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Showbiz Tonight

Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards Split; Stewart Gets Out of Jail Tonight; Should Movie Theaters Show Commercials Before the Movie?

Aired March 03, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Why another Hollywood couple is calling it quits.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And an exclusive look at Martha Stewart in prison. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant, and this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Charlie and Denise -- no more. We were the first to report the break-up, and tonight a look at what`s behind it, how some star couples manage to stick it out.

BRYANT: On the home stretch. Martha Stewart`s prison days are numbered. We have an exclusive look at her life behind bars.

HAMMER: Love to love ya, Bebe -- Bebe Neuwirth back on TV with the new "Law & Order" and talking to us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: J.Lo`s wake-up call. She gets up, oh, so early to rock the heart of New York City. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.

HAMMER: Getting the boot. More people say good-bye to "American Idol." Tonight, how they`re taking the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL": Yo. This is Randy Jackson from "American Idol." If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you`re at top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT told you about it first, and today it became public, the split that no one saw coming.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to report last night that Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards are headed to divorce court, and today the divorce papers were made public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TWO AND A HALF MEN")

CHARLIE SHEEN: Some guys, huh?

DENISE RICHARDS: Yes. If I wanted that kind of life, I could have just stayed with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Just days ago, millions watched them in Sheen`s show, "Two and a Half Men," as Richards made a guest appearance as his on again, off again girlfriend. Now it looks like the two of them are off for good in real life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): This was just seven weeks ago, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards hand in hand at the Golden Globes. So it came as a surprise to many who watched the two walk down the red carpet that something was wrong. Denise, who is six months pregnant, filed the papers against Charlie last night. In those court papers, the former Bond girl said she and Charlie had irreconcilable differences.

SHEEN: We`re in the home stretch.

HAMMER: This was January of `04, when they eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, Sam, who turns 1 next week. While Charlie was named by infamous Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in the early `90s as a major client of hers, he said he turned the corner.

MICHAEL FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Charlie Sheen found trouble at every corner -- drugs, prostitutes, arrests, overdose. So when he finally got married, everybody was rooting for him. Everybody was hoping this would work out.

HAMMER: Many fans were rooting for him, including his wife.

RICHARDS: He`s my husband, so -- it`s fun being with him anyway, but to work with him makes it more fun.

HAMMER: The couple co-stared in "Scary Movie 3." They met on the set of the independent film "Good Advice" in 2000 and started dating after Richards made a guest appearance on Sheen`s ABC sitcom "Spin City." They married two years later. It was the second time down the aisle for Sheen, who has an adult daughter from his first marriage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Just seconds ago, we got word that Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards released a joint statement. It says, quote, "We are deeply saddened by the recent events. And out of care and concern for our daughter, Sam, our unborn child and each other, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

The Sheen/Richards split comes after Hollywood was rocked just back in January after news that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were breaking up. So why do some star marriages work and others fall apart? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has you covered on that at the bottom of the hour.

BRYANT: Now, no one`s been able to see what life has been like for Martha behind bars until now. You`re about to see never-before-seen footage of Martha in prison. It`s part of an exclusive "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" documentary hosted by CNN`s Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): In this home video, a rare glimpse of the domestic diva while serving her term in Alderson, West Virginia. Here she is, a relaxed Martha greeting friends, seemingly happy. Has prison actually been a good thing for Martha Stewart?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She seems different to me than -- from when I first met her to discuss any appeals in that I do think there is more calm about her. If I had to prescribe this, it`s the best five months she`ll ever have spent.

ZAHN: Financially, it may have been Martha`s best five months, too. When convicted, her company`s profits plummeted, but halfway through her sentence, shares of Martha Stewart stock had nearly tripled.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Martha Stewart has had the most profitable tenure in federal prison of any prisoner in history.

ZAHN: And while serving time, Martha landed primetime TV deals with "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett.

MARK BURNETT, CREATOR, "THE APPRENTICE": Even though many people told me I was crazy at the time, but the reason I went to Martha in her worst time -- I just saw a great comeback story. Americans love a comeback story.

ZAHN: A comeback story? Is it possible that Martha Stewart can turn her devastation -- a conviction, a prison sentence -- into triumph? From her posh Connecticut estate to a prison cell to primetime TV, it`s been a dramatic rise, fall and rise again for the woman who came to embody the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: You catch more of Paula Zahn`s one-hour primetime special "MARTHA`S MAKEOVER" tonight at 10:00 on CNN. And of course, we`ll be monitoring Martha`s moves throughout the night, so you`ll be sure to join us tomorrow.

HAMMER: Yes, we did just say throughout the night because we`re on Martha watch right now. Sometime after midnight tonight, Martha Stewart could be moving from the big house to her house. CNN correspondent Deborah Feyerick is live right now for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, just outside of the prison in West Virginia. That`s a place that Martha has called home for some time now. What`s going on there at this moment?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can tell you this, a lot of anticipation about her impending exit from Alderson prison. She`s not going to be staying in that inside any longer than she has to. Just after midnight, she`s going to be handing in her prison khakis, closing out her commissary account, and then her company says that she`s going to leaving for the 30-minute drive to the airport. So she should get there some time between 12:30 and 1:30 in the morning.

Now, her company has brought in a flatbed truck, which is going to be at the airport. It`s going to be a real "Casablanca" moment as she sort of walks through the darkness to the waiting jet that`s going to take her into her future and to the beginning of a brand-new friendship with Mark Burnett. He is the reality king who`s going to reinvent Martha Stewart with two new television shows.

Now, she is allowed 48 hours of work every week, and that will include filming for the television show, but it can also include doctors and dental appointments, things like that. But it must be done within 48 hours. The rest of the time, she is confined to her Bedford estate. And she must stay inside the house. She cannot go around her garden. She can`t take a walk on the grounds. And she`s going to be sporting a brand-new piece of jewelry, a metal and plastic bracelet, an ankle bracelet that`s going to be hooked into a phone line so the Department of Probation knows where Martha Stewart is every moment of the day -- A.J.

HAMMER: All right. So this is definitely going down tonight, or are they still working out some of the details on this, Deborah?

FEYERICK: A.J., this is definitely going down tonight. As a matter of fact, we thought that -- there had been some rumor that she may not get out until Sunday, which is her actual release date, but her company did confirm it, saying that she`s expected at that airport at between 12:30 and 1:30. And here at the gates of Alderson, it`s about a 30-minute drive, maybe a little longer in the dark, and if she takes some back routes, maybe it could be 40 minutes. But still, she`s going to be there tonight, and that jet`s going to be waiting to take her into the future.

HAMMER: And all eyes will be watching. Thanks so much, Deborah. Deborah Feyerick live from Alderson, West Virginia -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Time now for "SHOWBIZ Shorts." And we`ve got Brad and Jen news tonight. First, Brad. He may be teaming up with Cate. We learned today that Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, who, of course, just won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "The Aviator" -- the two of them are close to signing on to star in the paramount drama "Babel." And Jen is teaming up with Meryl. Jen Aniston and Meryl Streep have signed to star in "Wanted," a prison drama. Brad could be working with Jen on this film because it`s being produced by the production company that they own together.

More "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, Mel Gibson is starring in a courtroom drama. Today, an emotional Gibson Faced the man accused of stalking him. Dan Simon of "Celebrity Justice" was in the courtroom. He joins us now from LA. Dan, set stage for us here.

DAN SIMON, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Well, I have to say, it was one of the more interesting scenes I`ve ever seen in the courtroom, Mel Gibson arriving at the Van Nuys, California, courthouse to face his alleged stalker in court. And Mel was very candid. He told the jury exactly what went down, that this young man, Zack Sinclair, repeatedly went to Mel Gibson`s Malibu home and sent him a series of harassing letters. And the young man, Zack Sinclair, is representing himself. He had the opportunity to cross-examine Mel Gibson on the stand. Everybody thought that`s what he wanted. But when it came time for Zack Sinclair to cross-examine Gibson, he told the judge, I have no questions.

HAMMER: OK, Dan, thank you very much for that update. Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice" live in LA.

Matthew McConaughey is on the road with some pretty hot wheels. He`s making a pit stop with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and that`s coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, a silver lining for 50 Cent. The rapper has had a rough week, but tonight some good news. We`ll fill you in.

HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in "Xanadu"? Was it, A, Bette Davis, B, Bing Crosby, C, Gene Kelly, or D, Fred Astaire? We are coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly" pop culture quiz. Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in "Xanadu"? Was it, A, Bette Davis, B, Bing Crosby, C, Gene Kelly, or D, Fred Astaire? The answer is C, Gene Kelly.

HAMMER: Now, you remember the movie "Xanadu"? All the characters were on roller skates. Well, Matthew McConaughey is on wheels of a different sort. Late this afternoon, we caught up with the actor in New York City, along with his souped-up Airstream trailer that you see right here, decked out with art from his upcoming movie, "Sahara," all part of a six-week cross-country tour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke to McConaughey, and we asked him what star drives across the country just to promote a movie?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, "SAHARA": Nobody that I know of, man. And when I came up with the idea, it just made so much sense, when I went to Paramount and started trying to plan the trip and started telling people about it and making plans for it. But there obviously wasn`t a reference point for how it`s been done before, but it made so much sense. And it did take -- I had to keep repeating to people, No, I`m going, and whether you`re going to help me out or not, but we need to get this together and try and organize it somewhat, knowing that part of the adventure is the unexpected things are going to happen. But we started off with a lot of laughs, and then it turned into a lot of people going, Man, you can`t do that. And I was, like, Yes, I can. Watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, in "Sahara," McConaughey plays a master explorer searching for a long-lost Civil War battleship and its secret treasure. The movie opens nationwide on April 8.

