Photo by John Locher
© 2008 Associated Press
(Photo of Thomas Riccio, a witness in the recent O.J. Simpson robbery trial)
By Donna Ho
The man who helped O.J. Simpson get access to sports memorabilia in a high profile robbery case, has filed a lawsuit against the "Dr. Phil" show. Thomas Riccio, who recently testified at Simpson's robbery trial is suing Philip McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil and Stage 29 Media for unspecified damages, according to The Associated Press. Riccio claims his comments in an interview were edited to change their meaning in the show's promo.
Riccio said he was referred on the show as "the shady deal maker," "a puppet master who would sell his soul for a coin" and "the ring leader of this crime." The lawsuit claims defamation, fraud, emotional distress and being portrayed in a false light, the AP reports.
He also said that McGraw falsely claimed that Riccio "set O.J. Simpson up and told people to bring guns into the room."
Riccio said parts of his interview were left out-- including his denial of those statements and his claim that he is anti-gun. He said that the statements were replaced with a shot of him nodding his head as if were agreeing with the host. The interview aired October 8 following Simpson's conviction of twelve charges in a Las Vegas court on October 3.
Theresa Corigliano, a spokeswoman for Dr. Phil, would not comment on the lawsuit.
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