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Nancy Grace
Fantasia Hospitalized After Aspirin Overdose
Aired August 11, 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" star 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!
Bombshell tonight. Reports Fantasia reads the explosive court allegations against her. Within hours, the "American Idol," OD, is rushed to the hospital. 911, Fantasia ODs on aspirin. As we go to air, we obtain the stunning 911 call reporting the "American Idol" bleeding, nearly unconscious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FANTASIA BARRINO, SINGER: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This just in, word of Fantasia and a possible overdose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night, Fantasia was hospitalized.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... a sex tape starring "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She took an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid.
BARRINO: He`s been not with his wife. And of course, you know, they took the story and they said I was a home wrecker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino is accused of filming a sex tape...
BARRINO: No, it`s not true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... with a married man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you date him or it was just friendship?
BARRINO: We`re just friends. (INAUDIBLE)
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.
911 OPERATOR: Tell me exactly what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An individual took a bottle of aspirin, and she is slowly losing consciousness.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Are you with the patient now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m outside. Somebody else is with her inside.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And is she awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slowly losing consciousness.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Right now, is she wake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Halfway, yes.
911 OPERATOR: Is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: All right. Is she violent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
911 OPERATOR: Does she have a weapon?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
911 OPERATOR: Where is she no?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the shower.
911 OPERATOR: In the shower?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Her family put her in the shower, trying to keep her wake (INAUDIBLE)
911 OPERATOR: OK, tell them to take her out of the shower and turn the water off, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
911 OPERATOR: Do that right now
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And tonight, flight attendant goes berserk. After a confrontation with a passenger, he curses out the whole plane over the aircraft`s loudspeaker, grabs two beers and makes a getaway, sliding down the plane`s emergency chute. He`s hauled away to Rikers Island prison. But wait a minute. Killers, molesters, dope dealers -- they all walk free. But a flight attendant who reams out an unruly passenger, after he is the one who ends up with cuts and bruises, gets seven years behind bars? No! Absolutely not! I`m siding with JetBlue!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s it. I`m done. I quit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... freaking flyer...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... plainly nuts...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You going to lose your job?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than likely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Steven Slater...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the fed-up flight attendant...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Pittsburgh to JFK...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... flipped out after an argument with a passenger...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The passenger started cursing him out. He started cursing the passenger out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The scar on your head, is that from the suitcase falling? Is it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slater allegedly cursed...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... cursed out...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... passengers over the intercom...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... expletives...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... absolutely lost it...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... grabbed a beer, then deplaned through an emergency chute at JFK Airport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did that just happen?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just -- he flew (ph) out the side door.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who does that, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... moments, only this time, he didn`t throw up in (SIC) a window, he threw up in a plane door and screamed, I`m mad as hell...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and I`m not going to take it anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... happened all the time, where they`re just abused and...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... charged with two felonies...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... has been released on bail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No doubt that his rage is resonating with a lot of people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... here on social media. FaceBook even has a page, Twitter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... still has a smile on his face...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s been very, very appreciated and...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems like it`s -- something here has resonated with a few people.
(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 -- reports Fantasia Barrino reads explosive court allegations against her. Within hours, the "American Idol" superstar ODs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No home wrecking going on.
BARRINO: Man, listen, I don`t like share my cookies and I don`t like to share my man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino is recovering from a medication overdose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was dehydrated and exhausted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... rushed by ambulance to a North Carolina hospital...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... overdosed on aspirin and a sleep aid...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She overdosed on the same day that she read this wife`s complaint and she read the allegations...
BARRINO: No, I did not break up this home.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She messed with the wrong guy in North Carolina, and it could get really ugly for her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fantasia believed Mr. Cook when he told her he was not happy in his marriage.
BARRINO: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She says she`s no home wrecker.
BARRINO: I`m 26 years old, and for so long, I have been taking care of everybody and not living my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Well, it looks to me like you are living your life, based on those photos of Fantasia, the "American Idol," on the back of a jetski with a married man. She is absolutely living her life and getting into somebody else`s life. That would be the wife and mother of some little children, the wife of a man now alleged to be carrying on an affair with Fantasia. Hey, I`m not the church lady, but I know this. In that jurisdiction, she can be sued, Fantasia, for millions, everything she`s worth. There they have a cause of action when you`re the other woman.
