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Showbiz Tonight
Too Young to Play Rape?; Backlash Towards Christie Brinkley`s Husband`s Mistress;
Aired July 20, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: The unbelievable interview with Paris Hilton. We have it.
Plus, in Hollywood, where thin is in, we take a look at famous women who are bucking the trend.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Tonight, Dakota Fanning`s shocking new movie. Hollywood`s biggest child star in a graphic and violent rape scene, and why the 12-year-old`s mother is saying it`s actually good for her. Tonight, the outrage, and the tough question, is it ever OK for child actors to be in violent, sexual scenes?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
Brinkley backlash. Why so many people are saying the teenager who claims she had an affair with Christie Brinkley`s husband is not so innocent in the mess.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": A married man giving you gifts is a dirt bag.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(APPLAUSE)
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the tough question, does the girl deserve any sympathy?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi, there. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
Tonight, a show business shocker. Hollywood`s biggest child star in a graphic and disturbing rape scene. You know Dakota Fanning, the adorable child star you`ve seen in movies like "War of the Worlds" and "Cat in the Hat." Well, forget "Cat in the Hat." In her next movie, her character gets raped, and we see it happen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): At 12 years old, Dakota Fanning is already a seasoned Hollywood pro. Her movies have grossed more than a half a billion dollars at the box office.
DAKOTA FANNING, ACTRESS: Oh, I love it.
ANDERSON: She`s worked with film royalty, from Denzel to De Niro. And she`s wise, well spoken and mature beyond her years.
FANNING: I feel so blessed to be able to be in "War of the Worlds."
ANDERSON: But is her latest film role too mature for audiences?
Here`s the shocker.
LLOYD GROVE, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS" COLUMNIST: Her character is raped in a very explicit scene.
ANDERSON: In Dakota`s yet-to-be-released next movie "Hounddog," Dakota`s character, a little girl in the 1950s South, gets raped.
"New York Daily News" columnist Lloyd Grove, who broke the story, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it appears to be a disturbing scene.
GROVE: There`s a lot of sexually explicit disturbing material which is surprising for a child actress like Dakota Fanning to be in. The rape scene, which has already been filmed, is a very challenging and very traumatic scene for a young actress to film. And she got through that.
ANDERSON: Dakota has filmed plenty of disturbing scenes throughout her career.
FANNING, "WAR OF THE WORLDS": Dad, you`re really scaring me.
ANDERSON: Her character witnesses a brutal alien invasion in last year`s "War of the Worlds." She was kidnapped in the violent "Man on Fire." And she played a disturbed little girl in last year`s "Hide and Seek."
FANNING, "HIDE AND SEEK" She killed herself in the bathtub.
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR "HIDE AND SEEK": Emily...
FANNING, "HIDE AND SEEK": Slit her wrists with a razor.
DE NIRO, "HIDE AND SEEK": Emily!
ANDERSON: Dakota recently told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she has no problem shooting emotional scenes.
FANNING: I just kind of become my character, you know, when we are filming. And so if I feel that my character would be doing this, you know, crying or something, then I do it, because, I mean, I just feel like -- I kind of just become her.
ANDERSON: But no matter how accomplished an actress Dakota is, her rape scene in her new movie has SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wondering if young actors like Dakota should be exposed to rape or other adult themes even if it is just for pretend.
BROOKE SHIELDS, ACTRESS "PRETTY BABY": I can feel the steam inside me right through my dress.
ANDERSON: It didn`t seem to hurt actress Brooke Shields. In 1978, when Brooke was also 12 years old, she played a child prostitute in "Pretty Baby."
SHIELDS, "PRETTY BABY": I hope you`re going to be real gentle on me, being my first time.
JODI FOSTER, ACTRESS "TAXI DRIVER": Are you looking for some action?
ANDERSON: And a young Jodi Foster played a prostitute in the 1976 classic "Taxi Driver."
DE NIRO, "TAXI DRIVER": Are you really 12 and a half?
FOSTER, "TAXI DRIVER": Listen, Mister. It`s your time. Fifteen minutes ain`t long.
ANDERSON: For that extremely disturbing role, Foster was nominated for an Oscar, a fate that could await Dakota.
GROVE: This movie, her mother, Joy (ph), and her agent, Cindy Osbrink, believe this could be her Oscar chance. She`s a very smart girl. She`s obviously very precocious. She`s been in the business a long time. She knows her way around. And Dakota, with her eyes opened, decided she wanted to do this.
ANDERSON: Dakota`s agent tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the rape scene was tastefully shot. She adds, "We are very proud of this movie."
