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Showbiz Tonight
Cruise Rips Apart Psychiatry on `Today Show`; Religion in Hollywood
Aired June 24, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: I`m Karyn Bryant.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Tonight, Cruise on a crusade. Tom Cruise rips apart psychiatry in a tense showdown on "The Today Show."
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: You don`t know, and I do.
HAMMER: Tonight, Cruise`s controversial comments. Why he says you shouldn`t be taking medication for depression. And his jaw-dropping battle with Brooke Shields.
BRYANT (voice-over): Religion in Hollywood, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report. From Scientology to Kabbalah to Christianity. Tonight, an in- depth look at faith and fame.
HAMMER: Paying the paparazzi. How do the magazines pick their shots? How much do they pay? And are they playing into a dangerous game? It`s our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series, "Inside the Paparazzi."
JON CRYER, ACTOR: I`m Jon Cryer. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Hello, I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tom Cruise is on a crusade against psychiatry. That`s the story at the top of the show. Just when you thought you heard it all from Tom Cruise, there he goes again.
BRYANT: Tonight, jaws are dropping from coast to coast after Cruise`s startling comments on TV today about psychiatry, mental illness, Brooke Shields and much, much more.
HAMMER: And the medical field is calling his comments more destructive than the movie he`s in.
BRYANT: Our coverage of the Cruise controversy begins with CNN`s Jason Carroll, who is here for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Jason.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, guys. Well, you know, one in five Americans will suffer from a mental disorder in their lifetime. That`s according to the American Psychiatric Association, which says 90 percent of those people will recover with treatment. But Tom Cruise passionately disagrees with psychiatrists and the drugs they prescribe, calling psychiatry, quote, "pseudo-science."
MATT LAUER, NBC: Not against their will, though.
(CROSSTALK)
CRUISE: Matt, I`m asking you a question.
LAUER: I understand that there`s abuse of all of these things.
CRUISE: No, you see, here`s the problem. You don`t know the history of psychiatry. I do.
CARROLL (voice-over): It was a dramatic confrontation. This morning, on NBC`s "Today Show," Tom Cruise, America`s biggest box office draw, went toe-to-toe with Matt Lauer on his very firm beliefs against psychiatry.
CRUISE: Before I was a Scientologist, I never agreed with psychiatry, and then when I started studying the history of psychiatry, I started realizing more and more why I didn`t agree with psychiatry.
CARROLL: Not only psychiatry, but psychiatric medication.
CRUISE: All it does is mask the problem, Matt.
CARROLL: The debate all started weeks ago, when Cruise criticized Brooke Shields for using anti-depressants. She used the drugs to help combat postpartum depression.
BROOKE SHIELDS, ACTRESS: I remember looking at my child and not being able to feel anything resembling a connection to her.
CARROLL: She recently told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer that, initially, anti-depressants were a taboo topic for her. But once she began treatment, it made all the difference.
SHIELDS: It was a seamless transition from feeling like I would never get out of the black hole, to actually feeling that there was light at the end of the tunnel.
CARROLL: But today, Cruise came out swinging, defending his convictions.
LAUER: So postpartum depression to you is kind of little psychological gobbly-gook?
CRUISE: No, no, I did not say that.
LAUER: I`m just asking -- what would you call it?
CRUISE: Matt, that is -- now, you`re talking about two different things.
LAUER: But that`s what she went on the anti-depressant for.
CRUISE: But what happens with the anti-depressant -- all it does is mask the problem. There`s ways of vitamins and through exercise and various things. I`m not saying that that isn`t real. That`s not what I`m saying. That`s an alteration of what I`m saying. I`m saying that drugs aren`t the answer.
CARROLL: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT took to the streets to see what people thought about Cruise`s comments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that our society today has almost -- they`ve just gone that way. Like, we need to cure everything with a pill. Everything`s got to be cured with a pill. And in the `50s, when I grew up, in the `60s, that wasn`t the case. We dealt with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I agree on not using medication, but I think there`s other things besides vitamins and exercise. I think it`s much more complex than that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it`s not his place to talk about the use of psychiatric drugs. He`s not a doctor or a scientist.
CARROLL: Around 10 million Americans see a psychiatrist each year. And one doctor from the American Psychiatric Association says he`s glad Cruise has brought the issue to light.
DR. JAMES SCULLY, AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION: I don`t know Mr. Cruise. I would hope that most people who have a medical illness get their advice from properly trained health care professionals.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CARROLL: And just a short while ago, the National Mental Health Association issued a statement about Cruise`s comments, saying, quote: "Tom Cruise`s destructive, anti-mental health comments on `The Today Show` this morning, and over the course of the last few weeks fuel an already intense stigma associated with mental illness that can force people with real needs to go without care." Karyn, it looks like the debate is on.
BRYANT: All right, well, thank you very much, Jason Carroll.
