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Dr. Drew
Trayvon Autopsy Report; World`s First Pregnant Man
Aired May 17, 2012 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST: Here we go.
Trayvon Martin`s autopsy report released tonight. Does it matter he had marijuana in his system? I will give you my opinion.
Plus, the world`s first pregnant man -- that`s right -- pregnant man, is divorcing his wife. What caused this split? Thomas Beatie is here to tell us. And what do you want to ask him? Phone in now.
And finally, Teresa Giudice is here taking your calls as well. The real housewife has the scoop about the reality show.
And, of course, we`re live. So start dialing.
Let`s get started.
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PINSKY: Good evening. Welcome to the program.
As usual, we are live. Of course, taking your calls at 855-373-7395. We`re going to open up by talking about Trayvon Martin. His autopsy report is out.
Here`s what we know. He was shot in the chest. The bullet hit his right ventricle, his heart. He was shot in what`s called intermediate range. And Trayvon had marijuana in his system.
Again, taking your calls at 855-DRDREW5.
Joining me is the Martin family attorney, Natalie Jackson.
As well here in the studio, I have criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos.
And, Mark, my question is -- let me get broader with this. Here`s my real question. I think you`re going to agree with me on this. THC was like something, 1.5 nanoprogram per cc. Let me explain to viewers what that means.
OK, everybody ready? Give me the camera here. I want to explain something to the viewers. Come on, give me the camera. There we go.
It means nothing. It means zero. It means absolutely nothing. It means absolutely zero.
I can`t, one nanogram percent, he might have smoked two hours ago or eight days ago. If it were 100, you`d say, well, he smoked in the last couple hours. Let`s say it were 100. Would you rather run into the stoner on the couch or the guy hopped up on tequila? Which would it be?
MARK GERAGOS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It`s never going to get into evidence to begin with. Unlike alcohol where you have the studies they show and they can correlate the .04, .08, things like that, they don`t have the same kinds of studies with THC.
PINSKY: Because it`s so variable.
GERAGOS: Right, because it`s so variable, because of the half life, because of the way it metabolizes. Plus, a judge is never going to say it`s coming in. If this had been PCP or something or crack and you had the metabolites of that, it would be a different story.
PINSKY: Let`s say they did admit it. As an addictionologist, if anything, it would mean to me, and let me be clear about this, to me, it would mean -- that person would probably be less likely to be violent. Probably less likely. OK? Number one.
Number two, you could, perhaps, make a case that maybe he was in withdrawal from cannabis which makes people kind of irritable.
Here`s the flip side, Mark. I don`t know if you heard this. Jane Velez has reported this all day. Apparently, Zimmerman was on Adderall and Temazepam.
GERAGOS: Yes, that`s the bigger story. I don`t know why that`s being reported. Everything I heard today has been the THC. I had the same reaction you did. I was laughing, so what, I don`t think it`s going to come in.
And I was just told this when I came to the studio. To me, that`s the huge deal.
PINSKY: OK. Listen, let`s be clear. This is an ABC report these were prescribed Adderall, Temazepam. I don`t care if they are prescribed or not. These are medicines, Temazepam can affect judgment. You can go into withdrawal during daytime. It can affect your judgment during daytime.
Adderall is a relative of amphetamine. That is a drug of violence. That`s a drug of violence.
Why is that not a massive story?
GERAGOS: That, to me, is a story, because also as a matter of course, a judge is going to admit that. I would say if I`m laying odds, that`s coming into evidence.
PINSKY: Interesting. Natalie Jackson, do you have an opinion about what we`re talking about here out here on the studio?
NATALIE JACKSON, MARTIN FAMILY ATTORNEY: I agree with you guys about that. When we heard that about George Zimmerman`s medical report, everyone was concerned about the injuries and our question was, wait, he`s on prescription drugs, Adderall and Temazepam? We thought that was very important.
PINSKY: Listen --
JACKSON: Unfortunately the police department never a blood test from him. So, the importance of it, you know, it`s diminished because of the police work done here.
PINSKY: So in other words there`s no proof those two chemicals, although they had been prescribed, were actually in his system at the time of the event?
JACKSON: No, because they never did a toxicology on him.
GERAGOS: Then that -- I temper then my statement. That may not -- that may not come in.
PINSKY: Well, I heard they took a urine toxicology screen, in which case, in most toxicology screen, the benzodiazepine, the Temazepam will show up.
GERAGOS: Right. I don`t know if Adderall would.
PINSKY: Depends on what they assess for.
GERAGOS: Depends on what they test for and also depends on the screening.
PINSKY: OK. But this is -- listen, guys, that`s a big deal. As an addictionologist, they can call me up on the stand, I would make a huge deal out of what Zimmerman was taking. Unbiased. That`s just simply the fact the cannabis means nothing. Zero.
GERAGOS: The THC is more than meaningless. I mean, it really is. It`s complete red herring.
PINSKY: They knew he had been caught with cannabis at school.
JACKSON: Right.
GERAGOS: Right. He`d been suspended or whatever for that. So, I don`t know that that -- I don`t even know why that`s become such a big story today. It`s beyond me. I think, Natalie, I think the injuries are a significant story, and I think that the toxicology, if there is some, and I just -- we`re still kind of trying to flush that out is the other story.
