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Nancy Grace
Sandra Bullock Files for Divorce, Secretly Adopts Baby
Aired April 28, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. Just days after Hollywood superstar Sandra Bullock brings home the Oscar, reports hit that husband motorcycle enthusiast Jesse James carries on multiple affairs behind Bullock`s back, including with a tattoo model, two strippers and a fetish model, that we know of, James checking into rehab reportedly for sex addiction.
Bombshell tonight. Bullock is back, not only with the ink just dry on divorce filings, but introducing the world to her brand-new secret baby. In the hours immediately following Sandra Bullock`s discovery of her husband`s secret sex life, she packs up the baby`s things and goes into hiding. Why? Not for herself but to protect the baby, Bullock selecting her home state, Texas, for divorce filing. With Jesse James`s three children, the new baby, millions of dollars at stake, it all boils down to this tonight. Welcome home, baby boy Louis (ph) Bullock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations.
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news again about Sandra Bullock.
BULLOCK: It`s a little overwhelming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Oscar-winning actress said she is a new mom and has been since January.
BULLOCK: It is a category that I don`t think most people think of me...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is the photo on the cover of "People" magazine, the smiling Bullock holding her adopted baby boy, born in New Orleans.
BULLOCK: Maybe there`s a new face to the movie star.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are asking, How did she manage to keep the baby a secret all these months?
BULLOCK: You expect me to tell you that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bullock told "People" magazine that she and estranged husband Jesse James brought the 3-and-a-half-month-old baby home in January, but they wanted to keep it secret until after the Academy Awards. But that`s when reports then surfaced about James cheating on her.
BULLOCK: You take the good with the not so good. It is what it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In another new development, she`s filed for divorce from Jesse James.
BULLOCK: You know what? It probably means more that both of them happened at the same time because it`s the great equalizer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His name is Louis Bardo, named after Satchmo, Louis Armstrong.
BULLOCK: Oh, that`s right (INAUDIBLE) hey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight, live, California. A beautiful girl just graduates nursing school, goes missing from the local Barnes & Noble book store.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: California police are desperately searching for a young woman who was last seen at a Barnes & Noble book store Sunday night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don`t want to say it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t want to say it, but I think somebody...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... foul play...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities say 24-year-old Phuong Le left her home at 4:00 PM Sunday. A witness saw her at about 8:30 PM that night in the coffee shop of the popular book store in Fairfield, California. Phuong`s car was located by her brother the next morning in the parking lot of the book store. Her cell phone, wallet and backpack are all still inside the car, but the vehicle`s key is reportedly nowhere to be found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s something pretty serious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What makes you so sure?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because normally, all the time, when she leaves the house, she usually comes home around 12:00. That`s the latest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think she may have been kidnapped?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Phuong has been job searching after just receiving her nursing license. Police say Phuong`s disappearance is totally out of character and they are very concerned.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s never been out for the whole night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is just not feeling right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. Bullock is back, not only with the ink just dry on her divorce filings, but introducing the world to her brand-new secret baby.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is the secret ingredient to a successful marriage?
BULLOCK: I have no idea. No clue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. The divorce has been filed.
BULLOCK: And anyone who talks about it is shooting themselves in the marital foot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock initiates proceedings in a Texas court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... saying their marriage has become, quote, "insupportable" because of discord or conflict of personalities.
BULLOCK: Nothing ever lets me get too full of myself. It quickly chops me off at the knees.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But that`s not all, Sandra Bullock dropping a bombshell to "People" magazine that she`s a new mom.
BULLOCK: You know, all I had was work before. That was my family, until I had a family. And I realized work became number two.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock telling "People" she`s been keeping 3-and-a-half-month-old Louis Bardo Bullock a secret since January.
BULLOCK: You spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to protect it, if it`s valuable to you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But now, with divorce proceedings in high gear, what happens to custody?
BULLOCK: This came out of left field.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will Jesse James put up a fight for his new son?
BULLOCK: I`d never divulge what Jesse said unless he divulged it first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock says she`s raising baby Louis alone as a single mother.
BULLOCK: That`s just between me and the man.
If someone can say I had -- I loved and I loved good, that is the ultimate accomplishment in life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: How she has managed to keep such a low profile and keep the baby boy, Louis Bardo Bullock, a secret has mystified thousands of people. Straight out to Marc Malkin, E! Online columnist. Marc, thank you for being with us. First of all, let`s talk about the baby. Apparently, she`s had the baby since January. So is she adopting it or is she adopting the baby boy along with Jesse James?
