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Showbiz Tonight
Shocking O.J. Simpson Video; New Britney Spears Home Video; Interview with Danny Bonaduce
Aired August 07, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Britney Spears like you`ve never seen her before. Trust us on this one.
And Danny Bonaduce`s very public battle with addiction and his message to Mel Gibson.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, O.J. Simpson caught on tape. Shocking video of what O.J. has been up to. So much video, it will make your head spin.
Tonight, O.J.`s startling behavior, what he says, where the tapes came from. And wait. Could it be that even O.J. is upset?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Simpson smack-down.
Tonight, stars who are not losing their religion. From Madonna`s Kabbalah, to Tom Cruise`s Scientology, why are so many stars wearing their religion on their sleeves?
JOHN TRAVOLTA, ACTOR: If it`s used correctly, it helps enormously.
KELLY PRESTON, ACTRESS: It helps you spiritually. It helps you in daily life.
ANDERSON: Tonight, it`s the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "The Hollywood God Factor."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer is off tonight.
All right. Just when you thought you had seen it all and heard it all about O.J. Simpson, along comes this, what maybe the creepiest and most shocking video ever of O.J.
It`s O.J. uncensored, laughing, ranting, and, yes, even getting a lap dance. And if you didn`t like him before, I have to wonder what you`re going to think after we show you this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O.J. SIMPSON, FMR. FOOTBALL PLAYER: I love my life!
ANDERSON (voice over): What is this? A clip from former murder defendants gone wild?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn`t life wonderful?
SIMPSON: Thank you, Jesus.
ANDERSON: This shocking scene of O.J. Simpson getting a lap dance from three women in a Philadelphia nightclub is just one of many candid, unbelievable, and sometimes creepy glimpses of O.J. being offered on a new Web site.
The site, judgeoj.com, features O.J. in a variety of appearances and candid moments shot between 2001 and 2005. The footage ranges from O.J. talking about cocaine during a radio show...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever sniffed coke?
SIMPSON: In my life?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
SIMPSON: I refuse to answer that question.
ANDERSON: ... to a scene of O.J., the one-time rich and famous football superstar waiting for a bus in Atlanta.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: O.J.`s new lowest low.
SIMPSON: They kicked my ass to the curb.
ANDERSON: It`s probably the most shocking image we`ve seen of O.J. since he was acquitted of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, 11 years ago .
SIMPSON: When they catch people lying, (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: And if you think the footage is explosive, wait until you hear the outrage.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: If you had a team of Hollywood script writers trying to come up with inappropriate behavior for O.J. Simpson, you could not come up with anything more outlandish than what he himself has come up with.
ANDERSON: The Simpson footage was shot and put online by Florida producer Norman Pardo. Pardo tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he and O.J. did the four-year- long camera crew escort in hopes of promoting O.J.`s post-trial image.
NORMAN PARDO, JUDGEOJ.COM: You`re going to see faces of O.J. you`ve never seen before. There`s another side of O.J. I couldn`t get a big response from the public running city to city. But when you`re on the Internet, you can reach millions.
That`s why I`m not charging for it. I`m giving everything away. I need an honest response from people.
ANDERSON: And it`s certainly getting an honest response.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s just mind-boggling.
ANDERSON: Investigative reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell covered the O.J. Simpson murder trial. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that this new footage, in addition to recent Simpson stunts, like his selling a white Bronco for (INAUDIBLE) DVD prank show, "Juiced"...
SIMPSON: You have been juiced.
ANDERSON: ... are tasteless attempts by O.J. to reclaim the spotlight.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: A lot of people feel very strongly that he got away with murder, and then they are angry because he appears to continually throw this back in their face with his behavior, his completely inappropriate behavior. He is sort of taunting the world.
ANDERSON: O.J. may not be happy about the Web site either. NBC reports that Simpson is considering legal action against the release of the footage. But the producer of judgeoj.com tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he hopes to help Americans make up their minds about a man who, after all these years, remains incredibly divisive.
PARDO: They don`t know if he did it, he didn`t do it, but they really want to know. They really want to know O.J., his temperament, what he`s like to be around. Does he have anger issues? So maybe by doing this, maybe, for once, it will be a closed chapter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: It`s clear O.J. is not happy about judgeoj.com. His attorney, Yale Galanter, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "This is another production company trying to make money in an unauthorized fashion off of O.J.`s name."
Well, it`s probably safe to say that not everyone needs to see this behind- the-scenes O.J. footage or his latest response from his lawyer to give us their opinions on the matter.
Attorney Gloria Allred joins me now from Los Angeles. And here in New York, investigative journalist Pat Lalama.
Thank you both so much for being here.
All right, Gloria, I want to begin with you. You represented Nicole Brown Simpson`s family during the trial of O.J. Simpson. When you hear and you see this about O.J. Simpson, what do you think?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Yes, during the criminal trial. Well, I think what most Americans think, which is that he did, in fact, commit the killing of two innocent people, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. And, in matter of fact, the civil jury found that by clear and convincing evidence and awarded punitive damages against him.
