>> reporter: tonight on "20/20," true confessions. >> come with me. >> a convicted crook confessing what makes a house irresistible to rob. this is a perfect house to rob. >> house broken. and personal trainers. are some gyms pumping you up or ripping you off? >> i'm a size one. >> i'm a size 22. >> making larger people pay more. >> am i surprised? not at all. >> paying by the pound. and have you found yourself in this position? begging for your car not to be towed. >> you don't want to do this

right now. >> excuse me, you have my car. >> confessions from the man with the hook. repo madness. >> reporter: more like "un-break your bank account." toni braxton's bankruptcy confessions. >> if this is what means to be bankrupt, sign me up. did you see the size of that pool? >> reporter: she lost it all. >> everything? >> there's nothing wrong with doing "playboy." >> reporter: and lotto secrets. confessions from those who've won and some who've lost it all. "true confessions." here's barbara walters. >> as a rule, nobody likes tattle tails, we are about to spill secrets that could go to your advantage. we call them true confessions, we start at your gym. a place you might pay more, if you're not the type of customer they are looking for.

>> abc news has hired them, because personal trainer ryan hughes is confessing something about kim we had to see to believe. >> most of the time with these large corporate gyms you get a better rate, because you're attractive rather than overweight. >> if you're fit and thin like kristen, you get a better deal at the gym than heavier people like abby. why? because ryan says trainers are convinced hot chicks boost business. >> having an attractive person on the floor is a win win. >> reporter: our first stop abby thinks she got a great deal from a fitness chain. >> he's going to set me up with complimentary guided workout. >> reporter: kristen is about to open her eyes about how gyms do business. >> what my sales advisor said to me you can waive the $200

initiation. >> reporter: she was never even offered it. could continue a fluke. we tried it again a few blocks away. >> he said that my monthly rate is 152. >> reporter: different all right. kristen got a $276 rate on her membership. the numbers don't even compare. >> why wouldn't he offer me the exact same rate? that's ridiculous to me. >> reporter: if you think it couldn't get worse, it does. we head downtown to one of new york's boutique gyms. and this time there's more questioning why kristen gets the better deal. >> i got the model discount. >> reporter: that so called discount is a whopping $706 a year savings for kristen. >> get out. >> am i surprised? not at all. this thing happens all the time. you're going to bring five or ten people into this gym working scout looking good, they will

bring you in the gym. >> reporter: not bad unless you are plus sized abby. we went to four gyms, three of them national chains, and the results were always the same. >> i never would have expected it. i never would have. >> reporter: ryan says women like abby should expect something else. high pressure sales tactics to play on her insecurities and a sell sell sell meant pamt. are the gyms looking for easy money? >> memberships are huge, and personal trainer. >> reporter: remember that email abby got minutes after inquiring about a membership. what you don't know, the gym offered to waive her initiation fee. >> but i had to sign up for training sessions, which were $100 a piece. >> reporter: you had to. >> in order to get the initiation fee waived, yes, i did. >> reporter: ryan says the name of the game is signing folks up for long term up front contracts with anticipation new members will never clock a single burned calorie on the treadmill.

>> i'm sure there are trainers out there strictly to make a buck. >> reporter: what do you get for your money? i recently worked out with ryan in the south florida gym. he put me through the ringer. and confessed something you won't want to hear. ryan admits he and other trainers like him seek relately enjoy watching you sweat and suffer. have you ever had anybody crying? >> not crying but a couple throwups. >> reporter: that's got to make you feel great. >> i admit there is a level of satisfaction to get making a client puke. it doesn't happen all the time. with you do, it's kind of an internal, yes. >> reporter: about to reveal the biggest secret of all. >> want to know what goes behind these muscles. >> reporter: want to look like this? ryan says you're never going to, unless you quit your day job. ryan's regimen is religious, he works out twice a day, three hours or more.

