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Showbiz Tonight
Star Gossip Wars; Celebrity Damage Control; Interview With Actor Don Diamont
Aired August 09, 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: Shocking news about Robin Williams and Lindsay Lohan`s outrageous comments about her sex life.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, startling news about Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn. But wait. Stop the presses. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is separating the facts from the fiction.
And what`s with all those tabloid magazines anyway?
Tonight, a revealing look at how many get away with telling some absolutely outrageous stories.
Backyard wrestling.
Tonight, teenagers doing dangerous, unbelievably violent things to each other, and it`s all caught on tape.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s lit himself on fire!
ANDERSON: Tonight, the shocking way more and more teenagers are beating the heck out of each other. Could professional wrestling on TV be an influence?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
And the startling news came in not too long ago, the news that Robin Williams has put himself in rehab. Williams announced to the world today that he fell off the wagon after being sober for 20 years. We will be all over that still-developing story for you in just a moment.
But first, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT truth squad swings into action. The reason, the big announcement today that Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn have gotten engaged. But here`s the problem: the announcement did not come from Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT LAUER, HOST, "TODAY SHOW": And big news for Vaughniston.
ANDERSON (voice over): Here is what America woke up to on NBC "Today Show": big breaking news on Hollywood`s biggest unconfirmed couple, Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn.
LAUER: According to "US Weekly" magazine, Vince Vaughn has reportedly popped the question to Jennifer Aniston.
ANDERSON: Using safe words like "according to" and "reportedly," the "Today Show" reported a report from "US Weekly" that Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston got engaged after a recent vacation.
In an interview with "Today`s" Ann Curry, Janice Min from "US Weekly" shared the apparent scoop.
JANICE MIN, "US WEEKLY": They had a private Gulf Stream jet bring them back to Los Angeles. And Vince had the ring, and he got down on one knee and proposed, and Jennifer said yes on the flight.
ANN CURRY, "TODAY SHOW": If it is true, we wish them luck.
ANDERSON: But is the report true? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went looking for answers and contacted Aniston`s publicist, Stephen Huvane, and he minced no words. He told us, "`US` magazine is wrong once again. There is no engagement."
Ouch!
For its parts, "US Weekly" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they are sticking to their guns.
BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": Jen`s publicist never confirms anything. These two haven`t even been confirmed to be a couple. So it`s no surprise that he would issue a statement saying this is incorrect. But we know it to be true.
ANDERSON: So, who is right, "US Weekly," or do we believe Aniston and Vaughn? Keep in mind, ever since they met on the set of their film "The Break-Up"...
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS, "THE BREAK-UP": You and I are no longer a couple.
ANDERSON: ... they have yet to confirm that they are even dating. As they say in "Cool Hand Luke"...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, "COOL HAND LUKE": What we`ve got here failure to communicate.
ANDERSON: ... what we have here is a battle between stars and celebrity news magazines over the sometimes personal information that we simply cannot get enough of.
(on camera): Browsing in this New York City newsstand, you can see, there is no shortage of celebrity gossip. Celebrity magazines are the hottest things on glossy paper these days. Titles like "US Weekly", "In Touch" and "Star" each have circulations of more than a million. But in this big business, separating fact from gossip can be a big problem.
(voice over): The fact that some of these celebrity magazines don`t always get it right is not much of a surprise.
"Life and Style" magazine, for example, has an apparent knack for announcing the breakups of couples who, months later, are still together.
Late lass year, more than one magazine gossiped that Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson were about to start a family. Too bad the couple announced their divorce while those magazines were still on newsstands.
And if you were to go by what the gossip pages have long been saying about Jennifer Lopez, you would think she has been pregnant for two years straight now.
SUSAN SCHULTZ, "COSMOGIRL": Celebrities and the media have both learned to kind of play this game and do this dance.
ANDERSON: Susan Schultz of "CosmoGirl," which, by the way, is not a celebrity magazine, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that in celebrity gossip, accuracy may not always be the top concern.
SCHULTZ: Celebrities can be cagey about stuff that people are asking them about. So now -- now, you know, the media outlets will say, well, let`s say this, and if it turns out not to be true, well, then we`ll just say it wasn`t true. But in the meantime we`ll, you know, get a lot of attention.
ANDERSON: On the other hand, where there is smoke, there is fire. And celebrity magazine gossip has often turned out to be true.
Mags were buzzing about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie long before the two officially announced they were a couple. As for Nick and Jessica, their divorce came after months of gossip magazine chatter that their marriage was in trouble. Chatter that the couple denied virtually right up until the end.
So, will Jen and Vince`s engagement denials be proved right or wrong? We know what "US Weekly" would say.
JACOBS: "US Weekly" stands by it`s story.