BRYANT: Oh, yes, it`s 14 past the hour, and when you hear that music, you know things are going down in the "SHOWBIZ Showdown"! Now, when you go to the movie theater you expect to see a few trailers before the film, but how do you feel when 30 minutes of commercials unspool before those trailers? Well, it`s gotten one New York City councilwoman upset enough to introduce a bill that would make theaters print the actual start times of the movies without the ads.

That is the focus of tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown" and tonight`s hot topic, commercials before the movies. Is there anything wrong with that? Now, before we get to this, though, we want to take you out to the streets. We went to ask moviegoers today how they feel about the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate them, passionately hate them. I wish I didn`t see them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t like the commercials at all. They`re very irritating. And I see enough of those on regular TV. I don`t pay for that when I go to the movies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it`s fine. It`s no problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don`t they bother you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don`t they bother you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Same as TV, regular TV. It just doesn`t bother me. It`s no problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, there you go. That`s what people told us today. Joining us now to debate are Paul Cappelli, he is CEO and founder of The Ad Store, And Gale Brewer, the New York City Council member who introduced the bill that would make theaters print the actual start times of movies.

Gale, I`m going to start with you. Why the need to turn this into a law?

GALE BREWER, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: We need to turn it into a law because it is expensive to go to the movies. With my family, it`s $40 plus the Coke and the soda. And the fact of the matter is, we want to go to the movies and not see the ads. We`re sitting there captive, not at home. At home, we can turn them off. So we want to go to the movies. We want to know when the ads start and when the movies start. We want to go to the movies.

BRYANT: Paul, what do you have to say about the issue?

PAUL CAPPELLI, THE AD STORE: I think it`s just really a matter of the type of commercials that you`re seeing. I think it`s a public enterprise. People can have commerce wherever they want. I think it`s silly to ask for legislation. Common courtesy would dictate that, yes, maybe you can tell people what time actually the movie starts, but I also think that most New Yorkers certainly know what time the actual movie starts. There`s always some kind of a pre-show.

BREWER: People do not know what time the movies start. They get there and think that they`re going to see it. And it`s true, in the state of Connecticut, it`s got legislation. Illinois has a lawsuit. And they`re doing it in Paris and London. They`re listing the times of the ads and then the movies. So the fact of the matter is, it is irritating people. And the fact is, the amount of ads has gone way up, 45 percent between 2002 and 2003. And the fact of the matter is, we want to see the movies, and we want to go as a family. That`s what we`re spending our money on.

CAPPELLI: Again, I just think that it`s -- I have no problem with showing two different times, showing -- telling people what time the pre- show starts, what time the movie starts. But I hardly think this is something that is necessary for legislation. There are much more important issues in New York City for consumers, for the public, than making legislation about movie theaters. Come on.

BRYANT: Now, Paul, how about this, though. I mean, you know, it is - - there is the notion that, you know, some people pay upwards of $10 to go to the movie theaters. The last thing they want to do is watch a half an hour of commercials. What if they lowered the ticket price, and said, OK, if you come for the commercials, you only have it pay $7? Because I know it`s for revenue for the theaters, but it is a little irritating.

CAPPELLI: Well, it probably is irritating, but yet, I think some of it is because the types of commercials that they show. You know, you were mentioning earlier that in Europe, they have show times versus movie times. In Europe, a lot of theaters also don`t allow commercials in movie theaters that have been shown on television. So when people go there, they`re actually in for a treat because they get to see some entertainment that is different, something they haven`t seen at home. It actually becomes more entertainment. And I think that`s a much better solution, rather than trying to legislate what movie theaters, what private enterprises can do and can`t do in a public forum.

BREWER: Paul, if every single theater tomorrow decided that they were going to do the separate advertising of ads and then movies, we`d love it.

CAPPELLI: Yes, but you may not because, you know, it brings up another issue that you`re not going to be able to control, which is, if you know that the commercials start a half hour before the movie starts, so you also know that if you want to get a better seat, you have to get there a half hour early. So if you don`t want to see the commercials, you`re going to have to get...

BRYANT: So in order...

CAPPELLI: ... a worse seat.

BRYANT: ... to get a good seat to enjoy the movie that you really want, you have to bite the bullet and watch the commercials? Is that what you are saying?

CAPPELLI: Yes. Yes. And I don`t think it`s 30 minutes of commercials. I think that`s a bit of an exaggeration.

BRYANT: All right, well...

CAPPELLI: I mean, there are previews, and previews aren`t really commercials.

BRYANT: Well, you are in the ad business, though, so I guess that -- you know, obviously, we know where you stand on this one. Paul Cappelli, CEO and founder of The Ad Store, and Gale Brewer, New York councilwoman, thank you both for joining us. You know, it may not be the issue that you lose sleep over at night, but you know, people do talk about this one.

We do want to know your thoughts, so let us know. It is our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: I lose sleep over it. Well, here`s another question. Is it OK to wake up at the crack of dawn and stand out in the freezing cold in New York City? The answer for all of these fans is yes. So why did they show up? We`re going to tell you why coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, Bebe On board. She`s on the new "Law & Order," which starts tonight. What she told me about how the show is dealing with death of one of its biggest stars, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Well, when he isn`t hanging out in "The O.C.," Tate Donovan gives his time to a cause close to his heart. And that story`s coming up in Thursday "In Style."

BRYANT: Hello again. It is 22 minutes past the hour. Time now for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." Here`s looking at you, Oprah. She`s on "Vanity Fair`s" best-dressed list for second year in a row. Others making it include Kate Moss and "Lost in Translation" director Sophia Coppola. On the guys` list, Jude Law, George Clooney and our very own Anderson Cooper - - very dapper indeed!

Now, McGraw McGrab`s nominations. He`s up for six Country Music Awards. The nominations were handed out today. Gretchen Wilson, you know, who sings the "Redneck Woman" song -- she`s up for five, including Best New Artist. The CMAs air live May 17 on CBS.

HAMMER: Well, Jennifer Lopez is a New York woman, and this morning, the Bronx-born entertainer took over New York`s Rockefeller Plaza for a "Today" show concert. It was very clear that no temperatures are too low for J.Lo fans, some of whom had been waiting outside in the cold since late last night. Jennifer performed some of her old hits, couple of tracks from her new CD "Rebirth," which dropped in on this past Tuesday, as well. And between songs, "Today`s" Matt Lauer talked with Lopez about separating her career from her private life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "TODAY": There seemed to be a blurring. It was hard to separate your professional life...

JENNIFER LOPEZ, "REBIRTH": Absolutely!

LAUER: ... from your personal life. And now it seems you`ve taken steps to change that.

LOPEZ: Absolutely. In the past couple of years, I really feel like the media has changed in a lot of ways, you know? And so you just -- I just had to make some adjustments, especially when it comes to my personal life, because the reason I`m in the public eye is because I sing and because I do movies, and I like to just keep the focus there, like it was more in the beginning of my career.

LAUER: Married live going well, though? You having a good time?

LOPEZ: Everything is beautiful. Thank you so much.

LAUER: "People" magazine, you`re on the cover. They`re talking about...

LOPEZ: Am I?

LAUER: Remember all the rumors when you got married to Marc that you were pregnant?

LOPEZ: I think I`ve been pregnant about 17 times!

LAUER: I was going to say, I`m looking at the belly -- pardon me, pardon me, Marc -- and you`re don`t look pregnant right now. Are there plans?

LOPEZ: You know, I don`t know. Again, trying to keep that part of my life very personal and sacred.

LAUER: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, there was a particularly big moment for 10-year-old Maxine Alvarez (ph), the winner of the "Today" show`s Biggest Little Jennifer Lopez Fan competition. She finally got a chance to meet her idol, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s cameras were there to ask her how it went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAXINE ALVAREZ, JENNIFER LOPEZ FAN: I`m so happy! I was a little nervous in the beginning, but now I`m OK. It was wonderful. That was my dream, to finally meet her. And I couldn`t believe I did!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: In a surprise appearance, New York native and J.Lo friend rapper Pat Chip (ph).

BRYANT: They have been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. Now, as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows. On the "Ellen Degeneres Show," a 10-year-old U.S. national table tennis champ plays Ellen for what`s possibly the world`s largest trophy with probably the world`s biggest paddles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST: Let me get a different racquet.

(LAUGHTER)

DEGENERES: Let me get you a different racquet.

(LAUGHTER)

DEGENERES: I guess you`re the winner!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Do you play the table tennis, A.J.?

HAMMER: I love the table tennis.

BRYANT: Me too. We should get a table here.

HAMMER: I don`t have a...

BRYANT: I`ll smoke ya!

HAMMER: No, you won`t.

BRYANT: Oh!

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: I`m the master.

All right, a big debut for "Fat Actress." Alley is back. We`ll hear what Kirstie had to say at the premier of her new show, and that`s coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, it is so hard to say good-bye, but the show must go on without them. The latest round of "American Idol" cast-offs coming up.