MARC MALKIN, E! ONLINE: Sandy Bullock is saying that she is adopting this baby as a single parent. Of course, they originally planned to adopt the baby together. But she also says that she has seen Jesse as a father and he`s a good father, and maybe one day, he will be a part of this baby`s life in some fashion.
GRACE: Well, that`s certainly leaving the door just cracked. To David Caplan, special guest joining us, senior editor "People" magazine. That`s some cover you got, David Caplan.
DAVID CAPLAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: It`s pretty -- it`s a show stopper, I got to admit. It was difficult to keep it under tight wrap.
GRACE: Yes, and that`s another thing, how "People" magazine kept that a secret, nobody finding out until it hits the newsstands. Go ahead, hit me, David. Tell me everything. I want to start with the divorce.
CAPLAN: All right. So there`s two things here. Sandra has filed for divorce. She filed on April 23rd in Austin, Texas, where she is a resident. And she actually filed under her initials backward. Her full name is Sandra Annette Bullock. So it was, you know, BAS. And she has said, though, unfortunately, in the thing, that the reason they`re splitting is because it`s, quote, "sort of unsupportable."
Another interesting thing in these documents is that they say that there are no children under the age of 18 who require support or anything, nor do they expect it to. So that sort of, like, you know, closes the door really on any -- a little bit on really any custody battle. And as well, it also says in the divorce papers that they may enter into a private agreement to discuss the separation of their estate, and so forth.
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. Out to Elizabeth in Texas. Hi, Elizabeth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. My mother and I, we love your show. Linda of Lake Creek loves you. And we`ve been praying for your father.
GRACE: Thank you. He`s home from the hospital. And he`s alive. That`s the breaking news.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s great news. That`s wonderful. You`re covering a story on a new baby. I`d like to know if that baby`s going to carry Jesse`s last name and what parental rights -- and I wish -- in the state of Texas, I wish she would have filed adultery for the basis of her divorce.
GRACE: Oh, Elizabeth, I like the way you think. But I think I already know the answer to one of those questions, and that is the name that she released of the baby is Louis -- after Louis Armstrong -- Louis Bardo Bullock. So it seems to me that she is adopting alone.
Now, let`s go back out to David Caplan, senior editor at "People" magazine. It sounds like from the legal filings that if Jesse James, her soon to be ex-husband, has any rights of visitation, any visitation at all, it will be through her decision, her kindness, so to speak, not that he has any legal claim on seeing little Louis.
CAPLAN: Absolutely. She really holds the cards here. And she even tells "People" that she does want at some point, you know, Jesse to have a role in Louis`s life. In fact, she tells "People" that she wants Louis to one day know how Jesse is as a dad, how she became (SIC) to know Jesse, you know, one day, not now, but at some point. So she does want him in his life.
GRACE: Out to the lines. Teresa, North Carolina. Hi, Teresa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Nancy.
GRACE: Hi, dear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s taken me a year to get through. And I love the twins and I love your haircut. You`re beautiful. And you are an angel!
GRACE: Not true. But thank you. What do you think about this with Sandra Bullock? All these people were calling in, saying, Oh, she`s gone into hiding because she`s embarrassed, she doesn`t want to show her face. You know, I don`t know her except on screen, but that never seemed to jibe with me. She had nothing to be embarrassed for.
Now we learn that as soon as she found out about Jesse James`s womanizing -- and I`m putting that euphemistically, Teresa, North Carolina -- she packed up just a few things of hers, all the baby`s things -- she`s had the baby in the home since January -- and she skedaddled. She left and has been living in a life of seclusion to keep the baby away from prying eyes and also trying to protect Jesse James`s children.
Theresa, what was your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did she receive the baby newborn, I mean, as soon as it was born, is what I`m wondering. And another thing -- she has nothing to be embarrassed about. She did nothing.
GRACE: She certainly didn`t!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now she`s showing the world she has class. That`s the way every woman should treat a situation like this, with class.
GRACE: Well, and she has epitomized that. And I always said from the get-go, Teresa, North Carolina, it`s like a swan marrying a pig. It`s just against the laws of nature.
David Caplan, how old is the baby boy, Louis Bardo Bullock?
CAPLAN: Louis, who she referred to as her little man, is 3-and-a-half months old, and she`s been raising him since January. So you do the math. He was fresh from the stork when she got him. He was definitely a newborn.
GRACE: So wait, he`s 3-and-a-half months old right now?
CAPLAN: Yes.
GRACE: And she`s had him since January?
CAPLAN: Correct.
