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Nancy Grace
"Idol" Winner Accused of Adulterous Affair
Aired August 09, 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. "American Idol" superstar in the middle of a legal battle royale -- sex tapes, matching tattoos, alleged child neglect, adultery, hateful phone messages and taunts. That`s right, megastar Fantasia goes from rags to riches after America votes her the third season "Idol." And she`s been riding high ever since, chart- topping albums, number one singles, sold-out concerts, a starring role in a Broadway show, even her own reality show.
But a wife and mother claims the "American Idol" stole her husband from his job at a local T-Mobile store. And if it`s true, Fantasia picked the wrong man in the wrong jurisdiction! In a bizarre legal twist, the wife now set to sue the so-called other woman and "American Idol" superstar for everything she`s got! I`m talking millions!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino is accused of filming a sex tape...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s not a true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... with a married man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s according to the man`s wife, who is seeking child custody now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This ain`t no joke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The civil complaints alleging that he had that affair with "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s hard to get people to hear you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... punitive damage, punishment damage...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) they don`t want to hear you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks like the wife could be getting some money out of Fantasia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... strong, emotional roller-coaster ride...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fantasia said she loved the defendant husband.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a fight. Even after you win, it`s a fight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s a rumor on the Internet that you are now dating a married man who has four kids and he`s from the area, a real estate agent that you supposedly had met in the T-Mobile store. Is this true?
FANTASIA BARRINO, SINGER: I did meet him in the T-Mobile store. He doesn`t have four kids, he has two kids. And no, I did not break up his home. He`s just a friend. I don`t know if his home -- what happened in his home, but he`s been not with his wife. And of course, you know, they took the story and they said I was a home wrecker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5-year-old girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone. Daddy comes home from the night to find not a trace of little Haleigh. Last person to see her alive, new stepmother Misty Croslin, who goes on to flunk four polygraphs. Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, and stepmother Croslin both booked on drug trafficking. Search teams, cadaver dogs, scuba drivers all combing the St. John`s River as the search for Haleigh`s entire body and a murder weapon goes on.
Bombshell tonight. SWAT teams storm the home of the man believed to have kidnapped little Haleigh, dragging him across the front yard in handcuffs!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: SWAT teams searched a home in Antioch, Tennessee.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officers detained a man immediately when they arrived.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s where Misty Croslin`s cousin lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The SWAT team spent hours coaxing (ph) out another.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Overstreet`s home was searched.
MISTY CROSLIN, HALEIGH`S BABY-SITTER: You know, me and Tommy`s sitting in jail, and he`s just out doing whatever he wants!
JOE OVERSTREET, MISTY`S COUSIN: (INAUDIBLE) I didn`t do it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You didn`t do it?
OVERSTREET: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Overstreet was in the area when Haleigh was reported missing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he see Haleigh on February 9th or 10th?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He saw her at some point. At some point, he saw her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s three grandkids of mine that`s involved in this, and I don`t know why!
GRACE: She is blaming Joe and Tommy.
MISTY CROSLIN: They`re going to know. They`re going to know.
GRACE: Tommy Croslin is blaming Joe Overstreet.
TOMMY CROSLIN, MISTY`S BROTHER: I didn`t do (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That`s my story and I`m sticking to it.
GRACE: Joe Overstreet`s saying, I wasn`t there.
OVERSTREET: I didn`t do it.
GRACE: All three are pointing the finger at each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What Tommy told me...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don`t want to listen to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... he says, Nanny, I`ve got to break down...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I promise you, I`m done with all these stupid (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve got to tell somebody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I had nothing to do with none of that crap.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said, Are you going to tell me that Joe did this? He says, Yes, Nanny, Joe did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. "American Idol" superstar in the middle of a legal battle royale -- sex tapes, matching tattoos, alleged child neglect, adultery, hateful phone messages and taunts, and if it`s all true, Fantasia, the third season "Idol," picked the wrong man in the wrong jurisdiction.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So did you date him, or it was just a friendship?
BARRINO: We`re just friends. Right now, you know, I`m 26 years old, and for so long, I have been taking care of everybody and not living my life. Now I`m just ready to live, you know what I mean? I want the right thing. I want something that`s going to stand, especially when you have a daughter that`s 9. She`s watching everything. She`s watching everything that I do. So I want something that`s going to stand, somebody that I can know loves me for me, who can handle me being me, and one day get married and have my own family. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So no home wrecking then went on.
BARRINO: Man, listen, I don`t like to share my cookies, and I don`t like to share my man.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
GRACE: You are seeing video of Fantasia on Fox`s "American Idol" from Freemantle Media and 19 Entertainment.
