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Showbiz Tonight
Mad Mel?; Lindsay Lohan`s Letter
Aired July 31, 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, CO-HOST: Pam Anderson gets married. We`ve got all the details of the rock `n` roll wedding.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a fierce celebrity battle to lose wait.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stars gone wild. Has Mel gone mad?
Tonight, why some are saying Gibson may be a goner. The coast-to- coast outrage over his shocking alleged anti-Semitic rant, was there a cover-up of these disgusting word? And, if he really did say them, is Gibson`s career ruined?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the madness over Mel`s alleged attack.
Also, a Lindsay Lohan battle.
Tonight, one of the biggest players in Hollywood is telling Lindsay Lohan, wake up, shape up, or else. Why they are sick and tired of her all- night partying and the stunning steps they are taking to put an end to it.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the nasty fight between a superstar and the studio.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Let me just get this out of the way right now. Wow! Hollywood rocked by two huge stories tonight.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
HAMMER: We`re going to get to the lashing that Lindsay Lohan got being told to stop her hard partying ways. That`s coming up in just a minute. But, first, Mel Gibson is getting help.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the Oscar-winning star has checked into what`s being described as an ongoing program of recovery. It`s the latest twist in an explosive controversy that has shocked Hollywood and it could impact the career of one of our biggest stars.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I don`t think I want to se any more Mel Gibson movies.
ANDERSON (voice over): As we sue on ABC`s "The View," Mel Gibson has already lost one fan because of the alleged anti-Semitic tirade he reportedly unleashed during his arrest for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
And now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is answering the tough question in this bombshell of a Hollywood story: How are Jewish activists responding to Gibson`s reported outburst?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said some very horrendous, painful things.
ANDERSON: Did sheriff`s deputies try to cover up Gibson`s alleged hateful remarks?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We believe it is not a cover-up at all.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: They can say from now to eternity there was no cover-up here. There was a cover-up here.
ANDERSON: And the most burning question of all: Has Gibson, one of Hollywood`s biggest stars, destroyed his image in Hollywood and with moviegoers?
Gibson is out on $5,000 bail following his arrest on July 28th. Los Angeles County sheriff`s deputies say he had been doing 87 in a 45-mile- per-hour zone.
LEVIN: When Gibson realized he was going to be arrested, he started swearing.
ANDERSON: Harvey Levin`s entertainment news site, TMZ.com, posted what it claims is the arresting deputy`s handwritten report which allegedly describes Mel saying some wild things to deputies.
CNN has not verified this is the original report.
LEVIN: He started screaming and swearing, "I own Malibu! I`m going to f you. I will spend all my money to f you. I will get you." And then out of context started hurling these anti-Semitic remarks.
ANDERSON: TMZ says the remarks include Mel saying, "F`ing Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Then he allegedly asked a deputy, "Are you a Jew?"
Levin says these alleged offensive comments were removed from the report.
LEVIN: They ordered the deputy to take out all of the incendiary comments and behavior. And they said that`s just going to inflame the whole Israeli situation. I mean, when did they start becoming Condoleezza Rice at the sheriff`s department?
ANDERSON: Now there`s word that Gibson is a longtime friend to the sheriff`s department.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has for you this public service announce Gibson made with actor Scot Baio for a sheriff-related charity.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: Please join me in supporting the L.A. Sheriff Star Organization.
ANDERSON: Now all of Hollywood is wondering if Gibson`s celebrity or his alleged cozy relationship with the sheriff`s department led to preferential treatment. A sheriff`s watchdog group is now investigating whether there was a cover-up.
A sheriff`s spokesman says, absolutely not.
STEVE WHITMORE, COUNTY SHERIFF`S SPOKESMAN: There were no orders to do anything. We treated this, in terms of releasing it to the public -- and perhaps there comes the issue, is that, is this a cover-up to the press or is it a cover-up to the public? Because we believe it`s not a cover-up at all.
ANDERSON: Mel Gibson`s publicist tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Gibson doesn`t have anything to say about the incident beyond his statement of apology he released shortly after his arrest. In it, Gibson says, "I did a number of things that were very wrong. I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable."
"I apologize to anyone who I have offended. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior. And, for that, I am truly sorry."
ABRAHAM FOXMAN, THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: It`s not an apology. He -- it`s like a PR apology written by PR people to get him off the hook.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League, who tells us he`s not impressed with Gibson`s statements of remorse.
FOXMAN: Here is an American icon. Here is a successful American, a man of faith, and we wake up to find out how bigoted, how prejudiced, how anti-Semitic he is.
ANDERSON: This isn`t Gibson`s first brush with anti-Semitism charges.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: "The Passion" is anti-Semitic.
