is an insightful, funny, and oftentimes moving
behind-the-scenes look
at the boldfaced names of Hollywood, hip-hop, and sports.
Featuring
celebrities such as Whitney Houston, Eddie Murphy, Lil' Kim,
Tyra
Banks, Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O'Neal, Whoopi Goldberg,
Snoop Dogg,
and Denzel Washington, Off the Record goes beyond the red
carpet with
stories that capture who they are as people—sometimes
vulnerable,
sometimes inspiring, but always human.
Moved by a
Barbara
Walters interview that she saw as a young girl, Allison
Samuels began
her journalism career as a college student, with an
impromptu interview
of Francis Ford Coppola while visiting the film set for
Gardens of
Stone. She has since evolved into an esteemed reporter at
one of the
top news magazines in the world. Samuels's stories have received
national attention, including her cover feature on Kobe Bryant's
alleged rape charges, and a dialogue-provoking cover story
on the state
of black women in America that featured then rising
international
superstar Beyoncé and controversial former daytime talkshow
host Star
Jones.