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Nancy Grace
Brangelina Splits Up; Jim Carrey Sued Over Ex-Girlfriend`s Death. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired September 20, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:00] NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST: Breaking news tonight. Brangelina is over! As we go to air, Oscar winner, movie superstar, bad girl turned
goodwill ambassador, mother of six Angelina Jolie throws down in court, filing for divorce against husband, movie and big screen golden boy, Brad
Pitt, amid claims Angelina Jolie hires private eye just before the divorce. Legal battle looms!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Family`s friendly (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They seem to be America`s sweethearts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They looked like they were really in love and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They say Jolie cited irreconcilable differences over Pitt`s parenting style.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you`re (INAUDIBLE) you know, trying to make breakfast for everyone (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were always globe-trotting and all their chateaus and everything. They just seemed like such a strong unit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That`s from "60 Minutes" Australia.
TV and movie superstar Jim Carrey`s beloved girlfriend commits suicide, reportedly using drugs prescribed to the comedian, reportedly under an
alias. Jim Carrey using a fake name?
Breaking now. Jim Carrey fights back against legal claims in court that say Jim Carrey is responsible for his beloved lover`s suicide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim Carrey is no stranger to the spotlight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jim Carrey being sued by his late girlfriend`s estranged husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four pill bottles next to her bed. Three of them were assigned to an alias, tracked back to Jim Carrey at the pharmacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us.
Bombshell tonight. Brangelina over, kaput! As we go to air, the Oscar winner movie superstar Angelina Jolie, mother of six, throws down in court,
filing for divorce against golden boy Brad Pitt. Now there are claims emerging that Angelina hires a private detective just before the divorce
papers filed. Legal battle looming?
Straight out to Alan Duke, editor-in-chief with LeadStories.com. You know, we all know they met on the set of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." That`s where they
allegedly fell in love. He was married at the time to Jennifer Aniston. They fell in love.
There you go! There`s a little "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" action going on. I mean, who wouldn`t fall in love with her, except that pesky thing about
having a wife!
That`s from 20th Century Fox "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."
And from there on, they`ve got all these years together and six children, by my last count. So what happened, Alan?
ALAN DUKE, LEADSTORIES.COM: Well, it depends on which side you want to listen to.
GRACE: Well, let`s start with Angelina Jolie because I think I`m siding with her.
DUKE: I figured you would. In the divorce filing, it says "irreconcilable differences," but we`re hearing these leaks, these things from each side.
And one of the things we`re hearing is that she got tired of his temper, his anger, and she thought he was partying a bit too much, and she didn`t
like his parenting skills.
GRACE: Wait a minute. You can`t have it both ways. I mean, there have been leaks out there that he smoked pot. How can you be an angry person
and smoke pot? That doesn`t fit together with me.
DUKE: Well, I`m not the doctor. I can`t tell about that one.
GRACE: OK, so none of that has been confirmed. We don`t know the truth behind that. But let`s get back to the filings. Everybody in Hollywood
says irreconcilable differences, don`t they? Are you with me, Alan?
DUKE: Yes, I am.
GRACE: That`s the standard claim, irreconcilable differences? That`s what everybody always claims?
DUKE: Yes. I mean, these are forms that they fill out. They check boxes. They fill out forms. Irreconcilable differences is the famous explanation.
But what`s really going on in the family, we really don`t know. It`s just a bunch of rumors.
GRACE: Now, there is "By the Sea" from Universal Pictures," and in that, I believe Angelina and Brad both star, but she produced and directed, as
well.
Chloe Melas joining me, CNNmoney entertainment reporter. Chloe, thank you for being with us. Weigh in.
CHLOE MELAS, CNNMONEY ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Hi. Well, first of all, Nancy, "By the Sea" is about a couple whose marriage is falling apart. So
if that isn`t irony. Let`s also talk about that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have not been spotted together since July, when they took their twins,
Vivienne and Knox out for a birthday breakfast in LA. Two months -- that`s kind of a long time to not be photographed together, considering the fact
that the paparazzi follow them everywhere.
Now, let`s point something else out that social media is going nuts over today, is the fact that Angelina Jolie in her divorce papers asked for
physical custody of their children and wants Brad Pitt to only have visitation rights. Is that a red flag?
GRACE: OK, let me ask you this, Chloe Melas, CNNMoney entertainment reporter. Has -- is Brad Pitt currently shooting a movie right now?
