Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Death of a President; Joke`s On Mel; Celebs on the Web
Aired August 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: Mel Gibson gets slammed in a new movie and it`s kind of funny.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And child stars gone wrong. A revealing look with "Different Strokes" star Todd Bridges.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, President Bush assassinated. The shocking new movie which shows the president of the United States getting shot dead.
Tonight, is this just free speech or movie making gone way too far?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the outrage that`s lighting up the airwaves from D.C. to Des Moines.
The real life "Big Love," but a whole lot scarier than the HBO series.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a woman who was forced to marry a man who already had a lot of other wives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He owned me. I was his possession. He could do what he wanted with me.
HAMMER: Tonight, her startling connection to just arrested accused polygamist Warren Jeffs.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with both the chilling and inspiration story of survival.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer New York.
And I`ve got to tell you, when we first heard today about an outrageous new movie that actually features the assassination of President Bush, we had to check and double check just to make sure this whole thing wasn`t a joke.
ANDERSON: We did, A.J., but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it is not a joke. It is very real. And it is very scary. And no matter what your opinion of President Bush, a movie of him getting killed, it`s gotten a lot of people everywhere riled up in disbelief.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): It`s a terribly disturbing image, a figure resembling President Bush hunched over after being shot by an unknown assassin. It`s a seen in "Death of a President," a new British docudrama that will be airing on British public broadcaster Channel 4.
It depicts the unthinkable: a fictional assassination of President Bush during a visit to Chicago in October of 2007.
(on camera): The British film, shot documentary style, depicts the aftermath of the assassination in which the chief suspect is a Syrian-born man. "Death of a President" will premiere soon at the Toronto Film Festival, and once it hits North American shores, controversy is bound to come with it.
PROF. RICHARD WALTER, UCLA FILM SCHOOL: There are going to be people who are outraged and who will complain. Nothing new about that.
ANDERSON: In a statement, the film`s writer-director, Gabriel Range, describes his movie as "a striking premise which may be seen as highly controversial. But it`s a serious film which I hope will open up the debate on where current U.S. foreign and domestic policies are taking us."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that, as of now, there are no plans to show "Death of a President" in the United States. But there`s an even bigger question. Would American movie audiences even want to watch a film about something as shocking as the fictional assassination of President Bush?
DONALD SUTHERLAND, ACTOR, "J.F.K.": Why was Kennedy killed?
ANDERSON: The 1991 film `J.F.K." was ultra-controversial for spinning wild theories about President Kennedy`s assassination, but a fictional assassination of a sitting U.S. president is something we hardly ever see on screen.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that`s no accident.
That`s one line even an ultra-violent TV show like "24" can`t prompt. One of the show`s producers said they tried it once but got shot down by their bosses at the FOX network.
JOEL SURNOW, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: The only time in five years that we had anybody from the high level news core tell us not to do something was when we shot down Air Force One in season -- was it four?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Four.
KIEFER SUTHERLAND, "24": Was Air Force One just hit?
ANDERSON: He`s referring to a story line on "24" last year when terrorists shoot down Air Force One with the show`s President Keeler character on board.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "24": Oh my god.
ANDERSON: The story line reportedly led the FOX network to put its foot down.
SURNOW: We couldn`t kill the president, so Air Force One got shot down and the president survived.
ANDERSON: It goes to show that putting the president in mortal danger, be it a fictional one or a real one, is a huge taboo.
Whether or not American audiences will ever see "Death of a President," the movie brings up a question moviemakers and audiences everywhere have to wrestle with: How far is too far in depicting the dangerous times in which we live?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: As you just heard, there are no plans to show "Death of a President" in the United States as of now, but that could change. A source close to the film tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the movie is screening at the Toronto Film Festival next month with the goal of finding someone to distribute it in the U.S.
HAMMER: And not surprisingly, it seem that everybody we spoke with today has an opinion about this movie. And that includes Matthew Felling, who is the media director for the Center for Media and Public Affairs in Washington, and in Atlanta tonight, Martha Zoller, radio talk show host on WDUN Radio.
Martha also the author of this book: "Indivisible: Uniting Values for a Divided America."
Martha, Matt, thanks for being with us.
MATTHEW FELLER, CENTER FOR MEDIA AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Hey there.
MARTHA ZOLLER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right, Martha, lay it down for me, "Death of a President," bad idea?
ZOLLER: It`s a bad idea. It goes too far. We`ve never seen anything like this before. And killing a fictional president on TV is very different than killing a real president.
Even at the height of the Vietnam War, with LBJ, who many people believe were responsible for the death of 58,000 Americans, they wouldn`t have crossed that line. And I`ve got to tell you, in today`s world of communication, when we just got through this whole craziness around the JonBenet Ramsey case, you`ve got people that will look at something like this, can get together with other people on the Web, and convince themselves this is a good idea.
It`s a big mistake. This is not about free speech. And this is not about facilitating a discussion about the war.
