Turbulence in the Skies, Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions Sued by Corrine Gehrls, Former Flight Attendant, Over Termination for "Inappropriate Intimate Conduct"

There is drama in the skies above Chicago. Corrine Gehrls, a former flight attendant on Oprah Winfrey's private jet, has filed a defamation lawsuit alleging that Gayle King's daughter, Kirby Bumpus, lied about a fling between her and the pilot, Terry Pansing, that got her fired. Gehrls is suing Harpo, Oprah's company, along with the two flight attendants she claims lied about her. She's asking for damages in excess of $75,000. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Gehrls alleges that Gayle King's daughter, Kirby Bumpus, and the other flight attendant on the jet, Myron Gooch, told Oprah Winfrey directly that Gerhls and the pilot, Terry Pansing, engaged in "inapproriate intimate conduct" during a June 14, 2009 flight.

Gehrls stated in the complaint that no such conduct took place and added that there is no way anyone could have witnessed such conduct since Winfrey and the other passengers taken sleeping pills and slept throughout the flight.

Gerhls also claimed in the lawsuit that Winfrey favored Gooch and turned a blind eye when Gooch and Gayle King shared the jet's double bed on another flight. The complaint also alleges that Winfrey's only issue with Gooch was his food ordering skills and that Winfrey allegedly said "White folks don't know what southern food should taste like." Somehow I find it hard to believe that Oprah Winfrey would make such an ignorant statement, especially since there are many whites from the South.

According to the complaint, Gerhls and Pansing passed a lie detector test and the results are attached to the complaint as exhibits. Well, I would have guessed right off that Gayle King's daughter would have aspired to be more than a flight attendant on a private plane.

Oprah Winfrey Gets Approval from City of Chicago to Close Magnificent Mile for Taping, Mayor Daley Comes Under Fire

Oprah Winfrey has shown how far her influence reaches in Chicago. Some folks are up in arms over the Mayor Richard Daley and the city of Chicago have agreed to allow the talk-show queen to shut down a significant stretch of the Magnificent Mile next week for the kickoff of her 24th season. According to the Chicago Sun Times, plans call for Michigan Avenue to be closed to vehicular traffic from Wacker Drive to Ohio Street for more than two days -- from 12:01 a.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The hourlong show will be taped at 5 p.m. Tuesday at a temporary stage to be built near the Michigan Avenue Bridge. The taping is free and open to the public.

Some shoppers and businesses only the Mag Mile are upset that Ms. Winfrey was allowed to close off the famous strip for so long. I find it hard to believe that this won't be good for the city. Oprah Winfrey has more than star power. For example, there is a Gap clothing store nearby. I am sure that they will get some more business from all those people coming to the taping. The only problem I expect would be for drivers and public transit riders. The Chicago Transit Authority is telling commuters to use alternative routes.

Mayor Daley said any inconvenience is worth it and that motorists and commuters will understand. He said Winfrey's taping great publicity for the city and an event that will create jobs. At least this isn't a free meal as in the case of the Michael Jackson memorial service. The show will reimburse Chicago for any costs incurred. Well, almost everything -- sanitation isn't included. Of course, you can't please everyone. There are many who have taken offense to what Ms. Winfrey is doing, for all the wrong reasons.

Whitney Houston's Voice Cracks During Central Park Comeback Show to Air on "Good Morning America," She Blames Oprah

Whitney Houston has proven once again that she is a diva (not in a good way) when she tried to blame being on the Oprah Winfrey Show, which she taped on Monday to air September 14th, for her horrible first public singing performance in Central Park, New York earlier today. She reportedly told the crowd at Rumsey Playfield, where she was singing as part of a segment to run on tomorrow's "Good Morning America" show. She wasn't woman or adult enough to admit her own shortcomings.

Ms. Houston needs to admit the truth about her disgraceful performance -- the years of drug abuse. She sang four songs, including her oldie "My Love is Your Love" and her new single "Million Dollar Bill."Anyone listening could tell that this woman was having serious problems staying on key. Her voice cracked repeatedly. As the New York Daily News puts it, "Houston treated the highest notes the same way drivers with new cars treat pot holes." She couldn't even sing the choruses of her songs. She left that up to her back-up singers and the audience. Sorry, but if this is any indication of what is to come from Ms. Houston, then I am sad to say that she has lost her mojo. I remember back in the day when her voice soared through the stratosphere in her prime. Patti Labelle is 65 years old and yes, she can still hold a note.

