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Showbiz Tonight
Russell Crowe Arrested for Assault; Jackson in Pain Awaiting Jury Verdict; Katie Holmes Opens Up About Romance with Tom Cruise; New Spielberg Series Debuts
Aired June 06, 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.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Michael Jackson heads to the hospital.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And Kelly Osbourne makes a very personal decision. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT (voice-over): Tonight, did Russell cause a ruckus? "Cinderella Man`s" Russell Crowe checks out of a hotel in handcuffs. Why did he get arrested?
HAMMER: Also, Nixon, Deep Throat, Watergate. What would have happened if, back then, there was cable news, the Internet, the blogs? Tonight, a fascinating "Showbiz In-Depth."
BRYANT: And Katie Holmes talks to us about the most talked about couple around.
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: He`s the most amazing man in the whole world.
BRYANT: Katie on her whirlwind romance with Tom Cruise.
HANK AZARIA, ACTOR: I`m Hank Azaria. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you`re at the top of the show.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You`re watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.
Well, tonight, Russell Crowe is being linked to another hit, and this one is not at the box office. The megastar began the day in handcuffs after he, a concierge and the phone allegedly got together for an ugly incident at a New York City hotel.
HAMMER: Crowe`s new movie "Cinderella Man" opened nationwide just this weekend. And some are wondering if Crowe`s future holds another Oscar or jail time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Russell Crowe is used to walking a red carpet, like this one last week at the New York premiere of his new movie "Cinderella Man."
Today it was a walk of a different kind for the Oscar winning actor. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as Crowe, wearing sunglasses and handcuffs, was led out of a New York City police precinct.
Crowe had been arrested for a dispute he had with a concierge at the swank Mercer Hotel in New York City. Early this morning, Crowe went downstairs to complain that a phone in his room wasn`t working. And Crowe tried to illustrate that point with one of the hotel`s telephones.
JOANNE FOWLER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Police sources tell us this and they said that he thrust the phone at the clerk and that the clerk had a small cut on his face. Around 4:20, police arrived and they arrested him.
HAMMER: But Crowe`s people say Crowe threw the phone against the wall. Crowe`s publicist tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Crowe, quote, "regrets that he lost his temper, but at no time did he assault anyone or touch any hotel employee."
In court today, Crowe was arraigned on charges of second degree assault and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, the telephone. He was released on his own recognizance.
Moviegoers saw Crowe fighting on screen this weekend when "Cinderella Man" made its debut. Not exactly a hit, it came in fourth in the weekend box office tally. Will bad press from Crowe`s real life confrontation affect the film`s future?
FOWLER: Hard to say if it`s going to help him or hurt him. He`s definitely going to be in the news this week, which might bring more people out to see it. It`s hard to say.
HAMMER: This isn`t the first time Crowe`s temper has landed him in the news. In fact, Crowe`s antics outside the ring could fill up a movie of their own.
In 2002 he got into a fight in a London restaurant with a rugby team owner. Police were called, but no one was charged.
Months earlier, at the BAFTA awards in Britain, Crowe reportedly shoved the show`s producer for cutting part of his acceptance speech from the broadcast. Crowe apologized.
But many in Hollywood think Crowe lost the Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind" that year because of the backlash from his brawling.
FOWLER: I think there`s a point at which you have to be careful that you don`t come of as too arrogant or too hot-headed. And then it might hurt your appeal among viewers.
HAMMER: Crowe has been pretty well behaved since his marriage and the birth of his young son. And even with his hot tempered reputation, Crowe remains one of Hollywood`s top actors. Word is just about every script with a juicy male lead ends up on Crowe`s doorstep.
FOWLER: I think he`s a very intriguing person. He seems tortured and conflicted in some ways, which sort of adds to his allure. I think people like having a bad boy around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Crowe could face up to seven years in prison if he`s convicted of the assault charge. He`s been ordered to return to court on September 14.
Tonight, Michael Jackson says he is a man in pain, as the jury deciding his fate wraps up its first full day of deliberations.
BRYANT: The jury has gone home for the night, and Jackson, who paid another visit to the hospital, is at his home right now, recovering at Neverland Ranch.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got you covered with trial details. Our Brooke Anderson is live at Neverland in Los Olivos, California. And in just a few minutes, we`ll speak live with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who has been with Michael Jackson over the past day.
HAMMER: Our coverage begins tonight with Brooke. Brooke, why did Jackson actually have to go back to the hospital?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, A.J., he actually went to the hospital yesterday, in fact, for treatment of back problems. His spokeswoman, Raymone Bain, said that stress has exacerbated that recurring back problem that has been plaguing him throughout the trial. But she says other than that, he`s doing just fine.
Now I want to talk about some incidents that happened early this morning. Some confusion about Jackson`s whereabouts, in fact, that even extended to Jackson`s father, Joe. It was a strange spectacle.
We saw Joe leave Neverland this morning, only to turn up at the courthouse in Santa Maria a little later on, demanding to know where his son was, trying to find his son. Presumably he went meant Michael.
Joe then left after an officer explained Michael was at home, the place Joe had just left. About half an hour after that, we saw Jackson`s motorcade leaving Neverland.
Now, we`re not sure if Michael was in any of the vehicles. But Joe returned home the same time they were leaving. We saw Joe promptly make a U-turn and follow the convoy. Joe driving a purple P.T. Cruiser with flames on the side.
Now, hours later the motorcade returned to Neverland, Joe in tow in that Cruiser. Again, we don`t know if Jackson was in any of the vehicles, nor do we know where the vehicles were during all of that time.
Right now we`ve got about 30 fans behind me, and they are pretty calm right now. Earlier they were out in force, decorating the area outside this front gate. We`ve got white ribbon. We`ve got red hearts plastered on the gate. We`ve got posters everywhere.
And now this fan effort is clearly orchestrated. The fans from all over the world are planning vigils and events by way of fan clubs and web sites, including MJJSource.com. It is an official Jackson website. Jackson`s folks, in fact, encourage fans to use this web site as a source of all their Jackson information. And they do seem to be doing that.
All right. Back to you, Karyn, A.J.
HAMMER: OK, Brooke. Thanks for that report. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live in front of Jackson`s Neverland Ranch in California.
BRYANT: Reverend Jesse Jackson, Michael Jackson`s spiritual adviser, has been with Michael today. He joins us live now from out front of the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Good evening, Reverend.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR: Good evening to you.
BRYANT: First and foremost, how is Michael feeling today?
JACKSON: Michael`s spirits are strong. His mind is clear. His body has been in some pain. He hurt his back some time ago, reinjured it in a fall in the shower. And he has periodic back spasms, no doubt in this instance exacerbated by the stress of the situation.
But Michael is in good spirits and is very optimistic about the outcome of the verdict of the jurors.
BRYANT: Well, he does face the potential of 20 years in prison if convicted. Do you think that he is prepared for that?
JACKSON: No doubt he has internalized the down side of this process, but he is driven by hope. He`s not driven by fear. He continues to declare his innocence in the most private of circles. And he feels that, for reasonable doubt there`s a standard of determining the outcome, he, in fact, will be vindicated and also will be acquitted.
I think Michael feels, through all of this -- he has a tremendous sense of internal resilience and power within himself. I think he feels a bit betrayed by some he trusted so much, who testified against him. But in the end, in the cross-examination, they tended to wilter (sic) and they all left some sort of smelly money trail.
So while there`s a kind of trial in the newsroom and a spectacle trial in the courtroom, if you deal on the evidence and fact and not on speculation, Michael should come out of this an acquitted man.
BRYANT: And what is the temperature now, mood-wise, at Neverland?
JACKSON: Well, you know, there`s anxiety. Michael has a deeply religious family, and so while the fate is in the hands of the jury, faith is within him and within God.
And that`s the big deal. I`ve met with Michael over and over again, not as a lawyer, as a psychiatrist, but as a spiritual adviser, saying to him, hold on to your faith until the morning cometh.
It`s kind of like David`s challenge: "Yea, thou I walk through the valleys and shadows of death, I feel no evil for thou art with me." The sense that God is with him will sustain him through this season. And I am convinced that it is that faith and his innocence that will ultimately set him free.
BRYANT: And so Michael is definitely praying with you?
JACKSON: Michael is praying. Michael has always had a rather fervent prayer life. To know his family is to know a family deeply devoted to discipline and to each other and to excellence and to God. This is a very difficult situation for Michael and for his family, but in some sense, it`s made him and his family stronger, and I feel even more closely knit.
BRYANT: Last question, does Michael have any sense or is he -- have any feelings on how long he thinks the jury will be out with a decision?
JACKSON: Michael has no way of knowing that, as to how long the jury will be -- the jury will be out. You know, I think that was anxiety.
You sit in the courtroom and you watch every day these -- these attacks. Don`t forget when the judge got -- I mean, the sheriff got involved and invaded his house, 75 armed deputies, as if they were expecting some armed resistance. And then they took out personal items after ransacking the house and then had the press conference and said, "We`ve got him."
And they then look for the D.A. To make the charges. And all that stuff made its way into the courtroom and into the newsroom. And so...
BRYANT: Right. It`s so...
JACKSON: Without dignity and due process. And yet, in spite of all that, he remains amazingly without bitterness.
BRYANT: OK.
JACKSON: and a sense of rare hope.
BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you Reverend Jesse Jackson, joining us from outside the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
HAMMER: Now we would like to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson verdict: do you think it will come quickly? You can go online to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, and send us your thoughts, if you have more to say. Our e-mail address is ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.
BRYANT: Watergate: would cable news and the Internet have changed history? We`re going to talk about that, coming up.
