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Showbiz Tonight
Bush`s Bad Week Field Day for Comics; Dead Celebs Rake in the Bucks; Late Night Comedian to Help Fill Howard Stern`s Shoes; New "Billy Jack" Movie Promises to be Controversial
Aired October 27, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson, live from Hollywood.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And I`m A.J. Hammer, live in New York. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Bush`s bad week. A grim milestone in Iraq. A Supreme Court nominee suddenly withdraws, and White House staffers could be indicted.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, CBS`s "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": They say Bush is angry. They say that he is frustrated, and they say that he is bitter.
HAMMER: Tonight, the jokes, the media, and what Americans are saying on the radio about what could be Bush`s worst week ever.
Also, dearly departed, but still pulling in dollars. Tonight, dead celebrities are cashing in big time even though they`ve checked out. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the remarkable paychecks dead stars are getting from beyond the grave.
And new moms, hot bodies. Tonight, Britney, Denise, Holly: how did they get their fantastic figures after giving birth? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals their secrets of shaping up.
SELA WARD, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Sela Ward. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, from coast to coast, on TV and radio, all of America is talking about how bad a week it`s been for President Bush, and it`s not even over yet, just Thursday night.
Well, today, the latest hit. The president`s Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers, withdrew her nomination. Tomorrow, Bush is going to find out if his right-hand man, chief political adviser Karl Rove, will be indicted in the CIA leak case. No laughing matter, for sure, but late- night comedians have been having a field day, with politics as a punching bag.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is live in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom with the story -- David.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., let`s face it. No matter -- the president, no matter which president it happens to be, is always the butt of jokes on late-night TV, but in an especially challenging week for the Bush administration, it`s open season for TV comedians.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LETTERMAN: They say Bush`s angry. They say that`s he frustrated and they say that he is bitter and, you know, I can`t imagine why. Everything is going so smoothly.
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): President Bush isn`t having a great week, and TV comedians are jumping on it, and they`re not letting up.
LETTERMAN: How about that Harriet Miers mess? The White House is steadfast. They said absolutely they will not withdraw Harriet Miers` name from the nomination. You know what that means, don`t you? She`ll be out of there in a week.
HAFFENREFFER: How about less than that, Dave? Today, Bush accepted Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers` withdrawal after intense opposition from both liberals and conservatives.
JAY LENO, HOST, NBC`s "THE TONIGHT SHOW": President Bush getting a lot of grief from conservative Republicans over Harriet Miers` lack of legal opinions, which is kind of surprising, a woman without any opinions? That`s a Republican`s dream, isn`t it?
HAFFENREFFER: More like a Republican nightmare. Miers was also targeted for laughs.
LENO: Please welcome Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers.
HAFFENREFFER: Last night on Leno, Gilbert Godfrey impersonated her.
GILBERT GODFREY, COMEDIAN: Just don`t ask me any legal questions.
HAFFENREFFER: In a "Jeopardy" match-up with George W. Bush.
Comedians have been relentless on President Bush over the last few weeks. Perhaps even more than some of his harshest critics.
LENO: The answer is DeLay. President Bush?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the motto of FEMA: delay, delay.
HAFFENREFFER: Heavy hitters in the Republican Party are also being targeted by comics.
AMY POEHLER, "WEEKEND UPDATE" ANCHOR, NBC`s "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Tom DeLay`s mug shot was released on Thursday.
HAFFENREFFER: Former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, was indicted on a felony charge, and today, acknowledged he failed to report legal fund donations.
POEHLER: DeLay looks confident in his mug shot, but let`s widen out. Yes. I thought so.
HAFFENREFFER: Also today, sources tell CNN that White House chief of staff Karl Rove is the focus of an investigation involving the leak of a CIA operative`s identity. Last week, it was Vice President Dick Cheney.
POEHLER: Confronted on the issue, Cheney turned into 100 bats and then flew away.
HAFFENREFFER: And the president isn`t the only Bush that`s getting bashed. Today, Florida Governor Jeb Bush took the blame for all the troubles the state has had getting basic supplies to Hurricane Wilma victims. He said it`s his fault, not FEMA`s. But FEMA is still the favorite scapegoat.
LETTERMAN: Hi, come on in. You know who this is? Look who`s here. Please say hello to disgraced FEMA director Michael Brown. Hi, Michael.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And making Bush`s tough week a little bit worse, a recent Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans would vote for a Democrat over President Bush if elections were held this year -- Brooke.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live in the newsroom. Thank you so much.
HAMMER: Well, now let`s get the talk radio buzz, the nation`s reaction to President Bush`s bad week on the airwaves. Live from Detroit, Michigan, WDTW radio talk show host Nancy Skinner. And joining us live from Atlanta, Georgia, radio talk show host Martha Zoller of WDUN radio. She`s also the author of "Indivisible: Uniting Values for a Divided America."
Thanks for joining us, both of you.
I want to start with you, Martha. Bad things happen in every administration. But this certainly has to be President Bush`s worst week ever. As we`ve been talking about, Harriet Miers` nomination withdrawal. And that`s just the icing on the cake here. Things could get worse tomorrow. Karl Rove might be indicted. An announcement is expected. At least one indictment is expected to be handed down on top of criticism of FEMA`s response to Katrina and Wilma, on top of the milestone of 2,000 dead Americans in Iraq this week. The White House with major damage control under way.