HAMMER: So it sounds like there`s nothing right about it for you. And the question remains, will we actually ever get to see it?
Matt, as we mentioned, the movie is going to be shown on TV in the U.K. And we just said that it`s going to have it`s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. They are looking for distribution there, but right now no plans for it to be here in the United States or get shown here.
Is there anything wrong with letting it play here in the states?
FELLER: Well, the only thing wrong, I can imagine, is if you`d want to lose a whole lot of money as a distributor. And going back to the original point, it`s not that Americans or anybody needs suggestions as to kill the president.
I mean, Hinckley did it for Jodie Foster back in the `80s. So, I mean, if you want to omit Jodie Foster from the books, you can`t go too far.
What this movie is, is a symptom. It`s a symptom of exactly how vicious politics all around the world is.
I mean, what kind of a world have we gotten to in 2006, where a docudrama director actually says, hey, let`s shoot the American president? That is something that we haven`t seen before, but, I mean, it is protected in freedom of the press, freedom of speech. And let`s just let the market decide that this has no place in it because we really can`t restrict it.
HAMMER: You know, what about that, Martha? Is the market going to come? Because obviously, there are certainly a lot of people who do not like this president. So many people, however, find it outrageous that this movie is even being made or was made and would never think about spending a dime to go see a film like this.
But do you think there is an audience for it here in the United States? Do you think people might go out there if it was distributed in the states here?
ZOLLER: I`m a free market person, so I`m not going to say this guy doesn`t have a right to make a living. But as I understand it, he is a U.K. film director, so he has nothing to do with the United States` value on free speech. And the Constitution does not protect him as far as his political free speech.
But I am a free market person. I wouldn`t stop it from being distributed. But I think that it wouldn`t make money. I think that`s a line. And I think it would unite people more than divide them, and that means they wouldn`t go and see it.
HAMMER: Matt, the filmmakers are claiming assassinating President Bush in the movie is actually just a plot point basically designed to take a critical look at America`s war on terror and America`s standing in the world today, which we all know has changed, and largely not for the better.
Aside from not bringing in any revenue, is there a chance that including that particular plot point could actually backfire on him?
FELLER: Absolutely. I mean, they`re using it as a hook? No. What they`re doing is they`re using it as a marketing device.
They learned the lesson of the (INAUDIBLE) up on the bridge in Marion, New York. They learned a lesson from Eminem, the rapper, that outraged cells.
But the problem here is, not only are they going to irrate and drive away people who might just want to see this movie -- because nobody wants - - very few people in America want to see this -- but it`s a docudrama. And by beginning with something that is 100 percent fictional, that actually starts to blur the entire movie.
If they can make this up, what else are they going to make up? So it really dilutes their product.
ZOLLER: You know, A.J., I`ve got to take issue with your point about our standing in the world. You know, you talk to elites and a lot of people think that our standing in the world is down, but, still, even though people continue to say our standing in the world is down, we immigrate legally and illegally more people into this country every single year than all the other countries in the world combined. So I don`t think it`s a case that people are running away from what America stands for.
HAMMER: I hear what you`re saying, Martha. And I don`t disagree with you. And I`m not making a universal blanket statement about that. But let me be clear. I`ve talked to a lot of people around the world, and they`ve told me directly how they feel about us, and it`s not all good.
And we`re going to have to end it there. And I really appreciate you both joining us tonight.
ZOLLER: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Matt Feller in Washington, Martha Zoller in Atlanta.
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." President Bush assassination movie: Should it be shown in the United States?
Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Wait until you see the signs of how Mel Gibson gets slammed for his awful anti-Semitic rant. It`s in a kind of funny way.
That`s still to come.
HAMMER: Also, when you hear the phrase, "What you talkin` `bout, Willis?" you think "Different Strokes," right?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Yes!
HAMMER: Of course you do. Willis himself, Todd Bridges, stopping by. The secrets and the tragedy of what went on when the cameras stopped rolling on his popular `80s sitcom.
We`ve also got this.
ANDERSON: The real life "Big Love," but a whole lot scarier than the HBO series.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the woman who was forced to marry a man who already had a lot of other wives.
That`s still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, for Thursday night. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is on.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And it`s time now for yet another story that made us say -- come on, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: "That`s ridiculous!"
Look at this. We are talking about Russian rubber doll rafting. What the heck is going on here? Well, let me tell you.
More than 150 people jumped into the pretty cold waters near St. Petersburg -- St. Petersburg, Russia. They had to hold onto their plastic dolls until they reached the finish line more than a half a mile away. All this apparently part of the fourth annual Bubble Baba Challenge.
I`ve got to tell you, Brooke, as soon as that footage of those people swimming with the dolls came on my entire crew rushed to the monitors to see what was going on there.
ANDERSON: They couldn`t wait to see. And it was funny. Most of the people I saw participating were men. What does it say about men and fascination with inflatable dolls, A.J.?