ANDERSON: Jewish groups took to the streets to protest Mel Gibson`s "The Passion of the Christ," which some said demonized Jews. And while that controversy led to Gibson`s being spoofed as an unhinged religious lunatic on a "South Park" episode...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "SOUTH PARK": I`ve brought the fire and brimstone back to Christianity with "The Passion," and now I`m going to start my own church.
ANDERSON: ... Hollywood is not laughing at Mel`s newest controversy. HuffingtonPost.com features an angry, anti-Gibson blog written by Ari Emanuel, one of the most powerful Hollywood agents. He inspired the character Ari on the HBO show "Entourage."
JEREMY PIVEN, ACTOR, "ENTOURAGE": .... anti-Semitic (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?
ANDERSON: In his post, the real agent Ari calls for Hollywood to shun Gibson, saying, "People in the entertainment commute, whether Jew or gentile, need to demonstrate that they understand how much is at stake in this by professionally shunning Mel Gibson and refusing to work with him, even if it means a sacrifice to their bottom line."
And the bottom line is that Gibson`s Hollywood image may have taken a huge hit from this controversy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, once Gibson comes out of that recovery program, his arraignment is scheduled for September 23d, right in the middle of the Jewish 10 days of repentance.
HAMMER: Oh, the irony. So, a lot of people are saying this incident truly a lethal weapon to Mel Gibson`s career.
Joining me now, a true expert in celebrity crisis management. He`s handled Michael Jackson, Barbara Streisand, Demi Moore, you name it. PR guru and the author of "Broken Windows, Broken Business," Michael Levine, joining me from Hollywood.
Hi, Michael. Nice to see you.
MICHAEL LEVINE, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Hi, A.J. How are you?
HAMMER: I`m good, thank you.
So, if true, this is just astounding. Now, you`ve been down this road before. You`ve represented some of the biggest names in the business for the past 25 years. We`ve seen celebrities messing up all the time. Robert Downny Jr., Hugh Grant come to mind recently. They have all rebounded.
Now, I have read where you have actually called this a nuclear disaster for Mel. Your words, "nuclear." That has a certain finality to it.
What do you mean by that?
LEVINE: Well, I`ve gone further. I`ve actually said it is a Chernobyl-like nuclear meltdown. You know, in 25 years of doing this, A.J. -- and I`ve done it at the highest levels -- I can`t remember a more grotesque incident for a celebrity. Maybe one or two, but this is certainly in the hall of shame.
I do not see any way, and I`ve talked to insiders all day yesterday and today, I do not see any way that he can walk from this incident unscathed. It is just not imaginable.
And everybody that I`ve spoken to has reminded me that alcohol is more a revealer than a concealer. And so that what happens when people are drunk, very often, of course, is that it allows them to speak beyond their inhibitions. And so I think this is an episode that`s just not going to go away.
HAMMER: And, of course, they are doing what they can to put the right spin on it, or to control it somehow, if that`s even possible. Mel has entered a treatment program as of now. And, as we saw, he issued an apology the day after all this went down, basically saying he didn`t mean what he said and he blames his alcoholism.
Now, Michael, people love apologies. Not enough, huh?
LEVINE: Well, they do, but I don`t think that this is going to work because -- for a number of reasons. Let`s take his base audience, you know, his core audience, which is that red state Christian viewer that went to "The Passion of the Christ." I don`t think they are going to react very well when they see some of the language that he used, particularly in response to a female deputy sheriff.
And this, I remind you, is not only on audio, it`s on video. I mean, if that video ever gets released, I just can`t imagine what that would look like.
So, for any number of reasons, the Hollywood community, I think, is very strong. I don`t know a lot of people -- I have pretty significant contacts in the entertainment industry -- I don`t know anybody that wants to be in the Mel Gibson business today.
HAMMER: Well, I`m going to put you in the Mel Gibson for just a moment. You may not want the job, Michael, but I`m now going to give you the job of Mel`s publicist for just a moment. You`re not allowed to quit.
LEVINE: Sure.
HAMMER: I want you to tell me, what the heck do you do?
LEVINE: Well, I mean, I think that the way you act is the way he has acted, with contrition, with humility. I mean, his own words, his own description of his behavior, is despicable, and I think based on everything I`ve read and seen, it is despicable, it`s grotesque. But, you know, there was suspicion about Mel for a long time being anti-Semitic. So I think it is going to be hard to spin your way out of this.
I would encourage him to act with humility, contrition, personal responsibility, and dedicate a great deal of his life to even attempting to repair his connection with a Jewish community that, frankly, I don`t think is going to be buying it any time soon.
HAMMER: I couldn`t agree with you any more. But a job I`m sure you don`t -- are glad you don`t have today.
Michael Levine, thanks very much.
