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Showbiz Tonight
Mystery Surrounding Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes Baby Suri; `Pirates of the Caribbean` Breaks Box Office Records. Still desperately seeking Suri.
Aired July 10, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The startling secrets about the modeling industry revealed from a former model herself -- sex, drugs and eating disorders. And we`ll get the new details of the Nicole Kidman Keith Urban wedding direct from a celebrity who was there. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, still desperately seeking Suri. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brought it to you first. Where in the world is Tom Cruise`s baby? Now more mystery surrounding Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby. New information about her birth and, are her parents about to take a secret trip? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT keeps on asking the tough questions and investigates the silence over Suri.
Also, a star`s secret daughter. Tonight, the emotional story of why this kid was given away by her actress mother because of her race. Now that little girl is all grown up. Her shocking feelings towards her mother that will surprise you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the story of the hidden Hollywood child.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the very first to tell you about the Suri Cruise mystery last week. Everyone`s been asking where is Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` new baby? How come we haven`t seen any pictures of her just yet? Well now tonight we have got some brand new details, stuff you haven`t seen yet. We actually got a copy of Suri Cruise`s birth certificate in hopes that it would shed some light on the silence over Suri. And you won`t believe what we learned.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to ask about it, desperately seeking Suri. And the "Today Show" is now following our lead.
Why haven`t we seen Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby Suri?
HAMMER: Still, Suri Cruise, the baby daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes remains a mystery, who no one has publicly seen or photographed.
KATE CAPERTON, OKI MAGAZINE: Everyone is so excited about -- we`re just wondering where in the world is Suri.
HAMMER: Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained Suri`s Los Angeles County birth certificate and we can tell you that it`s only adding to the mystery. For one, as you see here, the certificate was signed by a registered nurse and not by the doctor who delivered little Suri, here at Saint John`s Hospital in Santa Monica. Harvey Levin of TMZ.com reports the nurse wasn`t even in the delivery room and didn`t actually see Suri.
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: We talked to a couple of people at the hospital, and they said normally the doctor is the one who does sign this, but it`s not unheard of that the doctor is unavailable. And when that happens, there are certain authorized people who can sign, even if they don`t see the baby. And that`s what happened here.
HAMMER: And even though the names of the proud parents, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, appear on the certificate, their signatures do not. Instead, an unidentified friend of theirs signed the certificate as Tom and Katie`s representative. Can you read this? And, get this -- the birth certificate wasn`t filed until May 8th, a full 20 days after Suri`s birth on April 18th. What`s going on here?
LEVIN: It`s perfectly legal. There is nothing out of the ordinary for a friend to come down rather than the parent. But it is a little bit unusual that it took twice as long as it`s supposed to. Typically parents do sign. I suppose with Tom and Katie it`s an ordeal to go back to a hospital where you`re going to be hounded by paparazzi perhaps.
HAMMER: It`s easy to imagine Tom Cruise wanting to shield Suri from the relentless paparazzi who have staked out his house to get that elusive photo of Tom, Katie and their new bundle of joy. By keeping Suri under wraps, Tom Cruise may not just be protecting her privacy. He may also be following the teachings of his religion, scientology.
RICK ROSS, EXPERT ON CONTROVERSIAL RELIGIONS: According to the beliefs of scientology, noise, combined with an unpleasant memory, can create a mental impression called an engram. By creating a quiet cocoon around his child, Tom Cruise may be avoiding that.
HAMMER: Still, a celebrity doesn`t have to be a scientologist to want to keep his or her kids out of the spotlight. Celebrity mother of two, Uma Thurman tells me she shields her kids, too. You`ve done a great job of having them in the public eye as much as you want or not having them in the public eye at all.
UMA THURMAN, ACTRESS MOTHER OF TWO: I`ve never had my children in the public eye. I don`t choose to put them out like that. I think it`s really hard with small children to be harassed, you know what I mean, by the media and stuff?
HAMMER: True, this kind of speculation over a child as young as Tom and Katie`s is definitely extraordinary. But next to maybe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie`s baby, Suri Cruise is the most famous baby in the world, born to one of the most famous couples in the world. And since no one has seen Suri, the growing buzz about her is all but inevitable.
LEVIN: This pregnancy was so incredibly public. You saw Tom Cruise parading literally around the world often with Katie and now suddenly you don`t see the baby and you hardly see Katie. So it is kind of odd, with that kind of public exposure, that it just suddenly evaporates once the baby is born.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Now, a hospital rep tells TMZ that the birth certificate was required because Suri apparently needed a passport. That, of course, only adds another question -- are they going somewhere? And Tom Cruise`s camp tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that no decision has yet been made as to exactly when, we, the public, will actually get to see Suri. So now, we have to hear from you on all of this. For our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "question of the day," we`re asking, Tom and Katie`s baby, do you want to see a picture of Suri Cruise? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well we`re getting a much clearer picture of the Nicole Kidman Keith Urban wedding. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jennie (inaudible) poked and prodded Hugh Jackman for some dirt. He was right there at the actual wedding which took place two weeks ago in Australia. Stars of the upcoming Woody Allen film "Scoop," actually gave us the scoop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Is it true that you sang to them?