HAMMER: I think maybe it`s regression therapy back to the time you spent time with your rubber ducky in the bathtub.
ANDERSON: Oh, is that what it is?
HAMMER: But we have to say, rolling down the river with your blow-up buddy, "That`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Moving on now.
The fallout from Mel Gibson`s drunk driving arrest and anti-Semitic arrest is not over yet. If you want more proof that the name "Mel Gibson" has really basically become a punch line everywhere, I want you to take a look at this. And remember, Mel`s movie, "Signs" a couple years back, where the aliens pay a visit from outer space, important to keep in mind as you check out this particular spoof from YouTube.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR, "SIGNS": Morgan, what`s happening?
Ah! I`m insane with anger! I`m losing my mind!
CHERRY JONES, ACTRESS, "SIGNS": Do you two have anyone who might have a grudge or something against you, maybe a church member?
RORY CULKEN, ACTOR, "SIGNS": Listen. Did you hear that? Not English, though.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, "SIGNS": What you`re about to see may disturb you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The first sighting was made by an Air Mexico 747 en route from Mazatlan to New York.
CULKEN: They`ve used up all the resources on their planet, and they`re looking to harvest our planet next.
GIBSON: Did you see something, Ray?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Funny and sad at the same time.
Joining us now, Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the entertainment Web site TMZ com.
So, Harvey, you guys put this thing on your site. Is this just another sign that it`s really basically going to be a long time before Mel Gibson can ever recover from this disaster?
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Well, I mean, in some ways, A.J., it`s better for him because people have gone from kind of being horrified to making fun. So that`s probably going in the right direction. But you`ve just got to love the part where they play Adam Sandler`s "Hanukkah".
That`s one of the signs. I mean, it`s really funny.
HAMMER: And you know that the writers at "Saturday Night Live" can`t wait to get on the air. Wait until that show starts up.
LEVIN: Oh, yes.
HAMMER: And this is not the only item that`s having fun at Mel`s expense. On your Web site, TMZ.com, people need to get ready now for the "Hebrew Hammer" sequel.
I know this has nothing to do with me. What is that about?
LEVIN: Well, we got this yesterday. Our industry blogger, Claude Brodesser, got this. And there`s a script that`s being shopped right now. And there`s interest by the studios.
And it`s the Hebrew hammer two, it`s the sequel. Called hammer versus Hitler. The idea is that the "Hebrew Hammer II." It`s the sequel.
It`s called "Hammer Versus Hitler." And the idea is that the Hebrew Hammer is now married, living in suburbia, but he basically needs to save the -- save the world.
So, picture this, A.J. It opens up on Pacific Coast Highway, and Mel Gibson is coming out of Moonshadows with these two blondes, gets in his car, gets stopped by a cop. And now I`m just saying this was the spoof, but it turns kind of violent because the cop comes up to the car and Gibson gets belligerent. And the Hebrew Hammer is the cop, and he blows Gibson away, and the blood turns into a big Star of David on the windshield.
HAMMER: Harvey, you`d do well in pitch media. You could have sold that one to me.
Let`s move on to Jennifer Aniston, because we know that a paparazzi photographer had shot these nude photos of her last year and she went after them, as well she should have. I know it`s reached conclusion.
What actually happened there?
LEVIN: Well, they have settled their differences. The photographer, Peter Brandt, has agreed to take all of this off the table for publication.
I don`t know if any money changed hands, but I do know that Jennifer Aniston was really serious here, that she felt like it was completely intrusive and wrong to shoot this while she was on her balcony. But ultimately, the photos aren`t going to be seen, and I think that`s what mattered to her most.
HAMMER: We`ve been talking a lot about celebs fighting back. This is really a good sign that things are going their way in terms of this battle with the paparazzi that`s ongoing, isn`t it?
LEVIN: When they choose their battles and they hire huge lawyers like Marty Singer, who`s the kingpin in L.A., to fight the battle like this, they usually win.
HAMMER: Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com, thank you, as always.
LEVIN: Bye, A.J.
ANDERSON: Almost every major celebrity has a publicist. But it looks like some of the biggest stars are taking matters into their own hands... or their fingers.
Britney Spears, Bruce Springstein and even Rosie O`Donnell are using their very own Web sites to shoot down outrageous rumors.
Here in Hollywood with me is public relations guru Michael Levine, who has represented high-profile celebrities like Michael Jackson.
Very good to see you. Thanks for being here.
MICHAEL LEVINE, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: How are you?
ANDERSON: I`m doing well.
All right, Michael, the latest example came just this week. Bruce Springsteen had to deny rumors that he`s breaking up with his wife, having an affair. Isn`t it remarkable that these big stars like Bruce Springsteen, normally a private person, have to deny these rumors on the Internet?
It`s pretty amazing, isn`t it?
LEVINE: Well, it is amazing. It really shows that celebrities understand that a rumor unanswered in 24 hours in today`s culture becomes thought of as truth. And so what they`re doing is they are trying to use these Web sites in a prophylactic way to defend themselves against any kind of innuendo or slander or anything that`s said which can be said on the Internet very quickly, distributed to millions and millions of people.
