The night before Chris Albrecht - the savvy TV exec who gave us the award-winning shows "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City"  - lost his job as head of HBO, he put on a brave face to attend his daughter's jewelry line party at Laura M boutique. By his side Tuesday night was Karla Jensen, the stunning brunette he was arrested for allegedly abusing in Las Vegas.

According to a party guest, he looked tired but was in good spirits. "They both were smiling," sez a source. "I don't think he ever expected to be fired. They both said the incident was a total misunderstanding and felt certain it would all be cleared up."  But the next day, possibly as a result of ongoing reports - including this story from the LA Times - about a past abuse charge and a sizeable payoff, Albrecht was asked to step down.

"It's a dark and sad day here. Chris was very, very loved," an inside source said yesterday. Interestingly, of all the HBO talent invited to Kate Albrecht's jewelry show, only "Entourage" star Perrey Reeves, who plays the wife of Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) showed up. Albrecht's pretty blonde daughter, Kate, not only designs jewelry. She's also an actress and plays Christy, Shauna's assistant, on the popular HBO series about making it big time - and sometimes losing it big time - in Hollywood.

Tonight's HBO party for "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," held on the Paramount Studio lot, promises to be "more like a funeral than a premiere party," says one industry insider. Like everyone else attending the event this evening, I'm wearing black.

Photo Credits: Chris Albrecht supports his daughter Tuesday night at her jewelry event. Perrey Reeves from "Entourage" admires Kate Albrecht's jewelry designs.
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic