Mariah "charms" fans
Access Hollywood's Billy Bush was road trippin' with Mariah Carey in New York. He was on diva duty for her performance on the May 30 episode of The Today Show. However, it was the story of Mariah's connection with two fans that took center stage.
The celebratory mood at the show was dampened by a cruel joke that was played on a disabled Mariah fan. The grandmother of a 10-year-old blind Minnesota girl named Michelle Katz innocently sent an e-mail to a bogus Mariah Web address and got back a nasty response from a fraud acting as the star.
Billy spoke to Michelle's father Bill Katz by phone to get details on the story. "What was your reaction to receiving this e-mail?" asked Billy. "I couldn't believe it," said Bill. "When it first hit me, I got mad. After a while I thought about it and I said, 'There's no way she wrote this.' "
When Mariah learned of the unfortunate situation she took matters into her own hands. "I called the girl. I spoke to her grandmother. I spoke to her dad. She was playing Butterfly, Hero and stuff on the piano," said Mariah. Michelle's father described the moment that he handed the phone to his daughter. "I went over to the piano and said, 'Michelle, the phone is for you. It's Mariah Carey,' and her face just lit up."
"It's a really horrible thing for somebody to do. It's a total shot in the heart and it's a shock because who expects someone to do that, especially to a girl who's handicapped," Mariah told Billy.
Another e-mail to Mariah's official Web site wound up with a more positive response for one diehard fan. Natasha Sullivan, whose brother was killed in Iraq, broke down when she got to meet her idol face to face on The Today Show. Billy talked to Natasha after her encounter with Mariah. "I know you've been through a lot. Does this maybe help a bit?" he asked. "Yeah, because this was like a dream come true. I thought I was dreaming the whole time."
"Her story is so touching. I read her letter. I was just so glad to meet her and I'm looking forward to spending more time with her today," said Mariah. (Access Hollywood)
|