PINSKY: Let`s take a call. Susan in Texas -- hang on -- we`ll take call now. Susan, go ahead.
SUSAN, CALLER FROM TEXAS: Hi, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Susan.
SUSAN: I wanted to say thank you for the comments about Trayvon Martin`s THC level. Because my husband smoked pot every day, always had a job, always provided for his family and he never was angry or mean or anything -- a sweet and happy guy.
PINSKY: Let`s be -- you know, again, if I were up on the stand, you can get irritable and nasty if you go long enough with heavy, heavy pot. But does that warrant getting shot in the chest?
SUSAN: Well, no.
PINSKY: Just checking. Just checking.
GERAGOS: I`ve got an assistant who I suspect smokes pot and she`s generally a little bit more kind once she has. I hope she`s not watching.
PINSKY: Let`s go to Eric in Massachusetts. Eric, what do you got? Eric?
ERIC, CALLER FROM MASSACHUSETTS: Hi, Dr. Drew, I just want to say, I love your hair.
PINSKY: Thank you. You must be gray headed also.
ERIC: Well, my question is, I was wondering if Zimmerman had, like, any other history of drug use or alcohol use? And if so, then it just confuses me more why the police department didn`t give him an alcohol or drug test.
PINSKY: Interesting. Natalie, do we know anything about that?
JACKSON: Well, I -- we don`t know exactly about that, but it was mentioned in the bond hearing that he had a previous arrest record for getting into a bar fight. You know, I don`t know if there was alcohol involved in that, where he shoved an agent, an alcohol and tobacco agent and he was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer.
PINSKY: Angelisa in Arizona, what do you have for us?
ANGELISA, CALLER FROM ARIZONA: Dr. Drew, I was wondering what does it really matter if he was -- if he had some smokes or not? I mean, he --
GERAGOS: That`s right.
ANGELISA: That man had no business getting out of his van and if Trayvon had all the marks on his -- it was probably defensive because he was fighting to stay alive. I mean, what does it matter? Because even if he was smoking pot, that gave that man no reason to shoot him down.
PINSKY: Yes, yes.
ANGELISA: That made him vulnerable.
PINSKY: Mark, I think you would agree.
GERAGOS: You`re the expert. But, you know, my experience both in the courtroom and out of the courtroom with people who have smoked pot is it generally mellows you out. It does not hype you up. If you`re doing Adderall, as you mentioned, that generally hypes you up. That`s the way the jurors will get it if this goes to a jury trial.
PINSKY: Darryl in California, I guess you are. Darryl, go ahead.
DARRY, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: Hi, Doctor, how are you? Thanks for having me.
PINSKY: My pleasure.
DARRYL: I`ve been smoking marijuana for close to 30 years. In California, I`m a medical advocate for legalization of medical marijuana.
PINSKY: OK. But that`s not the topic tonight. It`s different topic for another night. I appreciate that.
But, you do bring up an interesting thing, the press is reporting -- you know what the press goes to every time is one or two nanograms per millimeter is the legal limit for driving under the influence of marijuana in three states. That`s because in those three or four states, they don`t allow any cannabis, any marijuana when you`re driving the vehicle. That`s the limits of detection. So, that`s the reason they do that.
GERAGOS: Going back to what we said before, even those states, they still got the same problem. There aren`t really any scientifically accepted studies that link that to impairment.
PINSKY: Right. That`s right. OK. Next up, who was screaming for help that night?
The FBI investigated. We have some details on that. And, of course, taking more of your calls. So please stay with us.
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911: OK. Does he look hurt to you?
CALLER: I can`t see him. I don`t want to go out there. I don`t know what`s going on.
They`re sending.
(YELLING)
911: So you think he`s yelling help?
CALLER: Yes.
911: All right. What is your --
(GUNFIRE)
(END AUDIO CLIP)
PINSKY: Welcome back.
We`ve been talking about the Trayvon Martin autopsy report. Before we go to that tape, I just want to clarify for people what Mark Geragos and I were talking about in the last segment, which is Adderall, which is a medication, it`s a relative of amphetamine, it`s a psycho-stimulant it`s called.
It is prescribed for ADD typically. It`s prescribed, but adult people do abuse it. Temazepam is the other medicine that Zimmerman was supposed to have been taking is a sleeping medicine, long acting, has lots of side effects. It`s related kind of valium, certainly Ambien, things like that are in the same class.
Both of these chemicals in different ways affect behavior, affect judgment. And the Adderall particularly may be associated -- the stimulants generally associated with aggressive behavior and even violence. So we were saying much more should have been made of that.
Now, the FBI has conducted an investigation to determine who was screaming for help on that tape you just saw. This is what they reported in the investigation.
Twofold. To seek whether there was racial discrimination detected in Zimmerman`s 911 call and to determine who was screaming for help. The bottom line, no real answer could be determined.
In addition to Mark Geragos staying with me, joining us as well is HLN legal analyst, Mark NeJame.
Now, Mark, what are your thoughts about that FBI report?
