The American Liver Foundation Condemns Motion Picture Bewitched for Tasteless Hepatitis C Joke

The American Liver Foundation Condemns Motion Picture Bewitched for Tasteless Hepatitis C Joke

Comedy Unfairly Stigmatizes, Stereotypes Millions of Sick People in America

NEW YORK, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Liver Foundation (ALF) today condemned the Nicole Kidman film Bewitched for an insensitive joke regarding people with hepatitis C. In the film, a woman discourages romantic advances from a character played by Michael Caine, by saying she has hepatitis C. Bewitched was written by Nora Ephron and released by Columbia Pictures.

"Tragically, this remarkably tasteless comment plays into the stigma that many people with hepatitis C have to cope with every single day," said Frederick G. Thompson, President and CEO of the American Liver Foundation. "I can't imagine anyone in Hollywood making a joke about HIV infection, for example. But because the public is so uneducated about hepatitis C, it apparently seems acceptable to trivialize the disease in a comedic context, at the expense of millions of hepatitis sufferers. The American Liver Foundation has received hundreds of calls and e-mails from movie-goers expressing outrage and dismay."

There are over 4 million people who are or have been infected with hepatitis C; 2.7 million of whom are chronically infected. Hepatitis C is the major reason for liver transplantation in this country and about 10,000 people die each year from complications of hepatitis C. It is projected that the death rate will triple over the next 10-to-20 years unless something is done.

The symptoms of hepatitis C are often hidden until severe liver damage occurs, which is often too late for effective treatment. Untreated, chronic hepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer, and liver failure.

The ALF has 26 chapter offices nationwide, with the newest just created in Hawai'i. It provides educational workshops and seminars, runs support groups, works with the media to increase the awareness of hepatitis and other liver diseases, and meets with local, state and federal policy makers to affect positive change. ALF supports research, primarily in two ways: first, by advocating federal policy makers to secure increases in government funding for liver disease; and second, by directly funding young scientists in order to attract them to the lifelong study of liver disease and patient care. ALF sponsors numerous fundraising events and campaigns to support all of these efforts. The toll-free HelpLine, providing information on liver health and disease, is: 1-800-GO LIVER; the Web site is: http://www.liverfoundation.org/.

About the American Liver Foundation

The American Liver Foundation (ALF) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization promoting liver health and disease prevention. ALF provides research, education and advocacy on behalf of those affected by hepatitis and other liver-related diseases. The toll-free number is 1-800- GO LIVER, and the Web site is: http://www.liverfoundation.org/.

Source: American Liver Foundation

CONTACT: Bob Madison of The American Liver Foundation, +1-212-668-1000, ext. 137

Web site: http://www.liverfoundation.org/

------- Profile: Ent