Access Blogs
Access Video Blogs
Reflections On My 'Larry King' Appearance
It turned out to be quite a memorable evening. I got the message on my blackberry about 3:15 in the afternoon. The producers from "Larry King Live" wanted me to be a guest on Larry’s show that evening at 6:00 PM (PST) to discuss the funeral of Donda West – mother of Kanye. I was surprised because tonight’s show had been well publicized as having the surgeon who had operated on West as a guest for the full hour. It was huge “get” for the "LKL" show because many media outlets had been wanting to talk to Dr. Jan Adams to hear his side of the story about what happened during the surgery.
I read the message further – Dr. Adams’ flight to New York was delayed so producers were putting together a panel of people that would fill time until the doctor arrived. If he were to show up in time to be on the beginning of the show, the contingency panel would not be on, which I totally understood.
I rushed to get ready. During the drive to the CNN studio, I kept thinking about what the doctor was going to say. I had been covering this story since I heard the devastating news that Dr. Donda West had died suddenly. I had just had an exclusive sit-down with both her and Kanye a couple of months ago in Chicago when they asked me to host a charity event for the Kanye West Foundation.
She was quite an impressive woman – a college professor who raised Kanye as a single mom and then quit her job to become his manager.
I arrived at the studio about 5:00 PM and was escorted to the green room where guests sit and relax before going on air. The "LKL" producer greeted us and thanked us for coming even though there was a chance we would not actually be on the show. He told us that Dr. Jan Adams had landed in New York (the show paid for his ticket) and was en route to the studio and they were very confident that he was going to make the top of the show.
5:40 PM – the producer comes back in the green room and says Adams still had not made it and to prepare to go on. He told us that he would give us another update as soon as he could.
5:50 PM – this time, no update and we were soon going out find out why. We were escorted down the hall and into the studio where we were seated at the desk where Larry King does his interviews when he is in Los Angeles.
The show opens and, as all the entire audience then saw, Larry said that Dr. Adams was indeed in the green room in New York and ready to come out for an interview but, had received a stern letter from the Kanye West family saying they would seek to revoke his license if he appeared and said anything about Donda West. Back in the LA studio, I could feel this was going to be a show of surprises, as my role was quickly changing.
Larry then tosses to the panel and we discuss various aspects of the story – the doctor and his background, plastic surgery, the West family, etc. I chose to concentrate on the legacy of Donda West and how her family had a grand and regal service for her at a 2500-seat church outside of Oklahoma City. I spoke about the outpouring of support from family and friends that Kanye received including from his celebrity friends Beyonce, Jay-Z and Common -- John Legend and Anita Baker performed.
I talked about the strong mother-son bond between the two and how, despite his tough exterior, Kanye was really a momma’s boy. During the service, Kanye spoke briefly, saying that his mother would have told him to get up and say something, so he did. He said she always told him not to be afraid because, if you are, this world will walk all over you. Many people have wondered why he continued to perform before his mother’s funeral, to which I answered, 'Everyone grieves in their own way,' and that, 'Kanye feels his mother would want him to continue on.'
Next, came the bombshell. Larry opens the next segment with Jan Adams at the desk supposedly there to tell his side of the story. But instead, he tells Larry and an audience of millions that he wants to “respect” the West family’s "wishes” and not say anything about the case. We were thinking, at this point, that he was going to talk about the other malpractice cases against him, the DUI’s and all the negative press. But instead, 91 seconds into his “interview,” he abruptly takes off this mic, stands up, shakes Larry’s hand and walks off the set. We were all stunned. Shocked.
We could not believe what we were seeing.
I thought, “He’s actually leaving.”
According to one reporter, when Jan Adams went back into the green room, he said, “That made for great television.”
The feedback that I have been getting has been that the doctor did not do himself any great favors by making a show of “theatrics.” There are those who are reserving judgment until they hear the entire story from Jan Adams. When that will be, no one knows.
In the meantime, we must all remember, during this so-called “great television,” a woman has lost her life, a son has lost his mother, and a lot of people are left wondering, 'Why?'
Jan Adams is a publicity ho. He could have just called in.
RIP to Dr. West.
he did something wrong, he needs to pay for it.