Oprah: "No Reason" to Check Out Adams -- Really?

After nearly two weeks of radio silence, Oprah Winfrey has finally responded to TMZ's numerous requests for comment on Dr. Jan Adams and why she promoted him on her show when he is not board certified in plastic surgery.

Adams was featured on the Oprah show in 2003 with other cosmetic surgeons. In just a few hours of investigating, TMZ found DUIs and malpractice suits -- among other things. How could Oprah have missed it -- and not known or cared that Dr. Adams was not a board-certified plastic surgeon?

A rep for Oprah tells TMZ, "Dr. Jan Adams appeared as a guest on the 'Oprah' show just once, in 2003, as the host of the Discovery Health Channel series, 'Plastic Surgery: Before and After.' The show he appeared on focused on various television series that highlighted trends in cosmetic surgery. Since he was booked as a guest commentator on the subject of medical television, not in his capacity as a surgeon, and since we did not promote him as a cosmetic surgeon, there was no reason to do a background check on him. We have removed all references to him from our website."

Dr. Adams: Click to watchBut on the show, an audience member says she's interested in getting several procedures done. Oprah, who is sitting next to Dr. Adams, says, "Let me see if I can hook you up." Oprah then leans into Dr. Adams and says, "We may know somebody."

Dr. Adams performed several cosmetic procedures on Kanye West's mother the day before she died. He told TMZ that he "did nothing wrong."

Reader Comments

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31. The reason Oprah had him on her show is he is BLACK! Just like the majority of the people she promotes. She'll throw in the token white person here and there but if you watch her trends it's always an "African American" who gets the goods. Is anyone amazed that now she's backing B. Obama??? No surprise there!
It's about time American women listen to their own minds and stop listening to hers. She's no demigod, that's for sure.

Posted at 2:12PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Kit

32. #23; What you missed was perspective. Oprah Winfrey has over 400 employees; Her show produces over 200 shows a season and has over 10,000 guest per year. In 20 years that's over TWO MILLION GUEST. In that time there has been a hand full of people who have been less than honest about themselves that have made it on her show. In each of the cases they came from reputable sources. To do better would require her producers to be FBI agents. & wouldn't TMZ love to report that Oprah makes guest undergo background checks before appearing on her show "How controlling" would be the headline.

Dr. Jan was one doctor among many doctors who appeared on that show in 2003 (Before the lawsuits against him). The topic was about surgery on T.V. This has been stated before but seems to need repeating. "DR. JAN ALREADY HAD AN ENTIRE SHOW ON THE DISCOVERY NETWORK, THAT'S WHY HE WAS ON OPRAH! ". The show was not promoting any doctor. Also; I'm not sure if you can tell in the cherry picked video clip posted on TMZ, but the lady in the audience was letting it be known that she wanted to be picked for another T.V. surgery show "Extreme Makeover". This doctor was even not affiliated with that ABC show. Oprah may have leaned toward Dr. Jan but she was looking at the doctors from the "Extreme Makeover show". If Oprah wanted to promote the doctor; trust me she would have named him directly.

As for the "beef". OPRAH DID NOT TELL OTHERS NOT TO EAT BEEF! After doing a show on Mad Cow disease (Long before the outbreaks that eventually happened) She said after watching the research video "THAT HAS STOPPED COLD FROM EATING ANOTHER BURGER". That's why she won in court when the cattle men lied and said she told everyone to stop eating beef.

If people listen to Oprah. It's because in the world of lying politicians and business icons; she at least tries to be honest and help others. The pattern I notice is that in each case that Oprah is blamed, she is supposed to be responsible for someone else's misbehavior. Notice NONE of the recent scandals involve HER misbehavior.She, nor her staff of over 400 are perfect and I may not agree with all of her positions on things but I'd be hard pressed to name any other public figure who has shown her level of integrity, inspiration and compassion. Stop the blame game on Oprah!

Posted at 1:24PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Lisa C

33. OPRAH is paying her dad, and Stedman and others off to silence them about her past. I think if you look into her lies and her history Saint Oprah will be exposed for the person she really is... and yes, she is great on TV, as good as it gets... she's a phoney though and she wants to silence those who would let us know how fake she is and how she lives and what her past includes. Oprah lies and she wants to keep her life secret no matter what it takes.