MELAS: Brad Pitt has about 23 projects in the works. He`s a very busy guy. Angelina Jolie looks to only have a few projects in the works. Their
schedules are very busy. But he released a statement today to CNN that was very emotional, saying that he`s requesting privacy at the time for him and
his children and that he`s saddened by this divorce filing.
GRACE: OK. You`re seeing "Thelma and Louise" from MGM. And that is where Brad Pitt really blasted onto the scene in a big, big way.
You know, nobody knows the truth. To Randy Kessler, family law attorney and author of "Divorce: Protect Yourself, Your Kids and Your Future."
Randy, there are all these claims going around that she was concerned about his parenting, that she didn`t like his extracurricular activities.
Nobody has confirmed any of that. Plus, it`s not in the divorce filings. So what do you make of it?
RANDY KESSLER, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: You know, people file for a thousand reasons. She could have just had a couple months to deal with it now in
her schedule, so she might have been planning this for a long time.
I think the biggest issue, the biggest surprise is that she filed publicly. You know, I`m sure -- her lawyer, Laura Wasser (ph), is a wonderful lawyer.
I`m sure they tried to resolve it privately. I guess they got to the point where she said, I need to really move this along. I want to get his
attention. I want to file. They were...
GRACE: Or -- or Randy Kessler...
KESSLER: Yes?
GRACE: ... there could have been that straw...
KESSLER: That`s right.
GRACE: ... that straw that broke...
KESSLER: Something could have happened.
GRACE: ... the camel`s back, that one thing, and she said, You know what? File papers, you know?
KESSLER: That happens all the time. It could be a small, little straw, but sometimes it`s the last one. You`re absolutely right, Nancy.
GRACE: OK. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTOR: He`s my family. He`s not just a lover and a partner, but he is wonderful. But he`s my family now. We have history,
and we -- you know, we work hard to make it great. We don`t kind of relax about it and take each other for granted. So like everybody, we -- you
know, we have our challenges, but we -- but we`re fighting to make it great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it still weird to you to hear "wife"? Where`s your wife?
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: No. It`s actually -- you know, it`s something we thought we`d the kids and the family. But certainly walked away with a --
it means something. It`s not just a piece of paper. And (INAUDIBLE) with six kids (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That is from "Extra."
So back to you, Alan Duke, editor-in-chief, LeadStories.com. When were the papers filed?
DUKE: Well, they separated legally on September the 15th, but the papers have just been filed this Friday, I believe.
GRACE: OK, so let me ask you this, Chloe Melas. Where were they filed, and is that SOP?
This is "Maleficent" from Walt Disney Pictures, by the way. There`s Angelina Jolie starring in it.
Go ahead, Chloe.
MELAS: So what we learned at CNN is that the divorce papers were filed by Angelina Jolie`s team yesterday, Monday, in Los Angeles County superior
court and that she cites the date of separation as last Thursday. So it looks as though this has all come together very quickly.
Angelina Jolie`s team has released a statement saying that she requests privacy at this time. But again, Brad Pitt`s statement says that he`s
saddened by this filing.
This is a notoriously private couple, Nancy, and they have both been very vocal, though, in certain interviews about how much they love each other
and now much they want to stay together and wanted to get married for the children. And you remember, her wedding dress had drawings from their
children embroidered all over it. They just seemed like Hollywood`s sweethearts.
GRACE: You`re seeing "Thelma and Louise" again from MGM.
Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a much different film than "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."
PITT: A little bit.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last time you appeared (INAUDIBLE)
PITT: A little bit.
(LAUGHTER)
PITT: A little bit.
JOLIE: We were joking at one point, we were saying, like, Oh, this is going to be compared (INAUDIBLE) this is the beginning. And then this is
10 years later.
(LAUGHTER)
JOLIE: This is what 10 years of marriage will do to you!
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here you have one of the most secure marriages in Hollywood, and this is about the two of you in a deeply troubled marriage.
Was this a big risk on your part?
JOLIE: Well, I think -- one, I`m counting on the audience to know that if it was close to us at all, we could never make this film. It`s because
we`re actually very, very stable, and these aren`t our issues.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Angie told me that shortly after you got married, she thought maybe she should be a more conventional wife and mother and thought
about cooking.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
JOLIE: ... every three months, I`ll say, Honey, I think I should learn how to cook.
(CROSSTALK)
PITT: (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
PITT: She has no business in the kitchen.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That is Jolie and Pitt on NBC.
And you know, to Terry Lyles, psychologist, author of "Practice Dress Code." Terry, I was so against their whole relationship at the get-go
because of him already being married to Jennifer Aniston at the time they met.