GRACE: Then you`re right. You know, you got your degree in mathematics, apparently, not journalism.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: Yes, she got him right when he came into the world. And Jean Casarez, we know a little bit about where baby Louis came from. What do we know?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": We know he`s from New Orleans. And we also know that she and Jesse James had an affinity to New Orleans. They`d been there a lot. They`d been working on this adoption for four years. And the only thing they said was, We want a child from the United States and we would love someone from New Orleans. And they got the baby in January. Now, she`s adopting it as a single parent. So does he even have any legal rights to the child? Doesn`t look like it.
GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight, Gloria Allred. Gloria Allred, as you know, high-profile lawyer out of LA, and she has represented several of Jesse James`s alleged mistresses. Also with us, Diane Reul. She`s a Texas family law attorney. As you heard earlier, Bullock filing for divorce in her home state of Texas. Also with us, criminal defense attorney Mickey Sherman, author of "How Can You Defend Those People?" and famed attorney out of San Francisco Daniel Horowitz.
First of all, to you, Gloria Allred. What about it?
GLORIA ALLRED, REPRESENTS SEVERAL OF JAMES`S MISTRESSES: Well, the question is, is she going to have custody of the baby? Yes. If she`s the one who finalizes the adoption, she will have the baby. And good for her. She needs someone in her life that she can love and who will love her back unconditionally.
GRACE: And to Diane Reul, Texas family law attorney joining us out of Houston. Why do you believe she...
DIANE REUL, TEXAS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY (via telephone): (INAUDIBLE) doing tonight?
GRACE: Hi, dear. Why do you believe she filed for divorce in Texas?
REUL: Well, I believe this venue is a lot more advantageous to her. Number one, the property division laws in our state are much better for her than those in California. Although we`re both community property states, we look at it differently and it`s not an automatic 50-50 split, as well as the fact that the waiting period to finalize a divorce is much shorter. You only have to wait 60 days from the date of filing in Texas to get a divorce.
GRACE: With us, Diane Reul, Texas law attorney, specializing in family practice out of Houston. We`re taking your calls live. Welcome home, baby Louis Bullock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock says she brought Louis home in January but wanted to keep the news private until after the Oscars just days before Sandra Bullock and Jesse James separated.
BULLOCK: It`s sort of a metaphor for what happens. What do we lose as we become an adult? What do we lose about imagining things or hoping for things or letting go and embracing things that make no sense?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As big of a star as you are...
BULLOCK: Everyone knows me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... you maintain a privacy few celebrities do.
BULLOCK: Are you joking?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at this photo on the cover of "People" magazine. That says it all, doesn`t it?
BULLOCK: This came out of left field, no -- every pun intended, sorry!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... smiling Bullock holding her adopted baby boy. That`s Louis Bardo.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Congratulations.
BULLOCK: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She and estranged husband Jesse James...
JESSE JAMES, BULLOCK`S HUSBAND: My name`s Jesse James, and I`m a glorified welder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... brought the 3-and-a-half-month-old home back in January.
BULLOCK: I`m going to shush you again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what happened then.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The divorce is on.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She, in fact, is going to file for divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... divorce...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... divorce...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... divorce...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... divorce...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He cheated during the marriage.
BULLOCK: Got it. OK.
At the end of the day today, I still go home.
Didn`t think it was something that was -- well, the opportunity would ever present itself.
We all know what time we want to be home.
I just end up, I guess, maybe loving it the most.
We know where we want to wake up.
It`s the great equalizer.
So you work that side of your life around what the priority is, which is being at home.
Thank you so much. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Yes, "People" broke the story, and we can`t show you the photos on the inside of "People" magazine. I`ve got them right here. They`ve been embargoed because we don`t want to steal their thunder. But this baby is beautiful. And you should see Sandra Bullock. She`s not crying. She is not upset. She is totally a brand-new mom with nothing else on her mind.
Back to the lawyers, Gloria Allred, Diane Reul, Mickey Sherman, Daniel Horowitz. We`re taking your calls live.
Back to Diane Reul, Texas family law attorney. Diane, just as we were going to break, tell me in a nutshell, why do you believe Sandra Bullock filed for divorce -- it came out today -- in her home state of Texas?
REUL: Number one, I believe it`s a much shorter period. She can get divorced in 60 days, if they have an agreement. And when I looked at the petition online, Nancy, it`s a real simple petition for divorce. I kind of get the feeling they`ve got an agreement hammered out, that they`ve been doing a whole lot of work behind the scenes to get this thing done. They don`t want to have to wait the requisite time that you need in California. In 60 days from now, if they`ve got an agreement, they can be divorced. They can get this out of the spotlight and move on.
However, if they start fighting, Sandra Bullock in Texas could get more than 50 percent of the assets because of Jesse`s infidelity.
GRACE: Good point.
REUL: So I believe it`s certainly a better jurisdiction for her.