But right now, straight out to Alan Duke, entertainment editor, CNN wire. Reportedly, Alan, just hours after she reads these explosive court documents, allegations against her now filed in court, she ODs? What happened?
ALAN DUKE, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, CNN WIRE: Well, in fact, Monday was a very bad day for Fantasia. She was overwhelmed and exhausted, as Brian Dickens (ph), her manager, said in a very unusually frank statement. She - - at the end of the day, that evening -- you played the montage of all the media reports that she certainly saw some of them, and she took a bottle of aspirin, according to the 911 call. Her family put her in the shower, trying to wake her up. She ended up going to hospital. We`ve not been able to found out yet if she`s out of the hospital, but they say that they do expect that soon, if it`s not already happened.
GRACE: Alan Duke, entertainment editor, CNN Wire.
Out to David Caplan (ph) joining us out of New York. David, within hours of reading these bombshell claims against her in these court documents, she ODs, apparently on aspirin?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It wasn`t just aspirin, it was aspirin and an unknown sleeping aid. So that really implies that it was probably a prescription strength sleeping pill that, really, we`re all too familiar with in Hollywood that people abuse. So it wasn`t just the aspirin. It sounds like this prescription pill really is what sort of clinched it.
GRACE: Everybody, you are seeing video of Fantasia on Fox`s "American Idol." It`s from Freemantle Media and 19 Entertainment.
To Jean Casarez. What happened, Jean?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": Well, you know, it`s worse than we thought it was because the 911 call -- you just played it -- it was just released, and it`s saying that she`s slipping in and out of consciousness, but she`s also bleeding. Bleeding from taking the aspirin? But you know, Nancy, in the eyes of the law, this may actually help the plaintiff, the wife, in the suits that she may bring against Fantasia.
GRACE: Everyone, let`s take a listen to that 911 call right now.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 OPERATOR: Tell me exactly what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An individual took a bottle of aspirin, and she is slowly losing consciousness.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And are you with the patient now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m outside, but someone else is with her inside.
911 OPERATOR: OK. And is she awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s slowly losing consciousness.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Right now, is she awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Halfway, yes.
911 OPERATOR: Is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
911 OPERATOR: And is she violent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
911 OPERATOR: Does she have a weapon?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
911 OPERATOR: Where is she now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the shower.
911 OPERATOR: In the shower?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Her family put her in the shower to try and keep her awake (INAUDIBLE)
911 OPERATOR: OK. Tell them to take her out of the shower and turn the water off, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
911 OPERATOR: Do that right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s the 911 call obtained by TMZ. And to you, Jean Casarez. We have just gotten word as we go to air, her manager, the "American Idol" manager, is saying it was nothing more than aspirin. First reports went out that a sleeping aid was involved. No, it was not. Fantasia ODs on aspirin, and is there, nearly unconscious and bleeding in her shower after reading these documents. What do they say, Jean?
CASAREZ: And that`s the key, the key issue -- read the documents and then partook in all of this, what the incident report is calling suicide. Well, Paula Cook was a plain -- a private citizen a week ago. She was married to a man, Antwaun Cook. She alleges in this civil complaint asking for support, child support, alimony, that her husband engaged in an affair with Fantasia -- Fantasia engaged in an affair -- for over a year. And the allegations, the factual allegations, go on and on, but they do say that upon information and belief that recordings were made of their illicit sexual activity...
GRACE: Are you talking about a sex tape?
CASAREZ: Yes, upon information and belief.
GRACE: Is that in the document, Jean? Is that in the allegations in the court filings? Did Fantasia read that in the court documents?
CASAREZ: She had to because it is in the complaint.
GRACE: Well, yes, I guess she did pass out. That the wife knows about an alleged sex tape?
CASAREZ: Plural. Tapes. Plural.
GRACE: What else did the document say, Jean?
CASAREZ: It goes on the say that her husband would leave the house, he`d be gone for days and weeks, and he`d be around the country with Fantasia at various theaters and where she was performing. She would always ask her husband where he was. He would say he was working. At one point, though, her husband was with Fantasia, was on the phone with the wife. Fantasia, according to the document, took the phone and she said, Look, he don`t want you. He`s my man now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a rumor on the Internet that you are now dating a married man who has four kids and he`s from your 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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRINO: I did meet him in the T-Mobile store.
I took it and ran with it.
And they said I was a home wrecker.
They`re wrong.
And he`s just a friend.