What are you listeners saying about all of this?
MARTHA ZOLLER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, it really started for our area where my listeners are with the highway Bill when the president promised to veto the Bill if it was over a certain amount and then didn`t. That really began the spiral of bad feeling that I`ve had in my area, which went for him about 65 percent and a year ago.
What they`re concerned about regarding Harriet Miers is they did feel like she need a hearing and deserved a hearing in an up or down vote. But today they were relieved when they heard that she`s withdrawn, and they want to see the president get back to conservative values and back to those conservatives that helped elect him a year ago.
HAMMER: Nancy, are your listeners in Detroit weighing in about the sheer amount of bad things that are going on for the president all at once?
NANCY SKINNER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: It`s an amazing amount of self- inflicted spin, yes. All week. Last -- actually few months. But here`s the thing. Here`s what we`re talking about. They`re now having to eat their own spin. If you think about it, the whole thing has been spin, this administration.
For instance, Harriet Miers. Now we have a nominee, who as much as we heard about that the president won the election, she should have the nominee and that nominee should get an up or down vote, they have conspired to stop this woman, the Republicans from getting an up or down vote. I mean, it was them that took her out.
And you go back to the CIA leak case. They impeached Bill Clinton because it wasn`t the sex. It was he lied about sex. Now they`re saying perjury is just a technicality. And it doesn`t matter if you concocted a story to go to war. It`s that you lied to...
ZOLLER: But my listeners -- but my listeners -- and this is what we`re talking about now is what the listeners are saying. As far as the CIA leak case was, they say, you know, she was out already. People knew who she was. And that they do believe...
SKINNER: Not true.
ZOLLER: My listeners believe Karl Rove could step down if he`s indicted, as well as Scooter Libby if he`s indicted and that no people are irreplaceable and that the president will move on and there`s still time.
SKINNER: But Martha, my point -- but Martha, and we`re good friends. And you know this. My point is this. The spin -- the hypocrisy of what you guys have put out there and now you`re having to eat your own spin...
HAMMER: Nancy, I`m going to jump in, because it`s really important, as Martha pointed out. We`re keeping this to where your listeners are coming from on this.
SKINNER: They`re talking about this.
HAMMER: Please maintain that perspective. Go ahead.
SKINNER: Yes, they`re talking. Of course they`re talking about this, the Miers thing. They can`t -- the first thing when Kay Bailey Hutchinson got on TV and said that "I hope they don`t indict on some technicality," that there`s no underlying crime, my phones were flooded with people saying these are the same people that impeached the president of the United States for perjury and they said that the republic would implode on itself if we didn`t...
HAMMER: So -- so they`re -- sounds like they`re calling that a bit of a double standard.
Martha, let me get back to you on something that I think may be happening, certainly is going on various parts of the country. I`m curious about your area. You certainly have a decidedly more conservative radio audience.
ZOLLER: Right.
HAMMER: Even top conservatives are turning on Bush. They`re being uncharacteristically vocal about the president in ways we`re not used to hearing. Are you hearing from your listeners that they`re sort of turning on him, as well?
ZOLLER: No. I`m really hearing that they are uncomfortable about leaders in the Republican Party talking about the president that way. However, what they want to see is not on the war on terror or on national security issues. They are very happy about those issues with the exception of the border. But we`re talking about the war on terror.
What they talk about the most is the wheels coming off the domestic policy. And what has to happen there is they want to see the tax cuts made permanent. The deficit was $100 billion less than we projected. Not because we spent less, because we certainly didn`t. It was because there was more revenue and the additional revenue came from the tax cuts. We know that from 1981 and 1961 and now 2001.
HAMMER: Again, I`m going to have to stop you there, Martha.
ZOLLER: That`s what they`re concerned about.
HAMMER: I`m afraid I`m out of time. And I appreciate you chiming in and keeping your finger on the pulse of what the nation`s talking about.
ZOLLER: Thanks, guys.
HAMMER: Nancy Skinner in Detroit and Martha Zoller in Atlanta. We appreciate you being on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now we would like to know what do you think? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. A bad week for President Bush: is media coverage fair? If you`d like to vote, go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us, ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts later in the show.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Brooke Shields is expecting a baby. Just a short time ago, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed that the 40-year-old actress is pregnant with her second child. She and her husband, Chris Henchy, already have a 2-year-old daughter. This baby is due in the spring.
Shields has been in a battle of words with Tom Cruise. You may remember, Cruise bashed Brooke`s use of anti-depressants to combat post- partum depression after giving birth to her first child. Well, Brooke calls Cruise`s comments, quote, "ridiculous."
All right. Staying on the theme of little ones, have kid, will travel, to the gym. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT introduces you to some stunning star mommies and reveals the secrets of how they got so gorgeous after giving birth. Still to come.
HAMMER: Plus, Elvis may have left the building, but he is still the king in the afterlife. Coming up, the amazing stories of dead celebrities who make more money than some living ones.
