Suicide Idol's Brother, Friends Rip Paula Abdul

The brother of the Paula Abdul-obsessed "American Idol" reject who OD'd outside the star's LA home is blaming Abdul for crushing his sister's dreams and sending her on a downward spiral.

Paula Goodspeed, 30, had withered away to just 78 pounds at the sad end of her life, brought on by eating disorders and a broken Hollywood heart, her brother, Charles McIntyre, told The Post yesterday.

Although the grieving sibling disputed tentative police reports that Goodspeed committed suicide in her car, McIntyre said his sister's "Idol" tryout in 2005 crushed her dreams of stardom.

Goodspeed auditioned for Season 5 of the hit Fox reality show, and her train-wreck performance of "Proud Mary" brought jeers and cutting comments from the three "Idol" judges.

"[Abdul] didn't speak up for her. She let everyone take her down," McIntyre told The Post from his home in Maine.

"She [Abdul] said she was 'speechless,' when she could have said something in her defense."

Earlier in that "Idol" episode, Goodspeed showed off life-size drawings she had made of Abdul and professed her admiration for the former Laker Girl.

KEEP READING NY POST INTERVIEW

PLUS FROM THE NY DAILY NEWS:

A good friend has rushed to the defense of 30-year-old Paula Goodspeed, telling the Daily News that the aspiring singer wasn't a suicidal, "looney freakazoid" still obsessing over the mocking she received at her September 2005 "American Idol" audition.

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Instead, Goodspeed was upbeat and planning for the future when she last communicated with pal Brianna Schlanger less than 24 hours before cops recovered her body Tuesday.

"She sent me a text at 10:22 the night before about meeting for a latte and movie. She ended the message with a happy face," said Schlanger, a model from Reseda, Calif. "She seemed fine. Some

PLUS FROM PEOPLE, A DIFFERENT SIDE:

Last week, Paula Abdul got flowers with a note signed, "Love, J.T." and the message, "Hope you're doing great. Here's my new cell number."

Thinking they had come from her restaurateur boyfriend J.T. Torregiani, Abdul called him asking why he had changed his number, a source close to Abdul tells PEOPLE. When he said he hadn't, Abdul knew immediately who really sent them: ex-American Idol contestant Paula Goodspeed, according to the source....

Also, PEOPLE has learned, Goodspeed had changed her first name from Sandra to Paula.

Comments

[msoverall]

They knew she was unstable, did they think her behavior was normal? There is no one to blame but themselves, they should have made sure seh got some help. Paula Abdul is not responsible for your unbalanced and deluded sister not having any talent and then being told so. I'm sorry, I have to wonder about the families who encourage and support members to try out when the person is tone-death , crazy or both! Why would you allow someone you love to subject themselves to that kind of humilation? Please, this society needs to stop with it's insistence in making every one think the sun shines out their ass.

[Economike]

Hollywood never changes.

[LMT]

She was obsessed with Abdul, for cryin' out loud. That alone means she didn't have it all together. Sheesh!

[ChiGuy]

I'm sorry for his loss, but he is WAY off in attacking Abdul for his sister's obvious mental troubles.
Clearly, from the audition on, she was a little off-kilter and in need of psyche help.

Sadly, if anyone is to blame for the woman's downward spiral, it's family members that failed to intervene on her behalf in order to save her from the inevitable conclusion.

I fully expect to see news that the family has filed a frivolous lawsuit against Abdul.

[Vendeen]

Amen. Why is this Abdul's fault??? When I was a kid, I loved Bonanza, but my family didn't blame them when I fluked math, or gained weight, or misbehaved.

Where has the family been all this time, if she's been a mess since 2005? Once again, no one takes personal responsibility.

[andvoodoo2]

Thank you for saying it best.

[slaxx]

"i fully expect to see news that the family has filed a frivolous lawsuit against Abdul."

you nailed it. suddenly the victim is to blame for someone's obsession? and what about simon and randy who criticized her to begin with? 3 YEARS AGO.

i've seen people go through a lot worse than being called a bad singer and they never killed themselves. you're right - why did no one get her help for her eating disorder, drug use, and obvious mental problems?

[APerspective]

This is just another example of people not taking responsibility for their own actions, yes even suicide. There may be a motive to setup Paula Abdul for a law suite to try to extort money from her, the blameless with money. In any case, it is obvious that her brother is trying to project blame. There is no doubt in my mind that he has feelings of guilt that he or his family should have done more to help his sister. Paula Abdul is not responsible the behavior of a stalker who obviously had some form of mental illness. In fact no one other than Ms. Goodspeed is.

[Killjoy]

WTF?

