Perez on Piven: Mucho Maki in Miami

Perez Hilton reveals on his website today that a recent trip to Miami by Jeremy Piven could raise more questions about his alleged brush with mercury poisoning as a healthy portion of sushi was on the menu.

Piven, reports Perez, dined on calamari salad and tuna tartare surrounded by a gaggle of womenat the Mondrian Hotel's Sunset Lounge on Feb. 28th. Medical experts advise that people who have had forms of mercury poisoning should avoid foods that are known to be contaminated with mercury, such as tuna, for at least three months.

To read the full Perez article, click here.

Piven was in New York City last week to appear for a hearing regarding his shock exit from the Broadway play Speed-The Plow.

The grievance committee (made up of League and Equity representatives) did not rule for either side and the producers will be filing for arbitration.

The two sides released an official statment on the matter, "A grievance hearing was held in accordance with the Equity-League Production Contract regarding the matter of Jeremy Piven and Speed-the-Plow. Following the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, a panel of five League representatives and five Equity representatives met and heard the positions of the parties. The League and Equity representatives were unable to reach a unanimous decision. The Producers have the right, as a next step, to proceed to arbitration."

Piven appeared in person to defend his claim that high levels of mercury in his bloodstream, brought on by a passion for sushi, forced him to abandon the Broadway revival of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."

The hearing was held at Equity headquarters on West 46th Street.

Last month, Piven agreed to a blood test administered by a doctor hired by the producers of "Speed-the-Plow." The results of that test have not been revealed, but the producers are expected to allege that long before he claimed to be ill, Piven was agitating to leave the show.

Piven informed the producers he was sick, then jumped on a plane to Los Angeles and announced he was not returning to the show. "There was no discussion, no negotiation - he was just gone," said a source to the New York Post.

In a Dec. 18 statement the play's producers gave a statement regarding the Piven exit, "We have been advised by Jeremy Piven's medical representatives that he is seriously ill and is unable to fulfill his contractual obligation to Speed-the-Plow. Consequently, he has left the production ten weeks early."

Piven was scheduled to perform throughout the show's run, which ended its limited run on Sunday, Feb. 22nd.

A Piven spokeswoman has previously called the grievance "absurd and outrageous."