So, yes, he`s a double killer. And if he thinks that somehow his image is going to be rehabilitated, Brooke, by lap dancing, then, you know, he`s even more out of it than I ever thought that he was. It`s so inappropriate.
ANDERSON: Yes. I`ve got to say, it doesn`t show him in a favorable light at all.
Pat, here we are 11 years after he was acquitted, and the name O.J. Simpson still just sets people off.
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: But isn`t it interesting? We`re still doing the stories.
ANDERSON: Still watching the stories.
LALAMA: This is what gets me. We`re still doing the story, we all talk about how we cannot believe it. But what gets me, why give these people the forum?
You can argue the First Amendment, you can say free speech. I know all about that. I`ve made my living on that. But I wish that someone would just have a bit of conscience when it comes to him.
The only thing I wish right now is that I were superwoman or had psychic powers so I could keep the Goldmans and the Browns from having to witness this...
ANDERSON: Right.
LALAMA: ... because we saw O.J. taunting Fred Goldman sitting in a golf cart -- what was it, last year -- going, "Gee, Fred, sorry. I`m just out here on the golf course."
I just want to slap him. So he can sue me for saying that, but it`s jus t- - I sat through both trials, it was painful. There were so many people hurt by this. A city was completely frayed by this, and here we are again because somebody is going to make money. And if he makes one dime, I personally will go out and find out and make sure Fred Goldman gets some of it.
ANDERSON: Well, like I say, it evokes such passionate response.
LALAMA: Isn`t he looking for his wife`s murderer? Why isn`t he doing that?
ANDERSON: That`s what he has said in the past.
Gloria, you know, you saw in the video, he`s out there, he`s getting lap dances, he`s whooping it up with women, he`s giving dating advice, he`s speaking on radio shows.
First, have you spoken with anyone from the family about this video or Web site? If not, what do you think they would think about all of this? What would with they say?
ALLRED: Not yet, but, you know, it`s clear to me that they believe that he killed their loved one, Nicole Brown. She is not ever going to be able to go to a party again.
You know, the whole idea that somehow America is in doubt as to whether he is a violent person is so preposterous. I mean, he was -- he did plead no contest to spousal battery against Nicole. And again, the civil jury found that he killed two human beings.
There is nothing that he is going to be able to do to erase that memory from the American people, the majority of whom saw the criminal trial. Yes, he was acquitted, but they may feel that, in fact, he still killed two human beings.
ANDERSON: You say there is nothing he can do. The filmmaker says the purpose of the site is to have people finally make up their mind about O.J.
Pat, unless O.J. captures the killer, killers, as he said he was going to do in the past, what can be done?
LALAMA: Have people make up their minds?
ANDERSON: That`s what he says the purpose of this is.
LALAMA: We have a criminal justice system. We have a civil justice system. We have read everything we can possibly read. We have had plenty of time.
If anybody tries to convince you that they are doing this for the good of the public, I`ve got news for them. I mean, to me it is absolutely unconscionable. And furthermore, he made a very, very racist comment about Oprah Winfrey.
And I just want to remind everyone, remember, this is the guy who lived in Brentwood and only had blonde, white girlfriends, ladies and gentlemen. Until he was accused of murder, suddenly the African-American community were their best friends.
He went to church, he went to their neighborhood. Oh, you know, thank you so much for being with me on this. And now for him to say something like that -- I hope somebody stands up about this. I hope somebody has the unadulterated you know what to stand up and say, "We`ve had it with him."
ALLRED: And, you know, he has two children, Brooke.
LALAMA: Right.
ALLRED: He has two children.
ANDERSON: Two young children.
ALLRED: And when he goes out and allows himself to be photographed in situations like this, what kind of example does that set for his children? Haven`t his children been -- suffered enough?
LALAMA: Yes.
ALLRED: He has left them motherless. And now this inappropriate conduct on a part of their dad? Enough is enough, O.J. Simpson. Just go home.
LALAMA: And Gloria -- Gloria -- I`m sorry.
ANDERSON: No, go ahead, Pat.
LALAMA: I just want to ask my good friend Gloria, doesn`t it just incense you, the people who choose to hang around with him? Who are these people? I mean, as far as I`m concerned, those women are candidates for "Girls Gone Wild." They`re looking for their 15 minutes of fame.
ANDERSON: Well, what the producer said is some people were disgusted by him but others were hanging out with him.
LALAMA: No, of course not, because he`s O.J. Simpson. I mean, look, there will always be those people.
ANDERSON: It`s shocking.
(CROSSTALK)
ALLRED: I hope these young women have my telephone number on speed dial, because I think they are going to need it.
ANDERSON: All right.
LALAMA: I want to interview them. OK?
