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CNN Live Today

Interview with Harvey Levin

Aired December 30, 2002 - 10:46   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Queen Latifah isn't the only celebrity with legal problems. Today we're taking a look at some of the most bizarre celebrity cases of the year. And for that, we're going to be joined by Harvey Levin, the executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," and just like a Hollywood dude, he is coming to us via telephone. What is it, Harvey, we couldn't get you to the studio today?
HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": I was actually going to fax it in, Carol.

LIN: Or have your guy call my guy.

LEVIN: Right, right.

LIN: We can do it any way you like. Anyway, what is going on with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston?

LEVIN: You know what? Of all the cases, I think their's are my favorite. I mean, look at Whitney Houston coming into a courtroom there. It's as if she has no concept that this is the legal system. What I love about them so much is that they are just so unfiltered. I mean, she is in that courtroom rubbing his head, smiling. He's outside the courtroom in other appearances where he's on -- he's being charged with smoking marijuana and right in front of his lawyer, he says, It was just a little dope.

And you know, it's like these people have been dogged by lawsuits the entire year, from the case we're looking at now to Whitney Houston's father suing her for $100 million to a case where they were basically charged with overwatering their lawn in New Jersey. And through it all, I mean, these people, obviously they're troubled, but I'll tell you, I've never seen people where the court system is such a backdrop to them. It is not the center. I love it.

LIN: Yes, yes. And of course, she had her -- of course, she has her CD coming out. You have got to wonder, you know, whether all that rubbing and loving had to do with the, you know, the sale of her new album.

LEVIN: You know what? I'm sure that's a big issue. I mean, these are public appearances that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown make. I mean, they are in a courtroom, but they are public appearances, and image makes a big difference when you are out there trying to hawk albums, and I wouldn't underestimate that.

LIN: Yes. You can't pay for this kind of publicity.

LEVIN: Absolutely.

LIN: In the meantime, Paul Sorvino having troubles with the neighbors next door over, of all things, the family dog?

LEVIN: You know -- that is what -- one of the things I love about celebrities in the Justice system is they have the same problems that we all have. He has a townhouse in New York City, and his daughter Amanda was living in it, and the neighbors started complaining that Paul Sorvino's dogs were incessant barkers, and they were driving them crazy.

And Sorvino felt that these dogs were getting a bad rap, that it wasn't them, and Sorvino just absolutely went on the warpath. He said, I'm taking these dogs out of the building. I am going to show them that that it's not my dogs creating this problem, there are lots of dogs around.

And it became this -- you know, this could have been in Kansas where the Hatfields and the McCoys were duking it out, but it happened in New York City with a big star, and this man -- it was as important to him as any TV or movie deal that he could have made. He was really, really upset about it.

LIN: Yes. And what about Ivana? Is she just not used to pulling out the old credit card?

LEVIN: You know -- that it just -- have you ever seen her on the Home Shopping Network where she has...

LIN: She is actually pretty good, though.

LEVIN: She is not bad. She's not. Well, she has a whole line of products, and one of them, it is called House of Ivana, she was selling dresses and apparently, or at least the way it seems, is that there was an Arizona dressmaker who spent a lot of money giving Ivana Trump some of these dresses to sell and never got paid. And my recollection is we're talking in several hundred thousand dollars. It was a lot of money. It was a big chunk of change. And she just did not pay. And ultimately said, You know what, my company doesn't have any money left. My company is going bankrupt. We are liquidating it. And the lawyer for this dressmaker said she's using money in that company to pay for yacht repairs.

So, it's still going on. This has been going on for years, and this dressmaker in Arizona saying, I want to get paid. And Ivana -- you know, it's like, how do you pay for your yacht, and say you can't pay for a dress?

LIN: Hey, we have all got our bills to pay, Harvey. You know? I mean -- she has a yacht, I have got a 1990 Volvo.

LEVIN: It's an issue of priorities, Carol.

LIN: There you go. Remember, Harvey, when we were sitting down for drinks in that restaurant and you were telling me how you were trying to sell the premise for this show, and all these different syndicators were wondering if you had enough legal material involving celebrities?

LEVIN: You know what, Carol? The biggest problem that we have on the show in the morning meeting is figuring out what we put in and what we leave out. It's true -- there is so -- believe me, I remember that well, Carol.

LIN: I know. That is so awesome. The show is doing so great. Thanks so much, Harvey. We'll see you tomorrow for more, OK?

LEVIN: Happy New Year, Carol.

