EW’s Whitney Pastorek reports from the set of American Idol that rumors of an accident this evening are indeed true. At the start of dress rehearsals, stage manager Debbie Williams fell from the top of a flight of stairs, dangled from a railing, and dropped to the floor. Paramedics were called, and Williams, an integral part of the AI production team, was rushed to the hospital. A crew member says that Williams badly cut her leg and may have injured her hand, although apparently there are no broken bones. Fox, meanwhile, has released an official statement: "During rehearsal today a crew member had a mishap on the set and was immediately taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure." (Reporting by Whitney Pastorek and Michael Ausiello)
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Comments (1-30) of 35 Add your comment
Oh no! Poor Debbie! I hope she gets well soon. We need to make sure she has PLENTY of signs when she comes back to work.
Thanks to Whitney and Adam B., we know how important Debbie is to Idol. Hope she gets better soon !
Oh no!! Hugs to Debbie and hope for a fast recovery for her!
That’s awful. I hope she did not trip on that stupid lighted staircase.
I’d drink too if I worked at AI.
Oh no, not Debbie! Hope she gets well soon. Make Lots of signs for her people!
Get better soon, Debbie!
Get well soon, Debbie! Idol would be lost without you.
Sorry Debbie was hurt and hope she’s back with us tomorrow night, when Gokey will be hopefully voted off for making a fool of himself with that last note that sounded like someone had stepped on a cat ’s tail.
take care Debbie, I hope you heal soon.
Debbie, I don’t know, I don’t know. For me, for you, that was not your best staircase. You were out of your comfort zone and way over the edge. You should have played it safe. For me, for you, I hope you’re a-ight.
NO NOT DEBBIE!!!! For the love of the children, not Debbie! Take care, Queen D and get well soon.
Not Debbie! OMG EW, you’ve totally gotta arrange for some sort of get well card for us to sign! Debbie – if you’re reading this, get well soon!
Wow that’s scary! Why didn’t they mention her on the show, to wish her well?
http://tvdonewright.com/2009/05/06/tv-tonight-wednesday-may-6th/
I was there when debbie fell and she made a loud thump. it was pretty funny and scary. Ryan rushed over to her aid. Later the spinning AI globe rocked, crashed and sent glass and people running.
she is ok. a big gash in her leg, but she got it stitched up and she’ll be back next week.
Hope your well soon Debbie Williams.
Well, since it seems nothing was broken and she may be OK — clearly this was the work of the Phantom.
Thank you, Jesus, for saving Debbie from the live version of Danny’s excruciating final bellow. May she return, healed, next week after Danny has been unceremoniously dumped from the show on Wednesday. Amen.
Oh! Randy Jackson Randy Comment Generator, that was terrible — and yet I laughed and laughed.
Seriously, glad to hear she is ok. Must have been frightening. I think I saw somewhere else that it was that stupid retracting staircase.
She finally gets her own fan sign, and then this happens. Hope she gets better soon…the judges will never make it to the stage on time without her.
TO AMERICAN IDOL PR DEPT: “a crew member”? “a crew member”??? Not “the cherished stage manager of 7 seasons Debbie Williams”? Shame on you.
Poor Debbie – glad she’s relatively OK – get well soon, Debbie!!! The EW.com PopWatch community loves ya!
Poor Debbie- she’s going to become Danny’s excuse for that c r a p performance- “I was so upset, yada, yada, yada….
Did this have anything to do with the other mishap involving the large AI tower/sign? Ryan should have mentioned her by name. She appears to be a huge asset and an intregal part to the success of the show. Get well soon Debbie.
That stinks! I feel like I “know” Debbie because of the “on the scene” recaps here. Get well soon!
The judges’ reactions to this near-tragic incident can be found at the bottom of the first page of comments for this week’s AI recap: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/comments/0,,20007164_20171835_20276858,00.html?board_name=%2527American+Idol%2527+recap%253A+Crime%252DScream+Investigation&board_url=http%253A%2F%2Fwww.ew.com%2Few%2Farticle%2Fcomments%2F0%252C%252C20276858%252C00.html&expand_all=false&order=ASC&page=1&per_page=10
It’s gross that they didn’t mention her on the show or in the press release. Get well soon, Debbie, and maybe you could touch Brad Pitt again.
While I wish the stage manager the best in her recovery, I think that Idol’s gotten a little too over its head with the winding gas station sign-like towers, the glowing light stairs and the massive stage set.
Maybe they didn’t mention her by name because she asked them not to. After all, medical issues are a private matter. That said, best wishes for a speedy recovery. Oh, and do not, under any circumstances, watch AI tonight unless you’re heavily medicated. With any luck at all Bad Karaoke Gokey will be voted off and will have to “sing” again. We want you back ASAP, Debbie, and there’s a strong possibility of you tearing out your new stitches as you gasp and/or puke in horror at the horrific scream at the end of what I pray will be Hokey’s last televised performance. Seems to me that Jesus himself caused all the dress rehearsal mayhem in an effort to spare the world. To me this is proof that Satan is behind the fact that God Awful Gokey ever made it past the top 36.