Dana (ph), cue up the denial for me. Straight out to Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session." Jean, she had it all -- even her own reality show in the works, a starring role in a Broadway show, chart- topping singles, new albums. Why -- why -- does she have to have, if these reports are true, another woman`s husband? Aren`t there enough men to go around, for Pete`s sake?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": You know, Nancy, we`ve got the civil complaint right here, and it is page after page after page of factual allegations from the wife in this case, Paula Cook, saying that Fantasia Barrino entered into an affair with her husband. And the facts are immense and they are detailed.
And Nancy, why are they in this complaint for support? Because under North Carolina law, she can get more money from her husband if she can prove adultery. But there`s another part B to this. In the state of North Carolina, you can go for alienation of affection and criminal conversation, two civil suits, to get money out of Fantasia.
GRACE: Yes, in fact, Jean Casarez, the, let me say, seminal case in North Carolina that established that is (ph) Paula Cook versus Antwuan Cook. And it was so sensational, Lifetime decided they had to make a movie about it (INAUDIBLE) actually sue -- the wife and mother sues the so-called other woman and gets everything she`s got -- I mean, the money, the car, everything a jury sees fit to give the mother and wife that was wronged.
So how did this whole thing go down? Out to you, Alan Duke, entertainment editor, CNN Wire. What happened? Please tell me -- it`s got to be more than the predictable, I met him at the T-Mobile store. Please tell me that`s not true.
ALAN DUKE, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, CNN WIRE: Apparently, that is. That`s what Paula Cook is alleging, is that her husband, who worked at the T-Mobile store, met Fantasia there and started a relationship about a year ago. And since then...
GRACE: Whoa! Whoa! Wait, wait, wait!
DUKE: ... according to the...
GRACE: Wait, wait, wait, wait, Alan! Am I seeing a picture of Fantasia Barrino with the married man? Is that what this whole lawsuit is over, right there? That`s it?
DUKE: It would appear that that`s them, yes. So they were -- she was wining and dining him, according to the lawsuit, around the world and on her tour. I will tell you, though, I have talked with a close friend of Fantasia just a short time ago, and she says, apparently, if there was the relationship, it doesn`t exist anymore, that Fantasia is now not dating and still looking...
GRACE: Alan Duke! Alan Duke!
DUKE: ... for Mr. Right.
GRACE: Come on! Get your head out of the sand! The damage is done! Don`t you see them on a jetski, for Pete`s sake? Hold on. Dana, I want to hear the denial from Fantasia`s own words. I want to hear what she`s got to say.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s a rumor on the Internet that you are now dating a married man who has four kids and he`s from the area, a real estate agent that you supposedly had met in the T-Mobile store. Is this true?
BARRINO: I did meet him in the T-Mobile store. He doesn`t have four kids, he has two kids. And no, I did not break up his home. He`s just a friend. I don`t know if his home -- what happened in his home, but he`s been not with his wife. And of course, you know, they took the story and they said I was a home wrecker. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So did you date him, or it was just a friendship?
BARRINO: We`re just friends. Right now, you know, I`m 26 years old, and for so long, I have been taking care of everybody and not living my life. Now I`m just ready to live, you know what I mean? I want the right thing. I want something that`s going to stand, especially when you have a daughter that`s 9. She`s watching everything. She`s watching everything that I do. So I want something that`s going to stand, somebody that I can know loves me for me, who can handle me being me, and one day get married and have my own family. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So no home wrecking then went on.
BARRINO: Man, listen, I don`t like to share my cookies, and I don`t like to share my man.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
GRACE: OK, that was Barrino on 92.1 Power FM radio talking about her relationship or lack therewith -- thereof with Antwuan Cook.
Hold on. Show me that shot of her on the jetski! Two Jawn Murray, columnist with AOL Black Voices, entertainment reporter. You`ve interviewed Fantasia Barrino. Look, this is more than a friendship. I`m no relationship expert. I`m just a lawyer. But you don`t take a guy on an exotic vacation and hop on a jetski with him if there`s not something more than friendship. Have you had a girlfriend or a friend girl take you on an exotic relationship and invite you on the back of her jetski? Have you?
JAWN MURRAY, AOL BLACK VOICES COLUMNIST, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Well, I have, but I`m not -- I have, Nancy, but I`m not Fantasia and I`m not on "American Idol" and I don`t have anybody filing complaints against me. As much as me and everybody else wants to believe Fantasia, the evidence really is working against her. I mean, I`ve never gotten a friend of mine`s name tattooed across my chest. That`s something different. And I think that really put things into a whole different perspective for a lot of people who were watching because...
GRACE: Wait a minute! Thank you, Jawn Murray. Hold on just a moment. I`m so glad you brought that up. There you go, Dana. Put that back up. That`s going to be state`s exhibit number one, Antwuan Cook! And on him, he`s got "Cook" on his shoulder.