So how much of what Tom Cruise said might be fact, and how much might be fiction? Well, joining us live here in New York is renowned psychologist and radio and TV personality Dr. Judy Kuriansky.
Now, Dr. Kuriansky represents the American Psychological Association and is also an adjunct assistant professor at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University. Thanks for joining us.
I want to talk about these quotes from Tom Cruise. He said, "psychiatry is just pseudoscience." How do you respond to that?
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: I respond to that by showing you "Webster`s Dictionary and Thesaurus." Under psychiatry and psychology which says, "science of the mind." Point made.
BRYANT: OK, moving on, then. He is basically talking about Brooke Shields and how she dealt with her postpartum depression, saying "there is no such thing as a chemical imbalance in a body." Is this true?
KURIANSKY: That`s totally untrue. There are definitely chemical imbalances in the brain, is where they often happen. And then they can be in the body. And there are hormonal imbalances. And all of these can lead to mental disorders.
And Brooke Shields saying that that`s what she had, being open and honest enough to say them, that is the absolute truth. People suffer from that. The history of psychiatry and medication, anti-psychotics, dates back to the 1950s, when really pretty much miracles happened in curing people who had schizophrenia, whose thoughts were out of control, whose emotions were out of control. And these kinds of medications were helpful.
Psychiatry and the use of medication with psychotherapy has been proven to help people in a majority of cases, up to nine out of 10 cases.
BRYANT: OK, let`s move on to another one. Again, he was answering Brooke Shields, saying that psychological drugs basically are not the answer, that you can cure the problems with vitamins. "And all the anti- depressant does is mask the problem. There are ways of vitamins and through exercise and various things. Drugs aren`t the answer."
Can you seriously cure depression just by exercising? I know it`s good for you. But can that really cure a psychological problem?
KURIANSKY: There are a couple of points to make about this. Number one, there are degrees of depression. You have major depression, and bipolar depressions, which are the ones like Jane Pauley has admitted to recently, and then you have minor ups and downs that people have. So when you and I or anybody gets sad or a little bit blue, then, sure, go out and exercise, and build up your endorphins that are going to make you feel better. But when you`ve got a major chemical imbalance and a major depression, you need some help. And sometimes medications will jump-start that help.
BRYANT: I want to talk about Ritalin. In fact, we`re going to show a quote -- a bite. This is what Tom Cruise had to say about Ritalin use. He said this on "The Today Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: But aren`t there examples where it works?
CRUISE: Matt, Matt. You don`t even -- you`re glib. You don`t even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt, OK? That`s what I`ve done. And you go and you say, where`s the medical test? Where`s the blood test that says how much Ritalin you`re supposed to get?
LAUER: It`s very impressive to listen to you, because clearly you`ve done the homework and...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Quick response to this, Judy?
KURIANSKY: Quick response? You have to know your patient. Ritalin works for some people, not for others, just as any other drug. There are side effects for all of them. Go to the right kind of doctor to find the right kind of drug for you, whether it`s Ritalin or anything else, but don`t be afraid to get help.
BRYANT: Well, thank you for joining us and giving your perspective, Dr. Judy -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Karyn. Now we would like to hear from you. This is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise says psychiatry is a pseudoscience. Do you agree? Now, we put the question on our Web site during the day. It`s been on since this afternoon. Already, people chiming in. We`ve received unprecedented response to a question that we`re just reading to you for the very first time.
Here`s how the vote is going so far. It`s amazing: 20 percent of you say yes, you agree that psychiatry is a pseudoscience, so 80 percent of you disagree. We`ve even been getting some letters on it through e-mail. Here`s what we`ve gotten so far. Among them, we heard from Greg in Pennsylvania who writes -- "Cruise is an actor who`s suddenly an expert on psychiatry? It`s laughable."
Also heard from Brenda in Massachusetts. She writes -- "I`m glad that Tom Cruise is willing to talk about this. Drug manufacturers only care about profits, not people."
Also, from Matt from Tennessee who wrote -- "I am a licensed mental health counselor. Mental health disorders are just as real as other diseases, like diabetes."
There`s still plenty of time for you to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Got more to tell us. Send us the e-mail. Showbiztonight@CNN.com is our address. We`re going to read some more of your thoughts later in the show.
BRYANT: "Six Feet Under" star Rachel Griffiths has a new baby. "People" magazine reports today that Griffiths and her artist husband Andrew Taylor welcomed their second child, a baby girl this time, into the world on Thursday. The couple expects to announce the baby`s name early next week. They have already got a son. He`s a 17-month-old boy named Banjo Patrick, who was named after an Australian poet.
And just minutes ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got more good news. Actress Angie Harmon, who you know from "Law and Order," she and her husband football star Jason Sehorn from the Giants, are the proud parents of their second daughter, Avery Grace.
Now, this is good timing, because next week SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" will have a special series looking at how stars balance fame and motherhood. That`s all next week in our series "Hollywood Baby Boom." That`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, Herbie is back at the box office, with Lindsay Lohan this time around. We`re going to find out if it`s worth the pit stop coming up in "Picks and Pans."