LEVINE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Now, according to TMZ.com, Gibson`s alleged antics were cleaned up in the police report. So was there really a cover-up?
We`re going to investigate that coming up at 31 past the hour.
ANDERSON: So, what do you think? It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Mel Gibson controversy: Will his alleged anti-Semitic rant ruin his career?
Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: I`ve got to remind you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now be seen seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is here Monday through Friday, and we are now on your weekends. Join us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Saturday and Sunday as well, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
Coming up, Pam Anderson and Kid Rock tie the knot. All the details. And wait until you see what she is wearing. We`ve got the first pictures.
Plus, we`ve got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsay is a young girl at the prime of her young adult life, and she loves to party. And right now she is suffering the consequences of trying to do both.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tonight, one of the biggest players in Hollywood is telling Lindsay Lohan, shape up or else, why they are sick and tired of her all- night partying and the stunning steps they are taking to put an end to it.
That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And an all-out, knock-down celebrity battle to knock off a few pounds.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT weighs in on which stars are weighing in.
ANDERSON: But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
The Broadway musical "Wicked" is based on the prequel to what children`s tale? Is it "Cinderella," "The Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," or "The Jungle Book"?
Think about it. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." The Broadway musical "Wicked" is based on the prequel to what classic children`s tale, "Cinderella," "The Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," or "The Jungle Book"?
Just follow the Yellow Brick Road to "Wicked," which is based on B, "The Wizard of Oz."
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is on.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for another story that made us say "That`s ridiculous!" It just kind of makes me bow my head in shame.
It`s the ongoing story of Anna Nicole Smith`s online video diary.
So, we have seen her talking about her pregnancy, we`ve seen her frying sandwiches on this thing, and now, get ready, without further ado, to meet her dogs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA NICOLE SMITH, ACTRESS: Her real name is Frankenstein
Hey, Frankenstein.
This right here -- come here, puppy. Come to mama (ph). Come to mama (ph). Come to mama (ph).
This here is Puppy. Ain`t she cute?
Come here, Merline (ph). Come to mama (ph), Merline (ph). Come here. Come on.
This is Merline (ph). She`s (INAUDIBLE).
And we all know Sugar Pie. She is the oldest and the most grumpiest, huh?
This is my baby, too.
OK. Bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow.
ANDERSON: Wow is right, A.J.
HAMMER: Yikes.
ANDERSON: What was the point of that? I mean, I love dogs, but, that`s just too much. Come on.
HAMMER: Brooke, I`ve got an answer for you. I`ll tell you the point of that.
ANDERSON: Tell me.
HAMMER: $4.99 a month in Anna Nicole`s pocket. That`s what that will cost you.
ANDERSON: That`s what it does cost, you`re right. Oh, ay, ay, ay.
I`m bowing my head in shame, too, A.J., that we even showed our viewers that.
We apologize.
HAMMER: And we do say, Anna Nicole Smith and her doggie diary, "That`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Let`s move on, shall we, to the story everybody is talking about tonight, in addition to the Mel Gibson story? Unprofessional, irresponsible, those are two words you never want your boss using to describe you. But that`s exactly what one big-time studio executive is saying about Lindsay Lohan. He`s in charge of her latest movie, and he says that all of her all-night partying is affecting her work and he`s sick and tired of it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): She is one of Hollywood`s hottest young stars. She just turned 20 years old, but Lindsay Lohan is already just as famous for her active social life as she is for her movie roles and singing career.
MICHAEL MUSTO, "THE VILLAGE VOICE": Lindsay is a young girl at the prime of her young adult life and she loves to party. And right now she is suffering the consequences of trying to do both.
HAMMER: One of those consequences, a very public wrist slap from her boss on the movie "Georgia Rule."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the letter that the head of Morgan Creek Productions, James Robinson, sent Lindsay after she skipped work, claiming she was suffering from heat exhaustion. And he is not mincing words.
"We are well aware that you`re ongoing, all-night, heavy partying is the real reason for your so-called exhaustion. We refuse to accept bogus excuses for your behavior." In addition to calling out sick, Robinson says Lohan has been late to the set several times. He told the "Today" show that he doesn`t buy the heat exhaustion bit.
JAMES ROBINSON, MORGAN CREEK PRODUCTIONS: If she had enough strength and energy to go partying, then she should have enough strength and energy to go to work.
MUSTO: I think Robinson was genius in writing this letter. I haven`t heard of this kind of communication between an executive and a star since the old days. Celebrities think they live in a faster lane and above the law in every capacity, but you don`t.
HAMMER: Robinson says Lohan`s screw-ups have cost him big bucks. Get this, up to $25,000 an hour every day Lindsay is late or missing from production.