HAMMER: Also, what did Katie Holmes do to boyfriend Tom Cruise at the MTV Movie Awards? Plus, Katie talks to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: And a brand-new West side story. We`re live at Steven Spielberg`s star-studded "Into the West" premiere, next.
HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz. Which film marked Jimmy Fallon`s big-screen debut? "Anything Else," "Almost Famous," "Studio 54" or "Man on the Moon"? We`re coming right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So which film marked Jimmy Fallon`s big-screen debut? Was it "Anything Else," "Almost Famous," "Studio 54" or "Man on the Moon"? The answer is B, "Almost Famous."
Tonight, they`re calling them "Tomkat," Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, one of Hollywood`s hottest topics these days. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s" Sibila Vargas is live in Hollywood, and she has a new scoop on this A-list romance, direct from Katie herself.
Hi, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J.
Well, Katie Holmes spent the weekend promoting her new movie "Batman Begins" and promoting her relationship with Tom Cruise at the MTV Movie Awards. I sat down with Katie Holmes this weekend, and she told me she doesn`t care what anyone is saying. She couldn`t be happier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): The woman who made Tom Cruise blush on "Oprah"...
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Should I go get her?
VARGAS: .. is finally talking about what makes her heart skip a beat. She told me one-on-one the romance is very strong.
HOLMES: You know what? It`s incredible. It`s absolutely incredible. He`s the most amazing man in the whole world.
VARGAS (on camera): You dreamed of marrying him and on the "Oprah" show, he does talk about not disappointing -- he doesn`t want to disappoint you. Have you thought that far ahead?
HOLMES: Yes. I mean, yes. When I was a little girl, I did think that. Big dreamer.
VARGAS: You wanted to marry him?
HOLMES: Yes.
VARGAS: You still want to?
HOLMES: Sure.
VARGAS: Have you spoken to him about that?
HOLMES: Yes.
VARGAS: And?
HOLMES: And we`ll see. No, no, I mean, you know what? He`s the most amazing man, and we both talked about that. It makes me smile to think about.
VARGAS: What are some of the qualities that are some of his best qualities?
HOLMES: His generosity, his loyalty, his honesty, his love, his determinism, his strength. His -- he`s the most amazing artist in the world.
VARGAS: Why do you think that there are people out there -- why are there the naysayers?
HOLMES: Because there`s always going to be, you know? There`s just - - it happens. I don`t really care.
VARGAS: He seems very adventurous.
HOLMES: Well, I`m very adventurous, too. For sure.
VARGAS (voice-over): And Katie showed her adventurous side on Saturday when she presented Tom with a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie Awards.
HOLMES: Do you people really want the truth? Can you handle the truth?
VARGAS: She parodied her main squeeze for his appearance on "Oprah."
HOLMES: Should I go get him?
VARGAS: Tom graciously accepted.
CRUISE: If I`ve been able to entertain you at all, OK, then I thank you for allowing me to do so.
VARGAS: Other nostalgic awards that night, the cast of "The Breakfast Club" was honored for their work. Hilary Swank presented the award. Molly Ringwald was overwhelmed.
MOLLY RINGWALD, ACTRESS: We made this movie for the MTV audience. We didn`t make it for critics. We didn`t make it for the Oscars. We made it for you.
VARGAS: The awards show was more sarcastic than serious. Eminem parodied his past run-in with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He used the puppet to pick on teen queen Lindsay Lohan.
EMINEM, RAPPER: When are we going to make a movie together? I`ll set up the tripod and make sure the night vision is on. Oh, baby, baby. Oh, baby.
VARGAS: Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling re-created their kiss from "The Notebook." They took home the "best kiss" award. But the sparks between Tom and Katie still stole the show.
And if anyone is wondering, in her interview with me, she used the "l" word.
HOLMES: Everyone has been so happy, so happy for us. And it`s just been so exciting. It`s -- I love him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And later on in the show, I`ll bring you more A-list interviews. I sat down with Lindsay Lohan over the weekend and just minutes ago I came back from an interview with Brad Pitt. It`s all coming your way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. See you in just a little bit.
Well, tonight is the star-studded premiere party for Steven Spielberg`s Blockbuster miniseries which is about to debut on TNT. It`s going down right now at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. That`s where SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live on the red carpet.
What`s going on there, David?
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., the stars are coming out tonight for the East Coast premiere of "Into the West."
Incidentally, this is a program that is executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg. It`s a six-part miniseries that takes on the story of opening of the American West between the years of 1825 to about 1890.
And the interesting part of this is that it`s told through the eyes of two very different and distinct families. One of a settler`s family moving West. The other through the eyes of a family of a Native American group.
Joining us now is -- is Skeet Ulrich. He plays the role of Jethro Wheeler in "Into the West." Thank you for talking with us.
SKEET ULRICH, ACTOR: Thank you. It`s a great night.
HAFFENREFFER: What is it that drew you to this part?
ULRICH: Well, any time you hear Spielberg`s name, I think that`s an instant draw. But really, along with that is the -- that amount of truth that you see in the scripts and the detail in the stories and really the telling of this story that, to my knowledge, hasn`t been told this accurately. So that was a big plus for me.
HAFFENREFFER: An interesting aspect of this is the fact that it is told through the eyes of the two very different families. How interesting was that to you in the production of it?
ULRICH: In the making of it, it was fascinating and even, you know, primarily in getting to see it, finally, because we, you know, like we said, it`s two sides of a story.
And we rarely got to see what the Native American side was. As we were making our side, they were sort of waiting to make their side, you know. So we`d go back and forth, and it was fascinating to process and run into them in the elevator. How was your day? And then, you know, we go and make our stuff. It`s great to see it come together. And it`s just an unbelievable story.
HAFFENREFFER: An enormous cast with a lot of big names in it. What was it like being part of a giant ensemble like this?
ULRICH: It`s great. It`s like, you know, to some extent telling a novel versus telling short stories like we typically do in films, if you will. And so it`s great. The caliber of the cast is unbelievable. And to get to bounce back and forth with these guys that come in and out and to see how people work differently and it`s just a lot of fun. Really enjoyable process.
HAFFENREFFER: Did you wind up learning a lot about this part of our country`s history, or did it sort of reawaken part of a high school education?
ULRICH: This wasn`t my high school education. It was brand new to me. So it`s, yes, it`s completely a reeducation, like you say, and I don`t know. It`s a shame that we`re not told the truth or at least we weren`t. I don`t know about the school systems now. But, yes, I learned a lot of stuff that I had no idea about.
HAFFENREFFER: Skeet Ulrich, thank you very much for talking with us tonight. We do appreciate it. And again, "Into the West" debuts the first installment on TNT this weekend, June 10.
Back to you in the studio.
HAMMER: All right, David. Thanks very much. David Haffenreffer live in New York city -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Lindsay Lohan tells us about the whispers going on concerning her big weight loss. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Also ahead, 30 years ago there was a presidential resignation but there was no Internet and no cable news. How Watergate would have been different if all that stuff existed. "Showbiz In Depth."
BRYANT: And Coldplay is back with a new album. But should you spend your money on it? "The Showbiz Guide" is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Time now for the "Showbiz Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight in "People`s Picks and Pans," new music. Joining us from "People" magazine is senior editor Julie Dam.
I want to get right to it. I`m a big Coldplay fan. I saw them play in concert the other day. Their new album comes out tomorrow. How great is this going to be?
JULIE DAM, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE": It is going to be huge. You know, Chris Martin has said that he wants to take over where U2 left off. And you know what? That`s not a lot of bluster. This is a really great album. This is going to be their "Joshua Tree." This is just going to be huge.
BRYANT: Yes. Well, they played a lot of those new songs at the concert. And I thought it sounded great. So I`m looking forward to picking the album up.
Let`s talk about Shakira.
DAM: Yes.
BRYANT: She`s Columbian. She just released a news Spanish language album.
DAM: This is "Succession Oral (ph) Volume One." Later this year she`s going to put out volume two, which is going to be in English. And you know what? It doesn`t matter if you don`t understand Spanish, this -- the album is going to get you on the dance floor, and you know, that video is really hot.
BRYANT: Latin dance pop?
DAM: It`s pop. There`s rock. There`s also a little, you know, electronica. It`s a little bit of everything.
BRYANT: OK. And finally, I want to talk about Jodee Messina. Now she`s actually come by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT before. She`s a country singer from Massachusetts.
DAM: Right. Of all places.
BRYANT: Yes. What`s going on with her new album?
DAM: She`s the hardest working woman in country. And this album is just, you know, straight forward, no romantic ballads or anything like that. The single from the album is called "My Give a Damn`s Busted." It`s pretty straight forward country music.
BRYANT: Rocking country, though, right? A little bit more of an oomph to it?
DAM: Yes.
BRYANT: Right?
DAM: Definitely.
BRYANT: Well, sounds like three winners this week.
DAM: Definitely.
BRYANT: All right. Julie Dam, thank you for joining us. And for more picks and pans, be sure to pick up the latest issue of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: Well, we are taking Watergate back to the future. Coming up next, what would have happened if there was cable news and the Internet and all the blogging back then? Something to think about.
BRYANT: Plus, Lohan takes a stand. Lindsay Lohan`s revealing interview with us.
HAMMER: And, well, we all know Kenny Chesney has got a new wife with Renee Zellweger. But not an entirely new life. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And here`s your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Citigroup says personal information on 3.9 million consumer credit customers got lost by UPS on its way to the credit bureau. It`s the biggest breach of consumer or employee data reported so far. Citigroup and UPS say they regret the loss, and Citigroup says the data will be encrypted and sent electronically starting in July.