i'm excited to see what you'll eat. his diet is rigorous. when's the last time you had a beer. >> a couple years. >> reporter: it's the whole cult of fitness and look-ism that has people screaming enough. >> every single day people get scared to go to the gym. people are afraid of being judged. people are afraid of getting charged too much. >> reporter: at downsize fitness in chicago, they only sell gym memberships to people 50 pounds overweight or heavier. like mandy smith there is no model discount for kristen here. skinny clients are banned from joining this gym and for good reason. >> i felt like the gyms i've been to before, i've always been discriminated against just because of my size or how much i weigh. back in new york city they are

still shaking their heads over that jaw dropping $706 model discount. >> i want to go back to the gym with abby and say listen, this is my rate, and this is going to be her rate, too. let me speak to your gm. >> reporter: so we did. let's go in. we were greeted by the general manager who insisted at his gym there's no price scale, no wiggle room for 1400 members. >> we never change our pricing. >> reporter: how can that be? >> we're a luxury brand, we don't discount. >> reporter: what if i told you we had two people come in here and they got vastly different prices? >> i'd be surprised to hear that. >> reporter: really? do you recognize either of these lovely ladies? he doesn't recognize either of them. but begins to back pedal on the one size fits all membership policy. is there something called a model discount. >> there are partnerships we have with businesses, she's part

of a modeling agency we have a partnership with. >> reporter: i don't think so. do you pay by the pound? she's also a model, if she's heavier she pays more? how does that work? >> we don't create deals on the fly for how someone looks. never. >> reporter: the salesperson who saw this person automatically assumed she was a model, the salesperson who saw this person did not. >> well, that was a misjudgment. >> reporter: so abby can come here, if she chooses and get the same deal? >> correct. >> that's interesting. that's nice. >> reporter: was there anything that surprised you about this experience? >> i still don't want to believe it, really. i'd like to think that most places are pretty fair. but i guess that's just me. >> i guess so. the gym we confronted says that they now have a new general manager. we'll be right back. >> announcer: next, this convicted burglar gives up his

secrets. >> not going there. >> announcer: with our cameras rolling shows us how he takes -- >> she has her jewelry in the same place. >> announcer: and takes and takes. >> i have to keep moving. >> announcer: when true confessions continues. ♪ ♪ this is the car that loves to have fun ♪ ♪ mile after mile, to and from ♪ now there are four for all to use ♪ ♪ tell the neighbors, friends, everyone the news ♪ ♪ and let's hum, hum, hum, hum ♪ let's hum ♪ a prius for everyone ♪ [ male announcer ] now get 0% apr financing for 60 months on the prius liftback, the number 1 selling hybrid. with plenty in stock, you can drive one home today. ♪ a prius for everyone you can drive one home today. where we switched their fruits brosand veggiestand with produce from walmart. it's a fresh-over. that's great. tastes like you just picked them. so far it's about the best strawberry i've had this year. walmart works directly with growers to get you the best quality of produce

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>> announcer: we continue with 20/20. confessions of a burglar. here's debra roberts. >> burglars have their own slang. a weekend job? a vacationer. an open window heist, easy money. but whatever they call it, skilled thieves like chris patterson robs someone, somewhere every 15 seconds. >> easy enough. >> but today, patterson isn't taking valuables. >> first thing i'm gonna do is make sure that i got a way to get out of here and make sure nobody is home. >> he's giving you a valuable lesson. >> people make it so easy for burglars to victimize them. >> convicted four times and now on parole, patterson's trying to

clean up his life. so he agreed to strap on a camera, break into this house and give up all his secrets. >> all kinds of good electronics down here. wow. >> so let's be clear. you're not burglarizing houses anymore. >> no, absolutely not. >> you're not a danger to me or anybody else out there at this moment? >> no. no, no, absolutely not. the only reason that i even am talking about this is 'cause i don't want it to happen to people. it will be great if other people didn't have to go through what the, my victims went through. >> if those victims only knew. >> sometimes, i would drive for two, three hours. >> there were things they could've done to keep the burglars at bay. >> it had to be perfect if i was going to risk my, my freedom. >> turns out, a home robber is as choosey as a home buyer. >> anything here look enticing? >> to patterson, some houses just scream rob me. and others, not so much. so his first tip, a security system is worth it, especially if it has cameras. in fact, some can even beam live