But once they introduced children into the relationship -- they adopted several, Angelina Jolie gave birth to several -- I think everyone began
rooting for them and for them to be happy together and to keep their family together.
I don`t know. It just seems sad all around, especially when you hear them speaking that way about how they struggle so hard to keep their marriage
and their family together.
TERRY LYLES, PSYCHOLOGIST: Sure. Well, it shows you -- I mean, everybody knows that marriage is tough, you know, and it`s work, and you know, half
the time, they don`t work, at best. But it is a lot of work.
And when I heard this, you know, my first concern and thought was those children, you know? And it sounds like they`re trying to do the right
thing by their children because I see so many cases where the children become pawns. They become leverage tools. And it is such a sad case when
you see that.
So hopefully, whatever they`re going to do -- she`s already made up her mind and filed, so maybe they can make something of this, still have a
healthy relationship to take care of those children they`re committed to, and maybe have some type of relationship, even though they will be divorced
going forward because your kids never leave. They`re always going to be there.
GRACE: Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don`t want to talk about your personal life.
PITT: I just walk away feeling sad about it when I do.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why? Why?
PITT: Because there`s no way to give it true validity and weight and what it means to you in your life. And it seems to get cheapened somehow as it
goes through the filters and the airwaves. And some things you just want to keep close to the chest.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you think people are so curious?
(CROSSTALK)
PITT: I will say this. I`m really proud of this family. I mean, I look at -- you know, I look at my -- my sons and my daughters. And one`s from
Vietnam and one`s from Cambodia and one`s from Ethiopia. And there`s this kid who was born in Namibia.
And they`re all -- you know, they`re playing -- they`re brothers and sisters, man, and they`re fighting and they`re laughing and going into
hysterics and staying up late and messing with their parents and they`re driving me crazy and -- truly, I feel rich. I just feel actual (ph) rich
being around them. It`s a rich -- it`s a rich moment, and each one of them offers so much to the mix. It`s -- surprisingly though, six kids is not as
easy as you would think.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That and earlier from NBC "Today."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news out of Hollywood.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The biggest celebrity couple and highest-profile split.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s the divorce that is shocking the world. Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Believe it or not, Brangelina is over. Straight out to Randy Kessler, family law attorney, author of "Divorce: Protect Yourself, Your
Kids and Your Future."
Randy, how will their divorce be any different from a regular person`s divorce?
KESSLER: Well, you know, when you have money, you have resources. They should not go to court. They`re not going to probably use the court. If
it gets that far, they`ll probably have a private judge, paid for by the hour, that has all the time to listen to every little thing they want.
They`re going to use professionals. They`re going to use (INAUDIBLE)
And Nancy, this was a very simple, innocuous petition for divorce. It was not aggressive. And if these people did anything wrong, we`d know about it
because they`re such public people. This will be resolved privately...
GRACE: Uh-uh! Uh-uh! Uh-uh! Uh-uh! Number one, if she wanted to keep it quiet, why would she file publicly? Number two, she said
"irreconcilable differences." But that`s what everybody says.
KESSLER: Right.
GRACE: That doesn`t mean that more is not -- hey, do you remember this, "Girl, Interrupted" from Columbia Pictures, where Angelina Jolie totally
stole the whole thing, her and Brittany Murphy just totally stole the show, and they were not even supposed to be the stars. And she was incredible in
that.
So what -- let me ask you this question. What`s the chance that after somebody files publicly for divorce, they reconcile?
KESSLER: Probably 10, 20, 30 percent of the time. But you know, celebrities...
GRACE: That`s kind of a big range there, Kessler. Try to narrow it down, for Pete`s sake.
KESSLER: Well, we`re talking about celebrities. Celebrities have a harder time reconciling. They have so many people pulling at them, and they don`t
really often get a chance to really know each other before they get married. You know, there`s the limelight...
GRACE: Put Kessler up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They see each other for a few minutes at a time. They`re in different parts of the world, and then all of a sudden, they get
together. They consummate, they get married. I mean, in this case, they got married I think because their kids wanted them to get married.
Remember, they were together...
GRACE: Well, they had plenty of time to think about it. They were together for years and years. And that`s a problem. And I really think
you need on let me counsel some of your divorce clients because I`m telling you...
KESSLER: Come on. Come on. Good luck.
GRACE: I`m telling you, if you listen to all your advisers and your friends, they`ll have you alone and miserable, just like them if you pay
any attention to them. I`m telling you. Everybody`s always so, Oh, he did this and he did that. You know what? Uh-uh. I`m sure did he do all of
that. But before you break up a marriage with children, six of them, you`d better think long and hard, Kessler.