Still, the disturbing prospect of a beloved child star like Dakota Fanning being raped on screen has many reserving judgment on this movie.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: As Lloyd Grove mentioned, Dakota`s mother sees her daughter`s role as so powerful, it could get her an Oscar nomination. But should Dakota have done it at all?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Anne Henry, co-founder of bizparentz.com, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and support for parents and children in the entertainment industry.
And from San Francisco, Marc Klaas, president of Klaas Kids Foundation, whose mission is to stop crimes against children.
Welcome to you both.
MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Thank you.
ANNE HENRY, CO-FOUNDER, BIZPARENTZ.COM: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Of course, Marc, I want to begin with you.
When you first heard about Dakota Fanning`s role in this movie, what was your reaction? What did you think?
KLAAS: Well, when I first heard about it I was absolutely horrified, but on reflection, one has to understand that what`s depicted on the screen is not what occurs in the movie studio. And she`s being surrounded by very responsible, well-respected people in the industry. So I have to believe that those collective judgments are enough to protect this child and ensure that this isn`t about exploitation.
ANDERSON: Now, Anne, you`ve been on Internet message boards, forums for parents with child actors, discussing this very role Dakota Fanning has in "Hounddog."
What are people in the message boards saying about this?
HENRY: Well, I think the reaction was mixed. First of all, they understood that Dakota can pull off roles that many child actors can`t. She has quite a power in Hollywood, and because of her body of work previously, she can get away with that edgy stuff, a role that the rest of us might be a little too attached to for the rest of our lives. She can get away with trying something edgy, and if it works great, and if it doesn`t, great.
The concern was for the roles around her, the younger girl and the boy in the film, that most parents were actually auditioning for and going through the prospect. And most everyone I know turned down the audition, and several people turned down the role, even though it was offered to them, because they just didn`t want to be involved with something quite this far gone.
ANDERSON: Marc, is there any way -- you say you hope that she was protected on the set, but is there any way this portrayal could be seen as a good thing because it has the potential to help people recognize that, hey, this really does happen and there might be a problem in our society in this way?
KLAAS: Well, absolutely. There`s a huge problem in our society. And, you know, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of cases just like this that occur in America every year, but we never pay attention to them. So if this little girl and her amazing talent -- and certainly if this child and her amazing talent can bring this to the attention of people and it can spawn a larger discussion that can lead to solution, obviously it`s a very, very good thing.
ANDERSON: She is amazingly talented, you`re right.
And Anne, you`re a mother. You actually have kids who are actors. You say that more than ever, you turn down roles because of the subject matter. Now, Dakota`s mom says this role isn`t bad for Dakota, it simply challenges her as an actress.
What do you say to that?
HENRY: Well, I think that is the only person who gets to make that judgment, is Dakota`s mom. It is very individual. And that`s some of the things you will see on Internet message boards for parents, discussing whether their child can handle this, whether their child is ready, whether this would have lasting effects on their child, and where they are in their career.
So it`s a very individual decision. And yes, the roles are getting edgier. Hollywood is pushing the envelope more and more every day, and I probably turned down more auditions for my kids in the last six months than I have in the last 10 years combined.
ANDERSON: Would you let your kids take a role like this?
HENRY: No. Actually, I didn`t. But I can`t -- my kids aren`t Dakota. I don`t have that power that she has.
She has some advantages. She has, as we said earlier, a good surrounding family that can protect her from some things, but she also has a place in the industry. If she felt something was unsafe on set or was not being shot in the way she liked, maybe she can walk away.
ANDERSON: Could speak up for herself?
HENRY: Absolutely. She can walk away.
ANDERSON: Well, we know this is nothing new.
Marc, Jodi Foster played a young prostitute in "Taxi Driver," Brooke Shields in "Pretty Baby." But not just about prostitutes. We see more and more child actors playing victims of horrific acts on TV and film.
Isn`t there the danger that it could cause psychological problems when the cameras are turned off?
KLAAS: Well, I think that that`s a question that has to be asked of a psychiatrist. But remember, what`s depicted on the screen is not how things are done in the studio. And we have to remember that both of the other young women that we spoke about went on to stellar careers.
ANDERSON: You`re right about that.
OK. Anne Henry, of bizparentz.com, Marc Klaas president of Klaas Kids Foundation, thank you both for joining us and giving us your insight. We appreciate it.
HENRY: Thank you.
KLAAS: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear from you about this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
Sexually violent scenes: Is it OK underage actors to appear in them?
Go to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. There`s the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Some news about another well-known child star tonight, although he`s not really a kid anymore. Haley Joel Osment -- you know him from "The Sixth Sense," "Pay it Forward," and many other films -- is in the hospital after a car accident in Los Angeles, and officials say alcohol may have been a factor.
Osment is 18 years old. He apparently lost control of his 1995 Saturn and ran into a brick pillar. He is being treated for a broken rib and lacerations on his arms.
