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CNN Live Today

Interview with Harvey Levin

Aired December 11, 2002 - 10:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Actress and comedian Paula Poundstone heads back to court today. The issue this time around is about custody rather than conviction. A dependency court hearing beginning today is going to decide whether to grant Poundstone temporary custody of her three adopted children. Poundstone was sentenced last October to five years probation and ordered to undergo rehab on part of a plea agreement on child endangerment charges.
Well, Poundstone is not the only one, entertainer-wise, who is taking center stage in a courtroom. Executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," Harvey Levin, joins us from once again from Los Angeles to talk about the Poundstone case, along with other high profile drama as well unfolding out there -- good to see you again, Harvey.

All right. What's the word about Poundstone now?

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": I have to tell you something. I have followed this case from the very beginning, and in this one, I think Paula Poundstone is being hammered because she is a celebrity.

HARRIS: Really?

LEVIN: I really do. Initially, this was a very serious case where she was accused of molesting one of these children, and that turned out to be bogus, and they threw it out. But I think that kind of stuck with people in the system, and even though there was no basis for it, this woman has been in this kind of Never-Neverland for months and months and months in court. Every time promised that she will get these kids back. She's done everything the judge has asked her to do.

Children's Services has been really slow, and these are foster kids who are probably traumatized over this period of time, and she keeps being promised things, and it keeps getting delayed, and I think because of the attention -- Leon on this one, I really believe that she is just being hammered.

HARRIS: Sounds like she's being treated like a normal person. That is what -- I hear that kind of story happen with regular people all the time. But we don't have time for that -- let's go on.

I have got to talk to you now about this stalker case with Britney Houston -- Britney Houston. Britney Spears. I'm getting Whitney and Britney all mixed up in my head. What is the word on that now?

LEVIN: Well, Britney Spears has a stalker. No surprise, but this one is somebody who came over from Japan, wrote her letters, said I'm chasing you, tried to deliver them to her house. LAPD's threat management division is taking this very seriously. They are involved in the case.

And I have got to tell you, in L.A., it's really tough because you think these stars are insulated, but they are really not. I know where Britney Spears lives, and the house is not totally inaccessible, and it really is a problem for celebrities, because they push it on stage, but people just don't understand that there's a line there, and that line gets crossed, and you never know when the danger is real, or when the danger is just a fan talking.

This one the police are taking seriously.

HARRIS: Yes, but it is extra creepy, because it is not a kid, this is not a teenager that's in love with her, we're talking about a grown man in this case.

LEVIN: Extra, extra creepy, and this is a guy who didn't just come from Pasadena to Los Angeles, he came from Japan. So this is somebody on a mission.

HARRIS: All right. And we're on a mission too, because we're up against the clock as we always are when you come up here, Harry (sic) -- Harvey.

LEVIN: ... Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Harvey. Appreciate the time this morning. We'll talk with you next time around, OK. Take care. Harvey Levin from "Celebrity Justice."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 11, 2002 - 10:56   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Actress and comedian Paula Poundstone heads back to court today. The issue this time around is about custody rather than conviction. A dependency court hearing beginning today is going to decide whether to grant Poundstone temporary custody of her three adopted children. Poundstone was sentenced last October to five years probation and ordered to undergo rehab on part of a plea agreement on child endangerment charges.
Well, Poundstone is not the only one, entertainer-wise, who is taking center stage in a courtroom. Executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," Harvey Levin, joins us from once again from Los Angeles to talk about the Poundstone case, along with other high profile drama as well unfolding out there -- good to see you again, Harvey.

All right. What's the word about Poundstone now?

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": I have to tell you something. I have followed this case from the very beginning, and in this one, I think Paula Poundstone is being hammered because she is a celebrity.

HARRIS: Really?

LEVIN: I really do. Initially, this was a very serious case where she was accused of molesting one of these children, and that turned out to be bogus, and they threw it out. But I think that kind of stuck with people in the system, and even though there was no basis for it, this woman has been in this kind of Never-Neverland for months and months and months in court. Every time promised that she will get these kids back. She's done everything the judge has asked her to do.

Children's Services has been really slow, and these are foster kids who are probably traumatized over this period of time, and she keeps being promised things, and it keeps getting delayed, and I think because of the attention -- Leon on this one, I really believe that she is just being hammered.

HARRIS: Sounds like she's being treated like a normal person. That is what -- I hear that kind of story happen with regular people all the time. But we don't have time for that -- let's go on.

I have got to talk to you now about this stalker case with Britney Houston -- Britney Houston. Britney Spears. I'm getting Whitney and Britney all mixed up in my head. What is the word on that now?

LEVIN: Well, Britney Spears has a stalker. No surprise, but this one is somebody who came over from Japan, wrote her letters, said I'm chasing you, tried to deliver them to her house. LAPD's threat management division is taking this very seriously. They are involved in the case.

And I have got to tell you, in L.A., it's really tough because you think these stars are insulated, but they are really not. I know where Britney Spears lives, and the house is not totally inaccessible, and it really is a problem for celebrities, because they push it on stage, but people just don't understand that there's a line there, and that line gets crossed, and you never know when the danger is real, or when the danger is just a fan talking.

This one the police are taking seriously.

HARRIS: Yes, but it is extra creepy, because it is not a kid, this is not a teenager that's in love with her, we're talking about a grown man in this case.

LEVIN: Extra, extra creepy, and this is a guy who didn't just come from Pasadena to Los Angeles, he came from Japan. So this is somebody on a mission.

HARRIS: All right. And we're on a mission too, because we're up against the clock as we always are when you come up here, Harry (sic) -- Harvey.

LEVIN: ... Leon.

HARRIS: Thanks, Harvey. Appreciate the time this morning. We'll talk with you next time around, OK. Take care. Harvey Levin from "Celebrity Justice."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com