ANDERSON: Well, we`re going to have to leave it there for today. But Gloria Allred, Pat Lalama, thank you both so much for being here.
LALAMA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And now we do want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
New O.J. tapes: Can O.J. Simpson ever change what you think of him?
Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
A star battling alcoholism in a very public way. Mel Gibson isn`t the first one down this road. Coming up, the interview you won`t want to miss. Danny Bonaduce is here to tell us how he made it through with cameras following him every step of the day.
Plus, stars and religion. From Bono to Madonna, Scientology to Kabbalah, stars are opening up like never before about their spiritual beliefs.
That`s coming up in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: My jaw hurts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, it`s Britney Spears like you`ve never seen her before. You`re not going to believe the things she says on this video. That`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!" Well, more like, "Are you kidding us?"
A never-before-seen home video of Britney Spears has popped up on the Web. Not only is it one of the most viewed videos on YouTube.com, but it`s Britney as we`ve never seen her before. Seriously, we have never seen anything like this before.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: I`m ugly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
SPEARS: I am. My jaw hurts.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That doesn`t mean you`re ugly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, we`re going to do clips of you burping.
SPEARS: I want to see that movie.
Listen. What are you doing? You`re zooming in! You`re doing something weird!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m listening.
SPEARS: Why are you looking through the peephole? You`re acting like a cameraman! Stop looking through the peephole!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
SPEARS: Listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to see the movie? Let`s go see it.
SPEARS: Well, when is it going to be playing? When did "Spawn" come out? I want to see that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then we`ll have to go buy it on DVD. It might have been on the bus.
SPEARS: Huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might have been on the bus.
SPEARS: Huh? Really?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
SPEARS: You`re lying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not lying.
SPEARS: It was really on the bus?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I said it might have been on the bus. I don`t know.
SPEARS: That`s like a new movie and stuff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baby, that movie is -- I watched it (EXPLETIVE DELETED) four months ago on DVD.
SPEARS: Where have I been?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here. You`ve been on tour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Told you. Perhaps this is the missing secret episode of "Chaotic" that never made it to air. But we say a home video of Britney Spears unplugged? Now "That`s ridiculous!"
OK. Do you want to see more of these shenanigans? Well, stay tuned. There is more.
Coming up later in tonight`s show, more of the Britney video, including her thoughts on time travel. Yes, time travel.
Another one of Mel Gibson`s friends, famous friends, has come forward to defend him. Patrick Swayze did an interview on British morning show GMTV, and he said Gibson`s drunken tirade is not indicative of who he is.
Swayze says Gibson is a wonderful human being and that people say stupid things when they get drunk, but most people don`t live under the scrutiny of celebrity. Swayze also said that the incident shouldn`t end Gibson`s career.
"He is not anti-Semitic. His talent deserves to be honored. Hands deserve to be slapped if you do something stupid as well, but don`t take it too far."
Actor Danny Donaduce knows a thing or two about celebrities getting into trouble. And not only because he`s been in that hot seat before. Danny is hosting the new game show "Starface" on the Game Show Network. Contestants will be tested on their expertise in tabloid gossip.
And with segments like, "Guess the Celebrity Mug Shot" and "Identify a Celeb By Their Body Parts," you can be sure that Danny Bonaduce has lots to say on Mel Gibson`s mess.
Danny Bonaduce is with us tonight from Hollywood.
Hi, Danny.
DANNY BONADUCE, ACTOR: Hi. How are you?
ANDERSON: Doing well. Thank you.
Now, this Mel Gibson mess, this alcoholism, Danny, this is something you`ve gone through yourself, very publicly. You`ve battled addiction. It was filmed for your reality show, "Breaking Bonaduce."
Do you have sympathy for what Mel is going through right now?
BONADUCE: Well, yes and no. It`s a tough position.
I am not upset with Mel for being drunk and saying ridiculous and hateful things. What I`m upset about, in all sincerity, is that he`s not nearly drunk enough. His blood level alcohol was a 1.2. That`s not...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: .12.
BONADUCE: A few years ago he would have been considered sober.
ANDERSON: He was .12, Danny.
BONADUCE: He`s a grown man who`s had his drinks before. So I get nervous that that might have been a little close to the surface for my liking. But, of course, I`ve said dozens of ridiculous things while intoxicated that I didn`t mean.
ANDERSON: Well, right, it`s no secret that you`ve had your share of problems, Danny, over the years. Now, some would argue that scrutiny is an invasion of privacy. But should stars really be surprised, Danny, that everyone wants to know everything about them? I mean, when you`re a celebrity, do you get what you pay for, in a sense?
BONADUCE: I think you actually get what the public pays for. I have no sympathy for celebrities that are crying about the paparazzi and demanding their privacy. What did you think was going to occur?
You fought tooth and nail to get on every episode of "Friends" and to make "Lethal Weapon 3." That`s the job requirement. That`s what you fought your whole life for. And I guess when you think you`ve achieved enough success and enough monetary gain that you can call an end to the game, and you can`t.
