C.J.: 'Young & Restless' royalty gushes over fans at MOA

Soap Opera Queen Jeanne Cooper was so tired Wednesday when she arrived in the Twin Cities that she nearly fell asleep in her hotel room-service dinner.

The next day at the Mall of America, "The Young & the Restless" doyenne sounded hungry as she told fans how diverting the sight of a Hagen-Dazs shop had been. Hagen-Dazs must be catnip to soap stars because Susan Lucci, of ABC's now-defunct "All My Children," had to hit this MOA shop when she was here in April 2011.

Cooper was at MOA signing copies of her memoir, "Not Young, Still Restless," and meeting family members who've been watching her on the CBS show for 39 years.

Many celebrities and actors are good at giving the lip service of the right words to make fans feel special, but every fiber of Cooper's countenance indicated that her affections were real. "I am so happy, happy to be here. I like meeting you as much as you like meeting me. I feel like you're family and I'm meeting my extended family," she told fans with the grand gesticulation that is a part of her.

Cooper was decked out in a lovely ensemble and the usual baubles.

I asked if all her jewelry was real. I think she asked if I was going to put her answer on TV, but I'm not positive because her voice was very raspy. Cooper's assistant, who was also the source of the information about the room service meal, told me the star was suffering from talking a lot and not drinking enough water.

"Yes, most of my jewelry is real. I have a marvelous piece I rarely try and travel with, I love it so," said Cooper. When she went through LAX security before a flight to NYC, which preceded her stop here, Cooper apparently left the piece there. A TSA agent had gotten very excited about seeing Mrs. Chancellor from "The Young & The Restless," then Cooper got to talking to other people and them to her. You get the idea. "I got so involved, I just found out my piece of jewelry was missing. When I go back," Cooper said, looking into my video camera, while purposely pointing her finger, "through LAX, watch Mrs. Chancellor" make an appearance.

She's otherwise very polite, one of those celebrities who has to say "Thank you," again pointing at the camera, as you can see at startribune.com/video, before moving on to the next question.

A gerM frEak could get very anxious worrying about this octogenarian's health.

She was touching her fans, grabbing them by the hand, giving some the two-handed clasped handshake. Her assistant assured me she would force Purell on Cooper to reduce the chances of her leaving Minnesota with anything but good memories.

Was that Josh?

Word has it that Josh Hartnett was at Lee's Liquor Lounge "shimmying" and "canoodling" over the weekend.

Wrote e-mailer Jim: "Hartnett took in the Belfast Cowboys. He was there to see the openers, Misspent Youth, but he spent much of the rest of the night shimmying, dancing and rocking amidst a packed house that included many beautiful boys and girls. He danced to 'Moondance' with his gorgeous blonde date."

Wrote e-mailer Brook: "They were there for several hours and he was canoodling with a blonde woman. I was too busy gawking at Josh" to get "a good look at her."

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.