video of a break-in as it's happening. >> two people in the house. oh, here comes another one. >> so a homeowner can call the cops. >> ma'am, it's okay. officers are surrounding your house. they're not gonna get away with anything. >> but get this. patterson says he still robbed plenty of homes protected by alarm systems. how? because owners are often too lazy to turn them on. >> half the time, it's not even armed if there is one there. >> not even armed? really? on the flip side, here's something that's always on. >> beware of dog signs? not going near it. >> patterson confesses all you need is a beware of dogs sign. you can skip the actual dog. >> automatic no-no. >> so if that's what turns him away, what attracts him to your home? >> see, this one's completely obstructed. there's no way for anybody to see what's in the front. >> is that a good thing or a bad thing? >> that's a great thing for the burglar. >> privacy makes his job oh, so much easier. >> the same privacy that you

think, oh, i love the privacy of having my backyard and not having people look in, i walk through the gate to your backyard and i go, oh, i love the fact that you got these beautiful shrubs up. now, i can do my job without anybody seeing me. >> you may already know burglars look for a full mailbox to make sure no one's home. but you might not have considered patterson's tip number two. don't blab on your facebook page that you're leaving for vacation. >> huge mistake. >> so burglars are actually checking out social media? >> it's one of the newest, hottest trends out there. if they already said they're gonna be gone, you just have to set a time when you wanna go over and pick it up. >> as for getting into your home, you may be helping a burglar without even knowing it. >> see that small window air conditioning unit there? >> right. >> what people don't realize is it doesn't matter whether you screw them in, bolt them in. those things can be pushed in with no effort whatsoever. >> another no-no, leaving home repair equipment, especially ladders, in your yard. you might as well roll out a welcome mat. >> this is a perfect house to burglarize. >> put it all together, and finally, this former thief has found his dream home.

>> when burglars look to rob a home, this is what they're looking for. lots of fences, lots of obstruction. >> glad he likes it, because it belongs to a "20/20" staffer who agreed to let us break in. so with cameras rolling, we turn patterson loose. he walks confidently right up to the front door, in broad daylight. >> people don't always know their neighbors. they don't know their guests. they don't know if you're supposed to be there or not. make sure that no one's home. >> once he's sure the house is empty. >> walk back here like i belong. >> he heads to the backyard. >> and perfect. the screen was laying on the ground, and you can see that the window was unlocked. >> so that was an invitation. >> yeah. they might as well said, "here, you're welcome. have anything you want." >> in no time, he's taking that open invitation. >> now, i'm going to make sure all the doors are unlocked in case i need to get out of here quickly. >> we put him on the clock. are you feeling a time pressure when you're there? >> are you trying to get in and get out as quickly as possible? >> i wanted to get in and out as fast as possible, but i also

wanted to do a good job. >> and this homeowner, like so many of us, he says, makes it a snap. >> it doesn't matter race, nationality, income bracket, age. almost every single person puts things in the exact same place as the next one. up to the master bedroom. first place i like to check. common knowledge to all burglars, master bedroom first. that's where the jewelry's at. it's exactly what a burglar's looking for. when i opened her top drawer, she had filled it from side to side, front to back, with jewelry boxes and bags of jewelry. much like i suspected. she's got all of her jewelry in the same place, altogether. they group it together. it's a matter of organization or ease for them. but if it's easy for you, it's easy for me. >> so if you cherish your rings and bling, listen to tip three. stash those baubles in a plain old shoebox and hide it in an unlikely spot, like the kid's room. >> 'cause you're not gonna go in the kid's room, probably. >> no. probably not worth my effort. it's the box that gives it away

and it being easily accessible. >> it's been about five minutes already. >> i gotta keep moving. >> next, he searches for prescription drugs in the bathroom. these days, they're worth their weight in gold. cash and coins anywhere. >> people like to leave rainy-day cash and stuff in their drawers, so always gonna make sure you check those. >> and the mother lode? video games in the living room and computers and small electronics in the den. >> what kind of electronics? what are you looking for? >> iphones, ipods, digital cameras, camcorders. what i want is something that i can move right away, because i don't wanna hold onto any stolen merchandise. i wanna make sure i get the laptop. i know about i can move quickly. >> which leads to tip four. don't leave the cords and chargers attached to your electronics. store them separately. patterson says it's sure to frustrate a thief who may decide to leave it all behind. >> a lot of times, people don't realize how valuable those things are. without the cords, you can't sell it. >> thirteen minutes since he broke in, patterson walks away with a big haul, worth at least

