♪ never was the kind to do as i was told gonna ride like the wind before i get old ♪ ♪ it is the night my body's weak i'm on the run no time to sleep ♪ ♪ i've got to ride ride like the wind to be free again ♪ ♪ and i've got such a long way to go such a long way to go ♪ ♪ to make it to the border of mexico ♪ ♪ so i'll ride ride like the wind ride like the wind ♪ ♪ and i've got such a long way to go such a long ♪ ♪ way to go to make it to the border of mexico ♪

♪ so i'll ride ride like the wind ride like the wind ♪ ♪ gonna ride like the wind ♪ >> you feel that, ladies, that's me. okay, that was creepy. i smoked a funny cigarette with christopher cross backstage. let's just say the filter is off! anyway, i feel like i've gone on too long. so i am going to shut up. let's have christopher cross take us out! whoa. whoa. christopher cross, everyone! ride like the wind! ♪ ♪

tonight on "nightline" -- messy kitchen. nigella lawson made a career as a hot celebrity chef. >> see, look, that is so easy and yet so perfect. >> but now it's her reputation in firefighter. we go inside a spectacular trial with allegations of habitual drug use and caught on camera marital feud. spoiled rotten. from private planes to fast cars and luxurious labels. these kids are living the life. and their motto "if you've got it flaunt it." plus, duck and cover, duck dynasty patriarch puts his foot in his mouth with anti-gay comments and gets suspended from the show. now the whole family is threatening to walk. >> we're actually going to do this? >> could the sun be setting on their empire?

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from new york city, this is "nightline" with dan harris. and good evening. court watchers tell us we are just hours away now from a verdict in a trial that has riveted many americans and has entirely transfixed people across the pond. the case involves nigella lawson, british celebrity chef and domestic goddess, who like martha stewart and paula deen before her is in reputational hot water. lama hasan takes us inside a courtroom showdown. >> reporter: celebrity chef nigella lawson on the hot seat for the past three weeks, front and center of a fraud trial that isn't even about her. a case that involves her beloved former assistants, accused of

embezzling more than $1 million of nigella and her former husband's money. but a grilling in the courtroom has been spilling some dirty little secrets about the tv cook. forcing her to confess she had taken cocaine. and to use her word, smoked the odd joint. in court, nigella found herself in the witness box as a key witness. >> she strode in her five-inch heels, knee-high boots. went in meaning business. physically rolled up her sleeves. gripped the box and gave the oratory. >> reporter: the daughter of a british politician, nigella started as a restaurant critic 20 years ago. by 1998 she published her first book "how to eat." >> having people around my table makes me really happy. >> reporter: a year later the tv show that made her famous. "nigella bites." >> so easy and yet so perfect. >> reporter: but then this summer, making headlines with these pictures. not quite domestic bliss.

snapped at a london restaurant with her husband, 70-year-old ad mogul. sarchi brushed it off as a tiff. their marriage soon started unraveling when her family's long-term personal assistant, sister francesca and another, were accused of swindling the company credit card to the tune of over $1 million. sarchi alleged she was a drug user, dubbing her highella. saying in an e-mail read allowed in court, you were so off your head on drugs you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked, and yes, i believe every word they said." later, backtracking and claiming that he never saw any evidence of nigella taking drugs. responding to that e-mail which sarchi sent his ex-wife, calling her highella, he said, i was just being nasty.

this isn't a very pleasant e-mail. but i was very, very upset. her reputation has also been on the line. >> i actually felt that from a branding point of view, this was someone who was showing confidence. and showing a bit of british, stiff upper lip, kind of idea. she was going in as a woman in her own right. i think that was a powerful image in terms of tv image. >> reporter: for ten hour she chose to stand to give evidence spanning two days, refusing to sit for the whole duration. >> it was a kitchen. this is what she does. she directs. she tells people what she wants them to hear. she stood, and she was going to stand for the entire time it took for her to get her message across. >> how would you say she came across? >> she stood up to give her evidence the whole time. she didn't sit down. she seemed very businesslike. she tried to project her voice. she did a great job of that. she seemed to connect with everyone who was asking her questions. >> reporter: nigella accused her former husband of a witch-hunt in an effort to save his reputation. and savage hers.

