Every Lawsuit Has Its Thorn

Ouch! I laughed when I saw Bret Michaels get hit by a set piece in a medley of musicals at the 2009 Tony Awards. I watched the clip countless times, and of course, I thought to myself, "that had to hurt!" Michaels was performing with Poison as a showcase for the musical Rock of Ages, before I knew it, Michaels was down and he disappeared, then there was Stockard Channing singing. Weird. Now since this incident nearly two years ago, Michaels' health has not been the best and he's been a lifelong diabetes patient. About a year after the Tonys incident, Michaels was rushed the hospital to have an emergency appendectomy; just ten days later, he complained of a painful headache, he went back to the hospital when doctors discovered Michaels had suffered a massive brain hemorrhage. The rocker made a full recovery, only to be back in the hospital a third time a month later when it was discovered Michaels had a hole in his heart; his doctors said the condition was in no way related to the brain hemorrhage. It's a lot to take for someone who is viewed as a party animal; he became totally vulnerable for the first time. However, life hasn't been that bad for Michaels; he won last season's Celebrity Apprentice, he made a surprise appearance, against his doctors' wishes, with then American Idol contestant Casey James to perform the Poison hit, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", and he co-hosted the 2010 Miss Universe pageant.
It was announced this weekend, Michaels is suing Tony Awards Productions, CBS, and others claiming they were responsible when the descending set piece hit him in the head and it lead to his near-fatal brain hemorrhage last year. Michaels claims he was not informed by the Tony producers how he would exit the stage safely. CBS and Tony Awards Productions have not responded to the suit.