Return to Transcripts main page

Jane Velez-Mitchell

Community Crippled by Teen Violence; Inside a Marriage Meltdown

Aired March 24, 2010 - 19:00   ET

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


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CNN HOST (voice-over): Tonight, a community crippled by teen violence. It`s happened again. Just one week after a 14- year-old girl was nearly beaten to death in south Florida, a 12-year-old boy is accused of trying to rape a woman. And another teenage girl was pummeled in the face on a school bus. All this in the very same community where Michael Brewer was allegedly set on fire by his classmates. What is going on here?

And inside a marriage meltdown. Shocking new details in the Sandra Bullock/Jesse James striper sex scandal. Jesse`s ex-wife is now speaking out, calling a chronic cheater. Are there other women? Is Jesse the next Tiger Woods?

Also, is Ben Roethlisberger off the hook? Mysterious twists and turns in big Ben`s sexual assault case. The NFL superstar accused of attacking a girl inside a college nightclub. So why have cops withdrawn their request for his DNA?

Plus, an "Issues" special guest, Robin Quivers, from "The Howard Stern Show" is here. The shock-jock`s sidekick weighs in on big Ben`s legal problems, Sandra`s marriage woes and the star of the movie "Precious."

"Issues" starts now.

(on camera): Here we go again. Yet, another child accused of unthinkable, unimaginable brutality. This time, a 12-year-old boy is accused of trying to rape -- are you sitting down? -- a 50-year-old woman. Police say the boy came up behind her, knocked her over, ripped her pants down and punched her repeatedly. It happened in Coral Springs, Florida, just miles from a horrifying school bus attack. In that case, police say a 14-year-old boy pummeled his 12-year-old girlfriend yesterday, breaking her nose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D`ANGELIQUE COBY, VICTIM: I had told him that I don`t want to be with him anymore. And then he was screaming and stuff. And that`s when this morning we went on the bus and then I was like, you`re never going to change or whatever, whatever, and then he hit me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s the victim. Days earlier, also nearby, 13- year-old Josie Ratley was nearly beaten to death at a bus stop. A 15-year- old boy allegedly kicked her in the head over and over again with steel- toed boots. Police say the kid was enraged by a text Josie sent him. He responded to her with this text, quote, "I`m coming over there and I`m going to snap your neck," end quote. After the beating, after the beating, he allegedly sent this text to a friend. "Well, I guess I`m going to prison. I almost killed somebody."

A school official called 911. Listen to this, short, but --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALLER: Put your phone down. Put your phone down now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: These teachers are trying to control these kids. They are out of control. In the very same community, Michael Brewer was set on fire allegedly by three teenage schoolmates.

We`ve got a teen violence epidemic, OK? That`s obvious. What do you think we should do about it? Call me, 1-877-jvm-says. That`s 1-877-586- 7297.

Straight out to my fantastic expert panel, Dr. Dale Archer, clinical psychiatrist; Dan Gaffney, talk radio host from WGMD News Radio; Judge Greg Mathis, host of "The Judge Mathis Show." And we also are delighted to have Rick Friedman tonight, the attorney for the victim, Josie Ratley`s family.

But first, Diana Moskovitz, reporter for the "Miami Herald" has been tracking this case.

Diana, what is the very latest on all of these cases?

DIANA MOSKOVITZ, REPORTER, MIAMI HERALD: Oh, goodness. That`s a lot of cases, unfortunately. Well, right now, with Josie -- and I`m sure that Mr. Friedman will speak more to this -- folks are watching and waiting to see how she does. Obviously, she has a lot of people pulling for her right now. And that`s really where things are.

They have the two students that are in custody and that will slowly but surely make its way through the legal system. They already have future court dates set up. There`s a long way to go in that legal process. As far as --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I just want to jump in. And this is the suspect here. We`re looking at him in a way that we cannot see his face. This is the 15-year-old suspect who is accused of smashing in Josie Ratley`s face with his steel-toed boots.

Continue, Diana.

Thank you. We also have a case in Hollywood. In that case, again, we had an arrest. The student has been charged and now it`s, you know, in the court system. And we will see how that goes.

MOSKOVITZ: Thank you. Now we also have the case in Hollywood. In that case, again we had an arrest. The student`s been charged and now it`s in the court system. And we will see how that goes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

Rick Friedman, you are the attorney for the family of this poor, beaten teen. This is the suspect we`re looking at. What is her condition tonight? Last night, when we talked to you and the victim`s aunt, she was in a coma. And what`s happened since?

