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Showbiz Tonight
Katharine McPhee Reveals her Struggle with an Eating Disorder that almost Killed her; Can Celebrity Confessions do More Harm than Good?; In Pompano Beach, a Young Woman Drives cab into Canal outside of DMV; David Hasselhoff Angry over Allegations that he Broke his Wife`s Nose; A Photographer Arrested for Allegedly Jumping a Fence at Angelina Jolie`s Son`s Daycare Center; "Futurama" coming to Comedy Central
Aired June 22, 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: A photographer arrested for allegedly jumping a fence at Angelina Jolie`s son`s daycare center. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And rappers take on Oprah Winfrey. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, star confessions about their eating disorders. "American Idol`s" Katharine McPhee startling revelation about her battle with bulimia is the latest. But could it be that their confessions do more harm than good? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
David Hasselhoff goes off about his nasty divorce battle and his wife`s claim he beat her and busted her nose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: The only person who broke my wife`s nose is a plastic surgeon, darling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And you think that`s something? Wait `till you hear what else he said. Tonight, the tense showdown when the judge of "America`s Got Talent" got hot under the collar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And the story everyone could not stop talking about today, A.J., "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee`s shocking revelation about her eating disorder.
HAMMER: That`s right, you would think that McPhee`s coming out about her struggle with bulimia would be a good thing, and it would inspire so many others with eating disorders to get the help they need. But hang on a second! Because what if it really inspired others to have an eating disorder? I know it sounds a little bit strange, so let`s get to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas. She`s in Hollywood, to help us sort it all out -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., what makes this story truly remarkable, the startling details Katherine shared about how she struggled bulimia, even as she was performing before some 30 million people a week on "American Idol."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee is no longer hiding her past. She`s now coming clean about her battles with bulimia. She reveals all to "People" and "Teen People" magazines say at her worst, just about the time she auditioned for "American Idol," she was throwing up seven times a day.
"Food was my crutch. It was how I dealt with emotions and uncomfortable situations. It was literally a drug," she tells "People." And it was right after she auditioned for "American Idol" that she decided enough was enough and spent three months in an eating disorder clinic.
LYNN GREFE, CEO NEDA: I think the fact she went into treatment while she was under the stress of the program and the "American Idol" it`s pretty amazing, and I think it`s a tribute to her strength.
VARGAS: Katherine reveals she was just 13 when she became obsessed with her weight. She says growing up in the very body conscious Los Angeles had a lot to do with it. She started exercising compulsively and starving herself in high school. Then the bulimia which lasted five years. "It always starts out with the diet," she tells "People," "The more I dieted, the more I became obsessed with food. Food was like a drug to me. It was such a miserable life."
Now there are no more secrets. Mcphee revealing the depression and damage to her vocal cords finally got to her.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: I think it was important for her to really come out there and, you know, share her experience, especially with young women. You know, there`s a stigma attached to eating disorders, especially in Hollywood.
VARGAS: The pressure to be thin is everywhere in Hollywood. Images of stick-thin size zero stars are everywhere. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that they`re images that many girls look at and try to imitate. Not a good idea.
GREFE: For anyone to be able to emulate a celebrity because they have an eating disorder is really not very wise. And when you see the real effects of a long-term eating disorder, it`s painful.
VARGAS: As many as 10 million females and one million males battle anorexia or bulimia in the U.S.
GREFE: I mean, these young women are losing their teeth, they`re bones are ruined. I`ve see people have to have jaw reconstruction, there`s major physical damage to people with eating disorders. So there`s nothing glamorous about that. But, coming out and admitting it sooner than later and getting help, that`s our goal.
VARGAS: Katharine McPhee got help for her eating disorder and, in fact, Paula Abdul who judged her on "American Idol" every week, could sympathize. Abdul also battled bulimia for years.
PAULA ABDUL, SINGER: Hollywood sends a bad message, they do.
VARGAS: Abdul tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it was a battle she fought privately at a very public time in her life.
Paula checked herself into rehab in 1992.
ABDUL: I`m not worried about what meal I`m going to eat next.
VARGAS: She`s now a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorder Association. So is Jamie Lynn Sigler, the "Soprano" star suffered from anorexia and excursive bulimia for years.
GREFE: We`re very proud of the work they`re been doing and how they cover the subject and help us spread responsible information.
VARGAS: The good news is help is available and recovery is possible. Just look at Katherine McPhee.
JORDAN: As an "American Idol" contestant, I mean, we`ve seen her journey. You know, she`s down three dress sizes, she`s lost 30 pounds and it`s all about being healthy for her. It`s not about, like, being the skinny American idol.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Well, good for Katherine, very courageous. That could not have been easy going through recovery in front of a television audience of about 30 million people each week. But it certainly gives hope to other people out there. A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: I do believe it does give hope to people. Sibila, I appreciate that. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joining us from Hollywood.
Well, Catherine Anaya is a local TV anchor a KPHO in Phoenix, Arizona. She once struggled with both anorexia and bulimia. She went public with that struggle earlier this year. Catherine joining me now from her news room in Phoenix.
