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CNN Live Saturday
Celebrity Scandals
Aired December 13, 2003 - 18:37 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: All right, you've heard about all of the allegations, child molestation, sexual misconduct, even the abuse of the severely sick young boy. CNN's Michael Okwu looks at how some celebrities have overcome and even profited from celebrated scandals.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): : These were the images most associated with Hollywood celebrity. Unbridled glamour, red carpet glitz, images that can make careers. It is a long way from this, or this or this. But while some celebrities forever remain tainted by scandal, others survive, even thrive from their reported transgressions. Charlotte Parker is an image consultant who has in the past represented stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
CHARLOTTE PARKER, IMAGE CONSULTANT: The thing is that you want to immediately come in and you want to take responsibility for what you did.
OKWU: For weeks, the name Paris Hilton was associated with, well, a bootleg sex tape. She managed to parlay the publicity into prime-time success, a potential entertainment yield worth millions.
PARIS HILTON: Oh, my, god.
OKWU: Parker says Hilton's looks certainly didn't hurt. And needling herself on "Saturday Night Live" was just plain savvy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it hard to get into the Paris Hilton?
PARKER: People particularly like self-deprecating humor. When someone can make fun of themselves that is a marvelous quality and people relate to that. And they love it.
OKWU: Hugh Grant followed that rule on the "Tonight Show" after soliciting a prostitute in 1995.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I did a bad thing and there you have it.
OKWU: Our expert says showing remorse is key.
PARKER: If you own up to making a mistake, people will forgive you. On the other hand, I think that where people suffer is when they are silent.
OKWU: Parker points to Peewee Herman whose career she says may never have fully recovered. Or George Michael who released this self- mocking video a full seven months after he was arrested for engaging in sex acts in a public restroom.
(on camera): But sometimes Parker says celebrities are hamstrung when their legal advice is deny the charge and just be quiet.
(voice-over): Winona Ryder couldn't very well be contrite for shop lifting while claiming her innocent. And the public does have limits. Kobe Bryant facing sex charges and Michael Jackson's charges on child molestation even if never proven will test those limits. The priority then isn't staying on the red carpet it's staying out of jail. Michael Okwu, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 13, 2003 - 18:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, you've heard about all of the allegations, child molestation, sexual misconduct, even the abuse of the severely sick young boy. CNN's Michael Okwu looks at how some celebrities have overcome and even profited from celebrated scandals.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): : These were the images most associated with Hollywood celebrity. Unbridled glamour, red carpet glitz, images that can make careers. It is a long way from this, or this or this. But while some celebrities forever remain tainted by scandal, others survive, even thrive from their reported transgressions. Charlotte Parker is an image consultant who has in the past represented stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
CHARLOTTE PARKER, IMAGE CONSULTANT: The thing is that you want to immediately come in and you want to take responsibility for what you did.
OKWU: For weeks, the name Paris Hilton was associated with, well, a bootleg sex tape. She managed to parlay the publicity into prime-time success, a potential entertainment yield worth millions.
PARIS HILTON: Oh, my, god.
OKWU: Parker says Hilton's looks certainly didn't hurt. And needling herself on "Saturday Night Live" was just plain savvy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it hard to get into the Paris Hilton?
PARKER: People particularly like self-deprecating humor. When someone can make fun of themselves that is a marvelous quality and people relate to that. And they love it.
OKWU: Hugh Grant followed that rule on the "Tonight Show" after soliciting a prostitute in 1995.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I did a bad thing and there you have it.
OKWU: Our expert says showing remorse is key.
PARKER: If you own up to making a mistake, people will forgive you. On the other hand, I think that where people suffer is when they are silent.
OKWU: Parker points to Peewee Herman whose career she says may never have fully recovered. Or George Michael who released this self- mocking video a full seven months after he was arrested for engaging in sex acts in a public restroom.
(on camera): But sometimes Parker says celebrities are hamstrung when their legal advice is deny the charge and just be quiet.
(voice-over): Winona Ryder couldn't very well be contrite for shop lifting while claiming her innocent. And the public does have limits. Kobe Bryant facing sex charges and Michael Jackson's charges on child molestation even if never proven will test those limits. The priority then isn't staying on the red carpet it's staying out of jail. Michael Okwu, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
