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Ongoing News of the ‘American Idol’ Scandal: Corey’s Story Takes More Lumpsby David Bloomberg -- 05/09/2005
View Printable version of this article As the Paula and Corey story moves into its second week, we have gotten precious few new details on the allegations of an illicit affair – from either side. I noted in my previous article on the topic that I felt Corey’s best evidence was the phone bills showing he had talked to Paula for extended periods of time. Since then, that piece of evidence has significantly fallen in value as several other Idols have publicly stated that they were given Paula’s phone number as well and talked to her. 
Another strike against Corey is that he has flat-out refused to help American Idol producers investigate the story. On the one hand, he claims he just wants the truth to be known, but on the other he won’t help in the search for that truth. And we still haven’t heard an answer to the question of how Corey supposedly got out of the locked-down house in which all the finalists were staying. That point was deftly ignored in the Primetime Live report and has continued to go unaddressed since then. The closest we’ve gotten was Corey talking to Trenyce and Carmen Rasmusen on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight on Friday, with Corey saying his bedroom was away from most of the others (though near Ruben's and Rickey's) and close to the exit. But that still doesn't answer the question of how he actually got out of the house. Indeed, Vanessa Olivarez told a reporter, "These allegations that he's making as far as, oh, being able to sneak out of the mansion at night and things like that – security was very, very, very tight.” On an MSNBC show, Carmen further noted that when anybody came to the mansion or hotel where they were staying, the driver had to provide details. Similarly, any contestant going out had to also provide an explanation. Yet Corey was supposedly able to do this routinely? Not only did Corey go out, of course, but he was supposedly seen with Paula, being affectionate. Also on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight, one of the hosts wondered Corey about this, asking Corey if she told him to keep it quiet. “Oh, yes,” replied Corey. “That was the precedent from the get-go, even before she said it.” So we are to believe that at the same time Paula was going out in public with him, including to a club where she was being affectionate toward him, she was also telling him to be quiet about it. That makes no sense whatsoever. Apparently I’m not the only one who found that a little odd. Carmen also questioned Corey about that on the CNN show, pointing out that the tabloids were all over them at the time and wondering how they kept it a secret. His reply? “That was my job.” Wow, that’s a piss-poor response. But speaking of poor responses, Paula is guilty of that as well. In fact, she has yet to issue an actual denial of Corey’s claims. Instead, she has put out a non-denial denial, saying she’s not going to dignify Corey’s claims with a response. And then she went on Saturday Night Live to make fun of it all. Huh? My conclusion from the way she has been acting is that some of what Corey has said may be true. For example, maybe she did feel sorry/amused about him forgetting his lines and serenading her. So maybe she offered him some help and did give him her phone number. As already noted, other contestants had her phone number as well and there are indications that she was a bit of a “den mother” to the contestants. Corey might not have been the only one she advised a bit, and as such she might not want to come out and flat-out say that everything Corey said was a lie. 
However, if she starts picking and choosing what parts she says are lies, she will be expected to go down the list of allegations, putting her in a tough spot. So by dismissing the whole thing, she doesn’t have to do that publicly. But people still want to know the answers. Millions of viewers deserve to know the answers. At this point, from what evidence we’ve seen, I believe that there is little or nothing of substance in Corey’s claims, especially as they relate to an affair with Paula. If Paula was indeed helping Corey and possibly others, it needs to stop. She is there to judge and comment, not aid behind the scenes. It’s up to the producers to determine if she went too far. At this point, it would not surprise me either way if she stays with Idol after this season or is replaced with somebody else. Even if she did nothing wrong, in Hollywood perception rules, and if the producers believe public perception is such that it would hurt their ratings, that may be all it takes. Then again, when Showbiz Tonight had an unscientific poll of whether Paula should stay or go, 71% said she should stick around. So it could be that most people just don’t care – and will care even less by next January, when the Idol train rolls around again. David Bloomberg is the Editor of Foxes On Idol, and can be reached at RNO@pobox.com. Be sure to sign up for the RealityNewsOnline/FoxesOnIdol e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on both sites! For all of our articles, check out our sections on American Idol, American Juniors, Nashville Star, and Canadian Idol. Also make sure to check out RealityNewsOnline for recaps and articles covering other reality TV shows. For even more news about reality TV, be sure to check SirLinksALot: American Idol and Reality TV Fever! View Printable version of this article
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