Addiction Specialist Jennifer Gimenez Blasts Kathie Lee: 'Educate Yourself!'

By:Radar Staff

Aug. 9 2012, Published 1:00 p.m. ET

By Amber Goodhand - RadarOnline.com News Editor

Former addict and addiction specialist Jennifer Gimenez is furious at Kathie Lee Gifford for comments she made implying that parents of drug addicts are at fault, and Jennifer exclusively told RadarOnline.com that Kathie Lee is ignorant and needs to education herself.

In a new interview with Family Circle magazine, Kathie Lee, 58, remarked that she and TODAY co-host Hoda Kotb are not alcoholics despite how much they drink on the show and then continued with a comment that sparked controversy among the addiction community.

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"My kids haven’t been arrested, in rehab or kicked out of school,” Kathie Lee said.

"So I must be doing something right."

In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, Jennifer — who ran the sober living facility on Dr. Drew Pinsky's Sober House, worked as a rehab tech on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, and is now co-host of the addiction-related KLEAN Radio — detailed her outrage at the TODAY anchor, suggesting she keep her mouth shut until she's more educated on the topic of drugs and addiction.

"Kathie Lee Gifford has a huge platform to do positive things and instead is putting an even larger stigma on addiction. As if parents of addicts didn't feel at fault already, she's making them feel worse and it's not their fault!" Jennifer said.

"With all the awareness that is being brought to addiction you'd think that she would educate herself. If she only knew what she was talking about she would realize that it's a disease. I guess ignorance is bliss in this case."