• Lance Armstrong joins the ranks of famous TV confessors

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    When Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah Winfrey airs Thursday, he'll become a member of a very specific club: disgraced public figures who've addressed their wrongdoings by way of television. Whether the truth-telling is a matter of national concern or mostly a step in repairing an image (and often, a subsequent livelihood) the medium continues to be the most reliable way of getting a message out to the masses.

    George Burns / Reuters

    Cyclist Lance Armstrong is interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in Austin, Texas, on Jan. 14.

    When you look at some of the more notable mea culpas of the past several decades, they can be split mostly into two camps. First, there's the method we'll call the confessional. Whether doing it before a room full of reporters or scores of people watching at home, the apology basically consists of one uninterrupted speech delivered directly into the camera. Advantages here include being able to steer the message in whatever way is most productive. "It's quick, for a relatively painless and simple situation," Howard Bragman, longtime crisis publicist and vice chairman of Reputation.com tells TODAY.com. Disadvantages? Look again at that part about reporters and people watching at home. 


    This was David Letterman's approach, when he came clean about an affair he had with a staffer. "I've had sex with women who work on this show," he said before a live audience in 2009.

    Tiger Woods in 2012 did a more traditional press conference version of the confessional when he said he was "deeply sorry" for the numerous affairs he had and for his unbecoming behavior, and promised to "start living a life of integrity."

    One of the most famous apologies that follows this trope goes back more than a decade, when in 2008 Bill Clinton addressed the American public and confessed that he "did have a relationship with Monica Lewinsky." 

    It was a metered response in a prepared speech delivered in an environment that left little to dissect. A single close-up shot doesn't leave much for the body language experts to interpret; the only things to be picked apart were the words themselves. It's an approach that's much safer than the second approach, the no-less-opted-for interview confession. That approach is for "when you're really trying to drum up some emotional support," according to Bragman. While the reward for a successful mea culpa under these circumstances might be great, so are the risks. The line of questioning rests squarely in the hands of the interviewer and there's far more room for error.

    Mel Gibson opted for this approach with Diane Sawyer, where he addressed an anti-Semitic rant during a traffic stop that landed him in headlines. He explained that he didn't know the arresting officer was Jewish, and "a few drinks later I was in the back of a police car, wailing."

    Who can forget Hugh Grant's "Tonight Show" interview in 1995 after he was arrested for soliciting a prostitute? Jay Leno opened with "What the hell were you thinking?"

    Of course, there have been others. Alec Baldwin apologized on "The View" for that infamous voice mail to his young daughter; Kanye West on "The Tonight Show" for interrupting Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the Video Music Awards; the list goes on.

    Odds are good that Armstrong's interview will be compared to another one conducted by Winfrey -- that of disgraced "A Million Little Pieces" author James Frey. After Winfrey sang the book's praises, it came to light that Frey fabricated vast portions of it. Winfrey confronted him about it in 2006, saying Frey "conned us all," but the two really hashed Frey's (and Winfrey's) missteps in 2011 during a lengthy interview that aired on OWN. "I created the situation," Frey said.

    Regardless of the method of delivery, every on-air apology and confession has been dissected after the fact, and to varying degrees been labelled successful or not. Has every apology withstood the test of time? They have, insofar as we still talk about them. And one common denominator among them all stands out: in every case outlined above, the careers of the blighted have all marched on.

    And after we're done questioning Armstrong the way each apologist before him has been questioned -- was he sincere? thorough? too calculating? REALLY sorry? --  that's what we'll be left to wonder. Can Armstrong make a comeback? If history is a predictor, then it looks like he can.

    "But forgiveness is not an on/off switch," Bragman points out. "He (Armstrong) will need to take measure of time. Then, and only then can he start to rebuild something."

    Which televised confession do you remember the best? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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  • Lance Armstrong to address alleged doping in interview with Oprah

    Lucas Jackson / Reuters file

    Lance Armstrong is set to discuss his doping allegations in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    Oprah Winfrey has landed a sit-down, "no holds barred" interview with Lance Armstrong, her network OWN announced Tuesday. The cyclist will address the alleged doping scandal, years of accusations of cheating and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs throughout his storied cycling career, according to the release.