RICK FRIEDMAN, ATTORNEY FOR JOSIE RATLEY`S FAMILY: Thank you, Jane, for letting me joins you tonight. She`s still in an induced coma. The swelling on the right side of the brain has gone down, but unfortunately the left side of the brain, not so. There`s still significant swelling on the left side of the brain. They want to keep her in the induced coma until such time as the swelling does go down completely, and then they`ll slowly wean her off of that and see how her body reacts.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is there a possibility that she -- is she still fighting for her life? Or is she out of the woods in that sense?

FRIEDMAN: She`s -- no, no, every day she`s fighting for her life. This is still a touch-and-go thing. The doctors are very happy about how strong she is from the neck down. She`s a very, very healthy girl and she`s fighting very hard in there. There are a lot of people in this community fighting with her. I cannot begin to tell you the outpouring of support that we`ve been getting from all of the community. I`ll tell you that the family, if it wasn`t for this community and the outpouring of support, I don`t know where they would go or what they would do. That`s literally what`s keeping them going right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I heard the victim`s mother was so devastated, she had to be sedated. Is she still sedated?

FRIEDMAN: You know what? She slept last night for a very long time. They got some food in her. She`s feeling better today. I just came from the hospital. I literally left the hospital and came right over here. And she is doing better.

You know, I give her the updates in terms of the phone calls. The other day there was a car wash where they raised something like $1,000. I just got a call ten minutes ago from a church out here in Broward County that`s going to hold a fund-raiser in a couple of weeks. It`s just -- and I tell you these things and it really -- it lights up her life.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: In 60 seconds, we`ll debate, should the punk who is accused of doing this be charged as an adult?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Prosecutors are deciding whether to charge Josie`s alleged attacker as an adult. The 15-year-old boy is now accused of premeditated attempted murder, which could carry a life sentence.

In 2005, the Supreme Court banned the death penalty for anybody under 18.

The three kids, by the way, accused of setting Michael Brewer on fire are charged as adults.

So we are going to debate.

Judge Greg Mathis, should this 15-year-old be charged as an adult? And what`s the criteria for determining that?

JUDGE GREG MATHIS, HOST, "THE JUDGE MATHIS SHOW": Well, in many states, the criteria for determining whether they should be tried as an adult is whether the child is -- has the amount of knowledge and wisdom to appreciate the consequences of his action. And in this case, I suggest he would.

On the other hand, when trying a child as an adult, I think the factors need to also include the background of the child and whether that child has had an opportunity to be raised properly. Because a child who hasn`t been raised properly is not in touch with his actions or the disciplines that will result from his actions. I think he should be charged as a youth and not as an adult.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s my big issue. Is teen violence all in the family? Josie`s accused attacker apparently comes from a very troubled family. The suspect`s 30-year-old brother committed suicide last fall. This suspect discovered his brother`s body hanging from a tree outside a church. The older brother was reportedly a father figure to him since his father, his real father, was constantly in and out of jail. The suspect`s father has been arrested, get this, 43 times.

MATHIS: That`s my point exactly. Here`s a young man who never really had a chance. And with learning the discipline of how to really behave in society based on the role models and the training he had as a kid.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Rick Friedman, the attorney for the family of the beaten teen, they are going through hell. What do they want to see? Do they want to see this punk charged as an adult?

FRIEDMAN: You know, I can only tell you what the mother has told me in the past and told other people in the past. Obviously, she`s angry right now. She`s angry at what he did and how he went about doing it. She trusts the criminal justice system in terms of what they`re doing right now and trusts that they`ll make the right decision.

I will tell you this. Our sheriff down here, Al Lamberty (ph), talked about the fact that they can`t just keep locking up and throwing away the key with every single juvenile. He talked about the fact that they need to start doing something beforehand. And we`ve talked about a few of the things they can do. One of the things we had here down in Miami-Dade County was the boot camp program. But just yesterday, I was in the mayor`s office speaking with the county manager and he informed us that he`s decided that they can`t find the $2 million to keep the boot camp program going.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, my god. This is what drives me totally insane because --

FRIEDMAN: So let me tell you, Jane, here`s what -- let me tell you. Here`s what`s going to happen. Instead of these kids going to the boot camp program and being educated and being employed and being disciplined, they`re going to end up in state prison, which we call, of course, crime college. When they get out, they`ll come back down to their communities. Do you think they`re going to be more or less educated? More or less employable?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are talking my language.

MATHIS: Mine as well.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We do not focus on prevention in this country. We`ve got a budget crisis, so let`s get rid of all the programs that prevent teen violence. Then the teens commit the violence and we spend millions of dollars prosecuted.

