Lights Out for Alleged “Star-Studded Gala”
By CATHERINE GARCIA
Updated 5:09 PM PST, Fri, Jun 5, 2009
The event that was billed by the organizer as a star-studded gala tribute to the late Fred Rogers has been canceled, according to the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.
Friday afternoon, Michael Kinsell said only that there would be a decision on whether to cancel the "Children's Hero Award" gala event at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido by Friday evening, and that he had no further comment. We tried to contact Kinsell Saturday, but he did not return our calls.
Anyone who bought a ticket can get a refund, a spokesperson for the California Center for the Arts in Escondido said.
Kinsell first said he hoped Sunday evening’s concert fundraiser, benefiting his own organization called the Children’s Media Foundation, would set a San Diego record for the most celebrities in attendance.
But then representatives for Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Eddie Murphy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Danny DeVito and Governor Schwarzenegger all said the celebrities had no ties to the Children’s Media Foundation or the Sunday gala.
PBS and the producer of “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” also said they had no association with Kinsell or the event. And PBS said it has filed a complaint with the California Attorney General’s Office.
At one point, Kinsell promised NBC an exclusive interview with Prince, who he said was a supporter of the event. But in an email from Kinsell, he later said that Prince "doesn't have anything to do with this project and I would be glad if you not mention him or any other celebrity personality to be associated with me or this project."
He went on to say, “Enough is enough. I'm sorry for any trouble and all the misunderstandings."
First Published: May 30, 2009 12:58 PM PST
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