A defeat today for the use of medical marijuana. The Supreme Court has ruled federal officials can prosecute patients whose doctors prescribe it, even if it is allowed by state law. The justices ruled the Bush administration can ban the backyard cultivation of pot for personal use because of its broader social and financial implications.
Pope Benedict XVI didn`t mince words today as he condemned same-sex marriages in his first clear pronouncement on gay marriages since his election. Benedict called the unions fake and expressions of freedom that threaten the future of the family.
That is the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
BRYANT: The rumors have been flying about her recent weight loss. Tonight, Lindsay Lohan speaks out.
HAMMER: Times have certainly changed from cable to blogs. The way we get news has certainly come a long way. Tonight`s SHOWBIZ "In-depth," what if Watergate happened today?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF GOLDBLUM, ACTOR: I`m Jeff Goldblum. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
HAMMER: Russell Crowe was arraigned on second-degree assault charges in New York this afternoon for allegedly throwing a telephone that hit a hotel employee in the face. Crowe`s publicist says Crowe was frustrated because the employee wouldn`t help him call his family in Australia and that Crowe did throw the phone against the wall, but did not touch any employee.
BRYANT: Jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation case are home for the night after their first full day of deliberations. Actor Chris Tucker, who testified for the defense at the trial, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he thinks Jackson will be fine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS TUCKER, ACTOR: He`s going to come back even bigger than what he was, because Michael is the greatest entertainer who ever lived. So people have not forgot that, even all the bad stuff that`s, you know, that`s been going on, which is all lies. But Michael is going to be bigger than what he was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coast to coast talking to other stars about the Jackson trial. And we`ll have that for you in just a few minutes.
HAMMER: Tonight, showbiz in depth. A Watergate what if. Well, we finally know who Deep Throat is. What we don`t know is how Watergate may have played out if it happened today.
When the Watergate scandal broke 30 years ago, there were only three TV networks. No 24-hour news channels, no Internet, no blogging. Talk radio? Nowhere.
So what might have happened in that scandal broke today? Joining us live in Baltimore, Brian Stelter of the blog site "TV Newser." He`s the editor of that site. Here in New York City, joining us live, Lola Ogunnaike of the "New York Times." And radio host Curtis Sliwa from WABC Radio in New York City.
Curtis, let`s get to it. Really an interesting thing to sort of ponder. Let`s put it through the paces now. If it were to happen today, if we were to find out who Mark Felt was today, you know, could the secret have ever been kept with all the technology and all that we have these days?
CURTIS SLIWA, WABC RADIO HOST: Oh, absolutely not. Because we know that some blonde-haired, blue-eyed corn-fed blogger wearing polyester, waffle-weave pants somewhere outside of Des Moines in the corn fields, with using Clearasil on his face, would suddenly put it on his personal Web site that nobody ever read and boom, instantaneously, within 72 hours, Katie will say, "I need him in the morning." Oprah, "No, I need him in the afternoon." And Larry King will try to trump them both.
HAMMER: So it would have rolled out pretty quickly, huh, Lola?
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": It would have happened just like that.
HAMMER: The Clearasil, too?
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, the Clearasil. Stridex, actually.
No, I think it wouldn`t have even lasted 30 hours, let alone 30 years. It`s just a continuous news cycle that has to be fed. The news never stops now. It is a 24-hour news cycle. And so, yes, it would have happened really quickly.
HAMMER: Brian, what you do perhaps better than anybody, or more intensely than anybody, is follow all of the news programs, all of the cable news networks and all of the network newscasts. How would this have played out in a news world of today?
BRIAN STELTER, "TVNEWSER.COM": Well, I think with cable news and the Internet, there`s a drumbeat of attention on a story. Cable news refuses to let some stories die. It will just hammer it over the head with live polls and questions of the day. So I think we would have seen a constant attention toward this story that wasn`t there in the `70s.
HAMMER: And, of course, you write about it in your blog. But you mentioned the blogs before, Curtis. How do you think the blogs would have impacted how it was all handled? Because certainly we`re seeing, through talk radio, through the blogs, through how certain newscasts handle the information, that impacts what, obviously, the public feels and how things are reacted to.
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question. It would have geeked up the story, gassed it up, because smokinggun.com would have come up with all the documentation. So you would have gotten the whole nine yards.
And then every wannabe congressman and senator would have been calling for congressional hearings right now, and then they would have done the InstaPoll. They would have said, "Should we sack George W. Bush over this, or was it really the evil Dick Cheney who is running the government who covertly tried to maneuver this through cyberspace," because you would do it through the black box now not through the Watergate black bag.
OGUNNAIKE: And I think with the blogs, as the news was unfolding, and people would be weighing in on it, unlike, say, an objective news organization that is beholden to just presenting the news and presenting it objectively, the blogs could weigh in on each fact as it unfolded, as each little news tidbit came out.
And so you`d have people saying, "Oh, I think, if they heard that Diane Sawyer was the Deep Throat or Mark Felt was Deep Throat," that you`d have people weighing in on the odds of that being the case or not.
HAMMER: Kind like what would unfold on talk radio, because certainly you would have, I would imagine, Curtis, and Lola, and Brian, I imagine you would have the more conservative of the talk radio hosts going after the media saying, "Oh, you are going after our president, leave him alone."
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question. We would sort of antiseptically protect George W. Bush and we attack the left-wing media cabal that never wanted to see George W. Bush president, and blame this on a combination of Gerhard Schroeder in Germany and Jacques Chirac in France, who never liked George W. Bush to begin with.
HAMMER: Chime in on that, Brian.
STELTER: Well, the blogs and talk radio play right into the hands of the spinsters on both sides, who are going to be using diversionary tactics to get only their point across. You know, for the Republicans, it wouldn`t be about Nixon at all. It would be about the left wingers in the media and the "Washington Post."
HAMMER: And what about the speed with which the president may have stepped down? Because again, you know, perhaps he wouldn`t have stepped down because maybe people would have thought, "Oh, it`s OK," through all of the media influence. But on the other hand, there was a real smoking gun there.
OGUNNAIKE: You know, A.J., he may not have stepped down if he had a group of people who bought into whatever spin their organization, their team, their affiliation, that they bought into that, they may have been up in arms about him stepping down and fully supported him, as opposed to back then when you had people both on the right and the left calling for Nixon`s resignation.
SLIWA: Oh, the evidence would have been out there on the streets. Knock-off artists would have been selling the CDs and the DVDs. There wouldn`t have been an 18-minute portion of missing tape, because literally, the people who always grab things in advance, like through smokinggun.com, would already have all the information. And the president would probably be forced to resign lickety-split and head off to the ranch there in Texas.
HAMMER: You don`t think so, Brian?
OGUNNAIKE: I`m not quite sure about that.
HAMMER: You don`t think we`d be able to go to a Web site and listen to those tapes?
STELTER: Well, you could. But here`s the thing. Dianne Sawyer Conservatives will never admit they are wrong. Liberals probably won`t, either, although they always eat their young, like Jonathan Alter said in "Newsweek." But they won`t back down, I think. And talk radio would play right into that and it wouldn`t let it happen.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, and the facts don`t necessarily matter. You can have people...
STELTER: Exactly.
OGUNNAIKE: ... you have people -- we have seen Abu Ghraib. We`ve seen the weapons of mass destruction scandal. The facts don`t necessarily matter. If the team has an opinion, the team has an opinion, and that`s the way it is.
SLIWA: Well, wait a second. You are basically saying the American public would be a bunch of morons if they saw the exact statements on video, DVD, or heard it in audio CD. They would definitely throw the president under the bus.
OGUNNAIKE: There are a lot of things that the American public has seen that they`ve ignored because they like whoever is in power. That`s not necessarily the case. Just because the facts suggest that what this person has done is wrong doesn`t mean the person gets booted out of office.
SLIWA: I can guarantee you one thing. An agent would already have signed up both sides to book deals...
OGUNNAIKE: I can agree with you about that.
SLIWA: ... and A&E and USA Network would be battling for the made- for-TV movie rights.
HAMMER: All right, well, Curtis, I think you should do a mock-up of all of this on your radio program.
Lola, you can write about it in "The New York Times."
OGUNNAIKE: Objectively.
HAMMER: And Brian, you can blog about it.
Thank you all for joining us tonight for SHOWBIZ in-depth. Appreciate it.
BRYANT: Tonight, Kelly Osborne is back in a treatment center. The daughter of rocker Ozzy Osborne and the star of MTV`s "The Osbournes" had just completed treatment for an addiction to prescription painkillers about a year ago.
A statement SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got today from her music publicist says, "We have been informed Kelly Osborne has chosen to enter a facility at an undisclosed location to deal with personal issues. She plans to return to promoting her album, called `Sleeping in the Nothing,` within a month." And that album does come out tomorrow.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan gets candid. She speaks out on all the speculation about her weight that`s been going on, and a lot more, in an interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up.
Plus, country music star Kenny Chesny tells us how marrying a movie star has changed his life. That`s on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: As we mentioned, the jury deliberating Michael Jackson`s fate has gone home for the day. But from coast to coast, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is speaking to the stars to find out what they think will happen.
Let`s go back live to our David Haffenreffer in New York City.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Karyn, just to explain here, we are at the Museum of American National History here on New York`s Upper West Side for the premiere of the TNT miniseries "Into the West."
But you`re right. the celebrities were out all weekend and partying. But the Michael Jackson trial was not far from their thoughts. At the MTV movie awards in Los Angeles, we asked stars whether or not they thought Jackson would be convicted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISARAE MCCOY, UPN`S "ALL OF US": If it`s true, it`s wrong, it`s wrong, it`s wrong. You know what I mean? But if it`s not, then it`s wrong for him to be falsely accused and have to do it. So I`m just going to wait for the verdict.
