Morning Briefing:
The Judith Confessions: On Thursday night, book publisher Judith Regan sent an exclusive statement to the Drudge Report, explaining her motivation in publishing O.J. Simpson's "If I Did It," as well as her reasons behind personally sitting down with the ex-pro-footballer turned author for an interview that will air on Fox in two weeks. A selection of quotes:
"I never lost my desire for his conviction. And if Marcia Clark couldn't do it. I sure wanted to try."
"'To publish' does not mean 'to endorse'; it means 'to make public.' If you doubt that, ask the mainstream publishers who keep Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' in print to this day. They are likely to say that there is a historical value in publishing such material, so that the public can read, and judge for themselves, the thoughts and attempted defenses of an indefensible man."
"But that is not why I did it. That is not why I wanted to face the killer. That is not why I wanted to publish his story."
"I didn't know what to expect when I got the call that the killer wanted to confess. I didn't know what would happen. But I knew one thing. I wanted the confession for my own selfish reasons and for the symbolism of that act."
"For me, it was personal."
"What I do know is I didn't pay him. I contracted through a third party who owns the rights, and I was told the money would go to his children. That much I could live with."
"What I wanted was closure, not money."
"I had never met him and never spoken with him until the day I interviewed him. And I was ready. Fifty-three years prepared me for this conversation."
"The men who lied and cheated and beat me -- they were all there in the room. And the people who denied it, they were there too. And though it might sound a little strange, Nicole and Ron were in my heart. And for them I wanted him to confess his sins, to do penance and to amend his life. Amen."
(Drudge Report)
Another "Borat" complaint: Cindy Streit, owner of an etiquette business in Birmingham, Ala., who hosted a dinner for Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat that ended when he invited a prostitute over, says she too was lied to about the nature of the movie, that the agreement she signed stated it was to "be filmed as part of a documentary for Belarus Television and for those purposes only." Variety reports Streit hired "the Los Angeles-based, heavyweight attorney Gloria Allred" to file a complaint with California attorney general Bill Lockyer, requesting an investigation into possible violations of the California Unfair Trade Practices Act. During a Thursday press conference in Birmingham, Allred said: "Ms. Streit had no idea that she, her business and certain individuals who were invited to participate in a dinner party were to appear in a major motion picture, or that they would be subjected to ridicule and humiliation. Ms. Streit certainly had no idea that an actor called 'Borat' would be coming and discussing defecation with her and be presenting her with what were allegedly his feces at the dinner party." (Associated Press, Variety)
Also:
Heather Mills McCartney arrived in Los Angeles Wednesday night, where she will be dishing about her divorce from Sir Paul in an "Extra" interview, set to air next week. (TMZ) ... Upset Michael Jackson fans are demanding refunds after Jackson's pitiful performance at the World Music Awards on Wednesday. (BBC News) ... "Casino Royale" opened as the biggest Bond film ever in the U.K. on Friday; according to Columbia Pictures, it's already taken in $3.2 million, surpassing the previous record set by "Die Another Day." (BBC News) ... Madonna's most recent children's book, "The English Roses: Too Good to Be True," has had a hard time in bookstores -- it has sold just 9,000 copies since its Oct. 24 release, compared with 350,000 copies of the first English Roses book she released in 1993. (Fox 411) ... Nicole Kidman has reportedly sent her gift to the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding, though there's no news of what she chose for the happy couple. (People)
Money Quote:
Fergie on her own "heavenly" singing abilities: "Singing is a gift from God, and when people say I can't sing, it's kind of like insulting God." (All Headline News)
Turn On:
It's the season finale of the fourth season of "Real Time With Bill Maher" (HBO, 11 p.m. EST) on Friday night, and "Ice-T's Rap School" (VH1, 9 p.m. EST) brings its first season to a close. Plus, new gruesomeness from "Masters of Horror" (Showtime, 10 p.m. EST), and there's a new episode of "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 9 p.m. EST). On Sunday, Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams (and not Dave Chappelle) present "Comic Relief 2006" (HBO and TBS, 9 p.m. EST).
On the Talk Shows:
Charlie Rose (PBS, check local listings): Dixie Chicks, the cast of "The History Boys," an appreciation of Milton Friedman
David Letterman (CBS, 11:30 p.m. EST): Former Sen. John Edwards, Kevin Pollak, Will Arnett
Jay Leno (NBC, 11:35 p.m. EST): Kate Winslet, Wilmer Valderrama, Buddy Guy
Conan O'Brien (NBC, 12:35 a.m. EST): Martin Short, Flavor Flav, Damien Rice
Craig Ferguson (CBS, 12:35 a.m. EST): Ice-T, Stephen Fry
Jimmy Kimmel (ABC, 12:05 a.m. EST): Billy Crystal, Ricky Martin
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