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Showbiz Tonight
The Wrath of Oprah: Talk Show Host Turns on Controversial Author; Fellow Actors Mourn Chris Penn at Sundance Premiere; Nicole Kidman Tapped as U.N. Ambassador
Aired January 26, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news shows starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Oprah Winfrey`s unbelievable about face.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I am deeply sorry about that.
HAMMER: Oprah`s shocking apology for defending controversial author James Frey. And she confronts him on her show.
WINFREY: It is difficult for me to talk to you, because I really feel duped.
HAMMER: The remarkable Oprah-Frey face-off as she sorts out the facts from the fiction.
Dying to be thin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve never eaten meat since (ph).
HAMMER: A riveting documentary goes behind closed doors at an eating disorder clinic. It`s the buzz of the Sundance Film Festival, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is there live. Tonight, your first look at the gripping film with unprecedented access.
There`s something about Mary. Mary Tyler Moore turns "That 70`s Show" on with her smile. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there with her, behind the scenes. Tonight, Mary Tyler Moore in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
MARY TYLER MOORE, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Mary Tyler Moore. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi, there. I`m Brooke Anderson, live at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer, live in New York in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios.
Tonight, it`s the shocker of a story all of America`s talking about: the wrath of Oprah. On her show today, Oprah Winfrey did a stunning about face. She withdrew her defense of James Frey`s controversial memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," but that was just the beginning. She went a step further, going after the author face to face on live television. This was a side of Oprah that we rarely get to see.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT of course all over this story. For more, we go to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas, who is live in Hollywood -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. Sometimes apologetic and sometimes angry, Oprah confronted author James Frey, who has been accused of lying in key passages in his book about drug and alcohol addiction, "A Million Little Pieces."
And even though Oprah took responsibility for what she says she did wrong, she did not hesitate to rip Frey into a million little pieces.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WINFREY: I`ve been in television since I was 19 years old, and I have never been in this position.
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": This is a big deal. It`s like God admitting that she`s wrong.
VARGAS (voice-over): And the god of daytime television did just that today on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," backing off her endorsement of James Frey`s disputed addiction memoir, "A Million Little Pieces."
WINFREY: I made a mistake, and I left the impression that the truth does not matter. And I am deeply sorry about that.
VARGAS: Just months ago, Oprah Winfrey sent "A Million Little Pieces" into the millions-selling stratosphere, naming it to her famous book club.
WINFREY: It`s like nothing you`ve ever read before.
VARGAS: But even as The Smoking Gun web site starting disputing key details in the book, Oprah called into "LARRY KING LIVE" to stand by her writer.
WINFREY: The underlying message of redemption in James Frey`s memoir still resonates with me, and I know that it resonates with millions of other people who have read this book and will continue to read this book.
VARGAS: But today, Oprah changed her tune.
WINFREY: I called in because I loved the message of this book. And at the time, and every day, I was reading e-mail after e-mail from so many people who had been inspired by it. And I have to say that I allowed that to cloud my judgment.
VARGAS: Minutes later, Oprah followed up her apology with the tense and frank interview with the man she says conned her, James Frey.
WINFREY: It is difficult for me to talk to you, because I really feel duped. I feel duped. But more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers. And so now as I sit here today, I don`t know what is true, and I don`t know what isn`t.
VARGAS: Under heated questioning from Oprah. Frey came clean about what he calls his embellishments, each admission more shocking than the last. On the three months he wrote that he spent in jail?
WINFREY: How long were you in jail?
JAMES FREY, AUTHOR, "A MILLION LITTLE PIECES": I was in jail for -- they were right about that. I was in for a few hours, not -- not the time.
WINFREY: Not 87 days.
FREY: Correct.
WINFREY: OK.
VARGAS: On the girlfriend he says hanged herself.
FREY: She committed suicide, yes.
WINFREY: She hung herself?
FREY: That was one of the details I altered about her.
WINFREY: OK. And why?
FREY: Because all the way through the book, I altered details about every single one of the characters to render them unidentifiable.
VARGAS: And on the two root canals he says he had without anesthesia?
WINFREY: There were two root canals?
FREY: Yes.
WINFREY: There were two root canals?
FREY: I think so, yes. I don`t...
WINFREY: James, that doesn`t make any sense.
FREY: Since that time, I`ve struggled with the idea of it and...
WINFREY: No, the lie of it. That`s a lie. It`s not an idea, James. It`s a lie.
GOSTIN: It`s sort of cool watching Oprah, like, get really angry. Because it`s also it`s real. You know that she`s really annoyed. I wouldn`t have wanted to be James Frey for all the money in the world.
VARGAS: "A Million Little Pieces" had sold almost 3.5 million copies, and a sequel is on the shelves. But it`s clear, he`s alienated the single most powerful woman in publishing, if not the entire country.