And so the idea is that, in today`s world, there are only two speeds in the media, fast and dead. And to use...
ANDERSON: You`re right about that.
LEVINE: Right. And to use the Internet as a tool for them propohylactically is a very wise decision that I think more and more celebrities will do, not only in the entertainment industry, but in politics, in sports, in all kinds of venues.
ANDERSON: Get that information out there as quickly as possible.
LEVINE: Sure.
ANDERSON: I want to talk about Rosie O`Donnell. She`s probably the best known for Web blogging, Michael.
LEVINE: Yes.
ANDERSON: She`s got her Web site, rosie.com.
LEVINE: Right.
ANDERSON: Now, she recently got herself into a P.R. tangle. You know, she`s about to start her new job on "The View." Her boss, Barbara Walters, and she wrote this on her blog: "I saw the new "View" promos, found myself in the position I loathe most, powerless. It will be hard for me to not be the boss. It is already."
Michael, I love Rosie, have immensely enjoyed my conversations with her. This made me laugh.
If you were her publicist, would you be having a heart attack, saying, "Rosie, just start the job first, please. Just pipe down"?
LEVINE: Well, I would remind her in the most gentle but direct fashion I could that being a bull in your own china shop is a really bad idea. And she has done that before. And so I would try and make it clear to her that I thought that was an exceedingly unwise idea.
ANDERSON: Don`t bite the hand that feeds you, so to speak.
LEVINE: Right. That`s right.
ANDERSON: Another big drama that played out on the Web, Michael, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and his wife Shanna Moakler, now, they just finished their MTV series, "Meet the Barkers." Then they decided to separate.
All right. Then they get into this knock-down, drag-out fight on their MySpace pages.
I could not believe this. But is there no going back now? Are we just going to see more and more celebrities really bare their private lives on the Internet?
LEVINE: I think putting toothpaste back into the tube is very difficult. And it really does seem to me in a quite serious way that technology is the enemy of reverence. That as we become more and more and more technologically sophisticated as a society, we become definitionally less reverent. We become -- nothing is sacred.
And so I think that celebrities will have to choose whether to fight or not, and I think many of them will choose to fight.
ANDERSON: And bare those private lives and all that information for all of us to see and hear.
OK. Michael Levine, thanks for sharing your insight on this. We appreciate it.
LEVINE: Thanks for sharing your audience.
ANDERSON: Of course.
HAMMER: Stick around, because "Different Strokes" star Todd Bridges drops by with the secrets and the tragedy of what happened when the cameras stopped rolling on his `80s sitcom.
ANDERSON: And Brad Pitt in New Orleans. The unique way he`s helping that city rebuild afriter Katrina.
Plus, we`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s like being in a horror movie but you`re one of the main characters. And it`s happening. And it`s real.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The real life "Big Love," but a whole lot scarier than the HBO series.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the woman who was forced to marry a man who already had lots of...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, it`s hard to believe, but it`s been exactly nine years since Princess Diana died. It happened on the night of August 31, 1997. Diana, of course, the most celebrated, the most photographed woman in the world. She was the people`s princess. And a lot of people left flowers at her former Kensington Palace home today in London.
Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were killed when their driver, Henri Paul, crashed their car in a tunnel in Paris as they were speeding away from paparazzi. Officials have said Paul was drunk, others think she was murdered.
The royal family, including her ex-husband, Prince Charles, did not participate in any public events marking the anniversary.
Well, when you hear "What you talkin` `bout, Willis?" you think "Different Strokes," of course. Willis himself, Todd Bridges, is going to join us with the secrets and the tragedy of what went on when the cameras stopped rolling.
ANDERSON: And Brad Pitt in New Orleans. The unique way he`s helping that city rebuild after Katrina.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there.
HAMMER: Big Love, but a whole lot scarier than the HBO series.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the woman who was forced to marry a man who already had a lot of other wives.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brad Pitt in New Orleans today, Brooke. He`s among those remembering Katrina one year later. He had spearheaded this great design contest, looking for environmentally friendly design for the rebuilding process down there on the Gulf Coast. And he was down there talking today and announcing the winner.
But is he happy with where things are and where things are going? We will hear from Brad in his own words, coming up in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: All right, A.J.
Also, we watched him grow up on "Different Strokes." I`m talking about Willis, or the actor Todd Bridges, who played Willis. But behind the scenes, he actually experienced a - a lot of hardships, faced a lot of challenges. Todd Bridges will join us in just a few minutes to tell us what happened when the cameras stopped rolling.
HAMMER: Yes. There was a lot of trouble back there (INAUDIBLE) show.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And a lot of tragedy.
But first, A.J, the HBO series "Big Love" raised awareness about polygamy in the United States. The show was about the lives and loves - many loves - of a man who has several wives. It`s become quite a hit show, but I spoke with one woman who says the show`s portrayal of polygamy is nothing like what she experienced in real life.