Plus, keeping the faith in the "City of Angels." Scientology and Kabbalah grab the headlines, but that isn`t the whole story. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report on religion in Hollywood starts next.
BRYANT: Plus, our inside the paparazzi series: how do all those tabloids decide to buy the pictures you see? well, we are live with some magazine big wigs who reveal their secrets, that`s coming up.
Now we do have tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "For which band did Will Ferrell`s dad play keyboards? Was it the Stylistics, Humble Pie, the Righteous Brothers or Four Seasons. We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back. So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." "For which band did Will Ferrell`s dad play keyboards? Was it the Stylistics, Humble Pie, the Righteous Brothers or Four Seasons."
The answer is C, the Righteous Brothers.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues now.
I`m A.J. Hammer. And tonight a special report, "Religion in Hollywood." While Tom Cruise and his passion for Scientology have been dominating the headlines lately, there is a rebirth of religion in Hollywood that goes far beyond Scientology.
Tonight, a "People in the News" look at the stars, their beliefs and how they are keeping the faith.
Here`s CNN`s Paula Zahn for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA ZAHN, CN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley, John Travolta: Big-time Hollywood stars with something in common -- Scientology.
JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: It is an applied religious philosophy. So therefore, it is spiritual in that it addresses you spiritually, but then there are aspects of it that address your mind and your body.
ZAHN: Scientology is a religion with a strong presence in Hollywood. There`s a large celebrity center in town. And there`s even a street named after its founder, L. Ron Hubbard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is always described as a controversial religion. Though those that follow it really believe it has helped them reach some kind of enlightenment. In a lot of ways, the religion is like a self-help program. Like the 12 steps where you reach different levels of enlightenment and become, you know, more serene, more at peace.
ZAHN: Travolta, who says he became a Scientologist in 1975 while working on a movie, has been one of the faith`s most outspoken supporters. He credits it with keeping him out of the trouble that can sometimes come along with stardom.
TRAVOLTA: Where others suffered and took drugs and went another path, I didn`t have to, because I had friends that were willing to help me with a very strong technology. To bail me out of any trouble that one could possibly -- or any self-doubt or wrong path.
ZAHN: In a town where success can mean unimaginable fame and fortune, it`s not that surprising to find celebrities who are looking for some kind of faith to help them stay grounded.
MARK PINSKY, ORLANDO SENTINEL: You see people who have had such fantastic success. I think it can knock the pins out from under you. You can lose all perspective. How do you understand why all of this great fortune has come to you? And that`s kind of what religion is for some of these people.
ZAHN: Celebrities of every faith can be found in Hollywood. Denzel Washington goes to a Pentecostal church, Martin Sheen is a devout Roman Catholic, Jessica Simpson is the daughter of a Baptist minister. But mainstream religions often seem to fly under the radar.
JESS CAGLE, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: I think that a lot of people who are Jewish are very involved in the Jewish community. But that`s boring, you know? Of course they are. And they don`t get asked about it a lot, so they don`t seem to be that vocal.
ZAHN: Instead, it`s new age or non-traditional faiths, like Scientology or Kabbalah, that seem to get the most attention.
MICHAEL MEDVED, FILM CRITIC: There are more open Scientologists in Hollywood than there are open Christians. And certainly they are more prominent.
CAGLE: Some people in Scientology or Kabbalah may be a little more vocal about their religion than, say, the average Jew or the average Christian in Hollywood because they feel like maybe there`s a misunderstanding about their religion. Maybe it can help people, and a lot of people don`t know about it. So part of it is proselytizing, part of it is defending their religion.
ZAHN: But why does it seem like Hollywood stars gravitate towards alternate religions?
CAGLE: People in the entertainment community, especially actors -- look, they`re artists, and so they do a lot of soul-searching. And I think that a lot of them really don`t subscribe to the idea of heaven and hell, and they`re looking for something else.
RABBI MICHAEL BERG, CO-DIRECTOR, KABBALAH CENTRE: And this isn`t a generality for all celebrities or famous people, but there are certain people who are rebels. And one of the things certainly when you come to study Kabbalah, you need to be a little bit of a rebel. This is maybe one more way in which they rebel against, I guess, the institution of religion.
ZAHN: And why does Hollywood seem to be so accepting of faiths out of the mainstream?
CAGLE: The religion in Hollywood is money. That`s really the religion, more than anything else. So you can worship the goat next door, but if your movie opens at $30 million at the box office, people are going to work with you, and they`re going to want to have lunch.
ZAHN: The Kabbalah Center has said that 9/11 had more of an effect on the number of people studying there than when Madonna brought Kabbalah into the public eye. But there`s little debate that celebrity involvement in any faith can carry over into pop culture.
CAGLE: New age beliefs used to be a very, very Hollywood thing and very unique to Hollywood. Now New Age is very mainstream.
