Ted Williams meets Dr. Phil, Lakers and, oops, the LAPD - Los Angeles Times
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Ted Williams meets Dr. Phil, Lakers and, oops, the LAPD

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Ted Williams’ race down the fame highway has hit a few bumps, with police responding to a disturbance at his hotel Monday night and the homeless man with the golden voice giving an interview afterward describing an altercation with one of his daughters.

In a matter of days, the onetime DJ who wound up homeless due to drug and alcohol addiction, not to mention prison time, has gone from panhandling on the streets of Ohio to appearing on TV and radio and capturing hearts around the world with his baritone voice and second-chance fairy tale.

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Williams and his daughter Janey were detained Monday night after police were called to the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, where family members were stayinig as part of a reunion for the ‘Dr. Phil’ show.

Police took the two to the Hollywood station, talked to them and calmed them down. Ted Williams was left with scratch marks on his face, but no charges were filed.

Williams told ‘Entertainment Tonight’ — there’s video below — that ‘fists got to flying, none of which were mine’ after his daughter got upset over something he said. On ‘Dr. Phil,’ Janey said her dad had been drinking heavily, an accusation he denied.

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Tuesday’s ‘Dr. Phil’ episode, in a promo with voiceover by Williams, promises some uncomfortable moments, with psychologist Phil McGraw asking questions along the lines of ‘Do you acknowledge that you didn’t step up as a father and a husband?’ and ‘Could you pass a drug test right now?’ The appearance is broken into two parts, ‘Homeless to Hollywood’ and ‘Ted’s Family Intervention.’

Ooh, drama.

Happier stuff in Williams’ Hollywood visit has included a visit Monday to the L.A. Lakers’ practice facility, where he met the likes of Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest and taped a TV segment. He also got a fairly practical gift from top voiceover artists: They paid Williams’ initiation fees to join the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the guild memberships he needs to work in film, TV and radio.

SAG or AFTRA membership plus union employment also will give him access to health insurance. It’s $2,277 to become a SAG member and $1,600 to join AFTRA.

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Ted Williams copes with sudden fame, considers job offer

— Christie D’Zurilla

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