Chris Rock's sense of shame
THE PELLICANO BRIEF
The comedian kept his responses short while on the witness stand.
Editor's note: Rachel Abramowitz will be periodically checking in on the trial of Anthony Pellicano -- former private eye to the stars, who faces 110 counts of racketeering, wiretapping, conspiracy and other federal charges -- and writing about what the case means to Hollywood.
For once, Chris Rock wasn't laughing.
Dressed in a black suit, the comedian was subdued and spoke in such a hushed voice that the judge had to urge him to "project" during his brief 8 a.m. appearance on the witness stand in the Pellicano trial Friday.
Was it shame that he was feeling? Because he had hired Pellicano? Or shame that he'd been drawn into the media maelstrom, his fling with "Perfect 10" model Monica Zsibrita, now public knowledge for anyone who reads the Internet.
It's hard to tell, but Rock appears to be one of the few who employed the disgraced gumshoe to show any signs of discomfort about having consorted with the notorious alleged thug. Indeed, a month into U.S. vs. Pellicano, some of Los Angeles' swankiest citizens have climbed in the witness chair to testify about hiring Pellicano to investigate philandering wives, adulterous son-in-laws, angry former clients. Many have talked about Pellicano rather fondly, particularly the superwealthy who got to listen to his wiretaps but don't face any prosecution.
For instance, billionaire Alec Gores (brother of Paradigm honcho Sam) matter-of-factly said, "He was very good to me throughout this tough period," which is why he lent Pellicano $50,000 when asked on top of the $230,000 he shelled out to get proof (wiretaps, as it turns out) that his wife was having an affair with his other brother, Tom.
Rock, by contrast, tried to keep his answers to a minimum, primarily saying "Yes" or "No" to a series of government questions that established that he had hired Pellicano in late 1998 upon the advice of his attorney Stephen Barnes, after Zsibrita claimed he'd impregnated her after a one-night stand. (The apparent date itinerary: The Ivy, dinner party with Madonna, sex at the Beverly Hills Hotel, with Rock's semen neatly swept into a tissue.)
After a DNA test exonerated Rock, Zsibrita filed a police report alleging that the sex had not been consensual. No charges were ever filed against the comedian.
Rock got only slightly testy when defense attorney Chad Hummel, who represents former Los Angeles Police Sgt. Mark Arneson, tried to elicit more details about what "you believed was a shakedown."
- Pellicano trial a story made for Hollywood Mar 05, 2008
- Court hears Pellicano tapes Mar 26, 2008
- Pellicano a 'thug,' attorney tells jury Apr 30, 2008
