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Showbiz Tonight
Death Mystery Solved?; `Hollywood Weight Watch`
Aired September 28, 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: The most outrageous courtroom moments ever caught on tape.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And Larry King has some advice for Clay Aiken on how to deal with questions about his sexuality.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
TV`s most provocative entertainment TV news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a big break on the strange death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son. But wait, because the answer to how he died has created several new mysteries, including why was he on methadone and two different antidepressants?
DR. CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: You`d have to be totally negligent to prescribe all three. No way.
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for answers and asks the tough questions.
It could be the most shocking celebrity sex tape yet. Screech from "Saved by the Bell" in a graphic video doing outrageous things with two women. The former star of one of the most wholesome TV shows out there performing in a very different kind of show.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the startling story.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And who could believe that one answer could raise so many new questions in the strange death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son? We may now know what killed Smith`s 21-year-old son when he died in her hospital room just days after she gave birth to a baby girl, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you that solving that mystery has only raised a whole new set of questions.
So, sit tight, because tonight we are going looking for answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): A three-week old mystery finally solved. Or is it?
WECHT: He died tragically and I believe quite accidentally.
HAMMER: We are finally hearing what may have killed Anna Nicole Smith`s 20-year-old son Daniel, who suddenly and tragically died in her hospital room in the Bahamas just days after Anna gave birth to a little girl. Dr. Cyril Wecht, a famous pathologist hired by Anna Nicole to do a private autopsy, went on "LARRY KING LIVE" to share his long-awaited conclusion: Daniel died of a lethal combination of legal drugs.
WECHT: Acute (ph) combined drug toxicity -- Methadone, Zoloft and Lexapro.
HAMMER: But if you think it`s case closed, questions answered, think again. Anna Nicole Smith`s sad and mysterious loss leaves even more unanswered questions. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is talking to the experts to get to the bottom of what people want to know.
The first question practically grabs you by the neck. Why would Daniel Smith be simultaneously taking the antidepressants Lexapro and Zoloft in addition to Methadone, a drug commonly used to treat heroin addicts, especially when right now there`s no indication he suffered from an illegal drug problem?
DR. ERIC BRAVERMAN, BRAIN RESEARCHER: As a rule, Methadone is given for pain or for narcotic dependency.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went straight to brain researcher Dr. Eric Braverman for answers. Although Methadone is a legitimate pain reliever, Dr. Braverman tells us he`s baffled as to why anyone would take it with two antidepressants.
BRAVERMAN: I don`t have his medical history, but it`s certainly an unusual combination. In 30 years of medicine, it`s not something that I have ever used.
HAMMER: And what about the two antidepressants? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got answers from "People" magazine`s Larry Sutton.
LARRY SUTTON, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: From what we know, the reason why he was on some antidepressants was he was depressed. We hear it could be over a possible breakup with a girlfriend, but the family has not made that official.
HAMMER: Our next question, how was it that such a combination of legal drugs could have killed a seemingly healthy 20-year-old like Daniel in literally a matter of minutes?
More answers from Dr. Braverman.
BRAVERMAN: Generally, Methadone is a narcotic, like heroin, and it makes individuals breathe less deeply and get less oxygen into their brain. Once that happens, combined with antidepressants that can affect the heart, the heart can go into an arrhythmia and a person basically dies of a combination of respiratory and cardiac arrest.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s third and most pressing questions: what happens next? Daniel`s body, as well as Anna Nicole Smith, remain in the Bahamas. And despite these new findings, remember, Dr. Wecht`s finding is not the official conclusion. The Bahamas has yet to classify a cause of death for Daniel.
SUTTON: We are going to have to wait for the official inquiry from the government. That won`t take place until late October. As far as funeral arrangements, the family has said that they want to stay in the Bahamas for a little longer. There are some plans being made, but they are not making them public.
HAMMER: Meanwhile, Anna Nicole is still holed up in the Bahamas, raising her new little girl, Dannie Lynn. Her attorney, Howard K. Stern, who says he`s the father of Anna Nicole`s new baby, tells "LARRY KING LIVE" that Anna Nicole plans to stay in the Bahamas.