The L.A. County Sheriff`s Department tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that evidence at the scene led them to believe alcohol was involved. The department says they got a blood sample from the hospital, and it`s going to take about three weeks to analyze.
A friendly reminder now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on seven nights a week. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. So be sure to check us out, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern. That`s 8:00 Pacific.
OK. From the stars to the people on the streets, everyone seems to have something to say about the alleged teen mistress of Christie Brinkley`s husband. We`re going to look into why everyone has such a strong reaction to the other woman coming up.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: I`m not a slut at all. I`ve only had a few boyfriends. I`m far less promiscuous than any of my friends. So...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Paris says she has feelings, too. Paris Hilton says she sometimes cries about what people say about her. We have the amazing interview coming up.
Plus, in Hollywood, where thin is in and women are thinner than ever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a look at women who are resisting the trend, how curves are making a comeback.
That`s still ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
It`s time now for another story that made us say "That`s ridiculous!" And it really is.
Now, it is a little on the raunchy side, so I want to warn you.
OK, they say Hollywood is the land of inflated egos, and now that`s getting a literal meaning. There are some erotic Web sites that are selling blowup dolls of famous women. There you see it.
There`s the Pam Anderson doll, the Christina Aguilera doll and the Paris Hilton doll, among others. They are about 20 bucks. And we don`t even want to think about who`s buying them, do we?
Inflatable celebrity dolls. Now, "That`s Ridiculous!"
There appears to be an incredible backlash against the teenager who says she had a year-long affair with Christie Brinkley`s husband. The 19-year- old, Diana Bianchi, allegedly accepted gifts from Cooke, including a car and even cash.
A lot of people have been calling her names over the past week, including "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who has been outraged since the story broke.
So, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hit the streets and asked people if they think the teen is a victim.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s hard to say, but I think when you are 18, 19 you kind of know what`s going on. You know? I mean, you have the right mind to know what you`re getting yourself into. So it`s hard to say that she`s a victim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see her as a victim in the sense that the man, he has experience on her of how to woo her. She is half to blame. You know, if she really didn`t want it to happen, she could have said no, and then it would have never happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Joining me here in New York is Cooper Lawrence, developmental psychologist and the author of "been there, done that. Kept the Jewelry."
Cooper, good to see you again.
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Good to see you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Of course.
Clearly, a lot of people are not siding with Diana Bianchi. Why do you think there is such an extremely strong reaction against the other woman here?
LAWRENCE: Well, there are several things going on. One is, it`s pretty clear she`s looking for her 15 minutes of fame. And, you know, she`s 19, and she`s not obviously as smart as the American public, because we see it, we get it.
You know, it`s no -- it`s no secret to us. You can`t put one over on us.
And I think also because we are used to working for what we have in this country. And if we knew we could have just slept with someone to get there, we`d all do it.
ANDERSON: Right. Maybe it doesn`t get the respect faster.
LAWRENCE: The idea. Absolutely.
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about Christie Brinkley. Obviously beautiful. One of the most well-liked women in the public, in the world. People seem to automatically have sympathy for her here.
Do you think that plays a role in the backfire against Bianchi as well?
LAWRENCE: I think that`s the biggest part of it, because we relate to her. Because she`s put in her years with him, she`s raised the children. And it`s something call equity theory, meaning that you want equity in the relationship, you want balance. Look what I`ve put in, what am I getting back?
And what`s her reward? That he ends up with a 19-year-old? It`s not fair. And I think we can relate to Christie. We can relate to putting time into a relationship.
ANDERSON: And hope that that never happens to any of us. You`re right.
LAWRENCE: Right. We personalize it in that way.
ANDERSON: Exactly.
Bianchi was 18 when she allegedly got romantically involved with Peter Cooke. Obviously knew he was married, worked in his office, probably saw the family pictures.
Her going public and saying here`s what happened, here`s my side of the story, is that actually hurting her?
LAWRENCE: Well, I think it`s coming across very calculated, because it`s not like they had a quick affair and it was over and she went, "Oh, my gosh. What did I do?"
She took a car, she took a lot of money from him. You know, it`s -- and she`s 19. She`s not 14. So developmentally, she`s at a point where she does know what she`s doing. And I think that`s why the big backlash, because we all go, "Please, lady. We see what`s going on here."
ANDERSON: Not as easy to forgive a 19-year-old, rather than if it had been a 14-year-old.
LAWRENCE: Also because it went on for a year. So she had plenty of time to think about it. It`s not some impulsive thing she did and then said, "Oh, my gosh. What was I thinking?"
I mean, after a year...
ANDERSON: Right.
As I mentioned before, people have been calling her names on television. "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck called her "a little prostitute."