KESSLER: Right. What`s the grass like on the other side? Everybody thinks the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. They cross the
fence, and guess what? If it`s not greener, it`s very hard to go back over that fence. So I hope and think that she probably did think long and hard.
She had friends talk about it. But that`s a big move to publicly file. I`m sure she tried (INAUDIBLE)
GRACE: Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Now, hold on, Kessler!
KESSLER: Yes?
GRACE: You`re talking out of both sides of your mouth. Oh, can I imagine that! First you say...
KESSLER: Oh, I thought I was going to agree with you.
GRACE: ... that they`ve got all this money and they can resolve it privately. And then I point out that she has filed publicly. So what is
that strategy by filing publicly? They`ve only been separated since Thursday? What does that mean? They just separated Thursday, now there`s
a divorce filing.
KESSLER: It means they probably talked privately. She probably told him that she wanted a divorce. She probably talked about it, and he didn`t
believe her and she said, You know what? I`m going to make sure you know it`s for real. I`m going to file. Then I`ll get your attention. And he`s
going to get a lawyer and they`re going to talk privately, and they`re going to to work it out privately. They`re going to figure out what`s best
for their children.
GRACE: You mean get back together or work out the divorce?
KESSLER: No, work out the divorce.
GRACE: Hold on. Unleash the lawyers, Eric Johnson, Atlanta, Margie Mow, LA. First to you, Margie Mow. When you go public and you file, any chance
for reconciliation?
MARGIE MOW, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: There is always a chance of reconciliation. It`s like any other relationship. You break up. You still have ties to
the person. You have emotional ties to them. You still love them. It doesn`t mean you stop loving them just because you separated and filed. So
yes, it`s always a possibility.
However, in a situation like this, the chances are probably not because of what Randy said about so many different people pulling at them, and I`m
sure that they thought long and hard before reaching this decision and...
GRACE: Yes, I don`t know. I don`t know because we do know, as -- here`s "Meet Joe Black" from Universal Pictures.
Eric Johnson, we know that Angelina Jolie is highly mercurial, right?
ERIC JOHNSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, sir (ph).
GRACE: She is emotional, but she`s also a shrewd businessperson, OK? She is. So I`m just wondering. You know, she`s raising six children. She`s
got -- they`re with her, I believe, physical custody with her. Throughout the marriage, she`s always kept them.
I`m just wondering, if they just separated on Thursday and the filing happened today, that sounds to me like there was a straw that broke the
camel`s back. What was it?
JOHNSON: Well, we have no idea what it is, I mean, because of her filing, she filed for irreconcilable differences. So as you said, that`s what
everybody does. So we don`t know specifically what the issue was between the two of them.
GRACE: Well, hold on. Let me go to Duke. Duke, what about it? What do we know about reports that she hired a private eye just before filing
these?
DUKE: Well, that is one of the reports, that there was a private eye that was hired and had confirmed an alleged extra-marital affair with Brad Pitt.
But again, we`ve not confirmed that. But that`s one of the rumors.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was a family on an adventure.
PITT: I`m really proud of this family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This definitely comes as a surprise.
PITT: (INAUDIBLE) Six kids is not as easy as you would think.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie calling it quits.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I read that, I could not believe it.
PITT: They`re fighting, they`re laughing (INAUDIBLE) staying up late and messing with the parents, and they`re driving me crazy and...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: You know, Alan Duke, editor-in-chief, LeadStories.com, I asked you about claims that Jolie had hired a private investigator just before she
filed for divorce.
Here`s "Tomb Raider" from Paramount Pictures. She`s awesome in that.
And then you blurt out about an alleged affair that he may or may not be having with a leading lady on one of his sets. Now, I`m just telling you,
if a private eye was hired, she thought she was on to something.
I mean, you know, I don`t have the time and I don`t want to spend the money on a private eye on my husband, and I would not do it just for the fun of
it. I`d have to really think something was going. Of course, I think I could tail him better than a private eye could. But that`s a whole `nother
can of worms, Duke.
So if she did hire a private eye and then suddenly files for divorce, that should tell us something. I don`t want to speculate about what, but she`s
been with him all these years. There had to be something that made her say, You know what? I`m getting a divorce.
DUKE: Yes. I mean, we`re hearing the rumors. But again, we`ve not confirmed the rumors. And frankly, in California, I don`t think any of
this matters, you know, as far as the divorce goes.
GRACE: Why do you say that? You know what? Hold on.