What you`re about to see will stun you. Carolyn Jessop was a polygamist wife in the fundamentalist sect led by Warren Jeffs, who was just arrested on felony sex crimes that include alleged arranged marriages between underage girls and older men. Carolyn is part of a new documentary "Banking on Heaven," about the Mormon sect.
She put her life in danger, escaping the sect. And what she told me when I went to Salt Lake City will shock you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROLYN JESSOP, ESCAPED FROM WARREN JEFFS` POLYGAMIST SECT: It`s like being in a horror movie, but you`re one of the main characters and (INAUDIBLE) and it`s real.
ANDERSON (voice-over): This is Carolyn Jessop, former polygamist wife, recalling her life in the mysterious Mormon sect run by Warren Jeffs.
JESSOP: He`s just ripped so many people`s lives apart in such horrible ways.
ANDERSON: Carolyn says Jeffs, like the men who ran the sect before him, was known as "the prophet." And the prophet had the power to tell girls who to marry.
JESSOP: You`re trained to (INAUDIBLE) the prophet`s real, and that God speaks directly to the prophet. So an arranged marriage is from God.
ANDERSON: As a member of the sect, Carolyn claims she was forced to marry a close associate of Warren Jeffs named Merrill Jessop (ph).
JESSOP: He was 50.
ANDERSON (on camera): And you were 18?
JESSOP: And I was 18.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Merrill already had several wives.
JESSOP: I was his fourth. And then we were married for six months when he married two more wives.
ANDERSON: Carolyn`s story is by no means unusual. In the new documentary "Banking on Heaven," a variety of women reveal their experiences as child brides in Jeffs` church, the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints.
JESSOP: I was 14. My dad went and talked with the prophet, and they decided to be married to a 48-year-old man, and to be his fifth wife.
ANDERSON: Carolyn says the arranged marriages were all part of a culture in which women were downtrodden, and wives were expected to be completely subservient to their husbands, as she was to Merrill.
JESSOP: I mean, he owned me. I was his possession. He could do what he wanted with me.
ANDERSON: Efforts by CNN to reach Merrill for comment were unsuccessful.
Once married, Carolyn claims she was expected to produce as many babies as possible. And she did, giving birth to eight children, including son Harrison (ph), who is disabled. They were just some of the more than 50 children Carolyn says Merrill fathered.
JESSOP: You`re supposed to multiply and replenish the Earth.
ANDERSON: But when Merrill started grooming their teenage daughter for marriage to Warren Jeffs, Carolyn left for good.
JESSOP: And I just started running through the house, grabbing my kids, whether they were dressed or not, and throwing them in the van.
ANDERSON: Three years have passed. And today Carolyn lives in a trailer with her eight children near Salt Lake City, after gaining legal custody of them in 2004.
She`s writing a book about her experience. And in the meantime, this single mother supports her family with the help of state aid.
She says she long looked forward to the day when Warren Jeffs would be caught. Now that he`s in jail, Carolyn`s hope is that other women in the sect will take her lead and come out from under his shadow.
JESSOP: I would tell them that whatever cost you have to go through to get out of it, it`s so worth it. And just - just being able to get up every morning and know that - that you`re safe, and that your children are safe, is priceless.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Her kids were so sweet.
Carolyn Jessop also told me that other Warren Jeffs` rule, people in the community weren`t allowed to have televisions, radios, newspapers, Internet access, and that their mail was monitored.
She also said marital rape happens all the time, but that the women have no right to refuse, because they`re told it`s considered immoral and a sin unto death to refuse your husband.
The documentary which tells Jessop and other polygamist women`s story - their stories - is available on DVD.
HAMMER: Brad Pitt was back in New Orleans today to announce the winners of a design contest that he launched to help rebuild neighbors that were leveled by Hurricane Katrina. It`s well known Brad Pitt is a big fan of architecture. It`s a major hobby of his.
The catch of this particular contest: the designs had to be environmentally friendly. Now Pitt says he was glad to be a part of this project, but he also says that there`s a lot more work that needs to be done.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRAD PITT, NEW ORLEANS "GREEN HOUSE" JUDGE: I just want to say, I`m very, very excited about the results. You know, the competition was - was dual-purposed. And one was to ignite some kind of movement to help out in some small way on the rebuilding process. And - and two, to ask the question: can a building itself provide for a better way of life - a healthier life?
This is a social-justice issue. And - and me, as I walk around, I - I am - I am appalled and - and embarrassed that - that residents still do not have the opportunity - even the opportunity to decide if they want to get back into - into their neighbors, and - and recreate their - their communities.
And this is great. And we`re going to get this thing built. And we`re going to - we`re going to - we`re going to, in some small ways, start helping people get in. But if - if the infrastructure, if the education, if - if the hospitals, if the sewage - if all these things are not addressed in some way, this - this doesn`t even work. And that`s - that`s the bigger issue.