Do you know how much it`s going to cost to prosecute this kid? it`s going to cost millions of dollars to gather the evidence, to have all the preliminary hearings and pick the location of the trial, the battle over change of venue, the battle over what jurors are going to be seated, the opening statements, the witnesses, the closing arguments. It goes on and on. It`s millions. But yet, a program that could stop this next teen from doing the same thing -- OK.

FRIEDMAN: They`re cutting it. They`re cutting it because they don`t have $2 million to fund the program.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Shay in North Carolina, your question or thought? Shay? Hey, Shay?

All right. Here`s my take. I have to say this. When I was a young teenager, I went to see a movie called "A Clockwork Orange." Here`s a clip of it from Warner Brothers. It`s a movie about a bunch of young thugs in some horrible future who sadistically assault people. I walked out of it. I had never viewed violence like this in my life and I was completely repulsed and nauseated.

Well, guess what, today`s teenagers are inundated with so much worse. This would be a quaint little no-nonsense flick. The movies they`re seeing today, they glamorize sadism. They involve violence to resolve conflicts. It often is a man committing horrific violence against a woman. Meanwhile, nobody is teaching these kids how to resolve their conflicts peacefully. So, of course, when faced with a problem, a significant percentage of teens, especially the troubled ones, are going to imitate the violence.

You know, Dr. Dale Archer, we desperately need to start teaching kids how to solve their problems peacefully. Conflict resolution should be a required course in school. And every single campus should offer group therapy after school.

DR. DALE ARCHER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I totally agree with you, Jane. I think there are two points to the issue. Number one, the violence in media is absolutely out of hand. TV, Internet, movies, video games, song lyrics, it`s pervasive and it`s glorified as being somehow cool. We now have psychological studies that prove that media violence leads to violence in real life. If that`s not enough ammunition to stomp it, I don`t know what is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Everybody stay right where you are.

Teenage violence out of control. We`re taking your calls. 1-877-jvm- says.

Plus, the pediatrician from hell. A doctor accused of raping more than 100 young patients inside his office. Today, he faces a judge. But first, teen violence ripping through south Florida, attempted rapes, brutal beatings, a teenager set on fire. What is going on with our kids?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: He came out and he slammed this girl`s head into the concrete and he did it repeatedly. And then he started kicking her and punching her in the neck. It was painful just to see all the blood gushing out of her head. It was nasty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

911 DISPATCHER: 911, what is your emergency?

CALLER: Um, we have -- this is um -- at Deerfield Beach Middle. Um, I don`t know if a call already came in. We have a student unconscious from another student through a battery.

I also need police immediately. I have a high school student that actually created the injury to this child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That 911 call came just moments after Josie Ratley was beaten to within an inch of her life. A very special visitor came to her bedside today. This kid is a hero, burn victim, Michael Brewer. The two share an agonizing bond. They are classmates, believe it or not, and both victims of completely senseless violence, allegedly at the hands of their peers.

We`re thrilled to show you these new pictures of Michael Brewer. He has made an amazing recovery from the severe burns he suffered in October. Look at this guy. He is my hero, this Michael Brewer.

His classmates are accused of drenching him with rubbing alcohol. He was touch-and-go. And yet, what does he do? He goes and visits this young lady who has been beaten to within an inch of her life to offer her support, even though she`s in a coma. He`s there to pay his respects to a fellow victim of senseless violence.

Shay, North Carolina, what is your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes. My thought is that teen needs to be charged as an adult. For the simple fact, you know right from wrong when you`re young. You know right from wrong. You have to respect yourself in order for people to respect you. It doesn`t matter about his background at home. The thing is, is that mama`s baby, daddy`s maybe, therefore I`m raising -- I have a 14-year-old son right now. To this day, he`s an A-B honor roll student.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK,

DAN GAFFNEY, RALK RADIO HOST, WSMD NEWS RADIO: Ma`am, I would --

CALLER: He carries himself with respect.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Shay, I want to have Dan Gaffney weigh in. He`s been very patient.

GAFFNEY: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What do you think?

GAFFNEY: Well, first thing I would do is flee the government schools immediately. Not only do we have problems at home, you mentioned the family problems with these young people, but the adults within the four walls of the school have lost control here. There are no adults showing control. The children aren`t going to show control. Get out of the government schools immediately. This is the number-one complaint in schools across America, not just at this school.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we could also try to improve the schools or create charter schools.