You have permanently scared yourself indelibly with fame. And in my opinion, I bought Mel`s privacy for $9 and I`m entitled to it.
ANDERSON: Nine dollars for a movie ticket, say?
BONADUCE: Yes, absolutely. When I -- you know, if I buy the soap they sell on "Friends" or if I pay nine bucks to see your movie, I`m entitled to a certain portion of your life. You gave it to me, you sold it to me, and I bought.
ANDERSON: If you could give Mel Gibson some career advise, Danny, what would it be?
BONADUCE: Well, he -- I gave Mel some advice on television, and apparently he took it, because the first thing I said -- and this is years ago about celebrities getting arrested -- never pull the jacket over your head. We`re always going to know it`s probably Charlie Sheen. And if you`re Nick Nolte, borrow a brush.
Now, I saw Mel`s mug shot, and it could have been his 8 x 10 glossy. The first thing I thought, excellent work, Mel, to take the good picture.
The next thing to do is, whether he believes he needs it or not is not the point. The point for Mel right now is spin control and career protection.
And I think the first thing he needs to do is walk out of the police station and right into a rehab facility. And that is in fact what he did.
As for, can he save what`s left of his career, I`m not really sure. It`s fairly nasty remarks. And people will forget foolishness, will forgive misbehavior. But it was mean. And people don`t like the privileged to be mean.
ANDERSON: You know -- let`s talk about that mug shot for a minute. You say he took a lovely mug shot. Well, this new game show that you have got, "Starface," on the Game Show Network, it`s got some pretty crazy games. And one of the segments, Danny, s celebrity mug shots.
Do you plan on using Mel`s mug here?
BONADUCE: Oh, I would imagine when we get back for season two, I would imagine Mel`s mug shot is the first thing we will use. But I`ll have you know, because I mean what I say about celebrities, even though I`m, you know -- I`m so far down on the list I can`t get into Kathy Griffin`s parties.
ANDERSON: I doubt that.
BONADUCE: But the fact of the matter is that I think it was episode five, we started using my mug shot. And it was by my insistence. I said, "I absolutely think it`s only fair that we use my mug shot," and the GSN people could not have been happier that I was willing to play along. But I don`t think there is any way to hide that, and I never -- you know...
ANDERSON: And it`s always good to be self-deprecating, right? It`s always good to take that approach.
BONADUCE: Well, it is -- self-deprecating can be funny, but the fact of the matter is, people ask me how do I feel about the "National Enquirer." They sponsor a segment on the television called "Hot Corner" -- "National Enquirer Hot Corner" -- and they said, "Do you feel comfortable with that?"
I love the "National Enquirer." You know, they said really mean and hurtful things about me over the years and. Unfortunately, it was all accurate. I deserved everything I got, and who am I to try and keep that a secret?
ANDERSON: Danny Bonaduce, it has been a pleasant talking to you. Thank you so much for your candid interview. I appreciate it.
BONADUCE: Thank you for your time.
ANDERSON: Take care. All right.
You can catch Danny hosting "Starface" on Tuesdays on the Game Show Network.
All right. Michael J. Fox gives us -- talks about whether he plans to return to television any time soon. That`s next.
Also ahead, stars and religion. From Madonna`s Kabbalah to Tom Cruise`s Scientology, why are so many stars wearing their religion on their sleeves?
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then, of course, the worst is when their clients go, you know, just mental and do something and are involved in a scandal or end up in jail, and you go, "Oh, man, now what do I do?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Crisis control. We`re talking to the people who get the stars out of some major messes. How they do it coming up in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, going nuts over nips and tucks. What is it with celebrities and plastic surgery? What`s the message it`s sending? And what happens when it goes too far?
Yes, we`re talking about you, Michael. Addicted to plastic surgery. That`s tomorrow.
Michael J. Fox says he is feeling great and coming back to TV. In an interview with "Ladies` Home Journal," Fox says he`s going to do another episode of "Boston Legal" this fall. Fox also opens up about staying positive despite the ways that Parkinson`s has changed his life.
When it comes to acting, he says, "I counted so much on being able to bounce around and do all that physical stuff, which I can`t do now. But what I found was that if you just kind of relax for a second and see what comes into that space, something will come into it. There are no vacuums."
For more on the Michael J. Fox interview, pick up a copy of "Ladies` Home Journal" on newsstands September 8th.
From Madonna`s Kabbalah to Tom Cruise`s Scientology, why are stars wearing their religion on their sleeves? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, coming up.
Plus, crisis control. The people who get the stars out of some major messes, that`s coming up in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: Have you ever seen "Back to the Future"? Is that possible (INAUDIBLE)?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Who knew Britney thought about things like time travel? It`s Britney Spears like you`ve never seen her before.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer is off today.