HUGH JACKMAN, WAS AT NICOLE KIDMAN`S WEDDING: It`s true that I sang, yes. Nicole asked me to sing Keith`s favorite song, which is (INAUDIBLE) which is a great Australian song which is also my favorite. So I sang that.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We`ve got some more secrets from the Kidman-Urban wedding. More of her interview with Hugh Jackman coming up in a bit here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well a story everyone is talking about tonight, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest" with the highest three day opening in box office history. Now despite mixed reviews, talk about pirate`s booty and a big bounty, $135.7 million this weekend for the Johnny Depp flick. That beats out the previous record holder, "Spiderman 3," by $20 million. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all over the story. And here`s some video from Paris where the movie premiered to record audiences there as well. It`s going crazy every where. And joining me now from the Disney lot in Burbank, California for a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview, a very happy guy today, look at the smile on his face, Walt Disney Studio`s chairman, Dick Cook. Pirates is a Disney flick. Dick, I welcome you to the program and congratulate you on what must be a very, very happy occasion for you guys.
RICHARD COOK, WALT DISNEY STUDIOS CHAIRMAN: Well thank you very much. It`s great to be with you.
HAMMER: And it`s right here on the front page of today`s "Daily Variety." You can`t beat a first paragraph like that. It says you`d be hard pressed to find a record that "Pirates of the Caribbean" didn`t break. Let me run down some of those numbers one more time, because they`re just mind boggling. $135.7 million in the first three days out. It made nearly double the rest of the top 12 combined. It`s the first film ever to make $100 million in two days. That is just unbelievable. And, Dick, as you know, the reviews weren`t all glowing. So does that basically say to us that the film critics just don`t matter anymore?
COOK: Well, I think they continue to matter, but I also think that the public has an idea of what they want to see and when they want to see it. And, fortunately for "Pirates of the Caribbean," it is a movie that everyone wanted to see.
HAMMER: Everyone wanted to see the finished product, but the beginning of putting it all together, not completely smooth at all times. In fact, Johnny Depp told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the studio was actually quite worried when he first portrayed Jack Sparrow that he was gay. I want you to listen to what Johnny Depp told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNNY DEPP, PLAYS JACK SPARROW IN "PIRATES": They hired this weird actor to come in there and they can`t quite understand what I`m saying. I feel like I`m slurring my words and they don`t know if the character was drunk or is he gay or is he -- what is it with the guy? They didn`t understand any of it. So they were riddled with fear.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Riddled with fear, Dick. His words, not ours. Set the record straight for us. Were you riddled with fear?
COOK: Well, we weren`t exactly riddled with fear, but we certainly, after those first couple of days of shooting, we sort of wondered where he was going with this character. And we had the conversation with Johnny, and he assured us that he knew exactly what this character was about and it was in his head. And we felt very confident at that point. And he said, trust me, I know Captain Jack Sparrow and I won`t let you down. And we did trust him. And he clearly has not let us down.
HAMMER: And as you know, he largely was influenced by Keith Richards for his performance as Jack Sparrow. I`m hoping you`ll break a little news for us tonight, we know that Keith Richards is going to be in "Pirates 3" playing Jack`s father, but can you tell us, particularly coming off of this big weekend you had, can we expect a "Pirates 4?" Are you guys talking about that?
COOK: We haven`t quite got a story yet. I think Johnny has made it pretty clear that he would love to continue playing Captain Jack Sparrow. And we, of course, would love him to. And I think if we can come up with the right story and the right ingredients, we certainly would be excited about continuing the series.
HAMMER: Diplomatically well said. Dick Cook, congratulations again. Dick Cook, chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, just out there partying in California. Thanks for being with us.
COOK: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, you can party with us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT seven nights a week now because TV`s most provocative entertainment news show can be found during your weekend. That`s right. You can tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT each and every night, including Saturday and Sunday. We`ll be right here at 11:00 p.m. eastern, 8:00 pacific as always.
Coming up, we have startling secrets of the modeling industry from a former model -- talking about sex, drugs, and eating disorders. That is still to come. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She literally scared me to death. She scared me so badly that I was never going to make that mistake again.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A star`s secret daughter. Tonight the emotional story of a girl given away by her actress mother because of her race. It`s unbelievable. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the story of the hidden Hollywood child.
And Michael Bolton stops by. Why he`s singing Sinatra with his fiancee and "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan. We`re going to find out if they have actually set a date for that wedding yet. Michael Bolton joining us in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
First, we have tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" great American pop culture quiz. Who is the actor with the most consecutive $100 million grossing films? Was it Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner or was it Tom Cruise? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you Danny. Once again tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" great American pop culture quiz. Who is the actor with the most consecutive $100 million grossing films? Was it Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner or Tom Cruise? You might be surprised to learn, Suri`s daddy, Tom Cruise, now tied with Tom Hanks for the title. The answer is D.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And it`s time now for the little story that just made us say "that`s ridiculous!." Elvis has left the building and apparently is going for a swim. Well, he wasn`t wearing any blue swayed fins, but this Elvis impersonator did belt out some classic Presley tunes under the ocean.