ANDERSON: But when you`re talking about Aniston and Vaughn and how she may have found love after losing her marriage in a heartbreaking and public way, the truth may not matter, because this juicy celebrity story still sells magazines, which is often the name of the game in that business.
SCHULTZ: It`s become where it really doesn`t even matter if it`s true or not. It`s, how juicy is it in the moment?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "US Weekly" says it has multiple sources for its Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston story, including what the magazine calls "a very good one."
Well, there`s a story swirling around out there today about another favorite tabloid super couple, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. "The New York Post" reported today that the first pictures of baby Suri will be published by "Vanity Fair." And listen to this, shot by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.
True or false? Well, we`ll tell you the responses we got today.
When we asked "Vanity Fair," they said they couldn`t confirm it or deny it. And from Tom Cruise`s people, "We cannot comment where the photos of Suri might appear at this time."
So now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
Celebrity magazines: Do you believe what you read?
Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. There`s the address: showbiztonight@cnn.com.
More now on tonight`s stunning news about one of the most popular stars in Hollywood. Tonight, Robin Williams is in rehab, being treated for alcoholism.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got a statement from his publicist saying, "After 20 years of sobriety, Robin Williams found himself drinking again and has decided to take proactive measures to deal with this for his own well-being and the well-being of his family."
Williams is 55 years old and can currently be seen in the thriller "The Night Listener." Williams` publicist said that he looks forward to returning to work this fall to support his upcoming movie releases.
Joining me now from Hollywood, an expert in celebrity crisis management, public relations guru and author of "Broken Windows, Broken Business," Michael Levine. He`s handled Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Demi Moore, you name it.
And here in New York, psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow, of the "Dr. Keith Ablow Show," which starts this fall.
Welcome to you both. Thanks for being here.
DR. KEITH ABLOW, PSYCHIATRIST: Thank you.
Thank you.
ANDERSON: Of course.
OK, Dr. Keith, I`m going to begin with you.
A lot of people are going to be shocked to hear this. And his publicist says he has been sober for 20 years.
Is it rare for someone to fall off the wagon after having sobriety for that long?
ABLOW: Well, it`s certainly encouraging when you do have sobriety for that long, but it doesn`t give you immunity from what is a recurrent illness. So people can fall off the wagon at any time during their lives if they are subject to alcoholism.
And, after all, while we take the man at his word, in my experience, having treated high-profile people, as well as regular people, very often there is a period of drinking that "precedes" the public knowledge that you`ve been doing so. And your loved ones may not know.
People hide this very well. So it could have been going on longer, certainly.
ANDERSON: No matter how long, could still be susceptible?
ABLOW: Oh, you`re still susceptible, of course, because the underlying problem, which is that you`ve got unresolved painful issues to deal with, often goes unresolved for many, many years.
ANDERSON: Well, Michael, I want to get to you. This news comes on the heels of the Mel Gibson meltdown. Now, unlike Gibson, Williams was proactive, sending out a press release, a statement before we heard anything in the tabloids, the papers, or any other media outlet.
Do you think he did the right thing? Did he approach it in the right manner here?
MICHAEL LEVINE, PUBLICIST: I sure do. This is a prophylactic action, and an action, as you said, proactively or prophylactically in advance of a catastrophe. And I think it`s pretty clear that alcoholism untreated over a period of time is progressive and almost always leads to literally or metaphorically a car crash. And so, yes, I do think it`s a very good idea.
ANDERSON: Dr. Keith, what kind of battle is Robin Williams looking at here? Is it easier or harder to recover, in a sense, after sobriety for that long, he says?
ABLOW: Well, I think one thing that`s encouraging is he knows that he can conquer it for a period of time. So the hope is there.
The things that are a little harder, perhaps, advanced age. If there is a depression present, that complicates matters. And I don`t know if there is in his case. But each case is individual. And I agree that coming out and saying, look, I`ve got a problem in advance of the metaphorical or real car rash crash is laudatory. We can get behind that.
ANDERSON: Well, this is a big-news story tonight. And the story will continue well into the week.
Michael, you know, if Mel Gibson hadn`t had his mishap and shown such a bright spotlight on the issue of alcoholism, do you really think Robin Williams going into rehab would be such a huge deal right now?
LEVINE: You know, it`s hard to know people`s motivation, but I can tell you that I`ve worked with countless numbers of celebrities, and they, like most people, respect wisdom but obey pain. And when they see their brothers or sisters in extraordinary pain, I think it sends a strong signal to them that maybe they should be a little more proactive or prophylactic in their -- in their approach.
ANDERSON: So you think that Mel Gibson`s actions may have had some kind of impact on Robin Williams taking this step forward?