Well, from Bono to Madonna to Tom Cruise, we`re talking Kabbalah, scientology, Catholicism - stars are wearing their religions on their sleeves. But why? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks into it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report" coming up.
Also, the Mel Gibson mess. The late-night comedians are having a field day with this. We`re going to show that to you coming up as well.
But first, being Mel Gibson`s publicist - well, that`s no laughing matter right now. Yikes!
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to rip the curtain off the inside world of celebrity publicists, and reveal to you what it`s like to be caught in the whirlwind of spin control.
Here`s CNN`s Kyra Phillips with a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Image maker. Gatekeeper. Spinmeister. Damage-control expert. For the rich and famous, a high-powered publicist rivals the hottest couture.
Well paid, well connected and, well, always just a few feet away. A publicist can go from polite to pit-bull at breakneck speed.
TED CASABLANCA, GOSSIP COLUMNIST, E! ENTERTAINMENT: I love publicists. A lot of people hate them in town, but I think they are great. I mean, they - they give us some of the best material to work with. Brad and Angelina are just friends.
I love the lines that come from this crowd. It`s really good stuff.
PHILLIPS: Always guiding, sometimes chiding, we`ve seen what happens when a good one gets away.
After Tom Cruise replaced veteran publicist Pat Kingsley with his sister, we watched in disbelief as that famed Cruise control morphed into couch control before our very eyes.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Have you ever felt this way before?
PETER CASTRO, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: The lesson that Tom Cruise taught the world is don`t fire a top-notch publicist. Because when you do that, then you become a rudderless raft. And that`s what happened to him.
CINDY BERGER, PUBLICIST, PMK, HBH: I graduated college and I was laying in a friend`s pool reading "Cosmopolitan" magazine, drinking a can of TAB. And there was an article about celebrity publicists. And I thought, My God, that`s what I want to do. That`s it.
PHILLIPS: She`s a powerhouse in the world of showbiz, managing director of one of the most prestigious publicity firms in Hollywood: PMK, HBH.
Chances are you know a few of Cindy Berger`s famous clientele.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, HOST, "ROSIE O`DONNELL" SHOW: It`s important, make no doubt, if you`re an entertainer, to have a publicist. She`ll say "it would be good if you didn`t mention the NRA in this interview," you know. Or something like, try not to say President Bush is immoral.
PHILLIPS: February 13, 9:30 a.m., the 100th episode of "Martha."
BERGER: I left at 7:25.
PHILLIPS: Cindy is in place, awaiting the arrival of her long-time client Rosie O`Donnell.
O`DONNELL: The crew is here for my publicist, not for me. It`s all right. I used to be a very well-known entertainer.
PHILLIPS: From the car, Rosie`s entourage heads to the makeup room. Soon a sound check.
O`DONNELL: Rosie, Rosie, check.
PHILLIPS: A cappuccino; a knock on the door.
O`DONNELL: Who is that?
MARTHA STEWART, DESIGNER: Hey.
O`DONNELL: Martha. You didn`t come see me in Fiddler, you big wench.
STEWART: I know.
BERGER: It`s not a precise science.
O`DONNELL: She`s, like, 63 and she wears leather pants and looks better than I ever have. It`s frightening.
She takes care of me because she loves me, and that I trust her judgment, especially when I`m not in a place to make good judgments for myself. You know, I`m a very emotional person.
CASTRO: I don`t understand why anyone would want to do this job. Because they`re getting called at 4:00 in the morning from their client saying, you know, "Where`s my limo?"
And then, of course, the worst is when, you know, their clients go, you know, just mental and do something and are involved in a scandal or end up in jail. And you go, "Oh man, now, what do I do?"
BERGER: It`s a tough business. It`s not for pansies.
PHILLIPS: Michael, Russell, Courtney, Pee Wee, Wynona, Whitney, Hugh -- what do these celebrities and Martha and Rosie have in common? Scandal.
O`DONNELL: I will say nothing else.
PHILLIPS: And in the world of publicity, scandal is never a good thing.
BERGER: Damage control is coming up with an effective campaign and executing it properly.
PHILLIPS: And no one knows damage control like Allan Mayer. In Hollywood, he`s considered a master in disaster, a certified crisis specialist who`s helped the likes of Halle Berry and Tommy Lee.
ALLAN MAYER, PUBLICIST, SITRICK AND COMPANY: If you don`t tell your own story, someone else is going to tell it for you, and chances are, you won`t like the way it comes out.
PHILLIPS: Case in point: Rosie O`Donnell. In 2002, after six years on the air, the beloved talk show host said goodbye to her show and her cutie-patootie persona.
O`DONNELL: I remember "Newsweek" saying the "queen of nice." And I remember on the show, holding it up, saying, "Wait until this turns and we get the queen of fried rice, you know, the queen of lice. This is going to bite me in the ass one day, folks. Make no mistake." You know, and it did.