Sorry Whitney, I guess I won't "I Look To You" for a phenomenal return after a long hiatus. I give her credit for releasing a new album, but I can't say I am looking forward to another horrible performance.

Photo credit: Whitney Houston, NY Daily News (Kambouris/WireImage)

Joe Jackson Shamelessly Plugs his New Record Label During Press Conference About Michael Jackson

Joe Jackson is such a hypocrite and I fully understand why Michael Jackson talked about him with such disdain during his interview with Oprah Winfrey a few years ago. During a news conference yesterday, the Jackson patriarch, confirmed that the family was planning an enormous memorial service but he couldn't shed much light on that plan. What Joe Jackson had no problem plugging was his new record label -- Ranch Records, a shameful dig at Neverland Ranch. This was such a self-serving move that I wonder why Rev. Al Sharpton didn't step on his foot to get him to stop talking. Joe Jackson should take a page out of John Travolta's play book and mourn his son's passing with dignity and not shamefully try to exploit his name and his legacy. I have yet to see John Travolta show up on a red carpet since his son Jett Travolta passed away.

Flanked by longtime family friend and adviser Rev. Sharpton, as well as his Ranch Records partner Marshall Thompson(of the classic soul group the Chi-Lites), the elder Jackson said he wished his son were here to appreciate the tributes in the wake of his surprise death last Thursday. Right. I am sure that Joe Jackson is sad his meal ticket died, but he is foaming at the mouth to shamefully exploit his son's legacy.

"The family and I are very proud to see all of you come out here and help us with this whole situation. I wish Michael could be here to see all this. Michael was a superstar. He was loved in every country and the U.S...but one thing Michael didn't know, he didn't know how strong this could be."

In the wake of a court order yesterday granting Katherine temporary custody of Michael's three kids, Joe said the family and the kids were happy because they had similar-aged cousins to play with."We love those kids still," he said. "We're going to take care of them and give them the education they're supposed to have. We can do that. And we have the area enough and the premises large enough to be able to extend to them all the help that they might need."

I made reference to Joe Jackson's shameful comments during his conversation with Don Lemon on the BET Awards red carpet on Sunday, where he dropped hints about his new recording venture. The man was a power-hungry, money-grubbing sleazebag in the early Jackson Five years and he hasn't lost it in his old age.

Oscar Mayer Offers Helping Hand During Down Economy

For all you Oscar Mayer lovers out there, the company is joining is offering freebies during these tough economic times. Until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday May 20, you can go to oscarmayer.com to enter for a free coupon. The Kraft Company, which owns Oscar Mayer, is doing the campaign to celebrate a recent nationwide taste test that put Oscar Mayer wieners above those made by Ball Park and Hebrew National.

The company said that it will give away up to $1 million worth of hot dogs.Unlike the KFC coupon campaign debacle that Oprah Winfrey launched a few weeks ago. That campaign overtook the company with requests at restaurants for free meals. The Oscar Mayer campaign will ask for your address and says it will send you a coupon in the mail 4-6 weeks after you submit your information. A disclaimer on Oscar Mayer's website says it will not accept P.O. Box addresses. The campaign limits coupons to one per household.

Go on, get your barbecue groove on and hit the link above.

Oprah Winfrey Blamed as ‘Superfood’ the Acai Berry, Promoted on her Website Caused Run on Amazon's Jungle Dwellers' Staple Food

Oprah Winfrey has been in the news a lot lately, from her recent comments during the commencement address at Duke University about her private jet, to the latest dust-up, a run on the the acai berry, which has been promoted as a "superfood" on her Web site. The promotion has led to allegations that it is depriving the Amazon's jungle dwellers of a protein-rich nutrient they’ve relied on for generations. Ms. Winfrey discussed the berry with Mehmet Oz on her talk show February 2008, during which Oz, a cardiologist, presented his “anti-aging checklist.” It includes acai, blueberries and tomatoes. “It has twice the antioxidant content of a blueberry,” said Oz.

The latest allegation, at least according to Bloomberg's interview with Brazil's Oscar Noguiera, is that U.S. consumers are turning a “a typical poor people’s food into something like a delicacy.” I have heard of this, but I have not personally used the product. I am just a little leery of joining the stampede to try any new product without doing my own research.