GAFFNEY: Yes, I agree. Jane, I agree with that, but they`re not going to do it while my kids are in school because my kids are too precious. Get them out. Then work from the outside to improve the government school for the generation behind you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dan, here`s the thing. I`d like to suggest something. I visited many public schools as a reporter. And there`s nothing wrong with the school building and there`s nothing really inherently evil about the kids or the teachers. It`s just a messed-up system that we need to prove. One way to improve it would be to teach them something they can actually use, like non-violent conflict resolution and offer group therapy after school.

GAFFNEY: I agree. But, Jane, do you think they`re under control when they see this much violence happening at this school? Do you really think the school`s under control?

MATHIS: Well, some schools are. We can`t say that all public schools are not worthy of existence.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Gentlemen, we`ll have you all back to continue this debate. Thank you so much.

It`s one of the worst cases of pedophilia in U.S. history. A pediatrician accused of preying on more than 100 young patients now faces a judge.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Fast-breaking developments tonight in the case of a depraved Delaware pediatrician accused of molesting his young, helpless patients. Today, mothers sobbed. They wept in court. and the judge raised this sicko`s bail. Earl Bradley is charged with allegedly molesting more than 100 children at his carnival-style, kid-friendly doctor`s office. Police say some of his alleged victims were as young as 3 months old.

Reporters in the courtroom say there were guards everywhere and that Bradley looked, quote, "out of it."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL LOPARDI, REPORTER, WBOC-TV: He came in shackled at both the hands and the ankles in a gray-colored jumpsuit and did not speak during the proceedings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: As if this case couldn`t get worse, authorities are still looking for more possible victims.

Back to talk to me about this horrific case, talk radio host, Dan Gaffney.

Dan, what is the latest?

GAFFNEY: Well, the latest is, as you say, it was a quick arraignment today. And for once, couldn`t we have someone plead guilty for once, please? Spare us the agony. But he didn`t. He pled not guilty.

There were six guards around him. He did not speak. He also did not learn any grooming enhancements while in prison. He still looked disheveled, dirty, with scraggly hair. The judge raised the bond on him to $3.7 million. That`s good news.

It was a real tragic scene. Some mothers of victims were in the courtroom crying, a few of them uncontrollably and unconsolably crying and had to be led out. They were protected from the media and from questioning, rightfully so. And it was an in-and-out situation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unbelievable.

GAFFNEY: His legal team did quit a few weeks ago due to the fact, they decided they were not going to get paid. Some of Bradley`s assets had been seized by the attorney general`s office, so they decided they`re out. Now we have taxpayer-funded public defenders taking the case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Parents who took their kids to Dr. Bradley are understandably devastated, freaked out. Listen to one dad who appeared on CBS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONNIE NAUMAN, JR, MOTHER OF BRADLEY VICTIM: Almost everybody probably knew somebody that, yes, their kid went there. Look at her when she`s laying there sleeping and I`m thinking, poor girl. Just pray that she`s not one of them. You know, because she`s so sweet. You know? Because she`s my little baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Parents so devastated. Cops say this Bradley character videotaped his sexual encounters with his young patients.

Dan, do you think parents are now going to be forced to watch these tapes of their children being violated in order to allow authorities to identify the children?

GAFFNEY: Let`s hope not. I know the attorney general`s office, working with the parents, have done their best to isolate faces and to try and I.D. these children without the parents having to see that -- that bit of gruesome videotape. So let`s really hope not.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, as far as more victims, what do you know?

GAFFNEY: Yes, there are more victims. The 103 -- they`re still interviewing parents. They expect to have more charges. Attorney General Beau Biden, who is the vice president`s son, in this case, is saying there may be more victims after the interviews are complete.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dan Gaffney --

GAFFNEY: And this has been an 11-year process. So the 103 are probably just in the last few years. There may have been hundreds more.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. We know people were complaining about this guy for years. Another mess up.

GAFFNEY: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dan, thanks so much. Great to have you on.

Ahead, an "Issues" special guest, Robin Quivers, from "The Howard Stern Show," is here. What does she think of the Sandra Bullock stripper sex scandal? And we`ll talk to her about a whole bunch of scandals next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Inside a marriage meltdown: shocking new details in the Sandra Bullock/Jesse James stripper sex scandal. Jesse`s ex-wife is now speaking out, calling him a chronic cheater. Are there other women? Is Jesse the next Tiger Woods?

Plus, an ISSUES special guest: Robin Quivers from the "Howard Stern Show" is here. The shock jock`s sidekick weighs in on Big Ben`s legal problems, Sandra`s marriage woes and the star of the movie "Precious".

Tonight: more dirt in the Jesse James cheating scandal. The bad boy biker husband of Oscar winner and all-American beauty Sandra Bullock has been accused of cheating with tattooed, topless stripper, Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. But here`s the new news. She may not be the only one.