I appreciate you being with us, Catherine.
CATHERINE ANAYA, ANCHOR, KPHO PHOENIX: No problem.
HAMMER: So, if anybody can identify with Katherine McPhee and the struggle she had, it was you. You`re a very public figure in Phoenix. You made the decision to go public with your eating disorder, why did you do that?
ANAYA: Well, it wasn`t an easy decision. In fact, I struggled with it for quite some time before I returned the phone call from the newspaper when they approached me about talking about it. And really I felt it was important because a lot of people look to us as being perfect and really we`re not. And I think it`s important that, as role models, because that`s what news people are in the local markets, that we be honest about some of the struggles that we encounter and this is something I struggled with for a very long time. It took me a long time to reach the point that I am right now and that is that it`s all about fitness, it`s all about feeling good about myself, not about how I look, but how I feel inside.
HAMMER: And you mentioned being a role model, and it does seem obvious that anyone who is in that position could only inspire others by telling the truth about their story. However, as we just saw in our story, there are those who say, as great as it may be for people to come out, that people that can identify it, that they think maybe it could backfire because, speaking out about having an eating disorder could potentially inspire young people into having eating disorders. You know, they see young and fit glamorous women, and they are that way. They are as fit as they are -- as thin as they are because of an eating disorder, and maybe they would say that`s the road for me. What do you say to that?
ANAYA: Well, in my case I completely disagree with that because I`m much healthier and much more physically fit than I was even as a teenager and especially when I was anorexia prone and bulimia prone because I wouldn`t have been able to run a marathon like I did this past January when I was involved in that situation. So, I think it`s really important that we be honest about this and about why physical fitness is so important because then people realize how good we feel inside. And I think to criticize somebody like Katharine McPhee for coming forward is just plain wrong. She should really be applauded and encouraged to be honest about where she is and how far she`s come because she is a role model, and young people are very impressed by that.
HAMMER: It does seem it could do more good than bad. And, you know, the amazing part of the story, for me, was the fact that Katherine McPhee had to go in front of millions -- tens of millions of people every single week while she was dealing with this because she is a constant struggle. You`re in the public eye. You know what`s that like. How does dealing with that added pressure affect you as you`re dealing with an eating disorder?
ANAYA: Well, it`s not pressure that comes from the TV industry. I have to be perfectly honest, it`s actually pressure that I placed upon myself and that comes from being a Type A personality. It`s also something that I equate to being an alcoholic, you know, once you`re an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. And I really feel like I will struggle with this for the rest of my life. But really it`s more about my own self image and it`s something I struggle with on a daily basis, but when I wake up in the morning it`s about going and working out because I feel good, it`s about clean eating, do to speak, five days a week because I feel good and because when the weekend comes, I can have pizza and not feel guilty about it. Because it`s all about how I feel about food, not so much the food itself. And so that`s a struggle that I know I will have to deal with probably for the rest of my life. But it`s important for me, I think, to be honest and really focus on the healthful aspects of it, especially because I do have a 9-1/2 year old daughter who looks to me as a role model and watches what I eat, and watches what I do, and hopefully she`s learning that it`s all about health.
HAMMER: And that`s an interesting point that you make, on a couple of fronts, you equate it with being an alcoholic because it is something that will always be with you and you will be dealing with it for perhaps the rest of your life. Katharine McPhee went into an eating disorders clinic for about three months. She is doing fine now, but people should be clear this is an ongoing struggle. Isn`t it?
ANAYA: Absolutely. It doesn`t end with counseling. It doesn`t end with the fact that you decide to change your life, because it is always in the back of your mind. I say that the pressure doesn`t come from the TV industry, but always in the back of my mind I`m remembering that the camera does add 10 pounds, so obviously I`m going to watch what I eat for reasons of that nature, but really it`s all about how I feel about myself, and I feel wonderful when I exercise and I feel great when I eat right, and I think that`s the message that Katharine McPhee is trying to send is that she felt horrible about herself when she was going through that experience and I think she was quoted as saying that American Idol saved her life. And what she`s really saying is that she was able to focus on the important things in life and take the focus of food, which is essentially, really, to feeling good about herself.
HAMMER: Well, I admire her courage and Catherine, I admire your courage for coming forward with your story. And congratulations on running that marathon earlier this year and thanks for joining us.
ANAYA: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Catherine Anaya, joining us from Phoenix, Arizona`s KPHO.
And now we want to hear from you. We`re asking our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Tonight, Stars and Eating Disorders: Do their confessions do more harm than good? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight to vote, or send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: It`s rappers versus Oprah. Coming up, why some of the biggest names in hip-hop are saying Oprah is discriminating against them.
Plus, David Hasselhoff on a rant about the tabloid saying he broke his wife`s nose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSELHOFF: The only person who broke my wife`s nose is plastic surgeon, darling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, why Hasselhoff is going off on the tabloids, and his nasty divorce battle.