PINSKY: It`s possible the involvement of a certain Hollywood stars has helped Scientology, given it a kind of respectability that maybe it didn`t have before Hollywood people adopted it. And I think there are probably people who come to the Kabbalah Center because they`ve heard a certain celebrity has studied it.
But, you know, a person when it makes a decision to turn to a spiritual path, it needs to be something more deep than simply, you know, so-and-so studies it.
ZAHN: Los Angeles is known as the "City of Angels."
CRAIG DETWEILER, BIOLA UNIVERSITY: Los Angeles is actually the birthplace of both fundamentalism and Pentecostalism, two forms of evangelical Christianity that have resulted in the most profound church growth in the 20th Century.
ZAHN: Religion and Hollywood may come in many different forms, but the interest in faith is universal.
DETWEILER: Hollywood has spiritual searching in its very roots, in its very foundations.
CAGLE: I think that people in Hollywood are the same as anyone else. Some people do it in a Baptist church. Some people do it at a Kabbalah center.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That`s right. And as we just heard, some people do indeed fulfill their needs in a Kabbalah center, including Madonna and some of the best-known stars in the world. But what is Kabbalah? And why are so many celebrities drawn to it? The answer to that question is actually quite fascinating, so be sure to stay with us as we continue our special look at Hollywood and religion, coming up a bit later in the show.
BRYANT: As we speak, Nicole Kidman`s nose is twitching at a theater near you. Should you "Bewitched," or should you be warned? Very clever.
HAMMER: Nice!
BRYANT: We`ll find out coming up in "People" magazine`s picks and pans.
HAMMER: I also like the twitch.
Plus, our special series, "Inside the Paparazzi." Tonight, the magazines that buy the pictures. How they pick them, and how much they pay. We`re live with the people who know, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week, we help you decide where to best spend your dollars, on movies, music, DVDs and more. Tonight, it`s "People" magazine`s picks and pans -- new movies, talking about "Bewitched," starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. That`s out, along with Lindsay Lohan`s "Herbie: Fully Loaded," but will they enchant audiences like the originals?
Joining me here in New York is "People" magazine movie critic Leah Rozen. Nice, to see you, Leah.
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Thank you, A.J. The same.
HAMMER: Let`s talk about this "Herbie: Fully Loaded" movie.
ROZEN: Well, this is Lindsay Lohan revisiting, this is sort of a reupholstered version of the Disney classic, which was, did you know it was the single highest grossing movie of 1969?
HAMMER: A wildly popular franchise.
ROZEN: Wildly popular, so all these years later, they are going back to it. She is now -- she has just graduated from college. She gets Herbie, the love bug, a 1963 Volkswagen. Her dad buys it for her at a junk yard, for $75. And lo and behold, the car has a personality of its own, and pretty soon they are out on the NASCAR circuit.
It`s fun. It`s about the most wholesome movie I`ve seen in I don`t know how long. It feels very old-fashioned. But it`s fun. It is G-rated. I took a 5-year-old. I loved it, he announced. I didn`t announce that, he announced it. But kids are going to like it.
HAMMER: He`s not writing for "People" magazine -- yet.
ROZEN: Yet. He`s trying, though.
HAMMER: Well, let`s move on to "Bewitched," because it`s not actually a remake. Can you explain this premise? It`s a little confusing to some people, I think.
ROZEN: It`s a very clever premise. I wish the whole movie were as smart. The concept is: A real witch is inadvertently cast to play Samantha in a remake TV series of the classic sitcom "Bewitched." The movie sort of comes up a broomstick short. After -- it`s a very clever idea. Director/co-writer Nora Ephron...
HAMMER: Nora, who`s had great success.
ROZEN: Exactly.
HAMMER: "You`ve Got Mail," among others.
ROZEN: "Sleepless in Seattle." But once you get past this idea, where do you go? And the movie doesn`t go enough interesting places.
HAMMER: It`s got such a great cast, with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell. We expect big things.
ROZEN: Well, Will Ferrell -- you know, this is Will Ferrell being a romantic comedy lead. And it`s not happening. He`s straining. You have the sense he`s doing an "SNL" skit.
HAMMER: All right, well, thanks very much, Leah Rosen. Appreciate your insight on those flicks. And of course, for more picks and pans, you can pick up a copy of "People" magazine. It is on newsstands now.
BRYANT: Now that Michael Jackson has been acquitted, Epic Records is betting that the world is ready for a new Jackson CD. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that a double CD of Jackson`s greatest hits is set for a July 12th release. It is called "The Essential Michael Jackson." It includes 37 songs from the time he was a child all the way up until the 1990s.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, it`s the last step for the paparazzi. From waiting by the velvet ropes, to magazine in the checkout line. We`re going to find out how the magazines decide what to print and what not to print, coming up next in our series, "Inside the Paparazzi."