ANDERSON: Also, which late night talk show host is going to be pulling double duty in the morning? Find out when we chat with the guy taking over for Howard Stern. Adam Carolla in a "SHOWBIZ newsmaker" interview live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, just in time for Halloween, some very big celebrities are making a killing: from the grave. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is giving you a look at the brand-new list of the top-earning dead celebrities, and as we found out, it pays to be dead.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, A.J.
Well, in the world of marketing celebrities, you don`t have to be alive and kicking to cash in. The estates and families of the biggest names in showbiz history -- John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and many more -- are getting six figure checks even though they`re six feet under. And just how much they`re making might scare you to death.
(MUSIC)
VARGAS (voice-over): Long live the king, all the way to the bank. Elvis Presley made $45 million last year and topped Forbes.com`s fifth annual ranking of top earning dead celebrities.
Turns out it pays to be dead. Why`s that? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got the scoop from Forbes.com`s media editor, Peter Kafka.
PETER KAFKA, MEDIA EDITOR, FORBES.COM: Very clever manager to figure out how to sell the same thing multiple times. They`ll repackage a song and do a compilation. They`ll take an old TV special and sell it to another TV network, get more money that way, or package it as a DVD. This is what you see the Elvis estate doing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re on our way to the store.
VARGAS: The man behind Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and the gang, Charles Schulz ranks No. 2. He made $35 million last year. That`s not "Peanuts."
(MUSIC)
VARGAS: Not losing any money, making $22 million, John Lennon. Artist Andy Warhol came in at No. 4. He earned $16 million.
BORIS KARLOFF, ACTOR: Staring down from his cave with a sour Grinchy frown at the warm lighted windows below in their town.
VARGAS: No frowns for the creator of the Grinch. Dr. Seuss stole the fifth spot on the list, raking in $10 million.
MARLON BRANDO, ACTOR: I want my own life. I don`t apologize to take care of my family and I refuse to be a fool.
VARGAS: No fool here, actor Marlon Brando put him sixth.
MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS: Don`t you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty?
VARGAS: And rich, this girl is. Marilyn Monroe made $8 million last year, giving her spot No. 7.
Licensing and merchandising and managing the 13 celebs on the list is big business: $186 million. Burt Roesler`s company reps dead celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Babe Ruth and Princess Diana.
MARK ROESLER, CEO, CMG WORLDWIDE: What`s very important and what`s very marketable with a celebrity is that they have a very precise and simple message that they can convey, and if it`s somebody like Marilyn Monroe, it`s beauty and glamour. If it`s somebody like James Dean, it`s cool. If it`s somebody like Babe Ruth, it`s power.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t, Frodo!
VARGAS: Rounding out the 13, "Lord of the Rings" creator J.R.R. Tolkien; another Beatle, George Harrison; Johnny Cash coming in at No. 10. Song writer Irving Berlin, Bob Marley and Ray Charles taking the last three spots.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And if this death discussion hasn`t totally creeped you out yet, head to Forbes.com. There you can print out a mask of your favorite dead celebrities. They`re sure to give those trick-or-treaters more than a ghost of a chance of being scared.
A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: That is kind of creepy. Thanks very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker." It`s just been announced that when shock jock Howard Stern moves to satellite radio in January, he`ll be replaced by former Van Halen rocker David Lee Roth on the East Coast, and TV and radio personality Adam Carolla on the West Coast.
Adam is live tonight in Hollywood for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
Hi, Adam.
ADAM CAROLLA, COMEDIAN: Hey, how are you?
ANDERSON: Doing well, thank you. Now, this...
CAROLLA: Yes.
ANDERSON: ... position, got to be one of the most coveted radio positions out there. Got to be pretty intimidating. And Adam, many of Stern`s hard core fans who don`t want to pay for Sirius are going to be listening to you now. What do you think about that?
CAROLLA: Well, first off, I feel sorry for them. And I`d like to apologize in advance.
I was thinking about your list of dead celebrities, by the way. I think last would be Ray Combs -- former...
ANDERSON: Oh, really?
CAROLLA: Former host of "Family Feud." Yes. Probably not making a lot these days.
ANDERSON: He might be right on up there behind Ray Charles, correct?
CAROLLA: Just probably in the 11th spot, Ray Combs. Yes.
ANDERSON: Slipped right in there.
CAROLLA: Well, are you asking if it`s intimidating for me to replace Howard Stern?
ANDERSON: Well, to have those hard core fans who aren`t moving with Stern to satellite radio, listening to you now by default, sort to speak.
CAROLLA: Yes, thank you. Yes, because they don`t have enough money or high enough self esteem to leave with Stern. Well, I`m going to provide entertainment for them, and hopefully, there`s not going to be that big a drop-off.
ANDERSON: Let`s...
CAROLLA: I`m a huge fan. Yes?
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about the entertainment you`re going to provide. I know Jimmy Kimmel is going to work as a creative consultant on the show. And when you two get together, who knows what`s going to happen?
With Howard, it was the more skin the better. He had women taking the clothes off in the studio. What`s your show going to be like?
CAROLLA: We`re going to have women taking their clothes off in the studio. It`ll probably be a little bit more cerebral and have different elements. To be honest, I haven`t really figured it out yet. I mean, this whole thing just sort of broadsided me last week, and we have a few months to get our crap together. So that`s really what I`m in the process of doing right now.