What do you think it is in our psyche that causes us to just react so strongly?
LAWRENCE: I think it`s because we definitely personalize it. Because we figure, if it happened to Christie Brinkley, somebody who is very charitable -- every time there`s a charity even, there she is, she is known as being a great mother -- if it can happen to her, how can it not happen to me? And I think we -- even though we maybe don`t live those lives, on some level we do personalize it and feel like, gosh, I should be aware of this as well now. And we want to root for the underdog, which in this case is Christie Brinkley.
ANDERSON: Oh, we hope -- we wish her well. And this has been a very ugly mess.
Cooper Lawrence, we`re going to have to leave it there. Great to see you. Thanks so much.
LAWRENCE: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
LAWRENCE: Of course.
And last night we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Christie Brinkley marital mess: Is it harder than ever to stay married?
Sixty-six percent of you say, yes, it is. Thirty-four percent of you say no.
Here`s one of the e-mails we got.
Arie -- I hope I pronounced that correctly -- Arie from Kansas writes, "It would be hard living in the spotlight and marrying someone famous. They don`t have the time to see one another."
That could be a problem.
All right. One of the original supermodels is back on the cover of "Vogue" and opening up about growing older in the industry. The cover of the August issue of "Vogue" features Linda Evangelista, who is now 41 years old and pregnant. Look at her. She looks great.
Inside the magazine, Evangelisgta says it`s important for her to be honest. She admits that she uses Botox and other cosmetic procedures. She says, "I don`t` look like I do in the pages of `Vogue.` I think it`s OK to say I`m 41 and it`s worth being me. It`s a lot of upkeep."
For more about Linda Evangelista and some other supermodels` thoughts on aging, pick up a copy of the August issue of "Vogue". It`s on newsstands now.
A Baldwin brother is in the hospital and could face some serious legal charges. We`re going to tell you why a police officer pulled a gun on him.
That`s coming up next.
We will also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I`m not a slut at all. I`ve only had a few boyfriends. I`m far less promiscuous than any of my friends. So...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Paris says she`s got feelings, too. Paris Hilton says she sometimes cries about what people say about her. We`ve got that amazing interview coming up.
Plus, in Hollywood, where thin is in and women are thinner than ever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a look at women who are resisting that trend. How curves are making a big comeback, that`s still ahead.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It`s time now for an update on the war of words between "Clerks II" director Kevin Smith and film critic Joel Siegel.
At a screening of the movie in a room full of critics, Siegel stood up and said, "Time to go" about 40 minutes in, and then he used some colorful language to let everyone know it was the first movie he walked out of in 30 years.
Well, yesterday, Smith was a guest on the syndicated "Opie & Anthony" radio show, and they got Siegel on the show. There was just one problem. After about a five-minute argument, Siegel never picked up on the fact that he was actually talking to Smith, not the host of the show.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KEVIN SMITH, DIRECTOR, "CLERKS II": I have no problem with you walking out, dude. I don`t care if you don`t like the movie. Like, I get it, it`s not everybody`s cup of tea, man. But you don`t be disruptive when you walk out. That`s where you were wrong.
JOEL SIEGEL, FILM CRITIC: Hey, did I apologize? Did I say if I ever did it again I would do it differently?
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: It`s too late, man. The lightning is out -- the genie is out of the bottle, sir. You were disruptive in the screening.
SIEGEL: You know, they let you back on the air. Come on.
SMITH: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t think Joel understands.
You`re talking to Kevin Smith right now.
SIEGEL: Where is Kevin Smith?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve been speaking with Kevin...
You`ve been talking to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... the entire time, Joel.
SIEGEL: I had no idea.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve been talking to Kevin Smith the whole time.
SIEGEL: Kevin, I`m sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve stood aside...
SIEGEL: I think you are a terrific filmmaker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Time to retire, Joel.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: One side note that we found to be pretty funny, on his blog, Smith wrote, "I don`t come down to your job and slap the taste out of your mouth for coming up with a line like, `Shark Tale` is a halibut good time.`"
Make no mistake now. In Hollywood, thin is in. And sometimes scary thin. But there are some famous women bringing back curves. We are going to take a look coming up.
We will also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I`m not a slut at all. I`ve only had a few boyfriends. I`m far less promiscuous than any of my friends. So...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Paris Hilton says she has feelings, too. Paris Hilton says she sometimes even cries about what people say about her.
We`ve got that amazing interview coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You don`t want to miss that.
Plus, a new thriller from the director of "The Fugitive." We have your first look at Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher in "The Guardian." That`s ahead in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Showcase."
Stay with us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
OK, in Hollywood, we all know it seems impossibly thin is so in. Well tonight, we`re going to take a look at some women in the industry who are bucking that trend and embracing their gorgeous curves. That`s coming up.