    An exclusive interview with the disgraced cyclist is precisely what media outlets have been clamoring for. Not only have rumors of his use of performance-enhancing drugs been rampant for years now, but in recent months he's been given a lifetime ban from the sport of cycling; was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles; stepped down as chairman from Livestrong, his cancer-research foundation; and has lost nearly all endorsements, including those from Nike and Budweiser.

    Since these developments, Armstrong has said very little. In fact, the last statement he made publicly, which he linked to on his  Twitter account, was in October, in response to stepping down from Livestrong. In that statement, he did not explicitly admit to wrongdoing, but only said he was leaving Livestrong "to spare the foundation any negative effects as a result of controversy surrounding my cycling career."


    Rumors that Armstrong might be considering admitting to his drug use originally surfaced during the weekend of Jan. 5.

    The Winfrey interview, which will air as a 90-minute episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter," will be broadcast on OWN on Thursday, Jan. 17, at 9 p.m.

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  • David Letterman talks sex scandal: 'I have nobody to blame but myself'

    George Burns / OWN

    Oprah had a no holds barred interview with David Letterman.

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    For the first time since David Letterman publicly admitted he had an affair and then apologized to his "horribly hurt" wife in 2009,  the late-night host talks about the scandal to Oprah Winfrey in the upcoming episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter."

    Billed as a "no holds barred" interview, Letterman tells he has "no one to blame but myself" for the sex scandal.

    But things have gotten better since then. "Now, I feel better about myself, my relationship with my wife is never better, and it’s just because I want to be the person I always thought I was and probably was pretending I was," he said. "And so far, it’s been great. Things have been great. I hurt a lot of people. I have nobody to blame but myself. I’m not looking to blame anybody. I’m looking to find out why I behaved the way I behaved."

    The interview also includes frank talk about Letterman's assumed NBC rival Jay Leno. Letterman contends that the idea there's a rivalry between the two is not true.

    "Jay and I were friends. We were always friends before all of this happened," he says of being passed over to take over Johnny Carson's seat.


    "He has a way, he’s an unusual fellow. I’ve never met anyone quite like Jay," Letterman tells Oprah of the "Tonight Show" host. "And I will say -- and I’m happy to say -- that I think he is the funniest guy I’ve ever known. Just flat out, if you go to see him do his night club act, just the funniest. The smartest, a wonderful observationist and very appealing as a comic."

    See what else he has to say about his scandal and more when "Oprah's Next Chapter" airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on OWN.

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  • KONY 2012 creator Jason Russell talks to Oprah about his public meltdown

    By Courtney Hazlett, TODAY

    Jason Russell, the co-founder of the non-profit Invisible Children and the creator of the viral-video campaign KONY 2012, is speaking out for the first time since his very public meltdown.

    Russell gained worldwide attention early this year with his campaign calling for the arrest of Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony. In March, he drew attention of a different kind when a video out of San Diego showed him naked, slapping the street and acting strangely. He was eventually detained and taken to a medical facility, and at the time, exhaustion was blamed.

    Now, Russell talks to Oprah Winfrey in a new episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter," saying that the person people saw in the moments before he was detained was not really him.

    In an excerpt of the interview obtained by USA Today, Russell says that he only has "a little memory" of what happened, though he remembers "flipping off cars" and running around a lemon tree, and cites "reports" of stopping cars and laying in the street. "It's really hard to explain if people have never had an out-of-body experience, but it really wasn't me. That wasn't me, that person on the street corner ranting and raving and naked is not me, that's not who I am."


    Russell goes on to acknowledge, according to USA Today, that he was "walking around snapping my fingers up and down" and "slapping my hands on the ground as hard as I can. Just slapping them on the ground. Talking to myself. Ranting. Raving. Talking about good versus evil, God and the devil. I mean it was just very out of control."