GRACE: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "American Idol" winner Fantasia is accused of having an affair with a married man and filming a sex tape with him, too.
BARRINO: ... so much baggage.
He`s been not with his wife.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The wife is alleging that the husband had an affair with "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino.
BARRINO: I don`t understand why...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The singer has been seen with a tattoo on her shoulder that says "Cook," and the man`s name is Antwaun Cook.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her manager says the singer didn`t wreck the man`s marriage.
BARRINO: (INAUDIBLE) stronger (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man`s wife is threatening to sue the singer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In the state of North Carolina, you can go for alienation of affection to get money out of Fantasia.
BARRINO: I have to pay my bills and I have to take care of my whole family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now word of Fantasia and a possible overdose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fantasia last evening became a little bit overwhelmed with the situation, with the personal things that she`s been going through. So actually, she took some Bayer aspirin and she took a few too many, trying to go to sleep to get away. And naturally, she had to be transported to the hospital because on top of that, with the depression, she became dehydrated and we had to take her to the hospital.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bayer aspirin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bayer aspirin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing else?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: OK, wait a minute. Wait a minute! They are changing their stories left and right. First it was nearly unconscious, bleeding, taking a sleeping pill plus aspirin. Now it`s not bleeding and it`s just Bayer aspirin. Now it`s depression due to dehydration.
I`ll tell you what is it. It`s this right here. It`s letter I. Throughout the course of their adulterous affair, defendant husband and Ms. Barrino have at times recorded their illicit sexual activity. You know, you don`t want that popping up in your VCR when you think you`re getting Barney or the Wonder Pets (ph). Yes. Not a good tape to have lay around your house. I guarantee that`s what went down.
Out to you, Jean Casarez. Another issue with the story changing the way that it is -- are they really saying that she had dehydration due to depression?
CASAREZ: Well, here`s the latest...
GRACE: Is that what I just heard him say?
CASAREZ: Yes, that`s one version. But the other version -- and let`s go with the 911 tape -- slipping in and out of consciousness, but she is breathing, but downing an entire bottle of aspirin.
GRACE: OK. To Dr. Joshua Perper, chief medical examiner, Broward County, author of "When Doctors Kill," as well as "When to Call the Doctor." Dr. Perper, thank you for being with us, as always. What can a bottle of aspirin do to you?
DR. JOSHUA PERPER, CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY: Well, a bottle of aspirin can kill -- can kill you. Some of the bottle contain 50 tablets, some contain 100 tablets. They can cause, in large doses, abdominal symptoms, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain. In higher doses, such when you -- there might be ringing in the ears and even loss of consciousness, seizures, and eventually death.
GRACE: OK, Dr. Perper, you`re telling...
PERPER: (INAUDIBLE) no treatment.
GRACE: ... me something completely new. You can die from an aspirin overdose?
PERPER: Sure. Sure you can die.
GRACE: How many aspirin do you have to take?
PERPER: Well, I`m not going to give any instruction to people how many aspirin that can give in order to die because I don`t give prescription for suicide. But a bottle of aspirin certainly can kill.
GRACE: A bottle. A bottle. A bottle has 50 aspirin in it. You think a bottle can kill you?
PERPER: Absolutely.
GRACE: You know, Dr. Perper, this is the first time I`ve ever heard that aspirin can kill you if you take a whole bottle. OK, so she was in serious jeopardy. I`ve been kind of pooh-poohing it since when I heard it was just aspirin, that she OD`d on aspirin. What do you go through when you get to the hospital if you have taken something like a bottle of aspirin? What do they do?
PERPER: Well, they are first going to try to get rid of the aspirin which was ingested by giving first a substance which is called active charcoal, which absorbs the aspirin which was swallowed. They are going to give them laxatives to get rid of the aspirin, as well. And then they are going to control the blood pressure, and they might be -- may have to resuscitate the person.
GRACE: Everyone, we are just learning as we go air more and more details regarding the overdose of "American Idol" Fantasia Barrino. This is after -- within just hours after she read -- reads this explosive document. And explosive it is, alleging sex tapes, adultery, you name it. She ODs. We have that 911 call, which we`ll play for you again when we get back. We are taking your calls.
But everybody, as we go to break -- brand-new book, "Death on the D- List," now on the bookshelves. To order, go to CNN.com/nancygrace. My proceeds going to Wesley Glenn, a Methodist home that gives loving homes to the mentally handicapped who desperately need one.