Spending on acai-based products by Americans seeking to lose weight, gain energy or slow aging doubled to $104 million last year, according to SPINS, a Schaumburg, Illinois-based market research firm. Since U.S. demand took off early this decade, the fruit’s wholesale price in Brazil has jumped about 60-fold, Embrapa data show.

In 2008, exports from Para, the South American country’s main producing state, climbed 53 percent to account for about a quarter of output, according to the local government. Production, though, has increased little in the past five years. Source: Bloomberg

We all know that Oprah Winfrey has the "Midas touch," but to blame her for the run on the product is ridiculous. Her organization has released a statement saying that she is not associated with any acai products. It seems that they want to stiffle Ms. Winfrey's right to talk about whatever she wants. So what if she promoted the berry? Shouldn't the critics in Brazil find a way to bridge this divide and be innovative, rather than staid?

What is the Acai Berry?

Acai grows on palm trees and looks like a blueberry. In the Amazon, it is beaten, diluted in water and eaten with manioc, meat, fish or dried shrimp. Some U.S. Web sites say the berry can help with weight loss, sexual dysfunction, fighting cancer cells and regenerating muscles.

The pulp provides more protein in relation to its weight than eggs and milk, and has high levels of anthocyanin, an antioxidant, as well as vitamins E and B1, potassium, iron and calcium, according to Embrapa.

The Para government recommends its consumption. The berry is popularly associated with bone and muscular strength, longevity and a healthy immune system, said Lucival Cardoso, the state’s chief health inspector.

“We encourage families to give acai to children as young as 6 months,” Cardoso said. “It’s also very filling; that’s why it’s traditionally associated with low-income family diets.” Source: Bloomberg

I would caution people to be mindful of the fact that the Food and Drug Administration has not reviewed any acai-based products for safety or purported health benefits. In essence, proceed at your own risk. The pills and other products made with the fruit's extracts are sold in health food stores and supermarkets across the country.

Oprah Winfrey Tells Duke University Graduates: It’s Great to Have a Private Jet, News Corp.'s WSJ Robert Frank Sets Sights on that Nugget of Info

Rupert Murdoch and his entire right wing organization needs to be ashamed of themselves. The Wall Street Journal's Robert Frank, has just set his sights on Oprah Winfrey and some recent comments she made during her speech to Duke University's graduating class. Oprah talked about the secrets and joys of success and yes, among them: owning a mansion and a jet -- a $42 million custom-build Global Express XRS built by Bombardier Aerospace. What's the big deal? Oprah Winfrey is worth billions and doesn't fall in the same boat as the CEOs of flying around on private jets after grovelling for federal bail-out funds. When was the last time Donald Trump was seen boarding a commercial airline? Better yet, when was the last time Rupert Murdoch flew commercial?

“It’s great to have a nice home. It’s great to have nice homes! It’s great to have a nice home that just escaped the fire in Santa Barbara,” she told the students. “It’s great to have a private jet. Anyone that tells you that having your own private jet isn’t great is lying to you.” She went on to explain that “you haven’t completed the circle of success until you help someone else move to a higher ground and get to a better place.” Source: Wall Street Journal

What struck a nerve with Robert Frank was the mention of the private jet. What a hypocrite. Let's not forget that Oprah Winfrey built her career from the basement up to the penthouse, so the speak. Since Oprah has the Midas touch, her comments may bode well for the private-jet industry, which has hit rock bottom due to the economic quagmire the country has found itself in. They have mounted a massive public relations campaign to get their business jump-started. Much to News Corp.'s chagrin, maybe these private jet companies, specifically Bombardier Aerospace, should use Oprah Winfrey as a spokesperson. Here's another nugget lurking in the Wall Street Journal article -- Oprah chose to purchase her private plane from a foreign country -- Canada, instead of one from the United States.

To Mr. Frank, let's not try to drag Oprah Winfrey in the middle of your narrow-minded scheme. Ms. Winfrey has done far more for poor children both in the United States, South Africa and other countries, than Rupert Murdoch has done for those in his native Australia and the U.S. She has sent more teenagers to college than Rupert Murdoch could ever imagine.

Oprah Winfrey's Elite South African Boarding School Rocked by Sex Scandal for Second Time

Photo: Getty Images, Oprah's Girls' School in South Africa


Oprah Winfrey's elite South African boarding school for girls has been rocked by another sex scandal, less than two year after the first one hit. According to the "Afrikaans on Sunday" newspaper, seven students were suspended last week for sexually harassing their schoolmates. That's how these girls thank Oprah for taking them out of a depressing life that was seemingly devoid of a future as a professional.