GRACE: Diane Reul joining us out of Houston, Texas. Mickey Sherman, now, listen, I know you like to pontificate, but just give me a one-word answer. How many years does it typically take to get a divorce in New York City, where you are right now?
MICKEY SHERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: My practice is in Connecticut, but basically...
GRACE: Oh.
SHERMAN: ... it`s dependent upon how much of money the lawyers want to make because they`re the ones who generally win, the lawyers and not the litigants. So that`s why I agree with your guest from Texas...
GRACE: OK. Did I hear a year? And you`re beaming in from New York, is my understanding.
SHERMAN: Yes.
GRACE: OK. How many years? That`s all I asked you.
SHERMAN: Could be a year.
GRACE: One year in New York. Because I`ve heard between five and seven. After being there, broadcasting there for over 11 years...
SHERMAN: That`s a lot of bickering, Nancy. I think that`s too much of a time.
GRACE: Really?
SHERMAN: Yes.
GRACE: Really? OK. Check the stats, Sherman. What about it? To you, Gloria Allred. How long in California would it take to get a divorce?
ALLRED: Six months, Nancy. But generally, it takes a lot longer if there`s a battle...
GRACE: OK.
ALLRED: ... over property, to divide the property. But getting a divorce is relatively easy.
GRACE: Do you agree, Daniel Horowitz?
DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. And New York`s a long time because nothing is clear. At least in California, the rules are very definite. So you can fight over something that`s clear.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: I didn`t aspire to this. This came out of left field.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your husband is very busy, obviously. How do you make your relationship work when you have such demands on your time?
BULLOCK: But see, I haven`t been that busy. I`ve spent more time at home for that very reason.
Do what feels right. If you go with your own rhythm...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bullock feels her whole marriage was a sham and plans to end it soon.
BULLOCK: I think once you try to make it look like something that it`s not and you try to be the perfect couple -- no one`s the perfect couple.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: We all have this preconceived notion of what we think our family is supposed to be.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America`s sweetheart has adopted a baby boy. She is a new mom. And not only that, she`s actually had this little guy since January.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock now says she`s adopting as a single parent.
BULLOCK: I don`t care what color you are, what sexual orientation, what nationality you are, what religion you are. If you operate out of a place of love, that`s a family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sandra Bullock revealing what she called bittersweet news, that she officially filed for divorce from her husband, Jesse James.
BULLOCK: (INAUDIBLE) kissed on the red carpet and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s nice, though. That`s the way it was before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Straight back out to Marc Malkin, E! Online columnist. Marc, again, thank you and David Caplan for being with us, David from "People" magazine. Marc, what about Jesse James`s three children? At first, we heard that Bullock, although there`s not a legal leg to stand on, may mount some type of battle to get some formal visitation rights or parental rights on Jesse James`s three children since she was basically raising his littlest girl, Sunny.
MALKIN: Yes, I don`t think she`s going to be mounting any sort of legal action. I think the thing is, she`s going to get what she wants. If she says to Jesse, I want to see these kids, guess what? She`s going to see these kids.
From what I understand also that in Texas, some of the laws in terms of divorces and splits, it favors some of the stepparents. It`s easier for the stepparent to get some legal right. But I don`t think that`s going to happen. I don`t think Jesse is going to refuse these kids to Sandy Bullock. It`s just not going to happen.
GRACE: Yes, especially if he wants to see Louis Bardo Bullock. To Caryn Stark -- Dr. Stark, psychologist out of New York. OK, let me just put it out there. What about the photos of Jesse James mocking or imitating Adolph Hitler and allegations of anti-Semitism, racism? If all of that had hit the news before she got baby Louis, she might not have gotten him.
CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: That`s an excellent point, Nancy. And it`s very painful to me, and I`m sure to a lot of people out there, to hear that it`s all in jest because there is nothing funny about Nazism. There`s nothing funny about genocide or concentration camps.
GRACE: Hold on. You know, Rosie, you cannot show that photo anymore. I`m sure it`s hurt Bullock enough without us repeating it. But thank goodness that didn`t hit the newsstands before she got this precious baby boy, baby Louis.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just days after winning her first Oscar for best actress, Hollywood sweetheart Sandra Bullock --
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: I love stories about passion and love.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: -- faces heartbreak.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: All these mistresses have come forward.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Her husband has been cheating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s multiple women and it`s a long period of time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s good for one is definitely not the same recipe for someone else. Just do your life.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Bullock has made up her mind to terminate her marriage to reality TV star Jesse James.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She wants to end the marriage.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: File for divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Bullock has now prepared divorce papers.
BULLOCK: Down to the gutter, and then we bring her back.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "People" magazine exclusively revealing that Sandra Bullock is the mom of a baby boy.