a few thousands dollars, he says. >> make sure i close the door on the way out. >> his preferred getaway, believe it or not, walking out the front door. >> and i'm out of here. >> nobody in the neighborhood is noticing you walking out with either a pillowcase or some kind of a bag out of somebody's house. >> no. and usually, people don't even notice. i waved at neighbors driving away. >> you're breaking into their neighbor's home and they have no idea? >> absolutely. >> she may as well have had a bow on it. >> if they would've had a bow on it, i had something to unwrap when i got home. >> next. >> hello. excuse me, you have my car. >> you aren't taking my car today. you're not. >> before he drives away, how can you make him go away? true confessions from the man with the hook. ♪ i'm sorry. [ male announcer ] at&t introduces the samsung galaxy s4 active. a puddle proof... celebration proof...

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>> reporter: announcer on the hook, "confessions of a repo man" with jim avila. >> got notice from the finance company. people that has the lien on it asked us to come pick it up. to move your foot out of the way. you're planning on fighting me on this one? >> i'm trying to tell you right now. dude, you don't wanna do this right now. >> reporter: matt pitman is a repo man. >> doing my job. >> reporter: if you owe, he will tow. >> now what we're gonna do is we're gonna [ inaudible ] it. so, yeah. we'll be on scene in just about five minutes and hopefully get this forerunner hooked. >> reporter: he will tow you on your birthday, he'll tow you on your wedding day. >> repo. i'm good. >> reporter: he will tow you on the day you die. >> reporter: you actually took one from a dead guy. >> yeah. it was the day, it was the day of his funeral, and i was like, oh, man, that's, you know, unfortunate, but at least i know he's not gonna be coming out of the house yelling at me, you know? >> reporter: matt pittman may be the most dedicated repo man in america. so proud of his work, he records every tow and shows them off on

youtube. >> repo. i'm good. it's on the back. >> reporter: modern trucks make a tow nascar-quick. watch this maryland operator demonstrate how it's done. gone in 60 seconds? how about 20? >> you don't use the term repo man. >> there's certain key words that we do try to avoid when dealing with the debtors, because, you know, i don't call them a debtor to their face. >> reporter: and what do the debtor/customers call you? >> [ bleep ] usually. >> [ bleep ] >> i've been shot at. i've been stabbed. i took a shovel to the back of the head. i'm not taking it. i'm not taking it. >> right now. >> i am. but i'm -- >> -- right now. >> reporter: repo work is not for the faint of heart, or some might say, for anyone with a heart. and you're okay with being a repo man. it doesn't bother you? >> no, not at all. it's not a personal thing for me. i didn't lend them the money. this is something that is just business. i'm going out to this address to pick up this collateral to transport to this location.

>> reporter: high drama when human roadblocks try to prevent the inevitable. but nothing stops him from his appointed mission, collect your car. >> we're gonna stay right in front of your car until they get here. >> reporter: and his 350-buck fee from your lender. >> you're not getting it. >> how do you figure that? >> i'm sitting in it. what are you gonna do? rip me out? >> no, i'm not gonna rip you out. this isn't like the tv show. >> reporter: one woman even stuffed her child into the car as it was being towed away. >> anytime that i'd like to. so -- >> with us in it? >> you have the opportunity to get the kid out of the car. if you choose not to take her out, you can pick her up at my impound. we got a -- right here at the gas station. oh, you are gonna get a live skit on film. >> reporter: pittman admits his entire industry operates in a gray area of the law. he thinks of himself as a legal car thief, a ninja. >> if we can, we like to get in, get out, and people will be like, where'd my car go? when i've got a key, so i'm just gonna walk up and jump in it. >> reporter: a ninja who sometimes doesn't even need his truck to take a car. with a key from the bank, he

jumps into this one and drives off. >> that's how the pros do it, baby. that's how the repo man get his car. >> reporter: in his insatiable search for cars, pittman goes hunting with advanced license plate recognition cameras. they're mounted on the hood. on sundays, for example, he religiously cruises church parking lots. >> now, you watch as the pictures will actually change to the side cameras, they're starting to pick up its first plates. >> reporter: the system captures license plates and compares them to a database of wanted vehicles. when he gets a hit, he hooks them up. the debtors don't have a prayer. who knew big brother is a repo man? another secret, the thoroughly modern repo man is using social media to track you down. >> i mean, i can follow people on facebook now, and they'll tell me when and where they're gonna be. >> reporter: wait a minute. so you follow them on facebook, and they say, "i'm going out of town, or i'm going over here?" >> "i'm going to a wedding." we had a wedding just a couple weeks ago where we were looking