Plus, she`s named after a Catholic icon, but these days, it`s Kabbalah that guides Madonna. And she`s not the only star to convert. We`ve got a special report on religion in Hollywood. It`s going to continue, that`s on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Veronica De La Cruz. And here is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
There are no reported injuries from a massive industrial plant fire today in St. Louis. Exploding gas tanks launched huge fireballs and black plumes of smoke high into the air. A five-block area around the plant had to be evacuated.
U.S. agriculture officials say Americans are not in any danger following a positive test for mad cow disease. It`s the second confirmed U.S. case in a cow since 2003. Officials say meat from the cow was blocked from entering the food chain.
Police in Camden, New Jersey, are looking for a 28-year-old man who`s considered a potential witness in the case of three young boys who disappeared Wednesday. The mother of one of the children says she left the boys alone for less than ten minutes while she cooked dinner. A $9,000 reward is being offered.
And that`s the news for now. I`m Veronica De La Cruz. Let`s go back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: "Inside the Paparazzi," tonight: The ones who write those big checks, the magazines and the battle for that killer shot.
BRYANT: Plus, Kabbalah, the mysterious religious belief that`s got a hold on Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEGAN MULLALLY, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Megan Mullally. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Friday night is on. Here is tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Tom Cruise is on a crusade. In an interview on NBC`s "Today" show, Cruise called psychiatry a pseudoscience. He also railed against the use of Ritalin and once again chastised actress Brooke Shields for her use of medication to battle postpartum depression.
BRYANT: And that brings us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tom Cruise says psychiatry is a pseudoscience. Do you agree? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. And you can write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
It`s been a big day for this question. We`ll have more of your e- mails coming up at 54 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, we conclude our week-long series, "Inside the Paparazzi," as we reveal how the magazines who bring you the stars decide exactly what to buy and why. And in just a moment, we`re going to speak with the editors from magazines that do buy those photos.
But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson joins us live from Hollywood with a look at the controversy over how the paparazzi do what they do -- Brooke?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., as we`ve been discussing all week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, there`s a huge debate surrounding the paparazzi and how they go about getting all of those celebrity photos you see in the magazines. Some say it`s fair, while others call it a type of a conspiracy.
This controversy is causing some celebrities and California law enforcement officials to take a deeper look into the sometimes aggressive ways of the paparazzi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): We`ve seen it in the movies and in real-life. Paparazzi blamed for dangerous, sometimes fatal accidents. The latest involves teen star Lindsay Lohan who was recently in a car accident with a photographer as he allegedly chased her for a picture.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I feel good that it happened to me when I wasn`t with my family. I can now make a stand. And I can say something for any other actors who might have their kids in the car.
ANDERSON: Lohan won`t be standing alone. Actress Reese Witherspoon, who recently claimed paparazzi falsely imprisoned her in her car at a Los Angeles gym, has also filed a report. These two incidents have raised a red flag with Los Angeles police, who believe that paparazzi may be conspiring to put celebrities into stressful situations in order to photograph their reactions.
LT. PAUL VERNON, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: For the most part, the freelance photographers and the entertainment photographers out there follow the law. On occasion, these -- some will cross the line, partly, I suppose, because of the amount of money that`s available out there.
ANDERSON: And the self-proclaimed king of the paparazzi, E.L. Woody, says the money is good.
E.L. WOODY, CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER: All the way to $150,000 or more for a good picture.
VERNON: With that much money that`s being paid for a single picture, there`s a lot of money that could easily be spread around to a number of people, if they worked together to try to get that picture.
ANDERSON: Complaints of harassment or rude behavior by paparazzi and the red-carpet media are nothing new.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: You`re a jerk.
ANDERSON: Tom Cruise was just squirted with water at the London premiere of "War of the Worlds" by a prankster TV reporter. While his ex- wife, Nicole Kidman, recently berated a photographer at the "Bewitched" premiere. But conspiracy is a felony.
VERNON: Some of the other people not directly involved in taking the pictures or getting the money shots could actually be drawn in criminally.
ANDERSON: So photo agencies, vendors, and tabloid magazines could be incriminated, as well. "US Weekly" recently announced they would no longer buy photos acquired in a "risky" manner.
WOODY: As far as I`m concerned, that`s fine with me. We can gather ours legally, above-board, on the streets, celebrities in public places only.
We`re the most efficient advertising tool for celebrities in the world. We go out to 1,000 magazines instantly. Overnight, you can be a star. We can make someone a totally recognizable person in one night`s shoot.
ANDERSON: They may need each other, but that doesn`t mean they have to like each other.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: It`s definitely a love-hate relationship between many celebrities and the paparazzi, but the LAPD has a different take. We`ll be sure to keep you updated on what the LAPD does or doesn`t do in regards to the paparazzi -- A.J.?
HAMMER: Thanks, Brooke. Enjoy your weekend. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Inside the Paparazzi" series continues now. We`re going to hear from insiders at the magazines who publish those paparazzi photos and hear exactly how the business is run.