ANDERSON: And faster than a speeding rumor. Is Superman gay? It`s all the rage in the blogisphere and we`ll look into it, coming up. But first "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." It is that time. Kanye West`s "Gold Digger" samples a line from which Ray Charles classic? "Unchain my Heart," "Hit the Road Jack," "I got a Woman," "What`d I say." Think about it. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Here we are again with tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Kanye West`s "Gold Digger" samples a line from which Ray Charles classic? "Unchain my Heart," "Hit the Road Jack," "I got a Woman," or "What`d I say." If you said C. "I got a woman" you got it right.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a little story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!" Now it would seem that a 19-year-old woman in Florida might wants to get a little more practice in before she gets ready to take her driving test again. While she was practicing for her test in the parking lot right outside the DMV in Pompano Beach, the young woman drove her neighbor`s cab, which you see here, right into the canal, that you see here. She didn`t get her license that day, although if they ever decided to test perpendicular parking instead of parallel parking, I suppose she`d probably be ahead of the game, Brooke. Look at that. Man! That`s way.
ANDERSON: I don`t want to be on the road with her.
HAMMER: No, I don`t want to drive in Pompano Beach just because of that woman, there.
ANDERSON: You know, I want to add, there were no injuries -- physical injuries, but A.J., could have been some emotional injuries coming out of that one.
HAMMER: And nobody hopping into that cab anytime soon. Crashing a car right before your driver`s test. "That`s Ridiculous."
ANDERSON: "That`s Ridiculous."
HAMMER: Well, it`s a war as old as Hollywood itself, as we move on, stars versus the tabloids that, celebrities say, print untrue and sometimes mean things about them. Well now, David Hasselhoff is joining in on that fight. In fact, in an interview on CNN`s "American Morning," Soledad O`Brien asked Hasselhoff about his nasty divorce battle that`s going on right now, from his wife of 16 years, actress Pamela Bach. You`ve gotta see what happened next. Hasselhoff bitterly went off on the tabloid coverage of his very personal ordeal.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SOLEDAD O`BRIEN, "AMERICAN MORNING": Let me ask you a question, because this has been a time in your life that has been brutal, I mean really rough. I mean, you`re Going through a very public divorce that`s in the.
HASSELHOFF: Public! Yeah.
O`BRIEN: Yeah, I mean, right, public doesn`t even come close to describing.
HASSELHOFF: Right. The "National Eninquire" really prints the truth. Right?
O`BRIEN: You know, and there have been, you know, allegations that are very nasty. They say, the wife claims, Pamela Bach (INAUDIBLE), you physically abused her. She says you broke her nose, I mean...
HASSELHOFF: The only person who broke my wife`s nose is a plastic surgeon, darling, you know, and that`s not what I`m here to talk about, and unfortunately they -- when you get a -- when you have a direct line to -- I`m going through this right now with "National Inquirer," they print whatever they want. And what happens is they call you up and they say, "Say she said this" and you go and you say, "Gee, I`m going to sue you," and then they say, "Oh, we`ll print a retraction" so all they do is they say, she said this and I deny it, but the story`s still out there, you know.
The reason I don`t talk about it is because it gets back to my children who get abused at school.
O`BRIEN: I would also imagine too that at some point you want to sort of be able to get on record and say...
HASSELHOFF: I have been on the record but would you go on the record with the "National Enquirer" or the "Star?"
O`BRIEN: Oh, all right.
HASSELHOFF: They`re just scavengers who will print lies. They`ll print anything, anything that anybody says. She could say I was out in the back with a goat and they`ll print it and I have to deny it.
Well, the goat (INAUDIBLE) because goats are liars.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Goats do lie.
Well, that little back-and-forth may have ended with the laugh you say, but make no mistake about it, Hasselhoff is quite serious about denying his wife`s abuse claims. Tmz.com has been all over this story. Its managing editor, Harvey Levin, joins us from TMZ`s newsroom in Glendale, California.
Hello, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hey, A.J.
HAMMER: Just another chapter in what has truly been a nasty divorce battle.
LEVIN: Yeah, I`m kind of stunned to hear what he did with Soledad today. This is an epic divorce battle. I thought a couple of months ago that they may have reached some kind of peace agreement because they did agree on joint custody of their two kids, but it was so bitter earlier this year and frankly, A.J. I think there`s no doubt about it. It has erupted again in full blossom.
HAMMER: And certainly by coming on national television and getting in a little jab, you know, saying that in response to, you know, did you break your wife`s nose or there are allegations that you broke your wife`s nose, no, the only person that ever broke her nose was a plastic surgeon. That can`t be helping matters.
LEVIN: I mean, on the Richter scale, in terms of inciting, I give that an eight, I mean, that`s more than a little. And I can also tell you that early this week, David Hasselhoff filed court papers where he said I absolutely deny every single allegation she made. And the only reason he would have filed that at this point is if war erupted again, and I think it did.
HAMMER: Well, the other thing that David Hasselhoff has made quite clear is the fact that he wants to keep this as a very private matter. In fact, he said it with Soledad this morning on CNN. Just a couple hours after he was on with Soledad, he was on "The View." Now, the ladies on "The View" didn`t even bring it up, David Hasselhoff brought it up and started talking about it, in fact Barbara Walters was kind of surprised saying, I thought you didn`t want to be out in public talking about this. He can`t have it both ways as far as, you know, the privacy issue here, can he?