And we hope that this will all - this will tie in and - and - and generate that focus as well.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: We`re all hoping it turns around real soon.
Pitt says that he and Angelina Jolie are going to be spending a lot more time in New Orleans. He actually starts filming a new movie there in January, and that`s exactly when he hopes to break ground on the new buildings.
As for the contest winners, Matthew Burnham (ph) and Andrew Cochin (ph) work with the workshop ADP in New York City. Their team won $75,000 for creating the winning design.
Want to remind you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right; you can see TV`s most provocative entertainment news show on your weekends, including all Labor Day weekend long. So join us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday and each and every night at 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
ANDERSON: "You`re fired!" is a phrase Donald Trump made famous. But now, even Trump has been upstaged. Coming up, you`ll never believe how one company decided to send its staff packing. It`s a story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Also, we watched him grow up on television. Then this child star hit rock bottom. Find out the truth behind the triumphs and the tragedies of "Different Strokes" casts. Willis himself, Todd Bridges, joins us, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And it`s a whole new day for TV`s divas. Ahead, how Katie Couric`s decision to leave the "Today" show triggered a domino effect that forever changed the faces on TV.
Who will dominate daytime? That story still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On 3, move 3. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues. Here`s A.J. Dissolve 1. Go.
HAMMER: Thank you so much, Brett (ph).
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer.
And it`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Now imagine this: you show up for work, you open your e-mail, there it is. A message from your bosses: "You`re fired." That`s right, an e-mail message saying you`re fired. That`s exactly what has just happened to around 400 Radio Shack workers down there in Fort Worth, Texas. They all got an e-mail letting them know, You`re fired! You`re out of here. Gone. See you later. Take off.
Radio Shack had given their employees a heads-up that layoff notices would be sent by e-mail. But a company spokesperson insists that that the e-firings allowed more privacy than breaking the news to them in person. Huh?
Well, the fired workers did get severance pay, of course. And Radio Shack was kind enough to provide them with boxes and plastic bags to pack up their stuff. And I`m guessing that included a print out of the e-mail telling them, "You`re fired."
But Brooke, I want to know, did they have to relinquish their Battery of the Month Club card?
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: They may have had to relinquish that.
I mean, there`s gratitude for you, A.J. Would you ever quit via e- mail? Would you quit a job via e-mail? No.
HAMMER: Well now, that`s actually an idea.
ANDERSON: It is, actually.
HAMMER: I`m going to mark that one there.
ANDERSON: But yes. But we say, firing these people via e-mail, now "That`s Ridiculous!" It`s terrible, actually.
OK, moving now to the shocking tales of what life can be like as a child star in Hollywood. And it`s nothing new. But when the three young cast mates of "Different Strokes" all seemed to implode, it took many by surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You remember the song and its young stars: Todd Bridges, the late Dana Plato and Cary Coleman all suffered trials and tribulations. And a new TV movie, "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of `Different Strokes,`" promises to take viewers behind the scenes to see for themselves what life was like for the young actors.
Todd Bridges joins me now here in Hollywood.
Todd, thanks so much for being here.
TODD BRIDGES, PLAYED "WILLIS": Thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And I want to tell you, in watching "Different Strokes," you guys seemed to be the perfect family: you, Gary Coleman, the late Dana Plato.
But behind the scenes, everything wasn`t rosy.
BRIDGES: No, I think a lot of it had - first of all, let me say, when the show ended when I was 22 years old. It wasn`t like I was a kid when the show ended.
But what this movie promises to do and will do will show you what exactly happened after the show ended, and before the show and why it all led up to that direction. And I think once the viewers have a chance to see that, they`ll realize that it`s not because we were child stars - because we had very diverse backgrounds. But we had very dysfunctional families.
ANDERSON: So do you think it was just a coincidence? You don`t think it had anything to do - because once the lights faded, you - you had problems - legal problems, drug problems. Gary Coleman had run-ins with the law. Dana Plato tragically died of a drug overdose.
Do you think it was mere coincidence?
BRIDGES: These mere coincidences has nothing to do with the show ending.
See what happened was, when the show ended, I was expected to have all this money left. But my accountants had stole a lot of money from me.
ANDERSON: Oh no!
BRIDGES: Like $4 million. So I had to change my way of thinking, and my way that I was going to have to live. Gary Coleman lost everything - they took everything from Gary Coleman.
So that`s why you - if you see the movie, you`ll see that it had nothing to do with saying, Oh when the lights stopped. Because my plans were, when the - when the show was over, was to go traveling around the world. That was plan. And...
ANDERSON: But as a child star, do you think maybe people...
BRIDGES: But I wasn`t - I wasn`t - wasn`t a child star anymore. I was - I was an adult.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: But do you think because you were younger, people took advantage of you, or thought they could?
BRIDGES: It wasn`t people. It was my accountants, you know? And - and that`s what happened.