It`s all part of this annual underwater music festival that happens in the Florida Keys, it went down this weekend. More than 600 divers and snorkelers were there and they played songs like Jimmy Buffet`s fins and of course the Beatles` yellow submarine, you have to include that. The wet and wild festivities raise awareness about preserving coral reefs. A very good cause indeed but I`m not quite sure, we think the king might get all shook up about this one.
Well, Kathy Griffin was truly shook up when she found out what her husband was up to. So much so, that she divorced him. Kathy, who`s the star of Bravo`s "My Life on the D-List", tells Larry King the shocking reason she dumped Matt Moline, the guy she married back in February of 2001. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: My ex-husband, without my knowledge, was sneaking into my wallet when I was asleep in the mornings and taking my ATM cards of my own private accounts and withdrawing money that I didn`t know about. And that money totaled $72,000. And he was doing it systematically over about a year and a half.
LARRY KING: He knew your password?
GRIFFIN: Yes.
KING: Why didn`t he just ask you?
GRIFFIN: I don`t know.
KING: I mean you`re in the marriage, he can`t ask you for $72,000?
GRIFFIN: I don`t know.
KING: What did he say when confronted?
GRIFFIN: He admitted it and apologized. And then I kind of embarked on a whole journey about can we fix this marriage? We went to couple therapy. I really wanted to make it work and then recently our divorce became final. Unfortunately we wouldn`t be able to get beyond the trust issue.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, their divorce became final in May. Kathy`s husband tells CNN that he`s saddened by the accusations. And you`ll be able to see more of Kathy Griffin`s interview, including her own battle with Star Jones. That`s tonight on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE."
Let`s move on to more happy couple stuff. Michael Bolton`s got one of the most recognizable voices out there to be sure. You know the songs, how am I supposed to live without you? How can we be lovers? Now, after selling more than 50 million albums, even writing songs with his idol Bob Dylan, Michael Bolton is taking on the chairman of the board himself. He`s got a new album out, it`s called Bolton Swing Sinatra. It even has a duet with his fiancee, "Desperate Housewives" star, Nicollette Sheridan. You`re hearing them singing together right now on a track called, the second time around. Michael Bolton, it`s always good to see you.
MICHAEL BOLTON: Good to see you as well. You`re very good at this.
HAMMER: Well, thank you.
BOLTON: I don`t know how you do it.
HAMMER: I`m just winging my way through. So let`s talk about this. This is an album of Sinatra songs. And as I mentioned, you have Nicollette is on there, who is your fiancee and of course everybody knows her from "Desperate Housewives." Some people might say, oh, he`s just kind of throwing her on there. It`s his fiancee, how nice. I`ve known you for a long time, I know what a professional and a perfectionist you are and you wouldn`t do that if she couldn`t sing.
BOLTON: That`s true. She has a beautiful voice and has great pitch. She knows when she`s singing in tune or not. And the other thing is, I take my records very seriously. But the funny thing was, when you said throwing her in there. If you know Nicollette at all, you don`t throw her anywhere. She is very strong-willed and she loves the song -- she loved the song, (INAUDIBLE) lyric was perfect for us. We both knew Sammie Kahn(PH), who adored her. He`s one of the greatest legendary song writers of all time. But the song is about us, for us. It`s thematically perfect for us.
HAMMER: Yes, second time around. Of course, you guys were together, then weren`t together, and now you`re together and engaged.
BOLTON: See how it works? Just like that. And I did have to really coax her to get into the studio. But I told her, if she wasn`t happy with her vocal, if she was too nervous, it would be a solo, I`d put it on the album just the way it was, and she came in and she rose to the occasion and did a beautiful job. You don`t throw Nicollette on.
HAMMER: Yeah I guess not. But I also know that you would have perhaps been a little apprehensive about it because singing is not really her thing. So you`ve got to tell me, though, because it`s the obligatory question, do you have any wedding plans set yet? Because everybody is waiting to hear the date and any details that you have.
BOLTON: I have a feeling everybody is doing a lot of other things than waiting to go hear about the date, but we don`t have a date. We`ve been talking about where actually in the world we want to do it. But "Housewives" starts up again on the 9th or -- excuse me -- on this Wednesday, they start shooting the next series. And I`m launching this album, the Bolton Swings Sinatra record is going to be pretty much everywhere I think for the next 10 or 11 months. I`ll be doing non-stop promotion around the world.
HAMMER: You`re pretty busy.
BOLTON: Right. So we`re trying to figure out more about how we`re carving out time to fly in and spend time together than the date.