HOWARD K. STERN, PLANS TO MARRY ANNA NICOLE SMITH: She wanted to be here to get away from the media and to start a new life and to give our daughter, you know, a chance to live a normal life. This is where she wants to be. Obviously, she will travel back to the U.S. for work, but, you know, that`s not what we are thinking about at this point.
HAMMER: And while this mystery may have ended, the pain of losing one child right after having another remains for Anna Nicole Smith.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So we now know that Anna Nicole moved to the Bahamas to get away from the tabloids. Well, tonight those very same magazines are reporting that Anna Nicole Smith and her attorney, Howard K. Stern, were married in the Bahamas. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, we checked into this ourselves and the truth is no marriage license has yet been filed.
Well, "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell is slamming Clay Aiken. Aiken has been talking about taking Paxil for his anxiety problems and panic attacks after his quick rise to fame. Talking to reporters, Cowell said he doesn`t have much sympathy for Aiken`s predicament.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Let me have a chance. I`m going to work in a coal mine for 14 hours a day or I`m going to be a runner-up on "American Idol." Give me a break. Idiot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, we have more Clay news for you tonight. CNN`s Larry King actually gives Aiken some advice on how to deal with all those gay rumors.
That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: All this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been on the "Hollywood Weight Watch," speaking to the biggest stars about the pressure to be thin in Hollywood. Tonight, another major Hollywood actress is revealing intimate details about her disturbing battle with an eating disorder. And that is also the cover story in the new "People" magazine in which former "Ally McBeal" star Portia de Rossi talks about how she almost died from her battle with anorexia.
With me tonight here in Hollywood, "People" magazine associate West Coast bureau chief Julie Jordan.
Hi, Julie.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Now, some of the things that "Ally McBeal" star Portia de Rossi reveals to "People" magazine is just shocking to me. I could not believe what I was reading.
I want to mention, people are familiar with her for her acting, and also she is currently Ellen DeGeneres` girlfriend. But look at this picture.
She reveals to "People" that she realized she had a problem in 1999 when she got down to 82 pounds. Eighty-two pounds? What in the world was she doing to lose so much weight?
JORDAN: Isn`t that amazing? I mean, she said, you know, it was such a problem.
She was working out all the time. She was eating 300 calories a day. Jell-O, no sugar. I mean, she was always doing pilates and weight training. Even doing -- you know, when she was taping the show, she would be in her dressing room on the treadmill with a fan on her face to keep her makeup from messing up. It was an absolute obsession with her.
ANDERSON: So she went to really extreme measures. She looks much healthier today. Is she doing all right now?
JORDAN: Oh, definitely.
ANDERSON: Does she think about her weight?
JORDAN: No. And, in fact, you know, she said it had taken four years. She had sought therapy. She realized she had an eating disorder. Now she doesn`t step on the scale and she doesn`t lose weight, she doesn`t gain weight.
And look at here. She looks so much better and so much more healthy.
ANDERSON: And seems so much happier as well.
JORDAN: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: All this week, Julie, some of Hollywood`s biggest stars having talking to us about how the pressure to be thin in Hollywood is really -- it`s just gotten out of control. And in "People" magazine, you guys reveal some of the dramatic lengths that the celebrities are going to lose weight, including horse tranquilizers.
What?
JORDAN: Well, I think it`s a matter of, you know, we have talked to people who have worked with various celebrities and can lose weight fast. You know, they go to extreme measures.
They take speed, anything to curb their appetite so that they are eating, you know, basically nothing. You know, smoking cigarettes, water, trying to do anything they can to get down to a small a weight as possible. They want to fit into these size zero clothes, you know, sample clothes that they are constantly being fitted into, and it`s one less stress that they are that much smaller so they don`t have to worry about fitting into the clothes.
ANDERSON: Julie, two young actresses who have recently become poster children for looking way too thin, namely Kate Bosworth and Nicole Richie. They look like they are just fading away, just disappearing. Take a look at them.