My father was very dysfunctional; he was an alcoholic and abusive. When you see Gary Coleman`s parents, they really didn`t care much about Gary Coleman`s - himself. And Dana Plato`s mother was basically non- existent.
So, you know, when you mix those kind of people together, and - and also let me say that it`s not all child stars who have problems.
ANDERSON: Right.
BRIDGES: They`re a very small percentage.
ANDERSON: Of course.
BRIDGES: But media wants to make it like it`s every single child star. And it`s not true. I can name the - for every one you name, I will name you 20 kids who didn`t have problems, and who don`t have problems today. And who are leading very productive lives.
And it`s like, as myself, Yes, I may have had problems growing up, like any other kid did. But I have turned - completely turned my life around.
But they want to harp...
ANDERSON: We`re glad to hear that, by the way.
BRIDGES: Oh, thank you.
But they want to harp and stay on the child star syndrome, which is, Oh, because the lights stopped, oh, you just fell tragically apart. Which had nothing to do with it.
ANDERSON: Well I don`t mean to harp. I`m just trying...
BRIDGES: That`s OK.
ANDERSON: ...to get to the bottom of the story....
BRIDGES: No problem.
ANDERSON: ...and - and, you know, what people are interested in.
Let me ask you this: behind the scenes, what was the one thing that people may not have known at the time that would really shock people to learn?
BRIDGES: Well, I don`t want - I don`t want to say it. You got to watch the movie. I don`t want to give...
ANDERSON: Can you give us a little something?
BRIDGES: Well, I just think that if you watch the movie, you will have an opportunity to see how Gary Coleman - what they did to Gary Coleman, his parents and - and his agent. Not really Hollywood, what his agent did to him.
You`ll get a chance to see what my father, you know, did to me -- what happened to Dana Plato. You`ll get a chance to see what we as kids had to see and endure.
I think the problem, like, with today in America, is that we`re raising children and we`re not respecting children, we`re not treating children like kids. You know, we`re trying to just - you know, it`s not - (INAUDIBLE) do as I tell you to do. Not, you know, show them a fine example.
When I`m raising my kid today, my - my thing is, is if - if I won`t do something, then he shouldn`t do it either. But not, I can do this and you can`t.
ANDERSON: And you have a son, right?
BRIDGES: I have two kids. I have a kid, and I have a - a boy and a girl.
ANDERSON: And are they both following in your acting footsteps?
BRIDGES: My son is, but not my daughter.
ANDERSON: And he`s how old?
BRIDGES: He`s 8.
ANDERSON: What have you learned, that you hope to relate to him, so that he doesn`t go through some of the same types of things you did?
BRIDGES: Well, first of all, I`m not going to beat my kid for no reason. That`s one. And I`m not going to allow my - I`m going to do the best of my ability not to allow my child to be sexually molested by a friend of the family`s. I`m going to do that. Make sure that doesn`t happen.
ANDERSON: You were molested?
BRIDGES: Yes, as a child. So, you know, those are things that happen to kids that people don`t realize.
And, you know, growing up with that - so when the show ended, what happened to me was, everything was able to catch up with me. See that`s the thing - that`s the only (INAUDIBLE) what happened to me. Everything caught up at one time. And then not having - being ripped off for all my money...
ANDERSON: Well...
BRIDGES: ...all those things that happened to me, it all caught up.
ANDERSON: Well, we are so relieved to see that you...
BRIDGES: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: ...faced those challenges...
BRIDGES: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: ...and you`ve overcome those obstacles.
BRIDGES: Definitely.
ANDERSON: Todd Bridges, thanks for being here...
BRIDGES: Thank you. Appreciate it.
ANDERSON: ..and sharing your story. We appreciate it.
And you can catch "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of `Different Strokes.`" It airs Monday night on NBC.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring a new day for TV divas. Some of the most powerful women on television are leading the way to some of the biggest changes we`ve seen on TV in decades. Katie Couric, Meredith Vieira, Rosie O`Donnell - who will come out on top?
It`s a lot to process. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to break it all down for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE COURIC, "TODAY" SHOW CO-HOST: To everyone in TV land, thanks so much.
MATT LAUER, "TODAY" SHOW CO-HOST: Cheers.
ANDERSON (voice-over): With a single goodbye, Katie Couric triggered a dynamic domino effect, forever changing the face and the faces of daytime television.
Meredith Vieira takes over Couric`s spot after leaving "The View," as Rosie O`Donnell moves in to Vieira`s chair.
COURIC: Oh, hi.
ANDERSON: And Couric, who kicked off all of this, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s ready for the challenge as anchor of "The CBS Evening News."
COURIC: I`m very excited to get started. And I`ve been working a lot behind the scenes and - and just loving being a part of the creative process. So looking forward to September.
ANDERSON: Couric`s not the only one looking forward to it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says a new day is dawning for TV`s diva.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Meredith Vieira left her comfy couch on "The View" to take over for Couric on the "Today" show.
