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Showbiz Tonight
Companies Pull Out Stops for Super Bowl Ads; Man Selling Private Paris Hilton Items; Patty Duke Dishes on New Film, Career Highs
Aired February 03, 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.
SIBILA VARGAS, CO-HOST: And I`m Sibila Vargas. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Super Bowl super ads. From Jessica Simpson to P. Diddy, the stars are suiting up for shills that thrill. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the super surprises in the Super Bowl ad blitz. Don`t wait until Sunday to see them, because we got our hands on them first for you.
A Super Bowl hero`s unbelievable story of sex and drugs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did coke the day of the Super Bowl?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HAMMER: And if you think that confession is something, you haven`t heard anything yet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a remarkable story of fumbles and recovery.
Paris Hilton on parade. Her diary, personal photos and other very private items taken away from her and put up for sale. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a man who says he`s got a treasure trove of Paris paraphernalia. The secrets of the stash in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD, SINGER: Hi, I`m Carrie Underwood, and if it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live in New York City.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas.
We`re less than 48 hours away from Super Bowl XL. But forget about the game on the field. Let`s talk about that other big contest.
HAMMER: That`s right. P. Diddy versus Jessica Simpson, Kermit the frog against Jackie Chan. You heard right. And it`s all part of the real season so many of us watch the Super Bowl. We want to see the commercials.
So here`s your first look at them in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER/ACTRESS (singing): These bites are made for popping. And that`s just what they`ll do. One of these days, these pops are going to pop right into you.
HAMMER (voice-over): The heat`s on to be the most talked about ad at this year`s Super Bowl. And it looks like Jessica Simpson is in the running to claim that coveted prize.
SIMPSON: Want another bite?
HAMMER: She`s in a sexy outfit and her now famous cowboy boots trying to get you to go to Pizza Hut.
JAY MOHR, COMEDIAN: You want to make a record with my client, Diet Pepsi?
DIDDY, RAP MOGUL: He`s fresh; he`s new. The ladies love him. I`ve got to have him signed to the label.
HAMMER: This year ads are the most expensive they`ve ever been.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll show you some statistics that will knock your socks off.
HAMMER: An incredible $2.5 million for a single 30-second spot.
STEVE WHITMIRE, VOICE OF KERMIT THE FROG: If I could get one thing out of doing this ad it would be that we take care of these beautiful woods and this beautiful world. And thank you for letting me be a part of your commercial.
HAMMER: With an estimated 90 million people expected to tune in to Sunday`s game, experts say the price tag is worth it.
ELEFTHERIA PARPIS, "ADWEEK" MAGAZINE: For advertisers, the Super Bowl is the absolutely premiere event to be part of. Big competition between the agencies, big competition between all the brands and the competitors. They all want to be the most talked about, most buzzed about, well liked brand on the game.
HAMMER: And to do that, companies are pulling out all of the stops. This year ads will feature stunts, partying monkeys, and, of course, celebrities.
MOHR: Nice. Nice.
HAMMER: Jay Mohr is teaming up with Jackie Chan and Sean "Diddy" Combs for Diet Pepsi. This is the 20th consecutive year that Pepsi has run ads in the Super Bowl.
The insurance company Nationwide has enlisted the help of Fabio for its first-ever Super Bowl commercial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beauty has a face. Perfection, a name.
PARPIS: It`s funny. It`s funny to see Fabio whipping his hair around on a gondola.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only one man`s...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life comes at you fast. Be ready.
PARPIS: Now whether or not people will remember that it`s for Nationwide is a whole other question.
If you don`t cast the celebrities properly and create a script that ties into the product benefits or ties into the product in a memorable way, you`ve really wasted your investment.
HAMMER: It always helps to have a famous face. Remember him? That`s MacGyver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paper clip, ballpoint pen, rubber band, tweezers, nasal spray and a turkey baster, $14.
HAMMER: He`s in a Mastercard commercial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Priceless.
HAMMER: Still, having stars is not a must. Have a look at this one from Dove.
This Sunday the overall tone of ads will be more tasteful than we`ve seen in recent years.
PARPIS: The advertising on the Super Bowl has become a little less raunchy than, let`s say, three years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It works. I`m trying right now and it`s not working.
PARPIS: The advertisers recognize they have to pull back the humor a little bit and try to be a little bit more tasteful.
HAMMER: Enter the Whopperettes. That`s what Burger King is calling these guys. This is behind the scenes footage from the commercial shoot. The actual ad is still under wraps. Many are thinking the fast food chain has a hit. It`s Burger King`s first Super Bowl ad in more than 10 years.
And if you want a beer with that burger, check this out. It`s one of 10 Anheuser-Busch spots slated for Sunday`s game.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Love those ads (ph). Well, Budweiser is consistently the biggest advertiser in the Super Bowl. I took out my little calculator and I did the math. This year its five minutes of ad time is going to cost them around $25 million.
Super Bowl XL airs Sunday night on ABC. The network is hoping the game is going to draw guys to "Desperate Housewives." Now, the show is being preempted on Sunday, but ABC will run a special ad for it at the end of the first half that I don`t even believe they`ll have to pay for. It will star Hugh Hefner, Tony Hawk and Shaquille O`Neal.
VARGAS: What a duo -- a trio.
Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Super Bowl: do you watch the game just for the ads? Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and send us an e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts later in the show.
HAMMER: All right. Here we go. Tonight Paris is burning, burning mad, and that`s because Paris Hilton has another whopper of a potential scandal on her hands. Shocking new photos, videos and even personal journals belonging to Paris, or at one time belonging to Paris, now up for sale, and we`re hearing they may actually contain so-called lurid and compromising items. Stuff so outrageous it could even outdo her infamous sex tape.
Paris` possessions were being held in a storage locker, but the facility says payment of the rental fee fell behind, so the items were auctioned off. And the buyer is now trying to resell them for, get this, $20 million.
The man brokering the deal, no strange to celebrity scandal. He also handled a number of stars` sex tapes and photos, including the Colin Farrell sex tape and nude photos of Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. That broker is joining me live from Hollywood right now for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview, David Hans.
Thanks for being with us, David.
DAVID HANS SCHMIDT, SELLING PARIS HILTON ITEMS: Hey, glad to be here today, A.J. And I just want to start today by giving a shout out to my friends down the street on Sunset and just say, hey, if "The L.A. Times" is going to keep dubbing me as the sultan of sleaze then I`m going to start looking like him. What do you think?
HAMMER: You`ve got to dress the part, I guess. And I do want to get into that in just a moment, David.
This story has been everywhere today. You mentioned the "L.A. Times" article.
SCHMIDT: Yes.
HAMMER: We had a chance to speak with you earlier in the afternoon, and when we spoke with you, you said you were going to break some news for us tonight. You were going to reveal some of the contents, things that haven`t been revealed before of Paris` belongings that were in this storage facility. You know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is being seen around the world, David, so break some news. What would shock us that we`re going to find in this lot of items?
SCHMIDT: Well, I don`t have to say anything. I`ll just agree with what you said right now. That was perfect. Couldn`t have said it better myself.
No. A.J., here`s the drill, man. This is a cash cow like has never been unveiled before in the world of scandal. And in the high age, rapid information exchange of information now, after this broke yesterday in "The L.A. Times," the calls have come in from all over the world, Europe, Australia. The phones are literally...
HAMMER: David, I need -- I need you to cut to the chase for me. I want specifics here, man.
SCHMIDT: Offers. Offers are coming in the door.
HAMMER: I want to know what they`re offering you money for. What are the specific items we`re talking about?
SCHMIDT: The specific items is not a piecemeal operation, my friend. A.J., this is a collective sale that we`re going after here. A one-time transaction only with certified, quote, certified buyers. If you`re not certified don`t call me; don`t waste my time.
HAMMER: What are we buying, though? What is in the lot?
SCHMIDT: You`re going to buy the whole contents of the storage facility.
HAMMER: I understand that. What are the contents of the storage facility? You did tell us earlier today you would share specifics with us as to what is in that storage facility. That`s what I`m looking for right here.
SCHMIDT: Well, yes. And those contents again were mentioned in the press. But to give you a little bit more detail on that.
HAMMER: Please.
SCHMIDT: There`s very personal diaries, artifacts, heirlooms, sex toys. There is clothing, furniture.
HAMMER: You mentioned the diaries, David. Have you read the diaries yourself?
SCHMIDT: Yes, I have read some of the diaries.
HAMMER: Have you seen the -- videotapes were in some of the press that was out there today. Have you seen any of those videotapes yourself?
SCHMIDT: I`ve watched most of the videotape.
HAMMER: Which contained what kinds of things?
SCHMIDT: Well, there`s wild parties. Lascivious in nature, some of them. Some family photo albums. These are pictures of Paris when she was like 3 years old, for crying out loud. There`s just really a vast myriad and plethora of -- or a window, if you will, that goes into this woman`s life.
HAMMER: What kind of things does she talk about in the diary that we haven`t heard before, that you were able to read?
SCHMIDT: Oh, like I said yesterday in my closing statement with the "Times," my friend, her deepest, darkest secrets.
HAMMER: Such as? Throw us a nugget.
SCHMIDT: A quarter million dollars you could get the deep, dark secrets, A.J.
HAMMER: Apparently, I`m not going get much more without spending the money. So let me ask you this. You know, certainly there are going to be people who are interested. I understand you`re getting offers, but $20 million? Come on. You really think you`re going to command this kind of money for this?
SCHMIDT: Not only is it 20 million, but we want to paint the deal like this. It`s $20 million and get this right now, nonrefundable advance against the gross proceeds on the worldwide sale and distribution of all of the contents and items, OK?
Under the right affair UC act we`re going to be able to take certain shots and intellectual property rights, as well, and some of the copyrighted material is still up for debate, but we have a vast area of law in which to work with here, but possession and right title and interest is this client`s, and that`s all we need.
HAMMER: OK. And you`re brokering it for the client. Let me just ask you, because you mentioned, and you`re costumed up for this, David, that the "L.A. Times" referred to you as the sultan of sleaze. Paris has come out and said she is humiliated by the fact that this stuff is out here.
Is there any conscience here, David? I mean, do you at all feel that maybe, you know what, this is personal stuff. Would you want your personal stuff out there? Your personal diaries, your personal videos?
SCHMIDT: My personal stuff pretty much is out there. You know, I guess in the end it`s back to what Andy Warhol said. In the end we`re all going to be famous for 15 minutes. After -- life after Paris, in the end we`re all going to have our own 15 minute sex video, I guess, A.J. Life and times changes, you know?
HAMMER: It certainly does, and I think you`ve proven that us to tonight. All right, David. Well...
SCHMIDT: Thank you.
HAMMER: I`d wish you luck with this, but I still think it`s really bizarre. But we appreciate you coming on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. David Hans Schmidt.
SCHMIDT: Thank you.
HAMMER: And we did speak with Paris Hilton`s publicist earlier today. They told us that, quote, "This is a very unfortunate situation. Paris is a victim here. She is being held up to public humiliation. She`s very hurt. She finds it difficult to talk about this matter. They are exploring all of their options to stop this. She had no idea that the storage room was not paid for or that her belongings were up for auction."
It is just -- I don`t know. Sultan of sleaze may be fitting right.
VARGAS: Yes, that`s a tough one. That`s for sure.
Well, coming up, Curry`s conflict. The today`s show`s Ann Curry tells us about the gut wrenching prospect of telling her children she could be headed to Iraq.
Also tonight...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You did coke the day of the Super Bowl?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A former football star stares -- shares his dark secrets about sex, lies and drugs. It`s the eye-opening story you won`t find in any NFL playbook.
VARGAS: Plus, Hollywood legend Patty Duke. She tells us why she`s duking it out with another famous actress and opens up about a very personal lifelong battle she`s had to fight. It`s the interview you`ll only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: First, here comes tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz." On "Melrose Place," Michael Mancini was not married to Jane, Sydney, Amanda or Kimberly. I remember that, do you? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz." On "Melrose Place," Michael Mancini was not married to Jane, Sydney, Amanda or Kimberly. The answer is "C," Amanda, played by Heather Locklear.
VARGAS: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Sibila Vargas in New York. And you are watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that Ann Curry may be planning a trip to cover the war in Iraq. We caught up with "The Today Show" news anchor at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York last night. Curry, choking back tears at one point, told us how hard it`s become to tell her family about the dangers of reporting from a war zone and the fear she felt upon hearing the news of ABC anchor Bob Woodruff`s Iraq bomb attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN CURRY, CO-HOST, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": It`s just been -- it`s just very frightening and very scary for a lot of families to know that their -- the people in their family, journalists are heading into these regions.
I know it was very scary for my family to hear what happened to David Bloom and to hear what`s happened to Bob Woodruff. It makes me tremble. You know, when I heard what happened to Bob, I actually trembled.
I`m working to go to Iraq now and how do I tell my family? You know, it`s that conflict, you know? We`ve got to do our job, because the American public needs for us to be brave and do our job.
On the other hand, you know, how do you tell your kids you`re -- you`re going to go do something that`s very, very, very dangerous? How will they ever forgive you if you don`t come home? It`s a dilemma, isn`t it?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Ann mentioned David bloom. He was the NBC News reporter who died of an apparent blood clot while he was covering the Iraq war three years ago.
NBC told us today that it does not have any definitive plans to send her to Iraq at this time, but clearly Curry is thinking about it.
HAMMER: Well, Sibila, speaking of "The Today Show," did you happen to watch this morning?
VARGAS: I sure did.
HAMMER: Makeovers not new to "The Today Show."
VARGAS: Right.
HAMMER: They brought on a dozen women hoping to do the Valentine`s Day makeover for them, but there was a little surprise built in.
VARGAS: They thought they were getting makeovers.
HAMMER: This is how it started with one of the guys -- one of the ladies` boyfriends. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mary, you`re amazing and beautiful. I think you`re everything I could ever ask for and more than I deserve. Every moment with you is perfect, and I want the rest of our lives to be just as wonderful. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God! Yes. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And that was just the beginning and then the other 11 boyfriends proposed to the other 11 women who just thought they were there for a makeover. Instead they got proposals.
VARGAS: It was cute, but a little frightening.
HAMMER: One of our producers said they thought it was ridiculous.
