sued for spying on employees inside your own house

[Subcommander Bob]

Posted: September 6, 2001 06:02 PM

                (WSVN, JUST ONE STATION) Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell
is being sued by former
                members of her security staff.

                They claim she spied on them and illegally recorded
their conversations at her South Florida
                mansion.

                Although she doesn't live down here all the time...Rosie
O'Donnell is part of the South Florida
                celebrity scene.

                And now like many celebs before her, she finds herself
on the wrong end of a lawsuit.

                Rosie O'Donnell is a superstar. But she's lost three of
her fans.

                Chris Delia, Steve Rubio and Ted Van Rijan have filed a
lawsuit against Rosie and two security
                firms.

                They say while working security at her star island home
- their conversations were illegally
                recorded by a device hidden in smoke detector.

                All had worked for her for years and say they felt close
to the star and her four children.

                Steve Rubio, Security Guard said, "We developed a bond
with the kids you know, we were the
                male figures, the dominate male figures in their lives
pretty much."

                But the men say any feeling of family evaporated when
they were fired after they complained
                about the hidden recordings.

                Steve Rubio, Security Guard said, "It's especially
hurtful because you basically feel betrayed."

                They say if she had apologized , they wouldn't have
filed a lawsuit. Instead Steve says he got
                a phone call from an irate Rosie.

                Steve Rubio, Security Guard said, "And she was just
yelling and screaming and cursing at me
                and you know it was - I was shocked to the point I
couldn't even respond to her except to say I
                think it's probably best to speak, you know, to our
attorney."

                All three men are private investigators and say they
understand a star's need for privacy.

                They suspect they were recorded because Rosie was
concerned about leaks to the media
                about her private life.

                Its something they say they never did.

                Steve Rubio, Security Guard said, "Absolutely. And could
you look Rosie in the eye and say -
                absolutely and she should know better - she should know
that."

                But their lawyer says it was Rosie who violated their
privacy.

                Russell Adler, Attorney says, "My clients protected
Rosie's family and their privacy and that
                was very important to them to do that - and Rosie didn't
protect theirs."

                Steve Rubio, Security Guard said, "We would never betray
her the way she betrayed us - we
                would never do that."

                Expect Rosie O'Donnell to challenge that. she wasn't
talking about the lawsuit - but her
                publicist denies any wrongdoing and says Rosie looks
forward to defending herself in court.

http://www.wsvn.com/extra/entertainment/box1/