Surprise Marriage Proposal on Spanish TV Turns Tragic

Nov. 28, 2008 — -- What was supposed to be an emotional surprise moment on a Spanish talk show turned tragic for one woman.

Single mother Svetlana Orlova was brought on the show so her ex-boyfriend could ask her to marry him. She said no, and a week later she was dead.

Orlova, 30, had no idea why she was appearing on the popular Spanish TV show "Patricia's Diary." Producers had helped plan the surprise proposal from her ex-boyfriend Ricardo Navarro.

The crowd ooohed and aaahed as Navarro got down on one knee and offered Orlova a ring. But he didn't get the answer he wanted.

Visibly uncomfortable, Orlova said no in front of millions of viewers. Five days later, Navarro was suspected of stabbing her to death.

It turns out the couple reportedly had a violent past. She even had a restraining order against him for physical abuse. The show's producers say they were unaware of the problems.

Daytime talk shows have often been accused of trying to get ratings at any cost. Live surprises staged on no-holds-barred TV talk shows have had deadly consequences.

"It's a surprise to many guests who go on these shows, and the producers know exactly what kind of explosive situations might evolve from this," said Chicago Sun Times TV critic Doug Elfman.

In 1995 Scott Amedure was murdered by Jonathan Schmitz after Amedure professed his love to him on "The Jenny Jones Show."

Last year Melinda Duckett committed suicide after Nancy Grace grilled Duckett about her missing son on her talk show.

A prosecutor killed himself after being caught allegedly planning a meeting with an underage girl over the Internet. He was instead met by police and "Dateline: To Catch a Predator" cameras.

"We live in a culture in which we believe somehow people are not responsible for their actions. They are responsible," said Ted Kavanau, a former television executive.

Navarro is in jail, but has not been formally charged with murder. Spanish police are investigating not only Orlova's death, but also how the talk shows are run in general.