Tonight on 20/20 ` No cause; no cure. The disease that's stealing their hair. If I asked you to take off your wig for us? If I asked you to take off your wig for us? I couldn't do it. Not on camera. Meet the brave women behind the wigs. I was fired because my boss thought I was too attractive. Her looks lost her her job. This was a woman who did nothing except bring her breasts to work. So you're responsible for your boss who can't control himself. And in trouble? These are the guys that fix it. What's going on? We're fixers; we're fixing. When people are having the worst day of their lives` Their nightmare has come true. Their nightmare has come true. Yes. That's when we come in and fix it. Captions by TVNZ Access Services. www.tvnz.co.nz/access-services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2013 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. What would you do if all your hair suddenly fell out? How would that make you feel about yourself, your life? Sudden hair loss, or alopecia, is an autoimmune disease. It can result in partial or total hair loss over your entire body. It can happen to men and women at any age for no reason, with no warning, and there's no cure. 20/20's Emma Keeling has been finding out how losing all your hair can change your life. These are the many faces of alopecia. WHIMSICAL MUSIC (CLAPS) I am Isabel. My age is 8 years old. It started with a patch, but it fell out within a week. My name's Janine. (CHUCKLES) And I'm 41 years of age. People come up to me. They touch my head; they kiss it. I don't really feel comfortable going anywhere without a wig on. I was 38 years of age when my hair fell out. At first I felt absolutely mortified. And now my hair's this. My name's Felicity. And I have alopecia. Felicity Carpenter's about to share a secret she's kept for four years. How still are they? How are you? Oh, not too bad. So imagine her distress when I say... Felicity, if I asked you to take off your wig for us, what's the first thought that comes into your head? Panic. (CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY) Fear. Um, I couldn't do it, not on camera. Um, it's-it's only a couple of weeks ago that I took it off... well, about a week ago I took it off with one of my best friends. So why go on TV? If it helps even just one` one young girl or one woman that's sitting at home in that dark place going, 'My God, I can't even begin to face the world. How am I gonna get on?' I think, yeah, it's a really good thing. Four years ago Felicity watched as her hair fell out over four months. Her bubbly personality disappeared. When it first started happening, I was mortified. I couldn't tell anybody. She was living in London far from loved ones. Sometimes I didn't want to leave the house. I didn't like what was happening, so I thought to myself nobody else would like me either. So Felicity bore the burden alone. How did you keep it a secret? It's little things, like thinking about making sure you're up before everybody else, so if it's off, you can go and put it back on. She didn't want to worry her family and was concerned about keeping her job. I'm a flight attendant. And so grooming is a huge part of our job, and image and presentation. You have to have an impeccably high standard of` of all of that. Your appearance has to be spot on. Has it affected your job? No, I don't believe it has. Because nobody's actually realised. UPBEAT MUSIC It was a month ago when Felicity arrived at Janine Antrim's house, looking to buy a new wig. BOTH: Hi! You look fabulous! Now, this is the wig that we've ordered for you. Your one will be here in about two weeks. So exciting. Janine convinced her to tell her story to 20/20. It was the push Felicity needed. 'Oh my God, what just happened? Holy moley, now I'm going to have to tell people.' Did you want to try this wig on? Um, I'd love to, but I don't really feel comfortable, like, taking mine off in front of the cameras. You go in the bathroom. You go in the bathroom. OK. That's a big step. That's a big step. Oh, huge. She's gonna be changing her wig and doing that` not on camera, but in front of the camera. Absolutely. Oh, it's huge just for her to do it in front of me. Cos she's never done it in front of anybody. What do you think? What do you think? Oh, fabulous. I love the colour, actually. Do you wanna try a short one? Do you wanna try my one? Do you wanna try a short one? Do you wanna try my one? Yeah, go on. Janine developed alopecia three years ago. As soon as I found a good wig, something just seemed to be... restored in me. She started importing wigs and has become a sort of therapist. That's why I've got a sign at the door: 'Enter as strangers, leave as