    The complete interview airs on OWN Sunday at 9 ET. Russell is due to appear on TODAY Monday, Oct. 8.

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  • Stephen Colbert opens up to Oprah about losing father, brothers in plane crash

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    Earlier this year, Stephen Colbert put "The Colbert Report" on hiatus as he -- reportedly, never confirmed -- headed home to his ailing 91-year-old mother, Lorna. On his return, Colbert told his audience, "Evidently having 11 children makes you tough as nails. Confidential to a lovely lady."

    And he went on with the show. But on "Oprah's Next Chapter" Sunday night, Colbert put aside that "Colbert Report" persona and had an intimate chat with the former Queen of Daytime. They talked about many things, most poignantly about how losing his father and two teenaged brothers when he was 10 in a plane crash affected him for years afterward.

    "That was my secret name," he explained to Oprah, saying that the loss was something he kept inside himself. "That loss was my name.... I liked the idea that you have a secret name. ... And that's a name that no one can ever really pronounce, you know, because it's who you are. There's a magic to your secret name."

    He had a hard time grieving, and the fallout followed him all the way to college, where he dropped 50 pounds in his freshman year. "I was in bad shape," he said. "I was just green ... I was so sad about it."

    But he also talked about joy in his life; Oprah reminded him that he'd called "The Colbert Report" "the joy machine" once. Both agreed that happiness might be overrated, but joy was something else entirely. 

    So what brings Colbert his deepest joy today? "To be with (his) wife and children."


    Be sure to check out the video above, and go here for more clips from Oprah's chat with Stephen Colbert!

    What did you think of the interview? Were you surprised to see Stephen Colbert show his serious side? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Jennifer Hudson tells Oprah she's forgiven family's killer: 'It's not his fault'

    George Burns/Harpo Studios. Inc 2012

    Julia Hudson (left) joins celebrity sister Jennifer Hudson on "Oprah's Next Chapter."

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    On Sunday night's "Oprah's Next Chapter," the veteran talk-show host spoke to Jennifer Hudson about the tragedy that struck the entertainer's family four years ago, when Hudson's estranged brother-in-law murdered her mother, brother and nephew. The difficult discussion led to an unexpected revelation from Hudson: Not only has she forgiven William Balfour for killing her loved ones, but she doesn't even hold him completely responsible for his actions.

    "For the most part, it's not his fault," Hudson said.

    That's a perspective she has despite having attended every day of Balfour's trial for the slayings and despite hearing a judge declare that Balfour has "the heart of an arctic night" and a soul "as barren as dark space."

    "It's what he was taught, how he was brought up," Hudson explained.

    And it was a far cry from her own upbringing.

    "You never had a chance," she said regarding Balfour. "Had you had the love my mother gave us, or the background, you know, that some have, then you would've stood a chance."

    That's part of what helped her find forgiveness for the man -- that as well as a lesson she and her sister Julia, who was also present for the interview, learned from their late mother.


    "I always say the greatest gift our mother gave us was introducing us to Christ and bringing us up in church," Hudson explained in a bonus clip on Oprah.com. "I feel like that's the base, that's the foundation and that's what keeps me doubtless and grounded and I think of it every day."

     

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  • Jennifer Hudson, sister talk family tragedy with Oprah

    George Burns/Harpo Studios. Inc 2012

    Julia Hudson (left) joins celebrity sister Jennifer Hudson on "Oprah's Next Chapter."

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    It's been four years since Jennifer Hudson suffered the tragic loss of her mother, brother and nephew at the hands of her sister's estranged husband, William Balfour. In July, a judge sentenced Balfour to three life sentences for his crimes following a trial that saw the Oscar-winning entertainer in attendance daily.

    Understandably, Hudson decided not to discuss the details surrounding the tragedy publicly -- until now.

    On an all-new episode of "Oprah's Next Chapter," she's joined by her sister, Julia, as the two share tears and their own personal accounts.

    "When you discovered the murders, you knew immediately who had done it?" Oprah Winfrey asked the pair.