DUKE: Well, as far as -- the lawyers can tell you that it doesn`t really matter in the divorce.
GRACE: Chloe Melas -- oh, here`s "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" from Paramount with Brad Pitt in it.
Chloe, explain to me why grounds for divorce don`t matter in California. And how in the hay are they going to be able to split all this money and
all these children because -- they were together for years and years and years before they got married. And I guess if you`re together for 10
years, there`s palimony that would be involved? Or no. How does that work, Chloe, in California?
MELAS: All right, Nancy. Well, I`m not a lawyer, but what I can tell you is that they are worth a reported combined $400 million. And since they
got married in 2014, together they have made $115 million.
GRACE: Whoa! Wait, wait, wait. Stop! I had to have Liz to tell me that back in my ear, OK, because I thought I misheard. Put her up, please!
I`ve seen Brad Pitt throughout the whole thing! I`ve seen Jolie. I want to see Chloe.
Chloe, did you say $400 million, or did Liz have it wrong?
MELAS: $400 million, Nancy, is their combined net worth. That is a lot of money. Plus, properties all over the world.
GRACE: Like what? What properties?
MELAS: Well, they have an estate called Mary Ball (ph), where they also make their own wine in France. They have properties in New Orleans. They
have properties in Los Angeles, sprawling estates.
Now, remember, they didn`t get married until 2014. They`ve made about $115 million reportedly since they got married in 2014. Now, we don`t know
whether or not they had a prenup. You would think that they would, but you don`t know. Love makes you sometime do stupid things. But I believe in
the state of California, what`s hers and what`s his was separate before they got married. But again, I could be wrong about that.
GRACE: Hold on. There`s "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" from 20th Century Fox.
OK, Kessler, what is the low-down on California law? Because you know California`s got to be different from everybody else. So what`s the law?
KESSLER: Well, the bottom line is conduct`s not going to be relevant. They probably have a prenuptial agreement that decides everything. One
thing is clear. Whatever she had before the marriage, whatever he had before the marriage, they`re probably going to keep (INAUDIBLE) the rest of
it.
I mean, gosh, if they spend and waste money on lawyers fighting about that -- they`re going to both be fine. They`re probably going to divide what
they earned together down the middle and keep their separate property (ph), and they`re going to go away privately and make tons more money with their
public lives and not fight each other anymore.
[20:30:00] They`ve got too much money to fight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM CARREY, ACTOR: I think everybody just needs to take care of their own circle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His on again, off again girlfriend died in an apparent suicide.
[20:34:59] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities say she left behind a few notes as well as containers of medication prescribed to an alias used by Jim
Carrey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: TV movie super star Jim Carrey`s beloved girlfriend commits suicide. Reportedly using drugs prescribed to him under an alias, a fake
name.
But breaking now, Jim Carrey is fighting back. There is actually a legal claim in court that says Carrey is responsible, legally responsible, for
his lover`s suicide. You know, I`m not quite sure, the train of thinking here.
Alan Duke, Leadstories.com, explain to me under what theory would Jim Carrey be responsible for someone else`s suicide in a completely different
location.
ALAN DUKE, LEADSTORIES.COM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Well, this is under a California law called the Drug Dealer`s Liability Act which was put in
place in order to keep, to allow people families to sue drug dealers who are provided illegal drugs that caused damage and death and it is also a
wrongful death case.
So, the husband of this girlfriend is now suing Carrey saying that he illegally provided her prescription drugs, the very drugs that were found
in her system that caused her death almost a year ago.
GRACE: Everybody, you`re seeing "The Mask" from New Line Cinema. And Jim Carrey, of course, behind "The Mask" being himself. I wonder how much of
that is scripted and how much is him just going crazy, adlibbing.
You know, joining me right now to explain the thought process behind this lawsuit is Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Mike Burton, Mark Burton who
is suing Jim Carrey. Michael, thank you for being with us. Michael, a practicing lawyer out of L.A. Michael, let me understand, your client, Mark
Burton, is the suicide victim`s ex-husband?
MICHAEL AVENATTI, MARK BURTON`S ATTORNEY: No, not ex-husband, Nancy. Actually was Ms. White`s husband at the time of her death. And California
law is explicit. In that, if you provide someone an illegal substance, a controlled substance, and they subsequently hurt themselves with that
substance, you are liable. And what we allege is backed up by...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Well, question, hold on, I`m trying to go with you. Now is that in the criminal code or the civil code?