HAMMER: But it`s interesting, you mention, you think people have other things that they are interested in. Certainly they do, but we are celebrity wedding obsessed. You look at what just went on with Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. And yours is really no different. How are you feeling about the fact that this very personal event in your life is news? I mean here we are, CNN Headline prime, sitting and talking about your wedding plans.
BOLTON: We`ve both been around the business for quite some time, you know, and I`m still amazed when I cut my hair that it was front-page news over the wires.
HAMMER: Huge.
BOLTON: The king of this country has declared war -- Michael Bolton cut his hair today. I mean nothing surprises me about what everybody is focused on. But I think there are going to be a lot of other weddings before we have our day here. We`re going to figure out where, and right now we`re just enjoying and ecstatic about the opportunity that`s pretty amazing that we got back together.
HAMMER: And do you talk about how you`re going to deal with the paparazzi and the inevitable you know barrage for that first photo. Look at what Nicole and Keith did, they provided the photo and said donate some money to charity, as sort of a way of controlling the frenzy. Do you see that as a way of curtailing the insanity?
BOLTON: I think that`s what we`re going to be doing. I think it`s smart, probably controlling, at least you give them a good picture as well and you`re definitely helping other people by doing it. And it`s just crazy. It`s what comes with the territory these days. But there must be enough people paying attention or you wouldn`t be talking about it. So we`ll have to see. Right now it`s such a work intensive time, the CD has taken up all my time and focus, but it`s also sending me around the world. And Nicollette starts "Desperate Housewives" in a couple days.
HAMMER: Well, of course we wish you the best of luck. This album is going to be a monster because the songs really are great. And as I say you pour your heart and soul into everything you do and we wish you the best of luck.
BOLTON: Thank you, thanks so much.
HAMMER: Nice to see you Michael.
BOLTON: Always great to see you.
HAMMER: Once again the CD is called Bolton Swings Sinatra and you`ll find it in stores now.
Well speaking of weddings and celebrity weddings and the Nicole Kidman Keith Urban wedding, Hugh Jackman was right there. He was even singing. Coming up, he`s going to spill more secrets about exactly what went on there, coming up.
Plus Angelina Jolie heads back to the office. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT knows what her first job will be since giving birth to little Shiloh, and it involves a very special reunion. We`ve got that next. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Hard giving you up, you can`t imagine what a mother would go through.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A star`s secret daughter. Tonight, the emotional story of a girl given away by her actress mother because of her race. A fascinating story and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has it about the hidden Hollywood child.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, from Hollywood`s hottest stars, all the way to the average American, we`re going to take a look at why thin is out and flab is in. The author of a new book reveals how the expanding waste lines of real Americans are actually changing what`s hot at home and what`s hot in Hollywood. We`ll get into that tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, new mommy Angelina Jolie is back on the job. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has found out exactly what she`s going to be doing in her very first acting role since giving birth to hers and Brad Pitt`s daughter Shiloh in May. Angelina`s going to be lending her voice to DreamWorks` "Kung Fu Panda." It`s an animated comedy that also stars Jack Black. The two worked on "Shark`s Tale," that was back in 2004. Also in the movie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Lou and Dustin Hoffman. "Kung Fu Panda" starring Jolie as Tigress the martial arts master will air in theaters in May 2008.
Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we have startling secrets of the modeling industry from a former model -- sex, drugs and eating disorders. It`s unbelievable what goes on. That`s still to come. Plus, we`ve got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
And she scared me so badly, that I was never going to make that mistake again.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A star`s secret daughter. Tonight, the emotional story of a girl given away by her actress mother because of her race. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the story of the hidden Hollywood child.
Also, we`re getting new details of the Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban wedding from a celebrity who was there. Coming up, Hugh Jackman dishes about what went on down under. You`re watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Monday night, and we are coming right back.
RICHELLE CAREY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everybody, I`m Richelle Carey with your "Headline Prime" newsbreak.
A website associated with Al Qaeda has posted pictures of what it claims are the mutilated bodies of two U.S. soldiers that were kidnapped and killed last month in Iraq. There`s no official U.S. confirmation of what that website is showing. CNN could not independently authenticate the video which does not show the actual killing of the soldiers.
A Southwest Airlines pilot now faces a federal charge after being removed from a plane before takeoff in Salt Lake City. 41 year old Carl Fulton is accused of operating a plane under the influence of alcohol. He did not enter a plea Monday.
And a federal judge has ruled an FBI raid on Congressman Williams Jefferson`s Capitol Hill office was legal. The judge dismissed arguments that the search violated the constitution`s protection against intimidation of elected officials. Jefferson`s lawyer says the congressman does plan to appeal that decision.
That is the news for now. Keep it here, I`m Richelle Carey.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer. And this is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Still to come tonight, we`ve all seen the wedding pictures of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. But what about the details? What was it really like actually being at the wedding of the century? Hugh Jackman, somebody who was there, is going to tell us all about it in minutes. And I can tell you, He did more than just attend.