MARK NEJAME, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, I think that any time you`ve got something that`s inconclusive, it typically is to the benefit of the defense. Why? The state has a burden of proving somebody guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, as we all know.
And if the evidence is inconclusive, that means there`s ambiguity and that typically to the benefit of the defense.
You`re going to have both sides in this case. You`re going to have some people if it gets that far taking the stand saying they believe it was George Zimmerman`s voice. You`re going to have other people taking the stand saying they believe it was Trayvon Martin`s voice.
The fact of the matter is, is that it will be inconclusive, unless there`s going to be another -- other experts hired who are able to give opinions that are different than the FBI`s.
PINSKY: Do you agree with that?
GERAGOS: Well, yes, and there`s even -- a good defense lawyer may put up the argument, look, judge, it`s inconclusive, we want to exclude anybody else from identifying this. Even a lay witness, because the experts say, they couldn`t figure it out. How are you going to let a layperson do it?
And since this is where the prosecution`s witness said it`s inconclusive, if the defense comes up with an expert witness who can say, no, I can identify, this is how I did it, that`s a leg up for the defense.
PINSKY: Interesting.
OK. We`re going to go to calls in a second. Again, that number 855- DRDREW5.
A reminder that as far as this Adderall or Temazepam report, neither CNN nor HLN has independently confirmed this. It was apparently an ABC report and Jane has been reporting it today.
Let`s go out to Laura in Connecticut -- Laura.
LAURA, CALLER FROM CONNECTICUT: Hi, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Hi, Laura.
LAURA: I have more of a comment rather than a question.
PINSKY: Go right ahead.
LAURA: I was thinking that this evidence, of him having THC in his system is going to come across blaming the victim than anything in discrediting the victim. He really doesn`t have a voice right now and can`t speak for himself and then this evidence comes up.
PINSKY: Yes.
LAURA: It just seems like it`s really going to work against him.
PINSKY: Yes, well, I don`t know working against him in the court so much as everyone in the court of public opinion going, oh, see, the drug addict. Here`s my -- Mark Geragos --
GERAGOS: It`s exactly how it`s been used already today. We`ve seen it today.
PINSKY: Why can`t it go this way? He smokes a little pot, does he deserve to get shot in the chest? That`s how I look at it.
GERAGOS: That`s because we live in California.
PINSKY: OK. I see.
NEJAME: May I say something?
PINSKY: Yes, sir.
NEJAME: May I say something about that?
PINSKY: Of course.
NEJAME: The issue of the pot, I don`t think on either side is going to get into evidence. However, I think it`s not about the aggressiveness. We all know that marijuana, THC is not going to cause somebody to be aggressive. However, remember the 911 tapes that said he saw somebody acting strangely like they might be on drugs.
You know, was, in fact -- could a defense lawyer bring that up to suggest that somebody was acting high? Or something along those lines? We agree that`s a very small amount. That would be the connection.
Hold on, please. Hold on. The connection would not be the aggressiveness. I`m simply saying from a defense strategy, it would be that the behavior that was observed would be questionable. I don`t think it`s going to get in. I don`t --
PINSKY: Natalie, go.
JACKSON: Not criminal behavior. It`s not criminal behavior.
GERAGOS: I don`t think that that`s what Mark`s saying, Natalie. I think what mark`s saying -- Mark`s saying that what the defense will say is, look, judge, we`ve got a tape, you`re going to let the tape in. The tape says that in his state of mind was that this guy was acting as if he was on drugs. We now have evidence that corroborates that, that enhances his credibility.
I also agree with Mark. I just don`t think a judge is going to let it in.
PINSKY: Well, again --
JACKSON: I don`t either. Because it doesn`t. Because you cannot tell what time that was taken. I agree with you, the judge will never let that in.
NEJAME: We don`t disagree. I`m just talking about the relevancy, not being the aggressiveness, but the behavior issue.
But again, I don`t think any comment about either of the drugs on either side is going to get in. I think we`re just kind of addressing what`s likely not going to happen.
PINSKY: All right. Deborah in New York. What do you have for us?
DEBORAH, CALLER FROM NEW YORK: Hi, Dr. Drew. Nice to talk to you.
PINSKY: You, too.
DEBORAH: I know you`re the expert. I`m listening to everyone`s saying, but I had a friend whose son did every drug you can imagine. And the only drug that made him out of control and aggressive was marijuana.
PINSKY: There is such a thing as that, Deborah, but people that get that way don`t tend to like it. They don`t tend to stay with it that much because it does -- some people get aggressive on valium, believe it or not. There`s sort of a paradoxical response people can get.
But it`s an interesting question. That`s the kind of thing somebody would bring into a courtroom? Mark, do you think?
GERAGOS: Only if there was going to be some evidence that the defense had that he had acted bizarrely in some prior occasion and that they could convince a judge to let that in because it corroborates what Zimmerman saw.
PINKSY: OK. Sharon in Florida. Real quick. Got about 30 seconds. Sharon? Sharon, are you there? Sharon in Florida?
We have another call for -- there she is. I hear you, Sharon. Go.