Well, it is time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with the legendary Patty Duke. She has been in the business for five decades and, even with an Oscar, an Emmy and Golden Globe awards of her own, she shows no signs of slowing down.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson talked with Duke about her famous sons, her new Hallmark Channel movie, "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door," of course, and her classic 1960s sitcom, "The Patty Duke Show."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You`ve starred in one of the most iconic series of the 1906s, "The Patty Duke Show."
PATTY DUKE, ACTRESS: Yes, I did. Yes.
ANDERSON: When you -- when you run into people in the industry or fans, whomever, do you still get asked about that a lot?
DUKE: Actually mostly by total strangers in airports.
ANDERSON: Really?
DUKE: Yes. They come up to me and they go, excuse me. (singing) "Cathy, who`s there, most everywhere."
And they will sing the entire song. And actually, they -- those kinds of people have brought more enjoyment to me because of their enjoyment of it.
ANDERSON: And in this movie, "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door," your character is hilarious. You play a woman who`s had a longstanding feud with her neighbor.
DUKE: Yes, they were best friends.
ANDERSON: Over who throws the best parties.
DUKE: That`s right. Well, you know, you`ve got to deal with the important things in life.
Shelly Long and I apparently were best friends. Something happened. It`s been kept mysterious, but I actively want to feud with her. I mean, not just feud. Feud.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
DUKE: Everything we could sabotage, we did.
ANDERSON: It`s really comedic. What was the most fun about making this movie?
DUKE: Oh, gosh, working on this with Shelly was really neat. I`ve been a longtime fan.
ANDERSON: Fantastic. A lot of people know this. Two of your sons are also actors, Mackenzie and Sean. Sean recently did that little film franchise, "The Lord of the Rings."
DUKE: Yes. Kind of hanging around and hanging around. Yes. He was Sam Gamgee. My son Mackenzie is doing "House," which is a miniseries.
ANDERSON: That`s a really popular show.
DUKE: And Sean is doing "24."
ANDERSON: Well, you have been such an inspiration for people not only with acting, but because you`ve been very open about the fact that you suffer from bipolar disorder.
DUKE: That`s right.
ANDERSON: When you take a look back, what has stood out to you about the impact you`ve made over all these years, speaking about it?
DUKE: Bless your heart. I have an online site that people can write into and -- who are dealing with the illness or they have family members. And the -- again, the love, the fact that there are people who have hope who didn`t have it a month ago. That is thrilling to me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You can catch Patty Duke in "Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door" tomorrow on the Hallmark Channel.
VARGAS: Well, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, comedian Dave Chappelle reveals for the first time why he walked away from his hit show, $50 million, and he confesses it all to Oprah.
HAMMER: And will he be back? He talked about that, too.
Plus, visitors to Hong Kong Disneyland find out it`s a small world after all. It was a madhouse. People went wild. We`ve got the video to prove it, and we`ll tell you what set them off.
VARGAS: And Anthony Hopkins kicks into high gear for "The World`s Fastest Indian." Is it a joyride or a road to nowhere? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT helps you decide which new moves to see this weekend in the "SHOWBIZ Guide."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide," where throughout the week we help you decide where to spend your dollars on movies, music, DVDs and more. In tonight`s "People Picks and Pans," we`re talking about new movies. The titles are "Something New," "The World`s Fastest Indian" and "Manderlay."
Here is New York to take us through each one, "People" magazine film critic, Leah Rozen. Excellent to see you, as always.
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Thank you, A.J. The same.
HAMMER: Thank you. Let`s get into "Something New." Is it something new or is it something we`ve seen?
ROZEN: It`s something you`ve sort of seen, but with a twist. This is a romantic comedy. A black, professional woman. She`s got an MBA. She`s up for a big promotion at her accounting firm. Gets set up on a blind date with a man who turns out to be white. She "doesn`t do white men," isn`t going there but then she ends up hiring him as a landscape architect to do her back yard. Proximity leads to romance. It`s a cute movie.
HAMMER: Do I know what happens now? I feel like I know what`s going to happen.
ROZEN: No, no, because then there are just all kinds of problems. But it`s a cute movie. Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker. These are both very personable performers, and they sort of carry you through. I`m not saying this one is great shakes. But you know, if you`re a woman, you like a romantic comedy, it will do for now.
HAMMER: Worth it to take a look at.
OK. Let`s move on to something that I know you love. I love this movie. A couple people who have seen it have told me they think it`s a little slow. I think "World`s Fastest Indian" is an excellent piece of filmmaking. And Anthony Hopkins blew me away again.
ROZEN: He`s really good. The movie has the world`s worst title. I mean, they could have come up with a better title. The "Indian" stands for Indian Scout, which is a vintage motorcycle. True story. A 67-year-old guy rode to speed records, and that`s Anthony Hopkins.