HAMMER: I`ll smoke you.

BRYANT: Oh, you`re going down!

HAMMER: You are going down.

BRYANT: You don`t even...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: Star splits. First Brad and Jen, now, Charlie and Denise. An inside look at celebrity marriages, how they stay together, and why they don`t.

HAMMER: Life after Lily. Bebe Neuwirth tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her new gig on one of TV`s most popular shows.

BEBE NEUWIRTH: Hi, I`m Bebe Neuwirth. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant.

These are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: Martha Stewart, homeward bound after five months behind bars. Stewart could be released from jail less than six hours from right now. The next phase of her sentence is five months of house arrest. That`s at her $16 million estate in upstate New York.

BRYANT: Mel Gibson in court. Gibson was in a California courtroom today to face an alleged stalker. Zack Sinclair is charged with one count of felony stalking, accused of sending letters to Gibson and, at one point, confronting him face to face at a chapel that Gibson goes to. Today, Gibson said he fears for safety of his wife and kid. Sinclair could get 16 months in prison if convicted.

Well, we have been asking you to vote in tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live coming up.

HAMMER: Well, as we were talking about earlier, and were the first to report on last night, model-actress Denise Richards has filed for divorce from her actor husband, Charlie Sheen. The news comes just months after the big Brad and Jen split.

Celebrity breakups, why does it seem we keep going down this road? Well, for the answers, the doctor is in. Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky joins us live.

We appreciate you stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Oh, it`s a pleasure, A.J.

And it`s really sad, isn`t it, because here`s Denise pregnant.

HAMMER: Yes.

KURIANSKY: What woman really would be giving up her marriage and file for divorce when she`s pregnant? You know that it has to be really bad.

HAMMER: And we don`t know the exact details in this case, but why does this keep happening with celebrity couples?

KURIANSKY: Well, it`s a dangerous combination. When you put together the fact that you`ve got people who are indulged and who are a little bit bratty, that`s a reference to the fact that Charlie Sheen was part of the Brat Pack, and they just get the world of temptation in front of them, so...

HAMMER: And they have a lot of unique pressures, don`t they?

KURIANSKY: Well, we all have pressures in life.

HAMMER: Right.

KURIANSKY: But point is that there`s also a lot of children. They haven`t really learned to grow up. It take a lot of maturity today to make a marriage work. And they often don`t realize that. So that`s why they go splitsville, and there are so many other people out there waiting for them. This temptation is very, very touchy.

They often fall in love on the set. You know that. That`s how they meet. That`s how Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards even fell in love. So the next relationship comes along.

HAMMER: And for every couple like Charlie and Denise, you know, there is a Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. For every Brad and Jen, there is a John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

Matter of fact, last night John Travolta, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, told us why it is that he and Kelly have been able to keep it going. Let`s take a look at that tape right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TRAVOLTA, MARRIED FOR 14 YEARS: We have a lot of things that we rekindle our relationship every six months, every year, to find out what we need and want from each other. And we have Scientology to help us. I mean, we have a lot of support. I mean, this didn`t happen out of nowhere. And you have to keep creating a relationship, otherwise it will fade away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: OK, so you have to keep creating a relationship. They also have Scientology. What else can Hollywood couples do...

KURIANSKY: Oh, bless you, John...

HAMMER: ... to do to keep it together?

KURIANSKY: ... for saying that. That was just so perfect. In all the years that I`ve counseled couples, that`s what you have to do. Creativity is what makes it work, and constantly coming up with new ideas about how you can create the new passion in your relationship.

They`ve done that. Another major couple who`s made that work is Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. Now, who is the baddest boy in all of Hollywood? The Lothario who was the big lover? And so it is possible, once in a blue moon, that the tiger changes its stripes, but not often. And John Travolta`s got the right answer.

HAMMER: Well, let`s just hope it`s a...

KURIANSKY: Keep it exciting.

HAMMER: Let`s hope it`s a trend that doesn`t continue. And we appreciate you stopping by.

KURIANSKY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky.

And we have yet another surprising celebrity couple split-up to tell you about tonight. Chris Klein, you know him from "American Pie," and you know Katie Holmes, who played Joey on "Dawson`s Creek." Well, they`ve called off their engagement. Holmes` publicist confirmed it today, but said, quote, "They are remaining good friends." Holmes and Klein have been together for more than six years. They got engaged about 16 months ago.

BRYANT: NBC`s "Law and Order" is the longest-running crime series on television. Now, tonight, creator Dick Wolf unveils the fourth incarnation, called "Trial by Jury." Bebe Neuwirth is one of the stars, and she shopped -- she stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to tell me about the new venture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: The fourth installment of "Law and Order," "Trial by Jury," kicks off tonight. This one`s different from the others, not only showing the point of view of prosecutors and police, but also of defendants and the jury. Bebe Neuwirth is the tough-talking Tracey Kibre.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TRIAL BY JURY")

NEUWIRTH: You know, Jannie, I`d love to talk about the whole truth and not just the part that makes you look good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT (on camera): She`s the assistant D.A., right? And so the way that this show is so -- I mean, each of the "Law and Order" incarnations kind of has a different approach to how they tell the story of the bad guy and the good guys going to get the bad guy. You guys really get to go and...

NEUWIRTH: Yes, it`s about how the case comes to trial. And it doesn`t have any kind of rigid form. Someone said it is really in the trenches. You see the real work that gets done, and you see people really up against the wall.

BRYANT (voice-over): The launch of the show is bittersweet. Viewers will be watching the final performances of one of the series` most beloved actors, Jerry Orbach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TRIAL BY JURY")

JERRY ORBACH: We don`t need no stinking badges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Orbach played the tough but lovable detective Lenny Brisco. He died from prostate cancer last year. Orbach left the original "Law and Order" for "Trial by Jury." Just like his many fans, his TV family was crazy about him.

NEUWIRTH: Every single person who knew him loved him. There was a letter written to my union`s newspaper by a guy who played a dead body on one of the "Law and Orders." And it was singing his praises about how wonderful Jerry was, that he made sure he had water. He was a guy (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

BRYANT (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a pool of blood.

NEUWIRTH: Jerry was the one to make sure that he was taken care of, and, you know, engaged him. And he was a great guy.

BRYANT (voice-over): Orbach worked right up to his final days, taping scenes despite his illness.

NEUWIRTH: Everyone knew he wasn`t feeling well. But you`ve never seen a trouper like this before. This is -- goes beyond any definition of being a trouper, what he was able to do.

His spirit was hail and hearty, you know? It was -- he was something.

BRYAN (on camera)T: He`s old-school in the best sense of the term, you know, that`s how I always (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

NEUWIRTH: The definition of old school. I think, you know, that`s one of the things about everyone getting, you know, carrying on with the work, to have witnessed what Jerry did in his last days of work, what he overcame physically and personally is really Herculean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Jerry Orbach`s final performances will air back to back, the first tonight, the next tomorrow.

Willis (ph) is a thing that is so funny, because Bebe had struggles with that. Some days, people go, Oh, my gosh, I loved you as Willis, and she`s happy to have invented that character. Other days, she said, you catch her in a bad mood, and she`s done, she`s through with being recognized as Willis.

HAMMER: And does she regularly get recognized on the street? Because today, when she came in the building, I was like, Oh, yes. It took me a second.

BRYANT: Yes, you know, I don`t know, and maybe in New York, more so, because she`s also done Broadway. I saw her in "Chicago," and she was phenomenal. I don`t know, she`s just a terrific actress, and is really loving the compassion she gets to bring in this role. So she`s really excited, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: Great to have her back on TV on a regular basis.

BRYANT: Yes, and it`s "Law and Order," baby, come on.

Well, 50 Cent`s new record is out today. We`re going to change gears and let you know what he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the pressure to stay on top, and the word from "Billboard" about whether he is coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, "Idol" hands more people their walking papers. Who got the good old-fashioned Simon smackdown? That`s coming up as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: With his beef with rapper The Game and this week`s radio station shooting in New York, 50 Cent could use some good news. Well, he got some today, in new numbers released just this afternoon, 50 has three of the top five songs on "Billboard"`s hot 100 chart. His song "Candy Shop" is the number one song. "How We Do," which is the track he did with (UNINTELLIGIBLE), told me the game, and that came in at number four. And my favorite of the three, "Disco Inferno," is at number five. Now, 50 is the first artist to pull off that trifecta since "Billboard" began using Soundscan data in 1991.

Well,50`s new CD, "The Massacre," finally dropped today. And when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talked to him, we asked him about the pressures of staying on top.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): 50 Cent, back with "Massacre," the follow-up to his multiplatinum debut.

50 CENT: "Massacre" is, I felt it was better than (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with 50 Cent as he performed tracks off of the new album for a sessions at AOL Performance in L.A.

50 CENT: If you`ve had the consistency that I`ve had over the last three years, they don`t say, Well, do you think he`s going to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) anything good? They say, Do you think he`s going to do as well as he did in his last one?

BRYANT: To say the last one did well is an understatement. Produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre`, it sold more than 7 million copies.

50 CENT: I did anything less than my first project, it would be considered a failure.

BRYANT: It took a lot to make "Massacre." 50 recorded more than 50 songs.

50 CENT: It was really tense for me in the beginning, because I couldn`t figure out my exact direction for the record. Some lyrics, they can`t come out unless you`re in a good space.

