Vanity Fair - Bill Clinton & Gina Gershon ???

Bill Clinton and Gina Gershon?

A relationship between the former president and the "Bound" actress has been a Hollywood whisper for years. Now Vanity Fair has published a much-discussed story titled "The Comeback Id" that references their relationship. And it has some people wondering what -- if anything -- this story could do to his wife Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Why is Gina Gershon a person of note? She may be most famous for kissing Elizabeth Berkley in "Showgirls," and if you missed that bit of cinematic history, watch the video below.

According to Vanity Fair writer Todd Purdum, who is married to Clinton's former White House press secretary, Dee Dee Myers, Gershon is one of several women -- but so far, the only actress -- who Clinton has been rumored to be seeing socially.

Purdum writes: "But four former Clinton aides told me that, about 18 months ago, one of the president’s former assistants, who still advises him on political matters, had heard so many complaints about such reports from Clinton supporters around the country that he felt compelled to try to conduct what one of these aides called an 'intervention,' because, the aide believed, 'Clinton was apparently seeing a lot of women on the road.'

The would-be intercessor was rebuffed by people around Clinton before ever getting an audience with the former president, and another aide told me that the effort was not well received by either Bill or Hillary Clinton and that some Hillarylanders, in particular, were in denial about the continuing political risks that Bill’s behavior might pose."

Bill Clinton has responded to the piece by calling the former New York Times L.A. bureau chief "sleazy," "dishonest" and a "scumbag." Click here to hear the former president talk about the piece on Huffington Post. In the clip, he tells supporters that the article is an attempt to boost Barack Obama and discredit his wife. His camp has also sent out a memo detailing the article's errors and calling it "journalism of personal destruction at its worst."

Purdum's piece also contains revelations about Clinton's relationship with Hollywood producer Steve Bing and Clinton's friendship with entrepreneur Ron Burkle. His business relationship with billionaire Burkle, says Purdum, is Clinton's largest source of income after books and speeches, about $15 million.

Burkle, if you recall, played host to that historic star-studded Hollywood pre-Oscar party for Giorgio Armani in 2007. Guests included George Clooney, Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes and Cate Blanchett.