Celebrity sickness for sale on eBay

December 19, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

NEW YORK — How snotty: Scarlett Johansson blew her nose on a tissue, and now the tissue is being sold on eBay.

Johansson appeared on NBC’s “Tonight” show Wednesday to promote her new movie, “The Spirit.” The actress said she’d caught a cold from co-star Samuel L. Jackson, and felt her illness had value because it had been passed down from one celebrity to another.

Host Jay Leno then handed her a tissue, and Johansson announced she would sell it on eBay to raise money for the hunger relief charity USA Harvest. She blew twice, depositing some lipstick and mucus.

As of Thursday morning, the dirty tissue had snagged more than 60 bids, with the highest bidder putting up $2,050. The online auction ends Monday.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Cicely Tyson is 75. Singer Maurice White of Earth, Wind and Fire is 67. Actor Tim Reid is 64. Singer Alvin Lee of Ten Years After is 64. Musician John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 63. Actor Mike Lookinland (“The Brady Bunch”) is 48. Actress Jennifer Beals is 45. Actor Robert MacNaughton (“E.T.”) is 42. Magician Criss Angel is 41. Actress Kristy Swanson is 39. Model Tyson Beckford is 38. Actress Alyssa Milano is 36. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal (“Brokeback Mountain,” “October Sky”) is 28. Actress Marla Sokoloff (“The Practice”) is 28. Rapper Lady Sovereign is 23.