SHARON, CALLER FROM FLORIDA: I just wanted to say that I live in Sanford in a gated community 24 hours and the guard at my community doesn`t even have a gun. And the problem is that that man that was on these drugs, you said, Adderall, he should not be carrying a gun, either.
GERAGOS: Before it becomes an urban legend, the only thing I respond to, we don`t know if he was on Adderall. I mean, it`s a report right now that he was prescribed, I don`t know if it was in his system.
PINSKY: That`s very important to say. It`s a way of finishing this little conversation.
Thank you, Mark Geragos, Mark NeJame, Natalie Jackson.
Next up, Thomas Beatie, the pregnant man, so to speak, is right here. He divorced his wife. She`s making news. You`re going to find out why.
We`re going to talk about the split. Call us now at 1-855-7395. That is 855-DRDREW5. That is his wife right there. We`ll show you that footage in a few minutes.
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PINSKY: Reminder, welcome back. We are live and taking your calls at 1-855-DRDREW5.
Now, the man next to me made international headlines in 2008, when he -- underline, he -- gave birth -- underline, gave birth -- to a baby. Hi name is Thomas Beatie. You know him as the world`s first pregnant man.
Thomas is back in the headlines, sadly because of a split with his wife of nine years, Nancy. We`re going to talk about that in second.
I want to sort of outline for you how he got here. People get confused about these issues. Do you mind if I go through a timeline?
THOMAS BEATIE, WORLD`S FIRST PREGNANT MAN: Yes.
PINSKY: There you are as a pregnant man behind me. He was born Tracy in 2002. There`s Tracy there. That`s you at what age? Look behind me here.
Flip me back to Tracy, please. Come on. Here we go.
BEATIE: There, about 13.
PINSKY: Thirteen years old. You`re a beautiful young girl. At that point, are you already sort of uncomfortable in your own body and having thoughts -- you`ve always been thinking about transitioning?
BEATIE: At that point, it was after my mother`s death when I was 12 and my father wanted to encourage me to do pageants and modeling, so I went through a phase there of looking ultra feminine.
PINSKY: So mom, did she commit suicide?
BEATIE: She did.
PINSKY: I`m so sorry. That must have been big.
BEATIE: It was huge.
PINSKY: In the meantime, your dad is making you toddlers and tiaras like, right?
BEATIE: Basically. He felt like the absence of my mother, he needed to overcompensate for that. He didn`t know what to do as a father. He felt a little helpless, you know, raising children by himself so he encouraged me to do female type behaviors.
PINSKY: OK. Did he know you were having these conflicted feelings at that time?
BEATIE: Not at the time. He saw me -- he witnessed me growing up as a little tom boy. I would emulate his behaviors, you know, he`s athletically inclined. I think he thought, this is a problem.
PINSKY: Something`s going on.
OK. So, now, let`s go to the next picture. Let`s go from Tracy where we see Thomas start to head in here.
Here you are after your mastectomies, right? You had breasts removed. Is that correct?
BEATIE: Yes, bilateral mastectomy, with nipple and areole reconstruction and replacement.
PINSKY: OK. I think I read you said that was a very important moment for you. You really felt like you were more in your body.
BEATIE: Absolutely. At that point, I felt liberated. I felt like literally a weight had been lifted off my chest. I remember --
PINSKY: Literally and figuratively.
BEATIE: Yes, literally and figuratively. I remember waking up in the surgery room and I had this bandage wrapped around my chest. There was a man across from me who had a bandage on his head. He said, did you have chest surgery? He said, now you have a good heart, dude. He called me dude, and he was referring to my heart.
It just shows that the way society perceives you is the way you look. To him I was now a man.
PINSKY: At that point, you had been taking hormones.
BEATIE: Yes, I started.
PINSKY: Started the transition. You felt comfortable with it, this was a commitment.
BEATIE: Full bore, jump in.
PINSKY: OK. And then I guess at that point you`re legally declared a man, correct? Is that the point you transition over?
BEATIE: Yes, after my surgery I went through the process of changing my legal documentation, my Social Security, passport, license, birth certificate, everything.
PINSKY: In 2008, a picture we saw behind is you pregnant. That`s when you give birth to a child, and you have had two more since then.
BEATIE: Yes, I have three children ages 1, 2 and 3.
PINSKY: You know what I`m going to ask next. My mind starts to bend at that point. Are you experiencing yourself both as a mother female part of you? Is there some part of you that`s still that? You know what I`m saying?
BEATIE: I understand. For me I looked at my body as a vehicle. I was my own surrogate. I know it`s kind of a funky way to look at it.
PINSKY: I get it.
I`m sorry. I have to break. Apparently I`m out of time here.
All right. Next up, startling videos of Thomas` wife. He alleges that video proves she`s an addict. I want to know what you think. We`ll take calls on that, 85 --
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: How long have you been together?
THOMAS BEATIE, WORLD`S FIRST PREGNANT MAN: Eleven, going on 12. Yes. Going on 11. And we`ve been married for going on six.
KING: Obviously, you look like a man. You are a man. Did you go through surgeries?
BEATIE: I had chest reconstruction surgery, and I`ve had hormone treatment.
KING: So you are a man, right, to yourself?