ANDERSON: Well, it broadsided you. I know that you and Howard, well, you seem to be friends. Did he have anything to do -- was he involved in your getting the gig?
CAROLLA: No. He wasn`t. I mean, to the best of my knowledge. Yes, we`re friends. And, you know, this was sort of business. And the friendship part is pleasure. And I think he does a pretty good job of defining those two groups.
And, no. He had nothing to do with the decision making process, to the best of my knowledge, but me being a frequent guest on his show probably helped things out a little bit.
ANDERSON: Adam, you`ve got a lot on your plate right now. Many fans know you from "Love Lines." You`ve also got two television shows, a late- night talk show on Comedy Central, a home improvement show on TLC. Are you Superman? How are you going to juggle all of this?
CAROLLA: No. I`m really -- I`m really actually one of the laziest guys I know. I just keep getting the stuff put in front of me, and I just keep agreeing to do it.
The TLC show is wrapped up. There`s just a little more work to do on it. The Comedy Central show I think we can do simultaneously with the radio show and "Love Line`s" going to have to go away, unfortunately.
ANDERSON: Oh, sorry to hear that. Well, you must be doing something right, getting all this stuff thrown at you. Adam Carolla, thanks for taking time out of your very busy schedule to be with us tonight.
CAROLLA: Thank you, news lady.
ANDERSON: Of course.
HAMMER: Well, Gloria Estefan caught in Hurricane Wilma`s path. The singing star tells only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT her scary story. That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: And what Patti LaBelle is doing for the Gulf Coast. She`s teamed up with Sharon Stone, John Legend, Celine Dion and Grammy-winning songwriter Denise Rich. Patti LaBelle, live in an interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And news lady, he was the star of some of the biggest grossing films of the 1960s and `70s, battling the bad guys. Now he`s back battling the government. "Billy Jack`s" Tom Laughlin live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with one of Hollywood`s biggest anti- establishment heroes of the 1960s and `70s, Tom Laughlin, the creator and star of the "Billy Jack" movies.
Billy Jack mixed butt-kicking martial arts and pacifism as he battled for the truth, justice and, of course, the American way. And now for the very first time, all four "Billy Jack" movies are out in a DVD box set.
Tom Laughlin, Billy Jack, joins us live from Hollywood. We appreciate you being with us, Tom.
TOM LAUGHLIN, ACTOR: Well, thank you. Thank you very much for having me. It`s great to be here.
HAMMER: And your films and your earliest of films really resonate with today, "Billy Jack Goes to Washington." You played a senator dealing with a corrupt government. Not all that much has changed in the decades that have followed, has it?
LAUGHLIN: No. It`s gotten a lot worse, but I`m going to invite you, I`ll buy you dinner in New York -- you`re in New York. So I`ll buy it in Paris if you can tell me what is the only major feature picture that was never allowed to be released in a movie theater.
HAMMER: I believe that was "Billy Jack Goes to Washington." Am I getting that right?
LAUGHLIN: You`re on the Concord, but they don`t have it anymore. Absolutely right. At a private screening, Senator Vance Hartke got up, because it was about how the Senate was bought out by the nuclear industry. He got up and charged me. Walter Cronkite`s daughter was there, Lucille Ball. And he said, "You`ll never get this released. This house you have, everything will be destroyed."
And lo and behold, it never -- even though it was three years later, he gets indicted for the exact crime that we showed in the movie.
HAMMER: Amazing. Amazing the relevance, the things that are going on today.
LAUGHLIN: Absolutely.
HAMMER: And I know by checking on your web site, I was taking a look at BillyJack.com. You were not shy about your politics, and I know you`re following what`s going on in Washington. If you were to make a movie, a Billy Jack movie about what is happening today, what would it be like?
LAUGHLIN: We are going to make one. We`re making a brand new 2006 one, and I want to announce here for the first time not only are we going to make this picture, which will be the most controversial, politically explosive picture feature film ever made, and I know that`s hyperbole and that`s exaggerative, but you will see it will be.
And we`re going to launch it with a campaign never been done in politics or social activism or films. A five -- nine-month, five major separate events to what it all is about is to end the war in Iraq, the only way possible, by impeaching Bush and Cheney.
And it`s going to be names. Imagine if you can see "Forrest Gump" now. Imagine Hanks talking to Kennedy. Wait until you see Billy Jack debate with George Bush. We`re going to do computer graphics and everything. It`s going to be really explosive.
HAMMER: I`m sure it will be entertaining, and it certainly will have a message. Not a lot of movies with messages being made. Michael Moore certainly the exception with that "Fahrenheit 9/11," among his films. Do you feel there are enough movies putting a message out there, being made today, and certainly you`re getting back into that mix?
LAUGHLIN: No. And Michael Moore is a documentary. That`s a different -- that`s a different horse. It`s a feature film. Ours is going to be -- we`re going to have four feature love stories, magnificent love stories.
We`re going to teach young kids the difference between Eros and sex. I`m sure you know that 30 percent of the 13-year-olds today are giving oral sex once a week. And at 20 percent of teenager girls are cutters. They`ve cut their wrists and thighs.
