Celebs Caught on Tape
Was Griffin's Crash a Hoax?

Click to return to TMZ.comTMZ is just askin' ... what's wrong with this picture?

Eddie Griffin's ultra-expensive crash in a $1.5 million Ferrari Enzo has been all over television and the Internet today, but could the pricey wipeout really be a brilliant marketing ploy?

In the video obtained by CBS2 News in Los Angeles, it shows the car slamming into a concrete barricade. But, to quote Dr. Henry Lee from the O.J. Simpson case, "Something wrong."

Roll the video and take a close look at the guy standing next to the concrete barrier. He doesn't even flinch as the car comes near. Also, it's pretty interesting that after the crash, Griffin joked it up, saying, "Undercover Brother's good at karate and all the rest of that, but the brother can't drive."

This isn't the first time that one of Daniel Sadek's high-priced cars have been wrecked. During production of his movie, "Redline," two of the producer/real estate investor's expensive Porsche Carrera GTs were totaled during filming. One of the collisions was designed as a stunt. The other was an accident.

UPDATE:
Eddie Griffin's publicist, Lori Jonas, told TMZ, "It was not a hoax. Eddie was racing for a charity to promote his upcoming film, "Redline." He got in an accident. He is suffering from neck and shoulder pain as a result of the accident. It was in no way a hoax."

Reader Comments

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91. This is a real accident.... the guy doesn't move because the accident's timing is slowed down for the clip. Even if it was fake the man would have moved to escape flying debris. Anyway if you look carefully at Eddie Griffin after the accident his breathing is rapid, and he is working hard to pull air into his lungs. These physical signs are a direct result of his injuries.

Posted at 9:52AM on Apr 1st 2007 by lynn

92. The cars owner says the car is totaled, This is bull, any good body man could repair it and have it back on the road in a week. I think it was just a publicity stunt for the movie.

Posted at 9:58AM on Apr 1st 2007 by Harold Steffee

93. Who cares? If they wanted to crash an expensive car, then that's what they did.... I'm sure those people can afford one and a half million. They're rich after all. So, do something a little more productive.

Posted at 10:36AM on Apr 1st 2007 by The Green Avenger

94. so what are you white boys good at dancing oh that's right you cant do that either, hell what can you do without imitating other races

Posted at 11:48AM on Apr 2nd 2007 by cobra

95. who cares?

Posted at 2:50PM on Apr 1st 2007 by Canoeal

96. It looks very phony.He showed no signs of going out of control before hitting the divider.

Posted at 3:42PM on Apr 1st 2007 by Dean

97. I think it was real, and then played up and spun up for free media hype. Its simple... its advertsing, and advertising isn't cheap, this right here might have saved them millions. So I believe it was an accident that was exploited to the fullest extent.. As for the guy no flinching, I chalk that one up to bad reaction timing, I mean the cement barrier moved in front of him. If that won't make you flinch what will? I don't care if you know its coming , you are still gonna move a little.. I think honestly its a smart ploy, to hype this up...
and as for the guy that says, people of "color cant drive" give me a break ... Eddie is a funny guy, wrecked his expensive car.... and his agency took the lead to run with it and take advantage of a bad situation which in turn saved them money no matter how costly it may seem.

Posted at 11:47PM on Apr 1st 2007 by Ken

98. It looks like the camera has rehearsed moving the way it did, so smoothly. It seemed prepared to capture the crash.

Posted at 5:45PM on Apr 1st 2007 by monalisa

99. Who cares?

Posted at 10:13PM on Apr 1st 2007 by JMC

100. HOAX! Absolutely. PUBLICITY STUNT! Damn right.

And almost all of you are TMZ's victims. They know that is was a genuine accident but they perpetuate this "HOAX!" to get hits for their site.

Some incredibly stupid people have posted to this.

This is now very old news. A very few people knew what they were talking about, especially when then mentioned several other sources showing what happened. But none of you Hoax People bothered to check it out. Like the idiots you are, you blindly paraded your ignorance as knowledge. You don't have a clue even though a few people tried to educate you.