from two different vehicles from two different parties that happened to be from each side of the wedding. and so once the wedding came together, both vehicles were in the exact same parking lot. >> reporter: but, matt, it was their wedding. >> that's their day, not mine. my job is to pick up the vehicles. >> reporter: and don't think it can't happen to you. even if you don't owe a dime, your vehicle can vanish if you park in the wrong spot. >> that'll kind of make you mad, won't it? >> reporter: just watch what abc's washington station, wjla, caught on camera. looks like a legal parking spot next to the dmv in arlington, virginia. but it's really a tow-trap. >> excuse me. you have my car. >> reporter: a company using a spotter and a bait car, luring cars into a private lot so they can tow them away. >> hey. excuse me. >> reporter: eric friedman is director of the montgomery county maryland office of consumer protection. >> we're talking about towers that are hiding and wait for

someone to make one, little slip-up, walk across the street to mail the letter, walk across the street to get a cup of coffee. and then they swoop in. >> reporter: but that's not illegal, right? >> well, it's not. but it's despicable. >> p.j. marcel is king of the road in queens, new york. he's the guy who makes you wish you'd obeyed that sign, the one that says no parking. >> you got people, and they'll argue, argue, argue, argue, argue, argue, call the police, call this guy, call that one, make a phone call, i know this guy, my uncle runs this -- and then it comes down to, at the end, they're just gonna pay. >> reporter: marcel says desperate drivers have offered him just about everything you can imagine to set their vehicle free. >> one woman didn't have money to pay. she had to summons, and she wanted to offer me some sexual favors. unfortunately, i'm married and i'm not allowed to take them. >> certify this man. >> reporter: back in utah, repo -- matt pittman says he feels the debtor's pain. >> you're not gonna take my car today. you're not. >> reporter: but through the tears and the sob story, the vehicle always goes. so if you're thinking of letting those car payments slide for

just one more month or claiming the check just got lost in the mail again, take a good look at this face. you see him coming up your driveway, one thing's for sure, the next place you go is on foot. >> reporter: next, wanna get out of a ticket? find out how. but it's not this. >> reporter: "confessions of a cop" coming up. in our homes, our minds. we can share every second in data dressed as pixels. and it is spectacular. so why would you cap that? my iphone 5 can see every point of view... every panorama, the entire gallery of humanity. i need to upload all of me. i need, no, i have the right to be unlimited. make the most of your iphone 5 with truly unlimited data and 4g lte. switch your number to any iphone on sprint trouble hearing on the phone? visit sprintcaptel.com. and we'll give you $100 off.

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more from "20/20," "confessions of a cop." once again, jim avila. >> the speed, the sound, the adrenalin rush. nothing beats the excitement of a code 3, the emergency response that allows cops to race through the streets with lights and sirens blaring. >> oh, of course it's fun.

>> from patrol cop up to commanding a robbery squad, the highly decorated nypd detective sergeant gerry kane has seen it all. now retired, he has a little high speed confession. you ever use the code 3 to go to lunch? >> oh. i'd rather take the fifth amendment on that, jim. >> but this miami cop in his patrol car took the license to speed to an extreme. he's off-duty, yet driving up to 120 miles per hour on his way to a second job. a florida state trooper pulls him over. >> put your hands out that window right now. >> he's shocked when she cuffs him like any other civilian suspect. >> oh, my god. i cannot believe this. i cannot believe this at all. >> he couldn't talk his way out of trouble, but kane says you might if you're pulled over. here's his advice. first, realize the officer faces a serious risk. >> the most dangerous thing to the cop when he comes up to the car are the hands of someone because they could hold a weapon.

