The news is not good for Extra hosts and Dancing with the Stars alumni. Keep reading for details on Maria Menounos’ sexual abuse claims and Mario Lopez’s absence from the upcoming Dancing with the Stars all-stars season.
Maria Menounos Reveals Sexual Abuse by Doctors
While a guest on the Howard Stern Show on Monday, June 11, Extra host and DWTS alum Maria Menounos admitted that she had been sexually abused by a doctor.
The incident occurred several years ago when Maria Menounos went to the doctor for a throat issue. After Menounos had changed into a hospital gown, the doctor began to touch her genitals.
“I was really young, so I was uncomfortable,” she told Stern. “[My boyfriend] Kevin was in the waiting room, and I literally started screaming… I was just so uncomfortable, I didn’t know what to do.”
Although boyfriend Kevin Undergaro urged Menounos to press charges against the doctor, she did not. Maria Menounos also mentioned further incidents of inappropriate sexual contact by doctors — these included a medical professional who apparently touched her “hot” belly-button ring.
Mario Lopez Won’t Be a Dancing with the Stars All-Star
Although he was the first to spill the beans on the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars, Mario Lopez will not be taking part in the season.
TVGuide.com now reports that Extra co-host Mario Lopez has stated his unavailability for the dancing show. Lopez is quoted as saying, “I’m really busy, so I don’t think I’ll be able to do it. I don’t watch the show and didn’t even watch when I was on it. My mom wanted me to do it.”
Now for the speculation: Is Mario Lopez off only because of his schedule, or did Dancing with the Stars rule him out because of the early casting gossip?
While there are always DWTS stars who spill the beans prior to their seasons, Mario Lopez’s announcement on Live! With Kelly back in April was a bit more of a problem. ABC did not officially announce the Dancing with the Stars: All-Stars season until weeks later at the network’s upfront presentation. By talking about it early, Lopez could have stepped on some Dancing toes.
(Images courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Laurel grew up in Mamaroneck, NY, Grosse Pointe, MI and Bellevue WA. She then went on to live in places like Boston, Tucson, Houston, Wales, Tanzania, Prince Edward Island and New York City before heading back to Seattle. Ever since early childhood, when she became addicted to The Muppet Show, Laurel has watched far too much TV. Current favorites include Chuck, Modern Family, Supernatural, Mad Men and Community. Laurel received a BA in Astrophysics (yes, that is possible) from Colgate University and a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies and History of Science from Columbia University before she realized that television is much better than studying.