AVENATTI: That`s in the Civil Code. And in fact, it`s a piece of legislation that was passed in many states. It`s called the Drug Dealer
Liability Act. And what it says is, if you provide an illegal drug to someone, and they subsequently are damaged, injured or die, that you are
liable. And that is the theory under which we are pursuing this case.
GRACE: OK. Now has it been construed, the Drug Dealer Liability Act. Here`s Ace Ventura Pet Detective from Warner Brothers. Back to Michael
Avenatti, the lawyer for the suicide victim`s husband, Cathriona White. The Drug Dealer Liability Act is the basis for your claim. Has that been
applied to individuals, not drug dealers?
AVENATTI: Yes, absolutely. It`s been applied to individuals that not only deal in drugs such as heroin or cocaine, but as well as individuals that
deal in other highly addictive prescription.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: You keep saying dealing. Jim Carrey, to my knowledge, is not a drug dealer. So what I`m saying is, does the Drug Dealer Liability Act apply to
private individuals that are not drug dealers?
AVENATTI: Yes.
GRACE: It`s already been applied to them successfully.
AVENATTI: It has been applied to them successfully. If you give someone, if you provide someone an illegal substance without a prescription, you are
liable under this act.
GRACE: OK. What about a legal substance with a prescription? They were prescribed to him, we believe under an alias, and she either used them on
her own or he let her use them.
AVENATTI: Well, the same law would apply, Nancy.
GRACE: OK.
AVENATTI: You cannot provide an illegal substance, a prescription medication, to someone without a prescription. It`s that simple.
GRACE: OK. Let me understand this. You say that your client, Mark Burton, was married to Jim Carrey`s then girlfriend, Cathriona White, weren`t they
estranged? I mean, was not she back with Jim Carrey at the time that she died?
AVENATTI: No, I don`t believe they were estranged, Nancy. But regardless. That doesn`t excuse Mr. Carrey`s conduct.
GRACE: But you`re suing civilly for damages. And if she was already separated from your client, then how does he have the leg -- what leg does
he have to stand on in court claiming he is emotionally distraught when she had already separated from him and was with Carrey.
[20:39:59] AVENATTI: Well, that`s an assumption on your part, Nancy. And I don`t believe that...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: No, I`m asking you. I mean, that`s a question.
AVENATTI: Yes. And I`m going to answer your question. No, I don`t believe that`s accurate.
GRACE: OK.
AVENATTI: And again, again, the focus needs to be on why does Jim Carrey have illegal drugs in a false name in violation of the law?
GRACE: Ok. Hold on. Were they prescribed painkillers, I think?
AVENATTI: They -- yes. It was Percocet.
GRACE: OK.
(CROSSTALK)
AVENATTI: A class two substance.
GRACE: When you say illegal drugs, people naturally think of something like heroin or cocaine. But no, I want to ask you. Yes, that`s my -- I
agree with you. That`s a question. I want to know the answer. Why did he get them under a false name is that legal or illegal? Did he let her use
them or did she use them on her own? Or did she use them at all? Does all her legitimate questions that need to be answered?
But, I`m -- the question I`m asking right now is about your client who is her then husband, and he is suing Jim Carrey in court now saying that Jim
Carrey is responsible for her voluntary suicide. Now what I want to know is, when was your client last cohabitating with Cathriona? When did they
last live together before her death?
AVENATTI: I don`t have that date, Nancy, but quite honestly, I think it`s irrelevant.
GRACE: Really? Well, good luck with the jury. Unleash the lawyers. Eric Johnson and Margie Mow. Eric Johnson and Margie Mow, let me go to you
first. Margie, if this guy, Mark Burton, who was still legally married to Carrey`s girlfriend, had not been with her, had not been living with her,
if they were in fact separated while she was dating Jim Carrey, how is the jury going to react to that?
MARGIE MOW, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I don`t think he has standing. And quite honestly, this is a case, if what the attorney is alleging that
somehow Jim Carrey provided her with an illegal substance, which I disagree with. This is a case that really should be handled in the criminal courts.
And obviously, the district attorney`s office has refused to file a criminal case against Jim Carrey.
And I think that this is a very weak civil case. I don`t think that he has standing to claim wrongful death. Especially because she committed suicide
out of Jim Carrey`s presence. And the Drug Dealer`s Act I don`t think applies to a private person like Jim Carrey. He was not a drug dealer.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Well, according -- according to Michael Avenatti, in California, that act, the Drug Dealer`s Liability Act, has been interpreted to apply to
private individuals.
Brad Lamm. Brad Lamm, addiction specialist and founder of Breathe Life Healing Centers.
