Network paid for her flight into NYC, report reveals

Jun 4, 2015 10:04 GMT  ·  By
Casey Anthony was acquitted of the murder of her daughter in 2011, will speak to NBC's Matt Lauer in first interview
   Casey Anthony was acquitted of the murder of her daughter in 2011, will speak to NBC's Matt Lauer in first interview

Casey Anthony, still considered by many Americans the most hated woman and mother in the United States, is now in New York City, having flown here from her home in Florida to meet with TV people in order to get her first interview since 2011, when she was acquitted of the murder of her daughter.

Caylee was almost 3 when she was reported missing by Anthony in 2008, with investigators finding her body after months of searches and lies fed to them by Anthony and her family. She stood trial for murder and was acquitted, and is now living in seclusion.

She’s also bankrupt, so she’s hoping to get back on her feet financially with an interview.

NBC’s Matt Lauer is the favorite in the race

Apparently, TV networks also consider that enough time has passed since the murder trial and the acquittal, and that the outrage has died down considerably, which would offer them the perfect opportunity to put Anthony in the spotlight again.

An interview was also planned in 2011, but at the time, the issue was too hot to touch, and networks bowed down under pressure from the public accusing them of giving a “murderess” such a huge platform and so much money.

Also at the time, NBC was considered the favorite to win the bidding war, just like it is now.

Page Six identifies the man in the video below, of Anthony arriving at an airport in NYC, as “Don Wood, a veteran news producer who works for NBC in Florida and also writes and produces reality TV programming.”

Wood was seen with Anthony back in 2011 as well, when she was still taking offers for what would have been her first interview.

The report notes that shortly after her arrival in NYC, Anthony met with Matt Zimmerman, the “NBC News’ top booker,” which would indicate that Lauer might land the interview for The Today Show.

A controversial move, bound to bring huge ratings

As noted above, Anthony was acquitted of the murder charge, which means that, in the eyes of the law, she was deemed innocent by a jury of her peers. That’s how the system works.

However, that’s not how public opinion works. Anthony’s trial became one of the most controversial trails of all time, with millions watching every development and even doing further research into the case in their own time.

Many were and still are convinced that Anthony got off on a technicality, that she spun such an intricate web of lies that, even though she got caught on most of them, she still managed to confuse the jury and thus get the acquittal.

On the other side are those who say that she is innocent because the jury ruled it so, and both camps are as vocal today as they were 4 years ago.

Caylee may be gone for 7 years, but Casey Anthony remains a controversial figure. Whichever network lands this interview should be prepared for a massive blowback from the public. Also, massive ratings.