He`s had a great time playing this cantankerous codger. The movie`s fun. It`s unpretentious. I`m not going to say -- again, it`s not a great, great movie. It kind of follows a predictable pattern, but it`s certainly pleasant viewing.
HAMMER: And great cinematography, filmed partially out on the salt flats in Utah.
ROZEN: Yes. A lot of it on the salt flats in Utah. Setting a lot of speed records.
HAMMER: Well, the star of the next film, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ron Howard`s daughter, joined us a couple of weeks ago on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Lovely woman. This is a pretty tough movie, "Manderlay." It is not for everybody.
ROZEN: This is the sequel, so to speak, to "Dogville," which is the Lars Von Trier film that starred Nicole Kidman, but this one you missed that star power of Kidman. Dallas Howard plays a woman down in south in the 1930s. She`s head of a plantation where they still have slaves.
It`s just didactic. It`s dogmatic. It just is tough to sit through.
HAMMER: Up to the "D`s" today, didactic. I`m going to work that one in over the course of the weekend. Leah, thanks for your insight on movies.
ROZEN: Happy to help.
HAMMER: And for more "Picks and Pans," you can grab your copy of "People" magazine. You`ll find it on newsstands now.
VARGAS: Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Nick Lachey sings the blues. Jessica Simpson`s ex is out with a revealing single, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gives you a listen.
HAMMER: Also ahead, Chappelle`s show and tell." Comedian Dave Chappelle reveals for the first time why he walked away from $50 million and what it would take to lure him back into the limelight.
Plus...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think a lot of it, the drinking and drugging were, you know, to hide the lies and all of the deceit from this that I was going through.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: The dark secrets of a gridiron gladiator. A former football great`s shocking confessions about a life filled with sex, drugs and so much more. It`s an amazing story of fumbles and recovery. and it`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. You`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Of course, Super Bowl weekend is upon us. We`ll all be watching the game of the gridiron greats on Sunday. Coming up in the next half hour, we have a remarkable story about one football great who aspired to be a great football player, made it all of the way to the Super Bowl. On the day of the Super Bowl, he`s doing cocaine. Only one of his problems, but he has a great story of recovery and survival, and that`s coming up in just a few moments.
VARGAS: It`s very sad, because, you know, you think that somebody has it all, but inside they`re crumbling.
Also tonight, we`re going to be talking about Paris Hilton. She`s making the news again. Some of her personal items are on sale. These are diaries, videos and some of them are said to be salacious.
HAMMER: Yes.
VARGAS: That has her really ticked off.
HAMMER: Not the first time, of course. But yes.
VARGAS: Right. Because she says that this time they were -- you know, they got them illegally. So she`s fighting that, and we`re going to get to the bottom of that. That`s coming up.
But first, let`s go to tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
A Christian group is mad at "Will & Grace." The American Family Association says an upcoming episode of the NBC sitcom mocks Christian crucifixion. According to an original NBC press release about the show, a character played by guest star Britney Spears conducts a cooking segment called "Cruci-fixin`s" during a fictional talk show. NBC says that press release is inaccurate.
Tonight, it sounds like Nick Lachey is moving on from Jessica Simpson. Here`s a listen to one of the songs off the album he`s working on. It`s called "What`s Left of Me."
Nick goes on to sing, quote, "Now I`m broken, and I`m fading, and I`m half the man that I thought I would be." You can hear the rest of the track on AOLmusic.com.
And a scary scene at Hong Kong Disneyland. Scores of angry visitors rushed the gates at a theme park. Many people had made the trip from mainland China during their lunar New Year vacation and were turned away because officials said the park was sold out. Not a pretty picture.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Football`s big end-of-season finish, the Super Bowl, is this Sunday. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Super Bowl: Do you watch the game just for the ads? Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e- mails are coming up at 55 past the hour.
HAMMER: Well, now the story of a football player who actually got all the way to the Super Bowl. But off the field, he had many deep, dark secrets that nearly cost him his life. And we do mean dark secrets, secrets so startling that you actually have to hear him tell it to believe it.
Here`s CNN`s Heidi Collins for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sugar Bear is what they called him at Georgia Tech. At 250 pounds, Roy Simmons was the fastest lineman on the team.
ROY SIMMONS, FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER: Due to my size and my speed, you know, it`s always -- I`ve always felt special with that.
COLLINS: In `79, life couldn`t get any sweeter for the humble kid from the rowhouse in Savannah when he was drafted by the Giants.
SIMMONS: I was very glad that, you know, I was chosen to actually be a part of the NFL and the New York Giants, which I loved them very much.
COLLINS: But with success came temptations.
SIMMONS: I was introduced to, I guess, cocaine actually when I was in my second year there. And I guess, from then on, you know, the partying really commenced, you know, the drugs, the alcohol, the cocaine, pot, women, guys, you know, all of that.
COLLINS: But deep down, Simmons shouldered a secret. He was gay.