BEATIE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PINSKY: He is a man and he`s here with me now. He`s sometimes known as the pregnant man. Thomas Beatie, he gave birth to his first child in 2008 and has given birth since to two more children. Now, we`re talking a little bit about your wife, Thomas, which is Nancy.
And they apparently are in the midst of a nasty divorce. They were married for nine years. You see them there in happier times. I guess, you were in court yesterday, Thomas, fighting for sole custody. Why do you need sole custody? Is she not well?
BEATIE: It`s -- it`s very unfortunate. I wish it weren`t this way. Unfortunately, she`s had some issues with addiction and alcohol, and it`s made it so that she`s unable to effectively parent at this point. And, I feel that the best place for the children, the welfare for the children is with me.
PINSKY: Was she a body builder at one time? Did I read that?
BEATIE: She was. And that`s what I fell in love with.
PINSKY: Was she using steroids back then, do you know? Because that gets people hooked sometimes.
BEATIE: Back in the 1980s.
PINSKY: Yes, yes.
BEATIE: It is what it is, but you know, I`m not going to speak for that.
PINSKY: You can understand how when it triggered. Maybe that`s why it`s way down the line, it may have triggered way back then, her addiction.
BEATIE: Yes. She`s had a lifelong struggle with different sorts of addictions, but, recently, she`s had a lot of family issues that she`s had to work through, and --
PINSKY: They accelerated some of this.
BEATIE: Definitely.
PINSKY: All right. We`re going to look at a videotape. You, me, and the audience here. This is his wife, Nancy, in this video. Now, in this video, Thomas says she`s abusing alcohol and prescription pills. It`s a difficult video. It`s a little bit disturbing. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEATIE: What`s wrong, Nancy? Well, Nancy just fell over by herself in the hallway. She`s intoxicated with something. Alcohol, pills, I suspect it might be both. But she can`t even stand up. Nancy is intoxicated, severely intoxicated on drugs.
It`s either Xanax, Valium, or other prescription medication that she purchased from friends or acquaintances or strangers, and she might be on Vodka as well. She tends to drink like a gallon of vodka a day. So, this is what that looks like.
UNIDENTIFIED KID: Mama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PINSKY: As always, I have to remind our viewers that we don`t have independent confirmation that there was alcohol or pills. We don`t obviously see that, but this is Thomas` opinion. Call us now at 855- DrDrew5 with your take. Thomas, this got to be -- it breaks my heart because I know how much better she could be.
BEATIE: It`s hard to watch that video. It`s very emotional for me, because I truly want her to get better.
PINSKY: And now, because she`s failed enough times, it becomes time now where you have to bring the axe down and protect the kids.
BEATIE: Right. I mean, part of the reason why I filmed that was to show her that this is what it looks like when she`s under the influence. And, you know, there`s a lot of denial going on. And I hope that by seeing this, she would reach out and get help.
PINSKY: We actually reached out to Nancy, Thomas` wife for a statement. We received this from her attorney. It reads in part, quote, "Allegations regarding Mrs. Beatie`s abuse of alcohol had been exaggerated. Mrs. Beatie has had issues with drinking in the fast and will continue to take all steps necessary to address her drinking issues. Nancy Betie is a caring and loving mother and the children miss her."
Now, she alleges, apparently, that you kicked her out of the house, she`s homeless. Can you address that a little bit?
BEATIE: Well, what happened was there was a protective order put on her not seeing me because of anger management issues with her and the children because there were instances of her attempting to drive while intoxicated with the children.
PINSKY: Oh, boy.
BEATIE: So, she was ordered to leave the residence. And, that`s the way it is right now.
PINSKY: Listen, never underestimate how powerful drugs and alcohol can be for some people. They`re not in their right mind. I hope Nancy -- I`ve treated many people like Nancy and they can recover beautifully. And I hope -- but I`ll tell you what, you don`t take any chances.
You bring the force of God to bear while they`re using. So, hopefully, she`ll turn it around. Let`s take some calls. Desiree in New York. What do you got for us?
DESIREE, NEW YORK: Hi, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Hi, Desiree.
DESIREE: Great to finally get through to you. I have a question.
PINSKY: Yes.
DESIREE: Now, I know that the children refer to the wife as the mother. Do they refer to him as dad? And if so, does he have a plan, you know, what is he going to say to the children when they`re older and they`re in school and kids are asking questions? And, you know, does he have a plan already in action that he knows what he`s going to say?
PINSKY: Or maybe -- let`s hear it. Maybe, he`s already mentioned it to the kids. What do you think? What`s the deal?
BEATIE: Well, my name is Daddy. My name is no longer Thomas. Definitely. I mean, I`ve been -- my oldest child, daughter, she`s almost four, and she knows that she grew inside my belly. She goes, I was little and got bigger and bigger and bigger, and soon, I came out. So, she understands. It`s just the task of telling her that not all men get pregnant.
PINSKY: Does she raise those kinds of questions yet?
BEATIE: It`s her normal. So, you know, I`m going to have further questions with her, but I plan on being completely honest and open with where she came from.