Jesse`s second ex-wife, former porn star, Janine Lindemulder, tells "In Touch Weekly" he is a, quote, "chronic cheater". Janine claims she caught Jesse texting a lover just two weeks into their marriage. Janine also claims she had phone sex with Jesse while he was dating Sandra. It`s hard to keep up.

For the sake of full disclosure, Janine and Jesse are currently in the midst of a heated custody battle over their 6-year-old daughter.

Tonight, there are new reports of a second stripper, Melissa Smith, seen here in a booking photo, claims she had a two-year fling with Jesse James during his marriage to Sandra.

Is Jesse going the way of Tiger Woods? One published report claims Jesse may have slept with as many as 11 women since marrying Sandra. TMZ claims Jesse settled a sex harassment lawsuit for $700,000 three years ago while he was married to Sandra. Did she know about that?

Listen to Barbara Walters` recent special on ABC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: He`s not out in bars. He works hard. He can put up with me.

I mean my God, Barbara. Look at me. Do you know what I mean? Like all of a sudden you bring a spotlight that someone doesn`t --

BARBARA WALTERS, ABC HOST: He has to go to a premier now and then. He has to be Mr. Bullock or whatever his name may be.

BULLOCK: Oh, he`ll never be Mr. Bullock.

WALTERS: No, I know that. But you have to live with the fact, "Get out of the shot, please. We want to take your wife."

BULLOCK: Yes. He couldn`t be happier.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh. I`m taking your calls. I feel sorry for Sandra. She doesn`t deserve this. 1-877-JVM-SAYS. 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to my amazing panel: Lisa Guerrero, sports reporter and special correspondent for "Inside Edition" -- great to see you; also, sex addiction expert Rob Weiss, director of the Sexual Recovery Institute.

But first Noah Levy, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" -- Noah great to see you. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, we`ve heard reports "In Touch" paid $30,000 for some sort of rights to Michelle "Bombshell" McGee`s story. And ISSUES has also learned that Michelle and her manager are under embargo to your magazine right now. What do you say about that and what is the very latest?

NOAH LEVY, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, really what I can talk about is we`ve had an amazing experience working with Michelle McGee. We were able to break this huge story with her.

It`s been great. This is a woman who wanted to tell her story and really it`s very -- it`s no different from any other "other woman". She wants to let the wife know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: when Sandra Bullock got the Golden Globe two months ago, she praised her husband saying, quote, "I never knew what it was to have somebody like this have my back."

Barbara Walters asked her about that on ABC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BULLOCK: I never allowed myself to be cared for or protected that way in a relationship.

WALTERS: How does he protect you?

BULLOCK: Not once asking me to be anything other than what I am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s my big issue. Was Jesse James keeping toxic secrets from Sandra? TMZ is now reporting that in 2007 while Jesse and Sandra were married, Jesse settled a sexual harassment lawsuit to the tune of $700,000. His accuser claims to have kept several suggestive e-mails from him, including one we cannot describe on television.

So, Lisa Guerrero, if you`re Sandra Bullock with a lot of handlers, agents, managers, how can you not know about a sexual harassment lawsuit?

LISA GUERRERO, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": First of all, I don`t think she wanted to know. I think this is a really good lesson for all of us ladies, right? If you marry a bad boy, you`re going to get a bad husband.

You know, I think she probably was very much in love and chose to look the other way or chose not to notice. And let`s be very real about the fact that she was gone a lot. She`s a busy actress. She`s had the biggest year of her career, not just with "The Blind Side" but also with "The Proposal". So she`s been very busy.

But, you know, frankly I`m not so worried about Jesse James or the skanks or even Sandra Bullock because I think she`ll be just fine. I`m more worried about his three children, Jane. He`s got two daughters -- three children from two different marriages and they`re about to go through a third divorce.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can`t keep up with all the fall-out from this because it`s like there`s two custody battles going on.

Rob Weiss, you are an addiction specialist. Is this guy in your opinion a sex addict?

ROB WEISS, DIRECTOR, SEXUAL RECOVERY INSTITUTE: Well, I haven`t met the guy so I don`t know if he`s a sex addict. But when we start seeing stories where there`s one and then there`s more and then there`s more and then there`s more, I`ll tell you one thing, it certainly doesn`t say anything about -- about how beautiful you have to be to keep your husband.

Sandra is amazingly beautiful and talented. It just isn`t about the wife. That`s for sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, sure. It`s not, although it may be about the fact that the wife is so beautiful and successful and a lot more successful than the man. I mean, to me that`s always what it gets down to.

