Update: Word is from E! that it wasn’t so much a fatal poisoning as much as it was cocaine overdose.
I hate to kick off the morning on a dour note, but according to Fox News, two producers for the CBS reality competition, “Amazing Race,” were poisoned during a failed shakedown attempt in Africa. One of the producers, Jeff Rice, died as a result. Rice’s production assistant is currently clinging to life.
A source close to the show told FoxNews.com the two were allegedly poisoned after a failed shakedown attempt by local thugs. Blackman did not want to make any further assumptions about her husband’s death in light of the ongoing investigation.
“I would not like to speculate or even attempt to give my views on this as this may jeopardize the investigation going forward,” she said.
Blackman said the condition of the assistant, who she did not name, was critical.
“His production assistant, currently working for Maverick Entertainment, was also discovered in a coma and has been hospitalized in Uganda,” she told FoxNews.com. “She has not shown any improvement as [of] yet.
The two, who work as facilitators (they make advanced arrangements with locals before filming takes place), were not working on “The Amazing Race” when they were poisoned, though they did work on the most recent season. Rice has also worked on Animal Planet’s “Whale Wars” and the South African version of “The Biggest Loser.”
