Michael Lohan on Why He's Partly to Blame for Daughter Lindsay's Bad Behavior

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," July 25, 2007. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: Lindsay Lohan has been in somewhat of a downward spiral for some time now. Not only a month ago a family court ordered her parents, Dina and Michael Lohan, into family therapy.

Are Lindsay's problems really Hollywood, or could they have stemmed from family dysfunction?

Joining us now is Lindsay's father, Mike — is it Lohan or Lo-han?

MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN'S FATHER: Lo-han.

COLMES: It's Lo-han. There we go. OK.

Is she following in your footsteps?

LOHAN: Is she mimicking some of the things I've done in my life? Absolutely. There's definitely parallels with what I've done and what she's doing and what she's going through and what I went through.

COLMES: You've come under a lot of fire both for doing interviews like this and for the life you've led in the past. And you've been pretty candid about addressing that. How is that affecting things right now?

LOHAN: Well, you know what? I've come to see that it doesn't matter what other people think or believe. It's what's in my heart. And God knows what's in my heart. That's all that matters.

I lived too long worrying about what people thought of me and how I conducted my life. It's about doing the right thing.

COLMES: There are a number of news reports out that say you actually have a restraining order against you, that you can't contact her? You're not supposed to contact her? Is that true?

LOHAN: Lindsay? That's absurd. That was put out there by Lindsay's lawyer out in California, Blair Berk. And there is no restraining order with Lindsay or any of my children.

There is one with my wife. And the only reason why that's there is she was a witness in my brother-in-law's — the case I had.

COLMES: It was reported that a court judge ordered family therapy as a condition. And that there was something ordered last month by New York state Division of Parole, Long Island bureau, basically for you not to contact — barring you from contacting her. That's not...

LOHAN: No, not Lindsay at all. No. It was with regard to Blair Berk, her attorney. And Lindsay's assistant, Jenny.

COLMES: You've tried to call her in the last few days. She has not responded?

LOHAN: No. As a matter of fact, I did try to call her the day this happened but not since she has been out of the rehab. For some reason that morning, I felt like I needed to speak to her. And at 6 p.m. I called and spoke to Jenny. And Jenny and I...

COLMES: That's her assistant?

LOHAN: Yes. We had a great conversation. And she said Mr. Lohan, Lindsay needs to speak to you. And I'm going to get her on the phone with you. But she was in her tango lesson.

COLMES: Did she call you back?

LOHAN: No, she didn't. And the next thing I heard the next morning was that this happened.

COLMES: What do you want to say to her? If you could look in the camera right now and say something to your daughter, what would it be?

LOHAN: Lindsay, I'm your father. Always was and always will be. And that's all that ever mattered to me. It's not your career, your stardom or anything. You know that and I know that.

And everyone that really knows the truth knows that. All I want for you is the best. I want to lead by example now and help you see what I've seen and turn your life around like I've turned mine around.

And I'm very sorry that other people have put things in your head and have brought you to a point where there's so much pain in your life like there was in mine. But if you look deep inside and follow your heart, that's all that matters and just let me be a part of it so I can help you.

COLMES: Why do you think she's not letting you be a part of it right now?

LOHAN: Well, I really believe — I don't think it's only Lindsay. I think, you know, Lindsay may be 21 years old, but she grew up very quickly in a very, very fast-paced world, as did I when I worked on Wall Street.

And at one point, you start — although she's a 21-year-old girl, she's actually a 13-year-old, 14-year-old child at heart. She listens to what other people say, unfortunately.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Michael, by the way, welcome to the show. I appreciate you being here. And by the way, I wish your daughter the best. I wish your family the best.

She's a beautiful girl. I've got young kids. They watch a lot of her movies. She's a very talented actress here.

I've got to tell you, there is a consensus among people, though. This isn't the first time. This is the second time. A lot of people want your daughter to go to jail, because they feel like she's putting other people's lives in jeopardy. She may end up killing somebody or herself at the end of the day.

Would that be fair, considering other people go to jail when they get a second DUI and are arrested for drugs?

LOHAN: Sean, I'm not in a position to judge Lindsay or anyone else in that position. All I'll say is that prison, after experiencing it myself, is not a rehabilitation facility, and it does not restore lives. If anything, it creates more dissension, and people become very — they get a bad taste in their mouth.

HANNITY: But doesn't it take the risk away, if somebody continues to drive drunk, continues to use drugs, they continue to put other people's lives in jeopardy. It may not rehabilitate them, but it may keep the rest of society safe.

LOHAN: That's a good point. Then again, I mean, if you put someone in jail and they don't get the help that they need, when they come out they're going to do the same thing.

HANNITY: She just spent — we just watched. There was a really public display. She spent two months in rehab. She came out. She had this ankle bracelet. She's photographed in bikinis. What is happening?

There was one sad article I read. Roger Friedman on FOXNews.com, as a matter of fact, he said, you know, talking about your daughter, Lindsay has nothing, nobody except the people she pays. And there's a fear among her friends that she — you know, they fear for her life now.

LOHAN: Really? If they feared for her life, why didn't they put their foot down like I did? Why did they enable her and turn a blind eye to what she had done? People can talk the talk. Let them start walking the walk.

HANNITY: People around her using her and abusing her?

LOHAN: Well, I think that the writing is on the wall, isn't it?

HANNITY: She's 21 years old, so she chooses to drink. Nobody is forcing her.

LOHAN: And she's alone. She doesn't have a mother and father out there with her.

HANNITY: Well, let me raise this question. We watched over the years so many of these childhood actors and actresses. They grow up with tremendous problems as a result of dealing with the fame and the celebrity.

We see Britney Spears. We see Paris Hilton. And now your daughter is in a similar circumstance here, between the abuse of drugs, the celebrity life.

You know, a lot of people feel that these kids are spoiled, that they're pampered. I mean, people are cheering for them to get in trouble now.

LOHAN: Of course.

HANNITY: That's got to make — is it because of — that they've had the good side of life and maybe didn't, you know, treat it properly?

LOHAN: And the pride and greed and putting money before anything in life has a definite effect on not only the celebrity's life but other people around them. And it's unfortunate. But I mean, let's call a spade a spade.

I mean, a lot of people are earning a lot of money off Lindsay and care about her as a commodity more than a person.

HANNITY: Does it bother you Jay Leno did a skit last night? A lot of people were critical of it. I saw it. I think Jay Leno is a good-hearted person.

LOHAN: Absolutely.

HANNITY: But does that bother you when you see that? When you see so many people talking about her? All the pictures of her, et cetera?

LOHAN: You know what? When things like that come on, with all due respect to Jay, he's doing his job, as are you and other people in the media and the press. You know, I just don't watch it.

HANNITY: You know what? Look, I hope the best for you and your daughter. And I hope she gets the help and hits rock bottom and works her way up before she hurts herself or other people. I really do.

LOHAN: Absolutely.

HANNITY: One of these kids is going to end up dead or end up killing somebody. And I really hope that this is a wakeup call for her.

LOHAN: I think that bottom has come. I really do.

HANNITY: I wish you and your family the best.

LOHAN: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: I appreciate you being with us.

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