They both deny having a problem. We do want to mention that.
But "People" magazine actually went to malls around the country asking young women about what they thought about Nicole Richie`s look, her appearance. And what they said, a lot of it not good, right?
JORDAN: No. Well, you know, we wanted to see, are they really holding these girls up, you know, as role models in terms of what they should look like.
Now, all of them did -- you know, they love them for what they wear and their styles, but across the board all of them said that doesn`t look good, they are too skinny. You know, they need to gain weight. And, you know, they all admitted they have their own body issues, but they don`t want to look like Nicole does or Kate Bosworth. You know, that`s just entirely too skinny, and that was almost reassuring to hear.
ANDERSON: We`ve been investigating this trend on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, this super-skinny trend and what causes it. I want to know what "People" magazine found about who was responsible for it, this ridiculous pressure to look emaciated, really.
JORDAN: Well, I don`t think it`s easy to pinpoint on one particular source. You know, if you look at TV, once an actress gets on TV, the camera does tend to make her actually look bigger than she is. So because they are constantly seeing their image, you know, all the time on television, they just tend to lose weight.
It`s across the board. That`s what`s happening.
You know, and, of course, with casting directors and producers and feature films and television, I mean, there`s a -- there is a pressure in Hollywood to be thin. You know, they want this ideal body image, and they want the actresses to look that way. They don`t want overweight actresses.
ANDERSON: It`s really unfortunate that there is that pressure. Debra Messing has always been very honest about it. I want to read what she said.
"There`s pressure to stay thin for every actress, and unfortunately for every American woman."
We only have a few seconds left, but doesn`t that really get to the heart of this whole thing?
JORDAN: Of course. We all have our issues with bodies. But ultimately, this is something that`s going to be prevalent, you know, throughout society for as long as we are seeing really skinny women on television and in movies. And it`s a problem that unfortunately is going to exist.
ANDERSON: Hopefully we will see the trend reversed in the near future.
JORDAN: Hopefully.
ANDERSON: "People" magazine`s Julie Jordan.
Thanks so much for joining us.
JORDAN: Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And for more on the pressure to be thin, pick up a copy of this week`s "People" magazine. It is on newsstands tomorrow.
HAMMER: And our special series "Hollywood Weight Watch" continues. Later on in the show we`ve been talking to the biggest stars about their body image issues, and tonight Jennifer Love Hewitt tells us her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, ACTRESS: Sometimes you think, gosh, you know, I`m a size 2 and I`m the fattest person in the room. This is really scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Also ahead, disorder in the court. From Michael Jackson in his pajamas, to Charles Manson, at a parole hearing, we`re taking a look at some of the most unforgettable courtroom moments coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Larry King has a little bit of advice for Clay Aiken on how he should deal with all of those questions about his sexuality.
That`s still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And now it`s time for another little story that just made us say, "That`s ridiculous!"
In California, porn star Mary Carey is running for governor as an Independent write-in candidate. Yes, that is ridiculous in and of itself, but that`s not the story. It gets even better.
She actually went to San Diego State University for a little pep rally, a little political rally, and that`s where students were able to enter into a raffle to win a personal dance from Carey.
Brooke, talk about courting votes.
ANDERSON: That is just strange, A.J. I mean, I`m sure Mary has a different perspective on issues and can get a lot of people`s attention, but it`s just a little bit off, isn`t it?
HAMMER: Yes, I`m sure she does.
But we still have to say, a porn politician, now, "That`s ridiculous!"
Moving on now.
Tonight, disorder in the court. From Michael Jackson showing up to his child molestation trial in PJs, to Charles Manson`s incoherent ramblings, you`ve got to be thankful that the cameras are around to catch all this stuff.
Court TV is counting down the 20 most infamous courtroom moments in their primetime special tomorrow night.
Ashleigh Banfield is the host of that show and is with me tonight in New York.
Lovely to see you.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV: Nice to see you, too.
HAMMER: We cannot talk about infamous courtroom moments without the name Michael Jackson immediately coming to mind, particularly when he shows up at this trial I just mentioned wearing his PJs and his sandals.