Let`s start from the beginning.

BRYANT: He was born Curtis Jackson, grew up in the streets, dealing crack and hustling for money, and five years ago, was shot nine times, once in the face.

Just shy of 30, he lives in Connecticut in Mike Tyson`s former mansion, launching the careers of rappers like The Game and Young Buck, both on his G-Unit label. That label helped make 50 million, more than 50, in fact.

And it didn`t just come from the music. He`s also got clothing, sneakers, and even a stake in Vitamin Water.

50 CENT: I think this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) more than I`ve seen in the past, because I found my enjoyment in feeling successful. So I take chances.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: 50`s got other projects in the works. He told us he`s making a movie and working on a new video game.

HAMMER: Well, the cool jabs kept on coming last night for the second round of castoffs on "American Idol." The first to go, the women. Selena Ray and Aloha Mischeaux were given their walking papers. Next up, the men. It was David Brown and Joseph Morena who met their demise. We`re going to find out who makes the final 12 coming up next week.

I know that both Randy and Paula were shocked and dismayed by who was tossed. What were your feelings?

BRYANT: I think they were correct, and I have some feelings on who`s going to be doing well. I think I know who may go next week. Aloha`s performance was just not that great the other day. And I think both of those guys were a little weak. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) bye-bye.

Well, Kirstie Alley is living large, getting the word out about her new TV show. Alley and some of her co-stars hit the red carpet in New York City for the premiere of Showtime`s "Fat Actress."

Alley stopped by and told us why fat is where it`s at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTIE ALLEY, "FAT ACTRESS": Because I think it`s funny. I think there`s something funny about an actress getting fat. It`s everything that women are insecure about, which is everything. So it`s more about the insecurities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: On her jennycraig.com blog, Alley says she`s still on track with her diet, and has lost over 20 pounds so far. "Fat Actress" starring Kirstie Alley debuts on March 7 at 10:00 p.m. on Showtime.

And when he`s not out hanging with the kids on the "O.C.," Tate Donovan likes to jump around on a stage. It may look odd, but it`s for a good cause. That`s coming up in "Thursday InStyle."

HAMMER: Plus, all eyes were watching Oprah and Halle Berry at the premiere of their new project. What they say about working together is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time for more SHOWBIZ shorts.

Dick Clark`s progressing. His publicist tonight says doctors are happy with his recovery. The 75-year-old host of "New Year`s Rockin` Eve" suffered a stroke three months ago. Clark is walking and talking now, and hopes to host the show this year.

Dr. Rick Schroeder, yes, today`s "Hollywood Reporter" says the actor is heading to Lifetime`s "Strong Medicine." He`ll be the first male lead on the show, and it`s the sixth season of "Strong Medicine" premiering in June. We will all ask Rick all about that and more. He`s going to be on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live with us this coming Monday.

And we do have more SHOWBIZ shorts coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: It is time for Thursday InStyle. Every month "InStyle" magazine features a celebrity who uses their star power for a good cause. This month`s cause celebre, TV star Tate Donovan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, get on my back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): It`s a side of the "O.C." star you`ve probably never seen. Tate Donovan as a bird, as a fork, as a monster? Don`t worry, he`s not crazy, he`s volunteering for something called Young Story Tellers.

TATE DONOVAN: Young Story Tellers is this wonderful program where they take professional writers, and they come and mentor kids for six weeks. And they teach them how to write a screenplay. And then they get professional actors to come in for the bit show. I think I`m playing a character, it`s called Jimmy the Monster, with a lot of earwax. OK, so I`m kind of trying to build it up right now. And you have a lot of fun. It`s great.

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Art funding in some of these schools has been slashed significantly. So the fact that they get to access their imaginations and to feel important for a day is really something quite wonderful.

HAMMER: Donovan`s been a part of the program for about eight years now. So why does he love it?

DONOVAN: Every time I do a big show, there is a moment of just poetry, you know, like, you know, only a young kid who hasn`t been taught the rules has just come up with this unbelievable poetic, funny, totally true moment. And, you know, that`s what we search for every day in our lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Donovan describes the entire experience as unguarded, fresh, and very exciting.

And if you would like to learn more about Tate Donovan`s cause celebre, just pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.

BRYANT: As we told you earlier, Oprah was voted one of "Vanity Fair"`s best-dressed women. She was looking good with Halle Berry last night in Los Angeles. We caught up with them at the premiere of "Their Eyes Were Watching God." It`s a new TV-movie that Oprah is executive producing, and Halle Berry is starring in.

We asked Oprah why she chose to produce this movie, and asked Oscar winner Halle why she agreed to star.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

OPRAH WINFREY, "THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD": So I love it when a woman can claim herself, I love it when men can too, but because I am a woman, and that`s my experience, I love it when a woman can claim herself and say, This is who I am, and own her own romance. And so this is what that`s -- this story is about that.

HALLE BERRY, "THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD": Well, because I don`t view it as going back to TV. I saw it as going to play a great role that I knew offered so many levels and colors as a character to play. My career has been built on television and movies, television and movies. So for me, it was something very natural. I didn`t even blink an eyelash about going to do television.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BRYANT: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" airs this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.

HAMMER: Will the real Glenn Close stand up? And then, will she juggle? All this comes together coming up in Laughter Dark.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off in tonight`s question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s now time to get your laugh on. In Laughter Dark, as we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you just might have missed.

BRYANT: P Diddy stopped by "The Conan O`Brien Show." And Conan asked him if his Sean John line really does cross all shapes and sizes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE CONAN O`BRIEN SHOW")

CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST: Now, let`s talk about the Sean John clothing line.

P DIDDY: Yes.

O`BRIEN: It`s been very successful...

P DIDDY: Yes.

O`BRIEN: ... for you. This is a good look.

P DIDDY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

O`BRIEN: But I wonder, are there some people, is there, like, an age limit for Sean John clothes?

P DIDDY: Oh...

O`BRIEN: Is there a (UNINTELLIGIBLE), is there a cutoff point...

P DIDDY: No, no.

O`BRIEN: ... where you don`t want people...

P DIDDY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

O`BRIEN: ... over a certain age...

P DIDDY: I`m going to tell you something...

O`BRIEN: ... wearing Sean John clothes?

P DIDDY: ... that`s crazy. Sean John apparel is like fashion Viagra. I tell you no lie. The trend that`s going on right now...

O`BRIEN: Let`s hope those pants are baggy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), fortunately, I guess.

On the "Tonight" show, a Glenn Close lookalike challenged the real Glenn Close to a talent contest.

BRYANT: As you`ll see in this clip, Close is a woman of many talents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO," NBC)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m wondering, can Glenn Close do this?

JAY LENO, HOST: She can do it and you can`t, is what you`re saying, right?

Do you have any special talents that maybe people don`t know of?

You can juggle?

GLENN CLOSE: I used to juggle.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LENO: I think you`re better off with this. I think you`re better off with this. Yes!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, maybe she can`t juggle. Well, that is a unique talent right there.

BRYANT: Oh!

HAMMER: But she is coming back to TV.

BRYANT: She is. I`m so excited. She`s going to be on "The Shield." I love that show.

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters?

Let`s take a look at how the voting is going so far. Only 13 percent of you say yes, 87 percent of you say no. Pretty much a decisive vote.

BRYANT: Thirteen percent of our audience is in the advertising business, apparently.

HAMMER: We`ve also gotten some great e-mails on the question. Bob from Virginia wrote to say, "I stopped going to the theater because of all the commercials. I`ll gladly rent the video."

Rebecca from South Carolina says, "I don`t think commercials before movies are a problem. They are one of my favorite things to see."

Well, you had to read through quite a few to get to that.

BRYANT: Yes.

HAMMER: Remember, you can continue to vote. We`d like you to go to cnn.com/showbiztonight to do so. And you can still send us e-mails. Our e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com.

BRYANT: Time now to see what is playing on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT marquee. Let`s see what`s going on next Monday and Tuesday.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow, Martha Stewart`s going home, just in time to plant the spring garden. How neat is that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA STEWART: Oh, she`s out already.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: They threw the book at Martha, but only we have the guy who wrote the book on Martha. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Also tomorrow, hey, can we please have an Usher over here? Yes, Usher`s got a really big show. And he`s ushering SHOWBIZ TONIGHT backstage.

Hey, nothing personal, but is your decor looking a little desperate? Ever wish you could have a house like a desperate housewife? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT makes a house call to Hysteria Lane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slow down, you jerk, this is a residential neighborhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And guess what? We`re remodeling. Fab. Come on over to our house on Monday, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Get you some decorating tips right there, because you`ve been missing Martha Stewart, so you should watch that segment.

BRYANT: I have, I -- you`re right.

We`re going to keep Tuesday a mystery right now.

HAMMER: I think we`ll have to do that.

That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you back here tomorrow.

BRYANT: "NANCY GRACE" is up next, right after the very latest from Headline News.

END


Aired March 3, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Why another Hollywood couple is calling it quits.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And an exclusive look at Martha Stewart in prison. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant, and this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Charlie and Denise -- no more. We were the first to report the break-up, and tonight a look at what`s behind it, how some star couples manage to stick it out.

BRYANT: On the home stretch. Martha Stewart`s prison days are numbered. We have an exclusive look at her life behind bars.