LEVINE: It may have. And, if it did, it probably was a good thing, because to take action prior to a disaster is significantly better than to wait.
ABLOW: And I certainly agree with Michael on that. We have two examples here.
One is of Robin Williams, who has a problem. Nobody knows about it, but he`s willing to say, look, I`ve got this problem, maybe others can learn from it and I`m going to get help. As opposed to Mel Gibson, who is forced to issue a statement because he`s pulled over, he is drunk, and he still doesn`t want to get help until it`s too late.
ANDERSON: Right, there is a difference there. Well, let`s talk about this.
Before now, no one would have thought twice about seeing Robin Williams out and what kind of drink he may have had in his hand, but now he`s going to be under such scrutiny with what he is doing. Is that going to make it harder or easier, or does it even matter?
ABLOW: Well, it may help him to some extent that friends or even acquaintances might be looking in on him to make sure he is OK. But, trust me, I`ve treated very high-profile people with addictions. They find ways to hide it if they want to.
ANDERSON: Michael, your advice for going forward with this with Robin Williams? What should he do next?
LEVINE: Well, to recognize that alcoholism is a very serious, complicated, mysterious disease, and it must be treated very carefully with the best help. To the extent I know this, that there is nothing more successful for the treatment of alcoholism than the 12-step program. So that`s probably an area that he will decide to participate in. And that I wish him good luck, and that we must have compassion. This is a disease...
ANDERSON: Right.
LEVINE: ... for both men.
ANDERSON: We all wish him good luck and hope that he is getting the best possible help out there.
ABLOW: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: Michael Levine, Dr. Keith Ablow, thank you both so much.
ABLOW: Thank you, Brooke. Yes, take care.
LEVINE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: The revenge of the supermodel. How supermodels are taking gigs away from some of the most famous people in Hollywood. A SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report coming up.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you could see is a piece of glass going on his face and his eye and his hand. You know, this isn`t what kids should be doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We`re taking you inside the shocking worlds of backyard wrestling, teenagers caught on tape. Could professional wrestling on TV be to blame? We`ll look into it coming up.
Plus, how a Jewish soap star is boldly going where no actor has gone before. And daytime TV may never be the same.
That`s ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, in the "Showbiz Showcase," "Borat," starring Sasha Baron Cohen, he plays Kazakhstan TV reporter Borat.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BORAT")
SASHA BARON COHEN, "BORAT": (INAUDIBLE), my name Borat. I journalist for Kazakhstan.
My government send me to USA to make a movie film. Please, you look (ph).
Hello. Nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?
COHEN: Hello. My name Borat. I new in town.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to our country, OK?
COHEN: My name Borat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. OK. Good. Good. I`m not use to do that, but that`s fine.
COHEN: What is a "not" joke?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A "not" joke, I would say, "That suit is black, not."
COHEN: This suit is not black.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, no. "Not" has to be the end.
COHEN: Oh, OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
COHEN: This suit is black, not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This suit is black -- pause -- do you know what a pause is?
COHEN: Yes.
This suit is black.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. I don`t -- I don`t...
COHEN: Not!
Can I say we support your war of terror?
(SINGING): Kazakhstan is the greatest country in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that the cultural differences are advanced.
COHEN: Exactly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think he`s a delightful man, and it wouldn`t take very much time for him to really become Americanized.
COHEN: You want a drink?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t drink that.
COHEN: How can I be like you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s up, vanilla pants (ph)?
COHEN: Is it not a problem that a woman have a smaller brain than a man?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s it. I`ve had it.
We`re finished. We have to leave.
COHEN: Very nice. How much?
She is your wife?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope. That`s my wife.
COHEN: In my country, they would go crazy. For these two, not so much.
Please, you come se my film. If it not success, I will be execute.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "BORAT")
ANDERSON: And in case you`re wondering, almost everyone in the movie is real.
"Borat" comes to theaters November 3rd.
So, we`ve all seen soap opera story lines go from, who`s sleeping with whom, to murder mysteries. But, get this: for the first time in soap opera history, a leading character in a daytime show reveals he`s Jewish.
"The Young and the Restless" star Don Diamont shocked viewers recently when his character Brad Carlton reveals after 20 years that he is the son of a Holocaust survivor. Diamont, who is Jewish in real life, hopes this will open people`s eye. But why now?
Don is with me tonight from Hollywood.
Don, good to see you.
DON DIAMONT, ACTOR, "YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS": Nice to see you. Thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Of course.
DIAMONT: First of all, you know, "Borat" is a tough act to follow.
ANDERSON: "Borat" is a tough act to follow, but I know you can do it. And I`ve got to tell you, when I first herd about this story, Don, it was one of those "who knew" moments. I mean, there has never been such an openly Jewish character in a soap opera. I was really surprised to hear that, as I`m sure a lot of people are.