Also tonight, one of the Baldwin brothers is in the hospital and could face some serious legal charges. That story just ahead.
But first, call in the fire engines because Paris is burning. As in burning mad. Paris Hilton is steaming because of what people have been writing about her on the entertainment news Web site TMZ.com. Not only that, but TMZ.com`s managing editor Harvey Levin actually read the comments to Paris face to face. And wait until you hear what she had to say.
Harvey joins us now tonight from TMZ.com`s newsroom in Glendale, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi there.
OK, we`re going to show some of this incredible interview in just a moment to everybody. And to say some of the comments, Harvey, from your readers were vicious and cruel would really be an understatement. Some of them so graphic we can`t even mention them.
But - but one person said, Would you please drop over dead or commit suicide?
Harvey, that`s some pretty ugly stuff. What started this?
LEVIN: Well, it`s worse than that, actually. It`s a lot worse than that, Brooke.
I mean, the comments about Paris Hilton on our Web site are absolutely the most vicious of any celebrity. And, you know, I think she`s become a lightning rod. There are a lot of people who just like, you know, she`s too privileged. She`s too glamorous. A lot of people think she`s too irresponsible, too sexual. And it has just triggered this flurry of hatred. And it has really gotten to her.
ANDERSON: Well, your interview with her was very revealing, to say the least.
Let`s listen to what she had to say when you asked her exactly how she felt when you read some of the comments to her - comments from the site.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ENTERTAINER: They`re just very hurtful, and I just don`t know how people who don`t even know me can just come up with such mean and sadistic things. Like, reading them, it just hurts my feelings that people could say things like that. I mean, (INAUDIBLE) who don`t even know me. I just - it - it hurts that, you know, the media has made me into sort of this, like, punching bag or a cartoon character. I mean, people think that I don`t have any feelings. And, you know, it - it hurts, like anyone else. This has hurt me bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Harvey, she looked genuinely hurt there. Do you buy it?
LEVIN: I do buy it. She told me she cries sometimes when she reads these.
I mean, they`re really searing comments about her. And, you know, she says, I - you know, she says, Look, you know, I`ve - she said she dated a guy - and she`s talking about Rick Solomon, with whom she made the sex tape.
ANDERSON: Of course.
LEVIN: She said basically, who has really kind of ruined her life. And she said that a lot of people think she`s a slut. She says she is less promiscuous than anybody she knows in her world. She`s had a couple of boyfriends. But there`s an image of her, she said, that she can`t shake. And again, when she looks at this Web site, she says it just sends chills down her spine.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, she really did seem to be shaken up. It really seemed to get under her skin when you told that someone had called her a slut.
Let`s take a listen to that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I`m not a slut at all. I`ve only had a few boyfriends, and I don`t even do anything with anyone. It`s just media making stuff up. When people say that, they don`t know me (INAUDIBLE). I`m a far less promiscuous of any of my friends, so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Harvey, you think she feels she can`t shake this image. But I got to tell you, to a lot of people this is going to seem laughable. People might be rolling their eyes, because you mentioned the infamous sex tape that she made. Some may say she changes boyfriends more often than some people change their socks.
LEVIN: You know, it`s true.
Look, Paris Hilton has got a lot of flaws. I mean, she parties too hard. You know, she plays the glamour thing up too much. She`s a terrible driver. I mean, she has all sorts of problems. But, you know, do you treat her like you would talk about al-Qaida? And I think that`s really the issue.
I mean, it`s fair to criticize her. But she`s saying, Come on guys. You know, I`m not Osama bin Laden. And you shouldn`t be using these words that you would use against him toward me.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s fair.
Now help with this though, Harvey: if you believe everything you hear and read, there is almost universal disdain for Paris. Yet she remains as famous and bigger than ever. New song out called "Stars Are Blind." Expected to really defy all odds and become a hit.
Is it just a lot of people love to hate her?
LEVIN: Yes. I mean, I - I - you know, I kind of think you hit the nail on the head here. Because with all of these comments, with all that people say about her, this woman has become kind of a marketing phenomenon. She has multiple perfume lines. She`s involved in the fashion industry, now the music industry. She`s kind of become a mogul based on the persona that she created. So obviously there`s a market there, because people are buying it.
ANDERSON: No matter how she acts, I do believe there`s more upstairs with her than she lets on at times.
Harvey Levin.
LEVIN: I agree.
ANDERSON: .managing editor of TMZ.com, thank you so much.
LEVIN: Bye, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Bye bye.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "The Guardian," starring Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher. Costner plays a rescue swimmer who lost his crew in an accident years back. He turns to teaching and meets a cocky swim champ, played by Ashton Kutcher. Together they discover the real meaning of heroism.
Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred miles off the Alaskan coast, six members of a Coast Guard search-and-rescue team embarked on a mission.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: .at the height of a Category 3 storm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look out! (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Only one would survive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s an instructor opening at A-school.
KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: No, I`m not interested.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t always be the one in the water, Ben (ph). I need you to train the next generation.
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: That guy who holds all them records? Just thought you ought to let him know I`m about to knock his name off that board.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe you should let him know yourself. He`s standing in the back of the room.
(CHEERING)
COSTNER: Why don`t you do us both a favor and quit?
KUTCHER: I want to apologize about what I said earlier. I thought there might be some things you`d like to apologize for.
COSTNER: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Check it out. She`s staring at you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, she`s not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to make a move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t. I get nervous.
KUTCHER: You want to jump out of helicopters, but you`re afraid to go talk to a girl?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pretty much, yes.
COSTNER: Who here can tell me the rescue swimmer`s motto?
KUTCHER: (INAUDIBLE), chief.
COSTNER: Oh, I feel safer already.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who is this guy?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s a legend. He`s got something like 200 saves.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he`s such a stud, what`s he doing here?
COSTNER: There will come a time when you might have to decide who lives and who dies.
KUTCHER: You think I`m ready for this?
COSTNER: Go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This fall, his greatest battle will be saving one of his own.
KUTCHER: The water`s filling up!
COSTNER: I`m going in.
KUTCHER: How do you choose who to save?
COSTNER: I swim as fast and as hard as I can for as long as I can. And the sea takes the rest.
(SINGING)
KUTCHER: Hang on!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "The Guardian" opens in theaters September 15.
It is time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Actor Daniel Baldwin could face charges of driving under the influence and other offenses after a car crash in west L.A. Police say Baldwin ran a red light and crashed his Ford Thunderbird into two parked cars last night. Cops say the 45-year-old was so uncooperative, one officer actually drew his gun to get the actor to comply. Baldwin suffered back and neck injuries in the collision.
Kate Hudson has won her legal battle against a tabloid. The actress has accepted libel damages from the British edition of "The National Enquirer." Last year, the paper claimed Hudson was "dangerously thin" and "foolishly endangering her health." The publication will also print an apology.
Former "Seventh Heaven" star Jessica Biel just made some lucky man`s day, and all for a good cause. A lunch date with the actress fetched $30,000 at an auction. The fundraiser was to benefit a Colorado teenager who lost her leg and part of her pelvis in a prom-night limousine actress. The lucky bidder will have lunch with Biel next month. Biel says she promises to be a cheap date.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
All right. We want to spend some time with you this weekend. That`s right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. We`re bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. So check us out. Be sure to tune in, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
OK, what`s a little massage between friends, right? Well, it`s got a whole different feel when one of them is the president of the United States. Tonight, the story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROB CHILTON, OK! MAGAZINE: There is a kind of fascination (INAUDIBLE) especially women, to see these very, very skinny celebrities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But skinny isn`t always sexy in Hollywood. Just ask women with curves. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks at Hollywood`s leading ladies who aren`t starving for attention.
And the creative force behind "Clerks II." How writer-director Kevin Smith rebounded after "Jersey Girl," and how his friendship with "Clerks" co-star Jason Mewes prepared him for fatherhood. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And now a "Birthday Shoutout." Now this is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a very happy birthday. Tonight we`re going to send one out to musician Carlos Santana. He`s celebrating his 59th today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, my name is Chris (ph). I`m from Chicago. And I`d like to wish an extra-special happy birthday to Carlos Santana because he rocks.
(SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music, make your move. Fade up. And ready Brooke in 3, 2 - dissolve Camera 2 and mic cue (ph).
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
OK, it`s time now for a story that made us say "That`s Ridiculous!"
President Bush, generally a pretty friendly guy, right? Well, maybe a bit too friendly. It seems his hands-on approach to international relations rubbed German Chancellor Angela Merkel the wrong way.
Take a look at this. Bush walks up behind the chancellor at the G8 Summit in Russia, rubs her shoulders. She recoils in apparent horror. Now, would the president do that to Tony Blair or Jacques Chirac? I don`t know.
Come on, whatever happened to personal space, right? The president of the United States massaging the German chancellor? Now "That`s Ridiculous!" We got another look at it there.
You know, skinny isn`t always sexy, especially in Hollywood. In the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, we get just about every celebrity magazine that`s out there. But recently, we can`t help but notice how almost every cover has featured a super-skinny star.
Quite frankly, we`re getting a little sick of it. So tonight, we ask you: what happened to Hollywood`s curvy women?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Kate Bosworth, Nicole Richie, Keira Knightley. Starlets looking thinner than ever.