And tonight, who should play the role of heroine of Hailey Dean? Go to CNN.com/nancygrace and vote. Win an autographed copy of "Death on the D-List" and come meet us all right here on the set.
And tonight, a special thank you to Fox`s Bill O`Reilly for having me on to talk about "Death on the D-List," to Elizabeth Vargas and everyone at "GMA." Here I am with Sam Champion. And here`s a photo of me today at David Letterman`s favorite psychic (ph), Rupert Gee (ph) from Hello Deli (ph). Also, to Jane Velez. Thank you for coming to the book signing. Thank you, friend.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fantasia said she loved the defendant husband and he was a grown man who could make his own decisions.
BARRINO: 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."
BARRINO: So it`s all about how you take it and run with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... sex tape...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... married man...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... "American Idol" winner...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... Fantasia Barrino...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The man`s name is Antwaun Cook.
BARRINO: No, it`s not true.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The singer has been seen with a tattoo on her shoulder.
BARRINO: I would like to have another child when I`m married.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Joining us right now, exclusive guest out of Charlotte, North Carolina -- everyone that`s just joining us, as we go to air, we get this 911 call about Fantasia, the "American Idol," just hours after reading court allegations against her, ODs, is taken to the hospital, rushed to the hospital.
To Richard Gee -- or "Ghee." Which one is it, sir?
RICHARD GEE, NEIGHBOR: It`s "Ghee."
GRACE: Nice to meet you, Richard Gee, on the airwaves. This is Fantasia Barrino`s neighbor. I want to thank you for being with us. Is that the home where she films her reality show?
GEE: Yes, it is. There`s a camera crew out there pretty often. And it`s called "Fantasia for Real," I think. I`ve seen it a couple times and I talked to the camera crew the other day. But yes, they`re there most of the time. Usually, they`re inside.
GRACE: Dana (ph), could you take down the banner so our viewers could see what Richard Gee saw the night ambulances, police, 911 comes to the home of "American Idol" Fantasia Barrino? What happened that night, Mr. Gee?
GEE: Well, I just going to Emily`s -- my girlfriend`s house, and I saw lots of flashing lights out there. There was a fire truck and ambulance, police car, and another police car was on its way. They came in pretty quietly. They didn`t want to -- you know, they don`t want to wake up the neighborhood. And they`re just out there. And everything else happened inside. It was pretty silent.
GRACE: Were you there when Ms. Barrino was taken out?
GEE: No, no. I had to leave, but...
GRACE: Everyone, you are seeing footage shot by Richard Gee -- this is Fantasia Barrino`s neighbor -- the night the "American Idol" allegedly tried to kill herself after reading explosive allegations in court documents filed by a wife and mother who says Barrino`s responsible for destroying her marriage.
Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session" -- you know, I know that Fantasia Barrino has made a lot of denials. But if these were not true, I would be spitting mad. I don`t know that I would go swallow a bottle of aspirin, Jean Casarez.
CASAREZ: Right. Right. That is true. But let us remember there is a tattoo which can be evidence in court, the tattoo on the shoulder of the husband and of Fantasia, and the last name on that tattoo is Cook.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRINO: If you got a man in the house, get with your man! Get with your man!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Rags to riches story that is Fantasia.
FANTASIA BARRINO, "AMERICAN IDOL" WINNER: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Woman did not hold back. She specifically lists times that she believes her husband was with Fantasia.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s asking for custody of the two children. She`s asking for all their property.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: In court documents she`s alleged to have ripped up a marriage, broke it up. Antwaun Cook is the man in question here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This complaint is ugly.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: She portrays Fantasia as a mean and spiteful person.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Fantasia has always been an open book. Honesty, self-respect and personal responsibility are values she wears proudly."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It takes two to tango.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: No home wrecking going on?
BARRINO: Man, listen, I don`t like to share my cookies and I don`t like to share my man.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Tell me exactly what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An individual took a bottle of aspirin and she slowly losing consciousness.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. And are you with the patient now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m outside. Someone else is inside with her.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. And is she awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slowly losing consciousness.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Right now is she awake?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Halfway, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Is she breathing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: All right. And is she violent?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Does she have a weapon?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Where is she now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the shower.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: In the shower?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Her family tried to put her in the shower to try and keep her awake until the paramedics --
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Tell them to take her out of the shower and turn the water off, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Do that right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: That is a 911 call obtained by TMZ.