SIMMONS: It was always, you know, do they know? Do they know where I was last night? You know, are they following me? So there was always a little paranoia involved.
COLLINS (on-screen): You really were looking over your shoulder?
SIMMONS: Yes. Yes, and that, you know, causes a lot of stress.
COLLINS (voice-over): The stress, the sex, the thousand-dollar-a-day drug habit he says were catching up with him. In `82, Simmons quit the Giants at the height of his career to be a baggage handler at Kennedy Airport to get his head together. In `83, he wanted his job back, but he says Giants coach Bill Parcells told him we are not a charity organization. And Simmons was crushed.
SIMMONS: I left there with anger, total anger toward him. I carried it through life.
COLLINS: But football wasn`t through with Simmons. The offensive lineman was picked up by the Washington Redskins and went to the Super Bowl in `84 stoned.
(on-screen): Another chance and yet...
SIMMONS: Another chance.
COLLINS: ... you did coke the day of the Super Bowl.
SIMMONS: Yes.
COLLINS: How does that happen?
SIMMONS: I don`t want to say. It`s just one of those things.
COLLINS (voice-over): One year later, Simmons left the NFL, broke, addicted, having sex for cash, and at the very core of it all, another dirty secret. Around age 10, he was raped.
SIMMONS: I was asked, you know, exactly by my grandmother. But you know, I lied, you know, and said -- and, of course, she found the blood in the briefs. And I lied, you know, and said I was fine.
COLLINS (on-screen): Do you wish you would have told her?
SIMMONS: Yes. I think a lot of the drinking and drugging were, you know, to hide the lies and all the deceitfulness that I was going through. I did a lot of lying, a lot of cheating, a lot of hiding, a lot of fear.
COLLINS (voice-over): In `97, five years after coming out as a gay football player on "The Phil Donahue Show," Simmons faced his own worst fear. He was HIV-positive.
SIMMONS: I was scared to death. Wow. It was just a sad time, basically, for me. Then comes the part where: When, where, how, who? (INAUDIBLE)
COLLINS: Simmons could have given up, but he didn`t, and he credits wanting to be a good dad to his only daughter. Today, he says he`s clean. He manages his illness. And Roy Simmons has advice for a life gone out of bounds: Face the truth and know you can fumble and fail and survive.
SIMMONS: I remain teachable, so I`m never too big or too bad not to learn something.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Powerful story indeed. That was CNN`s Heidi Collins for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Well tonight, Dave Chappelle says I was stressed out, not on drugs. In his first TV interview since ditching his popular Comedy Central show and a $50-million-dollar deal last spring, the comedian opened up to Oprah Winfrey today and finally answered the question that was on everybody`s mind, why he bailed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Why`d you walk away from $50 million?
DAVE CHAPPELLE, COMEDIAN: Well, I wasn`t walking away from the money.
WINFREY: Yes?
(LAUGHTER)
CHAPPELLE: I was walking away from the circumstances that were coming with the newfound plateau.
WINFREY: Yes.
CHAPPELLE: It takes a while, when you punch through, to adjust to the atmosphere. It was completely outside of my frame of reference. I`ve been in show business since I was 14, and I`ve heard the stories of what happens. And I`ve seen these kinds of things play out in front of me, when I saw...
(CROSSTALK)
WINFREY: When you say you heard the stories, what do you mean? What stories?
CHAPPELLE: I mean, you see before -- look at Mariah Carey, made $100 million deal. And three months later, she`s all of a sudden mysteriously crazy. Or Martin Lawrence punches through and he`s waving a gun on the streets screaming, "They`re trying to kill me."
(LAUGHTER)
WINFREY: Yes. Yes. We hear those stories.
CHAPPELLE: And it always happens around the time when their career seems as though they`re crossing over the next plateau.
WINFREY: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Chappelle stunned fans by leaving "Chappelle`s Show" right before the start of the third season in May 2005. He spent two weeks in South Africa before returning to his farm in Ohio.
At the time, rumors of drug use and mental illness swirled. Today, he also added he would return to his show under certain circumstances, including if a percentage of the show`s DVD sales went to the less fortunate. Oprah`s expecting to make headlines again on Monday when "Desperate Housewives`" Eva Longoria appears and talks openly about her boyfriend, basketball star Tony Parker.
HAMMER: Hey, Sibila, I was watching the Oprah show today. And while he clearly was unhappy with how things were going over there at Comedy Central, he did accept responsibility. He was not absolving himself of responsibility for what happened.
He also said everybody who was working for me back then, if we put this together, I want you to come back and work for me again. Well, not everybody. He was still being funny through it all.
VARGAS: I mean, you`ve got to imagine though, I mean, when you go from like -- not obscurity; I mean, everybody knew who Dave Chappelle was - - but to make $50 million for two seasons, that`s a lot of pressure.