friends'. Because that's exactly how it is. This is like Stars In Their Eyes. What's that programme? Tonight, Michael, I'm gonna be... Tonight, Michael, I'm gonna be... BOTH: Yeah, yeah, yeah! They come in, they're very nervous and shy and sad. And a lot of them cry, and I can relate cos I did that in the wig places I went to. We're gonna have to get together and talk about those changes. > We're gonna have to get together and talk about those changes. > Yeah, over another glass of bubbles. Yeah, yeah. > They come in, and they just leave a completely different person. See ya. See ya. Bye. My hair first started falling out when I was 6 years old. It just started coming out in clumps. Literally like pulling grass. I was 2 when my hair fell out. I haven't told many people about it. I wore beanies for five years. It is what it is, kind of thing. And now I'm proud of being bald. I accept myself as I am, and I'm not bothered about anybody's judgements. (CHUCKLES) What is alopecia? Well, alopecia just means hair loss. So any kind of hair loss is alopecia. No cause, no cure. And people find that hard to understand. That's what I found really hard to understand. And my daughters were like, 'Have you got cancer and you're just not telling us?' I said, 'No. It's just alop` It's just hair falls out.' LAID-BACK GUITAR MUSIC Because of her wig business, Janine has become well known. < So, how many people are you talking to, you know, each week? About three people a day, at the moment. < A day? < A day? A day. It's bizarre. It was Janine's hairdresser, Shannon, who discovered it. It actually started around about here. And then it grew. Within a month, it was gone. And then my eyebrows started falling out. And I thought I felt grief when my hair fell out. The eyebrows were way worse than my hair. She slumped into a depression. And I was standing in front of the mirror, and I just thought,... and I just pulled a big clump, and my mother, who I'm really close to, I rang her. And I was just bawling. I just cried and cried and cried. And then she started crying. And when I hung up, I thought, 'I'm being such a burden to everybody. I'm crying the whole time.' And then I thought, 'Oh, crikey, don't even go there. It's only hair, for God's sake.' And started, sort of, trying to think positive. But that was definitely the darkest day for me. Yeah. So much has changed. Since I started selling wigs, my hair's started growing back. Janine's reached a point where she's able to take her wig off in public. Felicity's not there yet. I like the colour. But even admitting that she has alopecia is huge. She would have to be the biggest transformation I've seen, really, to date. One was to here. That was quite cool. It was only weeks ago best friend Emma first saw Felicity without her wig on. Now they're discussing which wigs to buy next. She's still there. And since we've seen her tell other people and more of our friends know, and she's become more relaxed, which has been really nice, just more herself. I think I've completely accepted it now. Gosh, the last three weeks, I've come such a long way. from, yeah, having told nobody and being terrified of it, to now, you know... I think I` now I just don't care. I'm like, whatever. (LAUGHS) Coming up ` how does a teenager cope with alopecia? It was hard, yeah. I'm not gonna lie. It was really hard. BOTH GIGGLE 15 and bald. And, I guess, everyone wants to be accepted, so I was` yeah, I was kind of freaking out, to be honest. a WHIMSICAL MUSIC These are the many faces of alopecia. My name's Jill. I got alopecia when I was 14 years old. So I've had it nearly 50 years. I've now started to lose a little bit again, just on my pillow at night. I thought I was a freak. I didn't really know what was wrong with me. Hopefully you are beginning to understand the courage needed to do this. And this is what I look like in real life. Everybody is different. Even though I'm bald, I still feel happy and healthy. Having alopecia doesn't change who I am inside. I have so much family and friends that have been such great support for me. I have no hair, and I just don't care. (LAUGHS) This is my hair. This is my hair. Ta-da! Kelly Parima has attitude. The good kind. My blonde one. God, you look different with hair. God, you look different with hair. I know. How do you feel when you look at yourself in the mirror? I always think I look way better with my wig on, obviously. And... I'm still me, I guess. I just` I have my moments when I'm like, 'Ew. Look at you.' So why did you decide to do this interview without your wig? Cos this is me, and we're talking about baldness. And that would be a bit silly if I was to wear my wig. So, how many do we have? One, two... At 