BULLOCK: I love being around him.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sandra Bullock and her estranged husband, Jesse James, adopting 3 1/2-month-old baby boy Louis Bardo Bullock from New Orleans.
BULLOCK: You`re able to feel and get lost in this world.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sandra Bullock now says she`s adopting as a single parent.
BULLOCK: We came up with a story that we all loved and we`re excited about. Here we are.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Back out to the lines. Tammy in Connecticut, hi - - it`s Krista in Texas.
Hi, Krista.
KRISTA, CALLER FROM TEXAS: Hi. First of all, I want to say how happy I am for her. This is just something she really needs in her life right now. But I really want to know, how hard is it for a single woman in Texas to adopt a child? And is this -- is the divorce going to hurt the process?
I know that there`s a time period between when you get the baby and when the adoption actually becomes official. And could this divorce actually hurt the adoption process?
GRACE: Excellent questions. Let`s throw this to Diane Reul, who is a Texas family law attorney, joining us from Houston.
What about it, Diane Reul?
DIANE REUL, TEXAS FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: No, I don`t think it will affect her. Single parents adopt children all the time in our state. But my guess is, is that if this adoption has actually taken place in New Orleans the lawyer that filed the petition for Sandy, he is actually -- their main offices are in New Orleans.
So my think is that the adoption`s perhaps going to take place in Louisiana and not here in Texas.
GRACE: Good point, Diane Reul.
REUL: They`re probably dealing with a multijurisdictional issue.
GRACE: Diane Reul joining us out of Houston.
To Jean Casarez, why New Orleans? And don`t get me wrong. I was one of the people that dragged down to try to rebuild after Katrina. It`s still -- everything`s still not rebuilt, by the way. People just forgot about it.
What is their affinity with New Orleans? Because now you see celebrities going all over the world to find babies to adopt, which -- you know power to them. The babies need love. But why did they pick New Orleans, Jean Casarez?
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": I think it`s similar to your affection to New Orleans. I think that she and Jesse helped rebuild an auditorium there that was taken from Hurricane Katrina. They gave other monies and devoted themselves to the efforts of rebuilding New Orleans.
And remember, Texas is neighbors with Louisiana. You know, Nancy, I used to live in Texas and it`s probably about eight-hour drive from Austin to the border of Louisiana. It`s fairly close.
GRACE: And to David Caplan, "People" magazine. Didn`t they help found -- I`m talking about Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, soon to be ex- husband. Didn`t they found had some kind of a clinic for children in New Orleans?
DAVID CAPLAN, SENIOR EDITOR, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Yes. Their main project, actually, which we talk about in the article, was a charter high school actually in New Orleans. And Sandra really spoke to "People" a lot saying how she was just really touched by many of the students she met at this charter high school.
She became very active in the community. So in fact in speaking with people she said, you know, one of the things she wanted was a child from the United States. And sort of in the back of her head she also was interested in having a child from New Orleans.
In no means was it, you know, a definitive thing. But there`s a really strong connection between her and the charter school and the baby.
GRACE: And to Marc Malkin, E! Online columnist, Jesse James already out of sex rehab? That was quick.
MARC MALKIN, E! ONLINE COLUMNIST: Yes, it was pretty quick. He went into some sort of rehab. And then apparently bolted because he thought his privacy was being violated, that there were leaks from the clinic.
So now you see him every day taking his kids to school, going to work, and of course running away from the paparazzi.
GRACE: To Michael Sapraicone, former NYPD detective, president of Squad Security Inc. She had to go through so much to keep this secret. To what lengths did Sandra Bullock have to go to keep the world from finding out since January she has had a brand new secret baby?
And remember, all of this hit regarding Jesse James`s infidelities, all the affairs, the fetish model, the porn models, blah, blah. This all hit after she brought the baby home. And nobody still knew about the baby.
MICHAEL SAPRAICONE, FMR. NYPD DETECTIVE PRESIDENT OF SQUAD SECURITY INC.: I think she did a great job and had a great team working with her. And it`s a very difficult thing to do especially after all the publicity that she got in Hollywood.
So I think she had an excellent team, they did a great job, and she should be very proud of what she`d done to keep that baby apart from everything.
GRACE: Apparently, they even used a decoy when getting the baby, Marc Malkin. To what lengths did they go?
MALKIN: I mean, they went to great lengths. You did not see this baby. We did not hear a peep about this baby. You know, you had cars going in, out. You didn`t know who was in those cars, who did they belong to, where was Bullock going, where was Jesse going. No one knew about this baby.
GRACE: To Dr. Evelyn Minaya, women`s health expert, what needs -- if you could explain them to us. Everything with me bringing the twins home from the hospital is a big blur.