    Julia nodded, while her celebrity sister added, "We all did."


    But Hudson's "Next Chapter" appearance won't focus solely on the sadness. In fact, during another segment, she's joined by fiancé David Otunga, father of her 3-year-old son, David, and reveals that she desperately wants to add another member to the family.

    "That is the next part of my dream," she said. "I really want a little girl."

    "Oprah's Next Chapter" airs Sunday, Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. on OWN.

    Are you surprised Hudson has decided to discuss her personal tragedy publicly? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

     

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  • David Copperfield talks to Oprah about sexual assault allegations

    George Burns / Harpo, Inc.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Illusionist David Copperfield has made a career of making big things -- really big things -- disappear, or at least seem to. From a seven-ton jet to the Statue of Liberty, Copperfield’s wowed audiences with his vanishing acts. But making personal woes go away has proved far trickier for Copperfield.

    In 2007, he found himself the subject of serious, criminal allegations when a woman claimed he sexually assaulted her at his Bahamas home. Although charges were never brought against Copperfield and his accuser was later arrested for making a false sexual assault accusation in another case, he still can’t shake the stigma of the allegations. He opens up about the ongoing issue in an interview with Oprah Winfrey on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”

    “To be falsely accused of something that horrendous is a devastating thing for yourself, your friends, you family, really bad,” Copperfield explained. “When the truth comes out -- you know she was arrested, not me -- finally things you know come to light. Unfortunately, in the press, what happens is ...”


    “People remember the charge,” Winfrey added. “They don’t remember the exoneration.”

    But it’s more than that, according to Copperfield.

    “Not only exoneration, but I was the victim,” he said. “Big difference.”

    “Oprah’s Next Chapter” airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on OWN.

     

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  • Kim Kardashian tells Oprah her romance with Kanye West is no 'publicity stunt'

    By Us Weekly

    Eric Ryan / Getty Images file

    They may be in the spotlight, but Kim Kardashian insists her relationship with Kanye West isn't about publicity.

    Now hear this, naysayers: Kimye is the real deal!

    On part two of the Kardashian family's extensive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey on "Oprah's Next Chapter" on OWN Sunday, Kim Kardashian once again defended her surprisingly intense romance with Kanye West.

    Winfrey -- familiar with the 31-year-old's penchant for lightning fast romances that often fizzle out -- asked the reality star, "Is Kanye West your new fairy tale?"

    VIDEO: Kim explains what she loves most about Kanye

    Explained Kim: "We met almost a decade ago, we've known each other for a very long time, we've been friends for six or seven years," she said of the Grammy-winning rapper, 35. "I don't know why it took us so long to get together. I think we've always had an attraction to each other, but we've always been in other relationships or it wasn't the right timing."

    PHOTOS: Kim and Kanye's cutest moments

    Kardashian's most talked-about relationship was with Kris Humphries, from whom she filed for divorce last October after just 72 days.

    "One day it (the relationship with West) just happened," she offered. "It took me by surprise."

    And it's anything but a publicity stunt, she insisted to Winfrey. "It's your heart you're playing with," she said. "I couldn't sacrifice my heart for a publicity stunt."

    PHOTOS: Why they're perfect for each other

    Although she denied talk of an imminent wedding or plans to move in together, she admitted, "To have him in my life this way, says a lot about us."

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  • 50 Cent tells Oprah why he named dog after her

    Mark Davis / Getty Images

    50 Cent has a dog named after Oprah Winfrey.

    By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, NBC News

    It sure sounds like an uncomfortable situation: Explaining to a person you've been known to feud with why you named your dog after her. But that's just what rapper 50 Cent had to do when he sat down with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey for an upcoming episode of her OWN show, "Oprah's Next Chapter," People reports.

    The musician and the talk mogul have had issues in the past. In 2006, 50 Cent and other rappers complained that Winfrey was intentionally keeping them off her show.

    50 Cent at first told the host he thought naming his schnauzer Oprah was "cute," but later admitted his feelings towards her came into play when choosing it, though he tried to paint the situation in the best possible light.