KAREN HOLT, "PUBLISHERS WEEKLY": Now you know, he`s finding that, you know, you live by Oprah, you die by Oprah.
VARGAS: As for Oprah, she took some heat for sticking by Frey for so long. But no one thinks her vast influence is going to take a hit.
GOSTIN: It`s cool for her to say -- to admit that she`s embarrassed by it. And I`m sure she was annoyed with herself for defending him.
HOLT: Oprah`s clout within the publishing industry is rock solid. I mean, no matter what happened with James Frey, she can sell books better than anyone in the country.
VARGAS: But as still reeling Oprah Winfrey hopes the one thing people remember about the whole "Million Little Pieces" mess is the one thing that got lost.
WINFREY: I believe that the truth matters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: On the show Oprah also confronted the book`s editor, who said she also had no idea it had been embellished. And proving that she can take criticism as well as give it, Oprah also talked to columnists who had criticized her defense of the book. It was one of those special cases when a book discussion makes great TV. Very powerful stuff, A.J.
HAMMER: It was an amazing hour to watch. Thanks very much, Sibila. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood.
And now, in a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview, the managing editor of the web site that investigated and broke the James Frey story, basically got this whole thing started. Joining me live in New York, Andrew Goldberg from TheSmokingGun.com.
Nice to have you here, Andrew.
ANDREW GOLDBERG, THESMOKINGGUN.COM: Nice to be here with you.
HAMMER: Big day for you guys, I guess. You watched it on TV. James Frey has been standing by his story, basically saying, "No, no. None of what they`re reporting is true" since January 8 when you broke it. Today, were you guys, were you just throwing your hands up in the air and walking around with a big case of the "I told you so`s"?
GOLDBERG: Well, for us it was finally over. You know, I mean, he had said time and time again, "I stand by my story." In fact, after we did our original story, he posted something on his web site, saying we`re going to be issuing an apology and a retraction at some point soon.
HAMMER: Coming from where?
GOLDBERG: Coming from I don`t know. Look, we don`t -- we haven`t had to do that. You know, our reputation is impeccable and it remains that way when it comes to reporting on stories. And mainly because we do original source documents. Look, the paper is right there. Dispute that.
So when we saw this, you know, we said, "Finally," and "it`s over." We`ve gotten a lot of e-mails and stuff from people who have been very angry at us for doing this story. But look, he fell on the sword today. He had to do it. And Oprah was the one who had to make him do it.
HAMMER: As you said, the documents were there. It was right there in black and white. Why did you guys go after the story in the first place? What led you to investigate the book?
GOLDBERG: You know, the book`s been out since 2003, and we really -- none of us had read it, you know? Somebody sent an e-mail, said, "Hey, do you want to track down this guy`s mug shot. He tells this fabulous story about, you know, getting into a fight with cops. He`s on crack at the time. There`s alcohol involved. Love to see what he looked like at the time of his arrest."
When we went to where the photo should be, it wasn`t there. Suddenly, that raises alarms to us, because we`ve done this so many times. And things just started to snowball from there.
HAMMER: Richard Cohen was on the show from "The Washington Post." He says, you know, preventing this whole thing would have been as simple as hiring a fact checker for $25,000, $30,000. That`s what you`re in the business of checking out. Do you agree that that could have prevented all this from happening?
GOLDBERG: Well, we`re reporters, you know. And there`s a different rule and a different world that the book publishing industry seems to live by. Nan Talese was taken to task by Oprah for that today. And I think publishing has to take a good hard look at itself and say, "Look, we understand the wink-wink, nudge-nudge rule of our industry. But you know what? We`re selling to people who don`t understand how these insiders in publishing play, exactly."
HAMMER: Well, as you said, it`s over for you guys, now. You can move on.
GOLDBERG: Right.
HAMMER: Andrew Goldberg from TheSmokingGun.com. Always nice to see you. Thanks for joining us.
And I should point out that The Smoking Gun is part of the Time Warner family which also owns CNN Headline News.
ANDERSON: Here at Sundance, the premiere of "The Darwin Awards" turned into a tribute to actor Chris Penn, who appears in the film.
Penn was found dead at his home in Santa Monica, California, on Tuesday. An autopsy showed no signs of foul play or suicide. But medical examiners say they won`t be able to determine the cause of death until toxicology tests come back, and that could take up to eight weeks.
At the premiere of "The Darwin Awards" here in Park City, Penn`s co- stars, including his longtime friend Winona Ryder, paid tribute to him. Ryder called him a master character actor and not just Sean`s little brother.