HAMMER: A lot of pressure indeed.
VARGAS: Yes.
HAMMER: Well tonight, Paris Hilton diaries detailing her sex life may be for sale online, a little pressure for her. Of course, you can only buy it if you`ve got $20 million. But she`s very hot under the collar about it. And coming up next, we`ll have the fallout that this could have on Hollywood.
Plus...
VARGAS: We were the only entertainment news show on the set of "All My Children" when this blast went off. Tonight, how the soap is using the explosion to raise money for a good cause. Only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the video. That`s coming up next.
HAMMER: And how a 16-block walk turns into a matter of life and death for Bruce Willis, in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, and you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
New shocking news about Paris Hilton that has the hotel heiress outraged. Earlier, we told you some of Paris` possessions, including photos, videos and personal journals were seized from a storage locker and were auctioned off, because the storage facility said the rental fee had not been paid. Nobody paying the bills there.
Well, now the new owner of those belongings is selling Paris` goods to the highest bidder, all of them at a starting price of $20 million. Joining me live from Glendale, California, Harvey Levin, who`s the managing editor of the entertainment Web site TMZ.com.
Harvey, earlier on I spoke with David Hans Schmidt. He is the man who is brokering the whole sale of Paris Hilton`s personal belongings. He seemed to have no problem with any of this whatsoever. So let me ask you, you know, he got a hold of this stuff under what he believes to be legal circumstances and has the right to sell them. Is he on the mark here?
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: He is on the mark. I mean, the bottom line here is this -- Paris Hilton, A.J., really was a victim in this case.
I mean, what happened -- we found out what happened. Basically her family hired a mom and pop moving company -- it was a husband and wife -- and basically said, "Move all of Paris` stuff into this storage area, and we`ll give you a check every month to cover the storage fees." So Paris didn`t know anything about this.
The moving company started paying, but they fell behind in the payments and legally they auctioned -- the storage facility was allowed to auction the stuff off. Somebody bought it. It`s theirs now. They ended up selling it to somebody else, and now David Hans Schmidt is the broker.
But this is a legal transaction. And Paris is kind of over a barrel right now.
HAMMER: And we`re talking about really personal stuff. It`s understood why she`d be so humiliated. Photos, diaries, videos, stuff that could be -- you know, that is said to be very lurid, very salacious, more than her sex tape.
So let`s say I want to buy them. Now, earlier when I spoke with David, he was spouting on about intellectual property and this and that. I have no idea. He really kind of freaked me out a little bit.
But tell me truthfully, if I were to buy the stuff, or whoever buys this, could they truthfully -- now that they own a new sex tape from Paris Hilton -- start to reproduce it and sell it?
LEVIN: Well, you know, I think that`s an interesting issue, because there may be certain copyright issues, in terms of using somebody else`s image for profit, and I think that does raise kind of an interesting question.
But, A.J., my understanding of this, there is not another sex tape, as far as I`ve heard. There are nude photos, but I hear it goes beyond that. And it may be in these journals, entries that she made, and it goes beyond just Paris herself that could end up being extremely embarrassing. And that`s kind of the wild card here.
And those journals, the information in them, I don`t think has any kind of protection, and that`s why I think Paris and her family really want to keep this secret.
HAMMER: And I think it really comes down to at the end of the day, what`s the deal with Paris? Because we had that cell phone debacle where her numbers were posted on the Internet. We had the sex tape. Now her storage items. You say it was this whole mom and pop operation taking her items in storage.
Look, if I had items of that personal nature, I wouldn`t be, you know, peddling them around that way. I`d pretty much know where everything was and make sure I`d paid the bills on it. You know, what`s her deal?
LEVIN: This is where you and I disagree, A.J., because, look, she was brought up in this crazy world where everybody did everything for her. I don`t think in a million years Paris Hilton could have connected the dots and said, "If somebody puts my stuff in storage, David Hans Schmidt will end up with it and start selling it for $20 million." I mean...
HAMMER: Yes, but how stupid can you be, Harvey? Even Paris Hilton, if she`s making a sex tape, Paris, you take the sex tape, you put it somewhere where you know it is. She`s not that dumb.
LEVIN: She thought it was safe. I mean, it was in a storage facility that was hers. And, look, if she made a sex tape in the first place, she made it so she could look at it at some point in the future. And the same with the diaries, ditto the photos. And it just kind of got out of control. And I have to tell you, I have sympathy for Paris on this one.
HAMMER: Say that last part again, Harvey? I`m sorry?
LEVIN: I have sympathy for Paris in this one. I think she was a victim.
HAMMER: Well, all right. I`m going to mark that one down and bring it up to your attention another time when we`re talking about her when things aren`t going so well. Harvey, we always appreciate it. Have a nice weekend. Harvey Levin...
LEVIN: You too, A.J.
HAMMER: ... managing editor of the entertainment Web site, TMZ.com.