Also, the world of modeling. It`s known as - certainly as a cutthroat business. But there is definitely a seedier side of it. It involves drugs, rape, eating disorders, issues that may shock many people. There`s a new book called "Model Student." I have the author coming up, and she not only wrote about it, she lived it. That`s with us in just a few moments here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first tonight, imagine keeping a life-changing secret all to save face among Hollywood`s elite. Well that is one woman`s true and very painful story - a woman`s whose ties to her own family and to Hollywood were actually hidden for decades. The shocking reason: she`s biracial. And her stepdad, a Hollywood star, faced possible backlash if he was linked to her. Well now she reveals the truth about her life as a secret daughter.
Here`s CNN`s Soledad O`Brien for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUNE CROSS, KEPT HER BI-RACIAL IDENTITY SECRET: This is me and my mother. I`ve lived much of my life in her shadows. I`ve been her secret child.
SOLEDAD O`BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): That secret child, a baby girl named June, was born in 1954 to Norma Booth, a struggling actress, and her boyfriend, vaudeville performer Jimmy Cross. When they split up, Norma hoped to raise June on her own.
CROSS: The neighbors were getting upset because I had grown considerably darker than I would - I guess I was born sort of (INAUDIBLE). And as I grew older, I got to be the (INAUDIBLE) I am now. So she sent me to live in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with some black friends of the family when I was four.
O`BRIEN: Peggy Bush (ph), a teacher, and Paul Bush (ph), a county clerk, raised June.
CROSS: It started with, you know, stay overnight. Stay for a week. Stay for the weekend. You know, and it sort of - I got so used to staying with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Paul that when I finally was left to go with school with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Paul, it seemed totally natural to me.
O`BRIEN: June enjoyed a loving, middle-class childhood that emphasized education and achievement. Her mother remained a constant presence in her life.
In 1961, Norma moved to Hollywood with her new husband, actor Larry Storch of "F-Troop" fame. They sent money back to June in New Jersey. But Norma worried that Larry`s career would be ruined if anyone found out that June was her daughter.
(on camera): It was a big secret for such a little girl.
CROSS: Yes.
O`BRIEN: You write about how you`re 7 years old, and your mother makes it very clear.
CROSS: Right.
O`BRIEN: .you could jeopardize a lot if you call me "mommy." You`re 7 years old.
CROSS: And she literally scared me to death. And she scared me so badly that I was never going to do - make that mistake again.
O`BRIEN: Fast forward a lot of years. What led you to go back and decide to really confront your mother about this big secret?
CROSS: Because if you don`t help them, it begins to come out in a variety of ways. I had sort of started choosing one wounded man after another in my personal life.
O`BRIEN (voice-over): Convincing her mother, whose entire life had been cloaked in secrecy, took nine months.
(on camera): How did you convince her finally?
CROSS: She began to feel like, you know, I`m - I`m old enough where I have nothing to lose. She thought my love for her would protect her. And I`m not sure that I consciously felt that all along. But my.
O`BRIEN: You love her for her would protect ..
CROSS: That I would not make her look like mommy dearest, like Joan Crawford. You know, the most evil mommy in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very hard giving you up. You can`t imagine what a mother would go through in order to (INAUDIBLE). But it was something that I always felt was for your own good.
CROSS: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well.
O`BRIEN (voice-over): The result was an Emmy-award-winning documentary and newfound openness for mother and daughter.
CROSS: People say to her, How could you ever have given up your daughter, which she was totally unprepared for. And people to said to me, How on Earth - you know, I`ve known you for 25 years and you`ve never told me this.
O`BRIEN (on camera): Some of the words you use in the book (INAUDIBLE), why is she not bitter? I almost would have been disappointed that you are not bitterly furious at your mother.
CROSS: It`s a growing experience, and I`m learning more about myself and learning to be more tolerant, learning to be more accepting and more abrasive and less judgmental as a reporter and as a human being.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Amazing. That was CNN`s Soledad O`Brien for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, tales of drugs, eating disorders and rape is the darker side of the fashion and modeling world that you may not have heard about.
Robin Hazelwood started modeling at the age of 14, and continued to do so as a student at Yale University. Hazelwood took her experiences and her accounts from other models, and wrote a novel about the uglier side of the fashion industry. It`s titled "Model Student: A Tale of Coeds and Cover Girls."
Robin Hazelwood, thanks for being here on SHOWBI Z TONIGHT. I appreciate it.
ROBIN HAZELWOOD, AUTHOR, "MODEL STUDENT": Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: We`ve heard this for years: how drugs and models go hand in hand. We just watched everything that happened with Kate Moss over the last couple of years, with her alleged cocaine snorting and the fact that she was able to bounce back from this.
A model told you - and this is something that you fictionalize for the book, but based in reality - a model told you about a horrific rape case that actually resulted from drug use.
What happened there?