To Dr. Jeff Gardere, psychologist, host of VH1`s "Dad Camp," the story keeps changing, now we`re getting depression from dehydration or dehydration from depression. What happened?
JEFF GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST, HOST OF VH1`S "DAD CAMP": It doesn`t make sense. I think what happened here was that Fantasia, through these allegations, through these court records, this situation either blew up in her face because it seemed like she was really in love with this guy or she was lied and deceived to by this guy.
Though subconsciously, I think she knew that he was still with his wife. And finally, the fact that if this goes further in court she stands to lose millions. She`s already lost her fortune once before and trying to build it.
I think this was impulsive. It was a suicidal gesture. I think she was beside herself. And maybe now she is depressed.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Sue Moss, family law attorney, child advocate, Anne Bremner, high-profile lawyer out of Seattle, John Manuelian, criminal defense attorney L.A.
Weigh in, Sue Moss.
SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY & CHILD ADVOCATE: Well, this Fantasia film isn`t Disney rated. I wonder what Simon thought. But what it is, is evidence of alienation of affection. She`s going to be hit with a multimillion dollar lawsuit. And guess what? Mrs. Cook is going to win. She`s going to win big. She`s going to win millions and -- millions and she will collect.
GRACE: To you, Anne Bremner. Anne Bremner, you`ve tried every kind of a case under the sun.
Anne, it doesn`t help if you had gotten an allegation like this you would have said oh, no, I did not. And fire back a legal letter. I doubt you would have swallowed a bottle of aspirin.
That response is only going to add to fuel to the flame. I know, I know how you research your cases, Anne Bremner. Does this ring a bell? Cynthia Shackleford versus Ann Lindquist in North Carolina, say, $9 million verdict?
ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right.
GRACE: Wife versus the mistress.
BREMNER: Nancy, you always do your research. That`s exactly right. Huge verdict. But the -- you know, the thing in a case like this is that no fault divorce is really what we have across the United States and then when you -- deal with alienation of affection.
GRACE: Hey, hey, hey, hey. North Carolina.
BREMNER: Yes.
GRACE: North Carolina.
BREMNER: I know. I`m just saying. I know. You`ve said in the beginning it`s antiquated. And the fact of the matter --
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: I didn`t say it was antiquated. I didn`t say it was antiquated.
BREMNER: Then I`ll say it. Then I`ll say it. But these are antiquated crimes as we know or --
GRACE: Well, you may say they`re antiquated, Anne Bremner, but that jury --
BREMNER: I know. But still --
(CROSSTALK)
BREMNER: Yes. I know, but the thing about it is that -- there`s the other thing like every "Dear Abbey" column back in the day, I`m with a married man, he told me he`s left his wife. You know, yadi-yadi-ya. I mean that`s probably like your last commenter said, is that she`s thinking oh, my gosh I had no idea he was still involved with his wife still.
GRACE: Wait, wait.
BREMNER: And she takes the pill.
GRACE: Put Bremner up. Put Bremner up. How can you put those words together in one sentence? I had no idea he was so involved with his wife? If wife is attached to the man you`re dating, you better break up.
BREMNER: Right.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Do you know how many children they have? How many can children do they have, Jean?
BREMNER: Well, I know.
JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": Two children, one is 6, one is 2, and when that affair started the younger one was 1-year-old.
GRACE: What about it, John Manuelian? What do you say to the little 2-year-old who looks up and see the picture of daddy on the back -- on the jet ski with Fantasia?
JOHN MANUELIAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, I`m in complete agreement with you. This is the achy-breaky heart jurisdiction. If you sleep with a married woman you`re going to pay the price.
Looks like Fantasia needs to back pedal right now because she`s looking at a lot of money to shell out.
GRACE: Yes. At this juncture, though -- to Anne Bremner -- don`t you think in her best interest -- I`m talking about Fantasia -- a settlement is in order?
BREMNER: Well absolutely. (INAUDIBLE) like I was saying, I guess she should have thought about that when you were cheating. Get in, get out, move on.
GRACE: Yes. And it doesn`t seem to me, Sue Moss, that the wife is ready to move on.
MOSS: Absolutely not. And it was absolutely true that Fantasia knew that she was married and that this marriage was real. She had a discussion with this wife.
GRACE: Hold on. Sue. I got a big question before we go to break.