Ashleigh, this was just a train wreck, wasn`t it?
BANFIELD: It was a train wreck and it was a moment waiting to happen. And it was definitely going to be in this top 20 countdown, no debate.
Not only that, but he danced on top of the SUV. He was late. The judge was livid. I mean, it was just sort of rife with moments for TV.
HAMMER: And everybody looked at that, and if they hadn`t thought Michael was nuts beforehand, probably thought it about this time. But Michael doesn`t really care, does he? He wasn`t so concerned with how people thought about it.
BANFIELD: I think you`re right, I don`t think he cares. And if he does care, I think what he did worked, because he didn`t end up getting the guilty verdict in this.
HAMMER: All right.
Speaking of nuts, let`s move onto Charles Manson, shall we?
BANFIELD: My favorite.
HAMMER: Of course he is the infamous cult leader who went on the killing spree and murdered actress Sharon Tate. He`s now serving life in prison.
Back in 1997 he was at a little parole hearing and we caught this little piece of tape. Now take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES MANSON, CULT LEADER: You know, whatever you guys are playing out there that`s nice for you to play with when you got the money. That`s cool. But when you are down in the hard times where you ain`t got nothing but mind (ph) you mopping and sloping with, you`ve got to deal with what you`ve got to do from here, honey buns.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is just classic. And then, of course, no big surprise, they denied his parole. And to that, he said, "Cool."
BANFIELD: Yes, that`s cool. And how long do you think that rubberstamp was?
It`s so funny, though. Every five years, you come up for these parole hearings. I think we all expect we are going to hear the same thing, but we can`t turn away. We`ve got to see if he`s changed at all. And I think the only thing that changes with Charles Manson is that swastika tattoo on his forehead. It gets a little lighter.
HAMMER: Yes.
BANFIELD: That`s about it. Everything else, pretty similar.
HAMMER: Now, help be out with this. I`m certain, I hope, that he`s never going to walk the streets again. Would you say that`s a fair assessment?
BANFIELD: I think it`s very safe. Having never sat on a parole board myself, I think it`s very safe to assess and assume that he`s not going to get out anytime soon because, you know, you can`t just show up at one parole board hearing and convince everybody you are OK. There`s a whole pattern of behavior they look at as well.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s talk about another infamous courtroom moment that came from "Hustler" publisher Larry Flynt. He was giving a deposition, and actually this doesn`t actually take place in a courtroom. I believe this was filmed while he was in jail serving time for something else completely.
Not your everyday deposition here, right?
BANFIELD: Not your everyday deposition. And this is one of those things we got from the vault. I don`t think a lot of people have seen this.
I mean, people might not even recognize that`s Larry Flynt. But what`s great about this moment is that he rants in a typical Larry Flynt fashion, and you think that this is just going to do him all sorts of harm. But what you see ending up happening is that he`s winning.
He is flustering the other side. He is absolutely achieving his goal. And he`s doing it in the most crazy of ways, which, of course, makes for great TV.
HAMMER: You don`t want to pick your nose while you`re being deposed. That almost rhymed, didn`t it?
Ashleigh, why do we love this stuff so much? I mean, enough so that you`re doing a countdown. I`m sure a lot of people are going to be watching.
BANFIELD: I think we love it because we expect courtrooms and we expect American jurisprudence to be stayed and stoic. And when the unexpected happens, we are shocked.
I mean, we probably would do the same thing if there was a not guilty verdict in a case where we felt it was so unjust. We might leap over the bench and attack the defendant ourselves. And so when we see is play out on TV, we think, my god, that could have been me. I don`t know if I would have done it, but I think I could have.
HAMMER: Do you have a favorite particular moment that transpires in the course of this program?
BANFIELD: Are you asking me what number one is?
HAMMER: Ashleigh, what is number one on the top 20 most infamous courtroom moments that we`re going to see on "Disorder in the Court"?
BANFIELD: Well, you know, I`m going to tell you at about 8:55 on Friday, Eastern Time.