Posted at 1:35PM on Nov 26th 2007 by val

34. Give away free cars to a bunch of white audience members...oh she's so racist against white people!!!

Posted at 2:00PM on Nov 26th 2007 by The truth

35. #33....
Ok here we go again. More rumors and innuendo. As far back as the late 80's people learned how profitable it was to get into Oprah circle and sell half truths and lies. We've been reading about Oprah and Steadman breaking up since 1988. Before he moved into the Chicago Penthouse, Before they moved into the farm house and now live together in CA. No relationship is perfect and I'm sure they have there issues but in one of this rare comments on Oprah he said recently at a business conference something to the effect that they are both busy but he loves the time they get to spend together at home. I'll take him on his word.

As for her father, she was surprised and hurt that he was to write a book about her without even telling her. It has been reported that he didn't think it was a big deal because the people who approached him acted like the book was to be about his life and Oprah would only be a small part of that. Clearly Mr. Winfrey has not learned to be as careful and controlling and Oprah. People who reach a certain level of suggest most operate from the idea that most people who befriend them have personal motives. Oprah has bought her father a home and several cars but that was before the whole book thing, so paying him off is subjective.

I do find it interesting that the whole thrust of that comment was that Oprah is hiding something. I think some would like her to speak less about herself. She has been open about her sexual molestation, her subsequent promiscuity, her teenage pregnancy, abusive relationships with men, drug exploration with a man she was dating, an affair with a married man and more. The vast majority of which was in her late teens and 20's. With all of that dramatic and dysfunctional past she turned her life around to become the richest self made black woman in history, and one of the leading philanthropist in the world.

Everyone has some detail in their past they haven't talked about but, Whatever you think she's hiding will not change that.

Posted at 2:15PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Lisa C

36. Oprah has fooled everybody with an IQ below 60.....a LOT of people. She's the biggest phony out there.

Posted at 2:14PM on Nov 26th 2007 by TJ

37. Isnt Oprah the one who roasted James Frey alive for lying about his life in a book? And she has that for a feeble response when a man she promoted kills someone after misrepresenting themselves in real life? Yea, dont pull at my emotions through a book you write or I will eat you alive on national TV, Kill and disfigure patients, thats okay....

Posted at 11:01PM on Nov 27th 2007 by shay

38. #7 you said it all. Oprah has pulled the bag over all people that don't realize Black comes first!!

Posted at 2:21PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Tired of rich brats

39. That's right Oom pah pah. When all esle fails, claim ignorance. It's worked for you before. Why should things be different now.

Posted at 2:34PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Spurs

40. If Oprah didn't pontificate so much then people wouldn't hold her to every word. Now let's see how she handles the Obama debacle. He stood in front of school kids and told them he used cocaine, nobody asked him, so now let's see how she spins it when she goes out on the campaign trail.

Posted at 2:31PM on Nov 26th 2007 by CANDY

41. Oprah, that bloated tick, knows full well that when an individual appears on her show she is, in essence, promoting him. That means she has an obligation to do a through background check.

Posted at 2:33PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Elle

42. Perhaps Oprah has a new boyfriend. Why would she defend him?

Posted at 2:45PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Sarah

43. Not a fan of Oprah, but she's right. If indeed the show was about medical television. And she included cosmetic surgeons, not "board certified" cosmetic surgeons. Anyone having surgery, should research the doctor on their own. And if you so something just because Oprah says so, you're an idiot anyway.

Posted at 3:10PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Crappola515

44. Oprah promotes those of her own race...........she doesn't care who they are. Case in point.... Barack Obama...........I would not listen to her recommendations for anything.

Posted at 3:12PM on Nov 26th 2007 by Susan B

45. Oprah and ALL celebrity endorsers are too enamored of themselves.

If you have the power to influence people (and, people, let this be a lesson not to accept blindly ANYONE's endorsement), you should use that power wisely and sparingly.

No one person should have the power Oprah has - and she only has it because people give it to her (though it's refreshing for once it's a woman with the power.)

This is the latest in a series of sordid endorsements by Oprah.

Shame on Oprah for not stepping up to her endorsement of this Adams guy. She full well knows her power of having anyone appear on her show, and that this guy's appearance would prompt people to sign up for surgery with him.

Beware ALL these tv doctors. They are hucksters. Remember: any surgeon who is good will have a thriving practice without having to go on tv. A surgeon who goes on these cheesy makeover tv shows either isn't good and needs to drum up business, or wants to be a tv star.

Don't you want your surgeon to want to be a surgeon, not a tv star?

Posted at 3:18PM on Nov 26th 2007 by thegroup

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