    "At the time I was just looking at the situation and I saw I was developing negative feelings for someone who doesn't even know me," he told Winfrey. "I gave it to the dog because I was excited about the dog."


    Winfrey told the rapper that she considered the dog's name a compliment to her, "whether you meant it to be one or not," but later admitted she knew it wasn't meant as a compliment at the time.

    She later flat-out asked him if he had greater affection for her now than when he gave her name to the dog, and the musician said, "Absolutely."

    The rapper also has a Twitter account in his dog's name and often tweets photos of and notes from the pooch. "I (have) a babysitter for her when I travel," he told Winfrey.

    Turns out 50 Cent also has a cat named for Winfrey's best friend, Gayle King. And Oprah told the rapper she herself has five dogs.

    Why 50 Cent Named His Dog Oprah

    He's got a schnauzer named Oprah and a cat named Gayle. Watch as rapper 50 Cent explains why he chose these names for his pets—and why Oprah takes it as a compliment (whether he meant it as one or not).

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  • Should Oprah Winfrey leave Whitney Houston's teenage daughter alone?

    Harpo / AP

    Oprah Winfrey interviewed Whitney Houston in 2009 and now will speak to the late singer's family, including her teen daughter.

    By Courtney Garcia

    A brief preview of Oprah Winfrey’s exclusive interview with Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, has been released, offering a glimpse of what’s to come during the Houston family’s first sit-down talk since the pop star’s death.

    The discussion, a special episode of “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” also includes a conversation with Houston’s brother, Gary, and sister-in-law, Patricia.

     “As a big brother, how did you feel about (Houston's controversial ex-husband) Bobby Brown?” Winfrey asks Gary in the spot, which doesn't reveal his answer.

    Winfrey is also seen hugging Houston's only child, Brown, who just turned 19.

    Sneak Preview: Oprah Interviews Whitney Houston's Family

    On Sunday, March 11, Oprah sits down with Whitney Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina; her sister-in-law, Patricia Houston; and her brother, Gary Houston, on a special episode of Oprah's Next Chapter airing at 9/8c, only on OWN. Bobbi Kristina shares personal memories of her mom and how she would like the iconic superstar to be remembered. The family also addresses the rumors and speculation surrounding Houston's death. Watch a sneak preview now.


     

    The special, which airs March 11 on OWN, has some viewers questioning whether Winfrey's motivation for the interview comes too early for the grieving family.

    The show will run a month after Houston was found dead in the bathtub in her room at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Feb. 11.

    Brown was hospitalized the day after her mother's body was found, reportedly for treatment of anxiety.

    TMZ is reporting that sources close to Houston's daughter say she trusts Winfrey to be respectful in the interview, quoting her as saying Winfrey "was loyal to my mom, and never did my mother wrong, or made her look bad. She always looked out for my mom."

    Winfrey was a guest at Houston’s invitation-only funeral.

    Still, some fans feel the teenager shouldn't appear on the show. 

    “I do not believe that O is looking out for (Brown's) best interests at this time," a reader going by Kozy wrote on TMZ. "If you truly do trust her, I honestly believe she would respect you and not ask for an interview that she could profit on. If she truly cared, she would not be trying to score such a huge interview to save her failing network.”

     theGrio, an msnbc.com partner, posed a similar question to its Twitter audience, asking “Will Bobbi Kristina help out OWN's ratings?”

     “Our culture is shameful,” writes CajunDave in reply.  

    But others think the interview could be helpful to Houston's family. “We all grieve differently,” robjh1 comments on a related piece by TheGrio. “It is easy to say, ‘Why is the interview taking place so soon after Houston's death?’ and ‘Why is it being done at all?’ Well, so soon perhaps to end the endless reporters reaching out to the family to get them to talk and to control, somehow, the information on how a loved one is being portrayed.”

    Do you think Oprah Winfrey should be interviewing Whitney Houston's family, especially her daughter? Tell us on Facebook.

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