HAMMER: Love to love ya, Bebe -- Bebe Neuwirth back on TV with the new "Law & Order" and talking to us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: J.Lo`s wake-up call. She gets up, oh, so early to rock the heart of New York City. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there.

HAMMER: Getting the boot. More people say good-bye to "American Idol." Tonight, how they`re taking the news.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL": Yo. This is Randy Jackson from "American Idol." If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you`re at top of the show.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT told you about it first, and today it became public, the split that no one saw coming.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to report last night that Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards are headed to divorce court, and today the divorce papers were made public.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "TWO AND A HALF MEN")

CHARLIE SHEEN: Some guys, huh?

DENISE RICHARDS: Yes. If I wanted that kind of life, I could have just stayed with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Just days ago, millions watched them in Sheen`s show, "Two and a Half Men," as Richards made a guest appearance as his on again, off again girlfriend. Now it looks like the two of them are off for good in real life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): This was just seven weeks ago, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards hand in hand at the Golden Globes. So it came as a surprise to many who watched the two walk down the red carpet that something was wrong. Denise, who is six months pregnant, filed the papers against Charlie last night. In those court papers, the former Bond girl said she and Charlie had irreconcilable differences.

SHEEN: We`re in the home stretch.

HAMMER: This was January of `04, when they eagerly awaited the birth of their first child, Sam, who turns 1 next week. While Charlie was named by infamous Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in the early `90s as a major client of hers, he said he turned the corner.

MICHAEL FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Charlie Sheen found trouble at every corner -- drugs, prostitutes, arrests, overdose. So when he finally got married, everybody was rooting for him. Everybody was hoping this would work out.

HAMMER: Many fans were rooting for him, including his wife.

RICHARDS: He`s my husband, so -- it`s fun being with him anyway, but to work with him makes it more fun.

HAMMER: The couple co-stared in "Scary Movie 3." They met on the set of the independent film "Good Advice" in 2000 and started dating after Richards made a guest appearance on Sheen`s ABC sitcom "Spin City." They married two years later. It was the second time down the aisle for Sheen, who has an adult daughter from his first marriage.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Just seconds ago, we got word that Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards released a joint statement. It says, quote, "We are deeply saddened by the recent events. And out of care and concern for our daughter, Sam, our unborn child and each other, we ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

The Sheen/Richards split comes after Hollywood was rocked just back in January after news that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston were breaking up. So why do some star marriages work and others fall apart? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has you covered on that at the bottom of the hour.

BRYANT: Now, no one`s been able to see what life has been like for Martha behind bars until now. You`re about to see never-before-seen footage of Martha in prison. It`s part of an exclusive "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" documentary hosted by CNN`s Paula Zahn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): In this home video, a rare glimpse of the domestic diva while serving her term in Alderson, West Virginia. Here she is, a relaxed Martha greeting friends, seemingly happy. Has prison actually been a good thing for Martha Stewart?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She seems different to me than -- from when I first met her to discuss any appeals in that I do think there is more calm about her. If I had to prescribe this, it`s the best five months she`ll ever have spent.

ZAHN: Financially, it may have been Martha`s best five months, too. When convicted, her company`s profits plummeted, but halfway through her sentence, shares of Martha Stewart stock had nearly tripled.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Martha Stewart has had the most profitable tenure in federal prison of any prisoner in history.

ZAHN: And while serving time, Martha landed primetime TV deals with "Apprentice" creator Mark Burnett.

MARK BURNETT, CREATOR, "THE APPRENTICE": Even though many people told me I was crazy at the time, but the reason I went to Martha in her worst time -- I just saw a great comeback story. Americans love a comeback story.

ZAHN: A comeback story? Is it possible that Martha Stewart can turn her devastation -- a conviction, a prison sentence -- into triumph? From her posh Connecticut estate to a prison cell to primetime TV, it`s been a dramatic rise, fall and rise again for the woman who came to embody the American dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: You catch more of Paula Zahn`s one-hour primetime special "MARTHA`S MAKEOVER" tonight at 10:00 on CNN. And of course, we`ll be monitoring Martha`s moves throughout the night, so you`ll be sure to join us tomorrow.

HAMMER: Yes, we did just say throughout the night because we`re on Martha watch right now. Sometime after midnight tonight, Martha Stewart could be moving from the big house to her house. CNN correspondent Deborah Feyerick is live right now for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, just outside of the prison in West Virginia. That`s a place that Martha has called home for some time now. What`s going on there at this moment?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we can tell you this, a lot of anticipation about her impending exit from Alderson prison. She`s not going to be staying in that inside any longer than she has to. Just after midnight, she`s going to be handing in her prison khakis, closing out her commissary account, and then her company says that she`s going to leaving for the 30-minute drive to the airport. So she should get there some time between 12:30 and 1:30 in the morning.

Now, her company has brought in a flatbed truck, which is going to be at the airport. It`s going to be a real "Casablanca" moment as she sort of walks through the darkness to the waiting jet that`s going to take her into her future and to the beginning of a brand-new friendship with Mark Burnett. He is the reality king who`s going to reinvent Martha Stewart with two new television shows.

Now, she is allowed 48 hours of work every week, and that will include filming for the television show, but it can also include doctors and dental appointments, things like that. But it must be done within 48 hours. The rest of the time, she is confined to her Bedford estate. And she must stay inside the house. She cannot go around her garden. She can`t take a walk on the grounds. And she`s going to be sporting a brand-new piece of jewelry, a metal and plastic bracelet, an ankle bracelet that`s going to be hooked into a phone line so the Department of Probation knows where Martha Stewart is every moment of the day -- A.J.

HAMMER: All right. So this is definitely going down tonight, or are they still working out some of the details on this, Deborah?

FEYERICK: A.J., this is definitely going down tonight. As a matter of fact, we thought that -- there had been some rumor that she may not get out until Sunday, which is her actual release date, but her company did confirm it, saying that she`s expected at that airport at between 12:30 and 1:30. And here at the gates of Alderson, it`s about a 30-minute drive, maybe a little longer in the dark, and if she takes some back routes, maybe it could be 40 minutes. But still, she`s going to be there tonight, and that jet`s going to be waiting to take her into the future.

HAMMER: And all eyes will be watching. Thanks so much, Deborah. Deborah Feyerick live from Alderson, West Virginia -- Karyn.

BRYANT: Time now for "SHOWBIZ Shorts." And we`ve got Brad and Jen news tonight. First, Brad. He may be teaming up with Cate. We learned today that Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, who, of course, just won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "The Aviator" -- the two of them are close to signing on to star in the paramount drama "Babel." And Jen is teaming up with Meryl. Jen Aniston and Meryl Streep have signed to star in "Wanted," a prison drama. Brad could be working with Jen on this film because it`s being produced by the production company that they own together.

More "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, Mel Gibson is starring in a courtroom drama. Today, an emotional Gibson Faced the man accused of stalking him. Dan Simon of "Celebrity Justice" was in the courtroom. He joins us now from LA. Dan, set stage for us here.

DAN SIMON, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Well, I have to say, it was one of the more interesting scenes I`ve ever seen in the courtroom, Mel Gibson arriving at the Van Nuys, California, courthouse to face his alleged stalker in court. And Mel was very candid. He told the jury exactly what went down, that this young man, Zack Sinclair, repeatedly went to Mel Gibson`s Malibu home and sent him a series of harassing letters. And the young man, Zack Sinclair, is representing himself. He had the opportunity to cross-examine Mel Gibson on the stand. Everybody thought that`s what he wanted. But when it came time for Zack Sinclair to cross-examine Gibson, he told the judge, I have no questions.

HAMMER: OK, Dan, thank you very much for that update. Dan Simon from "Celebrity Justice" live in LA.

Matthew McConaughey is on the road with some pretty hot wheels. He`s making a pit stop with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and that`s coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, a silver lining for 50 Cent. The rapper has had a rough week, but tonight some good news. We`ll fill you in.

HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in "Xanadu"? Was it, A, Bette Davis, B, Bing Crosby, C, Gene Kelly, or D, Fred Astaire? We are coming right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, today`s "Entertainment Weekly" pop culture quiz. Which screen legend appeared with Olivia Newton-John in "Xanadu"? Was it, A, Bette Davis, B, Bing Crosby, C, Gene Kelly, or D, Fred Astaire? The answer is C, Gene Kelly.

HAMMER: Now, you remember the movie "Xanadu"? All the characters were on roller skates. Well, Matthew McConaughey is on wheels of a different sort. Late this afternoon, we caught up with the actor in New York City, along with his souped-up Airstream trailer that you see right here, decked out with art from his upcoming movie, "Sahara," all part of a six-week cross-country tour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke to McConaughey, and we asked him what star drives across the country just to promote a movie?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, "SAHARA": Nobody that I know of, man. And when I came up with the idea, it just made so much sense, when I went to Paramount and started trying to plan the trip and started telling people about it and making plans for it. But there obviously wasn`t a reference point for how it`s been done before, but it made so much sense. And it did take -- I had to keep repeating to people, No, I`m going, and whether you`re going to help me out or not, but we need to get this together and try and organize it somewhat, knowing that part of the adventure is the unexpected things are going to happen. But we started off with a lot of laughs, and then it turned into a lot of people going, Man, you can`t do that. And I was, like, Yes, I can. Watch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, in "Sahara," McConaughey plays a master explorer searching for a long-lost Civil War battleship and its secret treasure. The movie opens nationwide on April 8.

