Philly Reporter Colleen Campbell Apologizes for Helium Incident; Raises Possibility She May Have Been Drugged
The Philadelphia reporter who was arrested on Sunday after an incident in front of Helium Comedy Club, wants you to know that the girl in the video disseminated earlier this week is not a reflection of who she is, and she believes she may have been drugged.
Colleen Campbell has hired a PR company to issue a statement apologizing for her conduct, and sending out some photos showing her as a less confrontational woman. She was caught on video posted by comedian Wil Sylvince on Sunday night calling a police officer and a club representative “cocksuckers” and other slurs after being kicked out of the club for talking during the show.
In her statement posted in full below, Ms. Campbell says she is ashamed by the statements and actions in the video, saying her behavior in the video does not reflect the person she is. She apologizes to the Philadelphia police officer, the entire Philly PD, her former employers and co-workers (she was let go from her on-air position with PHL 17), and fellow patrons at Helium Comedy Club.
In her statement, Campbell says she has only hazy recollections of the incidents at Helium, and believes she may have been dosed at some point during the night. In addition to her job as a reporter, she’s also a bartender and says she knows she did not drink enough to cause her behavior or her hazy memories of the night. “I know my limits when it comes to drinking and I know to stay out of the limelight. My actions on that video are not the result of a handful of drinks spaced out over a couple of hours,” she said.
In a separate statement, a PR attorney representing her and her family says that she is recovering in an undisclosed location after receiving thousands of “lewd and threatening phone calls, texts, messages, and emails ranging from angry, profane, and defamatory insults to deeply disturbing sexual and violent threats.”
Full Statement from Colleen Campbell
I am ashamed and embarrassed by my actions. They were profane, inappropriate, and offensive. They do not reflect the person I am or how I was raised. The person in that video is not the real me.
I would like to apologize to the Philadelphia police officer who bore the brunt of my outburst, the entire Philadelphia Police Department for their patience, my former employers and coworkers whom I have let down, and my fellow patrons at Helium Comedy Club whose night out I might have disrupted.
My recollection of my time at Helium and the incident are hazy. Based on my on-air reporting career and my bartending jobs, I know my limits when it comes to drinking and I know to stay out of the limelight. My actions on that video are not the result of a handful of drinks spaced out over a couple of hours. I believe I may have been unknowingly drugged at some point that night. I did not receive medical testing while in custody because, as I recall, I was advised by personnel at the police station that such testing would delay the process of my being released. I am hopeful that the Philadelphia police officer who dealt with me Sunday night will allow me to apologize to him in person and express to him how truly sorry I am for what transpired.
Campbell was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and criminal mischief, according to Philly.com. She was released on Monday afternoon on her own recognizance. She’s due back in court on June 13th.
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