>> so kane says if you're pulled over by an officer, work to put him or her at ease. >> if he can see everybody's hands, immediately, his blood pressure goes down, his pulse gets a little slower. if it's nighttime, turn on the interior lights in your car. night or day, lower all the windows on your car and put your hands up on the steering wheel high where the cop can see them. >> so you wanna make it easy on the officer? >> absolutely. if you were gonna get some discretion, you now set up that possibility. >> it's probably best to spare the officer your excuses too. >> i'll, i'll tell you right now that every cop i know is just, assumes that everybody is lying all the time. >> kane says be apologetic, but don't feel you have to admit anything. >> and you can play dumb. you can say, you know, "what did i do?" and if he tells you what you did, you could say, "well, you know, i just didn't realize it." you know, you don't have to, you know, surrender. >> does it work to cry? >> only for women.

>> what if she shows a little leg? >> since men and women were created, attractive women get more breaks. >> kane says when he's driving, he protects himself by keeping his speed less than 10 miles over the limit. if you were my brother or my cousin and asked me, that's what i would tell you. >> as upset as you are about that pricey ticket, don't let your rage run wild and back into the squad car. he's just added reckless driving on top of that speeding ticket. but sometimes, the rage comes from the other side of the badge. here's an example in a minnesota detox center where a drunk and disorderly man in the wheelchair verbally threatens a social worker. the cop doesn't take it well. >> and sometimes, they get their life threatened. it's very hard to sometimes control your temper, regardless of how much you've been trained, regardless of how much experience you have. people make mistakes. >> but a rogue cop in a bad mood could arrest you for anything.

that's what allegedly happened in this new jersey traffic stop where the driver had run off and left his passengers behind. >> there is no driver around. >> driver's gone. >> state trooper justin hopson knows that because he was right there that night, the officer on the right. he says his senior partner was upset when the woman passenger didn't cooperate and suddenly decided to cuff her for drunk driving even though he knows she wasn't behind the wheel. >> why don't you turn around and put your hands behind your back for me? you're gonna be under arrest for dwi. whoa, whoa. relax. turn around. put your hands behind your back. >> no, no, no. no, no, no, no. wait a minute. wait a minute. >> turn around. put your hands behind your back. >> he was being a cowboy and not a cop. >> hopson's partner knows she wasn't driving. he says so on the dash camera. >> the guy who was driving apparently ditched. and she got in the car. >> how can abuse continue to exist? hopson says he found out when stunned by the improper arrest, he tells his partner that he won't back up the false story in court.

>> and he looks at me and he said, "you better keep your mouth shut." >> as hopson writes in "breaking the blue wall," when he refused to lie on the stand, he was targeted by a rogue group of troopers who called themselves the lords of discipline. he sued and settled for $400,000, although the state denied wrongdoing. >> i was physically assaulted, i was ostracized, hate notes were left on my locker. >> kane insists that cases like hopson's are rare. negative stereotypes of abusive, corrupt cops aren't the norm. witness this photo, viral this week, of an nypd officer buying boots for a homeless man in new york. but in one final confession, he reveals that another stereotype is more than urban legend, you know, the one about the love affair cops have with donuts. >> they'll give you a little sugar boost, you know? >> so it's not just a stereotype? >> it is a stereotype, jim, but -- >> but based on a little bit of fact. >> it's a little bit of fact.

>> next, how can you lose a multimillion dollar fortune twice? just ask toni braxton. >> just like that one-night stand that you don't wanna talk about. >> "confessions of a diva," coming up. what's better, saving a bunch or not saving at all? [ kids ] a bunch! what would you buy with all this money you saved? i'd buy a change-o machine so i could change my brother into a puppy. change-o machine? couldn't you just buy an actual puppy? but if my brother's a puppy i could bring him to show and tell and say, "here's my puppy brother!" well when you say it like that it makes perfect sense. [ male announcer ] it's not complicated. saving is better. come to at&t and trade up to iphone 5. get it now for $99.99 when you trade in your current smartphone. ♪ sure. okay, imagine you're a customer. every new toyota comes with toyotacare, our 2-year, 25,000-mile maintenance program that includes 24-hour roadside assistance at no additional cost to you. [ man ] i'll take it! that's weird.