BRYANT: Oh, yes, it`s 14 past the hour, and when you hear that music, you know things are going down in the "SHOWBIZ Showdown"! Now, when you go to the movie theater you expect to see a few trailers before the film, but how do you feel when 30 minutes of commercials unspool before those trailers? Well, it`s gotten one New York City councilwoman upset enough to introduce a bill that would make theaters print the actual start times of the movies without the ads.

That is the focus of tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showdown" and tonight`s hot topic, commercials before the movies. Is there anything wrong with that? Now, before we get to this, though, we want to take you out to the streets. We went to ask moviegoers today how they feel about the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hate them, passionately hate them. I wish I didn`t see them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t like the commercials at all. They`re very irritating. And I see enough of those on regular TV. I don`t pay for that when I go to the movies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it`s fine. It`s no problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don`t they bother you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Excuse me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don`t they bother you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Same as TV, regular TV. It just doesn`t bother me. It`s no problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Well, there you go. That`s what people told us today. Joining us now to debate are Paul Cappelli, he is CEO and founder of The Ad Store, And Gale Brewer, the New York City Council member who introduced the bill that would make theaters print the actual start times of movies.

Gale, I`m going to start with you. Why the need to turn this into a law?

GALE BREWER, NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER: We need to turn it into a law because it is expensive to go to the movies. With my family, it`s $40 plus the Coke and the soda. And the fact of the matter is, we want to go to the movies and not see the ads. We`re sitting there captive, not at home. At home, we can turn them off. So we want to go to the movies. We want to know when the ads start and when the movies start. We want to go to the movies.

BRYANT: Paul, what do you have to say about the issue?

PAUL CAPPELLI, THE AD STORE: I think it`s just really a matter of the type of commercials that you`re seeing. I think it`s a public enterprise. People can have commerce wherever they want. I think it`s silly to ask for legislation. Common courtesy would dictate that, yes, maybe you can tell people what time actually the movie starts, but I also think that most New Yorkers certainly know what time the actual movie starts. There`s always some kind of a pre-show.

BREWER: People do not know what time the movies start. They get there and think that they`re going to see it. And it`s true, in the state of Connecticut, it`s got legislation. Illinois has a lawsuit. And they`re doing it in Paris and London. They`re listing the times of the ads and then the movies. So the fact of the matter is, it is irritating people. And the fact is, the amount of ads has gone way up, 45 percent between 2002 and 2003. And the fact of the matter is, we want to see the movies, and we want to go as a family. That`s what we`re spending our money on.

CAPPELLI: Again, I just think that it`s -- I have no problem with showing two different times, showing -- telling people what time the pre- show starts, what time the movie starts. But I hardly think this is something that is necessary for legislation. There are much more important issues in New York City for consumers, for the public, than making legislation about movie theaters. Come on.

BRYANT: Now, Paul, how about this, though. I mean, you know, it is - - there is the notion that, you know, some people pay upwards of $10 to go to the movie theaters. The last thing they want to do is watch a half an hour of commercials. What if they lowered the ticket price, and said, OK, if you come for the commercials, you only have it pay $7? Because I know it`s for revenue for the theaters, but it is a little irritating.

CAPPELLI: Well, it probably is irritating, but yet, I think some of it is because the types of commercials that they show. You know, you were mentioning earlier that in Europe, they have show times versus movie times. In Europe, a lot of theaters also don`t allow commercials in movie theaters that have been shown on television. So when people go there, they`re actually in for a treat because they get to see some entertainment that is different, something they haven`t seen at home. It actually becomes more entertainment. And I think that`s a much better solution, rather than trying to legislate what movie theaters, what private enterprises can do and can`t do in a public forum.

BREWER: Paul, if every single theater tomorrow decided that they were going to do the separate advertising of ads and then movies, we`d love it.

CAPPELLI: Yes, but you may not because, you know, it brings up another issue that you`re not going to be able to control, which is, if you know that the commercials start a half hour before the movie starts, so you also know that if you want to get a better seat, you have to get there a half hour early. So if you don`t want to see the commercials, you`re going to have to get...

BRYANT: So in order...

CAPPELLI: ... a worse seat.

BRYANT: ... to get a good seat to enjoy the movie that you really want, you have to bite the bullet and watch the commercials? Is that what you are saying?

CAPPELLI: Yes. Yes. And I don`t think it`s 30 minutes of commercials. I think that`s a bit of an exaggeration.

BRYANT: All right, well...

CAPPELLI: I mean, there are previews, and previews aren`t really commercials.

BRYANT: Well, you are in the ad business, though, so I guess that -- you know, obviously, we know where you stand on this one. Paul Cappelli, CEO and founder of The Ad Store, and Gale Brewer, New York councilwoman, thank you both for joining us. You know, it may not be the issue that you lose sleep over at night, but you know, people do talk about this one.

We do want to know your thoughts, so let us know. It is our "SHOWBIZ Showdown" question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: I lose sleep over it. Well, here`s another question. Is it OK to wake up at the crack of dawn and stand out in the freezing cold in New York City? The answer for all of these fans is yes. So why did they show up? We`re going to tell you why coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, Bebe On board. She`s on the new "Law & Order," which starts tonight. What she told me about how the show is dealing with death of one of its biggest stars, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Well, when he isn`t hanging out in "The O.C.," Tate Donovan gives his time to a cause close to his heart. And that story`s coming up in Thursday "In Style."

BRYANT: Hello again. It is 22 minutes past the hour. Time now for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." Here`s looking at you, Oprah. She`s on "Vanity Fair`s" best-dressed list for second year in a row. Others making it include Kate Moss and "Lost in Translation" director Sophia Coppola. On the guys` list, Jude Law, George Clooney and our very own Anderson Cooper - - very dapper indeed!

Now, McGraw McGrab`s nominations. He`s up for six Country Music Awards. The nominations were handed out today. Gretchen Wilson, you know, who sings the "Redneck Woman" song -- she`s up for five, including Best New Artist. The CMAs air live May 17 on CBS.

HAMMER: Well, Jennifer Lopez is a New York woman, and this morning, the Bronx-born entertainer took over New York`s Rockefeller Plaza for a "Today" show concert. It was very clear that no temperatures are too low for J.Lo fans, some of whom had been waiting outside in the cold since late last night. Jennifer performed some of her old hits, couple of tracks from her new CD "Rebirth," which dropped in on this past Tuesday, as well. And between songs, "Today`s" Matt Lauer talked with Lopez about separating her career from her private life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "TODAY": There seemed to be a blurring. It was hard to separate your professional life...

JENNIFER LOPEZ, "REBIRTH": Absolutely!

LAUER: ... from your personal life. And now it seems you`ve taken steps to change that.

LOPEZ: Absolutely. In the past couple of years, I really feel like the media has changed in a lot of ways, you know? And so you just -- I just had to make some adjustments, especially when it comes to my personal life, because the reason I`m in the public eye is because I sing and because I do movies, and I like to just keep the focus there, like it was more in the beginning of my career.

LAUER: Married live going well, though? You having a good time?

LOPEZ: Everything is beautiful. Thank you so much.

LAUER: "People" magazine, you`re on the cover. They`re talking about...

LOPEZ: Am I?

LAUER: Remember all the rumors when you got married to Marc that you were pregnant?

LOPEZ: I think I`ve been pregnant about 17 times!

LAUER: I was going to say, I`m looking at the belly -- pardon me, pardon me, Marc -- and you`re don`t look pregnant right now. Are there plans?

LOPEZ: You know, I don`t know. Again, trying to keep that part of my life very personal and sacred.

LAUER: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, there was a particularly big moment for 10-year-old Maxine Alvarez (ph), the winner of the "Today" show`s Biggest Little Jennifer Lopez Fan competition. She finally got a chance to meet her idol, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s cameras were there to ask her how it went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAXINE ALVAREZ, JENNIFER LOPEZ FAN: I`m so happy! I was a little nervous in the beginning, but now I`m OK. It was wonderful. That was my dream, to finally meet her. And I couldn`t believe I did!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: In a surprise appearance, New York native and J.Lo friend rapper Pat Chip (ph).

BRYANT: They have been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. Now, as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows. On the "Ellen Degeneres Show," a 10-year-old U.S. national table tennis champ plays Ellen for what`s possibly the world`s largest trophy with probably the world`s biggest paddles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST: Let me get a different racquet.

(LAUGHTER)

DEGENERES: Let me get you a different racquet.

(LAUGHTER)

DEGENERES: I guess you`re the winner!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Do you play the table tennis, A.J.?

HAMMER: I love the table tennis.

BRYANT: Me too. We should get a table here.

HAMMER: I don`t have a...

BRYANT: I`ll smoke ya!

HAMMER: No, you won`t.

BRYANT: Oh!

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: I`m the master.

All right, a big debut for "Fat Actress." Alley is back. We`ll hear what Kirstie had to say at the premier of her new show, and that`s coming up.

BRYANT: Plus, it is so hard to say good-bye, but the show must go on without them. The latest round of "American Idol" cast-offs coming up.

HAMMER: I`ll smoke you.

BRYANT: Oh, you`re going down!