"he said to me that if i didn't go back and clear his name, he would destroy me. i freed myself from a brilliant but brutal man." then adding fuel to the fire. her former assistants turned their back on her in court. claiming she lied abut her cocaine use. francesca testifying she saw nigella with white powder around her nose, numerous bank notes covered with white powder lying around the house. though both sisters admitted they never saw nigella doing drugs, just evidence of drug use in her home. this isn't the first time a legal proceeding tripped up a domestic doyenne. martha stewart was charged with insider trading ten years ago. after a six-week trial that turned into a media circus. >> what was a small personal matter became over the last two years an almost fatal circus event of unprecedented proportions. >> reporter: a jury found her

guilty of lying to investigators. she served five months in federal prison. but after her release -- >> welcome to martha's cooking school. >> reporter: -- she went straight back to work and her brand remains powerful. a very different outcome for paula deen, the belle of southern cooking. >> a little bigger than a tablespoon but that's a good start. >> reporter: who faced accusations that she had used racial slurs. when a former employee sued for racial and sexual discrimination. a first apology offered on youtube did not go well. >> i want to apologize to everybody. for the wrong that i have done. >> reporter: a judge tossed the racial bias part of the case. and deen settled sexual discrimination charges. >> thank you, darling, i love you. >> reporter: the damage was done. the food network canceled deen's show. she retains a loyal following. deen lost $12 million in endorsements.

>> having people around my table makes me really happy. >> reporter: as for nigella, the question is whether her cooking crown remains intact. >> it's really important in this case. because the world is watching her. they're watching her to see do we still trust her? can we trust this woman's reputation in terms of her brand? now, i believe that -- that so far, that what has been revealed in the court proceedings, that this is a woman who had put forward her case from her point of view in a very clear way. >> reporter: so far the court of public opinion seems to be in nigella's favor. a recent poll for a british newspaper found that 39% had more sympathy for her than sachi. even the prime minister of the country is declaring he is on team nigella. speaking "the spectator" magazine, david cameron was quoted as saying, i'm a massive fan, i'm also an amateur cook and i like her recipes." the judge asked the jury to disregard cameron's comments.

nigella surrounded herself with a close knit circle of advisers, called team cupcake. sarchi ambled into court himself, no one to consult with. he reportedly asked a stranger to rate his performance. was i crap? he asked. a verdict expected as early as tomorrow. so far, team cupcake seems to be coming out on top. but the proof as they say will be in the pudding. >> this is the new competition. >> reporter: the next scheduled appearance is on abc's "the taste" early in the new year. for "nightline," i'm lama hasan, in london. >> our thanks to lama hasan. when the verdict comes down we here at abc news will bring it to you. coming up next here on "nightline," the lifestyles of the young, rich, and extremely obnoxious. once upon a time, an insurance clerk stumbled upon a cottage.

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it is the dilemma for people who cast reality tv shows. you want stars who are brash and provocative. but do those very qualities make those people unlikeable? does likability even matter when all viewers seem to want is a vicarious train wreck. the questions hang heavily over a new show features young people who say they are extremely rich, i'm talking wash your hair in expensive champagne rich, and have no problem flaunting it. here's abc's nick watt. >> don't believe the hype. >> reporter: it seems to me the rich kids of beverly hills is ignoring one of the oldest rules

of entertainment. >> do i look as bitchy in real life? >> reporter: possibly. it's an old rule that says a leading character to be believable must be at least a little likeable. >> let's check the selfie lighting in here. >> reporter: the audience has to empathize even just a little bit. >> i am dorothy wang. my dad is a billionaire. he has a fear about me being a princessy person. >> yeah, a little late on that. >> reporter: that's morgan, dorot dorothy's bff. >> people label me as conniving and manipulative and it does bother me that i'm so misunderstood. >> reporter: is she likeable? >> have we had one good conversation about how my hair looks? >> your hair looks good. >> i know. >> reporter: why do e! executives think this will be a blockbuster? >> great tv starring bad people. >> reporter: or people behaving badly. it's topping into the massive market of invoivoyeuristic show.

aspirational shows all the way from "million dollar listings." to the "shaws of sunset." >> you or i may not have the money that the people do. it is fun to see how they live. >> reporter: apparently that is healthy, a degree of aspirational daydreaming is good for us. >> they can afford to be more interesting than we are. half the reason why we look to watch them, right. their bad behavior is multiplied by the amount of dollars they throw at it. >> turns out the shows are, a barometer of the times. during the economic downturn the glitzier shows like the "housewives" of whatever, slumped a little. and along came home stars and extreme couponing. and that show about pregnant teens on mtv. >> why are you looking at me psycho? >> because you are. >> reporter: and a little later, honey boo-boo. who gave us viewers the chance to look down, as well as up.