15, Kelly is full of fun, but it's not easy being bald. ...eight, nine, 10. Does your mum come in here and check on you? Not really. But if she sees it like that, she'll be like, 'Kelly.' Or like, if there's people over, 'Get rid of the wigs!' Like, 'Quick, quick!' BOTH LAUGH So no little short numbers. So no little short numbers. No, they're gone. > They're bad memories. They're bad memories. Ooh, can we see the photos? These are my baldy friends. No! No! No! No! Show! Show! Show! Show the nation. It doesn't look bad! It doesn't look bad! That's it! They got it! Don't be greedy. BOTH LAUGH BOTH LAUGH Oh my God. The last 18 months have been an emotional transformation for Kelly. What did you think was happening to you? What did you think was happening to you? I thought I was dying. I seriously didn't know, cos it just happened so fast. Her mum, Diane, discovered a bald spot. Within two weeks, all her hair fell out. Even when the doctor diagnosed me with alopecia, I was like, 'What's that?' you know? I still didn't know what it was, so... It was just scary. Everyone was scared, and no one would give me any answers. It was only two weeks into her first year of high school. It was hard, yeah. I'm not gonna lie. It was really hard. My friends were all really good about it, really supportive. And, like, my best friend was always there for me, so I'd always cry to her when I needed to, yeah. What have you done to treat your alopecia? I used to go up to the hospital for, like, check-ups and, like, steroid creams and whatever else was the new on the, like, list of things to cure it. CALLS: Five minutes, guys. CALLS: Five minutes, guys. Mum? Kelly's twin, Leah, and big sister, Nicole, also struggle with their sibling's loss. I think it was just hard for everyone, because it was so different and unheard of. Going with her to her first wig shop was, I think, emotional for everyone. How hard was it for you as a mum to watch your daughter go through that? How hard was it for you as a mum to watch your daughter go through that? Oh, it was just awful. And I thought, 'Why not me? I mean, I've got so much hair and I don't need it. 'I've got my family, I'm happy, and take my hair and give her back hers.' She was 13 years old, and 13-year-olds need their hair. OMINOUS MUSIC And it wasn't over. 16 months later, twin Leah's hair also started to fall out. I obviously have a lot of support, and like, all my friends are so amazing and understanding and everything. But just, like, it's just how you look at yourself. Like, when I first shaved off my hair, I took my mirror down in my room, and I didn't like going into the bathroom, because obviously we have that huge mirror. And I just didn't like looking at myself, because... I just wasn't happy with how I looked. Leah, I'm in the front. Kelly was coping, but watching her twin go through it was somehow worse. It's like going through it again, kind of. Because you know what she's feeling, what she's going through. Like, you know that you can't help her because there's just nothing you can do, and I can't exchange my hair for hers cos I'm already bald, you know. I just felt helpless. And just watching her, yeah, it was really hard. ENERGETIC MUSIC Kelly's had longer to accept and adjust to having alopecia. When I walk around school with Kelly and she has no wig on, I see people stare at her, and I'm like, 'That is not` I do not want that.' (GROANS, LAUGHS) You better cut that bit out. Leah's dealing with it her way. I don't think I have to be like her, like, do that. I don't feel any pressure to, like, not wear a wig or anything. They're definitely stronger. And, you know, they've dealt with something pretty traumatic. It's not life-threatening, but it's definitely life-changing. Mum Diane's had to help the girls deal with bullying. Sorrow is really hard to` to deal with. The stage between cutting off that last bit of hair and accepting that you're going to be wearing a wig and... that. I went on a holiday and I Skyped them, and there's two little bald heads looking at me. And it's kind of like the reality hits you. (MUMBLES) UPBEAT MUSIC Going bald has given Kelly more freedom, but the reality can hurt. Is it an ongoing process for you? Yeah. Every single day, like, obviously, I wake up and I'm like, 'Hello, I'm bald.' But I guess it's me, now. Kelly seems confident now, but it took a life-changing trip with friend Hilary to find the courage to reveal all. I thought, 'Should I be going out bald?' Because I was always around Hilary. You know, she never cared. So I was like, 'Should I care?' But I did. Hilary lives just around the corner and travelled to America with Kelly last year. You look a bit pose-y. You look a bit pose-y. Aww. You look a bit pose-y. Aww. Very Kate Middleton, though. They went to an alopecia gathering, almost like a camp. It's just all about getting together and talking about stuff. Going to America, after that, nothing mattered. Like, I still had my moments, but that was just... I can't even explain how much that changed my life, to be honest. I think it's just being around so many people and hearing their stories. And they're not always big sob stories. Like, it's not always bad. Everyone has different, like, experiences. This is quite a good one. This is quite a good one. Yeah. That's all us baldies. 