Yesterday, I wrote a post about celebrities disclosing the belief that their homes are haunted to the media. Several celebrities over the last couple of years have made that assertion, with full quotes shared in the media, leaving no doubt about their statements. I posted a quote made by David Boreanaz, after tracking back to the original print source.  The story originated on 9/9.

Not long after I made my post, a commenter named “Lora” pointed out that the quote was not a full quote. Instead, it was only a “selected quote” from an interview with “Regis and Kelly”. After watching the entire segment on YouTube that Lora shared, it became very clear that the quote was conveniently clipped to create a paranormal-related buzz.

Boreanaz shared this story, but it had a very important (omitted) punchline. As it turned out, Boreanaz investigated, by looking under the bed. He realized that the cause for his bed moving in the middle of the night was not paranormal based. It was simply a problem related to the base of his bed.  The bed supports were faulty. There was no haunting, merely a funny story for the benefit of fans, with a non-paranormal punchline.

I did not take the post down, since Lora’s comment on the page was clearly visible not long after I posted the story. It is also an “old story” in the news life cycle. It did still serve as a good example for my post, which is about celebrities talking about their homes being haunted (whether jokingly or not) and the possible consequences.

It also is a good example of the media emphasizing the paranormal in order to get page views. After all, Boreanaz DID make that statement, it was “just” missing the punchline.  The media doesn’t get in trouble for clipping quotes, only for misquoting.

However, Boreanaz, in this selected quote, believes that his home is haunted. Depending on how far and wide this story circulates, it could rear its ugly head again if he tries to sell the home. This could potentially interfere with his personal life, which is unacceptable to me. It is an easily solvable dilemma in this case, with the evidence of the original talk show interview to back him up. Celebrities who find themselves taken out of context don’t always have that proof to back up what they originally said.

Like the guy or not, it’s just not right.

I rarely write about celebrities or television since it is my belief that Hollywood largely exploits the paranormal. Boreanaz appealed to his fans with this story based on a popular topic, which isn’t a crime. He simply left himself open to the media, who were able to clip his story to appeal to a wider audience of those interested in this popular topic. Unfortunately, this isn’t a crime either, it just threatens the credibility of the news outlet.

The reason I write about the paranormal is due to my desire, as well as my readers’ desire, to search for the truth behind paranormal phenomena. The truth in this case, is that Boreanaz was exploited by the media with a partial quote on a popular topic. A credible news outlet will present the full story.

Some may argue that what some celebrity said isn’t important enough to spend an entire post to point out what was really said. I, however, believe that it is very important to share the full context. To get to the truth of the matter. In this case, I am presenting the truth of the matter.

Here is the full context of the story that Boreanaz shared with Regis and Kelly last week:

David Boreanz and his wife Jamie Bergman are having trouble sleeping in their Los Angeles home. It seems that their bed moves in the middle of the night. Allegedly, they aren’t causing the bed to move.

Though “not too sure” about what’s really going on in the bedroom, the couple thinks that the culprit is a ghost.

The “Bones” star bought the house earlier this summer.

Boreanaz explained in a recent interview, “We’re not too sure. We woke up in the middle of the night and we heard this big bang. It felt like the bed literally fell off underneath us. My first instinct is, we’re having an earthquake…turns out, it wasn’t an earthquake. Cut to two weeks later, same thing happens. It’s like something picked our bed up… so Jaime and I think ghosts are here.”

This type of statement made by celebrities always bothers me.

While I think that these types of statements could bring potential real estate problems, others think that haunted homes can turn out to be good business. A couple of weeks ago, AOL News reported the tale of a woman who turned haunted real estate into a profitable “ghost tour” stop. The former owner of the home disclosed that there were plenty of ghosts there. The woman loved the home and didn’t mind. She proceeded with the paranormal purchase.

If David Boreanaz and Jaime Bergman decide to sell their home, they have now disclosed to the media that they believe the home is haunted. They could be obligated to disclose the “paranormal activity” to a potential buyer.

Consider the 1991 case of Stambovsky vs. Ackley in New York.

Jeffrey and Patrice Stambovsky bought a home without any knowledge of the local lore attached to it. The home had been publicized in the media as ‘haunted’ and was even a stop on a local ghost tour. When Mrs. Stambovsky heard that the house was haunted from the neighbors, she was simply too terrified to live in the home.

The couple sued to get out of the contract. Despite losing the first round of their contract dispute, they appealed in 1991, and subsequently won, in the State of New York Appellate Court.

“Whether the source of the spectral apparitions seen by defendant seller are parapsychic or psychogenic, having reported their presence in both a national publication and the local press, defendant is estopped to deny their existence, and, as a matter of law, the house is haunted.” Justice Israel Rubin, Stambovsky v. Ackley

Celebrities take note, sometimes these little statements made to the press could come back to “haunt” you.

To read my previous rant on this subject from November of 2009, click here: http://tucsoncitizen.com/paranormal/2009/11/22/haunted-rentals-advertising-a-ghostly-roommate/

UPDATE 9/13, 10:00am: Boreanaz quote clipped for paranormal entertainment. The story had a non-paranormal punchline omitted by the media. Click here for related post and original interview in full context.

In a disturbing news out of Australia, thrill-seeking teens have taken to driving at dangerous speeds to conjure up a rumored ghost.

According to the tale that has intrigued the teens, when a vehicle hits 111 mph along Lemon Tree Passage Road, it is said that a motorcycle ghost will appear in the rear view mirror.

The road between New Castle and Sydney has been the backdrop for many YouTube videos posted by teens trying to prove the tale to be real. The videos have actually captured a white light behind the speeding cars when the vehicles are said to hit that specific speed.

The ghost could very well be a very much alive motorcycle rider playing a prank on local teens and having a jolly good time doing it. It appears as though the teens are having fun endangering the lives of themselves and others on these paranormal inspired joy rides.

Local police, of course, are not having a good time and are not happy at all about this dangerous ghost hunting trend. They do aim to stop it.

A police spokseman has issued a statement for speeders: “We want speeding drivers to know that the only bright light they’ll be seeing in their rear windows will be the red and blue lights of a police car.”

Although several videos are available for viewing, the videos are unsuitable to post.

This is due to the extreme profanity that spews out of the mouths of the screaming and speeding teens in the videos.

If profanity and screaming teens don’t bother you, you can easily find these videos by typing “Lemon Tree Passage Ghost” on YouTube.