And, Lisa, back me up here. It`s usually that the guy is feeling emasculated because his wife is so successful.

GUERRERO: I think that`s part of it, you know, to be honest with you. But getting back to what he just said, what is a sex addiction? Because I think a lot of people don`t believe that every time these men cheat on their wives, you know, and they go to rehab for sex addiction that there`s even any such thing.

I personally think that cheapens people that have real addictions like alcohol addiction and drug addiction. The dude does not have a sex addiction. He just couldn`t keep it in his pants.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Listen, ISSUES has reached out to Jesse James and his people. We want their side of the story. They have not gotten back to us. But Jesse and his lawyer have an open invitation to come on the show any time you want and tell your side.

He has issued this statement, however. "The vast majority of the allegations reported are untrue and unfounded. There is only one person to blame for this whole situation and that is me." He describes his poor judgment.

So here`s a shocker, speaking of poor judgment. It`s not really a shocker. Stripper numero dos two has surfaced.

Melissa Smith who sold her story to "Star" magazine claims she had a wild two-year fling with Jesse James during his marriage to Sandra Bullock. TMZ claims this woman pleaded guilty and went to jail for 20 days for beating up a cop and resisting arrest.

Who are these people? TMZ`s source also says Smith pleaded not guilty to a DUI charge for driving with a blood alcohol of .18.

Rob, you know, I have to go back to Noah. What do you know about this -- this one?

LEVY: All right. Here`s the thing. If there`s one mistress, there`s always going to be another. And what we`ve learned from Tiger Woods, there can be double digits. There could be 10 or 11 other girls.

It wouldn`t be a shock if this girl and many others are going to be surfacing. And the really sad thing about this whole thing is Sandra was obviously completely oblivious to what her husband was doing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Margaretta, Colorado, your question or thought?

MARGARETTA, COLORADO (via telephone): Ok. Sandra Bullock comes from a German background. She is -- she has character. She`s the best. We have discussed this. I come from Germany also. But I cannot understand or we cannot understand how could she ever marry that man? Actions speak louder than words. She knew what she was getting into.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I -- I don`t want to blame her. I`m a huge fan of Sandra Bullock. I mean, she`s conducted her career just in a stellar fashion.

And, Noah, we can`t really blame her except that women in general have a tendency to want to tame the bad boy. And it seems that she`s done this.

LEVY: Oh, of course. I mean, you look at Sandra Bullock and then you go back 20 years. Women in Hollywood have been successful getting awards and then they date these bad guys that they think that they can tame and handle. But at the end of the day, a guy that`s fixing cars, a mechanic or working at a deli isn`t really going to be 100 percent supportive of --

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. I want to jump in because "The National Enquirer" claiming now that Jesse has had several affairs. Very quickly, what do you know about that Noah?

LEVY: I think a lot of people, a lot of sources, a lot of insiders are saying this is not the only affair. In fact, Jesse was being pretty deceitful and actually seeing other women behind Sandra`s back.

We were talked to Janine in this week`s issue of "In Touch Weekly" --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

LEVY: -- and she backs that up.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Listen, we`ve got to leave it there. Again, Jesse, come on the show and tell your side.

Thank you, fabulous panel.

From one Hollywood controversy to another, co-host of "The Howard Stern Show" Robin Quivers joins me next to talk about celebrity scandals: Sandra Bullock and the others.

Including this one, the latest in the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault investigation; why are authorities withdrawing their request for a DNA sample from the quarterback?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN ROETHLISBERGER, PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER: I did not sexually assault Andrea McNulty. Saturday was the first that I learned of her accusations. Her false and vicious allegations are attacks on my family and on me. I would never, ever force myself on a woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s continue our conversation about all the shocking celebrity scandals in the wake of this year`s Oscars. I am so excited, thrilled to welcome our very special guest, Robin Quivers, the one and only co-host of the mega-hit "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

We`re going to talk about Robin`s incredible work helping children. We`re also going to get Robin`s take on the Sandra Bullock-Jesse James mess.

But first, Sandra`s marriage isn`t the only thing that has people talking. The break-out star from "Precious" is back in the spotlight. But this time it`s not about her Oscar-worthy performance. Gabourey Sidibe has been praised for her excellent work in this movie but she clearly does not fit Hollywood`s standard.

Look at this "Vanity Fair" young Hollywood cover. Do you notice a pattern here? It would be hard to miss; all the starlets are extremely thin and white. Gabby tells Ebony magazine, quote, "I don`t try to live up to the standards of Hollywood or any of that -- I know that I`m different and I celebrate it." End quote.