And we caught up with Wilmer Valderrama, who`s also in the film.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILMER VALDERRAMA, ACTOR: Very unexpected. I think no one really expects these things to happen, especially the timing was incredibly unpredictable. He`ll definitely be missed. I mean, he`s definitely one of the greatest, you know, character actors. I appreciate that, because you know, that`s how I built my career from the beginning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Actor Charlie Sheen has been friends with Chris Penn since childhood. And late today, he issued a statement saying, quote, "Chris was a good and decent man, a talent sometimes too bright for either screen. The best friend a guy could ever hope for. And I loved him."
So tributes are pouring in from all over Hollywood and here at Sundance after the tragic death of this very talented actor.
We will have a more coverage of the Sundance Film Festival coming up. Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show live here at the Sundance Film Festival. So stay with us for the rest of the week. We are bringing you breaking news, one-on-one interviews with the biggest stars and a look behind the scenes, including the swag suites. You will not believe some of the free goodies that celebrities are walking away with here at the Sundance Film Festival. And we will have that coming up later on in the show.
HAMMER: It`s always the people who need it the least who get the free stuff the most.
Plus, we have Nicole Kidman, who suddenly has something in common with Angelina Jolie. Kidman herself is going to tell us about her new real-life role. That`s coming up
ANDERSON: And dying to be thin. A riveting documentary goes behind closed doors at an eating disorder clinic. It`s getting lots of buzz here at Sundance. Your first look at the film. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tonight. We are TV`s only live entertainment new show. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Well, tonight, Nicole Kidman has landed one of the biggest roles of her life. Today she was named a U.N. goodwill ambassador. And she came first to CNN`s Richard Roth to tell her story.
Richard, live right now at the United Nations. And Richard, the United Nations not such an unfamiliar territory for Nicole Kidman?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, two years ago Nicole Kidman was here in the building shooting the movie "The Interpreter." She played an interpreter who overhears an assassination plot. A fictional country, the leader of the country, Motubo (ph).
But now Kidman is going to become an ambassador herself, a bit of a promotion. She`s going to work for UNIFAM, the U.N. women`s rights agency, going out around the world to investigate and speak out about violence against women and gender rights.
I asked Nicole, does she feel like celebrities have a special responsibility to do more for humanitarian causes?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS/U.N. GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: I think everyone -- everyone to their own thing. We all do what we`re capable of. We know how much we`re capable of giving, how much we`re capable of doing. And I don`t judge anybody. So -- so if someone in a prominent position doesn`t want to, that`s their own -- that`s their choice.
ROTH: Do celebrities really distract from the cause in certain situations?
KIDMAN: I hope not. Which is why I say, with myself, I really -- it`s not about me. I mean, I`m sort of a person that likes to stay out of the limelight, doesn`t seek it out. I happen to be an actor, who loves -- I love what I do.
ROTH: What do celebrities bring to this, that those involved with the cause day to day do not?
KIDMAN: I suppose the -- the ability to -- for the press to support you and to hear you in a more -- I suppose you reach different audiences. I mean, there`s certain people that will tune in to CNN and watch the news and there`s certain people that won`t. And hopefully, if you`re in a position where someone recognizes your face, they will then leave the TV running or read the article in relation to that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROTH: Nicole Kidman says the idea of helping people was instilled in her early on by her parents. She`s just the latest, A.J., in a long line of messengers of peace, goodwill ambassadors, such as Michael Douglas, Jackie Chan and of course, Angelina Jolie. There`s almost as many of them as U.N. member countries, 191 here.
HAMMER: Richard, it`s so interesting. We`re so accustomed to seeing Nicole Kidman in her actress mode. But she really seems all business when it comes to this, isn`t she?
ROTH: Very relaxed, though, I think. In control and looking forward to the challenge. She says she`s not an expert. She`s going to bone up on the issues. First stop, maybe Congo, Sudan, Afghanistan, some place like that.
HAMMER: Richard, thanks so much. CNN`s Richard Roth reporting for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And now we would like to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. What do you think? Celebrity U.N. ambassadors: do they make a difference? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. And we`ll read some of what you have to say later in the show.
ANDERSON: I`m here live at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where it isn`t all about independent filmmaking. Sundance is also known for its swag. And when I say swag, I mean free luxury gift items for A-list celebrities.
Well, I got a sneak peek into what it`s like a star at a Sundance swag suite. And I started a celebrity favorite, the Ugg Luxury Lounge at Village on the Lift -- Village at the Lift right here on Main Street.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I`m here with Greg Neilson, and you do P.R. for Ugg.
GREG NEILSON, UGG BOOTS SUITE COORDINATOR: That`s right.
ANDERSON: Thanks for having us, first of all, and letting me have a little fun trying things on.
But I want to ask you, you see celebrities come in here all day throughout the day. Right?