PHILLIPS: Exactly one year later, in the fall of 2003, Rosie was not only out of the closet, but standing smack in the middle of scandal. Publishers of her now defunct "Rosie" magazine had slapped O`Donnell with a $100 million breach-of-contract suit. And the case quickly turned nasty.
CASTRO: And were was Rosie O`Donnell, who was beloved - you know, all of a sudden, the next thing you know, she`s like, she`s turned into, like, the Tasmanian Devil.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: What did I do? I`m fat. I yell. And I sometimes say the "f"word.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: It was the worst thing that`s happened to me in my public life. I remember we pulled up the first day, and I said to Cindy, "What the hell are all these trucks doing here?"
BERGER: It was a nightmare. I didn`t think any of us thought that we were going to be walking up the steps of a courthouse.
MAYER: Unfortunately, silence is taken as somehow an admission of guilt. So you have to figure out a way to always respond.
BERGER: The plan was never to have her go through the backdoor. That was the only way to handle it.
O`DONNELL: Like, when we get out of the car, she`s like, "OK, we`re going to get out. We`re going to stop at the first group of microphones."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: Good morning, everyone.
(voice-over): "Try to smile, Ro. Please don`t say anything mean."
(on camera): "Every clip that`s run of you has been mean."
But I was so angry that I couldn`t be happy.
PHILLIPS: On November 12, 2003, a judge ruled there was no winner. Neither the publishers, nor the former talk queen, received a cent.
BERGER: It was emotionally draining. It was exhausting.
PHILLIPS: Two years later, it`s barely a blip. Now Rosie`s moved on to writing her own blog.
O`DONNELL: I can be at home and say whatever I`m thinking of, whatever`s on my mind, and hit "Send."
PHILLIPS: That and her future role, co-hosting the "View," will keep Cindy working overtime.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Rosie joins "The View" on September 5.
A drunk-driving arrest, an anti-Semitic outburst - we`re talking some serious stuff here. But some think all this Mel Gibson stuff is actually pretty funny. That`s next.
And Mel Gibson has been pretty outspoken about Catholicism, Tom Cruise with scientology - even Madonna with Kabbalah. So do stars putting their spiritual side out there help or hurt themselves? A revealing look next.
Plus we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: We`re watching "Back to the Future."
FEDERLINE: Mm-hmmm.
SPEARS: Is that possible, to time travel space?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tonight, a shocking new discovery: is time travel possible? We`ll have an on-camera report from - yes, from Britney Spears in "That`s Ridiculous!," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer is off today.
It`s time now for more of a story that made us say "That`s Ridiculous!" A little while ago, we showed you the first part of a Britney Spears home video making the rounds on the Web. K-Fed -- her husband, Kevin Federline - is behind the camera. Here in Part 2, Britney ponders partying life and even time travel.
So grab some Cheetos and take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: I`m confused because I feel like I`ve been missing out.
FEDERLINE: Missing out on what?
SPEARS: On life.
FEDERLINE: I sincerely don`t think that that`s the truth.
SPEARS: I`m - you think I`m - this is what I have to talk about.
FEDERLINE: OK.
SPEARS: I feel like I`ve been missing out on life.
FEDERLINE: Like what part of life?
SPEARS: Life! Like, things, and things going on. Like, I feel like I`m behind or something. I know that sounds so weird. But I do.
FEDERLINE: No it doesn`t.
It`s all the partying.
SPEARS: Huh?
FEDERLINE: It`s all the partying.
SPEARS: What are you talking about, all the partying?
FEDERLINE: That`s why you feel that way.
SPEARS: What`s that supposed to mean?
FEDERLINE: Would you rather go out, or would you rather go watch the movie?
SPEARS: Huh?
(LAUGHTER)
FEDERLINE: Would you rather go out - if you had a choice to go out or go watch a movie, what would you want to do?
SPEARS: Let`s go watch that movie and just drink at home.
(LAUGHTER)
SPEARS: But what I`m trying to say is, Do you ever like you - like, can some people - have you ever seen "Back to the Future"?
FEDERLINE: Mm-hmm.
SPEARS: Is that possible, to time travel space ..
FEDERLINE: No.
SPEARS: Yes it is, Kevin.
FEDERLINE: OK, but not that we know of.
SPEARS: Maybe people - I think people can do it, and I think some people are ahead of us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now in all fairness to Brit, this tape looks like it was made awhile ago. She is now pregnant with Baby No. 2.
But what was she thinking with all this talk about time travel? We got to say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
All right. Moving on now, this weekend, Madonna went ahead with her controversial concert in Rome. Religious leaders there had protested her tour because at one point she puts herself up on a cross with a crown of thorns. They said she was mocking Jesus` crucifixion.
The Material Girl has always been religiously outspoken. But what happens when stars mix fame with religion?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went out look for answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Madonna and Kabbalah. Tom Cruise and scientology. Mel Gibson and Catholicism. From the Kabbalah red-string bracelet to Hebrew-inscribed charms to crosses of all kinds, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has noticed that Hollywood`s biggest stars are more willing than ever to put their religion on display.
