Prince has a new love interest, a ballerina, who is being described as "his first sister since Sheila E" by Mediatakeout.com

If Misty Copeland, of American Ballet Theatre fame, is really Prince's new lady, the first thing that I noticed is that she's a baby. This extraordinary beauty does not look anywhere near 30, although Wikipedia claims she's closing in on that age. Now that Symbolina's a devout, door-knocking Jehovah's Witness, surely their relationship is completely chaste. And even if not, the mental imagery of Prince and this Princess is less horrifying than Hugh Hefner and fill-in-the-blank.

Mediatakeout also reports that Prince showed up at Essence's "Black Women in Music" event earlier this month with the sweet young thing, who is now touring with Prince, according to the website.

I don't like to quibble with Mediatakeout, because that urban website's specialty is the naked truth, when they get it right. But if Sheila Escovedo qualifies as a sister, why don't the two ex-wives, Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini?

While it's obvious Copeland is "a sister," she is not all that black a swan.

Prince may be getting older, but you have to admit, there has never been anything wrong with his eyesight.

(Personal note to "V.G.," the name signed to a Feb. 3 e-mail with the subject line, "Prince in love": I didn't write it because I don't know you and you got her name seriously wrong.)

Handling Handler

Jason Matheson thought his MyTalk107.1 interview with comedian, author and talk show host Chelsea Handler was bombing BIG TIME.

"I have never been so excited to hear my theme song playing under me, cuing me to commercial break. I was like hall-e-lew-yur," said Matheson, pronouncing that last word the way Tyler Perry's Madea does.

"They called us to do the interview; we didn't solicit it. I'm a big fan, Alexis [Thompson, Matheson's co-host] isn't so much. I'm still a fan," said Matheson, but "it was like interviewing a pair of false teeth. She was mechanical, no fun at all. She seemed bored. It was the most uncomfortable interview I've done in a very long time."

Oh, come now. What about that Josh Hartnett interview? "That was like talking to a box of wet hair," said Matheson.

And remember the scintillating interview on your other job, on Fox 9, when you were trying to foster some momentary rapport with Jessica Alba? "Was like talking to a street sign," said Matheson.

Returning to Handler, he said: "I tried everything. I complimented her, like 'Thanks for liking the gays.' Nothing. She wasn't mean by any stretch; she didn't seem like she came to play, and I did.

"I hear she is like that with interviews if you are a non-celebrity. I tweeted about it and I heard from two tweeters that she has a rep for being like that unless you're a celebrity."

Despite my tremendous fondness for Handler, I'm not afraid to rip her when necessary. I did not find the interview as horrible as Matheson, who wrote on the FM station's website that it "didn't go so well." It may be that her melancholy sardonicism does not translate well on radio unless she puts some energy behind it. Handler sounded distant, sluggish -- maybe she was already deep into the Belvedere.

I sought a comment from Handler's handler but did not hear back.

Saving on haircuts

Former KARE 11 anchor Paul Magers bumped into some worldwide exposure when his CBS2 colleague Serene Branson started speaking gibberish live outside the Grammys.

Branson now explains in media interviews that her episode has been ruled migraine headache-related.

As you can see at startribune.com/a211, it looks like Magers recently bumped into a barber's clippers.

When I called to ask his reaction to Branson's on-air problem -- "That's one of the most disturbing things I've ever witnessed," Magers said in a Web-only item I posted Tuesday -- I told Paul fun would be made here of his new haircut.

"Kathy calls it a fuzz cut," said Magers, unfazed about anything I might say about his hair. "Got my haircut Saturday. I go in there and get it chopped short, and that way I don't have to get a haircut for about two-and-a-half months."

Multimillionaire anchor likes to save money, too.

Why is it sticking up all over your head? "That's what happens when it's short," said Magers, who remains gorgeous regardless of his hairdo du jour.

At least he's not wearing a Bieber.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on Fox 9 Thursday mornings.