And just like Billy Jack did and like we show on the new set, we`re going to take that issue head on, along with the massive political careers.
HAMMER: We`re going to look forward to that, Tom. I`ve got to end it there, and I look forward to the dinner in Paris, as well. Tom Laughlin, thank you so much for joining us.
You can watch all four Billy Jack movies from the comfort of your own couch if you grab "Billy Jack: The Ultimate Collection" on DVD, in stores now.
ANDERSON: Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Hollywood`s hot mamas. Star moms are losing baby fat in a flash.
HAMMER: And Gloria Estefan, she`ll share her harrowing story of how Hurricane Wilma wreaked havoc on her Miami home, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And musicians come together now to raise money and spirits in Hurricane Katrina`s wake. Singer Patti LaBelle and songwriter Denise Rich talk about their new song live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SUSAN HENDRICKS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in one minute. Hi, everyone. I`m Susan Hendricks with your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
The White House insists Harriet Miers` withdrawal as a Supreme Court nominee had nothing to do with conservative opposition. But Democrats say a radical right-wing of the Republican Party sabotaged Miers` chances. President Bush says the Senate`s request for documents derailed the nomination.
Accused killer Scott Dyleski was in court today. The judge agreed to delay his formal arraignment until next month. Investigators now say the 16-year-old accused of killing the wife of a prominent attorney went to his girlfriend`s house to have sex after the murder.
Those extra pennies you`ve been paying at the pump are making a difference in the bottom line for big oil. Exxon Mobile is reporting record sales of $100 billion last quarter, with profits up 75 percent. Shell is also reporting its best quarter ever.
That is the news for now. Thanks so much for tuning in. I`m Susan Hendricks. Back now to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. And you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
A.J., it seems now many of Hollywood`s newest moms are shedding their baby weight faster, well, faster, A.J., than you could probably change a diaper.
Seriously, weeks sometimes days...
HAMMER: I`m good with the diaper, I got to be honest with you.
ANDERSON: I mean, weeks sometimes days they`re already back to their fighting weight, Denise Richards, Britney Spears among them. Coming up, we`ll talk about how they say they`re doing it and, also, if it`s sending a wrong message.
HAMMER: OK. And earlier today, you had the opportunity to speak with Gloria Estefan, suffered damage at her home in Miami after Hurricane Wilma. We`ll hear from Gloria, how things are now.
Also, it`s been 20 years since "We Are the World" came together for famine relief. Everybody knows the song. Well, now, there`s a brand new song for hurricane relief. Songwriter and philanthropist Denise Rich got together with Patti LaBelle and some of the biggest stars out there to do this song. We will speak with Denise and Ms. Patti, live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in just a couple of minutes.
But first, let`s get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joining us live from Hollywood once again -- Sibila?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, A.J.
Well, tonight, Kate Moss has sashayed out of rehab. The supermodel`s agent says Moss is with friends after checking out of an Arizona clinic earlier this week.
Moss spent a month in treatment after photos of her apparently snorting cocaine appeared in Britain`s "Daily Mirror." On the heels of those snapshots, Moss lost major contracts with H&M, Burberry, and Chanel, but her agency says that now she has other modeling gigs lined up.
Star Jones` husband is out of jail after a snafu with the police. Al Reynolds was arrested early Wednesday morning for driving with a suspended license. Reynolds` spokesman says incorrect DMV paperwork resulted in the suspension. He also says Star Jones came to her husband`s aid soon after hearing of his arrest and worked with authorities to clear up the mistake.
And Oprah doles out another bounty in her hunt for child molesters. On today`s show, Oprah gave $100,000 to two viewers from Belize who helped nab one of the men on her "Most Wanted" list.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." A.J., back to you. Oprah still doing good work.
HAMMER: Absolutely. Thanks so much, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood.
Well, as we reported earlier, President Bush has certainly been getting a lot of scrutiny this week, with Harriet Miers withdrawing as Supreme Court nominee, the 2,000th U.S. death in Iraq, and the investigation of the CIA leak.
And all of this coverage leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." A bad week for President Bush: Is the media coverage fair? Keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? Our e- mail address is showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll share some of your e-mails at 55 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a "Showbiz Sit-down" with Latin singing superstar Gloria Estefan. Gloria has five Grammy awards under her belt and is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
She`s now also a book author. She`s written her very first children`s book called, "The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog." Gloria Estefan just left Miami, where she lives with her husband, and the mess of Hurricane Wilma, and she`s joining me now.
Gloria, welcome.
GLORIA ESTEFAN, SINGER-SONGWRITER: Thank you, Brooke. It`s great to be here. And thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Of course. Of course. Now, you`re one of Miami`s most famous residents. You`ve lived there for years. Were you there when the hurricane struck?
ESTEFAN: Oh, yes. I was out on the book tour, actually, and I flew back to be with my family, because there was no way that I was going to be at peace knowing that they were there and I was elsewhere. And, yes, we went through it, once again.
ANDERSON: And as of today, we`re told it`s still a mess, that the power may not be restored for many for weeks. Was it bad for you?