857 baldies and supporters. Why does mine have to be a sob story, you know? Why can't it be something that makes me a better person? And then I just decided that for me to be me, I felt ` not everyone feels this ` but I felt like I had to take off my wig and show people, like, who I actually am. FESTIVE MUSIC The trip has had a ripple effect. Tonight, girls and women with alopecia, and their family members, have gathered at Kelly and Leah's house. Oh, that's gorgeous. They're planning an alopecia conference in October for Kiwis. Is there a lack of understanding around alopecia? Huge, huge. That's why we're doing this function. You google alopecia, and it comes up all about America. And not really too much about NZ. And so with people with alopecia, that just makes us feel like, 'This is very rare and I'm a real freak. 'Nobody else has this.' Look, we've got Marilyn here now. I've never been blonde in my life. And people say to me blondes have more fun, but I don't know. LAUGHTER There's no right or wrong way to deal with alopecia. It's a personal journey. I think I've accepted that that's how I am now, for the moment, and I guess having these, like, human hair wigs, as well, is just how it's gonna be. It's OK to be however you need to be, whatever makes you comfortable. And obviously it's not gonna make you comfortable being bald, so you gotta be as happy as you can be. It took Felicity four years to tell a friend. Now she's speaking to a nation. Could you show us some of your own hair? Not overly comfortable about doing it, but... Not overly comfortable about doing it, but... Up to you. There is` It is starting to just grow back a little bit of mine there. So fingers crossed, but... If it doesn't, it doesn't. That was a big deal, what you just did then. That was a big deal, what you just did then. Huge. (GIGGLES) Yeah. My God, my stomach was like` the minute you said it, it was like just churning in knots. I was like, 'No, no, I can't do that.' But you did. But you did. Yeah. I did. But it's still not coming all the way off. (LAUGHS) No matter how much you push or how much chocolate you ply me, or wine. Nah, it's not coming off. Good on her. If you want to know more about alopecia and the NZ gathering here in October, just head to our Facebook page. We'll post some info on there for you. Next up on 20/20 ` we know looks are important, but this may surprise you. I'm Melissa Nelson. I was fired because my boss thought I was too attractive. I don't think the law's out of touch. This guy is a jerk. But being a jerk is not illegal. This was a woman who did nothing to get herself fired except, you know, bring her breasts to work. Tonight on 20/20 ` a Welcome back. After working as a dental assistant for 10 years, 30-year-old Melissa Nelson was fired by her dentist boss for being too attractive. Dr James Knight, who is married, said that he felt Miss Nelson's beauty was simply 'too tempting' and presented a threat to his marriage. But Nelson was not about to take this reverse form of beauty bias lying down. Well, the cat's outta the bag. The beautiful get all the breaks. The pretty get all the perks. And the gorgeous get all the gigs. Look at the waitresses. Look at the waitresses. Yeah? It really ticked off Elaine in this classic Seinfeld episode when she thought this diner would only hire well-endowed waitresses. You know what? That's discriminatory. Turns out, it wasn't lookism. It was nepotism. They are my daughters. Oh! It wasn't so funny more recently when teen clothing retailer Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries caused a plus-sized controversy over comments that they only go after the attractive, all-American kid. And that's why they hire good-looking people in their stores. Amid plummeting sales, Abercrombie had to back-track. But beauty bias can cut both ways. I'm Melissa Nelson. I was fired because my boss thought I was too attractive. Which brings us to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and their fields of opportunities ` America's heartland, for some twisted matters of the heart. She wanted