BRAD LAMM, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: I want to make the distinction between legal and illegal drugs, OK? So, when we`re talking about Jim Carrey providing illegal drugs. Now under
the law that means one thing. But in common parlance, it means something very different. And I am not going to say that Jim Carrey had heroin or
crack or methamphetamine. Here`s "Liar Liar" from Universal. Go ahead, Brad.
LAMM: You know, it just dawned on me, too, that the name in which she had the prescriptions filled was art king, you know, king of art. And it`s a
very common famous celebrities will get prescriptions filled in an alias. And you know what, it happens a lot. Somebody a loved one will have
prescriptions in the cabinet and they`re taken by another person.
So, I`m not a lawyer but this happens all the time. With tragic consequences in this case, to be sure.
[20:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim Carrey is not estranged with a spark light.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jim Carrey is being sued by his late girlfriend`s estranged husband.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four pill bottles next to her bed. Three of them were assigned to an alias. They were tracked back to Jim Carrey at the pharmacy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Back to Brad Lamm, addiction specialist and founder of Breathe Life Healing Centers. OK, Brad.
LAMM: Nancy.
GRACE: Question.
LAMM: Yes.
GRACE: The perception that somebody has, let`s just say, Percocet, OK? Let`s just go with Percocet.
LAMM: Yes.
GRACE: And say, you had an injury of some sort, a knee injury or whatever it may be. And somebody comes to you and says, oh, I`ve got a cap, it`s
come off, and this is your friend. And it`s killing me I`m going to the Disney`s tomorrow morning...
(CROSSTALK)
LAMM: Well, you me, though, I would not give them a Percocet.
GRACE: Can you give me a Percocet? I don`t know. Percocet...
(CROSSTALK)
LAMM: Well, I would never give anyone a Percocet. Percocet is highly addictive. It`s a controlled substance. Eighty...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Not my point. Not my point. Not my point.
LAMM: Eight million -- well, I`m missing it then.
GRACE: Let me at least give you -- can I finish?
LAMM: OK, OK, fair enough.
GRACE: Thank you. OK. The question is this. In our society, people do not view prescription drugs the way they view...
LAMM: Heroin. Yes.
GRACE: ... heroin, crack, cocaine, methamphetamine. They don`t think it as serious. Here`s "Dumb and Dumber" from New Line Cinema. And if he knew that
she was pilfering or outright saying, look, can I have one of your oxycodone? I mean...
(CROSSTALK)
LAMM: Yes. No, I totally hear you.
GRACE: He may not have thought anything of it.
LAMM: Well, I would say this. If you`re anyone that has any education, Nancy, in 2016...
GRACE: Sure.
LAMM: ... knows that Percocet is at the forefront of the opiate epidemic.
GRACE: It certainly is.
LAMM: So, Ambien, still highly addictive. Many people who struggle with it and actually have to go into detox from it. It`s a benzodiazepine.
GRACE: Ambien?
LAMM: Yes.
GRACE: Wow!
LAMM: A lot of people would struggle with it. In fact, in my own home, it`s not allowed in the house because it causes a particular problem. So,
it will affect many people in a very negative way. But Percocet, Nancy, is in that same classes as heroin. I don`t think you can excuse yourself out
of it.
GRACE: Hey, hey, hey. Put him up. Here`s the "Truman Show" from Paramount. Let me say, Brad Lamm, look at me. You`re preaching to the choir. Our whole
house is drug-free. Knock on wood.
(CROSSTALK)
[20:50:01] LAMM: Did you ever use sleeping pills?
GRACE: And then the school nurse -- never.
LAMM: Never.
GRACE: No.
(CROSSTALK)
LAMM: Why, should I? Do I look tired?
LAMM: Yes. No. You look fabulous, Nancy Grace.
GRACE: No. No, no, no, to sleeping pills. Hold on. Wait a minute. And then the school nurse scared my daughter out of her skin about taking an
aspirin. OK. So, that`s out for me. No, not even she can`t even have a baby aspirin. She`s scared. I mean.
LAMM: Well, but, you know it`s so normalized if you go to a dinner party. People will talk about, oh, let me take this and take that. It`s no big
deal. So, you do make a point that even in the midst of this opiate epidemic, and it is an epidemic, it is an epidemic.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Right. You said that three times.
LAMM: Still -- no, but, still people have -- still people have totally normalized pills in their pocket and purse and their night stand.
GRACE: Well, not in Nancy land. OK? It`s not normalized here.
LAMM: Well, I hear you. Not in mine either.