So, why now? Why is it a good time now?
DIAMONT: Oh, I think any time would have been a good time. As it happens, we have a head writer who has joined the show in the last year, and she felt compelled to tell the story in this way.
There is a 20-year history of mystery with Brad. We know nothing about -- or we knew nothing about where he came from. Absolutely nothing about his background. And this is the story that Lynn Latham chose to tell, and I think it`s wonderful, and I fully embraced it.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, this comes at an interesting time, Don, particularly when awareness of anti-Semitism is so high because of Mel Gibson`s recent anti-Semitic rant.
I`m curious, were you just as shocked as many people were with what Mel Gibson had to say?
DIAMONT: Honestly, I can`t say that I was shocked. I mean, it takes a lot to shock me anyway.
I certainly have dealt with my share of anti-Semitism growing up. I was subjected to anti-Semitic slurs, and so I`m well aware that it exists in the world.
ANDERSON: So this was particularly hurtful.
DIAMONT: Pardon me?
ANDERSON: It was particularly hurtful. You`ve encountered it yourself.
DIAMONT: It was -- listen, it was a divisive and vitriolic comment. And it is hurtful. And, you know, the last thing we need in the world is somebody with that kind of a profile making that kind of comment.
ANDERSON: Well...
DIAMONT: Or those comments, I should say.
ANDERSON: Right. Well, given everything, Mel has asked for forgiveness. He has apologized.
Do you think you can forgive him? Or do those words just cut to deep?
DIAMONT: Quite honestly, that`s going to take some time. It`s one thing when you -- when you get your PR people around you and you take a look at, you know, what`s the best way to deal with this situation, and you issue a -- issue a couple of statements. That doesn`t just make it go away. It`s really where his heart is, is the question.
ANDERSON: Clearly, Don, there is a lot of anti-Semitism out there, unfortunately. How do you hope your character on the show can fight that or change people`s minds?
DIAMONT: I hope -- I don`t -- I don`t know if it -- if it will. I hope that it does.
It should certainly -- you know, I have a 20-year relationship with my fans, with "Y and R" viewers. So I hope they are able to see this, this is a person who is Jewish.
He is -- he is a multidimensional person. Being Jewish is just -- is just one aspect of who he is. He`s a human being, like we all are. And cultural diversity is part of the fabric of this country. This is the ultimate melting pot.
ANDERSON: That`s right. And it`s great to see that it is being portrayed in your soap opera.
By the way, you don`t look old enough to have been on "Young and the Restless" for 20 years.
DIAMONT: It`s true.
ANDERSON: But Don Diamont, thanks so much for joining us tonight. We do appreciate the candid talk.
DIAMONT: Thank you. Nice to be here.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
All right. Is there an MTV curse? Next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, could it be that MTV is the kiss of death when it comes to happily ever after?
Plus, we`re taking you inside the startling world of backyard wrestling with scenes you won`t soon forget. Could professional wrestling be to blame?
That`s coming up.
Plus, the revenge of the supermodels. How supermodels are taking gigs away from some of the most famous people in Hollywood. A SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report is coming right up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Celebrity couples might want to think twice before letting MTV cameras following them around. There has been another Hollywood breakup. And it`s starting to look like the curse of the MTV reality shows.
The stars of "Meet the Barkers" are splitting up. Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker has filed for divorce from former USA Shana Moakler after just under two years of marriage, and they`re not the only ones.
Just last month, Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro announced their separation. They starred on the MTV reality show "Carmen and Dave: `Til Death Do Us Part."
And, of course, newlywed stars Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson let the MTV cameras follow them around, and they are no longer together either.
Too bad.
All right. Lindsay Lohan`s outrageous comments about her sex life, that`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, the revenge of the supermodels, how supermodels are taking gigs away from some of the most famous people in Hollywood. A SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report coming up.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And all you could see is a piece of glass going on his face and his eye and his hand. You know, this isn`t what kids should be doing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We`re going to take you inside the shocking world of backyard wrestling. Teenagers caught on tape. Could professional wrestling on TV be to blame? We`re going to look into that shocking story coming right up.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. It is 30 minutes past the hour at this time. I am Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer is off tonight.
All right. We`re going to call this one revenge of the supermodels: how sexy supermodels are swiping the job away from some of Hollywood`s biggest stars. We`re going to have that story coming up.
Plus, Lindsay Lohan`s really unbelievable comments about her sex life. We will have those straight ahead, and you really will not believe them. So stay tuned.
But first, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report": there`s a shocking and violent way that thousands of teenagers are entertaining themselves. It`s called backyard wrestling, and many parents have absolutely no idea about the crazy and dangerous stuff that`s going on right in their own backyard.