Alan Duke, what`s so great about Antwaun Cook? What does he have that every other man doesn`t have? Why did it have to be him?
ALAN DUKE, ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, CNN WIRE: Well, I do know that Fantasia was on a search for Mr. Right. Her friends tell me that. And she says he was lying to her. That is what the doctor referred to that maybe she believed it.
But he was telling her he lived away from his wife as late as last summer. Even took her to a home where he said he lived. That`s according to her statement yesterday.
GRACE: He was not Mr. Right. He`s not even Mr. Right Now. This guy is Mr. No. Until he is divorced. He is a Mr. No for dating.
Everybody, quick break. We are taking your calls.
Brand new book, "Death on the D-List." On the bookshelf. You can order it at CNN.com/NancyGrace. My proceeds is going to Wesley Glenn, a Methodist home providing a loving home for the mentally handicap who need a home.
And tonight, who should play the role of heroine Hailey Dean? Go to CNN.com/NancyGrace and vote. Win an autographed copy of "Death on the D- List" and meet us all right here on the set.
Tonight`s winner, Alabama friend, Laura. Her vote, Charlize Theron.
(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 in the complete dark. And 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)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: JetBlue flight attendant charged with criminal mischief.
CASAREZ: Steven Slater goes berserk.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You`re going to lose your job?
STEVEN SLATER, JETBLUE FLIGHT ATTENDANT: More than likely.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The slurring at a passenger over the intercom.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Cursed a passenger over the intercom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His mother was a flight attendant.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Alleged meltdown after an argument with a passenger.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The scar on your head, is that from the suitcase falling? Is it?
CASAREZ: Reckless endangerment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is "I`m mad as hell" and "I`m not going to take it anymore."
CASAREZ: And criminal trespass.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is nothing bad about Steven Slater. He is a fantastic human being.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: JetBlue flight attendant.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The woman was outraged and cursed him out a great deal.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Flight attendants all over are standing up for him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The passenger should be the one that`s on trial, not Steven.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Well, I agree. I agree with the flight attendant. He`s the one that`s got the cut his head. That tells me a lot.
His father was a pilot. His mother was a flight attendant. It`s in his blood.
Out to Rupa Mikkilineni, standing by at Slater`s location. Rupa, what went wrong? I do not believe this guy Slater suddenly went berserk over nothing. But I do like the panache, the flare, the style of grabbing the two beers, and then going down the inflatable emergency exit chute.
Now that`s style, Rupa. You can`t argue with that. But what happened?
RUPA MIKKILINENI, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, right now we are in front of the apartment building on the Upper East Side where flight attendant who is now being hailed a hero by all media, fans on Facebook Web site, MySpace Web site, he`s fled here to this Upper East Side apartment.
Late last night after being released from jail, he spent the day here in the building behind me with friends, Nancy.
And what happened -- to answer your question as to what happened on that flight where he shot down that inflatable chute, the emergency exit? Well, he went -- got into an altercation with a passenger about overhead luggage.
GRACE: Wait a minute. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Rupa. Start at A. OK. A, B, C. One, two, three. It started before that. Wasn`t the female passenger allegedly having a fight, a little hair fight, an argument with another female passenger? They were fighting over the overhead space. So he steps in. Is that what happened, Rupa?
MIKKILINENI: That is what happened, Nancy. And this happened in Pittsburgh before the flight took off.
GRACE: Then what happened?
MIKKILINENI: He got into a spat over -- they got into a spat then he -- they were seated. And in this process when the flight attendant Steve Slater came in to interrupt he got hit in the head with either a piece of luggage from the overheard bin or the door. That`s been unclear. That`s what his lawyer said. He was injured before takeoff, Nancy.
GRACE: Well, isn`t it also true that the woman that he got into a confrontation with was cursing?
MIKKILINENI: She was cursing him out and then upon landing at JFK we believe it`s that same passenger that started cursing him again when he asked her to sit down and stay in her seat and not attempt to get her overhead luggage, because the plane had barely stopped.
GRACE: Everybody, you`re seeing YouTube video showing the animation of the JetBlue incident from NextMedia13.
Right now with us Greg Kanczes. Greg was on the plane with the flight attendant who deployed the emergency chute. He`s also there with Rupa at the -- at Slater`s location.
Greg, what did you observe?