[VictoriaCanuck]

Her family didn't think she was a stalker? Why then, once her mother noticed she was missing, did she tell the police to go look for her at Abdul's home?
Instead of blaming everyone else, her family should look inwards as they were the closest ones to her and should have know she was unstable and required medical assistance. I get frustrated watching/listening to people NOT taking responsibility for their own action/inaction, instead blaming everyone else.
Personally, I just think it's a way for her family to justify (to themselves) a lawsuit.

[luvangelHussein330]

Seems like the girl never had a chance given the people she was surrpunding herself with were inableing her instead of getting her help. Thats the one thing I fear about these shows, unstale people so filled with startom delusion that they can't see the small or next to nothing chance they have at even making it. If she wasn't good she wasn't good end of story. Go back to the drawing board. how is Pualas falut that this young lady didn't have the chops three years ago

[kcmookie]

There seem to be a lot of people that want ot blame American Idol and/or the judges individually. I understand that Idol may exploit people who are delusional about their abilities, but that does not make American Idol to blame, American Idol does not create the delusion these people so badly have. Where are their friends and family? Do you knowlingly allow your friends or relative who are "absolutely dreadful" to continue in their false belief that they are good? And if they are that delusional do you encourage them when they want to chase things like American Idol?

What happend is a shame, but the individual is the one who did this, and her support system is what failed her, NOT American Idol, so can we stop playing the blame game?

[ingrid77]

It does not excuse the culture of the show which involves ridiculing people who are clearly unstable. The show needs to grow some balls and treat people like this with respect. It can't be that hard. In cases like Goodspeed's, it was clear something wasn't right with her. The producers should have been saying, 'let's leave this one on the cutting room floor instead of exploiting her for ratings.' No one is to blame for her death. Shows like Idol need to re-think their game, that's all.
Also, if you had a family member with a mental illness, I think you would have more of an idea of the reality of it. It ain't that simple. I just think a bit of compassion (not 'enabling' or 'allowing') is in order.

[sean6886]

It seems to me that this girl had some sort of obsession with Paula prior to her appearance on the show. According to the re-run clips they've been showing, the girl showed off her many drawings of Paula. That says something's a little off right there.
She probably appeared on the show for two reasons, one was to obviously meet Paula since she already had an obsession, and the other was probably because she had delousions that she'd be a winner on the program.
After her appearance, according to reports, she had bothered Paula on several occasions. When her parents called police because their daughter had not come home, even they told the police to check Paula Abdul's residence as she'd been caught there before.
I understand that her brother is grieving right now, but to blame Paula Abdul is wrong. She didn't know your sister but you did. You had to have seen an issue with her behaviour. There are many people who become obsessed with celebrities and luckily, most of them are never able to succeed in their sick fantasies. If your sister decided to hurt Paula rather than herself, would that also be Paula's fault?

[LexKitten]

If you kill yourself in front of a celeb's house, in a car with pictures of the them hanging from the rear view and a vanity plate declaring your love for them.... you are a stalker.

It sounds like her family was enabling her behavior (and still is), which is the saddest part. Without someone trying to get her help, she didn't have a chance.

[slaxx]

not to mention that she changed her name to "Paula."

[whit4brains]

That should have definitely clued them in, don't ya think?

[kawreader]

Without a doubt, this is a sad story. However, I can't see blaming Paula Abdul for someone else being mentally disabled. It's a little off.

[dotmafia]

Without knowing the girl and the full details of this situation, it seems to me that she obviously was needing psychiatric help and therapy. It's a shame her friends and family couldn't help her enough, but Paula Abdul and the other judges from Idol clearly should not be blamed for this when so many thousands of other people who have been rejected did not suffer the same fate.

[AfroLatina21]

How can they blame Paula, I know they're hurting right now but this isn't Paula's fault. That woman obviously needed some mental help.

Thank God this didn't turn into another case like Selena's. I remember Selena's death like it was yesterday. These mentally ill and crazy people become obsessed with these stars.

[hypnus]

Charles, maybe you should have been more in charge of your sister. Did her resent behavior or weight loss scream out to you, "gee, I feel just great about the way life is going". Take all that guilt you’re trying to put on Abdul and wallow in it yourself.

[sizoda1]

He probably does feel guilty. Jesus, his sister just died. Back off. Be human.

[Zofomofo]

What are you talking about, he is the one accusing innocent people who do not have contact with her for her problems, whe the brother is right there doing noting.

[jbeach]

Or maybe, just dropping the guilt entirely? Ill people aren't that persuadable, controllable or even predictable.

The brother's in pain, and looking for a reason - when there might not even be one. Paula could have been just as nice to the poor woman, and she still could have easily made it to this same end.

She needed professional help.

[slaxx]

i think the best thing to do with stalkers is just ignore them. you don't want to encourage them or their delusions.

and how's a celebrity, initially, to know whether or not someone is just a fan or a stalker? it must really s u c k to be famous.