A 71-year-old Westchester County woman has sued the producers of Rosie O'Donnell's defunct talk show for $3 million, saying she was injured when she was hit in the mouth with a hard rubber ball.
Lucille DeBellis, of Hartsdale, N.Y., said she was at a taping of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in New York on Nov. 29, 2001, when a show staffer used a slingshot-type device to fire the ball into the audience during the warm-up.
DeBellis says in papers filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court that the ball struck her "squarely in the mouth, causing her to suffer pain and swelling, as well as bleeding in her gums."
Her lawyer, William J. Dealy, said Wednesday that by the time his client arrived home, she had swelling and lumps in her mouth. He said a doctor gave her steroids, antibiotics and cortisone injections.
DeBellis' lawsuit names the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television, its affiliated companies AOL Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc., and two unknown individuals as defendants. O'Donnell is not a defendant.
A Warner spokeswoman and vice president, Kate Chilton, did not immediately return a telephone call for comment.
DeBellis' physical discomfort and embarrassment about her appearance caused her to turn down holiday parties and other social events and spend the 2001 Christmas season in her home, court papers say.
"Furthermore, the pain and soreness around plaintiff's mouth adversely affected plaintiff's relationship with her boyfriend," court papers say.
Huh? Adversely affected relationship with boyfriend? LOL. At 71? I'm afraid to ask ...
Lucille DeBellis, of Hartsdale, N.Y., said she was at a taping of "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" in New York on Nov. 29, 2001, when a show staffer used a slingshot-type device to fire the ball into the audience during the warm-up.
DeBellis says in papers filed in Manhattan's state Supreme Court that the ball struck her "squarely in the mouth, causing her to suffer pain and swelling, as well as bleeding in her gums."
Her lawyer, William J. Dealy, said Wednesday that by the time his client arrived home, she had swelling and lumps in her mouth. He said a doctor gave her steroids, antibiotics and cortisone injections.
DeBellis' lawsuit names the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television, its affiliated companies AOL Time Warner Inc. and Turner Broadcasting System Inc., and two unknown individuals as defendants. O'Donnell is not a defendant.
A Warner spokeswoman and vice president, Kate Chilton, did not immediately return a telephone call for comment.
DeBellis' physical discomfort and embarrassment about her appearance caused her to turn down holiday parties and other social events and spend the 2001 Christmas season in her home, court papers say.
"Furthermore, the pain and soreness around plaintiff's mouth adversely affected plaintiff's relationship with her boyfriend," court papers say.
Huh? Adversely affected relationship with boyfriend? LOL. At 71? I'm afraid to ask ...