TRAVIS BARKER, BLINK 182: I grew up listening to him. I don`t want to say anything negative about him. I love him. You know what I mean? I don`t want to -- I hope not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence that I`ve heard so far, you know, the propaganda, it seems very hard to convict someone. It has to be without a shadow of doubt.
MICHAEL CHIKLIS, "THE SHIELD": I don`t share the fascination that the country seems to share with this. I think it turns into a media circus. And I find it actually kind of distasteful. It`s not my business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And from Los Angeles back to New York City, where the Tony Awards were given out this weekend at New York`s Radio City Music Hall, where we asked nominees and presenters whether or not -- or rather, they were somewhat cautious about predicting whether or not the King of Pop would make a comeback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAN ALLEN, TONY PRESENTER: I feel very bad about the whole situation, you know? I just think it`s -- I think it`s really unfortunate. And I actually think that maybe people pay a little bit too much attention to it. And I wish they would kind of leave him alone and let him just sort of go through, you know, whatever it is.
MARIO CANTONE, "LAUGH WHORE": He`s going to get off. No, it`s done. You can`t recover from that, because if it`s true or not, it`s not good.
ANGELA BASSETT, TONY PRESENTER: But I don`t know how forgiving we might be, you know? Human nature is a funny and a tricky thing. So that remains to be seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And we will have to wait, of course. The jury has stopped deliberating for the day and they`ll be back at work tomorrow.
Karyn, back to you in the studio.
BRYANT: All right. Thank you very much. David Haffenreffer, live in New York City.
HAMMER: Well, we`re asking a question here tonight. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." The Michael Jackson verdict: Do you think it`s going to come quickly? You can continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you`ve got more to say, the e-mail address, showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say about nine minutes from now.
BRYANT: You have heard the rumors. Now hear the story from Lindsay Lohan herself. She has had a rough few weeks of paparazzi, arrested after slamming into a car, and also she`s been dealing with rumors about her weight loss. Well, now she`s speaking out.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joins us again. She is live in Hollywood right now. Sibila, what`s up?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Karen. I sat down with the star of the upcoming new movie "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and asked her about her recent run-in with the paparazzi and the pressures in Hollywood to stay thin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I`m healthy, and I`m not an idiot. I have people around me that would say, "Hey, stop it," that I can trust and that I will actually listen to. But I don`t want to be sick. I don`t want to be -- I`m not like that.
VARGAS: Recently, you had your own thing with the paparazzi. Has that made you more aware?
LOHAN: It`s a wake-up call. And I think it`s -- I kind of feel -- it sounds bad, and I hope it doesn`t happen again -- but I feel good it happened to me when I wasn`t with my family. And I`m thankful that my friend`s OK. And I can now make a stand, and I can say something for any other actress who might have their kids in the car.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, the paparazzi are no strangers to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Just moments ago, I got back from interviewing the two of them. They had the opening of their new movie, "Mr. And Mrs. Smith." And Brad Pitt cleared up some rumors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: I do want to say, too, that me and Vince Vaughn, I know we had a sounding chemistry, but that was it. We`re just friends.
VARGAS: You`re just friends?
PITT: We`re just friends with great respect for each other.
VARGAS: Well, because I know that everybody has been talking about that. It`s made all the tabloids. I mean, jeez.
PITT: It`s enough already, OK?
VARGAS: So you are setting it straight.
PITT: Right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Setting the record straight right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Brad`s co-star, Angelina, told me that Pitt is just a regular guy who puts everyone at ease on the set. I`ll have more on my interview with both Brad and Angelina on tomorrow`s show.
Back to you, Karyn. Brad looks great.
BRYANT: All right, thanks Sibila. It looks like Brad is having a good time there. Good humor there.
VARGAS: He is, yes.
BRYANT: Thanks very much.
HAMMER: Well, Kenny Chesney says being a newlywed hasn`t changed his life on the road very much. Over the weekend, the country superstar kicked off his stadium leg of his "Somewhere in the Sun" tour in Washington, D.C. He said touring really isn`t any different now that he`s married to Renee Zellweger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KENNY CHESNEY, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER: No, the bus smells exactly the same. You know, truck-stop food tastes exactly the same. I don`t really eat it because I`m always on a diet.
No, there`s really no difference really. You know, it`s still a lot of fun out here. I`ve still got all my guys out here, all my friends out here that work with me. And because I`m married doesn`t change any of that, really. It`s like she`s just a part of the band.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The "Somewhere in the Sun" tour stops in Boston and Pittsburgh next month.
BRYANT: Ben Stiller as the talking lion is the new king of the box office. Stiller`s voice is featured in the animated movie "Madagascar," which took the stop spot at the weekend box office. Adam Sandler`s "The Longest Yard" was in second place, follow by "Star Wars: Episode Three, Revenge of the Sith." "Cinderella Man," starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, debuted at number four. And "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" opened in fifth place.
HAMMER: Well, the new Coldplay record is in stores tomorrow finally. But tonight, we have a sneak peek for you coming up in the showbiz showcase. And that is next.
BRYANT: And there is still time for you to vote in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson Verdict: Do you think it will come quickly? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Monty Python`s "Spamalot" won best musical at the Tony Awards, which happened last night. The show was nominated for 14 Tonys and won three, including one for musical director Mike Nichols and featured actress Sarah Ramirez.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there in New York last night as the stars came out for the honors. Christina Applegate was nominated for her role in "Sweet Charity." But that award went to Victoria Clark for "The Light in the Piazza." "Sweet Charity`s" Broadway hopes were nearly dashed when Applegate broke her foot during rehearsal. So the actress says just being nominated was amazing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, ACTRESS: I live in such gratitude right now. I mean, when I`m sitting in a hospital bed with a broken foot, and everything is shattered, to go from that moment to this is so profound in my life that I`m probably the most grateful person in that room, and I can guarantee that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s nice to hear. "The Light in the Piazza" was the big winner of the night with six awards. "Doubt" won best play. And CBS says more than 6.5 million people watched the Tony Awards, up 2 percent from last year.
BRYANT: They`ve been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. And as we do it every night, we bring you the best from today`s talk shows.
Earlier on "Live with Regis and Kelly," the newly-crowned Miss Universe crowned Kelly, as guest host Ryan Seacrest looks on in disappointment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY RIPA, HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I want to be the first runner-up.
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL: I`ll be the first runner-up. OK, that`s fine.
(CROSSTALK)
SEACREST: Wait a minute. I don`t want to be the first runner-up. I just want the best for you. You know I love you.
RIPA: No, you are prettier than I am.
SEACREST: No, you`re gorgeous.
RIPA: No, you are.
SEACREST: I`m sorry. Don`t mind. I want the best only for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the first runner-up for Miss Universe 2005 is, Ryan Seacrest.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That means Kelly is the winner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Tomorrow on "Live with Regis and Kelly," actor Cedric the Entertainer from the new "Honeymooners" film and the Black Eyed Peas perform.
Well, in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," Coldplay performs "Speed of Sound," the first single off their new album, "X&Y." It is a follow-up to their Grammy-award winning 2002 release, "A Rush of Blood to the Head." And the concert will be broadcast on AOL Music tomorrow. But we`ve got your first look, here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(COLDPLAY PERFORMING "SPEED OF SOUND")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You were at that show, weren`t you?
BRYANT: And so were you. Wasn`t I sitting right next to you?
HAMMER: Sorry to interrupt. You were sitting next to me.
BRYANT: Both of us loving that.
HAMMER: They were the real deal.
BRYANT: Oh, they are the real deal. Coldplay`s new album "X&Y" hits stores tomorrow. Love that. That`s fun.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we have been asking you to vote online on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson verdict: Do you think it will come quickly?
Here`s how the vote has been going tonight: 43 percent of you say yes it will come quickly, 57 percent of you say no. Almost kind of an even split. You`ve also been sending us some e-mails on the question. We thank you for sending those in. Remember, you can continue to vote simply by going to the Web site, CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Time to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Back for a Monday. Time to look at the "Showbiz Marquee" with the Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: Once upon a time in a land not so far, far away, Madonna wrote another children`s book. Turn on the night light and get a glass of water, kiddies, because it`s story time with Madonna, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, holy red carpet, Batman! It`s the premiere of "Batman Begins," and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there from beginning to end.
This is the Marquee Guy off to the Marquee Cave. Alfred, Alfred, prepare my Marquee-mobile. The Joker`s wild.
BRYANT: Wow.
HAMMER: I just don`t know what to say sometimes.
BRYANT: I don`t know.
HAMMER: It`s better just to go.
BRYANT: Yes.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And it`s time to bring you your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
A new ruling from the Supreme Court is aimed at snuffing out the use of medical marijuana. Today, the justices ruled users can be prosecuted under a federal ban on the drug, even if used under a doctor`s order.
Some 700 volunteers are helping authorities in Aruba comb the island`s southern tip today for a missing teen from Alabama. Natalee Holloway vanished there a week ago on a school trip. Meanwhile, two men arrested in connection with her disappearance are scheduled to go before a judge tomorrow.
And he may have been in New York to promote his new boxing film, but actor Russell Crowe now has a real life assault charge pending against him. Crowe was arrested earlier this morning after getting into an argument with a hotel employee and allegedly throwing a telephone at his face. A spokeswoman for Crowe says he threw the phone at the wall and did not assault anyone.
