Akademik

n.

A person or object that attracts an unusual amount of gossip.

Kan is no Justin Timberlake — or even a gossip magnet like Paris Hilton. But he is taking advantage of the same underlying forces that gave them star power: As media have gone interactive, stardom has become participatory.

—Jonathon Keats, "Open-Source Celebrity: The Wisdom of the Audience," Wired, May 22, 2007

Some people are just gossip magnets. Sienna Miller, who graces the cover of W this month, has been one ever since she took up with Jude Law four years ago. Since then, their on-again, off-again relationship has been grade-A tabloid fodder.

—Julie L. Belcove, "Social studies," W, January 1, 2007

The battle over the worth of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau has raged off and on for 100 years, and John Frankenheimer's new movie version cannot help but fuel the controversy. ...

Frankenheimer says he was uneasy about the film's entertainment value being eclipsed by its status as a gossip magnet.

—Michael H. Price, "Seasoned director jumped at a chance to work with Brando on 'Dr. Moreau'," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, August 30, 1996

Here's an earlier citation that uses the phrase gossip magnet in the sense of a person who is good at attracting gossip from other people:

Based on Dr. Scheele's findings, Mademoiselle magazine added its own ideas for how to become a good "gossip magnet." The magazine, devoured by many Gen-X aspiring gossipers, recommended keeping sweet treats on your desk in an attractive jar and making sure they're the kind that melt quickly so folks will stay around for a while.

—Celia Rivenbark, "Climbing the rumor ladder," Wilmington Star-News, March 17, 1996