GREG KANCZES, PASSENGER ON PLANE WITH FLIGHT ATTENDANT WHO CURSED, GRABBED BEERS AND DEPLOYED EMERGENCY CHUTE: Well, I didn`t observe anything at the end of the flight. When I came on to the flight he -- I did see that he had the mark on his head and I was going to mention it but it looked kind of fresh and I didn`t want to draw attention to it or make him fell, you know, embarrassed about it, whatever.
So I just took my seat. And during the flight he was -- didn`t show any signs of stress, you know. He performed, you know, his routine normally except when he was putting on the routine to show us how to put on our vest he laughed a little bit I think at someone further down the plane.
But there was no incident at all during the plane. It was just a normal flight. And then when we did get off -- when the plane did come up to the runway, the ramp, there were some passengers that did get up but they were told to sit down by the overhead PA system and they did.
And that is all I observed. If anything happened it happened behind my seat. I was in seat 17c. And there`s 25 rows in there. So it was in the last couple of rows. But I didn`t notice anything or hear anything or hear any person.
I`m sure if there was I would have turned around and looked and I would have seen other people in front of me turn around and look. But there was nothing that drew our attention. And then finally we were told we were allowed to get up. We all got up. And about a minute or so later is when we heard the announcement over the PA system and we all look around --
GRACE: Wait a minute. What announcement?
KANCZES: He came on and said that, you know, it`s been a great 28 years, and I`ve had a great time. And he -- I think he cursed once. I don`t think it was like -- said. And he said I`m out of here or have a good time or have a good day or --
GRACE: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I don`t want you to blurt out the curse word. But give me a hint.
KANCZES: No.
GRACE: What did he say?
KANCZES: I think it was the F word but I think it was only once. He said --
GRACE: What, "F you"?
KANCZES: Or something to that effect. Yes.
GRACE: OK. Something to that effect.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: You`re such a gentleman and I appreciate that. So was this then, I take it, before he goes down the emergency chute and you didn`t see that part, right?
KANCZES: I did not see that part because it was behind me. And actually when I was getting off the plane I was going to look for him to find out what the whole announcement was about. But he had already gone out the back. And it wasn`t until I got home and checked out the news that I saw the --
GRACE: Got you.
KANCZES: -- shoot out the back and I saw the -- you know.
GRACE: With us, Greg Kanczes on that plane. He heard the curse out overheard.
To a special guest that we love to have with us, Mary Schiavo. This is the former inspector general with the U.S. Department of Transportation. She`s an aviation attorney.
Thank you so much for being with us. You know, listen, I know how seriously you take air safety, but from my point of view, Mary -- you know, I put guys in jail for murder, child molestation, rape, agg assault, carjacking, you name it.
They get out in five years, seven years, 10 years. They`re going to try to give this guy seven years for taking an unusual exit from the airplane?
MARY SCHIAVO, FMR. INSPECTOR GENERAL, U.S. DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION, AVIATION ATTORNEY: Well, I doubt that he`ll get seven years but they are going to have to take it very seriously and the airline will press charges because the airline right now has zero tolerance policy when the passengers do this.
Every year passengers open the emergency exits when they`re not supposed to. They snatched beers from the food cart. They get unruly. They swear. And people call me all the time because I do aviation law and they`ve been hauled off to jail for very minor offenses if they`re passengers.
So this guy kind of picked the wrong time to pull the proverbial D- ring and every year a deployed slide -- unintended deployed slides they have to be ordered by the pilot, cost the airlines $20 million. So that`s why they will probably charge him. I don`t think he`ll spend a lot of time in jail but he`ll end up with a permanent record.
GRACE: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. One of those slides costs $20 million?
SCHIAVO: No, no. One of those slides to repack and re-arm with the gas, and then you have to get the plane inspected again. It`s about $25,000 when a slide goes off. And of course if you --
GRACE: OK. $25,000. Because I thought I heard you say $25 million - - $20 million. I couldn`t believe it. But $25,000. Yes. I believe it. But, you know, I hear passengers curse and misbehave. They aren`t prosecuted. So what -- because we all know that he did it and it`s been publicized, now he`s going to be prosecuted?
SCHIAVO: Yes. They`re going to make an example out of him. And passengers -- you know, every day a passenger is hauled off a plane to jail and, you know, a lot of times from the things we`ve all seen on airplanes - - I mean, I just got off from a red-eye overnight myself. I mean there`s a lot of unruly behavior.
But the airlines have a zero tolerance policy now. And they are hauling passengers off to jail every day.