HAZELWOOD: That was a - yes. That was the - a different drug. It was THB, which is, you know, commonly known as the date-rape drug. But that was in a story that took place in Milan. And at that time - this was awhile ago. This was during the time my book was set, which is in the early 90s. Models were - would go out to clubs at night, and it was before people even really knew about this drug. And it was not uncommon for situations to occur where girls were slipped the drug. And one model that I did interview for my book, a colleague who I`d worked with for a long time, actually did witness someone getting raped in the nightclub in the corner.
HAMMER: So it was actually commonplace that - you know, because models traditionally when they`re out, they travel in packs - but would actually commonly get date raped? Or get - or get slipped these drugs, from - from what you say.
HAZELWOOD: I - well, from what - I don`t know how common it was. But I do know that that wasn`t an extremely unusual occurrence. I mean, it was obviously - I think in that situation it was very publicly done. But sure, certainly, that`s one kind of thing that goes on.
And another thing that`s much more common is what you mentioned with Kate Moss. I mean, cocaine is sort of the.
HAMMER: Right, the staple.
HAZELWOOD: Models - it`s a wardrobe staple, much like the little black dress or something.
HAMMER: Well, another thing that we hear quite a bit about are rampant eating disorders throughout the industry. I mean, you`re certainly dealing with body-image issues when you have to be in front of the camera all the time like that, and - and fitting into these clothes, walking on - walking down the catwalk.
There`s one particular story that you fictionalize for your book, but based on a true story, showing this sort of nastier side of eating disorders.
HAZELWOOD: Yes, absolutely.
Well, you know, it`s hard to be unnaturally thin naturally. I mean, unfortunately. I mean, maybe when you get into the business and you`re 14 or 15 and you`re still growing, it`s - it`s easy. But then after that it can be tough. And I think one thing that I did address in my book was bulimia, which is - is pretty common. And in my book, there is - one of my characters has a roommate who`s bulimic.
But one - one story that didn`t make the book that I think is pretty interesting is one of my model colleagues, you know, talked about when she first - when she was living abroad and she was modeling and she was living in sort of a residence hotel with all these other models. And they had to share a bathroom at the end of the mall. And the - the toilets would get clogged frequently because so many girls were throwing up in them.
HAMMER: Oh my God.
HAZELWOOD: Yes.
HAMMER: That is amazing.
HAZELWOOD: Pretty gruesome. So.
HAMMER: So you - so you hear stories like that. You hear about the sexual advances. You hear about the drugs. There`s an unbelievable amount of pressure.
Why in the world would anybody want to get involved with this? Is it just the promises of the glamour and the cash?
HAZELWOOD: I think so. I mean, you know, the - model does still have this - you know, a lot of people and their reaction when they hear, Oh, you`re a model, is, Oh, wow, that`s so amazing. What is it like? I think people are, you know, often fooled by the picture.
And, you know, it can be a great profession. You earn - you can earn a lot of money. It`s very lucrative. You get to travel. But there are a lot of pitfalls. And so, you know, a lot of girls that I worked with over the years, they just sort of disappear along the way.
HAMMER: Was it encouraged by the modeling industry itself, though? The - the eating disorders, the drug use. I mean, is that something that - that actually was, you know, part of the deal?
HAZELWOOD: Well, I don`t know if I`d say encourage. I`d say maybe tacitly encourage. I mean, certainly - I mean, there have been instances where publicly former models have come out and said, Oh, well, my agent encouraged me to use cocaine, or was the first person to give me cocaine. Because, you know, it keeps you up; it keeps you slim.
HAMMER: Yes.
HAZELWOOD: I think generally speaking, it`s people are happy to look the other way until it becomes a big problem. And it`s affecting your - your bookings or your sales, then all of a sudden it`s, like, Oh, we got to get her to rehab.
HAMMER: Case in point, Kate Moss. And - and to be clear, and I certainly have some model friends who never got involved with any of that stuff.
HAZELWOOD: Absolutely.
HAMMER: It is not universal.
Robin Hazelwood, thank you very much for joining us.
HAZELWOOD: Thank you.
HAMMER: .and telling us those frightening stories.
Robin`s book, "Model Student: A Tale of Coeds and Cover Girls," in bookstores now.
And I would like to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. I can hang out with you throughout your weekend, your weekdays. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is now on your weekends as well. So make sure you tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific, in addition to every other night of the week.
One unusual festival brings together thousands of people for one purpose: to celebrate rednecks. Really, it`s true. I have the details coming up.
And I also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: I did everything with a sense of humor. I did everything with a sense of joy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Actor Hugh Jackman`s revealing interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Find out the secrets he told us about Nicole Kidman`s wedding.
Also, a comedian in Iraq. The meanest man in comedy gives us unprecedented access behind the scenes of war. Plus, a look at the surprising documentary that came out of it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A.J., stand by (ph) Camera 2. Ready, A.J. Push. Dissolve mic (INAUDIBLE).
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that just made us say "That`s Ridiculous!"