LEVIN: No, clearly not. I mean, obviously, you know, they want to get each other in public. I mean, she filed those incendiary documents alleging all sorts of things against him, and now, you know, it -- conveniently Soledad brought it up first, but when they did it at "The View" they didn`t bite. He just felt compelled to do something about it. I mean, this has become one of those public take-no-prisoners, destroy-the- enemy divorces.
HAMMER: It`s not unlike things that we have seen before. Well, moving on now, there`s been some late breaking news today that you guys are covering; it involves one of Angelina Jolie`s kids and a paparazzi.
LEVIN: Yeah, I mean, this is about as bad as it gets. We found out from sources that about 10:30 this morning in Malibu, a photographer, a paparazzo, apparently jumped the fence at a daycare center where Maddox was actually attending, the son of Angelina Jolie that Brad Pitt will soon adopt, and actually jumped the fence and the school -- staff at the school actually made a citizens` arrest, detained him and then the sheriffs came, they arrested this photographer, he`s 24 years old, and currently he is at the sheriff`s substation around the Malibu area being held on $1,000 bail. But the charge is trespassing.
HAMMER: This is outrageous, it is scary, it is absolutely frightening. And you would think, particularly with all of the coverage Brad and Angelina are getting right now and with all of the coverage that the parazzi are getting for some of their antics, they`re not all that bad, but this doesn`t do them any good. I mean, this is nuts.
LEVIN: It`s you know, it is a horrible P.R. move for the paparazzi. You know, children are sacred territory when it comes to, you know, what they`re doing. And it`s one thing if they get a shot of Maddox as Angelina`s walking him out at a public sidewalk, but jumping the fence at a daycare facility? I mean, you got to be kidding me.
HAMMER: You got to be kidding me, and I imagine there`s going to be some backlash from fellow paparazzi because it gives everybody a bad name. I mean, this really is just -- this is, as you mentioned, crossing that line because kids are sacred, right?
LEVIN: And you know, when you think about it, A.J., I mean, we have shots where there are paparazzi in the trees where Angelina went to visit somebody, earlier this -- about a week ago. And you know, they are just all over the place trying to get that shot and, clearly, you know, the money incentive here will push people over the line. This guy went over the line, if true, by a mile.
HAMMER: Well, let`s really hope that they really start to check themselves.
Tmz.com`s Harvey Levin, thanks as always for joining us.
LEVIN: See ya, A.J.
ANDERSON: Rappers versus Oprah. Coming up, why some of the biggest names in hip-hop are saying Oprah is discriminating against them. We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No way is this a gay Superman movie, please!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Could it be? Is the man of steel harboring a deep, dark secret? Coming up, why some say Superman is gay.
ANDERSON: Plus, what`s it like to hug the president? This guy knows. The guy who hugged President Bush speaks out about the embrace that everyone`s talking about, that`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, from break-up to baby blues. What happens when your relationship gives out, your ex moves on, and starts a family? That`s gotta hurt! Nicole Kidman went through it with Tom Cruise, Jennifer Aniston, with Brad Pitt, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to show you how to deal when your former partney has a -- former partner has a baby. That`s tomorrow.
ANDERSON: "Futurama" is no longer a thing of the past. Comedy Central is reving the animated show which was created by Matt Groening of "The Simpson`s." FOX canceled it about two years ago, but Comedy Central has ordered at least 13 new episodes, to air by 2008. Now, this is the third FOX project that has come back from the dead in recent years. FOX resurrected "Family Guy" after it was successful on Cartoon Network`s "Adult Swim," and IFC is ordering new episodes of "Greg the Bunny."
HAMMER: All right, you may want to get out of the way. Ozzy Osbourne is here! Everybody`s excited. Coming up, Ozzy Osbourne will tell us about this year`s Ozzfest. Plus, why his daughter Kelly has decided she had enough of Los Angeles.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think anyone is going to walk out of it saying, wow, that was definitely done by an openly gay director.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Faster than a speeding rumor, is Superman gay? It`s all the rage in the blogosphere, but is there any truth to the theory? We`re going to look into it, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, the hug heard round the world. The guy who hugged President Bush speaking out about the embrace that everyone`s talking about, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Look, up in the sky! It`s a bird! It`s a plane! It`s a gay Superman? Yes, there is a battle going on ahead of the opening of "Superman Returns." Where some Jews and Christians have actually claimed Superman as their own icon, and now the hero able to leap tall buildings in a single bound is rumored to be locked in the closet.
CNN`s Carol Costello is here for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, A.J., could a rumor be Superman`s kryptonite? The rumor is: Is Superman gay? It`s all over the Internet, all over the blogs. The question now: could a rumor sink a blockbuster?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): He stands for truth, justice and the American - gay?
STEVE BUNCHE, FORMER ARTIST, DC COMICS: No way is this a gay Superman movie. Please.