PINSKY: Desiree, is that it for you? It`s only question you had? Desiree? Oh, she`s gone now. Please, in the control room, do not hang up on callers until I`m done with them. Julia in California, what do you got for me?
JULIA, CALIFORNIA: Hi, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Hi, Julia.
JULIA: Oh, my God! I love you so much. I just wanted to tell Thomas that you`re amazing and you`re an inspiration, like, to my best friend who`s transgendered that even if you`re transgendered, you can a family and have your own family that you make on your own. So, thank you very much.
BEATIE: Thank you.
PINSKY: How is your friend transitioning? From what to what?
JULIA: He`s a boy transitioning into a girl. He`s my ex-boyfriend, and he`s transitioning really well except for the fact that his mom is really abusive to him.
PINSKY: Oh, I`m so sorry. But is that kind of weird for you that this was your boyfriend that`s now becoming a girl?
JULIA: Yes.
PINSKY: Yes, it is weird. But, so, now, Julie, hang with me for a second. This is an interesting part of all this. Is the male to female surgeries are much further along than the female to male?
BEATIE: I think it`s much more difficult to construct something.
PINSKY: Right.
BEATIE: You know, it`s like create a -- there`s more complications.
PINSKY: There`s choices, too. Does it function, do you urinate through it? How does it function?
BEATIE: Hormone function and feeling and all that.
PINSKY: And it`s all different -- with the female, it`s pretty much one procedure. Pretty much. I mean, it`s one thing, and that`s what it is. It`s been kind of worked out. The male one, you give and take depending which one you choose.
BEATIE: I wish it weren`t the case. Maybe one day they`ll perfect the surgery. But, I mean, it`s a huge decision to weigh when you consider wanting to do something like that.
PINSKY: You have the -- I guess they call it the phalloplasty. Is that what they call it --
BEATIE: I did not have a phalloplasty. I had metoidioplasty. I had a ring metoidioplasty.
PINSKY: Got it.
BEATIE: So, I used the --
PINSKY: Used what`s there.
BEATIE: Tissue what`s there, and, you know, it`s erectile. You know, it`s not as big as I`d like it to be, but it`s functional.
PINSKY: See what testosterone does to people`s thinking? I`m just saying. You didn`t think like that when you were a girl. Just saying.
(LAUGHTER)
PINSKY: Yolanda in Connecticut, what do you got? Hey, Yolanda. Yolanda in Connecticut?
YOLANDA, CONNECTICUT: Yes?
PINSKY: There you are. What`s up?
YOLANDA: Hi, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Hi, Yolanda.
YOLANDA: I`ve seen them on "The Doctors." And what I wanted to say was one of the ladies asked one of the questions that was before me, but -- hi, hi Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Hi, Yolanda.
(LAUGHTER)
PINSKY: Go right ahead. You`ve been on the whole time. Go right ahead.
YOLANDA: I have seen them on "The Doctors."
PINSKY: Yes.
YOLANDA: Andone of the ladies already asked one of the questions, I wanted to know whether they call him her. But one thing, he can`t deny that he was born a woman. So, I don`t know why they call him a man because everything is a female about him. If he stopped taking the injections, she`ll still be a female.
As far as his so-called wife, she`s going through those trials and tribulations because she knows the situation that she was going with him being a her.
PINSKY: So, Yolanda, you think -- let me straighten this out.
YOLANDA: -- emotional -- she`s going through emotional things now because she know -- both of them are wrong.
PINSKY: OK. So, you think that she`s stressed out because she`s doing something wrong being with a transgendered female to male? Is that what you think?
YOLANDA: Exactly. Every little girl, you got girly girls, you have girly girls --
PINSKY: Yes.
YOLANDA: Coming up, and then you have those that are tomboyish.
PINSKY: Yes.
YOLANDA: But that doesn`t necessarily mean that you`re going to be a boy.
PINSKY: No, you`re right. Right. And most tomboys don`t feel like they don`t belong in their own body. Explain that. I`ll give you a chance. Go ahead, Thomas.
BEATIE: Well, It`s true. I was born female bodied. And I`ve gone through transition. It`s a decision I`ve made because I`m --
PINSKY: As a tomboy, did you feel like I`m just a girl who`s a tomboy, or did you feel like, hey, there`s something`s wrong? I`m in the wrong body.
BEATIE: I`ve never felt like there`s anything wrong. I mean, I feel like I was born exactly the way I was born. There`s nothing wrong with being transgendered. There`s nothing wrong with choosing to live your life the way you want to live it authentically.
And I felt like I`ve always had a male energy and I just followed my heart. And my body now matches the way I feel on the inside.
PINSKY: OK. And then, I`m going to back to what we were talking about when I was trying to reconcile being a -- I can`t use the word mom, right? You know what I`m saying.
BEATIE: I`m a birth parent.
PINSKY: A birth parent. So, you use your own body as a surrogate, you say.
BEATIE: Right.
PINSKY: And why did you choose to have the child and not the wife? You know what I mean?
BEATIE: Well, Nancy was unable to have children. She had a hysterectomy.
PINSKY: I see.
BEATIE: So, between the two of us, I was the only one capable of childbearing.
PINSKY: I`ve got it.
