Thursday, October 10, 2024

NYTimes Doesn’t Know Designer Rebecca Minkoff’s Scientologist Doctor Father Was Part of Lisa McPherson Death

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The New York Times obviously has no editors and no fact checkers.

Their big fashion feature today is about Rebecca Minkoff, who is revealed as a member of the “church” of Scientology, a dangerous cult. The Times writer, Jessica Testa, allows Minkoff to blow off any inquiries.

But Minkoff and her family have been in Scientology for more than 30 years. Her father, Dr. David Minkoff, was the ER doctor selected by the cult to pronounce the death of Lisa McPherson, a member who died infamously under their care.

The Lisa McPherson death is a watershed moment in the history of this crazy group. At 18 years old, in 1995, McPherson, a member,  was in a minor car accident.  At the ER, she exhibited odd behavior. A judge later concluded: “Lisa McPherson refused psychiatric observation or admission at the hospital; she expressly stated her desire to receive the religious care and assistance from her fellow congregants that she and they wanted her to have.”

From Wikipedia:

On December 5, 1995, Church staffers contacted David Minkoff, a Scientologist medical doctor who twice prescribed McPherson Valium and chloral hydrate without examining her. They requested for him to prescribe an antibiotic to McPherson because she seemed to have an infection. Minkoff refused, stating that she should be taken to a hospital and he needed to see her before prescribing anything.  They objected, expressing fear that McPherson would be put under psychiatric care. Dr. Janice Johnson, a senior medical officer at the Fort Harrison Hotel who was assigned to care for McPherson, stated that she had been gasping and had labored breathing while en route. However, they passed a total of four hospitals along the way to their ultimate destination.

When they arrived at Minkoff’s hospital forty-five minutes north of Clearwater, McPherson exhibited no vital signs. Hospital staff attempted to resuscitate her for twenty minutes before declaring her dead.

In a wrongful death suit, Dr, David Minkoff had to pay $100,000 t0 Lisa McPherson’s estate. You can read about it here.

Everyone involved in this Rebecca Minkoff story at the Times should be fired. This is outrageous.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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