Author Regrets Publishing Fake Interview About ‘Dallas’ Star Dack Rambo’s Final Days
William Keck has written a book about being a tabloid reporter for many years, including the good and the bad times. One of the bad times was in relation to Dallas star Dack Rambo. In his new book titled When You Step Upon a Star: Cringeworthy Confessions of a Tabloid Bad Boy, he apologizes for fabricating a story about Rambo’s final days.
Keck said that he received an anonymous phone call from someone claiming they worked at a medical center in California where they had records about a “TV star from a long-running, successful primetime soap opera who was in the final stages of AIDS.” He knew right away that it was likely Rambo, who had previously come out as bisexual and HIV positive. Keck was paired with a veteran reporter from the Enquirer to get an interview with Rambo.
Catrina Maxwell/Getty Images for SCAD
Keck (pictured above) explained, “According to my source (whose mother, it turned out, was the one who actually worked at the hospital as a nurse), Rambo had been checked in by a male friend the night before. Because of his weakened condition, he could only scratch an X on the forms in place of his signature. He’d tried to shield his carcinoma-covered face behind a sheet, and though alert, appeared confused. For the initial tip, the caller was to receive a guaranteed payment of $860, with a $400 bonus should the story appear on our cover, which was pretty much a guarantee if we succeeded in our nefarious mission: to land Dack Rambo’s exclusive deathbed interview!”
Everett Collection
He said that he now realizes how horrible the assignment was, and when the pair arrived at the hospital, Rambo wasn’t there. He then died on March 21, 1994. Even so, the Enquirer published a “final interview” with Rambo that Keck now admits was “completely fabricated” and added that he had nothing to do with the article that was printed. He said, “Even though the article painted Rambo as a proud, brave, grateful and benevolent soul who died with dignity, they weren’t his words and never should have appeared in print.”
Keck said that he tried to reach out to any remaining family members, but he couldn’t get in touch with anyone to apologize.
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