That`s the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
END
Aired June 6, 2005 - 19:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Michael Jackson heads to the hospital.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: And Kelly Osbourne makes a very personal decision. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT (voice-over): Tonight, did Russell cause a ruckus? "Cinderella Man`s" Russell Crowe checks out of a hotel in handcuffs. Why did he get arrested?
HAMMER: Also, Nixon, Deep Throat, Watergate. What would have happened if, back then, there was cable news, the Internet, the blogs? Tonight, a fascinating "Showbiz In-Depth."
BRYANT: And Katie Holmes talks to us about the most talked about couple around.
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: He`s the most amazing man in the whole world.
BRYANT: Katie on her whirlwind romance with Tom Cruise.
HANK AZARIA, ACTOR: I`m Hank Azaria. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you`re at the top of the show.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You`re watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.
Well, tonight, Russell Crowe is being linked to another hit, and this one is not at the box office. The megastar began the day in handcuffs after he, a concierge and the phone allegedly got together for an ugly incident at a New York City hotel.
HAMMER: Crowe`s new movie "Cinderella Man" opened nationwide just this weekend. And some are wondering if Crowe`s future holds another Oscar or jail time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Russell Crowe is used to walking a red carpet, like this one last week at the New York premiere of his new movie "Cinderella Man."
Today it was a walk of a different kind for the Oscar winning actor. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as Crowe, wearing sunglasses and handcuffs, was led out of a New York City police precinct.
Crowe had been arrested for a dispute he had with a concierge at the swank Mercer Hotel in New York City. Early this morning, Crowe went downstairs to complain that a phone in his room wasn`t working. And Crowe tried to illustrate that point with one of the hotel`s telephones.
JOANNE FOWLER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Police sources tell us this and they said that he thrust the phone at the clerk and that the clerk had a small cut on his face. Around 4:20, police arrived and they arrested him.
HAMMER: But Crowe`s people say Crowe threw the phone against the wall. Crowe`s publicist tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Crowe, quote, "regrets that he lost his temper, but at no time did he assault anyone or touch any hotel employee."
In court today, Crowe was arraigned on charges of second degree assault and fourth degree criminal possession of a weapon, the telephone. He was released on his own recognizance.
Moviegoers saw Crowe fighting on screen this weekend when "Cinderella Man" made its debut. Not exactly a hit, it came in fourth in the weekend box office tally. Will bad press from Crowe`s real life confrontation affect the film`s future?
FOWLER: Hard to say if it`s going to help him or hurt him. He`s definitely going to be in the news this week, which might bring more people out to see it. It`s hard to say.
HAMMER: This isn`t the first time Crowe`s temper has landed him in the news. In fact, Crowe`s antics outside the ring could fill up a movie of their own.
In 2002 he got into a fight in a London restaurant with a rugby team owner. Police were called, but no one was charged.
Months earlier, at the BAFTA awards in Britain, Crowe reportedly shoved the show`s producer for cutting part of his acceptance speech from the broadcast. Crowe apologized.
But many in Hollywood think Crowe lost the Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind" that year because of the backlash from his brawling.
FOWLER: I think there`s a point at which you have to be careful that you don`t come of as too arrogant or too hot-headed. And then it might hurt your appeal among viewers.
HAMMER: Crowe has been pretty well behaved since his marriage and the birth of his young son. And even with his hot tempered reputation, Crowe remains one of Hollywood`s top actors. Word is just about every script with a juicy male lead ends up on Crowe`s doorstep.
FOWLER: I think he`s a very intriguing person. He seems tortured and conflicted in some ways, which sort of adds to his allure. I think people like having a bad boy around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Crowe could face up to seven years in prison if he`s convicted of the assault charge. He`s been ordered to return to court on September 14.
Tonight, Michael Jackson says he is a man in pain, as the jury deciding his fate wraps up its first full day of deliberations.
BRYANT: The jury has gone home for the night, and Jackson, who paid another visit to the hospital, is at his home right now, recovering at Neverland Ranch.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got you covered with trial details. Our Brooke Anderson is live at Neverland in Los Olivos, California. And in just a few minutes, we`ll speak live with the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who has been with Michael Jackson over the past day.
HAMMER: Our coverage begins tonight with Brooke. Brooke, why did Jackson actually have to go back to the hospital?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, A.J., he actually went to the hospital yesterday, in fact, for treatment of back problems. His spokeswoman, Raymone Bain, said that stress has exacerbated that recurring back problem that has been plaguing him throughout the trial. But she says other than that, he`s doing just fine.
Now I want to talk about some incidents that happened early this morning. Some confusion about Jackson`s whereabouts, in fact, that even extended to Jackson`s father, Joe. It was a strange spectacle.
We saw Joe leave Neverland this morning, only to turn up at the courthouse in Santa Maria a little later on, demanding to know where his son was, trying to find his son. Presumably he went meant Michael.
Joe then left after an officer explained Michael was at home, the place Joe had just left. About half an hour after that, we saw Jackson`s motorcade leaving Neverland.
Now, we`re not sure if Michael was in any of the vehicles. But Joe returned home the same time they were leaving. We saw Joe promptly make a U-turn and follow the convoy. Joe driving a purple P.T. Cruiser with flames on the side.
Now, hours later the motorcade returned to Neverland, Joe in tow in that Cruiser. Again, we don`t know if Jackson was in any of the vehicles, nor do we know where the vehicles were during all of that time.
Right now we`ve got about 30 fans behind me, and they are pretty calm right now. Earlier they were out in force, decorating the area outside this front gate. We`ve got white ribbon. We`ve got red hearts plastered on the gate. We`ve got posters everywhere.
And now this fan effort is clearly orchestrated. The fans from all over the world are planning vigils and events by way of fan clubs and web sites, including MJJSource.com. It is an official Jackson website. Jackson`s folks, in fact, encourage fans to use this web site as a source of all their Jackson information. And they do seem to be doing that.
All right. Back to you, Karyn, A.J.
HAMMER: OK, Brooke. Thanks for that report. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live in front of Jackson`s Neverland Ranch in California.
BRYANT: Reverend Jesse Jackson, Michael Jackson`s spiritual adviser, has been with Michael today. He joins us live now from out front of the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
Good evening, Reverend.
REV. JESSE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR: Good evening to you.
BRYANT: First and foremost, how is Michael feeling today?
JACKSON: Michael`s spirits are strong. His mind is clear. His body has been in some pain. He hurt his back some time ago, reinjured it in a fall in the shower. And he has periodic back spasms, no doubt in this instance exacerbated by the stress of the situation.
But Michael is in good spirits and is very optimistic about the outcome of the verdict of the jurors.
BRYANT: Well, he does face the potential of 20 years in prison if convicted. Do you think that he is prepared for that?
JACKSON: No doubt he has internalized the down side of this process, but he is driven by hope. He`s not driven by fear. He continues to declare his innocence in the most private of circles. And he feels that, for reasonable doubt there`s a standard of determining the outcome, he, in fact, will be vindicated and also will be acquitted.
I think Michael feels, through all of this -- he has a tremendous sense of internal resilience and power within himself. I think he feels a bit betrayed by some he trusted so much, who testified against him. But in the end, in the cross-examination, they tended to wilter (sic) and they all left some sort of smelly money trail.
So while there`s a kind of trial in the newsroom and a spectacle trial in the courtroom, if you deal on the evidence and fact and not on speculation, Michael should come out of this an acquitted man.
BRYANT: And what is the temperature now, mood-wise, at Neverland?
JACKSON: Well, you know, there`s anxiety. Michael has a deeply religious family, and so while the fate is in the hands of the jury, faith is within him and within God.
And that`s the big deal. I`ve met with Michael over and over again, not as a lawyer, as a psychiatrist, but as a spiritual adviser, saying to him, hold on to your faith until the morning cometh.
It`s kind of like David`s challenge: "Yea, thou I walk through the valleys and shadows of death, I feel no evil for thou art with me." The sense that God is with him will sustain him through this season. And I am convinced that it is that faith and his innocence that will ultimately set him free.
BRYANT: And so Michael is definitely praying with you?
JACKSON: Michael is praying. Michael has always had a rather fervent prayer life. To know his family is to know a family deeply devoted to discipline and to each other and to excellence and to God. This is a very difficult situation for Michael and for his family, but in some sense, it`s made him and his family stronger, and I feel even more closely knit.
BRYANT: Last question, does Michael have any sense or is he -- have any feelings on how long he thinks the jury will be out with a decision?
JACKSON: Michael has no way of knowing that, as to how long the jury will be -- the jury will be out. You know, I think that was anxiety.
You sit in the courtroom and you watch every day these -- these attacks. Don`t forget when the judge got -- I mean, the sheriff got involved and invaded his house, 75 armed deputies, as if they were expecting some armed resistance. And then they took out personal items after ransacking the house and then had the press conference and said, "We`ve got him."
And they then look for the D.A. To make the charges. And all that stuff made its way into the courtroom and into the newsroom. And so...
BRYANT: Right. It`s so...
JACKSON: Without dignity and due process. And yet, in spite of all that, he remains amazingly without bitterness.
BRYANT: OK.
JACKSON: and a sense of rare hope.
BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you Reverend Jesse Jackson, joining us from outside the courthouse in Santa Maria, California.
HAMMER: Now we would like to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson verdict: do you think it will come quickly? You can go online to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, and send us your thoughts, if you have more to say. Our e-mail address is ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.
BRYANT: Watergate: would cable news and the Internet have changed history? We`re going to talk about that, coming up.
HAMMER: Also, what did Katie Holmes do to boyfriend Tom Cruise at the MTV Movie Awards? Plus, Katie talks to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: And a brand-new West side story. We`re live at Steven Spielberg`s star-studded "Into the West" premiere, next.
