♪ ah ah ah ah ah ah show me who you are ♪ ♪ ah ah ah pornstar ah ah ah baby baby baby ♪ [ cheers and applause ] this is nightline. >> tonight, allegations of fake botox inside the dangerous counterfeit industry. >> so i got injected, and i had this kind of, like, blow up. looked like a giant bee sting. >> people from across the country drawn by the idea of a

youthful glow. >> i'm a woman. i was getting older, i wanted botox, i wanted to try what everybody was talking about. >> but some complaining of painful complications. >> i felt like i looked like a monster. >> what experts say to look out for. plus harry connick jr. like you've never seen him before. the multi-talented jazz musician, performer and actor in beloved films like hope floats. breathe. >> i'm breathing. >> now, taking on the mets in the big apple and the magic of cole porter. >> are you also juggling in the show, too? i feel like you're doing a little bit of everything. >> i would be nervous if i had to juggle in the show. >> what's next? for his nearly 50 year career and major move, why one of the world's best known works of art is getting a new home of its own. new home of its own. >> nightline will bere you havi♪ ♪ what you getting out of living? ♪ ♪ who cares for what you've got ♪ ♪ if you're not having any fun? ♪

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powering five years of savings. powering possibilities. comcast business. michael, george, lara. ginger. >> miss. robin. >> thanks for joining us tonight. botox. it's no longer just for the rich and famous who want to get rid of wrinkles. it's gone mainstream. but so too have the fakes. counterfeit botox is appearing from coast to coast, and it can be dangerous. on instagram, this med spa promised clients radiant, skin friendly service, even a machine that they said could give toned abs. and for many patients, the hope for a fountain of youth. but now prosecutors accuse this

man, joey grant luther, of injecting clients with counterfeit botox causing ailments from double vision to botulism. henry callender, who is not part of the criminal complaint, thought he was getting a smooth forehead for a fraction of the normal price. >> it's like a very handsome, like, you know, a lot of work done to him. >> but instead, henry says he ended up with what he says was an allergic reaction. >> so i got injected and i had this kind of, like, blow up. looked like a giant bee sting. considering what i've heard from other people and reading some of these complaints, i definitely got off easy and i was lucky to have this reaction as the only reaction. >> this week, the 54 year old luther was arrested and charged with wire fraud, smuggling and crimes related to the handling of counterfeit drugs. >> do you have anything to say? >> wwc filmed the esthetician walking into his building after he was released on bail. what once was stigmatized by some has gone mainstream. almost 5 million americans got botox in 2023, according to the american

society of plastic surgeons. >> i think i saw the biggest uptick in requests for botox during the pandemic. when we were sitting at home during the pandemic, people were really glued to their cell phones, and they were really diving into social media. >> and as more and more americans are getting botox, counterfeit botox is popping up across the country. >> my eyes were swollen and they were beet red, and it has not gone away to this day. >> that's what happened to lori reed in california, who says this is what she looked like hours after getting injections of what she thought were real botox and filler. >> at first i felt stupid. i felt like, how did i miss this? i felt like i looked like a monster. >> back in new york, prosecutors claim luther didn't even have the required state medical license to give botox in the first place. >> it does vary state by state. in new york state, you have to be a doctor. so a physician, a surgeon, a dentist, a nurse practitioner, a nurse or a physician assistant to legally practice botox.

>> the complaint alleges one victim began experiencing double vision, heart palpitations and slurring of speech after visiting three hospitals. the complaint also says she was diagnosed with botulism toxin, a potentially fatal illness. when this client allegedly texted luther about her symptoms, the complaint claims that luther falsely responded that he injected botox from allergan, the name brand. >> if you're getting something that's actually not botox, no one knows it's actually what is going into that mixture. if you have botox, that's counterfeit, but it's too strong, you could get botulism, and it can cause all sorts of side effects in your body where the nerves are being paralyzed. >> text messages included in the complaint appears to show luther responding to many of his clients concerns. in one instance, a client texted luther in part, i'm nervous, ari. my vision, it's been getting worse each day. and he allegedly reassured her it's very temporary. another client texted him. i have also started having a hard time swallowing. i have headaches and it's hard to lift

my head when i'm laying down. have you heard of this reaction to which he allegedly responded, the neck fatigue and headaches sound more like a virus. >> while luther is being messaged by his clients and telling them about the various side effects they are having the lazy eye, the double vision, the botulism. law enforcement shows that while he says to his clients, just put an ice pack on it or come back in a few days and resolve it. he's also messaging his supplier and informing them that the product is tainted, and lists out some of those adverse reactions that his clients are getting. he, in fact, tries to bargain with his supplier, suggesting that if they want to keep him as a client, they need to send better product and send it quickly. >> henry callander, who hasn't spoken to law enforcement, was first drawn to luther's office. he says, to treat acne on his forehead. >> one of my friends went there. they recommend him. it's a good place to go. i hadn't heard any side effects stories, actually, until after the fact. >> despite the office having no medspa signage out front,