Here we are. We`re into July. Every town, of course, has its own summer festival. And for people in East Dublin, Georgia, it was the 11th annual Summer Redneck Games that drew huge crowds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). So many beers. We couldn`t ask for more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Some 8,000 people made it this year. The events included the mud pit swimming. And of course they have the - the hubcap hurl. You got to have the hubcap hurl.
Redneck organizers proudly say proceeds from this usual event go to charity. I guess that`s its redeeming quality. Still, Redneck Games? "That`s Ridiculous!"
He has been called the meanest man in comedy. But that didn`t comedian Jeffery Ross from doing something nice. Back in 2003, Ross joined a comedy team that was formed by fellow comedian Drew Carey on a USO tour. He brought along his own video camera, not really knowing that he was about to document an unprecedented view of life behind the battle lines. He was just putting together a little souvenir for himself. Ross put together the documentary. It`s called "Patriot Act: A Jeffery Ross Home Movie."
Joining me now from Hollywood, comedian Jeffery Ross.
Nice to see you, Jeffery. Thanks for being here.
JEFFERY ROSS, COMEDIAN: Hey, this was really cool. Thank you.
HAMMER: You`re welcome.
You are an entertainer. You are not a journalist. And that is exactly why you were able to get this unbelievable access. They weren`t restricting where you could go with your handheld camera.
So what really shocked you that you saw that we don`t normally get to see?
ROSS: I was amazed that the soldiers were the - besides being the best crowds ever, they were just like you and me. They were regular folks. They were smart. They were sophisticated. And they just needed a laugh more than most audiences.
HAMMER: And you certainly saw some of the places though where traditional news cameras and crews don`t get to go, right?
ROSS: When you`re with the military - I mean, I didn`t realize what I was getting into. Flying - Drew Carey is crazy. He`s a former Marine. He wanted to go where no journalists would ever go, all around the Sunni Triangle. Blackhawk helicopters. I sat in Saddam`s throne. I had a Rosh Hashanah meal with a bunch of Jewish soldiers in Tikrit. Oh my.
Yes, it was a life-changing experience for sure.
HAMMER: It`s always amazed me - and I give you guys a lot of credit, because basically you`re going to the most dangerous place on Earth to make people laugh, you know, very much in the tradition of Bob Hope. You talk about Bob and what he did for decades. You`re out there basically risking your life. I mean, you truly are in a dangerous place just to entertain.
I know you had a couple of scary moments, didn`t you?
ROSS: Yes. Well, you know, you mentioned Bob Hope. I`m no hope. I`m a nervous wreck. And normally, growing up around Jewish kosher caterers, I never really had been a war zone or even soldiers. So, yes, my - my hotel was mortared; the Al-Rasheed Hotel was mortared while we were there. And the scary part was staying there again that night. I had - I ate out of the bags - the MREs they call them, Meals Ready to Eat.
HAMMER: Yes.
ROSS: Which I learned really stands for, My Rectum Exploded. It was definitely an experience I`ll never forget.
HAMMER: No, you`re really brave.
ROSS: The soldiers are very brave.
HAMMER: And you were able to capture a lot of that spirit and - and that action on that DVD, "The Patriot Act," which will be out tomorrow.
I also want to mention, you have this animated series on MTV2 called Where - Where`s - "Where My Dogs At?" And.
ROSS: "Where My Dogs At?"
HAMMER: And - and I have to play this particular clip, because we were watching it today; it had us in stitches. You`re having a little fun at the expense of some of our better-known celebs.
Let`s take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Hi, girls. Sorry I`m late. Traffic was murder.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Hey, Nicole. You look so emaciated.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Thanks! Ten more pounds and I`ll be down to my birth weight!
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Nicole Richie! She used to be on "The Simple Life." And heroin.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Yes, she made Paris Hilton look smart.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: So Nicole, who are you engaged to this week?
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: I haven`t met him yet. But my publicist says I`m terribly in love with him.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTORS: Mischa!
(GROANING)
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: She`s on "The O.C."
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: What`s "O.C." stand for?
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: On crack. Never work in the game Hangman by the way.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Mischa, let`s see your engagement ring.
(GROANING)
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: It looks fantastical.
Mary Kate, I can`t believe you`re smoking. Do you know how many calories are in that cigarette?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Now I - I think it`s fairly safe to say that that`s social satire right there.
But why - why do you think we`re so obsessed with the way these women look and how they look?
ROSS: I think it`s because we come from the right place, at least from my perspective. I`m the ultimate Superfan. I only roast the ones I love. And I watch all these movies. I listen to all the new music. So a few other celebrities will get mad, and MTV has promised to hire me bodyguards.
HAMMER: Yes, who are you most afraid of Jeffery?
ROSS: I think I`m most afraid of probably Lindsay Lohan, because I heard she has a hell of a left hook.
HAMMER: No, I think you could take her. I think you could take her. Are - are we going to see - are we going to be seeing a lot more of that?