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blow through upwards of $50 million? well, start with a fetish for silverware and sheets, throw in a few other big-ticket items and mix with some bad luck, and there you have it. it happened to superstar toni braxton, and nick watt has the confessions of this fallen star who's now happily on the rise. ♪ un-break my heart

say you love me again ♪ >> reporter: who hasn't sung along to that? what a classic. that was 16 years ago when toni braxton was bathing in the glow of grammy glory. "un-break my heart" topped the charts for 11 weeks. that was then, and this is now. she's still got it. but you will not believe all that's happened along the road. divorce, life-threatening illness, career troughs and bankruptcy, twice. >> i have my moments, i have my days, good days and bad days, i can't deny it. >> reporter: the good days began in 1992, when toni exploded onto the music scene, garnering a host of awards. >> toni braxton. >> toni braxton. >> toni braxton. >> toni -- >> toni -- >> toni -- >> -- braxton.

>> reporter: a global superstar loving the good times while they lasted. >> thank you. that was my high, performing. that's the best feeling. the attention is what gives me joy. >> reporter: and then the lifestyle is incidental? >> the perks are lovely. i can't deny the perks. they're great. i mean, in the beginning, it's all new. anything new, you want it all. >> reporter: the trouble was while her records were selling millions, she was only taking home thousands. 170 million in sales, and you got $1,972? is that right? >> i did. that's right. that's true. >> reporter: a measly $2000. that's all braxton says she got from her first contract. the record label took a big slice of the pie. i don't understand how that's feasible. >> what happens is they'll give you an advancement on the next record and then the next record. so you stay in, kind of stay in debt, in a sense. >> reporter: and that, says braxton, is what brought on bankruptcy number one back in 1998. well, that and a serious home decor addiction.

a bank-busting flatware habit. you perhaps slightly lost touch with reality. >> i love dishes and house things, so i kind of lost it a little bit on the house ware. plates and faberge. >> reporter: that's not very rock and roll, though, is it? >> oh, but it's, no, it's not very rock and roll. so i'm a boring rock star. i'm a boring one. but that kind of stuff, the girly things? oh, yeah. that's what i indulged in. >> reporter: really? >> oh, yeah. and sheets and thousand-count, thread count, all that. >> reporter: that's about the weirdest. >> i'm a little odd, fickle. ♪ >> reporter: in 2000, armed with a new record deal guaranteeing her millions of dollars, toni returned to prominence. even performing at the super bowl. but success was short-lived. her next three albums only sold a few hundred thousand copies each. there have been albums that don't sell. >> those albums -- >> reporter: how do you deal with that? >> -- that's like that one-night stand that you don't wanna talk about. you don't want anyone to know about those records that didn't do well.

i have a few of those. >> reporter: bad sales. so what? >> all right, las vegas. >> reporter: toni took her music directly to the fans with a vegas revue show. and then, 18 months later, a startling turn of events. >> the doctors told me i would never be able to perform. they said, one or two songs, here and there, occasionally. >> reporter: braxton was diagnosed with microvascular angina, a narrowing of vessels in the heart, and later, lupus, a hereditary autoimmune disease that killed her uncle. her self-financed vegas comeback was over. >> the vegas show, i just renewed all my contracts with all my vendors, and then a month later i got sick. >> reporter: cue bankruptcy number two. with reported debts upwards of a staggering $50 million. the issue is that there was, like, $15,000 dollars owed to tiffany and that makes people think -- >> but some of the things you read aren't true because i heard that i owed bmw, too, and i don't own a bmw. but i cared what my audience

thought about me. >> reporter: in what sense? >> because you're supposed to be smarter. >> reporter: and so i suppose it must annoy you that people like me ask you about it. >> no, because i get to tell my story, depending on how you edit it. where is, where is the, i'm joking. >> reporter: the grammy winner was so desperate to un-break her bank account that she was driven to, well, nearly to nudity. >> there's nothing wrong with doing "playboy." i mean, the women are beautiful. i thought about it. >> reporter: i mean, the money must have been tempting. >> the money was tempting. but i'm thinking, i have kids, i have a son, i have boys. what are their friends gonna say? i saw denim and diesel's mom knockers. that's not a good thing. >> reporter: but before you shed tears for this diva, a reality check. when a big deal like braxton goes bust, she doesn't wind up living in a motel 6 and working the night shift at a diner. so don't feel too bad for her. her sister tracie doesn't. >> is this what it means to be bankrupt? sign me up. did you see the size of the pool? >> reporter: she still lives in bel-air.

