100 Jamz radio personality, Ed Fields is expected to face a lawsuit over remarks he made on the station last Friday about former American Idol star Ruben Studdard, The Guardian was informed.
Twenty-seven year-old Studdard, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, arrived in The Bahamas last Thursday for a Saturday charity benefit concert at the Wyndham Nassau Resort, organised by the Rotary Club of East Nassau.
One of the 11 aides who travelled here with Mr Studdard for the event told The Guardian Tuesday that Mr Fields made “defamatory remarks” about Mr Studdard’s weight on the station’s morning show, prompting the host to go to a break.
The aide said he was disgusted by these ‘remarks,’ adding that they were uncalled for.
The aide added that Mr Fields also ‘joked’ about New Providence running out of air with Mr Studdard being in town.
“He must have thought he was funny but we didn’t. Ruben was actually listening to the show from his hotel room,” said the aide.
“And Ed had called Ruben’s people to apologise but they told him that he would have to deal with their lawyers. When I got back to the States, friends of mine were still talking about it.”
Four employees of The Tribune Media Group confirmed the aide’s story. One employee said, “Yes Mr Studdard was really upset about the whole thing because he had to come to Jamz for an interview.” However, another employee said the matter was taken out of context and that Mr Fields was only “making jokes” as he was known to do on the show.
But the aide did not think the matter was taken out of context, saying that Ruben, as a guest of The Bahamas, was not expecting such treatment. “Ruben is a very genuine man. He came down on a charity event, even though he was paid, but Ed Fields had no right to go off the way he did,” said the aide.
“It did get bad press results because it caused a fuss between the companies that brought him here, and the Rotary Club was embarrassed about the whole thing.”
However, Singer Nathan Stone, a member of Rotary Club of East Nassau, who performed at the event, did not comment on the matter.
When The Guardian contacted Mr Fields he also said he had no comment. “Well, if they are initiating a lawsuit then I have no comment. Whatever action they would like to take, that is their legal right to take.”
Mr Studdard was reportedly in a much better mood before the radio show. When he arrived in Nassau he told The Guardian, “This is my second trip to The Bahamas and I’m loving it. This time around I’m here to perform for the Bahamian people and I look forward to the concert because I enjoy doing things that assist people.”
By: MINDELL SMALL, The Nassau Guardian