What needs has Sandra Bullock addressed for this child, bringing home a newborn?
DR. EVELYN MINAYA, M.D., WOMEN`S HEALTH EXPERT: Well, I think that like we have reiterated before, it is amazing that she`s kept it a secret because remember -- if you remember correctly, how many times did you have to go to the doctor?
How many times did you have to go out to get formula? How many times did you have to go out and get Pampers and everything else like this? So those are really just the basic needs of this child. And also the amount of time that you also put to the child as well.
GRACE: Wait, Dr. Minaya --
MINAYA: You know it.
GRACE: You`re bringing back such memories.
MINAYA: I know.
GRACE: The twins in New York, brand new. I came back to work. They were about seven weeks old. It was freezing in New York. I get home from the show and go out on the sidewalk back and forth to CVS to get whatever it was way into the night.
MINAYA: Right.
GRACE: It`s -- I don`t know how she kept this a secret.
MINAYA: I know. That`s what I`m saying. I think that -- once again, I think we should reiterate the fact that her team did an excellent job. And you as well as I do know that it is so hard, sometimes you go out there and you just forget something, it`s like oh, my god, I have to go back out.
It`s amazing. It really is. She`s done a wonderful job. I`m very happy for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The actress told "People" magazine, quote, "I really don`t know how our paths will intersect in the future, but the father I have known Jesse to be is the one that I hope Louis can experience one day, no matter how Jesse and I go on with our lives."
BULLOCK: I think it makes a great inspirational story when you can see it work, when you see what someone can rise to the occasion and do.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Breaking news again about Sandra Bullock. In case you hadn`t heard, the Oscar-winning actress said she is a new mom and has been since January. That wasn`t known until now.
And here is the photo on the cover of "People" magazine that sort of speaks for itself. A smiling Bullock holding aloft her adopted baby boy. Born in New Orleans. The baby`s name is Louis Bardo, named after Satchmo. Louis Armstrong.
Bullock told "People" that when she first met the baby months ago she had Armstrong`s 1968 classic tune "What a Wonderful World" playing in her head.
Bullock told "People" magazine that she and estranged husband Jesse James brought the 3 1/2-month-old baby home in January but they wanted to keep it secret until after the Academy Awards.
Of course she won the Oscar for best actress. But that`s when reports then surfaced about James cheating on her. In another new development she`s filed for divorce from Jesse James in a court in Texas, saying their marriage has become, quote, "insupportable" because of discord or conflict of personalities. She told "People" magazine, "I`m sad, and I`m scared."
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. For those of you just joining us, Bullock is back. With the ink barely dry on divorce petitions, she announces -- she divulges she has a brand new secret baby that she has adopted from New Orleans.
Tammy in Connecticut, hi, dear.
TAMMY, CALLER FROM CONNECTICUT: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: What`s your question?
TAMMY: First of all I just want to say that I am a huge fan, huge, and it`s an honor to speak to you live. Your kids are just beautiful. God bless them.
OK. My question is thousands are asking how did she keep the baby a secret?
GRACE: Yes.
TAMMY: Do you think that she also kept Jesse`s cheating a secret? She knew about it and that`s how the divorce went through so quickly?
GRACE: No. I think she found out, as she stated, I believe, in the "People" magazine article when she was called by one of the tabloids asking her about it.
Isn`t that right, Caplan?
CAPLAN: Absolutely. In fact, we asked her point blank, did you know about the infidelity? And she says absolutely not, that those are --
GRACE: Caplan. Caplan. Caplan. You`ve got Sandra Bullock, America`s sweetheart, with a new baby, and you have to drag up Jesse James, don`t you?
CAPLAN: People wanted --
GRACE: You have to.
CAPLAN: People wanted to know. Hey, you know?
GRACE: You mean "People" magazine wanted to know.
CAPLAN: We all did. You can`t disappoint.
GRACE: Mm-hmm. OK, Sheeba in Illinois. Hi, Sheeba.
SHEEBA, CALLER FROM ILLINOIS: Hey, sweetie. It`s been a long, long time.
GRACE: Long time no hear.
SHEEBA: And you are -- well, it`s -- everybody says you`re an angel, and baby, you are. My question is -- she looks great. And I -- she looks happy. And I don`t think I would give him any visitation for the simple reason she is going to find someone that will treat her as she needs to be treated.
And I don`t think I would let this child bond with this Jesse James because she will find someone that will love her. Don`t you think?
GRACE: Sheeba in Illinois, as we can see already, I think God has a plan. But note to Sandra Bullock, Sheeba in Illinois says no visitation to Jesse James.
