The Hills stars Heidi and Spencer Pratt's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! participation has apparently come to a controversial end. Again.
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Heidi left I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Costa Rican filming location and was taken to a local hospital for an undisclosed medical emergency on Saturday, a representative for the couple confirmed to MTV News on Sunday. Spencer also accompanied his wife to the hospital, according to the rep, who stated he had "no further details at this time." Heidi's hospitalization had initially been reported by Us Weekly.
Exactly what led to Heidi's hospitalization remains publicly unknown and has now apparently become the focus of a dispute between the couple and I'm a Celebrity's producers.
According to a series of Saturday night Twitter posts by Spencer's sister Stephanie Pratt, NBC had "tortured" Heidi and Spencer "as if they were criminals" during "The Lost Chamber" challenge they were required to complete as part of their attempt to return to I'm a Celebrity after quitting the show on Monday night.
"[I'm] really saddened to hear that NBC felt it was ok to punish Speidi so harshly - and torture them as if they were criminals - that Heidi was rushed to the hospital and has an IV in her arm after being locked in a dark room for 3 days [with] no food or water. [Please] pray she will be ok," Stephanie wrote. "Her family is flying out to see her in the hospital. I know they pulled some shitty antics - but really NBC?? Too far."
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TMZ, citing "some people" on I'm a Celebrity's set, subsequently reported that Heidi was "convulsively throwing up" and had been "diagnosed with a gastric ulcer" after the couple had been required to remain "in a dark room for a day and a night with only water, rice and beans." According to the Sunday morning report, Spencer is now "planning to sue" NBC over the incident.
However hours later, the website posted a new report citing a new source that stated the "torture" claims are "all BS" and the couple -- who unlike the rest of the show's cast, had spent most of last several days in hotel rooms after quitting the show on Monday night -- had actually only spent one night in the room and were provided with food and water while there.
"Accusations that Heidi and/or Spencer were harmed in any way are untrue," a source told Extra. "They quit the show last Monday; stayed in a hotel for 3 days. Then on Thursday, they re-joined show and entered 'The Lost Chamber.' They stayed in [the] Chamber from 4:30PM until 6:30AM."
"The environment in 'The Lost Chamber' was not in any way harmful or dangerous; no critters, just a few ordinary bugs," the Extra source added. "They were indoors -- never in any danger or facing life-threatening situations. Absolutely no one is or was being held against their will."
Where the couple subsequently spent the period between their Friday morning departure from the chamber and their Saturday exit from the competition still remains undisclosed.
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ITV Studios, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!'s production company, subsequently issued a formal media statement in which it is denying the "torture" reports.
"ITV Studios, producers of the series, state that press reports at this time are untrue," the production company said in the statement obtained by OK! Weekly. "ITV has been producing this format around the world for many years and the health of the celeb participants are of the utmost importance. A medic and a doctor are present at the location at all times for all participants. All allegations of the celebrities being deprived of food and water are completely untrue."
Heidi has left the hospital and is recovering at a Costa Rican hotel, Access Hollywood reported Sunday afternoon. The illness is a "stomach infection" that is "not considered serious," according to an Access source.
About The Author: Steven Rogers