Joining us live in New York, Tom O`Neil, senior editor for "In Touch" magazine, also Steve Legrice. He`s the editor-in-chief of "Inside TV" magazine.
Thanks for joining us, guys.
And Tom, I want to start with you. We`re talking a lot about the stakes and how high they are, and all of the competition that`s out there. There are a lot of magazines. There are a lot of photographers trying to get that shot in the magazine.
Do you think it`s this competitiveness that does, indeed, contribute to all of these overzealous photographers out there and creating this problem, like the one we experienced when Lindsay Lohan`s car was allegedly run into by a photographer?
TOM O`NEIL, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH MAGAZINE": Right, the bad turn that this whole phenomenon has taken recently is the addition of all these free agents who are now working for about ten stock photo agencies that exist that every day contact magazines like "Inside TV" and "In Touch Weekly" with what they have.
It is surprising how well-behaved the rest of them were. Your interview last night with Jessica Simpson`s father, I think the most impressive thing about that was the nice things he had to say about the paparazzi.
HAMMER: But indeed, he did point out that they are out there, you know, virtually stalking his daughter.
O`NEIL: Yes. And less than 12 months ago, Lindsay Lohan said that the paparazzi is a blessing. She didn`t just a nice thing. A blessing is pretty powerful.
The biggest myth about the paparazzi and celebrity magazines, like "In Touch Weekly," is that we`re looking for the bad picture. We aren`t. Our focus groups show that our readers want to see very positive, inspiring pictures. They want to see Julia Roberts at the Wal-Mart buying Pampers just like do so they can make that connection.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s talk about the good photos. And, Steve, I want to ask you this. What makes you say, "Wow"? What is that photograph that you`re looking for?
STEVE LEGRICE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "INSIDE TV" MAGAZINE: The photograph we`re looking for, which is slightly different -- "Inside TV" is more of a fan magazine -- is that bride picture that just lights up a page, that`s got a big smile. She`s looking right into your eyes, it`s got a great expression, and we can fill a page with it. That excites us when we see it, and it excites our readers, who are the fans.
HAMMER: And are you always looking -- I always hear -- and we were talking earlier this week -- E.L. Woody said -- he`s one of the paparazzi we spoke with -- he said couples or two celebrities together in an intimate moment is a really great get.
O`NEIL: The ultimate get in this field is a couple, a gorgeous couple -- let`s take Angelina and Brad -- with some slight question mark about the relationship in their case -- in an exotic setting, let`s say Tahiti, kissing. Bingo. And if you sold exclusive rights to that, you could make a fortune.
HAMMER: All right. Well, while we`re on the subject of Brad and Angelina, "US Weekly" reportedly paid half a million bucks for that shot of Brad and Angelina that they put on the cover of their magazine. Now, we asked "US Weekly" to join us tonight and they declined. Did they pay too much for that or was the price on the money?
LEGRICE: I mean, it depends how you value it. I mean, the publicity they got for it was great. I mean, I don`t think that you could say that you got half a million dollars worth of sales from it. They couldn`t possibly.
But in terms of publicity, I think they probably -- you know, they got their money`s worth. I know most of the other magazines had dropped out long before it got to half a million, so...
HAMMER: Did you have the chance to bid on it, Tom?
O`NEIL: Yes, and we passed. There are reports, by the way -- unconfirmed -- that Angelina Jolie tip off that photographer to come there, made an arrangement ahead of time to make him split part of this money to go to her favorite charity.
HAMMER: But as you said, unconfirmed.
O`NEIL: Unconfirmed, but what you saw all week, A.J., on this report that you did was surprising admissions of the way that these two elements, the celebrities and the paparazzi, work together.
And what I don`t think was explored enough, and really needs to be said, is how abusive the celebrities can be to the paparazzi. Just last week, Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake had to pay a lot of money, an undisclosed sum, for their attacks on the paparazzi. And they freely admitted that they did that.
We see all the time, the Sean Penns and the rest of them coming out swinging. There are rules that govern this dance. Everybody knows what they are. If they just behaved and followed it, there wouldn`t be a problem.
HAMMER: Well, one of the rules -- or one of the questions that often comes up is the question of privacy. At what point have you crossed the line between what is acceptable and what is an invasion of privacy?
LEGRICE: I think for us -- and it`s worked in terms of what our readers want anyway -- is that, when you can see that the celebrity knows that they`re being photographed, and when they`re looking at the camera, when they`re smiling, I don`t think there`s any invasion of privacy.
I think when you go looking over someone`s back wall, or getting a picture of them on the deck behind their house, or you know, in that kind of situation...
HAMMER: The long-lens shot...
(CROSSTALK)
LEGRICE: ... I think is wrong.
O`NEIL: We have a policy against that.
LEGRICE: And particularly when it involves their children. I think when their families are involved, then I think it`s time to back off.