Carmela in Texas, hi, Carmela.
CARMELA, CALLER FROM TEXAS: Yes, hi. Nancy?
GRACE: Yes, dear. What`s your question?
CARMELA: OK, listen, first of all, I want to tell you, I think your twins are adorable. And little John David just wears his personality all over his face.
GRACE: He does. He does. And now instead of saying yes, he goes "nyes," "yeah." He starts it like a no-yes.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: And you should see Lucy. She insists on wearing two barrettes right in the middle of her head.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Right here. What`s your question, my love?
CARMELA: You know -- listen, you know, in the beginning all this talk about Jesse James being associated with white supremacists and he`s the Hitler thing and all of that kind of stuff. Why would she want to expose this child of color to that kind of atmosphere? I don`t understand --
GRACE: Well, you know, they kind of address that in the "People" magazine article. She said that the person she fell in love with, she had no idea about any of that and that they shared the same values.
In other words, that -- there you go. That that`s not the man she married. So, you know, I`ve got a very strong feeling that Sandra Bullock is doing not what is best for her but what is best for this little baby.
But excellent point, Carmela. We`re going to see how this unfolds. And as you see, her filings did all the talking. The baby`s name is Bullock, not James. And there is no visitation rights for him. He will get to see the baby as she deems fit.
Everybody, switching gears, I want to tell you about a brand new nursing grad, absolutely beautiful, that goes missing from the local Barnes & Noble`s bookstore. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The search intensifies for a 24-year-old California woman who was last seen at a Barnes & Noble bookstore.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Friends and family members handed out flyers with a picture of 24-year-old Phuong Le to everyone they could today.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Police say Phuong Le has been missing since Sunday night.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The woman they described as quiet and timid.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Where she was spotted by a witness at around 8:30 p.m. inside the coffee shop of the Barnes & Noble in Fairfield, California.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is just really odd. This is not right. Something`s wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: She had a minor disagreement with her older sister earlier that day, but family members insist it was nothing serious for Le, who is the youngest of seven.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Straight out to Stacey Newman, our producer on the story.
Stacey, what happened?
STACEY NEWMAN, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, 24-year-old nursing student Phuong Le left home about 4:00 on Sunday. Hours and hours and hours had passed. Her family became concerned. Her brother then tried --
GRACE: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stacey, Stacey, Stacey. Who, what, where, why, when? When? When did they report her missing? What time did she go missing?
NEWMAN: She left her home at about 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. This is out of Fairfield, California.
GRACE: Yes.
NEWMAN: Last sighting, 8:30 p.m. at a local Barnes & Noble, just as you had said. Now her family became concerned. Her brother then went to go look for her, found her car abandoned in the parking lot, then reported her missing Monday in about the wee hours.
GRACE: Monday, you mean -- OK. So she goes missing on Sunday, last seen around 8:30 at Barnes & Noble`s, at Fairfield, California. And she gets reported missing what time?
NEWMAN: I believe this is 3:30 actually in the morning. So it was the wee hours.
GRACE: OK. Got it. Thank you, Stacey Newman.
And to you, Henry K. Lee, reporter with "San Francisco Chronicle," author of "Presumed Dead: A True-life Murder Mystery."
Henry, thank you for being with us. What more do you know about the case?
HENRY K. LEE, REPORTER, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, AUTHOR OF "PRESUMED DEAD": Well, on Tuesday, Nancy, the Sassoon City Police Department, which is where Phuong Le lives, got together with the Fairfield Police Department where this bookstore is located, and they are collaborating with this case.
What is interesting, Nancy, is that Phuong Le`s own brother found her sister`s car in the parking lot, her cell phone and backpack were found in the trunk. No sign of the sister. But you can bet you, Nancy, they`re going to be looking into the cell phone to see what calls or any text messages she received or made before her disappearance.
GRACE: And a local Barnes & Noble`s. How much people go there for a cup of coffee, to buy books? Every time I go in one -- of course, I go there to run up and down the aisles with the twins. But it`s full of people just sitting around reading, drinking coffee.
Certainly somebody saw something, knows something.
Henry K. Lee, did they have surveillance inside the Barnes & Noble`s?
LEE: They did, Nancy. And they could not find her in the video inside. They also had surveillance cameras outside. No signs of her there. So I would hedge a bet --
GRACE: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Henry K. Lee, I understood from Stacey Newman that the last sighting was by someone in the Barnes & Noble`s at 8:30 p.m.
LEE: That`s right. What happens is that it looks like these cameras inside the store, Nancy, or in the coffee shop are geared more toward the employees, perhaps for security for internal reasons.