But do they worry that turning on their spiritual side will turn off their fans? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked scientologist John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston.
JOHN TRAVOLTA, PRACTICES SCIENTOLOGY: After 31 years of being a scientology, I don`t think so.
KELLY PRESTON, PRACTICES SCIENTOLOGY: Absolutely not. And it just helps you in every way of your life, I mean, scientology rocks. It really does.
TRAVOLTA: It works.
PRESTON: It works.
ANDERSON: Travolta and Preston have never been shy about talking about their religion.
TRAVOLTA: There`s not a person that is - that`s used it correctly that it hasn`t helped enormously.
PRESTON: It helps you spiritually. It helps you in daily life.
ANDERSON: Fellow scientologist Tom Cruise not only preaches his beliefs, but does so in a no-holds-barred, sometimes explosive way.
TOM CRUISE, PRACTICES SCIENTOLOGY: I`ve never agreed with psychiatry, ever.
ANDERSON: Cruise ignited a firestorm a year ago, in that now-infamous interview with the "Today" show`s Matt Lauer, when he spewed the scientology line against psychiatry, and the use of mood-altering medications.
MATT LAUER, "TODAY" SHOW: Do you examine the possibility that these things do work for some people?
CRUISE: Yes, there are abuses. And yes, maybe they`ve gone too far in certain areas. Maybe there are too many kids on Ritalin. Maybe electric shock.
LAUER: Too many kids on Ritalin?
CRUISE: I`m just saying.
LAUER: But - but aren`t there examples where it works?
CRUISE: You don`t even - you`re belligerent (ph). You don`t even know what Ritalin is.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Madonna`s always pushed the religious envelope in her performances. But it took conversion from wayward to Catholic to strict Kabbalist that makes headlines.
And it hasn`t hurt her bottom line. Her 2006 "Confessions" tour sold out in North America.
ALICE COOPER, SINGER: I grew up in a church; I grew up with my dad being a pastor. I had a great relationship with my dad and my granddad, and - and the church.
ANDERSON: Even the outrageous rock star Alice Cooper is putting his religion out there these days, and his money. Through his non-profit foundation, he`s building a $3 million teen center at a Christian university.
COOPER: I still do a full-out Alice Cooper show. It`s just the fact that I don`t think that that interferes, really, with my Christianity.
ANDERSON: Mel Gibson`s "The Passion of the Christ" not only caused controversy, but again brought attention to his staunch Catholicism, which includes the rejection of the Vatican reforms of the early 1960s.
These days, Gibson is no doubt leaning on his religion beliefs for comfort, as he tries to recover from his very public drunk-driving arrest and anti-Semitic tirade.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Joining us tonight, Cathleen Falsani, the religion write for "The Chicago Sun-Times," and the author of "The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People."
Cathleen, thanks for being here.
CATHLEEN FALSANI, AUTHOR, "THE GOD FACTOR": It`s my pleasure.
ANDERSON: OK, I want to start with Mel Gibson.
As if he doesn`t have enough problems, Cathleen, you think Mel.
FALSANI: Right.
ANDERSON: .is facing even tougher backlash now because he put himself out there as a religion person.
Why is that?
FALSANI: I think that is - that could entirely be the case.
When he started talking about his faith more openly and - and kind in advance of some people who are doing it more often now than even two years ago, people have an impression - can have an impression of somebody`s who`s talking about their faith that they`re trying to be pious, or that they`re holier than thou, even if that`s what`s they`re not - they`re not saying that.
And I think that might be part of the backlash now. It`s like, Oh, well, he`s all catholic, but now he`s - he`s - he`s messed up like this.
(CROSSTALK)
FALSANI: And he`s a big hypocrite.
ANDERSON: Well, what do you think he can do to redeem himself and still be able to talk about his faith, as he said he wants to do?
FALSANI: Right.
ANDERSON: Do you think people can take him seriously, or, as you say, do something - still think that - will they think that he is a hypocrite?
FALSANI: Well, I`m not a publicist, but if I had to tell him what I thought he could do to sort of redeem himself, is to keep talking and keep saying the kinds of things that he started to say in that second apology. And frankly, the kinds of things that he said about himself when he talked to Diane Sawyer a couple of years ago and was talking about his substance abuse problems, and sort of the - the dark knight of the soul, and that he is a deeply flawed person, and that his faith helps him to just sort of hang on and live.
One of my colleagues at "The Sun-Times," Bill Zwecker, a columnist, suggested last week that he go on "Oprah." I think it`s a brilliant idea. Because Oprah`s a person who`s - who`s comfortable with the language of faith, whether it`s hers or - her own or somebody`s else, and can sort of guide him through talking about where the disconnects are between his faith and his actions, which is - I mean, that`s the human condition, right?