NEILSON: Quite a bit of people. We had everybody from Kelly Osbourne, to Dennis Quaid was here yesterday. We`ve had Crispin Glover in here, as well as Terrence Howard and a bunch of other people.
ANDERSON: Now, did Dennis Quaid and Terrence Howard try on these fuzzy boots?
NEILSON: I`m afraid not, but Dennis Quaid`s wife did, actually, so yes.
ANDERSON: The Ugg Luxury Spa here at Village at the Lift is just one of many gift suites on Main Street here in Park City. So let`s check out another one.
From Pony (ph) sneakers to Rocawear jackets, I`m here at Fred Siegel now, and let me tell you, they`ve got just about everything. Also, Le Mystere lingerie and even designer jeans.
Here`s Taylor from James Jeans, does P.R. for James Jeans, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
ANDERSON: Nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks for coming back.
ANDERSON: And thanks for having us. What celebrities have come in and racked up on these awesome jeans?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone from Carmen Electra, Dave Navarro, Tommy Lee, Paris Hilton. They`ve all walked out with at least four pairs. And...
ANDERSON: Four pairs?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, they`re flying out of here.
ANDERSON: Clothes and shoes aren`t the only items in the gift suites. We`ve also got plenty of accessories. Let`s take a look at some watches. We`re here with Pierric from Aquanautic. Nice to meet you.
PIERRIC LE ROI, AQUANAUTIC WATCHES: Nice to meet you.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke. Talk to me how much in stores these types of items would cost.
LE ROI: The basic watch starts at one thousand dollars. And so you can go up to, for example, for this one, that is $11,000.
ANDERSON: OK. So you`ve been giving that one away.
LE ROI: Yes.
ANDERSON: How much is that one worth?
LE ROI: This one is $2,500.
ANDERSON: Still, a $2,500 watch.
LE ROI: Yes.
ANDERSON: What celebrities have walked out with that watch on their wrist?
LE ROI: We gave some watches to Daryl Hanna, to John Cusack, to Bai Ling (ph), to Billy Worth (ph), to Eleanor Christiansen (ph). And so we give about 20, 25 watches given away during Sundance.
ANDERSON: Now, celebrities` outfits wouldn`t be complete without the perfect pair of sunglasses, so here we have that as well in Fred Siegel. We have Jackie Jordan.
JACKIE JORDAN, Daniel Swarovski Crystal Eyewear: Yes.
ANDERSON: Nice to meet you. What do you have here?
JORDAN: This is the Daniel Swarovski crystal eyewear collection. The sun 2006 collection that`s launching in about two weeks. And they`re 23- carat gold hand set Swarovski crystals. These retail for between $550 and $950.
ANDERSON: Who has come in and gotten these sunglasses?
JORDAN: A lot of great celebrities: Joan Cusack, which everyone was excited about, because she`s so great. Matt Dillon, Robert Lowe, Robert Downey, Jr., Paris Hilton.
ANDERSON: There`s a theme.
JORDAN: Everyone. Paris is definitely a theme.
ANDERSON: She`s gotten one of everything.
JORDAN: And sometimes ten of everything.
ANDERSON: I hope you enjoyed this trip through the swag sweets as much as I did. Celebrities, of course, leave with tons and tons of swag. Me, I`m leaving empty handed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And I did.
Now, incredibly, each of the people I talked with, their companies, they`re spending tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes more than that to bring their wares to the Sundance Film Festival and give them away for free to the stars. And they told me that it is all worth it if A-list celebrities are photographed wearing their products.
Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show live at the Sundance Film Festival. We are bringing you breaking news, one-on-one interviews with the stars and the coolest stories from behind the scenes.
A.J., that swag, it`s crazy. Right?
HAMMER: It`s great stuff. And I think a lot of people don`t realize that this goes on regularly with show business. Everything, you know, from watches to automobiles. And it`s publicity that money can`t buy.
But my guess is, Brooke, and tell me if I`m wrong, a lot of the celebs probably think not too cool to wear the stuff they just got while they`re there at Sundance?
ANDERSON: You know what? Actually, they were wearing what they just had. At some of the premieres, on the lines, stars would tell us, "Hey, I`m decked out in all free clothes I just got an hour ago." So they weren`t afraid to do it. And it was just really hard to fathom. I would see them walk into the gift suites and then walk out with shopping bags overflowing with sometimes tens of thousands of dollars worth of items.
HAMMER: It`s amazing.
ANDERSON: So it is. It`s truly incredible.
HAMMER: You`ve got to get your hand on something there, Brooke. We`ll talk to you in just a couple of moments.
And coming up, Mary Tyler Moore takes a nothing day at "That `70s Show" and suddenly makes it all seem worthwhile. Behind the scenes with Mary Tyler Moore on the set, coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, dying to be thin. A riveting documentary that takes us behind closed the scenes of an eating disorder clinic. It`s a documentary here that`s got a lot of buzz. Coming up, we have your first look.
