Ashley Alexandra Dupre Sits Down With Diane Sawyer

NEW YORK — The prostitute at the center of the scandal that brought down former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has apologized to his wife.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre tells People magazine that the FBI informed her in early March that it was investigating one of her clients. A few days later, she found out which client when she recognized Spitzer on TV _ resigning.

That was March 12, after revelations Spitzer had used Emperors Club VIP, where Dupre worked.

She says she was stricken by the pained expression on Silda Wall Spitzer's face.

"I try not to revisit that place too often, but when I think about his speech, I think of her face, her eyes, the hurt," Dupre said.

Her message to Silda Wall Spitzer: "I'm sorry for your pain."

Dupre, 23, said Spitzer was polite and businesslike when they met. "Some guys, they want to have conversations and really get to know each other. With him, it clearly was not like that," she said. "It was more of a transaction. Strictly business."

Dupre, who was known then as Kristen, said she practiced safe sex with all her clients, including Spitzer. On her attorney's advice, she would not elaborate on their liaison, or say whether Spitzer visited her more than once. She did say that he dressed casually and she did not see his security detail.

Dupre also sat down with Diane Sawyer for an ABC "20/20" segment to be aired Friday. In that interview, ABC said, she describes how an "upper middle-class, girl next door got into the profession and the psychological journey she continues to experience."

Four people have pleaded guilty to running the prostitution operation. Last week, federal prosecutors said they wouldn't bring criminal charges against Spitzer.

Dupre, 23, envisions a future for herself in music, fashion and "writing books" _ but not prostitution. "Never again."

Comments

[blueberryhill]

She looks like Elizabeth Hasselback, only brunette.

[forcaff]

shame on you ms sawyer don't you have better thing to report on why is it when these women are made public they are rewarded stop feeding their egos they don't deserve any attention there are familys to think about and especially their children.we don't want to hear about someone that sleep with men for money especially when it's someoneelses husband.

[Tsckey]

We don't? Are you kidding?

[RoXXanne]

I don't know these people, so who's the hooker and who is the ABC correspondent?

[RoXXanne]

Never mind, I should have read better, the correspondent is the woman to the right.

[SpencerCat]

Why does the media think we want to hear what a hooker has to say? Let this girl sink back into obscurity. WHO CARES?

Hey news reporters! Report on NEWS. Things that matter to us.

[mahdeealoo]

Glamorize Prostitution? Like trying to make a silk purse out of a hog's ear.

[espressobeans]

I'm boycotting. There is no way to clean this up and make it main stream. I don't think Duprey is upper middle class, nor is she the girl next door. Why celebrate trashy behavior and reward it with big bucks? Can't we find some decent, intelligent, hard-working, good-hearted women to celebrate and hold up as role models for our girls instead of having this sensational stuff constantly in our face?

[mahdeealoo]

like I said, "It's trying to make a silk purse out of a hog's ear."

[ESerafina42]

Or putting lipstick on a pig. :)

(In my neck of the woods, incidentally, it's a sow's ear.)

[pipetoe]

....let's make Ashley Dupre and big star now......
That's the democratic way...righ­t.

[blueberryhill]

We have done with no brain Sarah Palin, too!

[dukesman]

She is cute but definitely not worth 3,000 or 4,000 bucks Spitzer paid for her. I mean, I thought Starbucks' coffee was overpriced.

[Wiserone]

The fact the fed's aren't going to bring any charges against Spitzer tells me he knows alot and it's best for the fed's to let him go quietly into the night, otherwise some 'names' could come to light that would cause a whole group of folks to be as embarassed too. He was known as a real SOB, so I'm surprised the fed's wouldn't want to get their pound of flesh from him. Tells me, he was ready to start naming those names and Spitzer cut himself a sweeter deal from any prosecution.

[IamPhenom]

If the Feds were so afraid of Spitzer, why did they go after him for prostitution at all? They didn't charge him with anything because they couldn't find any federal charges to pin on him. They were trying for some out-dated law about not transporting women for sexual purposes over state lines, but they didn't have enough to convict.

This whole thing was a Bush Justice Department effort to take down Spitzer because he had gone after crimes on Wall Street while he was the NY Attorney General. He made a lot of powerful enemies by trying to keep Wall Street honest.

Read about cases like Don Siegelman in Alabama. Karl Rove turned Bush's Justice Department into a wing of the Republican Party, and trumped up charges for political purposes. That's why they had to fire so many US Attorneys (appointed by Bush originally). Those US Attorneys would not trump up phony charges on Democrats. Those attorneys have given sworn testimony saying that is why they were fired.

[lizr]

they wanted him out of the way because he would have called Wall Street on their bs and would have been an advocate for taxpayers in this scandal/bailout.

[Kerris]

Okay, honestly -- did she have to dress like a librarian at her retirement dinner?

I understand she didn't want to come in anything that would stereotype her as a hussy or anything, but this fowzy frock thing is too laughable!

[pipetoe]

But check out her dress in People...S­he looks the part.
Somewhere in between might have been good.

[ndem]

If she was upper middle class why didn't she receive an education allowing her to make a real living instead of being a hooker?

[Kerris]

Well, if you think about it -- wouldn't it be a spoiled, upper middle class girl who didn't want to work hard at school or get a real job that would be just the person to fall into the high class call girl circuit? Isn't that just the kind of lady they want in those high-paid outfits, as opposed to the junkies that crawl the curbs?

Now, I have nothing against prostitution as a profession, and think it should be legalised and taxed and health checks and all that stuff they do in Nevada.... and I am sure poking blokes like Spitzer and his ilk cannot be all fun and games all the time... but... high class hooking ain' t the hardest job in the world, non-taxing as it is on the intellect and corporate ladder skills.

These gals cannot all become art history majors and run art galleries selling the latest canvases for 8 million a pop. Some of them look farther afield.

[mahdeealoo]

ewwww

[ADVOCATE4ZPG]

Exactly...­.., but they (including Dupre) could be meter maids(?), still get lots of attention, and even "book dates" when not gathering brass.....­!

[kcsmom]

Why is it always the elitist hooker that gets interviewed? (even if she shops at re-sale shops...)
Let's hear from the hooker that can barely survive in this economy, because Joe Six-pack can't afford her anymore.

Also, do they pay taxes on what they make?!
Hmm...that may be a reason that someone from the upper middle class may give the job some consideration.

I'm just grateful the girl next door doesn't have that kind of time on her hands. ( or anywhere else, for that matter.)

[doublels]

Sawyer has lost some cred with me. It seems like such a non-story. Of course a lot of people will watch cause Alex is beautiful & the ratings will be great but....I guess i just won't watch it.

[Wiserone]

Actually, when you think about it, getting an 'exclusive' from Depre I would think is way down on the journalistic ladder.

[maggieblue]

What's up with the grandma dress?
I thought she was a hooker...

[NotWaldo]

She's a Quaker now.

[PhillyQuaker]

Quakers wear whatever they like.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

I heard she's doing a book callaboration with Joe the Plumber and Sarah Palin.

[ArthurTwoShedsJackson]

Wow, a three way.

Book collaboration, that is.