the launch of a show like "the rich kids of beverly hills" is an economic indicator, a bit like the nasdaq, telling us we're now on an economic upswing. >> have you ever partied so hard you've partied your eyebrows off? because i have. >> reporter: there are more rich young people than ever before. >> you have your facebooks, your twitters. with every ipo you're creating hundreds if not thousands of new millionaires overnight. and then of course you have the steady stream of some of college's best and brightest into finance. where kids are becoming very rich very quickly. >> reporter: i see "the rich kids of beverly hills" as a new virulent drug-resistant strain of reality tv. launched off the back of the equally nauseating rich kids of instagram. a tumbler page of photos hosted by kids barely old enough to shave. >> these kids have no humility about their money. they are willing to brag. show you everything they have got. based on what i have seen from

the promos i feel like "the rich kids of beverly hills" -- they're a little more in your face, a little more obnoxious of what we typically see of the kardashians. >> reporter: yes, there's an element of empathy mixed with the aspiration of the show, like "keeping up with the c kardashians." keeping up with the kardashians. watching the privileged deal with life problems we struggle with. kardashian arguing with her mom. >> mom? >> what? >> you spent $4,000 on a dress. >> reporter: or a real housewife arguing with a real man. >> you are disappointing our family! >> i am? >> yes. >> shame on you. >> reporter: it's a common bond and we like that. >> while they may be rich they're very relatable to the average viewer. >> reporter: might these rich kids of beverly hills move beyond that humanity? so far all we've seen is a promo clip and bios released by e! dorothy funemployed, which means

unemployed which is so fun. >> it remains to be seen how viewers will accept these kids and this show. i think the timing might be hard for viewers coming off the holidays. may be hard to look at people flaunting their wealth while we at home may be struggling to pave off their bills. >> one bottle is not rich, washing your hair with dom is rich. >> if you are the sort of person who believes in the american dream. still believes that this is something that you, yourself, can obtain if you continue to work hard and try hard. then it's more as operational than obnoxious. >> reporter: maybe characters in our entertainment don't need to be even a little bit likeable anymore. maybe that's just so last century. i'm nick watt for "nightline" in los angeles. >> deep questions from the world of reality tv. our thanks to nick watt. by the way, turns out there may be an even bigger problem brewing in the world of reality tv. up next on "nightline," why the

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we have news tonight from the intersection of two great american preoccupations, reality tv and the culture wars. just hours ago, the stars of the mega-hit "duck dynasty" issued a statement strongly indicating they may be willing to walk away from their show. it's all part of an uproar over questionable comments about gays and african-americans. and abc's matt gutman is on the story. >> reporter: phil robertson, patron saint of so many hunters who's known for his grace in the backwoods and that duck call. seemed to blow it for real this week when he preached to "gq" about what is sinful, telling the magazine, "start with

homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman." the patriarch didn't stop there, robertston who grew up in jim crow louisiana, tells "gq" the african-americans he knew then were happy. "i never saw with my eyes the mistreatment of any black person. preentitlement, prewelfare. you say, were they happy? they were godly. they were happy. no one was singing the blues." in the two days since those word were publish aid cascade of recriminations have ricochetted. one possible casualty is a&e's crown jewel "duke dynasty" itself. the family tonight threatening to call it quits. this is the patriarch of the most watched unscripted cable television show in history who preside over a $500 million empire, the bush-bearded sons of "duck dynasty" are among the most highly recognized americans anywhere. presenting at the country music awards. rubbing shoulders with the nation's top politicians at the

white house correspondents dinner. they have their own christmas cd out this year. not bad. ♪ christmas cookies are a special treat ♪ >> reporter: "duck the halls" anyone? and when i hung out with them for a day this year, they preached the gospel of their love for all good things. guns, fried frogs legs, family. and god. >> amen. >> reporter: their shop is a shrine to many fans. but "duck dynasty's" massive success the past few years may explain why the comments published in "gq" triggered shotgun blasts of controversy. first there was a letter from the human rights campaign and the naacp to a&e calling the remarks dangerous and revisionist. after lumping gays with terrorists, robertson said "let god sort them out later." a&e heard robertson and the critics placing him on indefinite hiatus, and perhaps pushing him to this apology. "i would never treat anyone with

disrespect just because they're different from me. we are all created by the almighty and like him i love all of humanity. we would all be better off if we loved god and loved each other." you'd think the star's goose is cooked but not so fast. fans and his family are fighting back. late tonight his family released a statement saying, "we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. we are in discussions with a&e to see what this means for the future of "duck dynasty." an a&e rep says no comment. there are others out there saying, the duck stops here. on facebook someone created a fan page calling for the boycott of a&e until phil is brought back. some big guns like sarah palin, seen here with the cast, coming to phil's defense now, accusing liberals of applying the first amendment selectively. even the governor of robinson's home state, robby jindal, making his own pro-duck call. >> the left is