BEATIE: And I used my original plumbing, which you know, I kept around for a reason because I wanted to have a family one day.
PINSKY: Got it. And then, finally, is Nancy stressed out about being married to a transgendered --
BEATIE: Absolutely not. She knew what she was getting into. I mean, she loved me for who I was. The transgendered issue is not the issue. There are deeper issues, you know, at play.
PINSKY: The usual stuff that addicts get.
BEATIE: Regular.
PINSKY: Thank you so much. I`ll see you on "Loveline" tonight. I know you`re joining us on the radio. And I look forward to that conversation.
PINSKY: Next up, she is the outspoken and popular store of "Real Housewives of New Jersey," and she is taking your calls. There she is. Teresa Giudice is here after the break. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PINSKY: Season four of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" kicked off a few weeks ago. And things, of course, are heating up between the women. Friendships are on the line. Family feuds are heating up. Star, Teresa Giudice, stirs the pot for yet another season. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PINSKY (voice-over): She rose to fame as the feisty table flipping star of Bravo`s "Real Housewives of New Jersey."
Now, she`s a best selling author, star of NBC`s "Apprentice" --
DONALD TRUMP, BUSINESS TYCOON: Teresa, you`re fired.
PINSKY: And her face is splashed (ph) across the cover of countless magazine, but is reality TV fame tearing apart her family?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Believe me, I wouldn`t even waste my breath.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then get in your car and go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I say something, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) listen and shut up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I said sorry. I mean, I don`t know what else to do. I can`t even look at you.
PINSKY: With yet another cookbook topping the bestsellers list, Teresa seems to have it, fame, fortune, and family, but at what cost? Teresa Giudice is right here to answer your questions. Call us at 1-855- DrDrew5.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PINSKY (on-camera): Joining us, Teresa Giudice. She just penned, as I said, her third cookbook. It is called, "Fabulicious: Fast and Fit." It is a bestseller. Teresa, now, apparently, this cookbook has caused some problems between you and someone in the cast. What`s that all about?
TERESA GIUDICE, "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY": No, that was my last cookbook.
PINSKY: That was the last cookbook. I can`t keep up with all the fights you have, Teresa. I`m sorry. So, what happened with that one?
GIUDICE: WHAT, my last cookbook?
PINSKY: Yes. Yes.
GIUDICE: Caroline and I were on "Rachael Ray" together, so exactly what happened on "Rachael Ray" and I put it in my book. On "Rachael Ray," I said she was as Italian as the olive garden, and that`s what I put in my book. The only reason why I put it in my book is because I put my meatball recipe on there.
PINSKY: Got it.
GIUDICE: So, that`s what she got offended by. When we were on "Rachael Ray," we laughed about it. So --
PINSKY: And then, she took issue with it later.
GIUDICE: Correct.
PINSKY: It`s funny, Teresa, when things are in print, people seem to react differently to it. I`ve noticed that.
GIUDICE: And she also took offense to it. Excuse me. She also took offense to it when the cameras came on.
PINSKY: Yes. Robin Quivers, Howard Stern`s sidekick, -- I don`t want to call her sidekick -- partner in radio, I printed something that she and I discussed on the radio, because I printed it, she got very upset with me. I still am apologizing for that.
All right. Let`s take some calls for you. So, I`ve got Tammy in Maryland. Tammy, what do you got?
TAMMY, MARYLAND: Hi, Dr. Drew. And hello, Teresa.
GIUDICE: Hi, how are you?
TAMMY: I`m fine. It`s great to talk to both of you. Teresa, I was just wondering, there was all kinds of speculation around, you know, the financial stuff going on and stuff. And I was just wondering if things are going better for you guys.
GIUDICE: Yes. I don`t know if you heard, but we did withdraw from bankruptcy. So, things are really good. Thank you.
TAMMY: Yes. And I`ve been praying for you guys. I absolutely love the show. I love you. I think you`re an awesome person. The family`s awesome. And you stay strong and I love your book. "Fabulous: Fast and Fit." I love it.
GIUDICE: Oh, thank you so, so much.
PINSKY: Thanks, Tammy.
TAMMY: Thank you.
PINSKY: Next caller, OK, is Darcie in Wisconsin. Darcie, what do you got?
DARCIE, WISCONSIN: Hi, Dr. Drew and Teresa.
PINSKY: Darcie.
GIUDICE: Hi, how are you?
DARCIE: I`m OK.
GIUDICE: Hi, how are you?
DARCIE: I`m fine. You know, it`s funny you talk about how things change on camera. When you are having a disagreement with someone, you know, on the show, why do you then re-tell the same event so differently than how it really happened, which, you know, of course, only enflames the negativity more.
And then, not take any responsibility and act like you have no clue why your family is so upset and hurt.
GIUDICE: What event are you talking about?
DARCIE: Well, like, for example, the morning -- the morning after the summer solstice party, when you were telling your husband about how Melissa told you to apologize to her. You know, you really over exaggerated that. Really, really did?
GIUDICE: I was. Well, I`m sorry you feel that way.
DARCIE: What?