Here`s Adaora Udoji for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ADAORA UDOJI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How did you guys ever find this place?
(voice-over): Nearly every weekend, 17-year-old Sean and his friends head into their Brooklyn field of dreams...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now making his way out to the ring...
UDOJI: ... into a violent and bloody world you are not going to believe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re going to see some crazy, crazy stuff today.
UDOJI: Prepare yourself; it is shocking.
This is hardcore backyard wrestling, and it`s Sean`s dream to go pro.
Sean, who`s studying for his GED, started IBW, or the Insane Backyard Wrestling Federation, with more than a dozen of his closest friends.
(on-screen): Why did you call it that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we are insane. If you guys watch any other backyard tapes or something, there`s nothing like this out there.
UDOJI (voice-over): They call it entertainment, a combination of showmanship and choreographed moves using weapons meant to shed blood but only look painful.
There are no rules, no supervision, just friends bashing each other with keyboards, whacking themselves with fluorescent light tubes and ramming each other into the ground head-first.
And that`s Sean, stage name Pyro, setting himself on fire just to get the crowd going.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s lighting himself on fire!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes it more interesting, especially for, like, our fans. Like, if you do a move or something, they`ll just be like, "Oh, that`s cool." But if you, like, hit somebody with one of these, they`ll go crazy. They`ll be like, "Oh, my God, that was sick.""
UDOJI: Notice there are no trainers, no adults, not even a Band- Aid. But they insist no one really gets hurt. The blood is just show for the cameras.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We won`t wrestle unless it`s on tape.
UDOJI (on-screen): Because?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because then you just got hurt or whatever for nothing.
UDOJI (voice-over): That video ends up on Web sites like these, where teenage boys post thousand of clips showing their most daring moves in online battles to prove who`s toughest.
There`s an estimated 700 amateur backyard wrestling federations nationwide. And with 10 to 15 members in each group, we`re talking about more than 7,000 young men.
A quick Google search triggers nearly a million hits to sites with names like, Megacarnage, New Blood Wrestling, and slogans that brag, "Brutality is our business."
You might wonder why Sean doesn`t play football or basketball or soccer. We did, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m really bad at sports. This is the only thing I`m good at.
UDOJI: He says backyard wrestling opened up a new world and new friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s like my best friend right here. We can beat each other up, and then, you know, we`re friends.
UDOJI: But where do they get these ideas?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thumb tacks.
UDOJI: They say they learned the moves watching video games like this one, where a wrestler`s head is pushed into a deep fryer, and DVDs widely available from World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, in which pro wrestlers use fire and cheese graters for maximum shock value.
(on camera): WWE officials responded in a statement, saying they are adamantly opposed to the concept of backyard wrestling because of the risks of injury to untrained amateurs.
(voice-over): The statement goes on to say -- quote, "We urge parents to be proactive in discouraging their children from undertaking this dangerous practice."
Back in Brooklyn, Joe Giordano had no real idea what his son Jordan was up to until he saw it for himself. It was his first time, and he watched in horror as Jordan took a beating.
JOSEPH GIORDANO, FATHER OF BACKYARD WRESTLER: We`re going to talk about this later.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want some water?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jordan, is it bad?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it`s not bad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, it`s one of those little ones?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UDOJI (on camera): You`re clearly upset.
GIORDANO: Yes, a little bit. Ah, I thought I was going to handle this a lot better. I thought it was -- he was wrestling, you know? And all I could see is a piece of glass going in his face, in his eye, in his hand. It`s -- this isn`t what kids should be doing.
UDOJI: And then there`s this kind of backyard wrestling, literally in a backyard with well-choreographed moves, well-developed characters, and supervised by parents. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Show Stealer will never be defeated!
UDOJI (voice-over): This is 18-year-old Jerry (ph), stage name Grimstone. In his parents` backyard, the matches are elaborate. He and many of his friends go to professional wrestling school.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cash (ph) is going to help (INAUDIBLE) cheat and (INAUDIBLE) going to win.
They spend hours developing detailed plots of good versus evil. Each line, every move perfected before they enter the ring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As soon as I do it, he comes in.
UDOJI: And no weapons are allowed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A well-executed move looks 10 times better than some idiot smashing themselves over the head with a trash can.
UDOJI: That`s good news to Jerry mother, Arlene, who along with other parents, watches from the sidelines.
(on camera): You see yourself as supporting his ambitions...
ARLENE WERNER, MOTHER OF BACKYARD WRESTLER: Of course.
UDOJI: ... as opposed to creating a potential risk for him.
WERNER: Oh, yes. There`s nothing wrong with backyard wrestling. But the parents have to be more involved with their kids. You know, you can`t go in a ditch and wrestle. There`s nobody there. What if they really do get hurt?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready to head out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we are.