ROSS: The best one`s coming up. It`s Bobby and Whitney jump out of a garbage Dumpster, and they`re so messed up that they mistake the dogs for their own children.
HAMMER: So there basically is no shortage of material. Thank - thanks to our fine friends in Hollywood.
ROSS: Yes, it`s a never-ending stream of red carpets and celebrity nonsense.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSS: And - and who could ever be mad at a couple of little lost dogs?
HAMMER: Exactly right. Jeffery Ross, thank you very much.
The - Ross` animated series, called "Where My Dogs At?," will air Saturdays on MTV2. And as I mentioned, the new documentary, which is called "Patriot Act: A Jeffery Ross Home Movie," will be in stores tomorrow.
Well, actor Hugh Jackman was one of the lucky celebrities who got to attend what seems like the wedding of the century: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban`s wedding in Sydney, Australia. So did Jackman really sing to the couple? And did he share any words of wisdom about marriage with them?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny Ditoma (ph) spoke one on one with Jackman, and he set the record straight. He`s promoting his new Woody Allen comedy "Scoop," all the way from Sydney, Australia.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you realize you`ve been making a lot of headlines over here just because you attended a certain person`s wedding?
JACKMAN: I don`t know. In Australia I was making a few headlines, but I think in the Australian newspapers, if they were 50 pages in a newspaper in Australia, there was 48 pages about Nicole and Keith`s wedding. And I have to say, it was absolutely phenomenal. It was - it was a great wedding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Now is it true that you sang.
JACKMAN: Next to my own, the best I`ve ever been to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. That`s right. That`s right.
Is it true that you sang to them?
JACKMAN: It`s - it`s true that I sang, yes. Nicole asked me to sing Keith`s favorite song, which is "Ten Appeared the Saddler" (ph), which is a great Australian song, which is almost my favorite. So I sang that. And then after me, Keith sang to Nicole. And as he was singing - it was kind of amazing song - I remember thinking, I`m glad that I sang first. Because I don`t think I would have wanted to follow Keith.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you give them any advice?
JACKMAN: The only advice I would have given them on the night was, when I got married, someone told me, grab your wife at some point, drag her into the kitchen, go into a bathroom and just sit down and talk to her. Because the entire night, you`re going to be yanked at my aunties and aunts and uncles. And - and that`s exactly what happened. And I did, about halfway through the night, I - I yanked - I yanked Delia (ph) out and we came and she - she was sewn into her dress and she had no shoes on. We sat in the kitchen on their milk crates, and there we were sitting, just saying, Hi Mrs. Jackman. Hello, Mr. Jackman. It was kind of surreal.
So I - I mentioned that. I said, Just grab each other for five minutes and get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The way Keith and Nicole handled the paparazzi over there was very gracious.
Are the paparazzi over there very different from here? Is it a better relationship, you think?
JACKMAN: Well, I think - I think it probably is generally. I mean, it - it changes for person to person. It`s probably not as progressive over here. But I think it was a celebration. It was a wedding, and - and so I think the two of them handled it incredibly well. I didn`t want it to be anything other than a celebration. So they did everything with a sense of humor. They did everything with a sense of joy and happiness, which is really who they are naturally.
And so when we arrived at the wedding, there were probably thousands - 4,000 people just lining streets. And instead of umbrellas, people were winding down their windows and waving at everybody. It was a very festive day (ph).
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And in the (ph) film "Scoop," Jackman plays an aristocrat who is romancing a young journalism student played by Scarlett Johansson. What his character doesn`t know is Johansson`s character is out to get the biggest scoop ever - ever out there, about a rash of murders. "Scoop" will be in theaters everywhere on July 28.
Well, we want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. Be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
Now on Friday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We were asking: "Stars who overcome scandals: Is the public too forgiving?" Here`s what you said: 66 percent of you say yes, the public is too forgiving; 34 percent of you say no, it is not.
A lot of e-mails came in on the topic. We heard from Bryan in Virginia. He writes, "With star scandals, it isn`t about being too forgiving. Our society actually glorifies that kind of behavior."
And Jan from Manitoba, Canada, writes, "It just shocked me to see how unforgiving we are of people we don`t even know. Human beings are not perfect!"
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It`s time for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Birthday Shoutout." This is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight we got to send one out to Jessica Simpson. She`s turning 26 today.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I`m Kendra Olson (ph) from Apple Valley, Minnesota. And I want to say happy birthday to Jessica Simpson. I think you`re great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And we`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Tom and Katie`s baby: Did you want to see a picture of Suri Cruise?" I encourage you to go to the World Wide Web to vote: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll get into your e-mails tomorrow.
It`s time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Here`s your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, from Hollywood`s hottest stars all the way to the average American, we`re going to take a look at why thin is out and flab is in. The author of a new book reveals how the expanding waistlines of real Americans are changing what`s hot at home and what`s hot in Hollywood. That is tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I am A.J. Hammer in New York. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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