GRACE: So, Stacy Newman, can I get a straight answer from somebody about whether Michael Avenatti`s client, Mark Burton was actually living with his
wife, OK? Because when he told me, gee, I don`t know. I don`t like the sound of that. Because, you know, lawyers know everything about what their
clients are doing.
So, was she estranged from her husband? And dating or living with or romantically involved with Jim Carrey at the time of her suicide? Because
if that`s true, a jury is not going to like the husband jumping up and saying, I need money. If they weren`t even living together.
STACEY NEWMAN, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, we know that she lived in a home in Sherman Oaks. And when she was found, she was found alone. But we
do know that some of her estranged husband`s belongings were found there at the house when she was found deceased, and we know she was still in contact
with Jim Carrey because text messages revealed they had some sort of communication at the time she was found dead.
GRACE: To Joseph Scott Morgan, certified death investigator, professor forensic Jacksonville State University, weigh in, Joe Scott. What do you
think?
JOSEPH SCOTT MORGAN, CERTIFIED DEATH INVESTIGATOR: Hey, Nancy. Yes. What you got here is this young lady took a lethal cocktail, if you will, of
these prescription meds that she had on board. Probably most notable is the Percocet, however, when combined with a drug like the benzo that were
previously mentioned, and also the Ambien. That`s problematic.
But let`s keep in mind that Percocet is as aviators will go into an unrecoverable tail spin at that point. It slows down respiration, it causes
the individual to go almost comatose and die. Die sometime a very horrible death where they`re gasping for breath and this sort of thing. My suspicion
is that she had previous experience with these drugs.
[20:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARREY: I think everybody just needs to take care of their own circle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His on again, off again girlfriend died in an apparent suicide.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities say she left behind a few notes as well as containers of medications prescribe to an alias used by Jim Carrey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: To Eric Johnson, defense attorney in Atlanta. So, should this be in criminal court? And at this juncture, do you believe police and prosecutors
have decided not to pursue it?
JOHNSON: Well, they`re definitely not going to pursue it. Because there is a far stretch that there`s been any crime committed here at this particular
time. Unless they can show some kind of connection between Mr. Carrey and her death that they talked about it or they planned it. There is no way
that they can charge him for her suicide.
GRACE: Here is "Me, Myself, and Irene" from 20th Century Fox. Back to Michael Avenatti, lawyer for the man suing Jim Carrey, Mark Burton.
Michael, did her funeral, Cathriona`s funeral expenses come up as an issue as well?
AVENATTI: Yes, Nancy. At one point in time, Mr. Carrey offered to the family that he would pay the funeral expenses. He then learned that Ms.
White had left a small amount of money to the family and he then renege on that promise.
GRACE: Now did your client end up paying for the funeral?
AVENATTI: Nancy, I believe that my client contribute -- contributed to some of the expenses. But that`s not really the issue. The issue here is
that Mr. Carrey is trying to pull off passage, if you will, or perpetuate a passage as to what happened here. He supplied these -- he supplied these
drugs.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: Now, hold on.
AVENATTI: He supplied these drugs and we`re going to prove it. And he supplied them illegally. And under the law, he`s...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: OK. Hold on. Michael, Michael.
AVENATTI: Yes.
GRACE: You told me that and I know the law. I understand the law. But if you`re making, you and your client are making an issue of funeral expenses,
and as you said, oh, yes, they`re still legally married and very much together. And your client didn`t pay for the funeral but he`s making an
issue that Carrey should have paid for the funeral.
If you`re saying, your guy is married to her, why shouldn`t he pay for the funeral? Why should Carrey pay for it?
AVENATTI: Nancy, this case doesn`t center on the funeral expenses. This case centers on the fact...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: All right.
AVENATTI: ... that Jim Carrey had drugs that were prescribed in a false name which is a violation of state and federal law, very powerful drugs, as
the one expert just noted. And those drugs ended up in Ms. White`s possession without a prescription.
This is a serious matter. A very serious matter. And the district attorney`s office hasn`t made any determination at this point as to what
they`re going to do.
GRACE: OK. Michael Avenatti, attorney for Mark Burton who is suing Jim Carrey.
Let`s remember American hero, army staff Sergeant Jorge Pena-Romero. Just 29, Fallbrook, California. A charitable leader lifted people`s spirits,
loved camping, sports with his children, parents Isabel and Jorge. One brother, three sisters, widow, Melissa and three beautiful children. Jorge
Pena-Romero. American hero.
Thanks to our guests, but especially to you for being with us. Nancy Grace signing off. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8 o`clock sharp Eastern.
[21:00:02] And until then, good night.
END