Unleash the lawyers! To Vikki Ziegler, divorce attorney and author out of New York, Joe lawless, defense attorney and author of "Prosecutorial Misconduct" of the Philadelphia jurisdiction, Hugo Rodriguez, defense attorney, former fed with the FBI.
Come on, Lawless! I would put that shoulder shot state`s exhibit -- plaintiff`s exhibit number one. In North Carolina, you can sue successfully -- you can sue the other woman for alienation of affections. You can`t do that in practically any other jurisdiction.
JOE LAWLESS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Most jurisdictions...
GRACE: Fantasia is set to lose everything, Lawless!
LAWLESS: Most jurisdictions, you can`t, Nancy. But the keyword is going to be alienation. And I think what that means is Fantasia has to have pulled him away from the marriage or the relationship. If his marriage was already on the rocks, if he was separated...
GRACE: That is (INAUDIBLE)
LAWLESS: ... that`s a defense.
GRACE: ... Lawless! Said just like -- spoken like a true man!
LAWLESS: Thank you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was nervous at first.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... adulterous affair...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stunning details are spilled out in court documents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I`m don`t, I`ll come see everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The singer has been seen with a tattoo on her shoulder that says "Cook."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... accused of having an affair with a married man, Antwuan Cook...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stunning details are spelled out in court documents.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is it! Shut down the lights for me!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Fantasia...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Antwuan Cook...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... filming a sex tape...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Put it up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s according to the man`s wife, who is seeking child custody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Paula Cook...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to get out there and have a good time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... wife is alleging that the husband had an affair...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... alleging that he had that affair with "American Idol" winner...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) good time tonight!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... illicit adulterous affair...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s a rumor on the Internet that you are now dating a married man who has four kids and he`s from the area, a real estate agent that you supposedly had met in the T- Mobile store. Is this true?
BARRINO: I did meet him in the T-Mobile store. He doesn`t have four kids, he has two kids. And no, I did not break up his home. He`s just a friend. I don`t know if his home -- what happened in his home, but he`s been not with his wife. And of course, you know, they took the story and they said I was a home wrecker. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s Barrino on 92.1 Power FM radio, talking about her relationship or lack thereof with Antwuan Cook.
To Dr. Lillian Glass, psychologist and body language expert, author, "Toxic People." We`re taking your calls. Lillian, Dr. Lillian, you know you got a problem when you go, That`s not true. He doesn`t have four kids, he`s got two! OK, you know what?
LILLIAN GLASS, PSYCHOLOGIST: Exactly!
GRACE: She`s being accused of sleeping with a married man, and now she has set herself up to be stripped of everything she`s got -- the fancy house, the jetski, the fleet of cars, the money in the bank, the 401k, you name it. Under Cynthia Shackleford (ph) versus Ann Lundquist (ph), that is the seminal case in North Carolina, you don`t just sue for divorce in North Carolina, Dr. Lillian. You sue for everything the other woman`s got! I`m talking cars, furs, jewelry, the works.
You`re seeing video of Fantasia on Fox`s "American Idol." That`s from Freemantle Media, 19 Entertainment.
Dr. Lillian, what`s with the little denial, Oh, no, it wasn`t four kids, it`s two?
GLASS: Oh, well, the fact she`s getting so specific but she`s not looking at the big picture speaks volumes. You know, and she had it all, like you said, Nancy. I mean, she was the American dream. She started with nothing! And look what she did? And now she`s going to have nothing again!
GRACE: To Vikki Ziegler, divorce attorney, author of "Your Premarital Survival Guide" -- now, that`s some crazy reading, Vikki Ziegler! Vikki, in North Carolina, it`s unlike many other jurisdictions, practically any other jurisdiction. Under Cynthia Shackleford versus Ann Lundquist -- that`s where the wife sued the other woman and won -- Vikki, what is Fantasia looking at?
VIKKI ZIEGLER, DIVORCE ATTORNEY: Well, in that case, Nancy, that was a $9 million judgment.
GRACE: Ouch! Ouch!
ZIEGLER: Yes, a big-time award. Fantasia has made some serious mistakes, if these allegations are true. I think that Mrs. Cook has laid out to EE (ph) in the complaint a very strong basis, ultimately, if she can bring her proofs to this court, to get Fantasia to pay a lot of money, millions and millions of dollars, for lacking judgment. That`s what this comes down to. Tattooing your name, your boyfriend`s name allegedly...
GRACE: Wait a minute! Ziegler...
ZIEGLER: Yes?
GRACE: ... no offense.
ZIEGLER: What?
GRACE: Divorce is your bailiwick...
ZIEGLER: It is.
GRACE: ... but it`s more than lack of judgment. It`s an alleged sex tape, and more than one of them. Apparently, there are a couple of volumes of sex tapes.