GRACE: To Bill --
SCHIAVO: So that`s why I think it`s for real.
GRACE: Thank you, Mary. To Bill Majeski, former NYPD, not Majeski Associates, Inc.
Bill, how are they going to prove it?
BILL MAJESKI, FMR. NYPD DETECTIVE, MAJESKI ASSOCIATES, INC.: Well, yes. There were -- a lot of people were there. There were other people in the cockpit area that witnessed it. His fingers are all over the place. When the chute was deployed, there were people on the ground.
You know when that thing gets deployed, it could hit somebody. If they hit somebody, then he`d be --
GRACE: But here`s the reality, Bill.
MAJESKI: Yes.
GRACE: He didn`t hit somebody.
MAJESKI: He did not, that`s true.
GRACE: He did not.
MAJESKI: That`s true.
GRACE: Nobody got hurt except for him.
MAJESKI: And if someone takes the gun shoots the gun in the air and it doesn`t hit anybody, does that then say that all of it is just because he fired the gun --
GRACE: Exactly.
MAJESKI: -- and because it didn`t hit anybody that --
GRACE: You know, if they want to prosecute him for anything, it could be misdemeanor theft of two beers.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: That`s where I`m coming from.
Everybody, as we go to break, happy birthday to New York friend, Joe. He was at our book signing for "Death on the D-List". And thank you to you, Lona, Dina, Yuri (ph), and Dominique with Media4Humanity, dedicating - - dedicated to eradicating child trafficking.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: Straight out to Terry Sheridan, reporter, 1010 WINS, W-I-N-S, joining us from New Haven.
Terry, what`s your take on what happened?
TERRY SHERIDAN, REPORTER, 1010 WINS: Well, I mean -- my take on what happened, I was in the courtroom with him. And he didn`t speak but his attorney kind of hinted that, you know, when this happened in New York, when he got cursed out by this passenger at JFK, that was it.
And as the joke has been, he ran for the exits. That`s when he -- he went on to the intercom, he cursed out the passenger, he grabbed the beers, opened up the door and slid down the chute.
And from there, it`s becoming a comedy of errors. He walks across the tarmac. He gets through the airline terminal. He goes on to the air train, gets into his car, he goes home. It`s 45 minutes before the JetBlue even reported this to the police.
GRACE: And of course he does all this still brandishing his two beers he took off the airline.
But, you know what, here`s the deal, Jeff Gardere. Dr. Jeff, psychological, host of VH1`s "Dad Camp." Here`s what everyone`s thinking. How many times have we all been on the plane with a snotty -- which I did not allow the twins to say -- flight attendant?
Of course, and nobody likes it because there`s nothing you can do about it, you`re under their thumb. On the other hand, how many thousands of snotty flyers have they had to deal with that day? No wonder they`ll ill.
GARDERE: Well, absolutely. I think this guy, Steven Slater, is an American hero, if you will. But there`s something deeper going on. He`s had some emotional issue --
GRACE: Why do you always read so much into it?
GARDERE: Because I`m a psychologist.
(LAUGHTER)
GARDERE: But he`s had issues --
GRACE: He got mad and took the emergency chute.
GARDERE: No. No. It was more than. We`ve reached him, Nancy. And this is a guy on a blog who said he would never condone an airline attendant acting out against a passenger even if the passenger was wrong. This is not his character. This is actually a nice guy.
But he`s had some emotional issues, father dying, mother having cancer. So there were thing that led up to this point.
GRACE: Which makes me like him even more.
GARDERE: Absolutely.
GRACE: OK. This is a first. I`m siding with the defendant. Write that down.
Let`s stop and remember Marine Captain James Edge, 31, Virginia Beach, Virginia, killed Iraq. From a long line of vets on a second tour, awarded the Purple Heart, Navy and Marine Corps commendation medal, Combat Action ribbon, National Defense Service medal.
Remembered for loving life. Leaves behind grieving parents Janice and James who served the Navy. Brothers, Tommy and twin, William. Widow, Chrissy. Daughters, Helena and Rachel.
James Edge, American hero.
Thanks to our guests but especially to you for inviting us into your homes. And thank you to Miami dentist Linda Colazi for this toothbrush. It`s part of her plan to supply schoolchildren with waterless tooth brushes complete with toothpaste for after lunch to teach children who don`t learn at home.
Way to go, Linda.
END