UDOJI (voice-over): That risk is now a reality for 16-year-old Daniel Carlson and his parents, Renee and Dale. Last summer, Daniel was dropped on his head in a backyard wrestling match and broke his neck. Life for the Carlsons changed forever.
RENEE CARLSON, DANIEL CARLSON`S MOTHER: A doctor looked at us and said, "Your son is going to be paralyzed." I have to admit, the first thing that I thought of was, "He`s 16 years old. This isn`t right." He had his whole life ahead of him.
UDOJI: The Carlsons say they thought Daniel was just horsing around. They had no idea he and his friends were staging organized wrestling matches.
R. CARLSON: They can say they know what they`re doing, but they really don`t, and you can get seriously hurt. And Daniel is proof of that.
UDOJI: But physical injury isn`t the only risk, according to pediatrician Shari Barkin, who studies links between images of violence and aggression. She watched our video of hardcore teen wrestling in disbelief.
DR. SHARI BARKIN, PROFESSOR, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: Being violent creates an addictive property. So that, once you`ve done it, just seeing the same thing over and over again is no longer interesting. You have to escalate it, and escalate it, and escalate it. So where is the final escalation?
UDOJI: Dr. Barkin says teens who feel invincible through hardcore violence...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Toaster, toaster action.
UDOJI: ... may not be learning the coping skills they need to reach their full potential.
Back in Brooklyn, Sean`s match has moved on to thumb tacks, dozens of them, for a favorite big finish. It`s hard to believe, but he says getting punctured several times in the back is no big deal.
(on-camera): None of that hurt, Sean?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UDOJI: It looks painful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s - that`s the whole point.
UDOJI (voice-over): But it`s a very big deal to Jordan`s dad, Joe.
GIORDANO: I`m sure the other parents have no idea what`s going on here.
UDOJI (on camera): Are you going to tell them?
GIORDANO: Everybody I know. Every kid that`s here that I know I`m going to let their parent know.
UDOJI: OK.
GIORDANO: And if they don`t believe me, let them come, let them take a look for themselves, and let them get shocked like I did.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was Adaora Udoji for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
With school out, what you just saw is happening more and more. And now there`s a brand new study out claiming watching wrestling increases violent behavior in teens. World Wrestling Entertainment body slammed it, saying the study is flawed and that watching wrestling can be a positive experience.
Well, last night I got legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan`s take on it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HULK HOGAN, PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: I`m sure there`s some truth to that. You know, I don`t know if it`s the big picture, you know? I`m sure there`s a lot of music and - and movies and stuff that people may listen to. The words may be kind of negative, or the - the movies may be violent. I`m sure there`s spin-offs of everything.
But, you know, then there`s also the positive side of things. So it depends on if you`re looking at the glass is half full or half empty. But I really don`t know a whole heck of a lot about it, other than we tell all the kids that this is entertainment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He says not to take wrestling too seriously when you watch it.
OK. Hulk adds that most of the wrestlers are friends outside the ring, too.
Tonight, one of the heroes of 9/11 - his amazing story is part of the new movie "World Trade Center." We`ll ask him about the life- threatening decision he had to make within milliseconds. It`s the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALLY SINGER, FEATURES DIRECTOR, "VOGUE": And now you`re seeing a return to models, because they, too, are celebrities. And they`re - they`re the original celebrities for fashion for this generation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s runway revenge. Tonight, how sexy supermodels are swiping jobs that were once swiped from them. Ooh, this could definitely get ugly. That`s coming up.
And everything you wanted to know about Lindsay Lohan`s shocking sex life but were afraid to ask. Yep, "That`s Ridiculous!" And that`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(AUDIO/VIDEO GAP)
ANDERSON: .TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, if you want some hot chat, you know you can either for up $3.99 a minute for a 900 line, or just listen to Lindsay Lohan. Watch out Dr. Ruth, because La Lohan, at the ripe old age of 20, is dispensing sex advice and dishing details of her own juicy sex romps.
Take a listen to this, in the September issue of "Elle" magazine: "I don`t want to put myself in the position where I`m in a monogamous relationship. If I`m going to give my body to someone, I`d rather them not be with other people. But I want to be able to if I like someone else."
Lindsay, relationships that last usually don`t work that way. But - so we got to say, Lindsay`s oh-so-luscious sex talk, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, when Lindsay isn`t busy being a model for monogamy, she`s done quite a bit of modeling, too. Stars and fashion go hand in hand. Celebs have been all over the covers of the biggest magazine ads. They even walk down the runways.
