BEVERLY HILLS—This week in Hollywood, it seemed as if we’d possibly stepped back in time and watched some of our brightest stars relive the lives of stars long before them. In the 1950s Hollywood had a shooting star on its canvas. Beautiful actress Barbara Payton was one of the hottest, most beautiful and talented young women in entertainment. She was the woman the tabloids loved, the press photographers were always lurking around her home and the night clubs she frequented, she dated all of the top leading men in the industry during that era and then her life was snuffed out by drugs and behavior that we see in the lives of stars today in many ways. Barbara was also a victim of domestic abuse on many occasions, and it’s sad that we are still dealing with this today in Hollywood.
Last weekend Hollywood Hills resident Paris Hilton was arrested yet again. This time her arrest was in the city of Las Vegas, where police were talking to her and a stash of cocaine allegedly fell out of her purse. Hilton immediately said that the purse was not hers. After admitting that everything else in the purse belonged to her, Hilton reportedly later said she thought the cocaine was a pack of gum.
Hilton did one thing right. She quickly contacted some attorneys, including Lisa Bloom, who is one of the best attorneys in the nation. Now being represented by famed Las Vegas defense attorney David Chesnoff, Hilton is silent about the felony cocaine possession charges she now faces. In a statement to the media, attorney Chesnoff stated in part, “I encourage people not to rush to judgment until all of the facts have been dealt with in a court of law.”
Just as important as having a great agent, manager and publicist in Hollywood, stars today seem to need a battery of attorneys in order to represent their interests. Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton seem to be following in the footsteps of the late Barbara Payton. Lis Wiehl, a former prosecutor, best-selling author and Fox News legal analyst feels that these young ladies are not taking things seriously enough. “First off, they need to tell the truth and not make up stories, such as, this isn’t my purse [Paris Hilton] and then changing that story to, well it is my purse but it’s not my cocaine. Lies make everything worse. So, say nothing and get a lawyer, or, if you’re going to talk, tell the truth. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone pays for those mistakes in one way or another, and I believe in renewal and second chances,” said Lis, the author of “Face of Betrayal.”
Perhaps Lohan and Hilton should follow the advice of Mel Gibson in one matter. In the firestorm of allegations of alleged domestic battery, he’s remained silent, even though public opinion sways back and forth in support of him, then in support of Oksana, his former girlfriend who claims physical and verbal abuse at the Academy-award winner’s hands.
Famed advocate’s attorney Gloria Allred tells Canyon News that any woman who is being physically abused should do two important things immediately. “See a lawyer with experience in domestic violence and family law immediately for information about your options, and also contact a battered woman’s hotline for support. Don’t stay in any type of abusive relationship,” said Allred.
Robin Sax, an advocate’s attorney in Los Angeles, who has sources within the L.A. County prosecutor’s office said, “I will be very shocked if Mel Gibson is not charged for the domestic abuse arising from the alleged January 6, 2010 incident. From what I can see it’s not ”˜if’ Mel gets charged, it’s when does he get charged. The DA’s office wont rush things. They will make sure that they give the case the proper investigation and care that it needs before making the final decisions of what charges and misdemeanor versus felony.”
Author John O’Dowd who wrote the best-selling “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” which became the definitive biography on the late star Barbara Payton, tells Canyon News, “I can’t tell you how it grieves me to see girls like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and several others of that ilk, throw away the many benefits and blessings that have been given to them, all because of what seems like a total disregard and disrespect of other people, coupled with their own rampant, and I think, almost pathological, self-centeredness. Just as I came to see through my research for Barbara’s book how severely psychologically damaged she was, I have also become keenly aware of the deeply disturbed mind-set in a lot of these girls. Lindsay Lohan is already well on her way to following the same dire path as Barbara did to an early grave. She is every bit as self-sabotaging and self-loathing as Barbara was.”
Is it too late to change these stars’ lives? Maybe not. Time will tell! Have a great week!
Tommy on Soaps-Examiner exclusive feature – The Soap Insider – Detroit Soap Opera | Examiner.com
Follow us and get all the breaking news in Hollywood on Twitter @cnewspaper and @thesfnews
Photographs Courtesy: Paris Hilton’s booking photo by Las Vegas Police Department and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” cover by Author John O’Dowd and Bear Manor Publishing
DISCLAIMER: This article was a contribution made by an outside agency or person. The content has not been verified by Canyon News. Please exercise your due diligence prior to relying on this article for factual information. Canyon News is not responsible for the views, words, and opinions of contributors.