But here`s what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to ask: is this really how our leading ladies should look? Should they be wasting away right before our eyes?
A generation ago, we were mesmerized by this: a curvaceous and oh- so-sexy Marilyn Monroe.
Now, it`s this. Stick-thin stars like "Superman"`s Kate Bosworth, who some say are quite simply, scary skinny.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Size 2 used to be in, but now it`s size 0. So everybody is just getting thin. It`s Hollywood, baby.
CHILTON: You know, people have become obsessed by this at the moment. People are just fascinated by skinny people.
ANDERSON: But why? Why in the world are we fascinated by stick-thin stars? Most women don`t look like them. In fact, several studies show the average woman in America is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 144 pounds. That`s a size 14.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You wouldn`t know that. You wouldn`t know that look at all these - these covers of the magazines and all these celebrity shows.
CHILTON: Most of the women that we see in magazines and on TV - TV screens and cinema screens are, you know, a size 0 or a size 2. So there is a kind of a fascination from people, I think, especially women, to see these very, very skinny celebrities.
ANDERSON: And there is also pressure on those celebs to keep the weight off. Listen to what Uma Thurman told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UMA THURMAN, ACTRESS: I - I can get kind of insecure, like, if I put on a lot of weight or something, you know? But I just - I - I try to even then not be too - too, like, killed over, do you know what I mean? Like, you just - it`s - it`s - it`s easy to feel embarrassed when you feel like people will comment if you`re fat or this or that or the other. Or - and I think that makes a lot of people in my line of work extremely self conscious.
ANDERSON: Well, we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT say don`t worry about it, Uma and everyone else. It`s time to end the addiction to skinny stars.
We want leading ladies with some meat on their bones. We want more women like JLo.
CHILTON: Nicole Kidman, who`s, you know, famously not curvy, actually came out and said that she admires Jennifer Lopez`s curvy body. And she said, I wish I had boobs and a butt like Jennifer Lopez. You know, she said, I think that`s more beautiful on a woman to have curves.
So it`s not just women in the street who want JLo`s body. It`s - you know, it`s $25 million-a-movie Nicole Kidman who wants - who wants JLo`s body.
ANDERSON: Wow. Who knew? But hey, if we`re talking about JLo, we can`t forget about Beyonce.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: She loved her curves so much, she wrote a hit song about them.
(SINGING)
CHILTON: What better tribute to your - to a part of your body can you get than that?
ANDERSON: We think bigger is most definitely better.
Just ask Kate Winslet, who has often talked about her full figure and how she`s just fine with it. Well, so are we.
But are you? We sent SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Kerri Hill (ph) to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think Hollywood has gotten too thin?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely. I think they celebrate bodies that aren`t normal.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of them, they look good. But some of them, they need to eat a piece of bread.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t be scared of the carbs; eat as much as you can if that`s what makes you happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I personally think that curvier women are sexier.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: We at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT think a star like Kelly Clarkson puts it all in perspective: beautiful, confident, successful, all in one perfectly curvy package.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: OK, director Kevin Smith is returning to his roots. "Clerks II," the film featuring Silent Bob and his sidekick Jay, played by Jason Mewes, is hitting theaters this weekend.
When I sat down with Kevin, we talked about Jason Mewes` very personal struggle with drug addiction and his path to recovery. We also talked about Kevin`s recovery from "Jersey Girl," a movie that didn`t fare so well at the box office. You`ll remember the flick featured a very famous couple: Kevin Smith`s friend Ben Affleck, and his then-fiancee, Jennifer Lopez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Congratulations, bringing "Clerks" back after more than 10 years.
KEVIN SMITH, DIRECTOR: Yes.
ANDERSON: Now you decided after "Dogma" - you announced, Hey, we`re going to do this sequel. Then you said, No, we`re not going to do it.
SMITH: Yes.
ANDERSON: Then you changed your mind - you were a bit indecisive.
SMITH: A little bit.
ANDERSON: Were you nervous about touching this one again?
SMITH: You know, it`s weird when you kind of go messing with the sacred cow, right? The one that started it all for us. And - and regardless of the movie, we were trying - we intended to make first time out, it became something else to everybody else. Where it`s, like, called anything from a cult classic to the seminal indie 90s film, which sounds vaguely dirty to me.
But, so, you know, people kind of vaulogized (ph) the flick. And - and, you know, so it makes you like, Well, maybe I should stay away from it. And then - I don`t know, after I watched it again, I was like, No, it`s still what I intended it to be, which is two dudes sitting around talking.
ANDERSON: Now the last film that we saw from you on the big screen was "Jersey Girl."
SMITH: Yes.
ANDERSON: Didn`t do as well as many had hoped.