HAMMER: And, your very first look at a very different kind of film, "Scary Movie 4." We have the movie`s take on the Oprah couch-jumping incident. It`s real funny, and it`s ahead in the "SHOWBIZ Showcase."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is time now for "Thursday InStyle."
You may be familiar with Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Well, as we`re about to show, she is one rock star with some pretty down to earth tastes. Here are Fergie`s guilty pleasures.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUZANNE ZUCKERMAN, "INSTYLE": You cannot turn on the radio without hearing a Fergie song. She is the breakout star of the Black Eyed Peas, and she`s just totally beautiful. She also has a really hot young Hollywood hunk, Josh Duhamel, who`s the star of NBC`s "Las Vegas."
Fergie loves to eat cereal but strictly only at midnight. And her favorite midnight snack is Captain Crunch Crunchberry cereal. She says that it has a distinct taste all its own.
Fergie actually loves to go to Hawaii and she`s taking a trip with her boyfriend, Josh Duhamel, to the big island. She says that there`s nothing better than the clear water, the palm trees and a perfect glass of pineapple juice.
Fergie is obsessed with Famous Amos cookies. They`re those crunchy little chocolate chip cookies. And she says that whenever she`s homesick they give her a little taste of home. But she`s never home, so therefore she must eat them all the time. Although you`d never know it from her very, very thin figure.
Fergie says that ever since the days of "Kids Incorporated," which she was on when she was a child star, her karaoke song of choice has been Madonna`s "Like a Virgin."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: If you`d like to read up on more of Fergie`s guilty pleasures, just grab a copy of "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
And don`t forget to check out "InStyle`s" upcoming wedding special. They`re going to take you behind the scenes of top celebrity weddings, including exclusive interviews with some of the newlywed stars. "InStyle Celebrity Weddings" airs Monday on ABC.
ANDERSON: It is a stunning about face for Oprah Winfrey. First, she defended author James Frey and now she`s on the offensive, saying she`s disappointed and embarrassed. More on what it all means, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, dying to be thin. A riveting documentary shows what actually goes on behind closed doors at an eating disorder clinic. And we`ve got that buzz, coming up.
ANDERSON: And after all these years, there`s still something about Mary Tyler Moore. We`re behind the scenes from her guest starring role on "That `70s Show," still ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson at the Sundance Film Festival at the Treasure Mountain Inn in Park City, Utah. You are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, coming up in just a few moments, we`re actually going to have a very riveting story about something going on there at Sundance. It`s a film that`s getting an awful lot of buzz from things I`m reading back here in New York -- you`ll have to fill us in this -- about cameras getting unprecedented access to an eating disorder clinic.
This is something that basically has never happened before. It follows the story of four women, including one who will stop at nothing to reach her goal weight. And it just amazing to behold. You`ll fill us in on that in just a moment.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. I`ve seen the documentary, A.J., and it`s heartbreaking to see these women really in the process of killing themselves. But it is, the documentary getting a lot of buzz. It is an HBO film.
Also, A.J., Mary Tyler Moore, a television icon. She`s actually guest starring on a few episodes of "That `70s Show." And we got an exclusive VIP invitation to the set. Mary Tyler Moore and I talked about TV news today, and we also talked about sex on TV. And you may be really surprised at what she had to say about that. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: I`m fascinated to see a conversation between Brooke Anderson and Mary Tyler Moore about sex. We`ll see that in just a few moments.
But first, let us get to tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joining us once again from Hollywood. Hi, Sibila.
VARGAS: How do I follow that, A.J.? (INAUDIBLE) a stunning Oprah about-face today. During her talk show today, Oprah Winfrey told James Frey that he betrayed his readers and that she feels, quote, "duped." Frey, the author of "A Million Little Pieces," now admits to making up details in his memoir. Winfrey previously came under fire for shrugging off criticism about Frey`s work. After she picked the memoir for her book club in September, and sales skyrocketed.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie showed up in Switzerland. The pair schmoozed with political powerful at the World Economic Forum in Davos and chatted up U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan. Jolie is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Panel. The forum is a yearly gathering of business and political movers and shakers.
And Jolie and Nicole Kidman might be sharing some water cooler chat over at the U.N. Kidman was named goodwill ambassador for women today. She`ll work on issues like ending violence against women all over the globe. The actress says her fame will help her message reach a variety of audiences.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
HAMMER: Sibila, thanks so much.
VARGAS: A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: All right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joining us from Hollywood.
That last story right there leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re wondering what you think. Celebrity U.N. ambassadors: Do they make a difference?