ZIEGLER: Well, certainly. It`s an alienation of affection claim. It`s a criminal conversion claim. There are certain civil claims that we`re talking about. And certainly, it`s more than lacking judgment...
GRACE: Hold on. Vikki, I`m coming back to you. Hold on. Lillian Glass, why a sex tape? Why? Why do you have to document the adultery?
GLASS: Exactly.
GRACE: If they get ahold of that, she`s done for! It`s over!
GLASS: Again, but she probably didn`t even realize what she was doing in terms of...
GRACE: Unless...
GLASS: ... the legal point of view.
GRACE: ... she pulls an R. Kelly and says, That`s not me you`re looking at in that video, and wins.
GLASS: That`s a possibility. But Nancy, again, she felt entitled. She didn`t -- you know, she didn`t think what she was doing. She just did it. And these are going to the consequences for her.
GRACE: Everyone, you are taking a look at Fantasia with the so-called other men. They`re jetskiing on an exotic vacation. She says it`s all friendly.
OK, back to you, Vikki. Pick it up.
ZIEGLER: Listen, I mean, this is a great case for Mrs. Cook to file an application in one of seven states that have alienation of affection claims. She picked the wrong guy, the wrong state.
GRACE: Weigh in, Hugo Rodriguez. I can`t wait to hear your defense. Hit me!
HUGO RODRIGUEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It`s not my field. But it looks like that she`s going to on top of this one. North Carolina will allow it. It`ll be a difficult defense on Fantasia`s part.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... had an affair...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`re wrong. They`re wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... accused of filming a sex tape with a married man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God! This ain`t no joke!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... sex tape...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... married man...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man`s name is Antwuan Cook.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s not true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The singer has been seen with a tattoo on her shoulder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like to have another child when I`m married and when I`m done working.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... that says Cook...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fantasia said she loved the defendant husband and he was a grown man who could make his own decisions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it`s a fight. Even after you win, it`s a fight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fantasia told the wife, quote, He don`t want you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So it`s all about how you take it and run with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: OK, Jean Casarez, somehow, it just sounds wrong coming out of your mouth to say "He don`t want you," but go ahead and tell me -- tell me about the, A, sex tape -- how many do we think there are, will they come in as evidence, can plaintiff get her mitts on them? And what was the phone taunt that you were referring to?
CASAREZ: Right. Well, first of all, when you`re talking about alienation of affection, you`ve got to show malicious conduct, intentional conduct on the part of...
GRACE: Well wouldn`t -- I hate to interrupt you, Jean, but wouldn`t a sex tape pretty much do that?
CASAREZ: And that`s what I was going to say. Exhibit A is going to be that alleged sex tape. That is right. And that is what the complaint talks about...
GRACE: I mean, put Jean Casarez up. Put Casarez up. Because, Jean, they just didn`t meet in the hallway and suddenly fall in love and have a crazy affair for a minute. What they did was set up a tripod and queue it in, focus it, and then proceed to have sex in front of it.
CASAREZ: And he works for T-Mobile, right? So yes, we don`t know how...
GRACE: Well, what does that have to do with it?
CASAREZ: Well, isn`t T-Mobile telecommunications? Couldn`t that aid in the recording of something like a sex tape?
GRACE: So bottom line, how is this thing going to work? Cynthia Shackleford versus Ann Lundquist. That name rings in infamy. That`s the wife who sued the other woman in North Carolina and came home with $9 million judgment!
CASAREZ: That`s right, million-dollar judgments. And that`s not the only one, Nancy. There`s a lot in that area. But there are telephone records. In June of 2009, husband and wife were supposed to spend their anniversary in New Orleans. He bailed out. Paula Cook went by herself. During that time, allegedly, Barrino spoke with one of their relatives and said, I`m in love with him. He`s a grown man. He can make his own decisions.
And then just July, one month ago, Barrino, Fantasia, allegedly spoke to the wife, Paula Cook, and she said, quote, "He don`t want you. Maybe the next time that you`ll get a husband, you`ll know how to keep him. That`s why he`s here with me. "
Malicious conduct is what alienation of affection is looking for.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: "American Idol" winner Fantasia is accused of having an affair with a married man.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Fantasia Barrino is accused of filming a sex tape with a married man.
FANTASIA BARRINO, "AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER: The attention is going to be for me sometime.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: That`s according to the man`s wife who was seeking child custody.
BARRINO: I would have to say the only reason I`m here is because I`m following God.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Court documents say Barrino treated the man to a lavish lifestyle.
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": It says, quote, "Throughout the course of their adulterous affair defendant husband and Miss Barrino have at times recorded their elicit sexual activity."