to be a dental assistant. Steve is Melissa's high-school sweetheart. They are married with two young children. She wanted to work for Dr Knight's office, so she job-shadowed there. She got a job there and just everything fell into place. She loved her job. 33-year-old Melissa was the dental assistant for Dr James Knight. By the dentist's side, eight hours a day for a decade. It was a fun working environment. How did you view Dr Knight? I viewed him as a father figure, as a... as a dad. He was your mentor, right? He was your mentor, right? Very much so. How close did the two of you get? When we had both of our kids, his family came and visited in the hospital. Melissa says it was all a gas, until the doc started pulling more than teeth. Once he hit 50, she says, he was working out, pumping iron and getting buff. He became more confident and more outgoing. Was he going through a mid-life crisis? That's all I could come up with. The two had a friendly relationship. Trading personal text messages during off-hours. But then, Melissa says, it went from cordial to creepy. He would ask me about my personal life. He would ask me how often I would have sex. And Melissa says when she answered and implied not that often, the dentist offered this artful analogy: And he warned his mentee... This was Melissa's standard-issue scrub suit uniform and occasionally, on humid days her lab coat was removed, revealing her 5'1" frame and a simple crew neck T-shirt. Oh my God. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm a squirter, Dale. It seemed to us strikingly similar to this scene from the movie, Horrible Bosses. Shalom. Somebody is circumcised. Did you flirt with him? Did you flirt with him? No. So there's no attraction. So there's no attraction. Absolutely not. Did you do anything to lead him on? Did you do anything to lead him on? Never. Did you do anything to lead him on? Never. You must've done something. I don't know what. I showed up for work every day. Melissa says she brushed off her boss's comments for six months, hoping they would stop. But things came to a head when there was an exchange during non-business hours. The dentist's wife caught them texting each other while he was on vacation and made sure it would end. His wife came in with a purple folder, and just sat it on his desk and walked out without saying anything. Thus began a day at this dentist's office with more discomfort than a string of scheduled root canals. Talk about intervention. Dr Knight even brought in his local pastor. I found out later that it was his minister from church. It's his pastor, it's you, and it's your boss. Yes. The three of us sitting in... in the office. Did you think, 'What the heck is going on?' Absolutely. I had no idea why I was in there. And in that purple folder? A pink slip. Dr Knight said I couldn't work in the office because he was becoming attracted to me, and not able to focus on his family and his family life. What was your reaction to this? He can't control himself? I instantly broke down in tears. All I remember is just sitting there and not able to get up, telling him that I love my job. Melissa's husband rushed to the dentist's office. I said, 'What's going on? Is there a mistake?' He said, 'I've got feelings for your wife and it's affecting my family.' And he felt the best option to save his marriage was to terminate Missy. He saw her as a threat. He told me several times that. He said, 'I want you to know, Steve, your wife has done nothing wrong.' When he said he didn't feel like he could control himself, and that an affair might start down the road, how did you react? 'That's absurd. Why would those thoughts even cross his mind? This is my wife. 'Why is he thinking of her as an object?' And it infuriated me. And the news also infuriated some in this close-knit reserved town of 25,000 people. We met Ruth and Jerry Hancock at the local malt shop, Nettie's. I have just never, ever seen her do anything inappropriate myself. Then all of a sudden we find this attraction as being a reason to let her go. I don't think that's justified. After the firing, they found a new dentist. Now, Dr Knight offered Melissa a month's severance for 10 years of stellar work. But Melissa vowed to fight tooth and nail. The good news for the court is this might be the easiest case that you have all year. When we come back, how Melissa decided to retaliate in a court of law. This was a woman who did nothing to get herself fired, except, you know, bring her breasts to work. The dentist's surprising defence, and as an orthodontist might say ` brace yourself, because you may not believe where else she took her case. Open up and say, 'Melissa.' Stay with us. Tonight on 20/20 ` a Ever thought you could be too good-looking for your own good? 33-year-old Melissa Nelson didn't either. But she was fired from her job as a dental assistant, with a month's severance, after 10 years, simply because the 54-year-old dentist she worked for found her irresistibly attractive and a threat to his marriage. I'm sure you remember the song 'I'm Too Sexy'. Well, it seems it's actually to be too sexy for your job. What was life like when you worked with him? It was good. I was home with my kids every night. We had just bought some land and I made the first payment and lost my job two days later. I've read lots of comments of people who say, 'Good for him, at least he was honest. 