But stars, beware: the Cindys, Heidis and Naomis of the world are making a super supermodel comeback. Watch out, because stilettos are flying.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Ah, fashion. Some of the industry`s biggest power players have, til now, looked at big stars like Uma Thurman and Kate Hudson to be the face for their product.
But the times, they are a`changin.
JANICE DICKINSON, MODEL: (INAUDIBLE). I know how to pose.
(AUDIO GAP)
ANDERSON: . on her show "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency."
DICKINSON: Models should be on magazine covers, not celebrities.
ANDERSON: And the fashion industry is answering the call.
SINGER: Now you`re seeing a return to models because they, too, are celebrities. And they`re - they`re the original celebrities for fashion for this generation.
ANDERSON: A glowing and pregnant Linda Evangelista graces the August cover of "Vogue," the first supermodel to do so in 14 months.
But why the shift back to supermodels? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight o "Vogue" for answers.
SINGER: The celebrity trend is a really interesting evolution of how America and the world came to love fashion and to see fashion as entertainment.
There`s a whole generation of actresses who have been trained to be supermodels. They`ve watched the way Linda works with the camera; they`ve watched the way Christie works with the camera. And in doing that, they sort of took over from the models.
ANDERSON: Celebrities grabbed the supermodel title and ran with it, like the Lohans on the runways, the Garners on the red carpets.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: .and megastars like Madonna in advertisements for major retailers like the Gap.
Supermodel Frederique tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s all for the variety.
FREDERIQUE VAN DER WAL, SUPERMODEL: I like the mixture. I think the more different kind of women you see out there, the better it is for everyone.
ANDERSON: Sure, different can be better. But as "Sex and the City" proved, if you`re going to walk the walk, you better know what you`re doing.
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: I do not belong on a runway. Runways are for models, not writers.
ANDERSON: And Carrie proved her point the hard way.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my god. She`s fashion road kill.
ANDERSON: That`s why you should leave it to the pros like Kate Moss, who has now scored the cover of "Vanity Fair"`s first style issue. She was also the last supermodel to be on a "Vanity Fair" cover, back in December.
"Vogue" is declaring the women we know as the runway divas are back. In fact, the cover reads, "The Revenge of the Supermodel."
So what puts the "super" in "supermodel"?
SINGER: Supermodels have beautiful bone structures for photographs. They know how to move in front of a camera. They`ve been doing it since they were 14. They know how to be still in front of a camera.
So they have certain professional qualities that might make them easier to work with.
ANDERSON: And what goes around eventually comes around.
VAN DER WAL: It will go back. Suddenly it will all be about models again. Then it`s going to be Brazilians. Then it`s Dutch ones. Then it`s this. Then it`s going to be celebrities.
ANDERSON: And believe it or not, there are new, young and hip supermodels out there besides the gorgeous and very well-known Gisele Bundhcen. But they differ from the quote-unquote "older covergirls," because, believe it or not, they like to keep their celebrity to a minimum.
SINGER: And they`re much more concerned about having a longer credibility in their industry than becoming, you know, the flavor of the month who might - you know, might be discarded with next week`s tabloids.
ANDERSON: So if you are looking for the way things used to be, there`s always Janice Dickinson, your first supermodel.
DICKINSON: Having coined the phrase supermodel, you want to know the industry? I am the industry!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Both the "Vogue" featuring Linda Evangelista and the "Vanity Fair" style issue featuring Kate Moss are on newsstands now.
Now, the almost-unbelievable story of a real-life hero of September 11, a story that is told in Oliver Stone`s movie "World Trade Center," which opens today. The movie tells the story of the dramatic rescue of two police officers, Port Authority officers, who were trapped in the deepest rubble of the collapsed buildings that were the World Trade Center.
In the end, Officer Scott Strauss risked his life to save them from what seemed like an almost certain death.
We are honored to have with us tonight now-retired Detective Scott Strauss.
Scott, great to see you.
SCOTT STRAUSS, RETIRED DETECTIVE, NYPD E.S.U.: Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Of course.
Now, you`re portrayed, of course by Stephen Dorf in the film.
But take me back, Scott, to that terrible day. You`re in your car, on your way home. You hear about the first tower being hit. Then shortly thereafter, you hear about the second tower.
You knew you had to go to the site, didn`t you? What did you do in that moment?
STRAUSS: I was home when I saw the second tower get hit. And my wife was just about to go to work, and I kissed her goodbye and told her I got to get back in. And I raced back into Manhattan, and I met up with other off-duty officers from the emergency service unit. We got some equipment together. The guys that relieved me at 8:00 in the morning were already down there. And a whole group of us, from all over the city, were - were headed into the World Trade Center.
ANDERSON: You get there, you search, you search, you search for a long time. Night falls; you`re not finding anybody. It seems hopeless. And then there`s word that Will Jimeno, John McLaughlin are alive under this rubble.