SMITH: Right.
ANDERSON: .it would do.
SMITH: Certainly as well as I hoped. We - we took it pretty hard.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SMITH: .on that one. You know, they - we - we got reamed by - by the critics and at the box office. Everyone says it was a disaster. But, like, you know, it made $25 million, which is..
ANDERSON: Right. Well.
SMITH: You can`t sneeze at that.
ANDERSON: That`s a success.
SMITH: That was a tough movie to market after "Gigli," because no matter what we did with our marketing, it seemed to say, Remember that movie that came out a few months ago with those two people you can`t stand anymore? Here`s even more of that crap.
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about JLo and Ben again.
SMITH: Exactly. I got asked about that big pink diamond ring so often it was nuts. I mean, you`re just like, Can`t we talk about the story instead of the backstory?
ANDERSON: Well after that happened, after the movie came out, was that kind of the impetus to make "Clerks II"?
SMITH: You know, it was.
ANDERSON: A smaller-budget motion picture?
SMITH: You know, some people - some people have said online that, like, Well, the movie didn`t do good, so he retrenched and he`s gone back to what`s familiar. And it missed the target, but hit the tree.
"Jersey Girl" had something to do with it. But even when I was making the flick, I was just, like, next movie I want to make something lower budget and without any celebrities. Just want to make it with unknowns and whatnot. Because - obviously, I love Ben. I`ve put him in almost everything I`ve done - everything I`ve done since, you know, "Mallrats" forward. But it`s weird when you`re making a movie with two very famous people, and all anyone cares about is them.
ANDERSON: Jay and Silent Bob are back in this film.
SMITH: Yes.
ANDERSON: Hanging out by the wall, dealing the drugs. But they`re not using the drugs.
SMITH: Right. Right.
ANDERSON: .anymore.
SMITH: He`s all cleaned up. He went to rehab.
ANDERSON: He`s all cleaned up in real life.
SMITH: Kind of like Jay in real life.
ANDERSON: Right. But you were instrumental in - in helping him. Tell me about that.
SMITH: Yes, I mean, I guess ultimately, Mewes was the one who helped himself. For years, I was trying to force him to get clean and dumping him into rehabs and dragging him to the meth clinic and whatnot. And it wasn`t until he decided for himself, after seven years, to kind of clean himself up.
I mean, that`s the thing: you can - you can`t - you know, someone with a substance-abuse program, you - you can`t help them. You know, they got to help themselves. And one day he woke up, and he was just, like, this - this life ain`t working for me anymore. So he decided to try, you know, an alternate take on it. And put it away, like, three years ago. April 6 it`s been three years clean and sober for him. And - and he`s doing phenomenally. And it`s night and day, you know? It`s just nice to have the dude back in the land of the quick and whatnot.
Because back in the - back when he wasn`t clean, he would go through pocket where he`d clean up for like three months. And you get a - an image of the dude that you`ve known for years. You know, before he fell into the drugs. And then, boom, he`d kind of fall back into heroin or Oxycontin and you`d lose him again.
So now for the last three years plus, he`s sharp and quick and - and leaves all of that stuff behind. Doesn`t even drink or anything. And you`ll meet people who are just, like - I guess they don`t know anything about substance abuse, where they`re like, Isn`t he just not funny anymore now that he`s not doing drugs? I`m like, are you insane? Like, it`s quite the opposite. It`s like, now he doesn`t nod out in the middle of a conversation with you.
ANDERSON: Which I`m sure was hard as a director, too, doing.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And I`m sure he`s so appreciative of all the support and the encouragement you`ve given him over the years.
SMITH: Yes. I mean, but that`s - he`s like my first kid, to be honest with you. I mean, we have a very tight relationship, friendship. But at the same time, like, it`s - it`s a paternal relationship, to some degree. This is like - raising Jason is like raising a son. You know, so much so that when I had my own kid, I was like, this is a cakewalk.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SMITH: You know, this guy, he gave me a run for my money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, my very candid interview with actor Jason Mewes. He tells every detail about his very personal struggle with drug and alcohol addictions. It is truly incredible. You don`t want to miss it.
OK, hang tight for now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Sexually Violent Scenes: Is it OK for underage actors to appear in them?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. And write us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e- mails tomorrow.
All right. It`s time to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Ali (ph), give us that "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, you know as Jay of Jay and Silent Bob, the wacky onscreen duo. But behind the antics, an incredibly painful of drug addiction that almost cost Jason Mewes his career, his friends and his life. Jason`s remarkable story tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, one week to save your marriage: the new TV show where couples on the brink of divorce make a last-ditch effort to repair their relationships. Will they make it? We talk with the show`s host, Dr. Robbi Ludwig (ph), tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
END