Look at the footage TMZ handed you. Then go find the footage that everybody ELSE is using.

*There were other cars on the track, making the turn before the Enzo. THAT'S why there were already tire marks on the pavement. OTHER cars made the turn. Griffin couldn't.

*The tire marks show two things- that other cars made the turn, and that even at lower speeds, controlling mass in a hard turn takes skill.

*Eddie can't drive. Whether he or other idiots reinforce the stereotype, HE can't drive. He's on the gas too long, hits the brakes too late, and too hard.

*Look at the wheels. For those of us who can drive, you turn the wheels, that's where the car goes. For the rest of you, you crash. Griffin locked up the brakes, and the tires lost traction. Those of you who can't drive don't know that.

When traction is lost, control of the car is lost. The front wheels are turned but the car goes straight into the wall. That's called loss of control.

Griffin was going too fast. He saw the wall and didn't turn soon enough. He had what's called target fixation. He stabbed the brakes, the car slid (remember, no traction?) into the wall, HIS WHEELS STILL TURNED TO THE RIGHT. Crash.

Most of you obviously don't understand what happens in a car crash even at low speeds, and the forces involved.

*Griffin wasn't wearing a helmet. He's not a stunt driver. Do you REALLY think somebody told him - "OK take this exotic sports car, drive it around that turn, aim for that photographer, crash into the wall. The kids will love it! OH, and make it look like you're trying to turn. OH, and don't kill the photographer.

Yeah, there was "speculation" that it was a fake Enzo. Yeah, right. NOBODY could ever find out that it was what-- a Fiero? It's one thing to be stupid, but are you all really so stupid that you'll show everybody that you are?

TMZ crafted the "hoax". A few people didn't fall for it but the rest of you stood up and said "HEY TMZ! I'm a dumbass. I'll bend over and you can shove this Hoax Thing right up my dumb ass. I'd I'll be proud of it!

You guys who tried to tell them to find other footage, who tried to tell them what really happened, who tried to tell them who cars work- nice try.

They aren't falling for facts.

Posted at 7:05PM on Apr 1st 2007 by Laffin at the Goofs

101. Wait now...My family knows the gentleman that was standing in front of the barricade. He was there taking photos and had camera up to face and taking pictures when the car hit in front of him. He was not a part of some kind of hoax conspiracy. Come on you guys at TMZ need to get the story right before you acuse someone of a conspiracy.

Posted at 7:50PM on Apr 1st 2007 by K. Butler

102. Look at the CNN video. The guy was looking throuhg a camera lens, behind TWO barriers, and did duck - the TMZ video is slowed down and cut just before the guy moves.

Posted at 10:44PM on Apr 1st 2007 by Lisa

103. No it was NOT a hoax. I was there. I am a StuntMan... I didn't work on "Redline" but I did work on "Rush Hour 3"...and Andy, Jackie Chan's StuntDouble...(No Jackie does NOT do all his own stunts)...directed "Redline"... Jackie was there as well. It was NOT a hoax... Eddie is NO StuntDriver...but he IS a great guy.

Posted at 11:22PM on Apr 1st 2007 by C

104. I saw the news story while in a Dr. office waiting room, while simultaneously reading a high performance car magazine. I just happened to be on a one page article tittled "Can anybody drive this car?" And sure enough, there was a picture of a totaled Farrari Enzo.
There were four seperate incidents in which the owners crashed their Enzos apparently
just by letting the cars get away from them.
High performance vehicles, are seriously spontaneous, both in acceleration and turning ratios. They actually do require high performance drivers. Maybe Leno could handle one.
Good photographers don't move until their hit, it happens more often than one might think.

Posted at 12:38AM on Apr 2nd 2007 by LJ

105. The man is an ecentric actor and may have been just playing the role... what a fool! Hey Eddie, got any more oxycontin?

Posted at 2:50AM on Apr 2nd 2007 by Danny Boy

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