COSTELLO: Oh, but that`s been the rumor and the joke on Internet blog sites for months. Even the gay magazine "The Advocate" did a cover story asking the question, "How gay is Superman?"
Now the buzz has become so loud that the movie`s director and star are actually talking about it.
BRANDON ROUTH, ACTOR: There`s some people asking lots of questions now that I`m back.
COSTELLO: Brandon Routh, the guy in the suit, denied he was gay on an Australian radio show. And director Brian Singer calls Superman - quote - "probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I`ve ever made."
And remember, Singer directed X-Men. Wolverine couldn`t be reached for comment.
(SCREAMING)
COSTELLO: All jokes aside, Singer himself may be the main reason for the rumor.
BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, US MAGAZINE: You have an openly gay director making a movie - an expensive, big movie that maybe will - maybe will be the first or second biggest movie of the summer - about an iconic, masculine figure.
COSTELLO: And if anyone knows that iconic figure, it`s this guy. Steve Bunche is a former artist and editor for DC Comics.
BUNCHE: Superman is colorful. And he`s a larger than life, handsome guy from another world. What`s not to like?
COSTELLO: That`s the question Warner Bros. may be concerned about. If the gay buzz becomes deafening, can it scare people away?
JACOBS: The proof is in the pudding. I don`t think anyone`s going to walk out of it saying, Wow, that was definitely done by an openly gay director.
COSTELLO (on camera): Well, you don`t think all of this Internet- rumor stuff is going to hurt the movie?
JACOBS: No. I mean, there`s - let`s face it; this could be Superman played by, oh, say, Jerry Stiller, OK? People would still go to see it.
COSTELLO (voice-over): But that`s what Warner thought about "Batman and Robin." That movie also had a gay director, and George Clooney joked the character was purposely played gay. The movie bombed.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: It`s why Superman works alone.
COSTELLO: And other characters have been accused of having a secret subtext.
BUNCHE: Spiderman for years - there were people going on, Oh, it`s just such - such an obvious allegory for the young homosexual male. He lives at home in Queens alone with his elderly aunt, and he`s - he`s terrible with girls. He`s shy. But when he`s out in a flamboyant outfit, he`s a hero and he`s fabulous.
COSTELLO: As for Superman, if the early reviews are any indication, it looks like the Man of Steel`s new power will be to silence the critics by breaking the box office.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Oddly enough, some Christians believe that Superman is a Christ-like figure whose father has sent him to Earth to save the world. And of course, there are others that just say Superman is a comic book hero.
Back to you, A.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I`ve seen the movie, Carol. And I`ve just got to say, about those rumors, give me a break. CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, thanks.
ANDERSON: Well, at the "Superman Returns" premiere in Los Angeles last night, a lot of the talk was about this Superman-being-an-icon stuff. As we just told you, for gays, since he has to live a double life kind of in the closet. Now for Jews, it`s kind of an intergalactic Moses. And for Christians, as a Jesus figure performing miracles.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with the stars: director Brian Singer, Kate Bosworth, Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey. We asked them if they think this icon chatter is legit.
Now Spacey, who plays bad guy Lex Luthor, doesn`t buy it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: I think it`s just a crap question. I mean, you know, all this, you know - if you had a superpower what would it be - I mean, the truth is he`s - he`s - he, in my estimation, is the ultimate American immigrant. He`s from this country; he is American. But he`s also foreign, from another planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROUTH: Superman doesn`t have a religion. He`s - he`s there to inspire people to - to greatness and to find their own power within themselves, which I think we all have. And it`s a reminder of that - you know, that we can aspire to be like Superman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN SINGER, DIRECTOR: I think whenever you have a character this important, that`s been around this long, that`s this powerful, people will want to identify - everybody wants to identify with him. So - hell, I know I did as a kid. So, you know, it makes sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "Superman Returns" opens Wednesday, June 28.
HAMMER: Well, if you watch the HBO show "Entourage," you know that the characters on that particular program like to hug each other. In fact, they call it "hugging it out." And then they use another word, which I won`t use here.
Well, this past Monday, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York, was so excited he hugged it out in a big way with the president of the United States. Gabriel Whitney shocked President Bush with a big old bear hug that caught the commander in chief, who was just there to deliver the commencement address, not necessarily get any hugs - caught him completely off guard. And on this morning`s "Today" show, Gabriel talked about the surprise squeeze.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABRIEL WHITNEY, MERCHANT MARINE: I put my hands up and big G (ph) for - for the crowd, and turned around to shake President Bush`s hand and he kind of went like this. I`m not sure if he was like, wow, this kid`s huge or what it was. But I decided to go in for the embrace and hug it out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What did you say to him?
WHITNEY: Just, you know, I was kind of caught up in the moment. I was just like, You know, you`re the man. Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He is the man, eh?
Gabriel joked that he might spread the love and go on a hug across America tour. It`s funny, Brooke: there was an article in "The New York Times" describing this big bear hug, and in the article it said when Gabriel turned to him, the president had somewhat of a quizzical look.
ANDERSON: Yes, he did.