You get to where they are.
STRAUSS: Right.
ANDERSON: What was that moment like? What did you feel?
STRAUSS: I dropped in - down into this hole, where Sergeant Kearns (ph).
ANDERSON: Did you not think it was immediate, you had to get in there?
STRAUSS: Well, we thought they were originally - were just trapped on the surface. Like they were one of our guys, and they broke a leg or twisted an ankle and didn`t have a radio. That`s how - why we got word the way we did. Obviously, it turned out to be much more serious than that.
ANDERSON: Right. They were - they were very deep.
STRAUSS: Right. We dropped into this hole, and we couldn`t see them; we could only hear them. And we had to crawl through tiny, tiny openings in - around high beams and through rebar to get to these guys. We had to actually envelope ourselves into this, entrench ourselves into the.
ANDERSON: Yes, you were .
STRAUSS: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: .risking your life. You knew that it could collapse on you at any moment.
Had you resigned yourself to the fact that, If I go in there, this could be it?
STRAUSS: Absolutely. We all did. I - I wasn`t the only one that went in there. I had a whole team with me. I had Chuck Sorrica (ph), Patty McGeehan (ph) - there`s a long list of guys that were behind me.
And, yes, I went into that hole - I - with pretty much the assumption that none of us were coming out. You know, we were going in there to - to die, basically. We would have died trying to get Will out. And John.
ANDERSON: You knew you - that`s something you just had to do.
STRAUSS: Yes, you - that`s what cops do all across the country everyday is risk their lives for people, and - and - it - that`s what it took. And I don`t mean to sound, you know, nonchalant about it. But if it took - if it cost our lives - us our lives to get these guys out or anybody out, that`s what it was going to cost.
ANDERSON: You get in there. You`re wedging your way in. You reach Will Jimeno. But John McLaughlin is much deeper in the hole. The only thing in between you is Will`s leg. He asked you to cut his leg off, didn`t he?
STRAUSS: Yes.
ANDERSON: But you didn`t do it.
STRAUSS: No, I - no.
First of all, I didn`t have anything to cut his leg off. And - you know, til the, Sergeant Kearns came up with his knife. But I wasn`t going to cut his leg off. He was coming out in one piece, as far as I was concerned. And that`s unrealistic in the year 2001 in New York City to have to cut somebody`s leg off.
ANDERSON: Right.
STRAUSS: .to extract them from a - a building collapse.
But he - yes, we he was adamant. You know, he said, Cut my leg off. Cut my leg off. I`ll be alive. I don`t care. You just got to get to Sergeant McLaughlin. He was so concerned about John it was incredible.
ANDERSON: How courageous of him And.
STRAUSS: Yes, certainly.
ANDERSON: And of you. You got - but managed to get both of them out.
STRAUSS: Yes.
ANDERSON: And something that is really astounding to me as well, that you just have to share with us, is that you and your wife did not talk about that day until you both saw the film recently.
How in the world did you hold that in?
STRAUSS: It`s just one of those things you don`t talk about, you know? You just move on. I - I didn`t have any trouble sleeping or nightmares or anything because - probably because I had a great experience down there out of a bad day, as bad as it was. I actually helped bring, you know, somebody home.
And so I think that helped me through a lot of things. I don`t know; it`s just one of those things that, you know - it was - it happened at work, and you leave it at work. And you go home to home.
ANDERSON: It`s been nearly five years. Do you feel like it`s been that long, or does it feel like just yesterday to you?
STRAUSS: It seems like just yesterday. Absolutely. I - I remember that day all day long everyday.
ANDERSON: Vividly?
STRAUSS: Yes. Absolutely. And I remember the 14 friends of mine that died from my unit and - and the thousands of other people. And - and the work that we did, not - not only myself, but everybody that worked on the rescue effort, you know, of everybody. And certainly John McLaughlin, who took another six hours to get out.
ANDERSON: Yes.
STRAUSS: The whole rescue effort was incredible, and it`s something that nobody should forget.
ANDERSON: No. No one should.
STRAUSS: It was just - it was just people helping people. That`s it was all about.
ANDERSON: And the film takes you back to the day.
Well, it was an honor having you here, and it is just incredible and inspirational what you and your team did that day. Thank you so much.
STRAUSS: (INAUDIBLE). Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Retired Detective Scott Strauss.
"World Trade Center" is in theaters everywhere today.
We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The magazine "Us Weekly" says Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are engaged. Aniston`s people tell us, "Nope."
So we`ve been asking you to vote in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Celebrity Magazines: Do you believe what you read?"
Keep on voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write us at showbiztonigth@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am Brooke Anderson in New York. Glenn Beck is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
END