'A lot of men would have just slept with her.' Paige Fiedler is Melissa's attorney. I can assure you there is about a snowball's chance in hell that would have happened. Seeking damages and lost pay, Melissa took her cause to the Iowa District Court in August 2010 and filed a gender discrimination suit against Dr James Knight, but the judge dismissed the case before trial. I was hurt, I think more than anything, I was hurt. Dr Knight declined our repeated requests for an interview, but his attorney told ABC News... We had admission after admission after admission from the defendant himself that her sex played a part in his decision. So in December, Melissa appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court. We are not allowed to discriminate against someone because of who God made them. Having breasts is pretty closely connected with being a woman. But the seven justices ruled that although the one month's severance was rather ungenerous, terminating an employee is OK... Especially since the wife felt her marriage was threatened. So, you're responsible for your boss, who can't control himself. That's kind of what the Supreme Court has led us to believe. I don't think the law is out of touch. I mean, this guy is a jerk. But being a jerk is not illegal. Ilya Shapiro is a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Free Market Cato Institute. You can fire someone for being tall, for being short, cheering for the wrong team, wearing the wrong colour. But you cannot be fired if you're part of a protected class, such as gender, race or religion. Still, Shapiro says, Melissa's case is not about gender. He's a man. She's a woman. He's attracted to her. How is it not a gender issue? She was fired because he felt that their relationship was affecting his marriage. All he has to do was control himself. How hard could that be? Well, he feared that if he kept her on, then he might start harassing her. He might start harassing her? He said, 'How often do you have orgasms?' 'If you see a bulge in my pants, it's because your clothes are too tight.' Well, it's inappropriate, but she didn't complain. The court agreed. But in the court of public opinion, the ruling surprised... and stung. Her only crime was looking too good. Bosses can legally fire any employee they see as an irresistible attraction. If a man is saying that a woman is so irresistible that he's afraid he will sexually offend against her, what does that say about women in the military? About` about equality in any workplace? Rekha Basu wrote a scathing column for Iowa's Des Moines Register, calling the seven male justices' decision embarrassing. I think a female justice working through her own first-hand experience and perspective would have had a different take on it. Melissa filed yet another appeal, and, in a surprise just last month, perhaps because of the public outcry,... Can I just say... this dentist needs a little novocaine in Mr Happy. ...the High Court agreed to reconsider their earlier ruling. A rare occurrence. But the same seven judges came up with the same ruling and clarified that you can be fired... Melissa is out of legal options. She thinks it's laughable a jury of her peers will never get to decide if she was wronged, so naturally she brought her case to Comedy Central. If Melissa wants to clean teeth, she shouldn't have the to worry about her boss's dirty mind. That's why I invited her to give me an oral exam in Hollywood, where women are never objectified. This is the standard issue scrub suit and lab coat she wore to work, but this is the outfit she wore on Tosh.0. Open up and say Meliss-ahhhhh. Good for her. I think it was her way of saying how ridiculous these allegations about her were. He called you the best dental assistant he ever had. Why haven't you got back into the industry? I think my biggest fear is trusting someone, trusting somebody that I have to work that close to. I wouldn't want to be hurt again. Today, the former dental assistant, who by day, was earning a good salary with benefits, has lost her livelihood. Now scraping by on tips. She's waiting tables at a sports bar by night. It's not an easy job. Very demanding. Always on your feet. But she's lost something else even more important to her. Precious time with her children. What is life like now? I tuck them in two nights a week. That's it. Do you ever see Dr Knight around town? Do you ever see Dr Knight around town? No. I see his lawyer. He comes and eats at the restaurant that I work at. And I can either pick my head up and go with it or I can walk away with my tail between my legs. And I'm not going to let that happen. Next up ` the title says it ` 'Scandal'. 