HAMMER: You are going down.

BRYANT: You don`t even...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: Star splits. First Brad and Jen, now, Charlie and Denise. An inside look at celebrity marriages, how they stay together, and why they don`t.

HAMMER: Life after Lily. Bebe Neuwirth tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her new gig on one of TV`s most popular shows.

BEBE NEUWIRTH: Hi, I`m Bebe Neuwirth. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant.

These are tonight`s hot headlines.

HAMMER: Martha Stewart, homeward bound after five months behind bars. Stewart could be released from jail less than six hours from right now. The next phase of her sentence is five months of house arrest. That`s at her $16 million estate in upstate New York.

BRYANT: Mel Gibson in court. Gibson was in a California courtroom today to face an alleged stalker. Zack Sinclair is charged with one count of felony stalking, accused of sending letters to Gibson and, at one point, confronting him face to face at a chapel that Gibson goes to. Today, Gibson said he fears for safety of his wife and kid. Sinclair could get 16 months in prison if convicted.

Well, we have been asking you to vote in tonight`s SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live coming up.

HAMMER: Well, as we were talking about earlier, and were the first to report on last night, model-actress Denise Richards has filed for divorce from her actor husband, Charlie Sheen. The news comes just months after the big Brad and Jen split.

Celebrity breakups, why does it seem we keep going down this road? Well, for the answers, the doctor is in. Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky joins us live.

We appreciate you stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Oh, it`s a pleasure, A.J.

And it`s really sad, isn`t it, because here`s Denise pregnant.

HAMMER: Yes.

KURIANSKY: What woman really would be giving up her marriage and file for divorce when she`s pregnant? You know that it has to be really bad.

HAMMER: And we don`t know the exact details in this case, but why does this keep happening with celebrity couples?

KURIANSKY: Well, it`s a dangerous combination. When you put together the fact that you`ve got people who are indulged and who are a little bit bratty, that`s a reference to the fact that Charlie Sheen was part of the Brat Pack, and they just get the world of temptation in front of them, so...

HAMMER: And they have a lot of unique pressures, don`t they?

KURIANSKY: Well, we all have pressures in life.

HAMMER: Right.

KURIANSKY: But point is that there`s also a lot of children. They haven`t really learned to grow up. It take a lot of maturity today to make a marriage work. And they often don`t realize that. So that`s why they go splitsville, and there are so many other people out there waiting for them. This temptation is very, very touchy.

They often fall in love on the set. You know that. That`s how they meet. That`s how Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards even fell in love. So the next relationship comes along.

HAMMER: And for every couple like Charlie and Denise, you know, there is a Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. For every Brad and Jen, there is a John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

Matter of fact, last night John Travolta, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, told us why it is that he and Kelly have been able to keep it going. Let`s take a look at that tape right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN TRAVOLTA, MARRIED FOR 14 YEARS: We have a lot of things that we rekindle our relationship every six months, every year, to find out what we need and want from each other. And we have Scientology to help us. I mean, we have a lot of support. I mean, this didn`t happen out of nowhere. And you have to keep creating a relationship, otherwise it will fade away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: OK, so you have to keep creating a relationship. They also have Scientology. What else can Hollywood couples do...

KURIANSKY: Oh, bless you, John...

HAMMER: ... to do to keep it together?

KURIANSKY: ... for saying that. That was just so perfect. In all the years that I`ve counseled couples, that`s what you have to do. Creativity is what makes it work, and constantly coming up with new ideas about how you can create the new passion in your relationship.

They`ve done that. Another major couple who`s made that work is Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. Now, who is the baddest boy in all of Hollywood? The Lothario who was the big lover? And so it is possible, once in a blue moon, that the tiger changes its stripes, but not often. And John Travolta`s got the right answer.

HAMMER: Well, let`s just hope it`s a...

KURIANSKY: Keep it exciting.

HAMMER: Let`s hope it`s a trend that doesn`t continue. And we appreciate you stopping by.

KURIANSKY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky.

And we have yet another surprising celebrity couple split-up to tell you about tonight. Chris Klein, you know him from "American Pie," and you know Katie Holmes, who played Joey on "Dawson`s Creek." Well, they`ve called off their engagement. Holmes` publicist confirmed it today, but said, quote, "They are remaining good friends." Holmes and Klein have been together for more than six years. They got engaged about 16 months ago.

BRYANT: NBC`s "Law and Order" is the longest-running crime series on television. Now, tonight, creator Dick Wolf unveils the fourth incarnation, called "Trial by Jury." Bebe Neuwirth is one of the stars, and she shopped -- she stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to tell me about the new venture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: The fourth installment of "Law and Order," "Trial by Jury," kicks off tonight. This one`s different from the others, not only showing the point of view of prosecutors and police, but also of defendants and the jury. Bebe Neuwirth is the tough-talking Tracey Kibre.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TRIAL BY JURY")

NEUWIRTH: You know, Jannie, I`d love to talk about the whole truth and not just the part that makes you look good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT (on camera): She`s the assistant D.A., right? And so the way that this show is so -- I mean, each of the "Law and Order" incarnations kind of has a different approach to how they tell the story of the bad guy and the good guys going to get the bad guy. You guys really get to go and...

NEUWIRTH: Yes, it`s about how the case comes to trial. And it doesn`t have any kind of rigid form. Someone said it is really in the trenches. You see the real work that gets done, and you see people really up against the wall.

BRYANT (voice-over): The launch of the show is bittersweet. Viewers will be watching the final performances of one of the series` most beloved actors, Jerry Orbach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TRIAL BY JURY")

JERRY ORBACH: We don`t need no stinking badges.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Orbach played the tough but lovable detective Lenny Brisco. He died from prostate cancer last year. Orbach left the original "Law and Order" for "Trial by Jury." Just like his many fans, his TV family was crazy about him.

NEUWIRTH: Every single person who knew him loved him. There was a letter written to my union`s newspaper by a guy who played a dead body on one of the "Law and Orders." And it was singing his praises about how wonderful Jerry was, that he made sure he had water. He was a guy (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

BRYANT (on camera): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in a pool of blood.

NEUWIRTH: Jerry was the one to make sure that he was taken care of, and, you know, engaged him. And he was a great guy.

BRYANT (voice-over): Orbach worked right up to his final days, taping scenes despite his illness.

NEUWIRTH: Everyone knew he wasn`t feeling well. But you`ve never seen a trouper like this before. This is -- goes beyond any definition of being a trouper, what he was able to do.

His spirit was hail and hearty, you know? It was -- he was something.

BRYAN (on camera)T: He`s old-school in the best sense of the term, you know, that`s how I always (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

NEUWIRTH: The definition of old school. I think, you know, that`s one of the things about everyone getting, you know, carrying on with the work, to have witnessed what Jerry did in his last days of work, what he overcame physically and personally is really Herculean.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: Jerry Orbach`s final performances will air back to back, the first tonight, the next tomorrow.

Willis (ph) is a thing that is so funny, because Bebe had struggles with that. Some days, people go, Oh, my gosh, I loved you as Willis, and she`s happy to have invented that character. Other days, she said, you catch her in a bad mood, and she`s done, she`s through with being recognized as Willis.

HAMMER: And does she regularly get recognized on the street? Because today, when she came in the building, I was like, Oh, yes. It took me a second.

BRYANT: Yes, you know, I don`t know, and maybe in New York, more so, because she`s also done Broadway. I saw her in "Chicago," and she was phenomenal. I don`t know, she`s just a terrific actress, and is really loving the compassion she gets to bring in this role. So she`s really excited, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: Great to have her back on TV on a regular basis.

BRYANT: Yes, and it`s "Law and Order," baby, come on.

Well, 50 Cent`s new record is out today. We`re going to change gears and let you know what he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the pressure to stay on top, and the word from "Billboard" about whether he is coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, "Idol" hands more people their walking papers. Who got the good old-fashioned Simon smackdown? That`s coming up as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: With his beef with rapper The Game and this week`s radio station shooting in New York, 50 Cent could use some good news. Well, he got some today, in new numbers released just this afternoon, 50 has three of the top five songs on "Billboard"`s hot 100 chart. His song "Candy Shop" is the number one song. "How We Do," which is the track he did with (UNINTELLIGIBLE), told me the game, and that came in at number four. And my favorite of the three, "Disco Inferno," is at number five. Now, 50 is the first artist to pull off that trifecta since "Billboard" began using Soundscan data in 1991.

Well,50`s new CD, "The Massacre," finally dropped today. And when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talked to him, we asked him about the pressures of staying on top.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT (voice-over): 50 Cent, back with "Massacre," the follow-up to his multiplatinum debut.

50 CENT: "Massacre" is, I felt it was better than (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with 50 Cent as he performed tracks off of the new album for a sessions at AOL Performance in L.A.

50 CENT: If you`ve had the consistency that I`ve had over the last three years, they don`t say, Well, do you think he`s going to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) anything good? They say, Do you think he`s going to do as well as he did in his last one?

BRYANT: To say the last one did well is an understatement. Produced by Eminem and Dr. Dre`, it sold more than 7 million copies.

50 CENT: I did anything less than my first project, it would be considered a failure.

BRYANT: It took a lot to make "Massacre." 50 recorded more than 50 songs.

50 CENT: It was really tense for me in the beginning, because I couldn`t figure out my exact direction for the record. Some lyrics, they can`t come out unless you`re in a good space.