ESTEFAN: Well, we just got our power back last night. I can`t complain. I mean, we really -- you know, we lost a lot of trees, like everyone in the city. And as long as we didn`t lose our lives or, you know, there wasn`t more of that kind of thing, I think we can`t complain.
We live in an area that`s very prone to that. We`ve seen more than our share of storms this year, so people are a bit weary. But we`re good. And everybody`s helping each other out. That`s what we do.
ANDERSON: That kind of puts it into perspective. Gloria, some people are saying those affects by Hurricane Wilma aren`t getting the same attention that those impacted by Katrina and Rita did. What do you think? Is the government doing enough?
ESTEFAN: Well, I think it`s natural. I think every time something happens, things get watered down, and watered down, and people are so tired, you know, that it`s going to take longer. And it`s a natural thing.
But you know what happens then? The infrastructure might not come through, but people come through. And we all try to do our best.
I knew that we just got power back in one of our restaurants. And I know there`s a lot of people without power. So we invited a thousand people with children to come by and have a hot lunch there on us. And everyone is trying to do something to help out during the hurricane, and that`s what we do. We help each other out, neighbors helping neighbors.
ANDERSON: How nice of you.
And something else you did, you and your husband, Emilio, had a concert in Miami for those impacted by Katrina and Rita. It was called Miami Rocks for Relief. How did that go? And will you do more for Wilma?
ESTEFAN: It went great. Queen Latifah came and helped us. A lot of people came down to Miami and helped us out. We made almost a million dollars with that.
ANDERSON: Wow!
ESTEFAN: Yes. It was great. You know, everybody tries to do whatever they can. I mean, I don`t know if concerts keep working because, you know, there were so many of them. But everybody`s going to do whatever they can in every walk of life. I know that happens.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s incredible that you did that. And something else that`s incredible, this children`s book. Congratulations. Debuted number two on the "New York Times" children`s book best-seller list.
It is so sweet, Gloria, about your very own, real-life English bulldog, Noelle. Noelle must be pretty special to you.
ESTEFAN: Noelle is very special. I have nine dogs, so that should show you how special she is that she got her own book. She really is a very unique dog.
ANDERSON: How did the other eight feel about this?
(LAUGHTER)
ESTEFAN: They`re happy. They`re family. When your family succeeds, you`re happy for them.
No, they`re in the book, too. The five Dalmatians are in the book. The only ones that aren`t in are Noelle`s puppies that she had, because she is a puppy in the book. And this is the beginning of Noelle`s life.
And we`re thrilled beyond words. It came from a very honest place. And I wanted to share a lot of the real-life experiences with her, taken to fantasy. Plant some seeds of, you know, in kids` heads at a young age of believing in who you are and finding that sometimes you`re weak -- what you think are weaknesses can become your strengths.
ANDERSON: Because it`s a metaphor, really, for Noelle`s own story, right?
ESTEFAN: Exactly. Noelle`s an immigrant. She came to my house, tried to blend in with the Dalmatians. It reminded me a lot of my own story coming to this country as a very young girl.
And it`s just for anyone that, at any point in your life, has felt left out or has felt that they don`t belong. And I think that it`s important that kids realize that they do have power to change their lives and that we`re all connected, and that we`re all -- we can all be helpful in some way in life.
ANDERSON: And your foundation, the Gloria Estefan Foundation, you founded that in the `90s. The money from the book is going there, right? Explain what this foundation aims to do.
ESTEFAN: Well, my foundation tries to help things that -- people that fall through the cracks, that can`t get help from big organizations. We do a lot of things with pediatric AIDS, with any children-related things. There`s a lot of -- in Miami, we work with Amigos for Kids, that work with homeless families.
So we try to -- like, for example, if a hospital can`t afford to buy a machine for the pediatric AIDS unit, we`ve done that. We try to fill in where people don`t help out.
ANDERSON: Oh, how wonderful, Gloria. Thank you for being here. And please give my best to Noelle and the other eight, as well.
ESTEFAN: I sure will. Even though I can`t bring her on the road, she`s with me at all the signings, because we had her paw print put on a stamp. So she`s stamping the books along with me.
ANDERSON: Noelle`s a celebrity in her own right. Well, thank you so much.
ESTEFAN: Yes, she is.
ANDERSON: And Gloria Estefan`s book, "The Magically Mysterious Adventures of Noelle the Bulldog," is in stores now. It also comes with a CD which includes Gloria`s first children`s song.
HAMMER: Gloria Estefan, one of my favorite people in the business. So is Patti LaBelle. She`s teamed up with Grammy-nominated songwriter Denise Rich. They`re lending their talents to a new song for hurricane relief. There`s a lot of star power behind this one. Patti and Denise, here live next in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Plus, how do the stars lose weight so quickly after having a baby? And is it safe? We`ll find out, coming up.
HAMMER: But first, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT birthday shout-out, where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight, it`s a birthday shout-out to Kelly Osbourne. Kelly is celebrating her 21st birthday today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Joe. Consider me the Joe you know. I got something to say to little Kelly Osbourne, girl. Happy birthday, sister lady! Mwah!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Well, banishing the baby weight, Hollywood-style. It`s no secret that the blossoming bellies of some of Hollywood`s a-list moms have disappeared faster than you can say, "It`s a boy," or, "It`s a girl." So how do they do that?