One 15-year-old was accused of preying on another pupil and forcing other girls to lie to investigators about it, the paper reported.

"You have been found guilty of physical contact of a sexual nature with another pupil on campus, harassment, bullying other girls on campus and of being dishonest by not telling investigators the whole truth," a letter to her parents read. Other girls were caught fondling each other or trying to get other girls to join them in lesbian liaisons, the paper reported.

Oprah's spokesperson, Lisa Halliday, confirmed the girls had been suspended from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy School for Girls - but gave few details. "It is because they contravened the school's code of conduct," she said. "We regard the incident as confidential." Source: NY Daily News

I remember when the school was opened and the pride beaming from Oprah's eyes at her accomplishment. She said that it was the proudest moment of her life when she opened the $46 million school near Johannesburg in January 2007 to help high achieving but poor South African girls. Let me echo the words of Barack Obama from the campaign trail, in as far as it pertains to these suspended girls -- "you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig." Oprah tried to help these girls, but they were rotten to the core from the start. Sorry, really rotten to the core. There is nothing wrong with being a lesbian, but it's what also accompanied this -- bullying and trying to force the girls to lie to investigators -- that's the real slap to Oprah.

The school, which aims to house 450 girls in grades seven through 12 by 2011, offered free tuition, books and uniforms, as well as room and board. In return, the girls were required to follow the rules.

Ten months later, Winfrey sobbed uncontrollably after 15 girls reported they had been sexually abused by Virginia Tiny Makgobo, a matron who was supposed to be watching over them.

The talk show queen said the sex abuse charges hit her especially hard because she was raped and molested by a cousin, uncle and family friend when she was 9. "I am a mama bear when it comes to protecting my children," she said at the time. "These girls are like my children. That's not just rhetoric for me. I take their futures and the possibility for what their futures hold very seriously."

Dorm matron Makgobo was charged with indecent assault, common assault, soliciting a minor to perform an indecent act and verbal abuse of girls at the school. She denies the charges and is due back in court on June 1. Source: NY Daily News

I know that Oprah will get a lot of flack for what has happened again. But she can only control what these young girls do to a point and no further. I recall when I first started attending Mt. Alvernia High School in Jamaica, the boarding school had been disbanded because some of the girls were trekking across the street to Cornwall Boys' School's boarding school for sexual liaisons. Well, some of the girls at Oprah's school are engaging in the same pattern of behavior. For what it is worth, Ms. Winfrey has been honorable in her goals for the school and deliberate in her convictions because of her life story. You can't blame her for trying, but these girls should be ashamed of themselves. She ought to send them back to the slums from whence they came.

Family Watch Dog Launches Website to Educate Parents and Children About Sex Offenders in their Communities

Family Watch Dog is the buzz this morning as parents learn about the website and how it's been put into place to protect our children from sex offenders. Www.FamilyWatchDog.com, which has been featured on popular TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dr Phil, is a website aimed toward protecting our children from local sex offenders. It is always a wise thing for parents to learn where these scumbags live and to take steps to protect their children.

The goal and purpose of Family Watch Dog: "Our goal at Family Watchdog is to provide you with the information you need to protect your loved ones. Our service allows you to view known registered offenders and predators in your area. Knowing who these people are and what they've done provides you with your best defense to protect your family - awareness."

The website also points out some very troubling statistics: one of five girls and one of six boys will be molested before their 18th birthday. Ninety percent of all incidents against children are by people the victim already knew.

Family Watch Dog Launches Website to Educate Parents and Children About Sex Offenders in their Communities

Family Watch Dog is the buzz this morning as parents learn about the website and how it's been put into place to protect our children from sex offenders. Www.FamilyWatchDog.com, which has been featured on popular TV shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dr Phil, is a website aimed toward protecting our children from local sex offenders. It is always a wise thing for parents to learn where these scumbags live and to take steps to protect their children.

The goal and purpose of Family Watch Dog: "Our goal at Family Watchdog is to provide you with the information you need to protect your loved ones. Our service allows you to view known registered offenders and predators in your area. Knowing who these people are and what they've done provides you with your best defense to protect your family - awareness."

The website also points out some very troubling statistics: one of five girls and one of six boys will be molested before their 18th birthday. Ninety percent of all incidents against children are by people the victim already knew.