But some critics say Gabby shouldn`t be celebrating being so overweight. Gabby glowed on Oscar night but will she continue to be a fixture on the Red Carpet or will her weight hold her back?

Now, Howard Stern made his opinion very clear. Listen to this from "The Howard Stern Show" on Sirius XM satellite radio.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HOWARD STERN, HOST, "THE HOWARD STERN SHOW": She is enormous. And you feel bad because --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody is pretending that she`s a part of show business.

STERN: Right, It`s just ludicrous. Because everyone -- everyone is pretending she`s part of show business.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And that she`s going to be around.

STERN: And she`s never going to be in another movie. And she really should have gotten the Best Actress Award because she`s never going to have another -- what movie is she going to be in?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What part do they have that she can play?

STERN: "Blind Side 2", she could be the football player.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She could be the next football player.

STERN: She could take out the whole front line. I mean, it`s so -- and you just want to say to her, "Listen, honey, now you got a little money in the bank, go get yourself thin. You`re going to die in like three years."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, you`re sick. This is a terrible thing you`ve done to yourself and it could only lead to bad things.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Howard`s comments were harsh, but is there any truth there? Should this starlet make a change?

Robin, you and I know each other because we`re both vegans which is strict vegetarians and we keep running into each other at the same vegan restaurants. I`m so delighted to see you on television now.

Let`s talk about this. What`s your take on Gabby Sidibe?

ROBIN QUIVERS, CO-HOST, "THE HOWARD STERN SHOW": When I first saw the movie quite frankly I was afraid that this was going to be an excuse for a lot of young women who are already struggling with their weight not to do anything about it. We`ve had this happen over and over again where overweight celebrities have claimed that they`re happy with their size until they get sick.

And then they try to do something about it and sometimes, unfortunately, it`s not -- you know, they are too late. They start to make those changes too late in their lives. They`ve already developed illnesses that will be with them chronically for the rest of their lives and probably cause them an early death.

I, for one, have a great love in my heart for everyone and when I see young girls carrying weight like this, I know that this only means that they are going to get sick early in their lives and their lives are going to be cut short.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you bring me to my big issue tonight. Is this an addiction? Take a look at Kirstie Alley. She was a spokesperson for the Jenny Craig Weight Loss System and then look at her there. Well, she`s regained all of her weight, ok? She talked about it on Oprah.

John Candy died of a heart attack at the age of 43. He was extremely obese.

What we are really talking about here, in my opinion, Robin, is food addiction. It does exist, just like alcohol or drug addiction, there`s actually a recovery program.

So let`s listen to another clip from your Sirius XM radio show.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

STERN: Be honest with the girl.

QUIVERS: Yes, look in that room. Who else do you look like?

STERN: Right.

QUIVERS: Those are the people who work all the time.

STERN: Yes, Oprah talking about that chick and the poor chick.

QUIVERS: A brilliant career.

STERN: Oprah should have said, "You need to get help. Because we don`t want to lose you, you`re a nice girl. We want you to get help."

QUIVERS: Let`s do an intervention right here, Hollywood.

STERN: Yes.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Robin, do we need to stop enabling people who have a severe food addiction?

QUIVERS: Well, somebody said to me today it would be the same as seeing an alcoholic up on stage and never saying anything. And saying it`s all right for you to be an alcoholic and just come here inebriated and unable to speak, slurring your words.

I remember at the Golden Globes, didn`t they get all over Mariah Carey or one of those awards shows because she was a little tipsy? But food addiction is the addiction that is acceptable.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is the modern ale, as they say. You`ve struggled with your weight, right? So have I.

QUIVERS: Absolutely, and I considered myself a food addict until I understood what was going on, realized it was the food and the way I was eating it and that I had to address the situation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. So you made some changes, and so did I. So we both eat a lot of fruits and vegetables because we`re vegans.

All right.

On to Sandra Bullock -- Robin, this morning on your show you were saying, you don`t think Sandra is going to have any contact at all with Jesse James ever again unless it`s in a courtroom. And how about this woman he allegedly cheated on Sandra with? We`ve got to show you this Nazi regalia. This is outrageous. What`s up with these guys who have these gorgeous women at home and they go out and cheat with this?

QUIVERS: Well, there`s certainly an attraction to a -- a wealthy, powerful, beautiful woman. Unfortunately, Jesse James also has a type because we`ve seen his girlfriends from the past and his wives from the past. He likes a girl who is tattooed, who is a little bit wild and crazy in bed, and not all that conservative.