GRACE: Great. Hey, Henry Lee, what about surveillance out in the parking lot where her car was found?
LEE: They looked at surveillance cameras outside, Nancy, but no signs of her there. We don`t know if it`s an angle issue.
GRACE: That doesn`t make sense. You mean her car is there but none of the cameras caught her leaving the car?
LEE: And that`s not unusual, Nancy, because we`re talking about a certain time. There might some occlusion or blockage so they`ll be looking at other cameras from other sources to see if there`s any cross traffic.
GRACE: OK. Let me get this straight, Henry K. Lee, reporter from the "San Francisco Chronicle" and author.
Henry, in the car we find her backpack with her cell phone?
LEE: That`s right. So obviously you can`t just call her. You can certainly look in and --
GRACE: OK, but you know what that tells me, Henry Lee? If she went into the store that means she had come back out after 8:30 p.m., put her stuff back in her car. Was her pocketbook and her wallet or I.D. and all that in the backpack?
LEE: Police aren`t saying. But they are saying belongings were found in the car.
GRACE: That says to me she was in Barnes & Noble`s, goes out to get into the car and that`s where an abduction took place unless she went willingly, and we have no indication that she left willingly.
Take a look. Phuong Le, just 24 years old, 5`3". Tip line 707-428- 7345. Last seen at the local Fairfield, California Barnes & Noble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Fairfield police say they are prepared for the worst-case scenario. That this could be a stranger abduction. But they say there is nothing right now that points to foul play.
Police will only say her disappearance is suspicious, that they consider her a woman at risk and called the circumstances out of the ordinary.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Tip line, 707-428-7345. Special guest joining is Lieutenant Darrin Moody from Fairfield PD.
Lieutenant, thank you for being with us. Any word so far from 24- year-old Phuong Le?
LT. DARRIN MOODY, FAIRFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT: No, ma`am, no word whatsoever.
GRACE: You know, is there any suggestion she left on her own?
MOODY: Well, we`re exploring those options as well. Based on the fact that there`s nothing at this point that shows any type of violence occurred or any abduction in that line, we`re hoping for the best.
GRACE: Yes.
MOODY: And planning for the worst.
GRACE: But Henry K. Lee, had she ever gone missing before?
LEE: No, and Nancy, keep in mind that the family has told me she does not know how to go to certain places such as San Francisco, has never been missing overnight. Highly unusual for her to disappear for three days.
GRACE: In fact, she`s extremely timid and shy? Right, Stacey Newman?
NEWMAN: Correct, Nancy, and she also was on the verge of trying to find a job as a nurse. So why would she just leave?
GRACE: And plus, Caryn Stark, it just doesn`t fit leaving behind her purse, her cell phone, everything in the back of the car, locked in the car. It doesn`t sound like a voluntary leaving.
CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: No, it doesn`t, Nancy. I think you were right about an abduction because why would she just put it in -- especially not have a cell phone so she could communicate with people.
And if she`s so shy she may have appeared extremely vulnerable to whomever it was that might have been following her.
GRACE: Weigh in, Mickey Sherman.
MICKEY SHERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AUTHOR OF "HOW CAN YOU DEFEND THOSE PEOPLE?": I hope that the authorities, I`m sure, they have gone through her cell phone, looking for text messages, IMs, or whatever. See if there`s any clue there. But I agree with Caryn, no 23- or 24-year- old girl leaves her cell phone in the car.
GRACE: And, you know, another interesting thing, Daniel Horowitz, nothing purchased inside Barnes & Noble`s.
DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, as far as we know. But the key thing is to go to all the stores in the area, get receipts of all the people who shopped around there, the nearby gas stations, and see if you can find a license plate number on the video cameras. Because if we don`t find that evidence we`ll never find the person who I believe took her.
GRACE: Daniel Horowitz, you know what you`re talking about. Final thought, Gloria Allred.
GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIM`S RIGHTS ATTORNEY, CHILD ADVOCATE: Well, I think it`s also important for the public to come forward. If there were any witnesses that night who might have seen her they should definitely go to law enforcement as soon as possible and report whatever they`ve seen, because there`s a family that`s very, very worried right now and this young woman -- this beautiful woman is missing and has to be found.
GRACE: Gloria Allred joining us out of L.A.
Everyone, let`s stop and remember Army Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Scheibner, 40, Muskegon, Michigan, killed Iraq. Served 20 years including the Gulf War. Loved restoring scars, golf, camping. Favorite driver in NASCAR Rusty Wallace. Remembered for bear hugs. Nickname smoke. Leaves behind mother Louise, sister Diane, brother David, widow and son Tyler.
Daniel Scheibner, American hero.
Thanks to our guests, but especially to you. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.
END