LIN: All right. Happy New Year.

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 30, 2002 - 10:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Queen Latifah isn't the only celebrity with legal problems. Today we're taking a look at some of the most bizarre celebrity cases of the year. And for that, we're going to be joined by Harvey Levin, the executive producer of "Celebrity Justice," and just like a Hollywood dude, he is coming to us via telephone. What is it, Harvey, we couldn't get you to the studio today?
HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": I was actually going to fax it in, Carol.

LIN: Or have your guy call my guy.

LEVIN: Right, right.

LIN: We can do it any way you like. Anyway, what is going on with Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston?

LEVIN: You know what? Of all the cases, I think their's are my favorite. I mean, look at Whitney Houston coming into a courtroom there. It's as if she has no concept that this is the legal system. What I love about them so much is that they are just so unfiltered. I mean, she is in that courtroom rubbing his head, smiling. He's outside the courtroom in other appearances where he's on -- he's being charged with smoking marijuana and right in front of his lawyer, he says, It was just a little dope.

And you know, it's like these people have been dogged by lawsuits the entire year, from the case we're looking at now to Whitney Houston's father suing her for $100 million to a case where they were basically charged with overwatering their lawn in New Jersey. And through it all, I mean, these people, obviously they're troubled, but I'll tell you, I've never seen people where the court system is such a backdrop to them. It is not the center. I love it.

LIN: Yes, yes. And of course, she had her -- of course, she has her CD coming out. You have got to wonder, you know, whether all that rubbing and loving had to do with the, you know, the sale of her new album.

LEVIN: You know what? I'm sure that's a big issue. I mean, these are public appearances that Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown make. I mean, they are in a courtroom, but they are public appearances, and image makes a big difference when you are out there trying to hawk albums, and I wouldn't underestimate that.

LIN: Yes. You can't pay for this kind of publicity.

LEVIN: Absolutely.

LIN: In the meantime, Paul Sorvino having troubles with the neighbors next door over, of all things, the family dog?

LEVIN: You know -- that is what -- one of the things I love about celebrities in the Justice system is they have the same problems that we all have. He has a townhouse in New York City, and his daughter Amanda was living in it, and the neighbors started complaining that Paul Sorvino's dogs were incessant barkers, and they were driving them crazy.

And Sorvino felt that these dogs were getting a bad rap, that it wasn't them, and Sorvino just absolutely went on the warpath. He said, I'm taking these dogs out of the building. I am going to show them that that it's not my dogs creating this problem, there are lots of dogs around.

And it became this -- you know, this could have been in Kansas where the Hatfields and the McCoys were duking it out, but it happened in New York City with a big star, and this man -- it was as important to him as any TV or movie deal that he could have made. He was really, really upset about it.

LIN: Yes. And what about Ivana? Is she just not used to pulling out the old credit card?

LEVIN: You know -- that it just -- have you ever seen her on the Home Shopping Network where she has...

LIN: She is actually pretty good, though.

LEVIN: She is not bad. She's not. Well, she has a whole line of products, and one of them, it is called House of Ivana, she was selling dresses and apparently, or at least the way it seems, is that there was an Arizona dressmaker who spent a lot of money giving Ivana Trump some of these dresses to sell and never got paid. And my recollection is we're talking in several hundred thousand dollars. It was a lot of money. It was a big chunk of change. And she just did not pay. And ultimately said, You know what, my company doesn't have any money left. My company is going bankrupt. We are liquidating it. And the lawyer for this dressmaker said she's using money in that company to pay for yacht repairs.

So, it's still going on. This has been going on for years, and this dressmaker in Arizona saying, I want to get paid. And Ivana -- you know, it's like, how do you pay for your yacht, and say you can't pay for a dress?

LIN: Hey, we have all got our bills to pay, Harvey. You know? I mean -- she has a yacht, I have got a 1990 Volvo.

LEVIN: It's an issue of priorities, Carol.

LIN: There you go. Remember, Harvey, when we were sitting down for drinks in that restaurant and you were telling me how you were trying to sell the premise for this show, and all these different syndicators were wondering if you had enough legal material involving celebrities?

LEVIN: You know what, Carol? The biggest problem that we have on the show in the morning meeting is figuring out what we put in and what we leave out. It's true -- there is so -- believe me, I remember that well, Carol.

LIN: I know. That is so awesome. The show is doing so great. Thanks so much, Harvey. We'll see you tomorrow for more, OK?

LEVIN: Happy New Year, Carol.

LIN: All right. Happy New Year.

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