Well, joining us live in Hollywood, "People" magazine`s west coast associate bureau chief, Julie Jordan.
Hi, Julie.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hi, how are you?
ANDERSON: Doing well, thank you. The new cover girl is Denise Richards. You spoke with her just weeks after she gave birth, already slimmed down, back to her pre-baby weight. How does she say she did it?
JORDAN: Well, she looks amazing. She wants to make sure that everybody knows she has a c-section, so she didn`t want people to think she immediately started exercising. But right at that six-weeks mark, she completely started working with her trainer. She`s really dedicated.
She got up at 4:30 every morning and, you know, worked out between 5:00 and 6:00, four to six times a week. So she also follows a really strict diet, in terms of portion control. And it`s about doing what`s good for her body and really working to get those pounds off, which she has done successfully.
ANDERSON: I would say that is some discipline. And she`s been under intense pressure lately, both personally and professionally. Could the stress have added to it?
JORDAN: Well, she jokingly said, you know, she was on the stress diet. There was a lot going on. There`s the very public saga of her marriage to Charlie Sheen. She`s got two kids she`s raising.
She was, you know, working on a series at the same time. And so it was a lot to balance. But she really managed to kind of do it the right way, very, you know, conscious of being healthy, taking care of herself, and really finding time to embrace what`s good about, you know, taking care of your body. And that`s what it was all about for her.
ANDERSON: And Britney Spears, you also have pictures of her in this issue. What a difference. How has she done it?
JORDAN: Well, she says that her mom was the key force. She said, her mother, after she had her baby, said her body had never looked better. So I think that`s what Britney`s kind of embracing.
She`s really all about strengthening herself, both, you know, inside and out. She looks wonderful. She`s working to get the pounds off, but I would imagine in, you know, less than a few months you`re going to see her back to pre-baby form.
ANDERSON: She already does look great. And Holly Robinson Peete has twins, even more weight to lose. But, Julie, these celebrities have so many resources at their disposal, chefs, trainers, nutritionists, money, not to mention time.
Is this rapid weight loss sending the wrong message? Because this lifestyle isn`t the reality for most.
JORDAN: Right. I think it`s just hard, because you have to remember this is their livelihood. I mean, they have to get this weight off to go back to work. So, obviously, for women everywhere, you know, you want the lose the weight really fast, but, you know, if you`re going to be smart about it, all the doctors have told us, pretty much it`s -- for as long as it takes to put the weight on, you`ve got to give it that time to take it off.
Unfortunately for the celebrities, you know, that are pregnant, they don`t have that option. They`ve got to get back into pre-baby shape immediately following the baby`s birth. Fortunately, they`ve got, like you said, trainers. They`ve got nutritionists.
They`re doing it the right way, but they`re looking sensational. So they`re telling us that they`re being careful about it, and that`s the important part.
ANDERSON: Well, that is good to hear. Julie Jordan from "People" magazine, thank you so much.
JORDAN: Thanks.
ANDERSON: And you can read the interview with Denise Richards in the new issue of "People" magazine. It hits newsstands everywhere tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, an all-star single to benefit hurricane disaster victims. It`s called "Come Together Now." Great song, with big names like Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard, even a couple of Backstreet Boys in the mix, among the 27 artists who lent their voices.
Let`s take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Come together...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): ... only then will I understand...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): ... reaching out can make a difference (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): ... only every woman, every man, to come together now...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The incredible Patti LaBelle is here with us live tonight, along with Grammy-nominated songwriter and philanthropist Denise Rich, who co-wrote and produced the song along with Sharon Stone.
Denise, it`s a pleasure to have you here. And Ms. Patti, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
PATTI LABELLE, SINGER: Oh, I`m happy to be here. We`re here for a good reason.
HAMMER: Yes, you are. It`s been 20 years since so many artists got together for a song, for one cause. Of course, "We Are the World" is 20 years old at this point. Why was this the right time to do this song?
LABELLE: Oh, it`s always time to do a song like this. I mean, look at everything that`s happening around the world. And there are...
DENISE RICH, SONGWRITER: There are 1.5 million people homeless still, just in New Orleans. So it`s a very important time.
HAMMER: And do you feel confident that doing a song, putting this out there, can make a difference?
RICH: Absolutely. Absolutely.
LABELLE: If people pay attention. If people want to help, and people -- if they love the way we know they do, they`re going to help. Because there are 200,000 people who are still homeless in New Orleans. And so many places, they`re just wrecked. They have nothing.
And Denise, thank God she pulled this together and got 27 wonderful artists, and we did this song. And everybody has to purchase and lift up someone. You know, we all have to do this.
HAMMER: And the images all stay in our minds. And you chose images from the CNN coverage...
LABELLE: Yes.
HAMMER: ... of the hurricanes for the video for this song. Were you riveted and glued to your television while this was going on? And was that part of your inspiration?