VARGAS: In tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," you first look at "16 Blocks." Bruce Willis is an aging cop in this action thriller. Willis is given the simple task of taking a criminal, played by Mos Def, only 16 blocks to the precinct to the courthouse. Sounds pretty simple, right? But the trip turns out into a life-or-death experience. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re going to come and talk to you about this, and they`re going to tell you what happened. But what they tell you is not really what happened here. I was trying to do a good thing. I was trying to do a good thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, get this guy from lockup and run him over to Center Street.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t you got some regular mutt that takes care of this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) 118 minutes to get a witness 16 blocks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are we rushing like this? It`s not a good sign.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re putting a Hawaii 5-0 light on and use your police power, and make a hole, make a hole.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ll be all right. Do you believe in that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe that life`s too long and guys like you make it even longer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, man, I got an important appointment. Nah, man, it ain`t Miller time, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know why you stopped, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got here as soon as I could.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did a great job. You got a bad guy.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The kid was going testify. He saw some business. It`s going hurt a lot of cops.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just want the kid. And all you got to do is look the other way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This changes everything, Jack.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s about a ton of cops between me and you, and they all want this kid dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) cops (INAUDIBLE) shoot up a cop, especially (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My hands are crossed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That kid is going to get you killed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is (INAUDIBLE) people been trying to shoot me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People you know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am your only friend out here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t even know me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve got all day. How about you? You`ve got all day?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re dressed like a criminal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) I`m not going make it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re killing me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Looks good. Well, "16 Blocks" opens March 3rd.
HAMMER: Tonight, your very first look at an explosive "All My Children" storyline. Only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s cameras were rolling when we caught this exclusive video of a blast that rocked the set of the ABC soap.
Now, that blast was supposed to happen, but four stunt people were hurt during the filming. They are now all OK now. I confirmed it myself yesterday.
The explosion is part of a groundbreaking plotline, where Erica Kane, played of course by Susan Lucci, throws a tribute to New Orleans with a masquerade ball, post-Hurricane Katrina. Now, after the blast, the American Red Cross helps out with a search-and-rescue effort, in the storyline, which will in fact benefit the relief group in real life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUSAN LUCCI, PLAYS ERICA KANE ON ABC SOAP: ... at the time that the show is on the air, audience can call in and make pledges to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. That will aid the victims of Katrina and the other hurricanes, Wilma, and the other national disasters across the country that happen each year. So we`ve broken a fourth wall this time, and we`re actually raising real money for a real good cause.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We`ll have more details and video of this special "All My Children" storyline on Monday.
VARGAS: There`s still time for you to sound off in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Question of the Day." Super Bowl: Do you watch the game just for the ads? Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight or write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails live, next.
HAMMER: And now, for your consideration, a look at some of this year`s Grammy nominees. The winners will be picked during the 48th annual Grammy Awards show next Wednesday.
Tonight, a look at who`s up for best female pop vocal performance. Mariah Carey, "It`s Like That." Mariah leading the pack, up for eight Grammys, including album and song of the year. This track comes from "The Emancipation of Mimi," the best-selling album of 2005.
VARGAS: First season "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson, with her number one single, "Since You`ve Been Gone." According to SoundScan, Clarkson`s album, "Breakaway," her second, finished 2005 as the third best- selling album, pushing more than four million copies.
HAMMER: Also up for best female pop vocal is a performance from Sheryl Crow, "Good Is Good," off her latest album, "Wildflower." Crow won the best female pop vocal in 1994 for "All I Want to Do" and is a nine-time Grammy-winner overall.
VARGAS: And Bonnie Raitt is also in the running for "I Will Not Be Broken." This song is off of Raitt`s 18th album called "Souls Alike." Bonnie is a nine-time Grammy-winner and the daughter of the late legendary Broadway star John Raitt.
HAMMER: And finally, Gwen Stefani`s "Hollaback Girl." That track recently became the first song to sell one million online downloads and also just passed the million mark for cell phone downloads, too.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Super Bowl: Do you watch the game just for the ads?
The vote so far: 44 percent of you say, yes, you do watch; 56 percent of you say, no, you don`t just watch for the ads.
Here are some of the e-mails we have received. Carol from Missouri says, "The commercials during the Super Bowl are the only reason I watch and tape the game."
But Ron from California isn`t so keen on the commercials. He says, "When the ads come on, it`s a good time to check the barbecue, use the restroom, get up and stretch, and get another glass of wine."
You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Do you know why I watch the game?
VARGAS: Why do you watch?
HAMMER: Because it looks really cool in high-def. I know it sounds kind of geeky, but the truth is sports in high-def, amazing.
VARGAS: You got a big TV?
HAMMER: I`ll be tuning in this weekend, got the big TV ready to fire up.
VARGAS: Nice.
HAMMER: And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Have a good weekend. I am A.J. Hammer.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
