False Holocaust Love Story Exposed

On this week's episode of things that never happened, especially

during the World War II

era.

It's the greatest love story we've ever told on this show.

Come by, visit.

Herman Rosenblat received international attention for his story about being a

hungry little boy in a Nazi concentration camp who was thrown

apples every day by a little girl on the other side of the fence.

Years later, according to the story, Rosenblat met that same girl

on a blind date in New York City, and he proposed on the

spot.

I used to come by every day,

bring the apple hidden in my jacket and then piece of bread, and he used

to say, "I'll see you tomorrow."

The story landed Herman and Roma Rosenblat on Oprah twice-

Oprah

... and in newspapers all over the world.

They also got a book and movie deal, but the story wasn't

true. Why did you do it? Why did you

tell such a big lie to so many people for so long?

It was not a lie.

It was, I, was my imagination. And in my

imagination, in my mind,

I believed it.

Even now I believe it, that she was there and she

threw the apple to me.

How, how can you say it wasn't a lie?

It, it wasn't true and, and you know it's not

true.

Yes,

it's not true. But in my imagination

it was true.

Rosenblat says he made the story up to give people hope and to promote

understanding about the Holocaust, but members of his own family say

his real motivation was money. So you were not motivated in any way by

money?

No.

This is from your son. He said that he knew you were lying for years

and he

couldn't get you to stop, and here's his quote, "It

was always hurtful.

My father is a man who I don't know." How do you respond to that?

I don't know. I can't respond to it.

Herman and Roma Rosenblat told their false story publicly for more than a

decade, but it all fell apart about six weeks ago.

Roma's family was actually more than 200 miles away at the time.

Why did your wife agree to go along with this?

Did she ever express any reservation?

Because she loves me.

Why is she not here today?

Because I don't want her to be here today.

It's too much,

too much going on.

Was it difficult for your wife to have to go out very publicly and tell a story

that she knew wasn't true?

It was,

it was, but she loves me so much that

if she thinks that's good for me,

she'll go along with it.

Rosenblat is remarkably unrepentant about his years of

lying.

I pronounce my love for you forever.

When you look at that, does it make you uncomfortable at all?

No.

You think that was the right thing to do?

Yeah.