Celebrity Justice
Woman Says Crazy Oprah Fans Injured Her

A woman has filed suit against Harpo and the "Oprah Winfrey Show" claiming crazazy fans were so excited about sitting in Oprah's audience they pushed her down the stairs, causing her to suffer serious injuries.

In court documents filed in Cook County, Illinois Circuit Court Wednesday, Orit Greenberg says she went to Harpo Studios in December 2006 to be an audience member for the "Oprah" show.

In her suit, Greenberg says that she, along with an "excess number of patrons," were gathered in a waiting room before the show. She says audience members were then told to enter the studio and sit "where they wanted," causing a stampede. She says was pushed down a flight of stairs as the rabid fans "rushed the gate" while pushing and shoving one another.

The suit alleges Harpo failed to properly control the crowd and was careless by allowing guests to seat themselves.

Greenberg says she has suffered "severe and permanent injuries" from the incident, and seeks more than $50,000 for medical care and other damages.

A rep for Harpo told us they do not comment on pending litigation.

Reader Comments

(Page 21 of 21) Previous 15 Comments

301. Lawsuite like this will make these kind of show not give free tickets any more
If the lady was really hurt that's 1 thing, But if she wasn't if is just going to hurt the people
that are lucky enough go go to the shows.
I wish I could attend a live tapeing of any show LOL

Posted at 12:47AM on Mar 22nd 2008 by ILuvDale88

302. I like how comment #2 is by "smarty pants," but they can't spell "panic."

Posted at 9:57AM on Mar 22nd 2008 by Emma

303. Oprah's nothing but a crack whore who supports Osama and Obama (same difference) - go ahead and sue the nutjob.

Posted at 10:53AM on Mar 22nd 2008 by Real American

304. Oprah I'm A huge fan and I cant beleive they would do that! they should have been more cautious and what they did was uncalled for! Please, don't stop your show over this or I won't have any thing to calm me down after school. and plus I watch your show almost every day and plus 6th grade is a pain when you have a bunch of homework. And I know A 12 year old girls opinion might not help out so much, but I'm going to be 13 on june 29th. so till then good luck. bye

Posted at 6:37PM on Apr 6th 2008 by destiney owens

305. IF IT CAN BE PROVEN THAT THE WOMAN RECEIVED INJURIES FROM THE STAMPEDE THAN SHE IS ENTITLED TO THE MONEY...WHO EVER HEARD OF OPEN SEATING ANYWHERE...IT INVITES A DANGEROUS SITUTATION....IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF THERE WERE OPEN SEATING ON BOARDING AIRPLANES....UTTER CHAOS....SEATS SHOULD BE ASSIGNED BY NUMBER SO THAT NO ONE HAS TO RUSH OR PUSH OR WORRY ABOUT THEIR SEATS...GUESS OPRAH IS WORRIED THAT THE SEATS IN THE FRONT MIGHT NOT BE FILLED AND IT LOOKS BAD FOR RATINGS....EMPTY SEATS NEARER TO THE GODDESS CAN BE FILLED JUST BEFORE THE SHOW STARTS....
I SAY THE LAW SUIT STANDS....IT THE SHOWS SEATING IS THAT UNORGANIZED THAN THE SHOW SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE....PAY UP HARPO

Posted at 1:45PM on Mar 22nd 2008 by TONY PETRELLO

306. what a load of bull.. this woman is suing the wrong person. she needs to be suing the women who injured her, not oprah! maybe oprah should hand out tickets to give selective seating in case this might be a hazard, but it is ridiculous to sue oprah and her company for something that was not in their control

Posted at 4:02PM on Mar 22nd 2008 by cena

307. CHECK OUT THE WOMANS LAST NAME. ALAN

Posted at 2:10AM on Mar 23rd 2008 by alan

308. Oh, No!! Now she'll have $50,000 less to send to Africa!

Posted at 6:45AM on Mar 24th 2008 by PaseoAzulejo

309. OPRAH PAYS FOR MANWHORES..................REALLY........WHO THE HELL COULD GET WOOD FROM OPRAH?????EWWWE!!!!!!!!

Posted at 2:46PM on Mar 24th 2008 by casamagnifico

310. I can see where this could happen. I used to work as an LPA (Loss Prevention Agent) at a retail store, and I can tell you many times I saw lovely, intelligent-looking women become a pack of ravening wolves at a shoe sale. Oprah has what to me appears to be much the same effect on the women of this country, and in a case like this, you can't research and get the names of the people who acted like wild honyocks, and suing the production company for failure to control the crowd is wholly proper.

Posted at 5:57AM on Mar 25th 2008 by Allen

311. Someone made the point that Oprah has lawyers. Knowing lawyers as I do, they offered her $100 if she would sign a quitclaim relieving Harpo Productions of all responsibility. I would spit in their eye on an offer like that.

Posted at 5:57AM on Mar 25th 2008 by Allen

312. Normally, I do not agree with lawsuits, as so many are frivolous. In this case, however, the amount sought is not out of line with what the person claims. If it had been fifty million dollars, I would have said bogus right off. I am disabled and use a wheelchair often, and have been in the type of rush the woman describes. I had an employee at Disneyland threaten to assault me because I actually asked to be allowed to use the rented chair to go the 100 yeards to where the shuttle to the parking lot was parked. My complaint to Disneyland got me two coupons for half-price admission. It was not worth fighting over. I am amazed at the ignorance of the people who say to sue the people involved in the stampede. Harpo Productions has 100% liability. It is not unusual to take two years to bring a case to court, due to legal maeuvering and following the required steps to press suit. (notifying defendant, obtaining statements, getting legal papers filed and processed, etc.)

Posted at 5:56AM on Mar 25th 2008 by Allen

313. I am so heartily sick of Oprha.....in my opinion, she is an egocentric person with a severe inferiority complex..............that , in my opinion is why she givesso much of her money.ostentatiously, I might add..................because she is not truly giving.......she is buying .................love & attention. she does not give quietly from her heart...............but loudly, so that the world knows every good thing that she does...........she might as well put up billboards proclaiming her goodness. And why does her goodness have to be so extravagantly ostentatious, extravagantly advertised to the world...............Is she trying to buy a nobel peace prize for herself. She strikes me as a complete know it all.............she never shuts up.................she has her nose in everything................she knows all " Oprah the omnicient................yet she is a silly little woman......silly in the sense of her vanity.............full of herself ..basking in the glory of the power & authority that she beleives she has.............but in fact, does not have. Oprah takes herself for someone that she is not.............she may be rich, financially..........but that is all........she uses her money.....not to serve the world.....but to serve herself.............she is not a benefactress...she is a purchaser.

Posted at 9:21PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Jonas

314. perhaps they did push her, and perhaps some order should have been brought to the seating. this is america and anything goes!!

Posted at 7:03PM on Mar 26th 2008 by steel magnolia

315. You get a lawsuit,

Posted at 4:22PM on Apr 5th 2008 by fox

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