HAMMER: Now it`s time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz. Which film marked Jimmy Fallon`s big-screen debut? "Anything Else," "Almost Famous," "Studio 54" or "Man on the Moon"? We`re coming right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So which film marked Jimmy Fallon`s big-screen debut? Was it "Anything Else," "Almost Famous," "Studio 54" or "Man on the Moon"? The answer is B, "Almost Famous."
Tonight, they`re calling them "Tomkat," Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, one of Hollywood`s hottest topics these days. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s" Sibila Vargas is live in Hollywood, and she has a new scoop on this A-list romance, direct from Katie herself.
Hi, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J.
Well, Katie Holmes spent the weekend promoting her new movie "Batman Begins" and promoting her relationship with Tom Cruise at the MTV Movie Awards. I sat down with Katie Holmes this weekend, and she told me she doesn`t care what anyone is saying. She couldn`t be happier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): The woman who made Tom Cruise blush on "Oprah"...
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Should I go get her?
VARGAS: .. is finally talking about what makes her heart skip a beat. She told me one-on-one the romance is very strong.
HOLMES: You know what? It`s incredible. It`s absolutely incredible. He`s the most amazing man in the whole world.
VARGAS (on camera): You dreamed of marrying him and on the "Oprah" show, he does talk about not disappointing -- he doesn`t want to disappoint you. Have you thought that far ahead?
HOLMES: Yes. I mean, yes. When I was a little girl, I did think that. Big dreamer.
VARGAS: You wanted to marry him?
HOLMES: Yes.
VARGAS: You still want to?
HOLMES: Sure.
VARGAS: Have you spoken to him about that?
HOLMES: Yes.
VARGAS: And?
HOLMES: And we`ll see. No, no, I mean, you know what? He`s the most amazing man, and we both talked about that. It makes me smile to think about.
VARGAS: What are some of the qualities that are some of his best qualities?
HOLMES: His generosity, his loyalty, his honesty, his love, his determinism, his strength. His -- he`s the most amazing artist in the world.
VARGAS: Why do you think that there are people out there -- why are there the naysayers?
HOLMES: Because there`s always going to be, you know? There`s just - - it happens. I don`t really care.
VARGAS: He seems very adventurous.
HOLMES: Well, I`m very adventurous, too. For sure.
VARGAS (voice-over): And Katie showed her adventurous side on Saturday when she presented Tom with a lifetime achievement award at the MTV Movie Awards.
HOLMES: Do you people really want the truth? Can you handle the truth?
VARGAS: She parodied her main squeeze for his appearance on "Oprah."
HOLMES: Should I go get him?
VARGAS: Tom graciously accepted.
CRUISE: If I`ve been able to entertain you at all, OK, then I thank you for allowing me to do so.
VARGAS: Other nostalgic awards that night, the cast of "The Breakfast Club" was honored for their work. Hilary Swank presented the award. Molly Ringwald was overwhelmed.
MOLLY RINGWALD, ACTRESS: We made this movie for the MTV audience. We didn`t make it for critics. We didn`t make it for the Oscars. We made it for you.
VARGAS: The awards show was more sarcastic than serious. Eminem parodied his past run-in with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He used the puppet to pick on teen queen Lindsay Lohan.
EMINEM, RAPPER: When are we going to make a movie together? I`ll set up the tripod and make sure the night vision is on. Oh, baby, baby. Oh, baby.
VARGAS: Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling re-created their kiss from "The Notebook." They took home the "best kiss" award. But the sparks between Tom and Katie still stole the show.
And if anyone is wondering, in her interview with me, she used the "l" word.
HOLMES: Everyone has been so happy, so happy for us. And it`s just been so exciting. It`s -- I love him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And later on in the show, I`ll bring you more A-list interviews. I sat down with Lindsay Lohan over the weekend and just minutes ago I came back from an interview with Brad Pitt. It`s all coming your way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. See you in just a little bit.
Well, tonight is the star-studded premiere party for Steven Spielberg`s Blockbuster miniseries which is about to debut on TNT. It`s going down right now at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. That`s where SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live on the red carpet.
What`s going on there, David?
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., the stars are coming out tonight for the East Coast premiere of "Into the West."
Incidentally, this is a program that is executive produced by none other than Steven Spielberg. It`s a six-part miniseries that takes on the story of opening of the American West between the years of 1825 to about 1890.
And the interesting part of this is that it`s told through the eyes of two very different and distinct families. One of a settler`s family moving West. The other through the eyes of a family of a Native American group.
Joining us now is -- is Skeet Ulrich. He plays the role of Jethro Wheeler in "Into the West." Thank you for talking with us.
SKEET ULRICH, ACTOR: Thank you. It`s a great night.
HAFFENREFFER: What is it that drew you to this part?
ULRICH: Well, any time you hear Spielberg`s name, I think that`s an instant draw. But really, along with that is the -- that amount of truth that you see in the scripts and the detail in the stories and really the telling of this story that, to my knowledge, hasn`t been told this accurately. So that was a big plus for me.
HAFFENREFFER: An interesting aspect of this is the fact that it is told through the eyes of the two very different families. How interesting was that to you in the production of it?
ULRICH: In the making of it, it was fascinating and even, you know, primarily in getting to see it, finally, because we, you know, like we said, it`s two sides of a story.
And we rarely got to see what the Native American side was. As we were making our side, they were sort of waiting to make their side, you know. So we`d go back and forth, and it was fascinating to process and run into them in the elevator. How was your day? And then, you know, we go and make our stuff. It`s great to see it come together. And it`s just an unbelievable story.
HAFFENREFFER: An enormous cast with a lot of big names in it. What was it like being part of a giant ensemble like this?
ULRICH: It`s great. It`s like, you know, to some extent telling a novel versus telling short stories like we typically do in films, if you will. And so it`s great. The caliber of the cast is unbelievable. And to get to bounce back and forth with these guys that come in and out and to see how people work differently and it`s just a lot of fun. Really enjoyable process.
HAFFENREFFER: Did you wind up learning a lot about this part of our country`s history, or did it sort of reawaken part of a high school education?
ULRICH: This wasn`t my high school education. It was brand new to me. So it`s, yes, it`s completely a reeducation, like you say, and I don`t know. It`s a shame that we`re not told the truth or at least we weren`t. I don`t know about the school systems now. But, yes, I learned a lot of stuff that I had no idea about.
HAFFENREFFER: Skeet Ulrich, thank you very much for talking with us tonight. We do appreciate it. And again, "Into the West" debuts the first installment on TNT this weekend, June 10.
Back to you in the studio.
HAMMER: All right, David. Thanks very much. David Haffenreffer live in New York city -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Lindsay Lohan tells us about the whispers going on concerning her big weight loss. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Also ahead, 30 years ago there was a presidential resignation but there was no Internet and no cable news. How Watergate would have been different if all that stuff existed. "Showbiz In Depth."
BRYANT: And Coldplay is back with a new album. But should you spend your money on it? "The Showbiz Guide" is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Time now for the "Showbiz Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight in "People`s Picks and Pans," new music. Joining us from "People" magazine is senior editor Julie Dam.
I want to get right to it. I`m a big Coldplay fan. I saw them play in concert the other day. Their new album comes out tomorrow. How great is this going to be?
JULIE DAM, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE": It is going to be huge. You know, Chris Martin has said that he wants to take over where U2 left off. And you know what? That`s not a lot of bluster. This is a really great album. This is going to be their "Joshua Tree." This is just going to be huge.
BRYANT: Yes. Well, they played a lot of those new songs at the concert. And I thought it sounded great. So I`m looking forward to picking the album up.
Let`s talk about Shakira.
DAM: Yes.
BRYANT: She`s Columbian. She just released a news Spanish language album.
DAM: This is "Succession Oral (ph) Volume One." Later this year she`s going to put out volume two, which is going to be in English. And you know what? It doesn`t matter if you don`t understand Spanish, this -- the album is going to get you on the dance floor, and you know, that video is really hot.
BRYANT: Latin dance pop?
DAM: It`s pop. There`s rock. There`s also a little, you know, electronica. It`s a little bit of everything.
BRYANT: OK. And finally, I want to talk about Jodee Messina. Now she`s actually come by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT before. She`s a country singer from Massachusetts.
DAM: Right. Of all places.
BRYANT: Yes. What`s going on with her new album?
DAM: She`s the hardest working woman in country. And this album is just, you know, straight forward, no romantic ballads or anything like that. The single from the album is called "My Give a Damn`s Busted." It`s pretty straight forward country music.
BRYANT: Rocking country, though, right? A little bit more of an oomph to it?
DAM: Yes.
BRYANT: Right?
DAM: Definitely.
BRYANT: Well, sounds like three winners this week.
DAM: Definitely.
BRYANT: All right. Julie Dam, thank you for joining us. And for more picks and pans, be sure to pick up the latest issue of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: Well, we are taking Watergate back to the future. Coming up next, what would have happened if there was cable news and the Internet and all the blogging back then? Something to think about.
BRYANT: Plus, Lohan takes a stand. Lindsay Lohan`s revealing interview with us.
HAMMER: And, well, we all know Kenny Chesney has got a new wife with Renee Zellweger. But not an entirely new life. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And here`s your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Citigroup says personal information on 3.9 million consumer credit customers got lost by UPS on its way to the credit bureau. It`s the biggest breach of consumer or employee data reported so far. Citigroup and UPS say they regret the loss, and Citigroup says the data will be encrypted and sent electronically starting in July.
