Wife Swap News

Balloon Boy" hoax dad Richard Heene - who, as a publicity stunt, pretended his son was floating across Colorado in a runaway balloon - was roundly condemned for exploiting his family.

Bradford, father Richard, mother Mayumi, Falcon and Ryo Heene pose in this undated photo for the ABC series Wife Swap at their home in Fort Collins, Colo.

Opinionline Archives Reality TV exposes parents exploiting kids Commentary By Aimee Phan These days, Americans are quite familiar with the newest breed of disgraced celebrities: reality TV parents.

The "Balloon Boy" hoax spellbound the entire country Oct. 15. Everyone empathized with the situation of the supposedly floating child or the supposedly distraught parents.

Is there supposed to be a connection here? 1) Frank Rich, New York Times , " In Defense of the 'Balloon Boy' Dad " : There's also some poignancy in his determination to grab what he and many others see as among the last accessible scraps of the American dream.

This house in Orange Blossom Estates may be the home of a family being filmed for an episode of ABC TV's Wife Swap reality program.

Just like the saga of embattled reality show couple Jon and Kate Gosselin and their brood of eight, we have yet another example of dubious parenting involving the case of "Balloon Boy." Last Thursday, the story of 6-year-old Falcon Heene grabbed headlines across the nation when it was thought an experimental helium balloon was launched accidentally ...

Prosecutors said Tuesday they haven't decided whether to file charges against the Colorado parents accused of falsely reporting their son was in a runaway balloon, sparking a massive rescue attempt before the boy was found at the family's Fort Collins home.

Four decades after Andy Warhol predicted a future of everyone being famous for 15 minutes, some are feeling cheated.What, only 15 minutes?Tom DeLay, who left Congress under a cloud of scandal, tried to stretch a return to the spotlight into an entire TV season.

The Heene family - Richard, Mayumi, Ryan, Falcon and Bradford - appear in a photo from 'Wife Swap' AP Six-year-old Falcon Heene sits in the box of his family's pickup truck outside their family's home in Fort Collins, Colo., after he was found hiding in a box in a space above the garage on Thursday, Oct.

The "Balloon Boy" hoax spellbound the entire country on October 15. Everyone empathized with the situation of the supposedly floating child or the supposedly distraught parents.

When Sheree Silver temporarily lived with Balloon Boy Falcon Heene and his dad Richard in their Fort Collins, Colo., home last November, she observed then that Richard "had the mind of a mad scientist" - with a prickly personality and a short fuse to match.

The Heene family got a little more attention than they bargained for with their balloon flight.

On an episode of ABC's "Wife Swap," Mayumi Heene pounds her fists and shouts in frustration because she believes her co-star isn't paying enough attention to one of his sons.

The nation was gripped by the story of 6-year-old Colorado boy Falcon Heene, who reportedly floated away in a giant helium balloon from his parents' backyard.

It's just one thing after another for Richard and Mayumi Heene. They've caused such an uproar after last week's alleged balloon boy hoax that Lifetime won't air a re-run of their "Wife Swap" episode.

Does the balloon boy story begin with the Heene family's quest to appear, again, on reality TV?

Given father Richard Heene's apparent efforts to pique Hollywood interest in his family as a reality TV subject (following two appearances on ABC's "Wife Swap"), concern is once again rising that the children who appear on such shows are being exploited for fame and fortune by their parents.

Child advocates, media watchdogs, and lawyers hope reform is coming, now that law enforcement appears poised to wade into the matter for the first time. Authorities in Colorado are considering charges against the Heene parents for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A Colorado couple who channeled their passion for reality TV shows into a chase for fame and fortune may pay a stiff price -- deservedly so -- for their stunt last week with a home-built helium balloon.

Share + Oct 20, 2009 6:32 am US/Central FORT COLLINS, Colo. 1 of 5 Falcon Heene, the boy thought to be carried away in a balloon, smiles while sitting on the roof of the family car Oct.

As the Sheriff's Department in Larimer County, Colo. ramp up their case against Richard and Mayumi Heene over the Balloon Boy hoax incident from last week, new details have come to light about the couple.