20/20 wings its way to Hollywood to talk to the stars of the new hit drama. This is Huck. He's our tech guy. He used to be CIA. I don't want to talk about that. New girl? New girl. New girl. Are you sure she's here? It's late. She's here; she's always here. That's Stephen, that's Abby. He's a litigator. She's an investigator. And that's` And that's` Olivia Pope. Oh boy, if I got into some of the trouble that some of these characters are getting into, I would` I would give all my money for her to help me out and fix my problems. Cos the money's never discussed, is it? Cos the money's never discussed, is it? Yeah, it's not. That's so true. Tonight on 20/20 ` a Welcome back. We all like to be privy to a good scandal, and here's one you're welcome to view. 'Scandal' is the new hit show from the producer of Grey's Anatomy. And while it's mainstream entertainment, its appeal is in its diversity. Hannah caught up with the show's tech geek and all-round nice guy in Los Angeles. Do I look OK? Too much cleavage. Olivia will talk about you. Just take it in. This is Huck. He's our tech guy, used to be CIA. I don't talk about that. New girl? I don't talk about that. New girl? New girl. I don't talk about that. New girl? New girl. Are you sure she's here? It's late. She's here, always. That's Stephen, Abby. He's a litigator. She's an investigator, and that's... Olivia Pope. I think what I most like about this show so far is that right from the offset, it's embraced diversity. You've got a black woman lead, a gay male lead, a Supreme Court justice who's female, and a redhead. Yeah, it's exciting. One day we were on set, and Kerry, myself and Columbus Short, who plays Harrison, were all talking about how exciting that the first three actors on the call sheet are, you know` two are African American, and I'm-I'm-I'm Latin. Fantastic. Normalising stuff that's normally sidelined? Yeah, and it's not an issue. It's not talked about at all. Our races aren't talked about, our sexuality ` nothing. It's just` It is what it is, which is the way it should be. Guillermo Diaz plays the loyal tech guy in this political thriller. He'd do anything for the woman who discovered him, Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington. We need more. How big an influence is Kerry on the show? She's such a great leader. I don't know if the show would be as successful and as special and popular and exciting for us to work on if it wasn't for Kerry. She kind of sets the bar really high, and it makes us wanna step up to it and work as hard as she does. You have until morning. You have until morning. 36 hours. 24 hours. 24 hours. Sold. Pleasure to see you again. Kerry's character runs a team of fixers. Literally. Fixers of problems. I'm not telling you a thing. I'm not telling you a thing. How's your wife? Does she know about the stripper? Does she know about the stripper? You're a real bitch, you know? I do know that, Wally. We kinda come into the picture when people are having the worst day of their lives. Their nightmare is coming true. Their nightmare is coming true. That's when we come in and fix it and we manage crises. And manage they do. Believe me. If you were rich, famous or a high-profile figurehead, this is the team you'd want on your side. Good boys. So, since we have a deal, I am going to take what we paid for. Pleasure doing business with you. I thank you. My client thanks you. And I hope to never see you again. Former White House communications director Olivia Pope is now running her own crisis management company. He wants the favour. He wants my services. I do not work for him any more, so you tell the president of the United States to make time. Her only Achilles heel ` her relationship with the big guy. DOOR OPENS I just wanna say that we can hear you screaming... How much would you pay for her services? How much would you pay for her services? (LAUGHS) Oh boy. If I got into the trouble that these characters are getting into, I would give all my money for her to help me out and fix my problems. Cos the money's never discussed, is it? Cos the money's never discussed, is it? Yeah, it's not. That's so true. No one's ever asked that. That's so true. Right? How interesting. I wonder how much she charges. That would be` I wonder if that's ever gonna come up on the show. I like that. