Caught On (Sex) Tape: Shauna Sand

Shauna Sand, cougar extraordinaire and ex of Lorenzo Lamas, is the latest and, arguably, the oldest celeb to star in her own commercially released sex tape. The self-proclaimed 38-year-old (clears throat), a mother of three, would not be outdone by onetime adult stars Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian. She will have her X-rated coming out via Shauna Sand Exposed, a DVD getting released by leading porn maker Vivid on Wednesday, the company announced today.

Vivid

What would a celebrity sex-tape release be without a cloud of (manufactured?) controversy? And why do we, the media, get hooked into this stuff? One word: sex. Sand, often under-dressed in bikinis, sarongs and Lucite-style heels, is quite a show-off: She plays the media like Dudamel rocks the Phil. And she gets more play on TMZ than Michael Jackson, dead or alive.

That's why it's hard for us to believe that she resisted the DVD release in earnest. The story goes that Sand threatened to sue Vivid to block the release, but Vivid states that it authenticated a signature -- we assume it was found on a release form -- as hers. Last week a TMZ camera caught Sand leaving Vivid's L.A.-area office. (Why is that a surprise? Everywhere she goes, there's TMZ. Either she has a leaky staff or she's tipping the news organization off).

Vivid today states that Sand met with Vivid chief Steven Hirsch on Thursday and then called Friday to give the release her blessing. The controversy was brief, and the timing was miraculous. Just days before the DVD is ready to go, packaging and all, the matter is settled.

"We showed her the documents we had received from a third party that were authenticated by a handwriting expert and explained that we remained comfortable that we had the right to distribute the video," Hirsch said. "Shauna said she wanted to consult with her attorney and would get back to us the following day."

"She will, in fact, work with us," Hirsch said, who added that the prospect of Sand in, er, action has created as much interest as any video Vivid has distributed, including those featuring Kardashian and Pamela Anderson.

Sand, not at all sounding like a woman whose most intimate moments have been plundered and whose privacy has been grossly violated, actually issued a statement ... through Vivid:

"I made this video with my ex-boyfriend for our own enjoyment," she said. "But since Vivid obtained a copy and is moving ahead with distribution, I now feel it will be in my best interest to work with Vivid to make sure it is handled properly. I'm taking full control of this situation and that means there won't be any involvement by a third party. I'm proud of the way I look in the video. My ex-boyfriend was the cameraman, I edited it and added the music and so I have an interest in the final product."

Wait, let us emphasize this: She "edited it and added the music." And, we have to ask, who signs a release after taping a video if they don't want said product released? Fishy, yes. Entertaining, of course. Sand is a master manipulator. And, as Fernando Lamas, father of Lorenzo, might say, "She looks mah-velous."