HAMMER: President Bush always has a quizzical look, doesn`t he?
ANDERSON: Well, but these words (ph) were priceless, you have to admit. And Gabriel - it`s been a long and difficult journey to get to the diploma, so he had a right to be exuberant. He had 4,500 demerits, A.J., and he spent four and a half years on academic restriction. Took him six years to get this degree.
HAMMER: Yes, he was there for six years. So good for him.
ANDERSON: So he had a right to hug the president, I should say.
OK, it`s time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joins us with those from Hollywood.
Hi, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I got - I got to say though, Brooke, getting a hug from the president? It`s pretty unique. It`s pretty neat.
ANDERSON: (INAUDIBLE) that.
VARGAS: Also neat, tonight`s "Hot Headlines." OK.
Nicole Kidman stopped by a children`s hospital in Sydney, Australia, along with her mom. Kidman brought her son and daughter she adopted with her ex, Tom Cruise. Now they visited seriously ill patients in the oncology and neurology units. Kidman is scheduled to marry country singer Keith Urban this weekend. She`s asked that guests make donations to charity instead of buying gifts.
Well, Kylie Minogue is hitting the road again. The 38-year-old pop star is going back on tour after she had to postpone it last year due to breast cancer surgery. She also had chemotherapy. Kylie will start back in Australia in November.
And calling all Hulkamaniacs everywhere. If you can wrestle up $25 million, you can buy Hulk Hogan`s Tampa, Florida, mansion. The wrestler- turned-reality star from MTV`s "Hogan Knows Best" has moved to Miami Beach and put the house featured on the show up for sale. He`s also got places in Clearwater Beach, Florida, and L.A. Hogan says he`s moving to Miami so that his kids can pursue their singing careers. Very nice dad.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
You know, I - I would love to have property - I always thought about having property in Florida. But I think I might be bad - you know, slightly behind.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Twenty-five million dollars.
But - but it`s nice that he moved and put his kids and his family first. Difficult.
Sibila, thank you much.
HAMMER: Well, a big invitation for you. Please, come spend your weekend with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT because we are now on your television seven nights a week. You can join us on Saturday and Sunday nights in addition to every night of the week, 11 p.m. Eastern and 8 Pacific.
More of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show every single weekend on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, every night and right here on CNN Headline Prime.
Well coming up, why a favorite kid`s lunchtime meal is causing all kinds of outrage. "That`s Ridiculous!," and that`s coming up next.
We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS "LUDACRIS" BRIDGES, RAPPER: As soon as I got on there, I felt like, in my opinion, I was automatically judged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Why some rappers are saying Oprah is giving them a bad rap. Coming up, why they say Oprah is discriminating against them.
HAMMER: And the Prince of Darkness sheds some light on Ozzfest 2006. Why women are going to be playing a big part in this year`s wild and wacky tour. Ozzy Osbourne in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: But first, it looks like the Soul Patrol is out in full force. Taylor Hicks debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his first single, "Do I Make You Proud?" That was the song he sang on the "American Idol" finale after he was announced as the winner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
TAYLOR HICKS, SINGER: Come on, America. I`m living the American dream.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Nielsen SoundScan says 190,000 copies of the single and another 38,000 digital downloads sold in the first week. Hicks has knocked Shakira out of the top spot. Her single "Hips Don`t Lie" featuring Wyclef Jean falls to No. 2. Nelly Furtado`s "Promiscuous" is No. 3, followed by Yung Joc`s "It`s Goin` Down" at No. 4 and Chamillionaire`s "Ridin" at No. 5.
HICKS: Come on America!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music full (ph). Master, stand by to break. Roll the break, effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. And stand by, A.J. Open his mic, dissolve 4, go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I am A.J. Hammer in New York on a Thursday night. It is time now for another story that just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Actually, this story`s a bit of fluff. There`s a battle brewing in Massachusetts over Fluffernutter. You remember Fluffernutter. Well, if you don`t, it`s that sandwich stuff. When you - you know, you have a peanut butter sandwich and the marshmallow fluff that you`re seeing right here all in one sandwich.
Now the creamy fluff has been made by a company called Bay State in Massachusetts for the past 75 years. There`s a Massachusetts senator who wants to limit schools there from serving Fluffernutters more than once a week for health reasons, as they`re saying. There are some other politicians who are fighting back; they want to make Fluffernutter the state sandwich.
It is definitely a sticky situation, Brooke. I would agree it`s probably not the healthiest thing to put on a school menu. But I imagine there are much worse things like - like a lot of schools get really terrible meat products, if they can even be considered real meat.
ANDERSON: And aren`t there more pressing issues for this senator to be fighting for? He says he`s going to fight to the death for fluff, A.J.
HAMMER: I know. That is odd to me.
ANDERSON: Still, the battle over - I mean, the sandwich looks pretty tasty to me. But the battle over Fluffernutter, now "That`s Ridiculous!"