"New York Post" TV critic Linda Stasi tells us Vieira will be just as comfortable at NBC.
LINDA STASI, "NY POST" CRITIC: I think she`s a perfect fit. She`s really smart. She`s really a veteran. I love the fact that she`s not 12 years old. I love the fact that she`s not a blonde 12 year old. And I think she`s the perfect, perfect choice for that gig.
ANDERSON: And who better to take over Vieira`s seat on the "The View" than the one-time daytime queen of nice?
BARBARA WALTER, ABC NEWS: Repeat after you go (INAUDIBLE). Take a little time to enjoy "The View."
ROSIE O`DONNELL, ENTERTAINER: Take a little time to enjoy "The View."
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell came out of TV retirement to put her two cents in on "The View." And it seems she`s got her hands full.
STASI: I think Rosie`s really got a big job. Because it is a hard time. You might not like to say it, but it`s on the - people are acting crazy on that show.
ANDERSON: Still, critics tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that daytime TV could be Rosie`s race to lose.
STASI: I think Rosie`s going to dominate for a long time, literally because she`s such a commanding presence. And she`s already said, She`s doesn`t like it if she`s not (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: While Rosie, Meredith and Katie get settled in, nothing new is cooking for Food Network darling Rachael Ray and former "Will and Grace" Megan Mullally.
MEGAN MULLALLY, ACTRESS: You know, I had a dream, too: to be rich and beautiful and have a great body. Oh, look, my dream came true.
ANDERSON: Fresh off her second Emmy win, Mullally is launching her own talk show, and she tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT:
MULLALLY: It`s fun. It`s so different. It`s a variety show. So you wouldn`t believe, like, within one hour, all, you know, the range of consecutive things that are happening. It`s great.
ANDERSON: But can Mullally make viewers forget her now-iconic "Will and Grace" character Karen Walker?
MULLALLY: Woo!
I think people identify really, really closely with the character on TV.
RACHAEL RAY, FOOD NETWORK: We`re going to try and do a little bit of everything in every show. I`d like to meet the celebrities that have come out in their blue jeans.
ANDERSON: Rachael Ray also has some work to do. She`s all right on the Food Network, and she`s got some big-time backing by Oprah Winfrey`s production company.
But is that enough?
STASI: Well, it`s possible that - you know, Oprah`s failed a couple of times. Just because she`s backing it doesn`t make it an automatic success. Not everybody`s Oprah.
ANDERSON: And even Oprah is facing a new challenge this new season.
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: You take that, and you deep fry it, and you cover it in powdered sugar (ph)...
ANDERSON: Ellen DeGeneres will be going up against Oprah in the same time slot in some major cities.
STASI: I have no idea why they would do such a crazy thing. Everybody loves to - to be the - the kingqueen (ph) of daytime TV. But I don`t see the point.
ANDERSON: If that isn`t enough competition for you, just wait: this new day of daytime divas could mean a world of opportunities for others who see themselves holding a mike someday.
STASI: I think Andy Warhol wasn`t - was wrong. In the future, everyone won`t be famous for 15 minutes. But they will have their own talk show. Everybody, at some point in their lives, will have their own talk show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And if you want to see how everybody does, you`ll have to wait until September 5 for Rosie on "The View," and the 18th for both Megan Mullally and Rachael Ray.
HAMMER: Well, no real surprise: Rosie O`Donnell actually has a few choice words about the controversy over the Katie Couric photo flap.
Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first told you about it last night. Couric`s press photos, as you see here, were digitally retouched to make the new "CBS Evening News" anchor look 20 pounds thinner.
Well guess what? Now O`Donnell says she too has been Photoshopped. In fact, O`Donnell writes in her blog that everything in Hollywood is retouched or enhanced. She says an ABC press photo shows a much thinner version of her with the rest of her new co-hosts on "The View."
And all that leads us to the results of last night`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We asked you to vote on it: "Katie Couric: Is there too much focus on how she looks?" Look at this: an overwhelming 91 percent of you say "yes," there is too much focus on her looks; just 9 percent of you saying "no," there`s not.
We got a bunch of e-mails on the subject, including one from Sheron in California, who writes, "I watch Katie because she`s credible, warm and real. Not because she has a 26-inch waist! Don`t underestimate the American public."
We also heard from Jaime in Arizona, who writes, "The photos should not be edited, but our culture is based on appearance. I`d much rather a news show with a good-looking anchor than a troll. I`m sure not the only one."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "President Bush Assassination Movie: Should it be shown in the United States?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read your e-mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: Let`s find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow, as we get into our holiday weekend. Here`s your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And tomorrow, we`ll be looking into Hollywood`s obsession with body image, from the incredible shrinking stars like Janet Jackson and Nicole Ritchie, to Jessica Simpson, to the revival of women with curves. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates how the focus on the figure is changing shape. It`s a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: "Body Image in Hollywood."
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night. Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it here.
END
