As you likely know, actress and former Mrs. Ashton Kutcher Demi Moore was rushed to the hospital last week amid claims she’d been dabbling in, among other things, whip-its- which are the little highs obtained by inhaling nitrous oxide.
The frantic call made to 911 was discussed widely in the news and on gossip blogs, but when it was finally released, many who had been exposed to details of the tape said that parts of it had been redacted- most notably, information regarding which substances the caller believed Moore may have been dabbling in that evening. Obscuring some personal information in relation to public disclosure of information bordering on personal is common practice, but sources like celebrity news blog TMZ say that Demi may have gotten a bit of special consideration due to her star status.
According to Fox News , Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan denies Moore’s case was handled any differently than, say, yours would be:
“We generally recommend the fire department redact any private information as well as any medical references. We err on the side of caution. We generally recommend that exact substances be redacted to protect individuals as well as our own liability.”
Mateljan continued:
“We apply the same guidelines to any 911 tape that comes into our office,… The person’s celebrity status, real or perceived, does not factor into our recommendations to the fire department. If they get a public records request, we review it.”
However, criminal attorney Joey Jackson spoke to Fox and opined that in the case of a non-famous person, the circumstances may have been quite different:
“While her underlying medical records may be privileged, the circumstances leading to her to be hospitalization are not. The fact that a person may consume drugs or medications are customarily matters of public concern and are disclosed to the public as a matter of course. What makes this case different, is the involvement of a celebrity.”
Do you think Moore received special treatment in relation to the release of her 911 call?
