ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, November 1, 1996 TAG: 9611010047
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: PONTIAC, MICH.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jenny Jones denied knowing Thursday whether one of her talk show guests had been deceived about appearing on a show about gay crushes, but noted, ``The premise of the show was that it was a surprise.''
Jones testified in the murder trial of former guest Jonathan Schmitz, who claims he was driven to kill after Scott Amedure confronted him on the ``The Jenny Jones'' show with ``whipped cream and champagne'' fantasies of gay sex.
``This was ambush television, wasn't it?'' defense attorney Fred Gibson asked.
``No,'' Jones said in a soft voice.
Later, when asked if she had ever objected to a topic on her show, she gave a familiar answer: ``I don't recall.''
Jones also said she sometimes doesn't know the topic of each day's show until she receives a folder of background, a script and other information the night before. She said she has no knowledge of any conversations her producers have with guests before shows.
Defense lawyers don't deny Schmitz, 26, shot Amedure, 32, three days after the March 1995 taping. But they say he has a history of mental problems, and the humiliation of the show pushed him over the edge and kept him from forming the intent necessary to commit first-degree murder.
The defense claims the show led Schmitz, a heterosexual, to believe he would meet a female admirer.
Under grilling from Gibson, Jones acknowledged that a show participation form Schmitz signed before his appearance made no reference to the topic - ``Same-Sex Crushes.''
The show never aired, but about two weeks after it was taped, Jones read a statement on the air saying she wanted to set the record straight ``about a show involving secret admirers.''
Jones denied misleading the public by failing to mention in the statement that the show was about same-sex crushes, and that the admirers were gay.
``The premise of the show was that it was a surprise,'' she said.
Schmitz's neighbor Donna Riley, who also appeared on the show, has testified that the show's producers told her and Amedure not to reveal the show's topic to Schmitz before its taping. Riley also said that when Schmitz asked if either she or Amedure would appear on the show, they said no.
When Schmitz was confronted on the show, he turned to Riley and Amedure and said, ``You lied to me.''
Jones said a comment like that is common on shows about secret crushes.
``The show was a lighthearted show,'' she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP Defense attorney Fred Gibson (left) shows Jennyby CNBJones a document Thursday during the murder trial of an ex-guest.