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CNN Live Today

Interview with Harvey Levin

Aired January 21, 2003 - 10:41   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: It was a cruel summer for a lot of "American Idol" wannabes as they tried and failed to sing their way on to that top pop show on TV.
Well, now, "Idol" worshipers are gearing up for a new season, and the two-hour premier debuts tonight, and producers say you're going to see plenty of good singing, plenty of bad performances, and ugly comments from Simon, the judge everybody loves to hate.

But not everyone is singing the praises of "American Idol." In fact, one man is suing the show and the Fox network. The 50-year-old says he was shut out of the auditions because he was too old.

Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice" joins us now with more on that and some other high profile cases on his docket -- hi, Harvey.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Carol.

LIN: So, is 52 old? I mean, the rules did say, what, between 16 and 24, that that's what they were looking for for the auditions?

LEVIN: Well, first of all, are you asking me if 50 is too old?

LIN: Well, being the young 35 that you are...

LEVIN: Exactly.

LIN: I thought we had a little room to maneuver.

LEVIN: I think this is ridiculous. I mean, the age discrimination laws were designed to protect people in an employment situation. This is a game show. This has nothing to do with the employment discrimination laws. When you have a game show, you can hire basically whoever you want, and this guy thinks he's working for IBM by applying to "American Idol," and it ain't the case.

And bottom line is, I think this is a ridiculous lawsuit or threat of a lawsuit, and it is going to go nowhere. And the producers have an absolute right, I think, to set the ground rules, because it is their show.

LIN: Well, do they have any incentive to pay him off, just make it go away?

LEVIN: Oh, I don't think so. I mean -- the whole idea of age discrimination is that when you apply for jobs, when it's something really meaningful to your livelihood, that you have some protection. And even that protection is limited. But for crying out loud, this is a game show. No way, no way.

LIN: No way. All right, maybe it's just one other way for him to get publicity, then.

LEVIN: There you go.

LIN: To jump start that singing career that he has always wanted.

LEVIN: There you go.

LIN: Do we even know what Drew Cummings (ph) was doing before he tried out for "American Idol"? I am trying to figure this out.

LEVIN: It's funny.

LIN: Yes, who knows. Anyway, obviously he was standing in line for a long time.

What is the latest on this Max Factor heir, who has been accused of several different rapes, and now apparently he is on the lam?

LEVIN: Yes, it is really an incredible case. I mean, they're finding items of his all over the state. They found his car in Santa Monica, California this past weekend, which had been sitting for a couple of weeks. They found his dog in California as well.

I mean, he -- the jury is deliberating today, they're resuming deliberations without him. This is a potential life sentence. So the stakes are awfully high. The bet is that he's probably out of the country. Last week, the FBI seemed to think that they had leads on him in England, but this guy is not sticking around because if he is in California, he is just in a heap of trouble. My guess is he is somewhere far, far away right now.

LIN: Well, he has jumped his $1 million bail, he is 39 years old, and he is the great grandson of the cosmetics magnate Max Factor, so he has got the resources to stay on the lam, doesn't he?

LEVIN: Well, you know what? It is interesting. I don't think he is as loaded as you may think. He is not -- he has a trust fund, but my understanding of that trust fund is he's not living necessarily in the lap of luxury. He is comfortable, but certainly he has enough money for a plane ticket out of the country.

LIN: So what was the word on the original crime? I mean, he is accused of raping some -- three different women, right?

LEVIN: Right.

LIN: At a Mussell Shoal (ph) estate?

LEVIN: Using the date rape drug, and videotaping them, and he is saying, No. 1, it was consensual. No. 2, he said he was an aspiring pornographer, and many of these videos were designed for his would-be career. So, they actually made a few dents in the testimony of two of the women. But it doesn't -- obviously it doesn't look great for him because he is gone.

LIN: Well, I find it ironic that his name is Andrew Luster and he belongs to the Max Factor family. Anything else on your docket you are looking for?

LEVIN: Well, you know, there's this really unbelievable case. Nicole Kidman won a Golden Globe on Sunday night. Well, the year before, which I believe she also won a Golden Globe the year before...

LIN: Yes, she has won like four or five, I want to say.

LEVIN: I know she won one the year before. The year before she was supposed to be protected, one of the body guards was supposed to be a guy by the name of Larry Allison, and Larry Allison wanted to protect her in last year's Golden Globe, but just before, they pulled his credentials saying that he was psycho. No, they used the word -- they used the word, and Carol, it is actually in the complaint.

LIN: That's who you want protecting you.

LEVIN: Well, that was the allegation. And he is now suing Merv Griffin, he is suing the Golden Globe people, he is suing Dick Clark because he couldn't protect her any more, they wouldn't give him a pass, and he is saying that it has ruined his career. So, what an interesting trial to have to argue, I am not psycho.

LIN: Really, I'm not.

LEVIN: Right.

LIN: All right. Thanks so much, Harvey. You have a good day.

LEVIN: Good seeing you, Carol.