You can continue to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also still write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read your e-mails at 55 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Right now, more SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coverage here at the Sundance Film Festival. Right now, a heartbreaking, heart-wrenching story of four women who are all suffering from the eating disorder anorexia. And as you will see, one woman is so determined to be thin that she will stop at nothing to be there, even if it kills her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve always been overweight, and I`m never going to be thin. I was always the fat kid.
ANDERSON (voice-over): She`s dying to be thin.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to be thin. I want to be thin.
ANDERSON: Brittany (ph) suffers from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. So do Polly, Elisa and Shelly. The new documentary, "Thin," provides an intimate and shocking look at these four women and their battles with body image.
LAUREN GREENFIELD, DIRECTOR, "THIN": I want people to learn what it`s like to have an eating disorder, what the day-to-day reality is like, that it`s not the glamorous illness that we sometimes see in the magazines that celebrities have.
ANDERSON: Photographer-turned-filmmaker Lauren Greenfield gained unprecedented access into a Florida treatment center. For 10 weeks, her cameras captured the gritty reality of the recovery process.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re going to drop dead at any time, and you don`t realize that.
ANDERSON: Intensely private family therapy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel so weak compared to her, so stupid compared to her.
ANDERSON: Emotional group sessions.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s so many thin girls, and I`m not one of them. I can`t take it anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re so honest, it`s so...
ANDERSON: Even heart-wrenching art therapy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think, looking at this one?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see problem areas.
ANDERSON: All caught on tape.
GREENFIELD: I think societal pressure and media pressures about body image are a big reason that we`re seeing such high numbers of girls with eating disorders now.
ANDERSON: Greenfield says this documentary grew from the pages of her acclaimed photo book, "Girl Culture." For five years, she tracked the relationship between women and their bodies, and what she discovered is disturbing.
GREENFIELD: I think the body has become a very powerful vehicle for girls to use. One girl who was in my book, "Girl Culture," Erin said that she don`t know how to use her voice, so she used her body instead.
ANDERSON: The women in Greenfield`s film are far from alone. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life-and-death battle with an eating disorder.
GREENFIELD: It`s hard to witness girls with eating disorders, because it is a slow suicide. Holly was saying today that she has the bones of a 65-year-old at 31 years old. Elisa has two children, and at one point in the film she says all she cares about is being thin, and that was her whole goal, and if it takes dying to get there, so be it.
ANDERSON: Ultimately, the women in Greenfield`s film hope that sharing their pain will help others.
GREENFIELD: It`s so difficult to have this illness. It`s such misery at times. And they felt that, if this film could help one parent or one parent identify their daughter with an eating disorder, they wanted to do it, if it could make a difference in someone else` life.
ANDERSON: As for Lauren Greenfield, if the film effects just one person or maybe saves one life, all the work, all the effort will have been worth it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "Thin" will air on HBO this fall.
Well, the Sundance Film Festival is not over yet. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be back tomorrow. We are the only entertainment news show live here at the Sundance Film Festival. We are bringing you breaking news, one-on- one interviews with the stars, so be sure to tune in tomorrow, Friday, at 7:00 and 11:00 Eastern.
OK, "That `70s Show" star Wilmer Valderrama, who plays Fez on the FOX show, is here at the Sundance Film Festival to promote his newest movie, "The Darwin Awards." We caught up with him earlier today and asked him about his former girlfriend, Lindsay Lohan, and the revelation that it was he who broke up with her, partly because of her neediness during a struggle with an eating disorder. Let`s listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILMER VALDERRAMA, ACTOR: You know, I love her. And if she ever needs me, I will always be there. We`re friends. We`re friends. And I do (INAUDIBLE) again, you know, no (INAUDIBLE) about it, but just I really hope to God that she (INAUDIBLE) an incredible talent, and I wish her the best. And furthermore, she`ll always be my baby girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: His voice was a little bit scratchy. He told us he actually lost his voice at the Metallica concert here at the Sundance Film Festival last night. Metallica is featured in his movie, "The Darwin Awards."
Coming up, we`re going behind the scenes with Mary Tyler Moore on the set of "That `70s Show." She`s actually appearing as a guest star in a few episodes.
HAMMER: You`re walking down the street there in Sundance, Park City, there, Brooke. You`re seeing Wilmer Valderrama over here, maybe Robert Redford over there, celebrities everywhere. I imagine there have to be some autograph-seekers and probably a lot of paparazzi around?
ANDERSON: They`re everywhere, A.J. In fact, it`s really good you brought that up, because a few hours ago I was walking along Main Street and there was such a commotion outside of a building. And as I got closer, paparazzi everywhere, fans everywhere, screaming. As I got closer, Justin Timberlake walked out of the building. Everyone was going nuts, flashes everywhere. Justin calmly just waved. He and his publicist got into his car and then they left.