A defeat today for the use of medical marijuana. The Supreme Court has ruled federal officials can prosecute patients whose doctors prescribe it, even if it is allowed by state law. The justices ruled the Bush administration can ban the backyard cultivation of pot for personal use because of its broader social and financial implications.
Pope Benedict XVI didn`t mince words today as he condemned same-sex marriages in his first clear pronouncement on gay marriages since his election. Benedict called the unions fake and expressions of freedom that threaten the future of the family.
That is the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
BRYANT: The rumors have been flying about her recent weight loss. Tonight, Lindsay Lohan speaks out.
HAMMER: Times have certainly changed from cable to blogs. The way we get news has certainly come a long way. Tonight`s SHOWBIZ "In-depth," what if Watergate happened today?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF GOLDBLUM, ACTOR: I`m Jeff Goldblum. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
HAMMER: Russell Crowe was arraigned on second-degree assault charges in New York this afternoon for allegedly throwing a telephone that hit a hotel employee in the face. Crowe`s publicist says Crowe was frustrated because the employee wouldn`t help him call his family in Australia and that Crowe did throw the phone against the wall, but did not touch any employee.
BRYANT: Jurors in the Michael Jackson molestation case are home for the night after their first full day of deliberations. Actor Chris Tucker, who testified for the defense at the trial, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he thinks Jackson will be fine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS TUCKER, ACTOR: He`s going to come back even bigger than what he was, because Michael is the greatest entertainer who ever lived. So people have not forgot that, even all the bad stuff that`s, you know, that`s been going on, which is all lies. But Michael is going to be bigger than what he was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coast to coast talking to other stars about the Jackson trial. And we`ll have that for you in just a few minutes.
HAMMER: Tonight, showbiz in depth. A Watergate what if. Well, we finally know who Deep Throat is. What we don`t know is how Watergate may have played out if it happened today.
When the Watergate scandal broke 30 years ago, there were only three TV networks. No 24-hour news channels, no Internet, no blogging. Talk radio? Nowhere.
So what might have happened in that scandal broke today? Joining us live in Baltimore, Brian Stelter of the blog site "TV Newser." He`s the editor of that site. Here in New York City, joining us live, Lola Ogunnaike of the "New York Times." And radio host Curtis Sliwa from WABC Radio in New York City.
Curtis, let`s get to it. Really an interesting thing to sort of ponder. Let`s put it through the paces now. If it were to happen today, if we were to find out who Mark Felt was today, you know, could the secret have ever been kept with all the technology and all that we have these days?
CURTIS SLIWA, WABC RADIO HOST: Oh, absolutely not. Because we know that some blonde-haired, blue-eyed corn-fed blogger wearing polyester, waffle-weave pants somewhere outside of Des Moines in the corn fields, with using Clearasil on his face, would suddenly put it on his personal Web site that nobody ever read and boom, instantaneously, within 72 hours, Katie will say, "I need him in the morning." Oprah, "No, I need him in the afternoon." And Larry King will try to trump them both.
HAMMER: So it would have rolled out pretty quickly, huh, Lola?
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": It would have happened just like that.
HAMMER: The Clearasil, too?
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, the Clearasil. Stridex, actually.
No, I think it wouldn`t have even lasted 30 hours, let alone 30 years. It`s just a continuous news cycle that has to be fed. The news never stops now. It is a 24-hour news cycle. And so, yes, it would have happened really quickly.
HAMMER: Brian, what you do perhaps better than anybody, or more intensely than anybody, is follow all of the news programs, all of the cable news networks and all of the network newscasts. How would this have played out in a news world of today?
BRIAN STELTER, "TVNEWSER.COM": Well, I think with cable news and the Internet, there`s a drumbeat of attention on a story. Cable news refuses to let some stories die. It will just hammer it over the head with live polls and questions of the day. So I think we would have seen a constant attention toward this story that wasn`t there in the `70s.
HAMMER: And, of course, you write about it in your blog. But you mentioned the blogs before, Curtis. How do you think the blogs would have impacted how it was all handled? Because certainly we`re seeing, through talk radio, through the blogs, through how certain newscasts handle the information, that impacts what, obviously, the public feels and how things are reacted to.
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question. It would have geeked up the story, gassed it up, because smokinggun.com would have come up with all the documentation. So you would have gotten the whole nine yards.
And then every wannabe congressman and senator would have been calling for congressional hearings right now, and then they would have done the InstaPoll. They would have said, "Should we sack George W. Bush over this, or was it really the evil Dick Cheney who is running the government who covertly tried to maneuver this through cyberspace," because you would do it through the black box now not through the Watergate black bag.
OGUNNAIKE: And I think with the blogs, as the news was unfolding, and people would be weighing in on it, unlike, say, an objective news organization that is beholden to just presenting the news and presenting it objectively, the blogs could weigh in on each fact as it unfolded, as each little news tidbit came out.
And so you`d have people saying, "Oh, I think, if they heard that Diane Sawyer was the Deep Throat or Mark Felt was Deep Throat," that you`d have people weighing in on the odds of that being the case or not.
HAMMER: Kind like what would unfold on talk radio, because certainly you would have, I would imagine, Curtis, and Lola, and Brian, I imagine you would have the more conservative of the talk radio hosts going after the media saying, "Oh, you are going after our president, leave him alone."
SLIWA: Oh, there`s no question. We would sort of antiseptically protect George W. Bush and we attack the left-wing media cabal that never wanted to see George W. Bush president, and blame this on a combination of Gerhard Schroeder in Germany and Jacques Chirac in France, who never liked George W. Bush to begin with.
HAMMER: Chime in on that, Brian.
STELTER: Well, the blogs and talk radio play right into the hands of the spinsters on both sides, who are going to be using diversionary tactics to get only their point across. You know, for the Republicans, it wouldn`t be about Nixon at all. It would be about the left wingers in the media and the "Washington Post."
HAMMER: And what about the speed with which the president may have stepped down? Because again, you know, perhaps he wouldn`t have stepped down because maybe people would have thought, "Oh, it`s OK," through all of the media influence. But on the other hand, there was a real smoking gun there.
OGUNNAIKE: You know, A.J., he may not have stepped down if he had a group of people who bought into whatever spin their organization, their team, their affiliation, that they bought into that, they may have been up in arms about him stepping down and fully supported him, as opposed to back then when you had people both on the right and the left calling for Nixon`s resignation.
SLIWA: Oh, the evidence would have been out there on the streets. Knock-off artists would have been selling the CDs and the DVDs. There wouldn`t have been an 18-minute portion of missing tape, because literally, the people who always grab things in advance, like through smokinggun.com, would already have all the information. And the president would probably be forced to resign lickety-split and head off to the ranch there in Texas.
HAMMER: You don`t think so, Brian?
OGUNNAIKE: I`m not quite sure about that.
HAMMER: You don`t think we`d be able to go to a Web site and listen to those tapes?
STELTER: Well, you could. But here`s the thing. Dianne Sawyer Conservatives will never admit they are wrong. Liberals probably won`t, either, although they always eat their young, like Jonathan Alter said in "Newsweek." But they won`t back down, I think. And talk radio would play right into that and it wouldn`t let it happen.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes, and the facts don`t necessarily matter. You can have people...
STELTER: Exactly.
OGUNNAIKE: ... you have people -- we have seen Abu Ghraib. We`ve seen the weapons of mass destruction scandal. The facts don`t necessarily matter. If the team has an opinion, the team has an opinion, and that`s the way it is.
SLIWA: Well, wait a second. You are basically saying the American public would be a bunch of morons if they saw the exact statements on video, DVD, or heard it in audio CD. They would definitely throw the president under the bus.
OGUNNAIKE: There are a lot of things that the American public has seen that they`ve ignored because they like whoever is in power. That`s not necessarily the case. Just because the facts suggest that what this person has done is wrong doesn`t mean the person gets booted out of office.
SLIWA: I can guarantee you one thing. An agent would already have signed up both sides to book deals...
OGUNNAIKE: I can agree with you about that.
SLIWA: ... and A&E and USA Network would be battling for the made- for-TV movie rights.
HAMMER: All right, well, Curtis, I think you should do a mock-up of all of this on your radio program.
Lola, you can write about it in "The New York Times."
OGUNNAIKE: Objectively.
HAMMER: And Brian, you can blog about it.
Thank you all for joining us tonight for SHOWBIZ in-depth. Appreciate it.
BRYANT: Tonight, Kelly Osborne is back in a treatment center. The daughter of rocker Ozzy Osborne and the star of MTV`s "The Osbournes" had just completed treatment for an addiction to prescription painkillers about a year ago.
A statement SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got today from her music publicist says, "We have been informed Kelly Osborne has chosen to enter a facility at an undisclosed location to deal with personal issues. She plans to return to promoting her album, called `Sleeping in the Nothing,` within a month." And that album does come out tomorrow.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan gets candid. She speaks out on all the speculation about her weight that`s been going on, and a lot more, in an interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up.
Plus, country music star Kenny Chesny tells us how marrying a movie star has changed his life. That`s on the way.
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BRYANT: As we mentioned, the jury deliberating Michael Jackson`s fate has gone home for the day. But from coast to coast, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is speaking to the stars to find out what they think will happen.
Let`s go back live to our David Haffenreffer in New York City.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Karyn, just to explain here, we are at the Museum of American National History here on New York`s Upper West Side for the premiere of the TNT miniseries "Into the West."
But you`re right. the celebrities were out all weekend and partying. But the Michael Jackson trial was not far from their thoughts. At the MTV movie awards in Los Angeles, we asked stars whether or not they thought Jackson would be convicted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISARAE MCCOY, UPN`S "ALL OF US": If it`s true, it`s wrong, it`s wrong, it`s wrong. You know what I mean? But if it`s not, then it`s wrong for him to be falsely accused and have to do it. So I`m just going to wait for the verdict.