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 January 21, 2003 - 10:41   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: It was a cruel summer for a lot of "American Idol" wannabes as they tried and failed to sing their way on to that top pop show on TV.
Well, now, "Idol" worshipers are gearing up for a new season, and the two-hour premier debuts tonight, and producers say you're going to see plenty of good singing, plenty of bad performances, and ugly comments from Simon, the judge everybody loves to hate.

But not everyone is singing the praises of "American Idol." In fact, one man is suing the show and the Fox network. The 50-year-old says he was shut out of the auditions because he was too old.

Harvey Levin, executive producer of "Celebrity Justice" joins us now with more on that and some other high profile cases on his docket -- hi, Harvey.

HARVEY LEVIN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, Carol.

LIN: So, is 52 old? I mean, the rules did say, what, between 16 and 24, that that's what they were looking for for the auditions?

LEVIN: Well, first of all, are you asking me if 50 is too old?

LIN: Well, being the young 35 that you are...

LEVIN: Exactly.

LIN: I thought we had a little room to maneuver.

LEVIN: I think this is ridiculous. I mean, the age discrimination laws were designed to protect people in an employment situation. This is a game show. This has nothing to do with the employment discrimination laws. When you have a game show, you can hire basically whoever you want, and this guy thinks he's working for IBM by applying to "American Idol," and it ain't the case.

And bottom line is, I think this is a ridiculous lawsuit or threat of a lawsuit, and it is going to go nowhere. And the producers have an absolute right, I think, to set the ground rules, because it is their show.

LIN: Well, do they have any incentive to pay him off, just make it go away?

LEVIN: Oh, I don't think so. I mean -- the whole idea of age discrimination is that when you apply for jobs, when it's something really meaningful to your livelihood, that you have some protection. And even that protection is limited. But for crying out loud, this is a game show. No way, no way.

LIN: No way. All right, maybe it's just one other way for him to get publicity, then.

LEVIN: There you go.

LIN: To jump start that singing career that he has always wanted.

LEVIN: There you go.

LIN: Do we even know what Drew Cummings (ph) was doing before he tried out for "American Idol"? I am trying to figure this out.

LEVIN: It's funny.

LIN: Yes, who knows. Anyway, obviously he was standing in line for a long time.

What is the latest on this Max Factor heir, who has been accused of several different rapes, and now apparently he is on the lam?

LEVIN: Yes, it is really an incredible case. I mean, they're finding items of his all over the state. They found his car in Santa Monica, California this past weekend, which had been sitting for a couple of weeks. They found his dog in California as well.

I mean, he -- the jury is deliberating today, they're resuming deliberations without him. This is a potential life sentence. So the stakes are awfully high. The bet is that he's probably out of the country. Last week, the FBI seemed to think that they had leads on him in England, but this guy is not sticking around because if he is in California, he is just in a heap of trouble. My guess is he is somewhere far, far away right now.

LIN: Well, he has jumped his $1 million bail, he is 39 years old, and he is the great grandson of the cosmetics magnate Max Factor, so he has got the resources to stay on the lam, doesn't he?

LEVIN: Well, you know what? It is interesting. I don't think he is as loaded as you may think. He is not -- he has a trust fund, but my understanding of that trust fund is he's not living necessarily in the lap of luxury. He is comfortable, but certainly he has enough money for a plane ticket out of the country.

LIN: So what was the word on the original crime? I mean, he is accused of raping some -- three different women, right?

LEVIN: Right.

LIN: At a Mussell Shoal (ph) estate?

LEVIN: Using the date rape drug, and videotaping them, and he is saying, No. 1, it was consensual. No. 2, he said he was an aspiring pornographer, and many of these videos were designed for his would-be career. So, they actually made a few dents in the testimony of two of the women. But it doesn't -- obviously it doesn't look great for him because he is gone.

LIN: Well, I find it ironic that his name is Andrew Luster and he belongs to the Max Factor family. Anything else on your docket you are looking for?

LEVIN: Well, you know, there's this really unbelievable case. Nicole Kidman won a Golden Globe on Sunday night. Well, the year before, which I believe she also won a Golden Globe the year before...

LIN: Yes, she has won like four or five, I want to say.

LEVIN: I know she won one the year before. The year before she was supposed to be protected, one of the body guards was supposed to be a guy by the name of Larry Allison, and Larry Allison wanted to protect her in last year's Golden Globe, but just before, they pulled his credentials saying that he was psycho. No, they used the word -- they used the word, and Carol, it is actually in the complaint.

LIN: That's who you want protecting you.

LEVIN: Well, that was the allegation. And he is now suing Merv Griffin, he is suing the Golden Globe people, he is suing Dick Clark because he couldn't protect her any more, they wouldn't give him a pass, and he is saying that it has ruined his career. So, what an interesting trial to have to argue, I am not psycho.

LIN: Really, I'm not.

LEVIN: Right.

LIN: All right. Thanks so much, Harvey. You have a good day.

LEVIN: Good seeing you, Carol.

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