BARRINO: I would be in the grocery store and people say well, congratulations. And I would say, no, it`s not true.
CASAREZ: That would be an exhibit. That would be evidence to prove that sexual relationship.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: She hasn`t commented on these allegations.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Out to the lines. Alison in Alabama, hi, Alison.
ALISON, CALLER FROM ALABAMA: Hello, Nancy.
GRACE: How are you? What`s your question, dear?
ALISON: I would like to know if Fantasia claims bankruptcy, then does she ever have to pay?
GRACE: You know what, good question, because I read recently -- out to you Alan Duke, entertainment editor with CNN Wire that she was just on the cusp of losing her huge multi-million dollar mansion.
ALAN DUKE, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, CNN WIRE: Well, she has struggled but, you know, she`s -- a lot of good things have been happening for her since --
GRACE: Put Duke up. Put Duke up. Alan, I don`t get it.
DUKE: Yes.
GRACE: How can she be struggling if she`s got chart-topping CDs releases, starring on broad way in "The Color Purple"? How can that be?
DUKE: Well, we hear about celebrities every day having to file for bankruptcy and having problems with money management. She`s supporting a family -- more than just a family, an extended family -- on her income.
She`s had the Broadway run of "Color Purple" and some big music successes, but it`s a very expensive lifestyle.
GRACE: Alan. Alan. It`s hard -- it`s hard to keep the money in the bank when you`re taking your married boyfriend on exotic trips out on your jet ski. That costs some money, huh?
DUKE: Yes, well, I`m told she`s refocusing now and in fact if he`s in those jet ski pictures he`s probably out of the picture now. A friend of hers told me that he wasn`t even at her private birthday party this summer.
GRACE: To John Murray, columnist, AOL`s Black Voices, entertainment reporter with "The Tom Joyner Morning Show", what is the bottom line with this? Where is it going? Is Fantasia ready for the lawsuit that`s going to happen?
JOHN MURRAY, COLUMNIST, AOL`s BLACK VOICES, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER WITH "THE TOM JOYNER MORNING SHOW": Nancy, there`s several major issues here. One, "American Idol" is a family friendly show which means if there`s really a sex tape, there`s nothing family friendly about that. So Fantasia will go from being the "American Idol" to --
GRACE: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hold on. Take a look at this. Take a look at this. Let`s go through all the "American Idols" that have had wrap sheets. I don`t know how family friendly it really is.
Here we go. Roll them, Dana. Let`s see those mug -- mug shots. Yes, I`m not seeing them. Corey Clark. Season two. Domestic violence. Keep it going, please. Jessica Sierra, season four, possession of cocaine. Casey James, season nine, DWI, driving under the influence.
Stephanie Edwards, season six, fighting. Scott Savol, season four, domestic violence. Lashundra Cobbins, felony theft. Anthony Wheeler, numerous drug possession. Amanda Overmyer, DUI. Jesse Langseth, suspended license, warrant.
I mean the list goes on. And what were you saying, John Murray, about a family friendly show?
MURRAY: The thing is that Fantasia would be the only winner of the show that would be caught up in a scandal. Most of the people that you name either were top 30 finalists or never made it to the top 12, or their crimes happened prior to getting on the show.
She would be the first winner embroiled to something like this. And a sex tape would take her from being an "American Idol" to Montana Fishburne`s idol. That`s a whole another category, a whole another show.
But Fantasia plays to a religious market, Nancy. She subsidizes her incomes by performing in churches and major gospel events. And if she doesn`t -- if this whole thing ends up being true, she cuts off that market.
GRACE: Yes, you know what, John, the sex tapes change the whole thing. Well, the married man changes the whole thing. If it`s all true.
Everybody, right now we are now headed to the Haleigh Cummings case. Is there a break in the story?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Officers got a tip. The SWAT team showed up. In April, Florida investigators questioned Joe Overstreet searching for clues in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings.
RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Please. All I want is my child. That`s it.
JOE OVERSTREET, MISTY CROSLIN`S COUSIN: Sorry.
CUMMINGS: I just want my daughter back.
OVERSTREET: I can`t imagine what they`re going through.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: The man believed to be involved in the kidnapping of little Haleigh, the last one outside of prison, outside of prison bars, has now been dragged across the front yard in handcuffs.
Art Harris, what happened?
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, ARTHARRIS.COM: Nancy, I can tell you this Sunday night Joe Overstreet, the cousin Misty has accused of taking little Haleigh, was taken into custody, charged with felony and marijuana, manufacturing and possession, spent several hours in jail, bonded out early Monday morning.
He was -- police were --
GRACE: Boy, is that him? Is that him without a shirt on in the front yard?
HARRIS: That`s little Joe.
GRACE: OK.