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm here. Where is everybody? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm here. Where is everybody? On the job. We have a client. What's going on? What's going on? We're fixers. We fix. It's the latest hit series by producer Shonda Rhimes, also responsible for Grey's Anatomy and its spinoff, Private Practice. Three most important ingredients for a scandal? Three most important ingredients for a scandal? Fame, um, sex... Money maybe? Money maybe? Money, drugs. It's so hard to say. There's so many. Look at words. Sometimes words will get some folks into the biggest trouble. And big trouble is what real life fixer Judy Smith deals in, a former White House aide in the Bush Administration, and the show's inspiration. You're the fixer? You're the fixer? I am the fixer. I love it. Been doing it for, uh, 20 years. And what we do, really, is we help corporations, celebrities, politicians... The people that need it most. The people that need it most. That's exactly right. We haven't had a chance to help you yet. We haven't had a chance to help you yet. You will. (LAUGHS) Have you met Judy? Have you met Judy? We have. We have. What's she like? What's she like? She's wonderful. She's very` very calm, very down to earth. She's very mellow, doesn't get worked up. I have a warrant for that house, but when I used it, there was nothing. Your people took what there was to find. David. Good to see you. Did you get a haircut? It's nice. Olivia Pope's always in control, but never one to cross. I was shooting a scene with her on Friday, and we were looking into each other's eyes. It was a very intense scene, and I was` I kept getting chills, and I was, like, 'Oh my God. 'This is a little bit too real.' It was a little bit too real. You've been living with a secret for a really long time. I know what that's like. I honestly do. But the intensity's purely a persona. According to Guillermo, Kerry's a pro on and off screen. She's the hardest working actress in the world, I think, and randomly she'll send us flowers at home or a bottle of wine, just saying 'Thinking about you,' and she's just a great, real person. This show's got the goods ` plots driven by ego, ambition, fear and denial and scandals of the rich, famous and newsworthy. I need a quote for my story. CHUCKLES: Your story. You don't have a story. You don't have a thing, so go home. No. No. Excuse me? I may just be a reporter for a dying newspaper, but you're Olivia Pope. So no. No, I didn't have a story, but now... now I do. Well, that's almost us for the night, but before we go, here's a quick preview of what we've got coming up for you next week. Little Usher nearly drowned in the family pool after getting his arm caught in the drain ` an unthinkable scene set against the backdrop of a $3m home in Atlanta's posh suburb of Buckhead. The dad called and said, 'Hey, there's been an accident. Um, he cut his arm.' Only this was more than a cut. The 5-year-old was reportedly underwater for almost three minutes until he was pulled out. I was mad, because I was like, 'How did this happen?' I just was angry that it happened on his watch. Well, actually, someone else's watch ` an aunt. Usher was reportedly at a recording session a mile away at the time of the incident. Which is why Tameka says she filed for an emergency court hearing asking a judge to turn their son over to her care when he left the hospital. I feel like the kids are not getting proper care. And I think the reason for that is he's not there. When a celebrity like Usher fights for custody of his kids, even something as poignant as a court room hug with his ex might be a peace of showbiz. I don't think it was a sincere gesture. So you think he was just doing it for the cameras? I call it the casket rope. I think it was the dream team, you know, gave that as advice. 'Hey, you have to look like a good sport 'and you save face because you look like you hurt this woman so you give her a hug.' These were the unvarnished words of Tameka Raymond ` fashion stylist, mom, and maybe most famously, Usher's ex-wife. Now, if you want to see any of tonight's stories again, head to our website... You can also email us... Or, of course, go to our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Well, thanks for all your comments on our programme last week. If you've got a story you think we should be following, drop us a line too.