HAMMER: Tom, I only have 30 seconds here. But real quickly, and one point that Ken Sunshine made, that obviously, as a publicist to the stars, he was on here last night talking about his displeasure with those unflattering shots, you know, like a shot of his client, Ben Affleck, walking out of a Starbucks all disheveled.
Real quickly, are those pictures OK to print?
O`NEIL: Absolutely, in that case, because what the reader wants is the reality-based picture with a fantasy star so that they can make the connection themselves. What we don`t do is we don`t want Ben to look attractive and sloppy. We just want him to look real.
HAMMER: OK. Well, it`s really interesting information to know what goes on behind the scenes with the magazines. We appreciate it.
Tom O`Neil, Steve Legrice, thank you for joining us here as we conclude our series, "Inside the Paparazzi" on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Karyn?
BRYANT: Another paparazzi favorite is Madonna. And tonight, we are looking at the bigger picture of her rise to fame and her faith. It`s Madonna`s journey from Catholic school to Kabbalah. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report on religion in Hollywood continues, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAMON DASH, "THE ULTIMATE HUSTLER": My name is Damon Dash, the ultimate hustler, in a good way. And right now, I`m wearing the Damon Dash collection. I bet you didn`t know I could do it like this. Actually, all the suits I wear I make.
I make this ring, this terre (ph) ring, you know what I mean? But not everyone could buy one. I make this watch. I make this shirt. I didn`t make these cuff links, but they still look good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT as we continue our special report on religion in Hollywood.
Now, thanks to Tom Cruise, Scientology is this week`s big buzz word in Hollywood. But another religious belief, Kabbalah, has some other big star names attached to it, including Madonna. Now, tonight, "People in the News" reveals why so many stars are embracing Kabbalah.
Once again, CNN`s Paula Zahn for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ZAHN: She`s the material girl, the image-altering pop princess, named after a highly revered Catholic icon.
From "Like a Virgin" to her controversial "Sex" book, to videos and stage shows that have pushed the envelope, Madonna has spent two decades shocking and provoking her way to superstardom.
MADONNA, SINGER: "It`s a windy day, isn`t it?" asked Mr. Peabody.
ZAHN: But how about this for her latest transformation?
MADONNA: Don`t be so quick to judge a person.
There was a time when I was more thoughtless about the things I said, and I was rebellious. And I now feel differently about life. So just being provocative for the sake of being provocative doesn`t really interest me.
ZAHN: Why the change? In part, because Madonna has found Kabbalah.
MADONNA: A Kabbalist believes he or she has the responsibility to make the world a better place.
RABBI MICHAEL BERG, CO-DIRECTOR, KABBALAH CENTER: She`s become an unbelievably sharing person on all different levels, not only physical or money, but of herself.
ZAHN: Madonna`s not the only celebrity involved. Plenty of other a- list stars, Demi, Ashton, Britney, Paris, have all been seen wearing red Kabbalah strings around their wrists. So what is it?
JESS CAGLE, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Kabbalah is a form of Judaism that dates back centuries and centuries.
ZAHN: The word Kabbalah means "receive tradition." And traditionally, it`s been the intense study of ancient religious texts as a way to make a mystical connection with God.
ELIOT WOLFSON, PROFESSOR OF JUDAIC STUDIES, NYU: One would have to have knowledge of Hebrew. One would have to have knowledge of Aramaic. One would have to have an intimate knowledge of the life-cycle of Judaism. All of that would be presupposed by any traditional Kabbalist.
ZAHN: Madonna studies Kabbalah at the Kabbalah Center, an organization that has helped bring Kabbalah more mainstream. The center says Kabbalah is a technology that provides the wisdom to improve our lives.
BERG: Kabbalah teaches that it is my job, your job, our job to not only improve our own lives but improve the world around us. And at the core of Kabbalah is a belief and a teaching that we have the power. We have the power to transform our lives, and we have the power to transform this world.
ZAHN: Some critics of the center say that`s Kabbalah-lite and not the traditional form, which is a complex path to spirituality.
WOLFSON: It would be like taking Beethoven`s Ninth and producing a three-minute pop version of it. I mean, why would anybody do that? A three-minute version of it`s a sacrilege. And it`s a similar reaction that I have to this presentation of Kabbalah.
ZAHN: However, the Kabbalah Center says the wisdom of Kabbalah is for all people, regardless of their religious background and knowledge.
BERG: Certainly, you`re not studying what, you know, an advanced Kabbalist after 10 or 15 years would study. But it`s possible, when guided properly, to begin the study from the most basic level. Certainly, we believe that everybody should have the opportunity to study this wisdom.
ZAHN: If Madonna has become the modern face of Kabbalah, the red string has become its most visible representation.
BERG: It`s both symbolic in that it reminds us of how important our connections are, our spiritual connections are. But Kabbalah teaches that it`s more than that, it`s actually a tool. It`s a way that I can actually draw some of that protective light into my life.