callander thought the office looked normal enough. >> you walk into this office space, but it looks exactly like a regular office. he had a room where he just administered botox. he had allergan, like the botox boxes for like the legal bullets for like, you know, one of the main brands. and you're just assuming that this guy is, you know, doing the correct thing. >> plus, callander said the treatment was a cheaper option. >> he was like slightly cheaper. it was probably like 20% cheaper than regular botox. it was probably like $400 a treatment. >> botox is pretty expensive for a practice to take on, so if the price point seems too good to be true, it probably is. >> henry went to luther a number of times for more than a year and experienced no issues. but he says there was one treatment that stands out. >> i went to his office and he administered botox, kind of like the normal treatment. and i had this, like really big, like blow up on my forehead. it was like that for about 40, maybe 24 to 48 hours. and i remember messaging his office because he had like an office text line and i said, hey, something's wrong.

like, what do i do about this? do i need to go to the doctor and get treated? and he said, no, just like put a cold compress on it. >> an attorney representing luther did not respond to requests for comment, but henry says he's grateful he made it out without any severe health consequences, according to prosecutors. others were not so lucky. in december, the cdc issued a notice after more than a dozen people were hospitalized across the country. >> the cdc said that 17 people across nine states suffered similar reactions to tainted or counterfeit botox from people who either had licenses and did not administer the right product, or people who had no licenses at all. >> lori reed says this is what she looked like before she went to see a woman she thought was a nurse for botox and filler. >> i'm a woman. i was getting older, i wanted botox, i wanted to try what everybody was talking about. >> she went to a woman named susan tancredo for a few years and said, sometimes the botox worked. sometimes it didn't seem to, but the price was right.

nothing would prepare her for what was to come. >> my eyes were swollen and they were beet red. and it has it has not gone away to this day. so i text her and i said, what is wrong with my eyes? i just washed my face. >> it has been several years and lori is still dealing with the consequences. getting several procedures to try and reverse the damage. >> for a while i was very self-conscious. i wouldn't even date, so it sounds silly, but it did mess with me for a while because i felt like i looked in the mirror, and every time i looked in the mirror, i was just hideous. i felt like i looked like a monster. >> according to a civil complaint filed by 16 different women, tancredo was never licensed to inject botox. she would purchase products from one doctor and counterfeit products from other countries. the suit has since been settled. she was ultimately found guilty in a criminal case and is serving probation after her six year prison sentence was suspended. >> i wanted her to reap some sort of consequences for the

damage that she had done. i expected her to do jail time. it turned out that she did not, so i was a little disappointed in that. >> back in new york, luther is out on bail. but if this goes to trial and he's found guilty, he could face decades in prison. >> after his indictment, luther was released on a $100,000 bail with some requirements, wearing an ankle monitor as well as forfeiting his passport. and we'll see whether or not luther decides to take a plea or move this case towards a trial. his next court date is february 12th. >> when we come back. performer and actor harry connick jr gives us a preview of connick jr gives us a preview of his ambitious new project. ♪

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been saved. >> you know, there isn't a lot that harry connick jr. hasn't done in his storied, nearly 50 year career. and in his latest project, there is very little that he doesn't do. abc's stephanie ramos caught up with him at a rehearsal just here in new york. >> so, love, at least. >> he sings. >> a small percent of me. >> he tickles the ivories and he does a little tap. multi-talented jazz singer, musician and performer harry connick jr. rehearsing for a week of staging cole porter's

greatest love songs. here at the met opera in new york city. >> have i done this show before? did i did i write this? >> but he's pretty relaxed about it. >> it really is an overwhelming honor to be performing here. so i, you know, i'm i'm blown away and i just am really savoring this experience. we have the whole metropolitan opera to ourselves, and that's just really cool. >> it is really cool. >> he's a musical icon with almost 50 years of experience. >> for you as a kid, when you look back like, how did it all start? >> well. >> we had a piano in our house. i grew up in new orleans, and i had two parents that were very enthusiastic about music, and they had records in the house, and they were always playing music. and i grew up in new orleans, where music was sort of everywhere. >> a child prodigy, harry released his first album at age ten. his work on the movie soundtrack, when harry met sally

in 1989, catapulted him to fame. >> you walk and whisper. >> that album went double platinum, nine records total, achieving platinum status. he's won two emmys and three grammys, and has been nominated for two tonys and an oscar. he's also an actor, starring opposite sandra bullock in hope floats. >> breathe. >> i'm breathing. >> it's not every day. keith urban, j.lo and harry connick jr used to come see you sing. >> taking a turn, judging on american idol. >> nothing like keith urban, jennifer lopez and. >> and helming his own talk show in one episode, welcoming on harry connick senior. >> i'm so honored to welcome to my show for the very first time. my hero, my dad. >> who was the new orleans district attorney for 30 years. >> he was a man of very, very deep faith, and he was very good

