Authorities confirm the letter found in the CBS mailroom is not addressed to a specific contestant of the show, and the white powder in the envelope is a 'non-harmful' substance.
- Sep 29, 2011
AceShowbiz - Another anthrax scare has hit CBS studios. On Wednesday, September 28, a suspicious white powder was found in a letter which is directed to "Dancing with the Stars". Richard French, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, has confirmed that the letter was found at around 2 P.M. in a mailroom at CBS Television City.
The L.A. City Hazardous Materials team arrived on the scene about an hour later and tested the material before declaring it is a "non-harmful" substance, but it is still unclear what it is. French explained no one was exposed to the powder and no injury has been reported, adding that the envelope was not directed to a specific participant of "DWTS". Though so, TMZ reported that the letter was addressed to a specific individual - not an on-air personality, connected to the show.
CBS spokesman Chris Ender later released a statement to say that the incident did not affect business operations or show productions except mail room operations which were suspended for a few hours. He declined to comment on what safety precautions CBS may take in the future, considering this is not the first time the studio complex is threatened by an anthrax scare.
Back in November 2010, a similarly harmless envelope of white powder was addressed to Bristol Palin who was competing for "DWTS" at the time. In August this year, a threatening letter was addressed to "The Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson. The letter was also packed with white powder which was later determined to be harmless.