ZAHN: The strings sell for $26 at the Kabbalah Center and on its Web site, along with a variety of other Kabbalah-related products. Critics cry commercialism, a charge the center rejects.
BERG: Anybody who wants to study at the Kabbalah Center, wants a red string, wants a book, wants a tape, and cannot afford it, you can get it for free. But in order for somebody in Michigan to get the Zohar for free, somebody in New York who can afford it will pay for a red string.
MADONNA: I am here as a student of Kabbalah.
ZAHN: Of course, even when it concerns faith, Madonna isn`t Madonna without controversy. Her trip to Israel last September was met with a combination of cheers and protests.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kabbalah to a person who`s not ready is something which is prohibited.
ZAHN: And the same woman who once drew fire from Christians for her video "Like a Prayer" was criticized for her use of Jewish images and rituals in her video for "Die Another Day."
But there`s definitely something different about this version of Madonna.
MADONNA: In Kabbalah we learn that if we want something in life, we have to give something.
ZAHN: That`s a message any Kabbalist, traditional or otherwise, would likely agree with.
WOLFSON: People claim that it`s had a tremendous positive impact on their lives. So I wouldn`t stand in judgment.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: That was CNN`s Paula Zahn for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, you can tune into "People in the News" this weekend for an in-depth look at the life of Reverend Billy Graham. "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" airs Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. And you can also pick up a copy of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: All right. Well, there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking: Tom Cruise says psychiatry is a pseudoscience. Do you agree? You can vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight or write us at showbiztonight@cnn.com and we`ll read more of your e-mails live, coming up next.
BRYANT: It is time for this week`s "Entertainment Weekly" must list. Here are five things you`ve just got to check out this summer.
First, EW says to check up on Patrick Dempsey in the second season of "Grey`s Anatomy." If you want to know what your favorite star is getting down to, you can download iTunes celebrity play lists. Then, you can also check out Bradley Cooper cooking up some comedy in his new TV series, "Kitchen Confidential."
Next, watch "Supernanny." This real-life Mary Poppin`s medicine goes down in the most delightful way. Finally, grab a copy, a bagel, a shmear, and a copy of Edward John Wintle`s "Breakfast with Tiffany." It will warm your heart with humor.
Now, for more on the summer must list, pick up a copy of "Entertainment Weekly." It`s on newsstands now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
So throughout the show we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tom Cruise says psychiatry is a pseudoscience. Do you agree?
Well, here`s how the vote`s been going tonight: 22 percent of you say yes, you do agree that psychiatry is a pseudoscience; 79 percent of you disagree.
We`ve gotten plenty of e-mail on the subject, as well. Here are just a few.
Melissa wrote us from California to say, "Someday we`ll realize anti- depressants are a farce, and we`ll look upon them the same way as blood- letting."
We heard from Amy in Ohio who writes, "I`m sorry, but vitamins and exercise are not going to cure people of serious mental diseases like schizophrenia."
Also heard from Suzanne in Washington who writes, "Tom Cruise is correct. The history of treating mental problems has been driven by inventing diseases in order to use drugs."
Remember, you can continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: I have to talk to my friend, Jason. He`s a psychiatrist. I`m going to get his thoughts on this. I think he`s going to say it`s valid.
Well, it is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week.
HAMMER: Let`s launch into the weekend with the Marquee Guy. Take it away, dude.
MARQUEE GUY: Oh, baby. It`s a baby boom in la-la land. Being a famous mom has its challenges, also its rewards. Can you say "diamond pacifier"? Yes, I just said it. It`s the mother of all series, "Hollywood Baby Boom," all next week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Johnny Depp is taking on a sweet role as Willy Wonka. We have your golden ticket on Monday, one-on-one with Johnny. Getting deep with Depp, Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy, off to happy hour with the oompa-loompas.
HAMMER: Oompa, loompa...
BRYANT: You know that`s the truth, that the marquee man is off to happy hour.
HAMMER: Why are you pointing back there? That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Enjoy the weekend.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
HAMMER: Something back there?
DE LA CRUZ: Hi, everybody. I`m Veronica De La Cruz. Here is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
A heart-breaking development in the case of three young boys who went missing Wednesday in Camden, New Jersey. The city`s mayor`s office confirms the boys have been found dead in the trunk of a car. Nancy Grace will have full coverage, just ahead.
Today marks the bloodiest day for female U.S. soldiers in Iraq since the war began. The U.S. military says a suicide bomb attack in the city of Fallujah today killed at least three female marines and wounded 11 more. At least one male marine was also killed and two others wounded. A marine and a sailor remain unaccounted for in the incident.
And an enormous wildfire that was threatening an upscale community near Phoenix, Arizona, is now under control. Firefighters are allowing evacuees to return to their homes. Still, the blaze has burned about 46,000 acres there.
And that is the news for now. I`m Veronica De La Cruz.
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