at explaining that to me. >> in the still of the night. >> this latest show, a revival of his broadway production that harry arranged, orchestrated and composed himself. >> so what's different, if anything, about this show now? >> i think people are excited to get back and sit down in a community of other people and watch a show, and that's a real blessing that we all have this shared experience, and here we are on the other side, and we get to celebrate the arts together again. >> this celebration is for cole porter, known for his songs that made their way into so many beloved american musicals. like anything goes. >> now, heaven knows, anything goes. >> and kiss me, kate. >> yes, i'm always true to you, darlin, in my way. >> for people who don't know a lot about cole porter, he was

one of the greatest american composers in my opinion. he wrote the music and lyrics to some of the greatest songs of all time. so i took the bones of those songs, the melody and the chords, and then i arranged them for a full orchestra and then wrote and directed the show that sort of celebrates him. >> and right now harry is rehearsing with 25 musicians, holding court and keeping the room in tune. >> if i thought about what i had to do three nights from now, i'd be a nervous wreck. but i don't live like that. i trust in the present and doing everything i can right now. >> so with this show, there's so much to it. so many musicians. you're tap dancing, you've got a gentleman that's playing cole porter. there are so. >> many different creative elements. how are you managing it all? are you are you also juggling in the show too? i feel like you're doing a little bit of everything. >> i would be nervous if i had to juggle in the show.

>> how long did that take for you to put this together? >> well, it took a long time because i think there are 1700 pages of musical scores. so it takes to actually write the viola parts out and to write the trombone parts out. that's a lot of notes. and then there's film elements to it. it's kind of a fantasy, because i kind of literally go inside of cole porter's head and look around in there. >> cole porter's songs are songs of love. harry's own love story is now three decades strong. his wife, jill goodacre, one of the famous faces of victoria's secret in the 80s, and 90s jill, also seen in a classic friends episode where a new york city blackout strands her with a lucky chandler bing. >> hi mom, it's jill! >> oh my god, i am trapped in an atm vestibule with jill goodacre. >> the pair, known for their deep bond in 2012. jill was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she and connick kept private for several years before

going public to help spread awareness about early detection. >> i'm feeling better and better. >> i mean, she's my best friend. i'm her best friend. i love talking to her. i love knowing what she is thinking about. i really do know everything she's thinking about. she always knows everything i'm thinking about. but she's very she's much more mysterious than i am. >> let's talk about your daughters. you've collaborated with one of them on on an album. >> so all three of them are are very talented. they all live in australia. >> georgia putting dad in the frame, directing harry's alone with my faith music video in 2021. >> sunrise. >> his daughters charlotte and kate are also multi-talented, kate joining her dad on one of his christmas albums as seen on today. >> sleigh bells ring, are you

listening? >> and we, you know, work together and hang out together. and it's just amazing that all three of them are artists. i learned from them every day. >> you've been so successful, but is there something down the road that you'd like to do that you just haven't done yet? >> there's lots of things, and i like to work on lots of different things at once. that's exciting to me. >> as he prepares to take the stage, one thing he always remembers is that performing for so many is a true privilege. >> my job is to try to make people feel better when they leave than when they walked in. hey, i am so lucky to do this for a living. you will never, ever hear me complain about any aspect of this business. are you kidding? i get to go and entertain people every day. >> our thanks to stephanie.

harry's opening night is tomorrow at new york's metropolitan opera house. coming up, the battle over the mona lisa. and why france's president lisa. and why france's president says it deserves a newhank usedm what felt like a cold & flu medicine hangover in the morning. ha ha. haha! then he switched to mucinex nightshift. mucinex is uniquely formulated to leave your system faster, so you wake up ready to go. uhh, hank! try mucinex nightshift and feel the difference. aveeno introduces new daily moisturizing cream. it's clinically proven to moisturize dry skin for 48 hours. and instantly strengthen skin's barrier. for softer, smoother skin. aveeno. the power of oat for sensitive skin. if you're living with hiv, imagine being good to go without daily hiv pills. ♪ good to go binge-watch. ♪ good to go out even later. ♪ with cabenuva, there's no pausing for daily hiv pills. for adults who are undetectable,

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>> president emmanuel macron today announced a massive renovation and a new entrance and home in the museum for the mona lisa. what he says she deserves. and that's nightline. you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here. same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night. america. >> there's a new trend on the red carpet. celebrities opening up about dissolving facial fillers and swearing them off for good. >> i'm so against any kind of body filler. i had to reverse all of that damage. it's like everybody's chasing this one. look. i would just say, don't rush into anything unless you're 100% sure. >> facelift after fillers now. >> streaming on hulu. >> nightline. >> the stories. >> that shape. >> your. >> world. >> shape your life. dramatic. stunning.