So you`re right. You`re seeing them everywhere. And fans and the paparazzi are really keeping their eyes peeled for the next celebrity to pop up at any moment. It`s really exciting. You never know who you`re going to run into.
HAMMER: But generally, I still get the impression everybody is just kind of intermingling there, the public and the people who just came there to see the movies and the stars themselves.
ANDERSON: That is the case, but I have seen a few bodyguards, I will tell you that. So I guess it can be a little bit scary for them when people run at them and ask for their autograph. So I have seen some stars with their bodyguards tagging along a few feet behind them, as well.
HAMMER: I imagine it is scary. Probably not as scary as a club on Sunset Boulevard.
ANDERSON: True.
HAMMER: Well, we`ll check in with you in a few moments, once again, Brooke, out there at Sundance. And we`ll have more on Oprah`s stunning apology today, saying she feels duped by author James Frey and his book, "A Million Little Pieces."
Coming up, we`re asking will Oprah`s image take a hit? And what does this all mean for her book club? We`ll get into that, next.
ANDERSON: And we`ve got your first look at Oprah`s brand-new role in a new movie, and it is pretty scary. Your first look in the "Showbiz Showcase," coming up.
HAMMER: That`s not actually Oprah.
And this woman turning the world on with her smile again. Tonight, Mary Tyler Moore returning to the place where she got her groundbreaking TV series shot. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there with her.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
Well, it`s the story we told you about earlier. Everybody is talking about it today. Oprah, in a stunning about-face -- we have not seen this really come from Oprah, at least recently -- she`s come out swinging against James Frey, who`s the author of "A Million Little Pieces," on her show today.
Oprah tells Frey that he betrayed his readers by lying about details in his book, one that she had picked out for her book club and helped to make a best-seller.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I have been really embarrassed by this and, more importantly, feel that I acted in defense of you. And, you know, as I said, my judgment was clouded, because so many people -- you know, I was really behind this book. But now, I feel that you conned us all. Do you?
JAMES FREY, AUTHOR: I don`t feel like I conned you guys.
WINFREY: You don`t?
FREY: No.
WINFREY: Why?
FREY: Because I still think the book is about drug addiction and alcoholism.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Oprah added she was sorry for shrugging off early criticism about the book, but will her apology today hurt her image in the long run? That`s what we`re wondering. Joining us live in New York, branding expert Robin Koval, president of the Kaplan Thaler Group.
Thanks for being with us, Robin.
ROBIN KOVAL, KAPLAN THALER GROUP: Thank you.
HAMMER: So what was Oprah`s motivation today, do you think, coming from a position of expertise? Was she just doing damage control? Was she in pursuit of the truth, or probably a little bit of both?
KOVAL: You know, I think, overall, it was about the truth. I saw it in her face. She feels responsible to those viewers and she owed them an apology, an explanation, and an answer.
HAMMER: It took a little while, though. It was January 11th, I believe, when she phoned into Larry King, something that she wishes she hadn`t done, is what she said on her show today. She did eight shows since then. So why do you think she waited until now?
KOVAL: Well, first of all, I think that Larry King call was pure emotion. She was emotionally connected to the book. She was emotionally connected to the author.
It`s like, when your kid does something bad, you go, "Oh, no, no, that couldn`t have been him," and then you hear what happens. And you know what? Even Oprah doesn`t control the calendar. It takes a while. She wanted to give all those people a chance to say what they needed to say on that show. And it`s not about time; it was about the message, I think. And she did a great, great job.
HAMMER: And now that she has gotten the message out, I`m of the opinion -- and I have been really since this started -- Oprah is so much bigger than this. I think she`s going to walk away unscathed. I think the book club will be fine.
But again, from somebody who does this for a living, what`s your take on it?
KOVAL: You`re right. The book club is going to be fine. If you loved Oprah before, you loved her even more today. And I think for everybody, you have to say you respect this woman.
The book club, maybe they`ll choose some different books. Maybe she`ll have a little more fiction for a while. I know she`s doing "Night" with Elie Wiesel, another nonfiction book. The book club is going to be great. I thought she came off amazing today, a-plus.
HAMMER: Yes, I think it was really cool to see Oprah in that way. And just a quick yes or no question: James Frey, who does have another book out, "My Name is Leonard," is he done?
KOVAL: People are going to read the book because there`s just, you know...
HAMMER: The buzz is around?
KOVAL: ... pure buzz value. But she gave him a big gift today. He could have said three words, "I am story," and he never said that.
HAMMER: Never said that. Not at all. Well, Robin, thank you very much for joining us, Robin Koval from the Kaplan Thaler Group. We appreciate you being with us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
KOVAL: Thanks so much.