Let`s start from the beginning.

BRYANT: He was born Curtis Jackson, grew up in the streets, dealing crack and hustling for money, and five years ago, was shot nine times, once in the face.

Just shy of 30, he lives in Connecticut in Mike Tyson`s former mansion, launching the careers of rappers like The Game and Young Buck, both on his G-Unit label. That label helped make 50 million, more than 50, in fact.

And it didn`t just come from the music. He`s also got clothing, sneakers, and even a stake in Vitamin Water.

50 CENT: I think this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) more than I`ve seen in the past, because I found my enjoyment in feeling successful. So I take chances.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRYANT: 50`s got other projects in the works. He told us he`s making a movie and working on a new video game.

HAMMER: Well, the cool jabs kept on coming last night for the second round of castoffs on "American Idol." The first to go, the women. Selena Ray and Aloha Mischeaux were given their walking papers. Next up, the men. It was David Brown and Joseph Morena who met their demise. We`re going to find out who makes the final 12 coming up next week.

I know that both Randy and Paula were shocked and dismayed by who was tossed. What were your feelings?

BRYANT: I think they were correct, and I have some feelings on who`s going to be doing well. I think I know who may go next week. Aloha`s performance was just not that great the other day. And I think both of those guys were a little weak. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) bye-bye.

Well, Kirstie Alley is living large, getting the word out about her new TV show. Alley and some of her co-stars hit the red carpet in New York City for the premiere of Showtime`s "Fat Actress."

Alley stopped by and told us why fat is where it`s at.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIRSTIE ALLEY, "FAT ACTRESS": Because I think it`s funny. I think there`s something funny about an actress getting fat. It`s everything that women are insecure about, which is everything. So it`s more about the insecurities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: On her jennycraig.com blog, Alley says she`s still on track with her diet, and has lost over 20 pounds so far. "Fat Actress" starring Kirstie Alley debuts on March 7 at 10:00 p.m. on Showtime.

And when he`s not out hanging with the kids on the "O.C.," Tate Donovan likes to jump around on a stage. It may look odd, but it`s for a good cause. That`s coming up in "Thursday InStyle."

HAMMER: Plus, all eyes were watching Oprah and Halle Berry at the premiere of their new project. What they say about working together is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Time for more SHOWBIZ shorts.

Dick Clark`s progressing. His publicist tonight says doctors are happy with his recovery. The 75-year-old host of "New Year`s Rockin` Eve" suffered a stroke three months ago. Clark is walking and talking now, and hopes to host the show this year.

Dr. Rick Schroeder, yes, today`s "Hollywood Reporter" says the actor is heading to Lifetime`s "Strong Medicine." He`ll be the first male lead on the show, and it`s the sixth season of "Strong Medicine" premiering in June. We will all ask Rick all about that and more. He`s going to be on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live with us this coming Monday.

And we do have more SHOWBIZ shorts coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: It is time for Thursday InStyle. Every month "InStyle" magazine features a celebrity who uses their star power for a good cause. This month`s cause celebre, TV star Tate Donovan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, get on my back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (voice-over): It`s a side of the "O.C." star you`ve probably never seen. Tate Donovan as a bird, as a fork, as a monster? Don`t worry, he`s not crazy, he`s volunteering for something called Young Story Tellers.

TATE DONOVAN: Young Story Tellers is this wonderful program where they take professional writers, and they come and mentor kids for six weeks. And they teach them how to write a screenplay. And then they get professional actors to come in for the bit show. I think I`m playing a character, it`s called Jimmy the Monster, with a lot of earwax. OK, so I`m kind of trying to build it up right now. And you have a lot of fun. It`s great.

SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: Art funding in some of these schools has been slashed significantly. So the fact that they get to access their imaginations and to feel important for a day is really something quite wonderful.

HAMMER: Donovan`s been a part of the program for about eight years now. So why does he love it?

DONOVAN: Every time I do a big show, there is a moment of just poetry, you know, like, you know, only a young kid who hasn`t been taught the rules has just come up with this unbelievable poetic, funny, totally true moment. And, you know, that`s what we search for every day in our lives.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Donovan describes the entire experience as unguarded, fresh, and very exciting.

And if you would like to learn more about Tate Donovan`s cause celebre, just pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.

BRYANT: As we told you earlier, Oprah was voted one of "Vanity Fair"`s best-dressed women. She was looking good with Halle Berry last night in Los Angeles. We caught up with them at the premiere of "Their Eyes Were Watching God." It`s a new TV-movie that Oprah is executive producing, and Halle Berry is starring in.

We asked Oprah why she chose to produce this movie, and asked Oscar winner Halle why she agreed to star.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

OPRAH WINFREY, "THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD": So I love it when a woman can claim herself, I love it when men can too, but because I am a woman, and that`s my experience, I love it when a woman can claim herself and say, This is who I am, and own her own romance. And so this is what that`s -- this story is about that.

HALLE BERRY, "THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD": Well, because I don`t view it as going back to TV. I saw it as going to play a great role that I knew offered so many levels and colors as a character to play. My career has been built on television and movies, television and movies. So for me, it was something very natural. I didn`t even blink an eyelash about going to do television.

(END VIDEO CLIPS)

BRYANT: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" airs this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on ABC.

HAMMER: Will the real Glenn Close stand up? And then, will she juggle? All this comes together coming up in Laughter Dark.

BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off in tonight`s question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us what`s on your mind at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s now time to get your laugh on. In Laughter Dark, as we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you just might have missed.

BRYANT: P Diddy stopped by "The Conan O`Brien Show." And Conan asked him if his Sean John line really does cross all shapes and sizes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE CONAN O`BRIEN SHOW")

CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST: Now, let`s talk about the Sean John clothing line.

P DIDDY: Yes.

O`BRIEN: It`s been very successful...

P DIDDY: Yes.

O`BRIEN: ... for you. This is a good look.

P DIDDY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

O`BRIEN: But I wonder, are there some people, is there, like, an age limit for Sean John clothes?

P DIDDY: Oh...

O`BRIEN: Is there a (UNINTELLIGIBLE), is there a cutoff point...

P DIDDY: No, no.

O`BRIEN: ... where you don`t want people...

P DIDDY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

O`BRIEN: ... over a certain age...

P DIDDY: I`m going to tell you something...

O`BRIEN: ... wearing Sean John clothes?

P DIDDY: ... that`s crazy. Sean John apparel is like fashion Viagra. I tell you no lie. The trend that`s going on right now...

O`BRIEN: Let`s hope those pants are baggy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), fortunately, I guess.

On the "Tonight" show, a Glenn Close lookalike challenged the real Glenn Close to a talent contest.

BRYANT: As you`ll see in this clip, Close is a woman of many talents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "TONIGHT WITH JAY LENO," NBC)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m wondering, can Glenn Close do this?

JAY LENO, HOST: She can do it and you can`t, is what you`re saying, right?

Do you have any special talents that maybe people don`t know of?

You can juggle?

GLENN CLOSE: I used to juggle.

(UNINTELLIGIBLE).

LENO: I think you`re better off with this. I think you`re better off with this. Yes!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, maybe she can`t juggle. Well, that is a unique talent right there.

BRYANT: Oh!

HAMMER: But she is coming back to TV.

BRYANT: She is. I`m so excited. She`s going to be on "The Shield." I love that show.

HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ showdown question of the day. Is it OK to show commercials in movie theaters?

Let`s take a look at how the voting is going so far. Only 13 percent of you say yes, 87 percent of you say no. Pretty much a decisive vote.

BRYANT: Thirteen percent of our audience is in the advertising business, apparently.

HAMMER: We`ve also gotten some great e-mails on the question. Bob from Virginia wrote to say, "I stopped going to the theater because of all the commercials. I`ll gladly rent the video."

Rebecca from South Carolina says, "I don`t think commercials before movies are a problem. They are one of my favorite things to see."

Well, you had to read through quite a few to get to that.

BRYANT: Yes.

HAMMER: Remember, you can continue to vote. We`d like you to go to cnn.com/showbiztonight to do so. And you can still send us e-mails. Our e-mail address is showbiztonight@cnn.com.

BRYANT: Time now to see what is playing on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT marquee. Let`s see what`s going on next Monday and Tuesday.

ANNOUNCER: Tomorrow, Martha Stewart`s going home, just in time to plant the spring garden. How neat is that?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA STEWART: Oh, she`s out already.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: They threw the book at Martha, but only we have the guy who wrote the book on Martha. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Also tomorrow, hey, can we please have an Usher over here? Yes, Usher`s got a really big show. And he`s ushering SHOWBIZ TONIGHT backstage.

Hey, nothing personal, but is your decor looking a little desperate? Ever wish you could have a house like a desperate housewife? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT makes a house call to Hysteria Lane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES")

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Slow down, you jerk, this is a residential neighborhood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: And guess what? We`re remodeling. Fab. Come on over to our house on Monday, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: Get you some decorating tips right there, because you`ve been missing Martha Stewart, so you should watch that segment.

BRYANT: I have, I -- you`re right.

We`re going to keep Tuesday a mystery right now.

HAMMER: I think we`ll have to do that.

That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you back here tomorrow.

BRYANT: "NANCY GRACE" is up next, right after the very latest from Headline News.

END