All right, it is a growing war of words between Oprah Winfrey and hip hop stars. And this one a lot less warm and fluffy than what we were just talking about. Some rappers are claiming they get no respect from Oprah and something should be done about it. And the musicians are joining forces to take on one of the most influential celebrities (INAUDIBLE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Hey!
ANDERSON (voice-over): Oprah Winfrey, one of the most powerful and beloved celebrities in the world. But now, the queen of daytime TV is catching some high-profile heat.
BRIDGES: I feel like she doesn`t respect my opinion, and that therein lies the problem.
ANDERSON: Rapper and actor Ludacris feels he was mistreated when he appeared on her talk show with the cast of the film "Crash."
BRIDGES: As soon as I got there, I felt, like, in my opinion, I was automatically judged.
ANDERSON: Talk turned from the film to explicit rap lyrics. But Ludacris says his response to the criticism was edited out of the show.
Winfrey recently discussed the Ludacris flap on a New York radio station.
WINFREY: I said to Ludacris, A lot of people who listen to your music aren`t as smart as you are. So they take some of that stuff literally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Literally, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like.
WINFREY: When you`re just writing for entertainment purposes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In art, they don`t take it that way.
WINFREY: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See a lot of people.
WINFREY: So I think that there has to be responsibility with it, just like I have to have some responsibility with what I do and say on my stage everyday.
ANDERSON (on camera): This controversy has led other rappers, including 50 Cent and Ice Cube, to lash out at Oprah, saying she discriminates against hip hop artists by not booking them on her show.
(RAPPING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Ice Cube told "FHM" magazine - quote - "For Barbershop, she had Cedric the Entertainer and Eve on. But I wasn`t invited. Maybe she`s got a problem with hip hop."
But Winfrey says that`s not the case.
WINFREY: I listen to some hip hop. You know, I`ve been accused of not liking hip hop, and that`s just not true.
I`m opposed to some of the music that offends my sensibilities. And that`s when, you know, you`re degrading women and.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
WINFREY: .marginalizing women.
ANDERSON: While Oprah hasn`t singled out any particular videos.
(RAPPING)
ANDERSON: .songs like Ludacris` "Pimpin All Over the World" .
(RAPPING)
ANDERSON: .and 50 Cent`s "Candy Shop" have raised the ire of critics for their graphic content.
WINFREY: My point is you don`t have to bitch and ho me down in order to make music.
ANDERSON: Ice Cube is appealing to Oprah to schedule a forum on her show to discuss the issue.
ICE CUBE, RAPPER: She don`t really like the content that we using, have us on. Let`s talk about it.
ANDERSON: Oprah`s company, Harpo Productions, told CNN it has no comment on the anti-hip hop allegations. And no word on whether it will devote a future show to this topic, a possibility that gives Ludacris mixed emotions.
BRIDGES: It is something that we need to address. But it being on her particular show - I mean, my comments got edited out before. Who`s to say that the same thing wouldn`t happen again?
(RAPPING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Both Ludacris and Ice Cube said they love Oprah. They have a lot of respect for her and for what she`s accomplished. They just have a difference of opinion on this matter, and they believe it should be addressed.
OK, Ozzy Osbourne has shown all kinds of crazy things - he`s done all kinds of crazy things, shown the world. He`s eaten a live bat on stage; given fans an inside look at his quirks on the MTV reality show "The Osbournes."
But is Ozzy slowing down? No, no, no. Ozzy, affectionately called "The Prince of Darkness" is getting ready to hit the road again for Ozzfest 2006, his mega music tour. That`s right. Two thumbs up. And he`s here now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
Ozzy, I`ve been looking forward to this all day. Always a good time talking to you.
OZZY OSBOURNE, SINGER: I just got in Sunday, so my - if I sound a little big vaguer than I usually do but - I`m - I think this is a dream.
ANDERSON: It`s just the jet lag. That`s - that`s - that`s it. It`s just the jet lag.
OSBOURNE: No, your brain freezes before your mouth opens, you know?
ANDERSON: That`s right.
What a lot of people may not realize, Ozzy: you`ve been working on an autobiography.
OSBOURNE: No, well - I - I`ll (INAUDIBLE). My wife didn`t know it`s a biography.
ANDERSON: About the family?
OSBOURNE: Yes, it`s about her life. I know that eventually I will do mine. But at the current, I`m not. But what I have been working on is a new (INAUDIBLE) with Zack (ph).
ANDERSON: Anything that during Sharon`s writings and working on the autobiography, anything that you have discovered about her, about yourself.
OSBOURNE: I never read it.
ANDERSON: .that shocks even you?
OSBOURNE: I never read it.
ANDERSON: Oh. Do you plan to?
OSBOURNE: It`s too close - the reason why I don`t - I`m not in such a hurry to do my autobiography at this point is really - it looks like my - my response to hers. And I`m not over yet.
ANDERSON: OK. Going to give it some time, then.
OSBOURNE: Well, yes.
ANDERSON: Well - well, this - this Ozzfest, the 11th Ozzfest, there will be 20 cities on this tour. But you`re performing, headlining just 10 of the cities.
OSBOURNE: Now - now it`s gone up to 14.