HAMMER: Well, from a very serious Oprah issue to some laughs at her expense in a brand-new movie, "Scary Movie 4," that`s in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase."
Now, if you`re not familiar with this series of movies, the "Scary Movie" films are kind of like spoofs of the biggest horror flicks that are out there. Think "Airplane" meets "Psycho."
In this latest installment though -- and I think this could be one of the best -- no one is spared. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one would have believed, in the early years of the 21st century, that our world was being watched by intelligences greater than our own.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Run!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s no time to explain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alien attack!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, actually that about sums it up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the worlds are at war...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A girl had a pet duck...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, the planet is under attack by aliens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I`ll handle that in a minute. Right now, I want to see what happens with the duck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More people will die.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You mean right now all of these children`s parents could be dead?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No grudge is strong enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s something going on in this house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t shake this feeling of evil.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No saw is sharp enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I did it. We`re saved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wrong foot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mother...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Scary Movie 4."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ready for the Tom Ryan express? Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s OK. I`ve taken balls to the face before.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on true events.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is in the building, the man who saved the world, Tom Ryan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m in love.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And there are some additional acrobatics there. "Scary Movie 4" hits theaters on April 14th.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a rare and revealing behind-the-scenes chat with a television icon, Mary Tyler Moore. She starred in a groundbreaking sitcom in the `70s, the "Mary Tyler Moore Show," a now she`s headed back to the decade of bell-bottoms and lava lamps. She`s guest starring on "That `70s Show," and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was invited to the set. Moore opened up about news on TV today, writing on TV, and even sex on TV. It is the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY TYLER MOORE, ACTRESS: Thank you, God, for my fantastic bone structure.
ANDERSON: It`s Mary Tyler Moore in `70s clothes playing a trailblazing woman at a Midwestern TV station.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: What`s up, Wisconsin?
ANDERSON: But, no, it`s not a reprisal of the "Mary Tyler Moore Show." It`s "That `70s Show," which happens to be filmed on the very same soundstage as the "Mary Tyler Moore Show."
MOORE: I remember being on this very soundstage and looking up at those very bleachers.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got the VIP invite as Moore went back to the stage. She guest stars as egotistic TV host Christine St. George. And she told me TV news isn`t what it use to be when she was at WJM.
MOORE: It`s a little depressing, isn`t it? Yes. And I wish the women wouldn`t wear so much lip gloss. It drives me crazy. I think there should be some dignity to the news, you know? But that`s my old, crazy, Walter Cronkite upbringing.
ANDERSON: And what about all that sex on TV?
MOORE: Well, there is double the amount of sex just on the sidewalk, right? Everywhere you look, in fashion magazines, everywhere, you know, it`s not the kind of thing I like to see. I like to do it, but I don`t like to watch other people doing it.
ANDERSON: Mary Tyler Moore, not holding back. She also told me she thinks intelligent writing is missing from television.
MOORE: Shakespeare said there are only seven plots in drama or comedy. And I think it`s just that it`s repeat of repeat of repeat. And so it loses its spark.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: She sure hasn`t lost her spark, has she? She was a pleasure to talk to. And she will guest star on three episodes of "That `70s Show," the first of which airs tonight on FOX.
HAMMER: And it looks like the sun is setting there in Park City. And whether you`re in Park City or Kansas City, there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Celebrity U.N. ambassadors: Do they make a difference?
Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight or write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails live, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there right downstairs from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT world headquarters, to be exact, as pop opera group Il Divo, formed by "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, performed at New York City`s Time-Warner Center last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (singing in Italian)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The music just makes me weepy. And the concert was part of a tour that the quartet is kicking off. Il Divo`s new album, "Ancora," came out this week.
Well, throughout the show, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Celebrity U.N. ambassadors: Do they make a difference?
Let`s see how the vote`s been going tonight: 37 percent of you say, yes, they do make a difference; 63 percent of you say, no, they don`t.
Among the e-mails we received, we got one from Jan. She`s in West Virginia and writes, "They have a positive effect because people see someone who is a role model and it motivates them to want to do more."
If you`d like to continue to vote, you can at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: It is time to take a look at what is playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. So let`s got to the "Showbiz Marquee." Marquee Guy, take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, plan b for Katie. The morning show battle is hotter than ever. Will Katie Couric leave "Today" to work at night on the "CBS Evening News"? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a possible secret NBC backup plan if she does bolt. Shh, don`t say anything. It`s a secret. But we`ll tell you about it tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, come on, get happy with Shirley Jones, live. Who can forget singing Shirley as the "Partridge Family" mom? Check out those groovy clothes. Now she`s trying to save another family from losing everything they`ve got. Shirley Jones, live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy. And A.J., Brooke, I think I love you...
ANDERSON: We think we love you, too. OK, that is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