ANDERSON: Right.
Well, you - you know, in the - you have said that it`s sometimes dangerous for celebrities to talk about their religions so openly. But.
FALSANI: Right.
ANDERSON: You`ve got Tom Cruise; you`ve got John Travolta with scientology. Madonna, Demi Moore with Kabbalah.
You know, whether you agree with those religions or not, the fact is, a lot of this country is spiritual. So do you think that.
FALSANI: Yes.
ANDERSON: .people will be heartened by the fact that stars are embracing spirituality? Can`t something good come out of that?
FALSANI: Oh, well, I hope so. I just wrote a book with 32 of them talking about their faith.
So - and I think so. You know, what - the collection that I have - and I`ve got lots of different people, both Hollywood and - and non- Hollywood types. What you take away from that is that they have the same struggles and the same doubts and the same faith and - and all of that as anybody else does.
(CROSSTALK)
FALSANI: .there`s a common denominator. Right. Absolutely. So, I - I hope that they keep talking about it.
ANDERSON: All right. Cathleen Falsani from the "The Chicago Sun- Times," thank you so much for being here.
And you can find Cathleen`s book.
FALSANI: You`re welcome.
ANDERSON: . "The God Factor." It is in bookstores everywhere. Check it out.
Well, Mel Gibson is taking a lot of heat for his drunk-driving arrest and anti-Semitic outburst. But there are actually some out there that are finding humor in this whole serious Mel mess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": It was so hot in Malibu, people were sweating like Mel Gibson running into Steven Spielberg at the (INAUDIBLE) market.
CONAN O`BRIEN, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O`BRIEN": And today, Israel wants an attack on Mel Gibson`s house.
ANDERSON (voice-over): TV`s late-night funnymen are slaying Mel Gibson with a lethal weapon of their own: humor.
LENO: He could face up to six months in prison - well, life, if he gets a Jewish judge. Yes, but.
ANDERSON: Gibson`s first court date on his DUI charges isn`t until the end of September. But the actor-director`s sentence of relentless ribbing in the court of public opinion has already begun.
JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Mr. Gibson announced today that he will be entering rehab, The Betty Ford Center, for his alcoholism, and I believe The Henry Ford Center for anti-Semitism.
BRUCE VILANCH, COMEDY WRITER/ENTERTAINER: This was a guy who`s world famous and cuts across so many areas and has been controversial in the past. And suddenly it`s like it`s all catching up to him. And so much of comedy is about a pompous ass slipping on a banana peel and looking like an idiot. And that`s what happens here. Somebody falls from a very great height. And looks like a fool. And that is probably the single funniest thing in the history of mankind, when that happens.
O`BRIEN: Mel Gibson apologized to the Jewish community for anti- Semitic remarks he made when he was drunk.
Yes, then - then Gibson apologized to Catholics for not being able to hold his liquor.
ANDERSON: Gibson`s actions have even prompted more jokes about other stars and their public mistakes.
LENO: Here`s the really sad part. Do you know who was in the car with him at the time? Do you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No man.
LENO: Britney Spears` baby. Oh god. That poor kid.
Mel said he learned his lessons, that that`s the last time he tries to outdrink Lindsey Lohan. Yes. He said, No (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: The "Mad Max" actor has been the butt of jokes before. This now infamous 2004 "South Park" episode portrays "The Passion of the Christ" director as a raging religious lunatic.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: I have to use that money to build my church.
ANDERSON: It`s available on the popular Web site You Tube, as is plenty of other Mel mockery taking aim at Gibson`s most recent controversy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you a Jew? You know the Jews start all the wars, don`t you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: Gibson spoofs have exploded all over the Internet. Datelinehollywood.com released their version of his mug shot, taking liberties with Nick Nolte`s 2002 close-up.
Suburbanhomeboy.com took a musical approach to Gibson`s gaffe.
(SINGING)
VILANCH: The Internet`s made everything instant. So people can do their own talk shows on the Internet. They can go on to You Tube and they can create their own - stand up their own "Tonight Show."
ANDERSON: But some still believe that, despite the ridicule.
LENO: Condoleezza Rice has been extremely busy this week shuttling back and forth between Israel and Mel Gibson`s house. Yes, that`s been a tough..
ANDERSON: In the end, Mel will come out looking good, just like his mug shot.
LENO: Who shot? Annie Liebowitz? Look at that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Monday night will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "New O.J. Tapes: Can O.J. ever change what you think of him?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write us: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
It`s time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Let`s take a look at the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Tomorrow, going nuts over nips and tucks. What is up with celebrities and plastic surgery? What`s the message they`re sending? Celebs getting snipped tomorrow.
Also, Hulkmania is back and running wild. Fiftysomething Hulk Hogan is heading back into the wrestling ring. He`s stopping by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Hulk Hogan tomorrow.
That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Glenn Beck, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it here.
END