HAMMER: That`s when we`re going to find that out?
BANFIELD: That`s when you will find out what number one is.
HAMMER: All right. We`ll have to wait for that. It`s some fascinating stuff to look at.
And Ashleigh, we always appreciate you being with us.
BANFIELD: Love being here.
HAMMER: As Ashleigh mentioned, you can catch "Disorder in the Court" tomorrow night. It`s on Court TV.
ANDERSON: Now continuing our special series, "Hollywood Weight Watch," we`ve been talking to the biggest stars about the pressure to be thin.
Today I talked to Anna Paquin, who stars as Rogue in "X-Men 3: The Last Stand," which comes out on DVD on Tuesday. I asked her about the pressure on young female stars to fit a certain beauty type, and she said she isn`t sure it`s just a Hollywood issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA PAQUIN, ACTRESS: It`s hard to say whether or not that`s just our society or that`s, you know, my industry specific that that pressure comes in. Because I think if you go into a high school, there`s just as many girls that are just as insecure about their bodies and their appearance. It`s just that when it`s an actress, you see it on the cover of a magazine. I mean, I think those are pretty -- pretty common insecurities for people to have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And stay tuned to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Our special series "Hollywood Weight Watch" continues. Later in tonight`s show, Jennifer Love Hewitt tells us how even at a size 2 -- size 2 -- she has struggled with insecurities about her body.
HAMMER: I`d like to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show can be seen on the weekends. So make sure you join us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, in addition to every Monday through Friday. We`re on at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
Well, Charlie Sheen may soon have some new bragging rights. We`re going to tell you what`s up with Chuck coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Plus, remember Screech from "Saved By the Bell"? This is a story that made all of us screech. He`s in a sex tape. Dustin Diamond will be here to tell us what on earth is going on. That`s coming up.
We will also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": No matter what your sexual being is, by answering it yea or nay, you`ve put (ph) it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: CNN`s own Larry King giving Clay Aiken some advice on how to deal with all those questions about whether he`s gay or not.
That is still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: First, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
Who appeared as a dancer in the B-52`s video for "Love Shack"? RuPaul, Jennifer Tilly, Winona Ryder, or Lenny Kravitz?
Think about it. We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
Who appeared as a dancer in the B-52`s video for "Love Shack"? RuPaul, Jennifer Tilly, Winona Ryder, or Lenny Kravitz?
The answer is A, RuPaul.
HAMMER: Well, coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, cheating on the set. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a look at celebrities who allegedly cheated on their significant others while on the job. Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie -- is it too hard to separate roles from real life? You`ll find out tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Charlie Sheen may soon become the highest paid sitcom star on television right now. "The Hollywood Reporter" says Sheen has been negotiating for about two months now and is close to a deal that will earn him -- listen to this -- about $350,000 per episode on "Two and a Half Men."
Ray Romano still holds the record, though, for his nearly $2 million per episode for the last season of "Everybody Loves Raymond."
HAMMER: That`s a long way for Charlie from that bit part in "Ferris Bueller`s Day Off."
Well, it`s a story that made us all screech. Screech from "Saved By the Bell," in what`s being called an extremely graphic sex tape with two women . Screech himself, Dustin Diamond, is very mad about it, and he`s here next.
ANDERSON: Plus, Larry King has some advice for Clay Aiken. This advise is on how Clay should deal with all those questions and those rumors about his sexuality.
That`s still to come.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOVE HEWITT: Sometimes you think, gosh, you know, I`m a size 2 and I`m the fattest person in the room. This is really scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been talking to the biggest stars about their body image issues. Tonight, Jennifer Love Hewitt, as our special series "Hollywood Weight Watch" continues.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Well, A.J., Larry King gave Clay Aiken some - quote - "logic from an older person." He told Clay that if he would just say now whether or not he was gay, then all the attention, all the rumors would just vanish. They`d just go away. Did Clay take Larry`s advice? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: If nothing else, Larry King has lots of wisdom.
