Scott Stapp Sued By Creed Crony

SEPTEMBER 14--A business associate of rock star Scott Stapp, the Creed frontman, claims that the singer failed to reimburse him $60,000 paid to a controversial Beverly Hills doctor known for his unorthodox drug detox treatments. In a lawsuit filed this month in Florida's Orange County Circuit Court, Jeffrey Cameron contends that he paid Dr. David Kipper "for certain medical treatments received" by Stapp during a three-month period in mid-2002. Cameron, who works for Stapp's management company, does not further describe those treatments in his complaint and he declined to provide additional details in a brief TSG interview. Kipper, who reportedly has a large celebrity clientele, has come under fire for his drug treatment technique, which has involved patients checking into swanky hotels for detox sessions. Last November, the Medical Board of California charged Kipper with gross negligence and unprofessional conduct for, among other things, overprescribing habit-forming drugs and running an illegal detox program. The state action could result in the revocation of Kipper's medical license. Earlier this year, Ozzy Osbourne filed a complaint with the state board alleging that, during 2002 and 2003, Kipper overprescribed him addictive drugs that left him addled and hooked on powerful antipyschotics and tranquilizers. Osbourne told the Los Angeles Times that Kipper charged him $650,000 for his services. (3 pages)