LEVIN: She likes to party. But the problem is, is that she is fronting a huge movie, and it`s causing problems. And, you know, in some ways the studio got what it paid for, a 19-year-old who likes to party.
HAMMER: A 19-year-old whose every move is chronicled by the press, whose reporting eating disorder made headlines, and, good or bad, for millions of American girls remains a role model. Still, the letter seems to have worked, at least for now.
The studio tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Lohan is back at work sharing the set with Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman. And coming to Lindsay`s defense, her mother Dina.
DINA LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S MOTHER: Well, the wording, it was ridiculous.
HAMMER: She told "Access Hollywood" the letter was way out of line, and the reports of her daughter`s wild ways, ridiculous.
LOHAN: I mean, OK. I mean, she is a human being, you know? There was a day where she was a little bit late, and they worked the schedule around her and it was fine.
HAMMER: Dina Lohan went on to say her daughter suffers from bronchial asthma. She says it was extremely hot on the set, making it difficult for Lindsay to breathe.
MUSTO: I think the letter was very effective. You don`t mess with people like Jane Fonda and Felicity Huffman. This is a big-money project, and you better get your little butt on the set and be ready to perform. And you know what? It worked. I think it scared the bejesus out of her.
HAMMER: Or did it? The entertainment website TMZ.com grabbed this footage of Lohan after her public scolding.
LEVIN: She went to Hide (ph). It`s a real hot club. She doesn`t want to be left out of the scene. We`re hearing about heat exhaustion, but at night we`re shooting her at all these clubs.
HAMMER: So maybe Lindsay still has a little work to do. And people are saying she better do it quick.
MUSTO: Except for "A Prairie Home Companion," this was a nice little art house movie. Her other movies haven`t been doing that well lately. Now maybe she`s thinking, I better get back to the grindstone and get serious again or this is all going to fizzle. I won`t even be able to get into the parties doing this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, maybe things are getting better. That studio executive, James Robinson, also said that Lindsay apologized to him and to the cast and crew when she did return to work last week. And now he says it`s all water under the bridge.
ANDERSON: The Kate Moss comeback continues. The Brit is on the cover of the September issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine. The 32-year-old supermodel topped the magazine`s best dressed list for 2006. So they did a whole shoot with her. Check out the black hat, jacket and tie a la Marlena Dietrich.
Other top dressers, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and CNN`s own Anderson Cooper. He is quite a sharp dresser.
And it was just about a year ago that London`s "Daily Mirror" published this shocking story showing Moss allegedly doing coke. She then lost a bunch of modeling contracts, but Kate`s comeback strong since then.
HAMMER: So which star is steaming over reports that she had big-time plastic surgery? We`ll tell you, and what she plans to do about it coming up next.
ANDERSON: And the shocking allegations against Mel Gibson. Did police try to cover up his alleged anti-Semitic rant?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT digs deeper next.
Plus, we`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE SIMMONS, SINGER: What is it about marriage and women?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I`m 75 you won`t throw me a freaking bone?
SIMMONS: I`ll give you a bone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He rock and rolled all night and partied every day. KISS`s Gene Simmons, why he just won`t marry the woman he`s been with for more than 20 years. He`ll tell us in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, we`ve been wanting our MTV for 25 years now. Hard to believe it`s the silver anniversary of music television. Has anyone actually seen a video on MTV lately? Twenty-five years of MTV tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Actress Shannen Doherty says she is embarrassed and humiliated about recent tabloid reports suggesting she had major plastic surgery. On "The View" this morning, Shannon said it`s not true and that she is even thinking about suing the tabloid.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNEN DOHERTY, ACTRESS: I hired a litigator. You know, I`m willing to put as much money behind a lawsuit as humanly possible just to sort of teach them a lesson. They get away with it because they use words like "it appears," or "In my opinion."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So they are very careful about they phrase it.
DOHERTY: So they are very, very careful. And at some point I think there has to be ramifications to the magazine, even using words like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Shannen said she found out about the tabloid story from her hairdresser on the set of her new TV show, "Breaking Up With Shannen Doherty." She said she was so upset the show had to stop production for an hour.
HAMMER: Coming up, Pam Anderson and Kid Rock tie the knot. Yes, she did wear White, but not exactly how you might think.
Coming up, we`ve got all the details of their wedding.
ANDERSON: Also, an all-out, knock-down celebrity battle to knock off a few pounds. It`s a fight to get thin.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT weighs in on which stars are weighing in. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And more on the shocking allegations against Mel Gibson. Did police try to cover up his alleged anti-Semitic rant?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to dig deeper coming up next.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night, coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Byline: Soledad O`Brien Guests: Robin Hazelwood, Jeffery Ross, Hugh Jackman
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 embracive 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?
UNIDENTIFED 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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