And I guess he was missing something in that relationship and he wasn`t being honest with Sandra.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, that`s -- that`s for sure. It`s not just about the cheating. It`s about the dishonesty. That`s what makes you crazy. Let`s talk --

QUIVERS: And also, can you imagine you`re Sandra Bullock and you see this is what your husband is really hungry for? So you`ve been living a lie all this time. I mean, that must be the worst feeling in the world at the best time of her life.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to hear about your incredible charity. You`re the co-founder of the 15 Foundation. You are helping the Boys and Girls` Club. Tell us about it.

QUIVERS: Yes. We are starting our kick-off event down in Miami Beach, Florida, this -- tomorrow, as a matter of fact, Thursday, at the STK restaurant in Miami. We`re having an art show and a reception. And it`s all to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of South Beach, which services 150 to 300 kids depending on the time of the year, and they don`t have to pay very much to be there.

And it`s the only place they could go after school where they can work on their homework in peace and get some reading skills and computer skills as well as --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good for you.

QUIVERS: -- some recreation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: God bless you, Robin. Stay right where you are. Don`t go anywhere.

QUIVERS: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re switching gears to Ben Roethlisberger. He`s accused of sexual assault, but now cops say they don`t need Big Ben`s DNA. Is the NFL superstar off the hook? We`re taking your calls. 1-877-586- 7297.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF WILLIAM BLUE, MIDGEVILLE, GA POLICE DEPARTMENT: We were talking to him today. He is in the process of making arrangements for us to talk with Mr. Roethlisberger and all the individuals that were with him in the party on the night of the incident.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We are so happy to be talking with Howard Stern show co-host Robin Quivers. And now it`s on to Big Ben Roethlisberger. And we`re going to get her reaction to this latest scandal.

The Steelers quarterback accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old girl. Now that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reportedly says that they no longer need a DNA sample from Ben, what`s happening with this case?

So to get the facts we`re bringing back the fabulous Lisa Guerrero. Lisa, what`s the latest on this?

GUERRERO: Well, the GBI has said that they are no longer going to be needing a DNA sample from Big Ben. I think the reason is he has already admitted that there was some form of sexual contact that night between he and this young lady. So I don`t think that DNA is an issue.

I think what`s the bigger issue for Ben is his decision-making process. When you`re a quarterback, you`re supposed to be a good decision maker. And he`s shown so far in three different off-seasons that he makes very poor decisions. Between the two sexual allegations that he has against him, he also, if you remember, Jane, in 2006 he was in a terrible motorcycle crash. He was riding without a helmet and without a license. And he took a lot of heat for that, too.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you brought us up to date. So Robin Quivers, what do you make of this guy?

QUIVERS: Well, you were saying that he makes good decisions. But everybody knows most quarterbacks don`t call their own plays anymore. Obviously, Ben is getting a lot of help from the sidelines during the season and none whatsoever in the off-season.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, wow.

GUERRERO: You know, Jane, I spoke with a very well-known quarterback who`s also won two Super Bowl rings over the weekend, and he said that he has seen Ben Roethlisberger`s behavior change throughout his career. He used to be humble. He used to be very gracious. Now he runs with an entourage and bodyguards.

What does he need a bodyguard for? He`s 6`5. It seems like these women are the ones that need the bodyguards.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Robin Quivers, this seems to happen. People become famous and then they suddenly think they`re bulletproof. Look at the Tiger Woods scandal. And they feel like they can do anything. And I`m not convicting him. We don`t know yet. But there`s been a couple of allegations.

Why do you think their personality changes? You are up close and personal with fame. You`re famous. What do you think?

QUIVERS: Well, especially with athletes, they get discovered early in life. And once you`re one of those premier athletes who they think can make it in, you know, the majors you`re protected. People do things for you. There`s always somebody fixing things. You don`t have the normal interaction with life where you see the consequences of your actions.

And you see that with Tiger Woods. He never dreamed that anybody would do this stuff to him; any of these girls would say anything. Ben Roethlisberger, he`s making the wrong choices about where he decides to hook up with women and the kind of women he wants to hooks up with.

And so these allegations keep being made. I don`t know what`s going on, but obviously, there`s something wrong with the hookup.

So these people don`t know how real life works because they`ve always been protected. And once they get older and they`re out on their own, they start making decisions that are bad because they`ve never had to make decisions before.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And unfortunately, we`re out of time. I could talk to both of you fabulous ladies all night.

Lisa Guerrero and Robin Quivers, please come back soon. We love you here on ISSUES.

And you are watching ISSUES on HLN.

So delighted to have these two women weighing in tonight.

QUIVERS: Thank you.

END