An Open Letter...

... to Oprah Winfrey:

Dear Ms. Winfrey --

I am appalled at your pursuit of an interview with Jaycee Dugard.

"I want that interview," Oprah told Samantha Harris. "Obviously, like everybody else in this business, I have 'my people' working on that. Now, this is the truth...I really don't care about getting interviews first and all that stuff....Really, truly, I don't play that game. I feel like if somebody wants to talk to me, they will talk to me. If they don't want to talk to me and they want to talk to whomever, fine. But this is the one I want."

Oprah added, "It's the first time I have ever called up a producer and said, 'Are we on this story? Because I want that interview!'"

That young woman has already been exploited for other people's needs and wants for over half her life. I have tremendous respect for the fact that her family has shielded and protected her and kept her and her children away from the prying eyes of the media so that she can begin the long road to healing.

I, for one, don't want to know all the salacious details of her sad life as a kidnap victim, and I find your interest in dragging her onto your show like a sideshow freak prurient at best and abusive at worst. The only way you could make it worse would be to drag out Dr. Phil to pry into her psyche and Doctors Katz and Oz to opine on her health and well being.

If you feel empathy for her, then send the family an anonymous donation to use towards the years of therapy she will most certainly need... then step the hell back, and leave her alone.

One would think that as a victim of abuse yourself, you'd have more common sense and decency. It's clear your fame and fortune have completely gotten in the way of your humanity.

Sincerely,

Leslie Spiller

_____

Update: If you agree, please cross-post or write your own post and link. This just makes me sick at heart.