murciano will be wearing her relationship hat at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the How to Train Your Man session shes hosting at Ditkas on East Chestnut. Murciano promises the main man shes trained hubby Bob Sirott also will be on hand to help illustrate how its done.

SEEN ON THE SCENE: Zac Efron continues to work his way through Chicagos nightspots while in the area filming Heartland. The actor danced up a storm at Board Room the other night and was seen checking out the crowd at Tzar Ultra Lounge. While Dwyane Wade dined at Sunda, Luol Deng partied at the Underground with his Bulls teammate Keith Bogans. The new Pump Room continues as a hot new celeb magnet, with sightings ranging from Mayor Rahm Emanuel dining with pals to 85 Bears champs Otis Wilson and Richard Dent .