HARRIS: He`s 21 years old and doesn`t look very powerful and scary, though. That`s what Misty says. He is the one who frightened her.
GRACE: Well, Art.
HARRIS: And Tommy.
GRACE: Hold on. Hold on. Everybody to a 4-year-old or a 5-year-old is scary. OK. So you`ve got to look at it from Haleigh`s point of view. Go ahead, Art.
HARRIS: Yes. So police were acting on a tip, Nancy, that a silver Chrysler were spotted, you know, being driven by a couple of people who were accused of assault and attempted robbery was in his backyard.
They show up. They verify the car. The VIN number shows it`s stolen. Officer wanders in the back -- backyard and finds marijuana growing, and that`s it for Joe.
GRACE: Now what happens behind bars may make a difference in this case.
We are taking your calls, but as we go to break, good news, brand new book, "Death on the D-List" hits the shelves August 10th. You can pre- order, CNN.com/NancyGrace. My proceeds go to Wesley Glenn, a Methodist home that provides a loving home for the mentally handicap that need one.
And tonight which star do you choose to play the role of heroine Hailey Dean? CNN.com/NancyGrace and vote. You can win an autographed copy of the new book "Death on the D-List" and come meet us all right here on the set.
Tonight`s winner, Pennsylvania friend, Donna. Her vote, Halley Berry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I wrote the prologue to "Death on the D-List" before I finished "Eleventh Victim." It was an idea I had and I know this is crazy, but a lot of the ideas I have for "Death on the D-List" came to me in my sleep.
The title for "Death on the D-List" -- I was racking my mind for just the right title -- came to me one night the complete dark. I got it, "Death on the d-List." And that was it.
There are carryover characters to be looking for from "Eleventh Victim" that pop up again in "Death on the D-List." First of all of course, Hailey Dean herself. Her doorman in New York, Ricky.
Also Lieutenant Caulker who stalked Hailey Dean and wrongfully arrested her for the murder of two of her patients in "Eleventh Victim" reappears in a very dynamic manner.
And, of course, what book would be complete without a drunk photographer? Frank LaGrange Haddon III reappears in "Death on the D-List" in a big way.
There`s a talk show in the book. It`s a daytime talk show. And the star of the talk show is named Harry Dodd. And he is actually modeled after Fred Willard`s role in "For Your Consideration."
Hailey Dean, the star of "Death on the D-List", is not autobiographical. She is a much better person and a much braver person than I could ever be.
I always wanted to name a little girl Hailey after Haleigh Cummings. I never thought I could have a little girl. So instead I became this wonderful brave person that grew into Hailey Dean.
I`m thinking back to all those years that I practiced law and prosecuted violent felonies. A lot of those characters that I met in that 10-year parade in the courthouse come to life on the pages of this book.
For a summer read, I would pick a book that I stayed up until about 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning so I could read it. So I could find out what happened at the end. To me that`s a great summer read.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OVERSTREET: I don`t know how to describe it.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It`s been that hard?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Major developments in this case.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: SWAT teams reportedly searched a home in Antioch, Tennessee. That`s where Misty Croslin`s cousin lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re just following up on leads.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: According to our affiliate WSMV Joe Overstreet`s home was searched for drugs and also for stolen goods.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Overstreet was in the are when Haleigh was reported missing?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did he see Haleigh on February 9th of 10th?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He saw her at some point. At some point he saw her.
OVERSTREET: I saw her.
FLORA HOLLARS, MISTY CROSLIN AND JOE OVERSTREET`S GRANDMOTHER: That`s three grand kids of mine that`s involved in this. And I don`t know why.
TOMMY CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S BROTHER: If they think Joe has something to do with this, go get his punk ass and put him in jail.
OVERSTREET: I lost a lot of family.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: WSMV reports during a jailhouse call to his grandmother, Misty`s brother implicated Overstreet in Haleigh`s disappearance.
OVERSTREET: I can`t imagine what they`re going through, but I didn`t do it.
HANK CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S FATHER: I think they need to go get Joe and lock him up and maybe see if he`ll say a break, if they think he got something to do with it, then they need to go get him. Instead of letting him run wild and free.
MISTY CROSLIN, FORMER STEPMOM/BABYSITTER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Yes. But no, they don`t --
H. CROSLIN: He walked around with a pistol in his pocket all the time.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Straight out to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer on the story, how did it go down? And why now? People have been pointing the finger at Joe Overstreet in the murder and more of little Haleigh Cummings, for months now. So why now is there finally an arrest?
MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, COVERING STORY: Well, because apparently he`s involved in yet another crime. You know cops got a report about an assault and a robbery involving Joe. They went to his house. They saw him on the law.