GIUDICE: Sorry you feel that way. I`m sorry you feel that way. I was telling my husband the story. That`s how I saw it. Now, I guess, we see it -- we see it differently eye-to-eye.
PINSKY: And you know, the interesting thing about reality shows is you get to see how much memory is not as accurate as we sometimes think it is, how many distortions everyone can have about their experiences in life. I`m going to go ahead to Gail in New York. Gail, go right ahead.
GAIL, NEW YORK: Hi, Dr. Drew and Teresa. Teresa, I have a great question --
GIUDICE: Hi, how are you?
GAIL: Wonderful. I think people ask you the same questions over and over again, but I kind of want to hit on a different note. I think it`s really hard when it comes down to it in life, all we really have is our family, and then, there are acquaintances.
I felt really sad this season when your own family started saying that you started to become very needy of your brother and that you had to realize that he had a wife and children. And really stepping back from that, looking at all the things that you went through in life. And most of us always need that one person to lean on.
And for you, it`s probably your brother. But how does that make you feel knowing that your family says things like that to you?
PINSKY: Hey, Teresa, before you answer that question, I -- it seems like it`s going to be a little bit involved there in the answer. So, I want to take a little break. And thanks for the question, Gail. I think it`s a good one.
I also curious with Gail alludes to so many things happening in your life exactly what that means. Maybe, you can tell me what you mean by so many things happened in your life. There are things that trauma in your childhood and that kind of thing is a very common thing these days. Certainly, in reality show, participants, we hear that all the time.
So, again, I`m taking your calls at 1-855-DrDrew5 or 7395, 373-7395. Reality star, Teresa Giudice, stays with us and takes your calls, so don`t go away. Be back right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PINSKY: Welcome back. We are speaking with Teresa Giudice from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." We remember her as the table flipper. (INAUDIBLE) remember her from that, and I really do appreciate you being here.
And we had Gail in New York who was asking a question about your brother, whether or not -- I think she was asking whether or not you had sufficient support from him? Is that sort of how you took that question?
GIUDICE: I think -- is she going to repeat it or should I just answer it?
PINSKY: I think just answer it. If that doesn`t do it, Gail is still here with us. But you answer it as you understood it.
GIUDICE: Well, I only have one sibling, and he`s my only brother. So, we used to be best friends, and then, after he got married, things changed. I mean, it would be nice for him to be there for me, you know? I mean, I would love him to be there. I only have my parents, and he`s my only sibling.
PINSKY: Is there some estrangement? Is that what Gail`s talking about?
GIUDICE: Gail, did I answer your question?
GAIL: No. It was just in the last episode I really felt for you. I think that you`re such an amazing person. And you`re so -- you know, when you ask for your brother all the time, I just want my brother back. You know, and then, he always has something negative to say about you.
And then, in the last episode, your family said that you needed to realize that he had a wife and children. And I just thought that was a very hurtful thing to say and just how you felt about that.
GIUDICE: No. I mean, I realize he has a wife and children, and I`m happy for him. I mean, I -- you know, when he first met her, I was so happy that he was getting married because I was already married. I had G (ph) at the time. And I couldn`t wait for him to get married, so our kids could grow up together. And then, I don`t know. Then, after he got married, things changed.
PINSKY: It`s not working out that way.
GIUDICE: And you know what -- yes. I mean, my father said, you`re brother and sister when you`re in my house. You know, sometimes, when different blood comes in, things change.
PINSKY: Take another quick call. Zack in Pennsylvania. You`re on with Teresa. Go ahead.
ZACK, PENNSYLVANIA: Hi, Teresa. Hi, Dr. Drew. My question is for both of you. How do you feel about our culture watching so many of these reality TV shows?
PINSKY: Yes.
ZACK: And maybe at the expense of cultivating real intimate relationships with people that are actually around them.
PINSKY: Yes.
ZACK: Because they`re watching these shows --
PINSKY: Yes, Zack, a great question. I have a minute to answer it. I hope that`s a question you`ll bring back into this forum again because it`s a great question. I`m going to let Teresa answer it. Go ahead, Teresa.
GIUDICE: What`s he asking?
PINSKY: He`s asking --
GIUDICE: What everybody thinks of it?
PINSKY: Well, reality shows are about drama and people behaving in not healthy ways. And maybe, we`re so preoccupied with these shows and the arousing quality they bring that we`re not really focusing on real intimate relationships and our own life. What do you think?
GIUDICE: Well, what you see in our show, you know, I can only speak for our show, what you see on our show is really happening. But I just want everybody to understand, when I came on this show, I came on for, like, with my friends and I just thought they were going to follow us around, you know, just what we normally do.
Shop, go out to dinner. I didn`t sign up to be on a show with my family, because I would have never done that. And I would never, you know, trash my family on national TV. That`s just not my style.
PINSKY: Teresa --
GIUDICE: Especially because I have -- especially because I have children, I would never do that.
PINSKY: OK. Teresa, thank you for joining us. The book is "Fabulicious: Fast and Fit." Of course, "Real Housewives of New Jersey," and it`s well underway. Thank you, Teresa. Thank all of you -- thank you to the callers that participated. Thank you all for watching, and I will see you next time.
END