RICH: Absolutely. Originally, this song was written for the tsunami. And we wanted to raise money for tsunami relief. And then, when Katrina happened, and the hurricane, we said, "Now charity begins at home." So what happened was we took footage from CNN, and all the artists came and gave their time, incredible. Patti was out there calling artists, too...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Well, I would imagine -- either of you pick up the phone to call an artist, everybody knows you from your songwriting, Denise...
LABELLE: They already know Denise very well. And they`re wonderful people. They said yes.
RICH: And they all came from all over the country. And we went to Las Vegas to record Celine. We went everywhere, all over. And it`s -- I really believe that the song will raise a lot of funds for Katrina relief.
HAMMER: For the hurricane relief. We`re seeing some of the images now, both from the hurricane and from the singing sessions. I imagine there were some magical moments that happened.
LABELLE: Oh, gosh.
HAMMER: What was the most magical moment of the recording session for you?
LABELLE: I guess the whole thing. I mean, I can`t pick out just one. Everybody was so phenomenal, the whole 27. And just the thought that we were doing something to benefit the world, I think it benefits the world.
RICH: I have to say, also, like Damon Sharpe, Mark Feist, Sharon Stone, who are two producers and songwriters from L.A.
HAMMER: And Sharon Stone, people wouldn`t ordinarily think would be involved. Why was Sharon involved?
RICH: The three of them called me. And I co-written a song with Damon for the "Chicago" soundtrack called "Love is a Crime" for Anastasia, Grammy-winning soundtrack. So I was very excited when they called me and said this would be a great project.
And they said, "Listen, we want to make a difference, and we want to raise money, you know, to help for hurricane relief." And so, that`s how it came about. And the song was inspired. And then it just took us about six months to get this going. We were working since January.
LABELLE: Everybody came together.
HAMMER: And, again, I`m sure you were the glue that kept them together.
And real quickly, I`m going to mention the iTunes in a moment, but there`s another way people can purchase the song?
RICH: Yes. Also through independent record label 785. It`s going to be on there. And it`s going to be released through 785 Records in November 24th around Thanksgiving.
HAMMER: Terrific. Denise Rich, a pleasure to meet you.
(CROSSTALK)
RICH: And Bud Ellison (ph), my musical director who passed on yesterday, we love you.
HAMMER: Our condolences on that.
RICH: Thank you, darling.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And you can find the song, "Come Together Now," on iTunes for download right now. It`ll be in stores next month.
RICH: And the video on AOL.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: It is the dress that dared to ask the question, how low can J-Lo`s neckline go? We`ll take a look at other dresses that made jaws drop, next in "Thursday InStyle."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Time now for "Thursday InStyle." Tonight, fashion director Hal Rubenstein tells us about some of the dresses that rocked the red carpet and changed fashion forever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAL RUBENSTEIN, FASHION DIRECTOR: Well, the idea behind "10 Best Dresses" is something that -- there are certain dresses we just remember.
I think the one that stands out the most is naturally the one that we lead with in the story, which is Gianni Versace`s safety pin dress. Before Elizabeth Hurley ever wore this dress, nobody knew who Elizabeth Hurley was. All you saw was this photograph of Elizabeth Hurley that got shot around the world. And suddenly, this girl had a presence and a persona.
The second most popular image in the history of film is Marilyn Monroe wearing this halter-neck white-pleated dress from Trivea (ph) that she wore in the film "Seven Year Itch" to the opening of the "Seven Year Itch."
The first thing you ever think of when you think of Jennifer Lopez is, quote, "that dress." It had been worn by Donatello herself at the costume institute. And she met her around Christmas time.
And, yet, at the Grammy Awards, here comes this sort of hand-me-down dress on Jennifer Lopez. And the world just stopped dead and dropped jaws in front of their TV sets around the world. And just nobody hears a word that she is saying.
Princess Diana`s wedding dress is not so much a gown as it is -- it`s just this explosion. The sad thing about that dress is not just the fact that their marriage was not a happy one, but that it spawned so many hundreds of thousands of truly awful wedding gowns. Basically, that dress is pretty much a crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. To read about those and more dresses that rocked the world, pick up a copy of "InStyle" magazine on newsstands now.
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." A bad week for President Bush: Is media coverage fair?
Here`s the vote so far: 65 percent of you say, yes, coverage fair; 35 percent of say, no, it`s not.
Among the e-mails we`ve received, one from Christy in Iowa who writes, "The only way the media can be unfair is to tell lies. The Bush administration is now forced to account for their actions."
Melissa in Maryland writes, "This is the news. Positive or negative for President Bush, it should be reported."
Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: Time now to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So here is the Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, gather around kiddies. It`s story time with John Lithgow. John stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to read us a bedtime story. Really, I`m serious. I wouldn`t lie.
Plus, if you go trick or treating at the Lithgow house, what`ll you get? Find out, tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, just in time for Halloween, James Van Praagh. He sees dead people, including some really famous people. Psychic medium James Van Praagh on a search for haunted places and things. And he`s live talking about the dead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, tomorrow.
This is the Marquee Guy. And for Halloween, I`m dressing up as Brooke Anderson. Now, that should be interesting.
ANDERSON: And that should be. Should I dress as the Marquee Guy, A.J.?
HAMMER: We would have no idea what that would look like, though, would we?
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: No.
HAMMER: Not at all. All right. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. Please stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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