They started questioning him. And then, of course, they found drugs. So now it`s kind of all tying in now. We know that Misty claimed that he assaulted Haleigh. We also know that he went to the house that night to rob -- well allegedly rob Ronald of a gun.
So -- you know, now they`ve got him where they want him. And now the questions are going to open up again as to where he was that night.
GRACE: To Leonard Padilla, bounty hunter, offered to bail Misty Croslin out of jail.
Padilla, it`s good to see you again. The others --
LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER: Thank you.
GRACE: -- really have not told what happened that night. The ones that are behind bars now. And I firmly believe it`s because if they tell any story at all, it`s going to implicate themselves. How will the arrest of Overstreet change the atmosphere? How will that change it up?
PADILLA: It won`t change anything, Nancy. Misty and Tommy and Tim keep saying that Joe, who was staying at Timmy`s house that night, took the van, went over there, did his nefarious act in the house, took Haleigh, picked up Tommy, went out and dumped her in the water.
I don`t believe that Joe Overstreet was involved in any way, shape or form. The cops in that area, the FBI have all investigated it. They picked up the stuff he threw away on his way back to Tennessee when he stopped at a gas station and threw a bunch of stuff away out of the car.
They picked that all up. They went through it. And that was months ago. Nothing has taken place.
You`ve got to give the cops back there more credit than to think that they have something on this guy and he`s still running around growing five marijuana plants and stealing cars in Tennessee.
It`s just not there. The situation is between Misty, Timmy, Tommy and Ron. That`s where the situation and that`s where the answers are.
GRACE: To Ron Shindel, former NYPD deputy inspector.
Ron, I can`t help but believe that with the arrest of Overstreet something has got to give.
RON SHINDEL, FORMER NYPD DEPUTY INSPECTOR: Nancy, everyone here involved seems to be involved in some other criminal activity as well. It`s only a matter of time if they keep putting pressure on and they keep making all these arrests on associated charges, that someone is going to talk. Someone is going to look to cut a deal. Someone is going to look to bring out some facts that are going to lead them to Haleigh Cummings.
GRACE: Everyone, in the last hour a SWAT team storms the home of the last of the four suspects, Joe Overstreet, in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, a 5-year-old little girl from Satsuma, Florida.
While he is not being named a formal suspect, he has long been considered a suspect in disappearance and likely death of this 5-year-old little girl.
I want to go now to Dr. Jennifer Shu, pediatrician, editor of "Baby and Health".
Dr. Shu, in all of this a lot of people seem to forget about Haleigh Cummings. What would that child have gone through if, in fact, she had been thrown alive into the St. John River?
DR. JENNIFER SHU, PEDIATRICIAN, EDITOR OF "BABY AND CHILD HEALTH": You know, it`s horrible to think about it, Nancy. But most likely she should would have struggled and then all the sudden breathed in a lot of water and died probably fairly quickly.
What we do know is that bodies decompose a lot faster if they are in liquid or if it`s very hot outside. So even though it can take years for body to decompose, if the conditions were such that, you know, there`s a lot of water or even animal scavengers around, there may not be any body remnants left.
GRACE: Joining us, Dr. Jennifer Shu. And back out to Art Harris.
Why now, Art?
HARRIS: Nancy, it`s -- the fates. Joe got in trouble. He is a troublemaker. And he just hit the skids at this time. Police tell me it is unrelated. They don`t plan to go back up and interview him unless something other than what`s happened so far.
GRACE: Well, Art, doesn`t he claim he was high on Xanex the night that Haleigh disappeared?
HARRIS: That`s Tommy. Tommy was -- claims he was with Joe. Joe picked him up in the van.
GRACE: Right.
HARRIS: They went to the river. That`s -- and that`s why he doesn`t remember seeing him dump the body, sees him on the dock -- remember seeing him on the dock with the body, with Haleigh.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Joe Lawless, defense attorney and author of "Prosecutorial Misconduct" out of Philadelphia. Hugo Rodriguez, defense attorney, former fed with the FBI out of Miami.
To you, Joe Lawless, what if anything will this mean in the search for little Haleigh?
JOE LAWLESS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AUTHOR OF "PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT": Well, Nancy, one thing that happens when you put a criminal defendant in prison he`s surrounded by other people who are looking for a get-out-of- jail free card. They also tend to talk. They want to brag.
You put him in an environment where all of a sudden he may make a statement that he hadn`t said before.
GRACE: What about it, Rodriguez?
HUGO RODRIGUEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, FMR. FBI AGENT: I agree. His bond is minimal right now. $7,000. I don`t know if he`ll make it. We`ll know that in two days. But everyone else that`s related to in Florida has gotten 15 years on other drug cases.
I don`t think he`s looking at that. But the pressure is on. And I think he`s got some motive now or the state has motive to re-interview him.
