Dr Phil: Lewinsky Defense
Dr Phil’s guest, Heather, first made headlines thanks to a 1999 car crash that killed her then-fiance, Neil Esposito. She was charged with second degree manslaughter for driving 120 miles per hour at the time of the crash.
She went on trial for this crime in 2004, but her lawyer’s so-called Lewinsky Defense helped to get her acquitted. Her fiance’s body was found with his pants down, and Heather’s lawyer argued that she was performing an intimate act when the accident occurred.
Four years later, in 2008, she made news again. Her 15-year-old son Brandon died five years ago, and her ex-husband Brian thinks she was responsible for his death. Why? Brian said that she is delusional.
Dr Phil: Providing Alcohol To Teens
Mom Heather, who was acquitted of a death via the Lewinsky Defense, faced her ex on Dr Phil to talk about their 15-year-old son’s overdose death in 2008.
Brian said that Heather bought vodka and beer for her son, at his request. She hosted him and a friend at their home, and that friend, Chris, passed out around 12:00. Brandon, who had been drinking, left with Heather’s car to pick up another friend, Travis.
Travis came back to the house, and the drinking continued. Brandon also took some of Heather’s morphine tablets, which he crushed and snorted while continuing to drink. Travis wanted to go home, and Heather admitted that Brandon was too drunk to drive.
Heather drove Travis home, with Brandon in the back seat. By the time they got back home, it seemed like Brandon was falling asleep. Chris suggested that they take him to the hospital, given the drugs and alcohol he had consumed.
Dr Phil: I Killed My Baby
Brian believed that Heather did not want to be held responsible for buying her son alcohol, so she did not take him to the hospital. Instead, she gave him a pillow and blanket, letting him sleep in the car, where he died sometime in the morning.
Heather called Brian instead of calling 911, and he said she told him, “I killed my baby.” He now calls her a monster. But Heather is tired of being blamed. I should note that, even in the pre-taped video, Heather is slurring her speech.
Her version of the story is that she had no idea what was going on. She claimed she poured alcohol down the drain so they could not drink it. She said she went to sleep, and had no knowledge that the boys were snorting drugs.
Dr Phil: Why Was Heather Acquitted?
When she woke up the next morning, she could not get Brandon to wake up. She sat across from Brian on Dr Phil’s stage, and he said he was sorry for their loss.
Brian said that the police, the Department of Children and Family Services support his contention that Heather is culpable in this death. There was a separate civil case, in addition to the criminal charges of which she was acquitted.
According to Brian, the judge in the criminal case did not allow all the witnesses to testify, which helped her case. She said that alleged abuse by Brian was also excluded from the trial, and went on to say that Brandon never should have been in her care, because she was in failing health.
Dr Phil: Your Mother Is a Loser
Dr Phil noted that Brian had custody of Brandon, but the teen was staying with his mother for longer than the period specified in the custody agreement. Heather said it was because Brian abused him.
But Brian said that Heather’s negative influence caused their son to get off track and have problems with drugs and alcohol. Dr Phil found out that Brian encouraged Brandon to stay with his mother to “see what a loser she is,” which he admitted.
Dr Phil wondered why someone would say that to a child, and why a custodial parent would place a child in a potentially unsafe situation. Brian backpedaled and claimed he never could have imagined this conclusion.
Dr Phil: No Prior Knowledge
“I had no knowledge that she was giving anyone alcohol and drugs at any time prior to this,” Brian said, which I think is a contradiction. Heather could not keep her thoughts to herself, and insisted that Brian broke Brandon’s nose.
This is just sad. Why do people agree to go on Dr Phil? I guess I’m just not confrontational enough to thrive in this type of forum.
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