ANDERSON: OK, it`s going to 14.
OSBOURNE: This is the way my wife gets me to go - I`m in the middle - I`ve just started writing a new album, and she goes, Well, you`re (INAUDIBLE) 10 shows, and I`ll go with you, you know, if you come back (INAUDIBLE) a few days I`ll come back do some more work on my album. And she goes, (INAUDIBLE). Two days later, would you mind doing a few more extra?
And probably at the end of the - at the end of the next week, I`ll be doing the whole tour. I don`t know.
ANDERSON: She really wears the pants in the relationship.
OSBOURNE: Oh, absolutely.
ANDERSON: Can`t tell her no.
OSBOURNE: No.
ANDERSON: Well - well at this Ozzfest, there`s a new contest: you`re looking for Miss Ozzfest. Move over. . OSBOURNE: Are we?
ANDERSON: .Miss America, you - oh, this is news to you?
OSBOURNE: I`ll only be in the country 33 (ph) days.
ANDERSON: Well, you`re looking for a Miss Ozzfest. And - and the requirements here - they`re not looking for evening gowns or beauty or anything like that. They`re looking for the tattoos and the piercings.
OSBOURNE: But - but do you know women have more - more work done on them.
ANDERSON: Well, look at your arm. What is it about tattoos and piercings.
(CROSSTALK)
OSBOURNE: I had tattoos when I was 13 or 14. I mean, very, very young (ph). And I was driving (INAUDIBLE) up on Santa Monica or something. I came in (INAUDIBLE) and this dude, I was just aghast at the amount of - really, pushing baby trolleys (ph). You know, pirate scenes - I mean.
But what - it`s kind of a phase.
ANDERSON: Not just for women.
OSBOURNE: It`s kind of acceptable for men to a point. But what worry - there`s a guy I met and I`ve seen quite often, his whole face is done.
ANDERSON: All right, now that`s taking it a little bit too far. But Miss Ozzfest, I bet she will have a lot of tattoos.
Now I want to talk about your family.
OSBOURNE: Yes.
ANDERSON: . a little bit. Everybody seems to be doing great. Jack, he`s climbing mountains out there. His (INAUDIBLE) is looking good.
OSBOURNE: He went for her (ph) when he was bungee jumping from this big - (INAUDIBLE) bungee jump.
ANDERSON: He`s come so far since.
OSBOURNE: Yes, he has.
I guess what I`m doing now is where (INAUDIBLE). I left him there in order to have (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: Right.
OSBOURNE: Now - now I`m, I don`t know, maybe (INAUDIBLE). I`m - it`s quite early.
ANDERSON: I want to get a quick question in about Kelly. She`s opened up to Marie Claire about she hated living in L.A. when she was here. The pressures were too much.
OSBOURNE: Well, it`s kind of like, my Kelly lives anywhere. She`ll probably - it`s - it`s - the thing I`m - the thing that I`m missing most of all about them growing up was I was never there, you know, either physically or mentally.
ANDERSON: But you can be now.
We`re going to have it there. Ozzy Osbourne, always a pleasure.
OSBOURNE: God bless you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Thanks so much. You`ll be over that jet lag soon.
And Ozzfest kicks off in Seattle June 29.
HAMMER: I actually understood most of what he said there.
Come spend your weekend with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re inviting you to watch us on your television seven nights a week. Join us Saturdays and Sunday nights, 11 p.m. That`s 8 Pacific. More of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT every night, right here on CNN Headline Prime.
Well, last night we asked you to chime in and vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking: "PETA targets stars: have their fur protests gone too far?" Here`s how the vote went: 63 percent of you saying, yes, they have; 37 percent of you saying, no, they have not.
A lot of e-mails on this subject over the last couple of days. We heard from "R" in Ohio. "R" says, "These people are bordering on terrorism. To impose on another choice of lifestyle . sounds like a dictatorship."
We also heard from Dixie, who lives in North Carolina. Dixie thinks that PETA has not gone too far, saying, "If it takes an act such as the ambush on Beyonce to create publicity, so be it."
Thank you for your e-mails. Thanks for chiming in. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday night`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: "American Idol" runner-up Katherine McPhee shocking everyone, admitting she has struggled with an eating disorder, bulimia. So we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Stars and eating disorders: Do their confessions do more harm than good?"
Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiz tonight. Write to us: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: We are so close to the weekend. It is time now to see what is coming on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. Let us roll out the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And tomorrow, from break-up to baby. When happens when your relationship gives up, your ex moves on, and gives birth? That`s got to hurt. Nicole Kidman had to do it with Tom Cruise; Jennifer Aniston with Brad Pitt. Don`t sweat it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT shows you how to deal when your former partner gets pregnant.
Also, we sit down with the Boss. Bruce Springsteen back on tour, but this time he`s not belting out his own songs; they are Pete Seeger`s, the legendary folk singer. Bruce Springsteen joins us tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: You`ve got quite a peanut gallery there in the studio, with you, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes, I do.
ANDERSON: Tell them hello for me.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
HAMMER: Hello from Brooke, everyone.
END