TRAVIS BARKER, BLINK 182: I grew up listening to him. I don`t want to say anything negative about him. I love him. You know what I mean? I don`t want to -- I hope not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The evidence that I`ve heard so far, you know, the propaganda, it seems very hard to convict someone. It has to be without a shadow of doubt.
MICHAEL CHIKLIS, "THE SHIELD": I don`t share the fascination that the country seems to share with this. I think it turns into a media circus. And I find it actually kind of distasteful. It`s not my business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And from Los Angeles back to New York City, where the Tony Awards were given out this weekend at New York`s Radio City Music Hall, where we asked nominees and presenters whether or not -- or rather, they were somewhat cautious about predicting whether or not the King of Pop would make a comeback.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOAN ALLEN, TONY PRESENTER: I feel very bad about the whole situation, you know? I just think it`s -- I think it`s really unfortunate. And I actually think that maybe people pay a little bit too much attention to it. And I wish they would kind of leave him alone and let him just sort of go through, you know, whatever it is.
MARIO CANTONE, "LAUGH WHORE": He`s going to get off. No, it`s done. You can`t recover from that, because if it`s true or not, it`s not good.
ANGELA BASSETT, TONY PRESENTER: But I don`t know how forgiving we might be, you know? Human nature is a funny and a tricky thing. So that remains to be seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And we will have to wait, of course. The jury has stopped deliberating for the day and they`ll be back at work tomorrow.
Karyn, back to you in the studio.
BRYANT: All right. Thank you very much. David Haffenreffer, live in New York City.
HAMMER: Well, we`re asking a question here tonight. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." The Michael Jackson verdict: Do you think it`s going to come quickly? You can continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you`ve got more to say, the e-mail address, showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to share some of what you had to say about nine minutes from now.
BRYANT: You have heard the rumors. Now hear the story from Lindsay Lohan herself. She has had a rough few weeks of paparazzi, arrested after slamming into a car, and also she`s been dealing with rumors about her weight loss. Well, now she`s speaking out.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joins us again. She is live in Hollywood right now. Sibila, what`s up?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Karen. I sat down with the star of the upcoming new movie "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and asked her about her recent run-in with the paparazzi and the pressures in Hollywood to stay thin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I`m healthy, and I`m not an idiot. I have people around me that would say, "Hey, stop it," that I can trust and that I will actually listen to. But I don`t want to be sick. I don`t want to be -- I`m not like that.
VARGAS: Recently, you had your own thing with the paparazzi. Has that made you more aware?
LOHAN: It`s a wake-up call. And I think it`s -- I kind of feel -- it sounds bad, and I hope it doesn`t happen again -- but I feel good it happened to me when I wasn`t with my family. And I`m thankful that my friend`s OK. And I can now make a stand, and I can say something for any other actress who might have their kids in the car.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, the paparazzi are no strangers to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Just moments ago, I got back from interviewing the two of them. They had the opening of their new movie, "Mr. And Mrs. Smith." And Brad Pitt cleared up some rumors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: I do want to say, too, that me and Vince Vaughn, I know we had a sounding chemistry, but that was it. We`re just friends.
VARGAS: You`re just friends?
PITT: We`re just friends with great respect for each other.
VARGAS: Well, because I know that everybody has been talking about that. It`s made all the tabloids. I mean, jeez.
PITT: It`s enough already, OK?
VARGAS: So you are setting it straight.
PITT: Right here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Setting the record straight right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Brad`s co-star, Angelina, told me that Pitt is just a regular guy who puts everyone at ease on the set. I`ll have more on my interview with both Brad and Angelina on tomorrow`s show.
Back to you, Karyn. Brad looks great.
BRYANT: All right, thanks Sibila. It looks like Brad is having a good time there. Good humor there.
VARGAS: He is, yes.
BRYANT: Thanks very much.
HAMMER: Well, Kenny Chesney says being a newlywed hasn`t changed his life on the road very much. Over the weekend, the country superstar kicked off his stadium leg of his "Somewhere in the Sun" tour in Washington, D.C. He said touring really isn`t any different now that he`s married to Renee Zellweger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KENNY CHESNEY, COUNTRY MUSIC SINGER: No, the bus smells exactly the same. You know, truck-stop food tastes exactly the same. I don`t really eat it because I`m always on a diet.
No, there`s really no difference really. You know, it`s still a lot of fun out here. I`ve still got all my guys out here, all my friends out here that work with me. And because I`m married doesn`t change any of that, really. It`s like she`s just a part of the band.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The "Somewhere in the Sun" tour stops in Boston and Pittsburgh next month.
BRYANT: Ben Stiller as the talking lion is the new king of the box office. Stiller`s voice is featured in the animated movie "Madagascar," which took the stop spot at the weekend box office. Adam Sandler`s "The Longest Yard" was in second place, follow by "Star Wars: Episode Three, Revenge of the Sith." "Cinderella Man," starring Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, debuted at number four. And "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" opened in fifth place.
HAMMER: Well, the new Coldplay record is in stores tomorrow finally. But tonight, we have a sneak peek for you coming up in the showbiz showcase. And that is next.
BRYANT: And there is still time for you to vote in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson Verdict: Do you think it will come quickly? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Monty Python`s "Spamalot" won best musical at the Tony Awards, which happened last night. The show was nominated for 14 Tonys and won three, including one for musical director Mike Nichols and featured actress Sarah Ramirez.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there in New York last night as the stars came out for the honors. Christina Applegate was nominated for her role in "Sweet Charity." But that award went to Victoria Clark for "The Light in the Piazza." "Sweet Charity`s" Broadway hopes were nearly dashed when Applegate broke her foot during rehearsal. So the actress says just being nominated was amazing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, ACTRESS: I live in such gratitude right now. I mean, when I`m sitting in a hospital bed with a broken foot, and everything is shattered, to go from that moment to this is so profound in my life that I`m probably the most grateful person in that room, and I can guarantee that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s nice to hear. "The Light in the Piazza" was the big winner of the night with six awards. "Doubt" won best play. And CBS says more than 6.5 million people watched the Tony Awards, up 2 percent from last year.
BRYANT: They`ve been talking all day, and we`ve been listening. And as we do it every night, we bring you the best from today`s talk shows.
Earlier on "Live with Regis and Kelly," the newly-crowned Miss Universe crowned Kelly, as guest host Ryan Seacrest looks on in disappointment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY RIPA, HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I want to be the first runner-up.
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL: I`ll be the first runner-up. OK, that`s fine.
(CROSSTALK)
SEACREST: Wait a minute. I don`t want to be the first runner-up. I just want the best for you. You know I love you.
RIPA: No, you are prettier than I am.
SEACREST: No, you`re gorgeous.
RIPA: No, you are.
SEACREST: I`m sorry. Don`t mind. I want the best only for you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the first runner-up for Miss Universe 2005 is, Ryan Seacrest.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That means Kelly is the winner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Tomorrow on "Live with Regis and Kelly," actor Cedric the Entertainer from the new "Honeymooners" film and the Black Eyed Peas perform.
Well, in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," Coldplay performs "Speed of Sound," the first single off their new album, "X&Y." It is a follow-up to their Grammy-award winning 2002 release, "A Rush of Blood to the Head." And the concert will be broadcast on AOL Music tomorrow. But we`ve got your first look, here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(COLDPLAY PERFORMING "SPEED OF SOUND")
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You were at that show, weren`t you?
BRYANT: And so were you. Wasn`t I sitting right next to you?
HAMMER: Sorry to interrupt. You were sitting next to me.
BRYANT: Both of us loving that.
HAMMER: They were the real deal.
BRYANT: Oh, they are the real deal. Coldplay`s new album "X&Y" hits stores tomorrow. Love that. That`s fun.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we have been asking you to vote online on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Michael Jackson verdict: Do you think it will come quickly?
Here`s how the vote has been going tonight: 43 percent of you say yes it will come quickly, 57 percent of you say no. Almost kind of an even split. You`ve also been sending us some e-mails on the question. We thank you for sending those in. Remember, you can continue to vote simply by going to the Web site, CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Time to see what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Back for a Monday. Time to look at the "Showbiz Marquee" with the Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: Once upon a time in a land not so far, far away, Madonna wrote another children`s book. Turn on the night light and get a glass of water, kiddies, because it`s story time with Madonna, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, holy red carpet, Batman! It`s the premiere of "Batman Begins," and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there from beginning to end.
This is the Marquee Guy off to the Marquee Cave. Alfred, Alfred, prepare my Marquee-mobile. The Joker`s wild.
BRYANT: Wow.
HAMMER: I just don`t know what to say sometimes.
BRYANT: I don`t know.
HAMMER: It`s better just to go.
BRYANT: Yes.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. And it`s time to bring you your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
A new ruling from the Supreme Court is aimed at snuffing out the use of medical marijuana. Today, the justices ruled users can be prosecuted under a federal ban on the drug, even if used under a doctor`s order.
Some 700 volunteers are helping authorities in Aruba comb the island`s southern tip today for a missing teen from Alabama. Natalee Holloway vanished there a week ago on a school trip. Meanwhile, two men arrested in connection with her disappearance are scheduled to go before a judge tomorrow.
And he may have been in New York to promote his new boxing film, but actor Russell Crowe now has a real life assault charge pending against him. Crowe was arrested earlier this morning after getting into an argument with a hotel employee and allegedly throwing a telephone at his face. A spokeswoman for Crowe says he threw the phone at the wall and did not assault anyone.
That`s the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
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