GRACE: Well, and the other thing about what you just mentioned, Hugo Rodriguez, the fact that they -- others have been sentenced to 15 years, that`s a long sentence, and especially on trafficking. Unless the actual offense was reduced in exchange for a plea deal which I don`t believe it was, was it?
RODRIGUEZ: No, and Tommy`s case, normally in that county here in Florida you get from three to five on that type of trafficking. The judges went on --
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Well, not -- not on trafficking. You got --
RODRIGUEZ: Well I`m saying --
GRACE: On trafficking you get more. They`ve got to reduce it from trafficking to, for instance, possession with intention to distribute. Now that could get him three or five.
RODRIGUEZ: But what I`m saying is the judges in each of those cases would hope, and with Tommy, each gave the statutory max. We`ve got Misty coming up real soon. And she`s going to be in the same situation because it doesn`t appear that she`s going to have a very strong defense because she was, in essence, a co-defendant with Tommy.
GRACE: Right.
RODRIGUEZ: This is -- 15 years is a long time for somebody who`s in their early 20s. Now they`ve really got to think through what they`re going to say and how they`re going to handle it.
GRACE: Oh yes. And you know -- Joe Lawless, Hugo Rodriguez, we`re kind of rushing this thing. You got to give them time behind bars. Let it breathe for a couple more months, for a couple of more years, before they finally decide, hey, this is for real.
(CROSSTALK)
LAWLESS: It affects your perspective.
RODRIGUEZ: They could get immunity.
GRACE: What, Lawless?
(CROSSTALK)
LAWLESS: Go ahead.
RODRIGUEZ: I`m sorry. Go ahead, Joe.
LAWLESS: You know, being in jail for a long time affects your perspective. The longer you`re in there, the sooner you want to get out. But again I have to go back to the fact, you put these guys in an environment with --
GRACE: Put Lawless up.
LAWLESS: -- with other people who are looking for an opportunity to get out. And all of a sudden, statements pop up that hadn`t been there before. And now you`ve got a witness against Joe Overstreet.
GRACE: Right.
LAWLESS: And, you know, Joe Overstreet said to me in the lockup that he was involved.
GRACE: What about it, Jean Casarez?
LAWLESS: That`s evidence.
CASAREZ: The timing`s very interesting because Tommy just was sentenced and so an FDLE officer said he hasn`t helped us at all in the investigation.
Misty`s fate is still to be determined. She can see what`s happening to Joe. Could that promote her to finally talk?
GRACE: Everybody, you`re seeing video in the last hours. The last possible co-defendant in the kidnapping and likely death of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings arrested in his front yard and dragged out in handcuffs.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T. CROSLIN: If I knew something, you`d know a long time ago. Leave me alone.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joe Overstreet has been a person who Misty Croslin and it appears her brother have been pointing the finger at for possibly the death of Haleigh Cummings.
OVERSTREET: I lost a lot of family.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Overstreet absolutely, steadfastly, categorically denies any responsibility for Haleigh`s disappearance.
OVERSTREET: Sorry. I can`t imagine what they`re going through. I didn`t do it.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You didn`t do it?
OVERSTREET: No.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you know who did it?
OVERSTREET: If I knew who did, I would straight call the police and tell the cops who did it.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And one important factor we`re leaving out -- everybody, you`re seeing video there at the top of your screen this has just gone down in the last hours. The last possible player in the disappearance, the kidnap and the likely death of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings out of Satsuma, Florida.
Joe Overstreet nabbed in his front yard. SWAT storms his home. He`s dragged off in handcuffs.
One thing we`re missing. Jean Casarez, the deal is still in the works with the father of Haleigh Cummings, Ronald Cummings, to plea out and testify against Misty Croslin.
What`s with that? What`s the holdup?
CASAREZ: That`s right. That deal is still in the works right now. It`s believed he`s going to get 25 years, but she has to be privy to the fact that he could testify against her. And her trial is coming up. If she doesn`t reach a plea deal or the prosecution offers her a plea deal.
But here`s what`s interesting about Joe. Tommy was sentenced. The Florida Departnent of Law Enforcement officer said he didn`t help them at all. And he`s implicated from the beginning. Joe. It`s Joe, So maybe Joe isn`t involved but maybe Joe knows information that now will help law enforcement.
GRACE: I can only pray, Jean Casarez.
Everybody, let`s stop and remember Army Sergeant Craig Nelson, 21, Bossier City, Louisiana, served Iraq. Awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Service medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal.
Lost his life, Bethesda Naval Hospital. His family by his side. Loved camping, water skiing, fishing. Leaving behind grieving mother Lois, sister Carly, nephew Cade.
Craig Nelson, American hero.
Thanks to our guests, but our biggest thank you is to you for inviting us into your homes. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.
END