>> we have to see outside. >> reporter: that's "braxton family values," the reality show on we tv that she uses to tell her side of her story. >> -- very fortunate, my bankruptcy situation worked out really great for me. >> reporter: indeed it did. a federal bankruptcy court discharged most of braxton's debt. although she says she now keeps a tighter grip on the gucci purse-strings. >> i have to monitor myself 'cause i'm definitely on a budget. >> reporter: now, in order to support her two children, toni, like many others, is out on the global private gig circuit. it's lucrative. >> the money is lovely. i can't deny the money is yummy. >> reporter: here she is performing at a bank conference in moscow. even sitting on the bank president's lap. >> hi, handsome. hi. >> -- >> i love russian audiences. they love to be entertained. i don't know if it's the vodka or what, but they love it. >> reporter: can i ask you how much they pay you? >> a lot. that's all i can say.

i can go a couple times a year and i'm okay. >> reporter: but wherever braxton goes, they still wanna hear those same songs. >> you know, you have bad days. you think, "am i dated? am i over? do they still like me?" >> reporter: she just turned 45 and is acting now, too -- >> if you think you could work this up for a choir -- >> reporter: -- starring in the lifetime movie "twist of faith" premiering in february. >> and give me one more. >> reporter: and guess what, she even has a new hit. ♪ >> reporter: "i heart you" topped the dance charts. the moral of the story, with a voice like that, you'll always be able to sing your way out of a hole.

>> next, from mechanic to mega millionaire, powerball style. tips from other winners, confessing their wildest splurges. >> my nascar team. >> and their biggest mistakes. ♪ with so much competition, finding the right job is never easy. but with the nation's largest alumni network, including those in key hiring positions, university of phoenix can help connect you to a world of opportunity.

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"confessions of the mega millionaires." here's deborah roberts. >> reporter: it's a tale of as old as aesop, dreams of instant riches coming true in a flash. >> the new million-dollar winners in missouri, the hill family. come on up. so what if you strike lottery gold? take heed to these tales of riches and --

first, the tale of a regular joe. unemployed construction worker joe denette. he confesses he went on an obscene spending spree after winning more than $75 million. >> if i can win, anybody can win. it does have the -- >> reporter: he quickly blew through 20 million bucks. joe confesses he splurged on grown-up toys most guys only dream of. >> this is my toy. >> reporter: a fleet of atvs, a boat, six houses. >> we call that end of the house the east wing. >> reporter: lots of fancy cars. and for wife meagan, a four-karat diamond. but his biggest purchase? >> i would say my nascar team. >> reporter: joe admits he's nearly blown through half his riches in about three years. but he's not troubled. >> we don't have to worry about money. we don't. >> reporter: joe admits he's yet to see the downside. >> it's nice to be able to get up in the morning and think, "i don't have to go to work." >> reporter: maybe joe should heed the cautionary tale of jack whittaker.

after getting an unbelievable gift on christmas day 2002 -- >> -- for $314 million. >> reporter: -- jack confesses that the wheel of fortune turned against him hard. >> my wife had said she wished that she had torn the ticket up. well, i wish that we had torn the ticket up too. >> reporter: his marriage crumbled. he started hanging out at strip clubs. and just like king midas, his fortune cost him a loved one, jack's beloved 17-year-old granddaughter brandi, whom he showered with cash, was found dead after descending into heavy drug use with her boyfriend. >> i pretty much lost everything that i held dear in my life. >> reporter: the fabled lottery win has been kinder to alexandra chaar, a waitress still working after striking it rich. she remembers telling her boyfriend. >> and i went inside and i asked him if he had any doubts about me. and he said, "i'm gonna marry you one day. everything's gonna be okay." and then i said, "yay, 'cause i

won $1 million. good answer." >> reporter: today, alexandra confesses she's learned the moral of the story. if you rely on money for happiness, chances are you'll never find it. >> i ask myself, why is it me that won the lottery? i believe it was given to me because i'm gonna do something great with it. and that's our program for next a joyride ends

with a crash that forces two families out of their homes. ages of four children in the stolen car. and minivan and body pulled from the bay after a deadly crash but