Jul 2nd, 2002
7/2/02
Extra TV
She's the pretty, peppy, petite dance diva, Grammy-winning best-selling recording talent, former Laker girl, and now a judge on the hit talent search TV show "American Idol." But it was Paula Abdul who recently went before a judge, saying, "I'm upset. I'm angry. I'm frustrated."
It was an ad, for the Hollywood 48 Hour Miracle Diet, placed in fashion magazines like Vanity Fair, that did the damage. She says, "There is no way my name could be attached to something like that."
You may have seen the commercials, promising a miracle: a fit new you in just 48 hours. What was miraculous to Paula though, was that her name was used to promote the weight loss product, saying the star had been "rushed" the fruit juice formula. The ads also claim superstars Jerry Seinfeld and Courtney Cox had been rushed the formula too.
Paula says, "All three of us had something in common. We bought a Porsche from the same Porsche dealership."
That dealership was owned by James Kabler, the same guy selling this diet drink. The man admits he tossed a bottle of his product into the trunk of the Porsche bought by Ms. Abdul. Paula says, "And therefore he had every right to say I endorsed that drink. Isn't that great?"
The misleading connection to the diet product was all the more outrageous because the dancer once struggled with an eating disorder.
So, Paula pounded out a lawsuit. Incredibly, the juice makers responded with an even stranger claim. She says, "Out and out lies that not only do I drink it, I was in their office holding it. In fact, I got on their table in their office and started singing 'Straight Up' while I was drinking it."
Despite the defendant's vivid imagination, Ms. Abdul ultimately prevailed, talking exclusively with "Extra." She says, "I've waited for the proper forum to talk about winning this lawsuit."
It's a win that got her nearly one million dollars from the defendants and a personal apology. Kabler saying, "I sincerely apologize to Ms. Abdul for what I did."
Now, Ms. Abdul, who passes judgment on Hollywood hopefuls on TV, knows the satisfaction of pursuing something she believes in. She says, "They messed with the wrong girl."
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