But first tonight, Brooke, there is a sex-tape scandal that just might be the most startling one yet. And that`s because of what`s on it and who`s in it.
Who could forget the lovable, innocent Screech in the high school sitcom "Saved By the Bell." Certainly one of the most wholesome shows of the 90s. Screech was played by Dustin Diamond. And tonight, there`s a tape floating around that shows him doing things with two women I can`t even tell you about, even on cable.
Earlier today, I spoke with Dustin, who joined me from Cleveland, Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Welcome back to the program, Dustin.
DUSTIN DIAMOND, ACTOR: How are you?
HAMMER: I`m all right.
Let`s get into this and figure this whole thing out. Because right now, this sex tape, with you on it, is being shopped around by basically the same guy who peddled the Paris Hilton sex tape, a guy named David Hans Schmidt, who also happens to be known as "the Sultan of Sleaze."
Now is this going on with your approval?
DIAMOND: This is definitely not going on with my approval. This is not something that I condone. And my lawyers are fighting this David Hans Heimlech (ph) Guttenberg (ph) von Schmidt Jingleheimer (ph) - whatever 18 names this sleazeball has, we`re fighting him right now to make sure that this never sees the light of day.
I can confirm that there is a tape that apparently has gotten out. I`ve seen a clip on the Internet. I`m not happy about it. It`s caused turmoil on my home front. And it`s not something that is meant for public eyes. And he has no right having this tape.
HAMMER: So how did he get his hands on it? How did it get out there in - in the first place, do you think?
DIAMOND: There`s no way easy to put this. I guess because it`s out on the Internet, I might as well just face it.
I have a group of faces that we have a - a gathering monthly and we send each other tapes. And we have a scoring system of points based on things that you can accomplish. And we do it kind of like - almost like poker. And we - you know, we`ve given it a name. And we - we have this whole thing.
It - what`s important is that it could have been left out in any - in anybody`s home or anybody`s, you know, machine or - or computer - I don`t know if these people are uploading on the computer. Chances are, most likely, these - these friends are - are - did not do it themselves, but maybe a significant other or a friend that was shown this saw it as an opportunity to - to make money by selling it to this scumbag.
HAMMER: Well, basically, Dustin, you know, you`re exchanging tapes with friends, it sounds like, that obviously contains pretty explicit stuff.
I got to tell you - because we often hear about celebrities making sex tapes. Personally, I never understand it. I never think it`s a good idea, because there is always the risk that it may get out there. And obviously, it sounds like this is something you didn`t want to have happen.
So why make it in the first place. I mean, what - you had to have thought, Well, you know what? I`m in a guy in the public eye. Maybe not such a good idea.
DIAMOND: Well, putting a - you know, putting a - a - a tape out there in general or - or letting, you know, people who - just random people you don`t know or just met have access to this is a bad idea. But the people that - I`m losing my earpiece here - the people that are involved in this - this group are all, you know, profile people. So, I mean, nobody wants...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: I understand that. I understand that. But it - it seems like you`re - you`re always running a risk, once something goes down on tape - I think we - we`ve the lesson learned before. You know, we`ve - we`ve seen it certainly with Paris Hilton and Colin Farrell and other celebrities, where they did something that they later regretted, and realized, You know what? I probably shouldn`t put myself on tape in - in that kind of a situation. That`s what I`m asking.
DIAMOND: We`ve been - we`ve been doing this for awhile. And we - you know, we didn`t foresee this as being a problem. And - and now apparently it is a problem.
But I don`t - I think that it`s going to end here. I don`t foresee this seeing the light of day. I`m - you know, like I said, my lawyer all over this Hans guy.
HAMMER: Right.
DIAMOND: And he - he doesn`t - it`s not his tape, and there`s no reason why he should have it. And we`re going to see to it that it never gets shown.
HAMMER: Well, Dustin, obviously, you don`t want it to get out through the means of this guy or - or somebody who doesn`t have it with permission.
But let me ask you this: if you were offered a deal where you can make some money off of it, kind of like what Paris Hilton did, would you - would you perhaps consider doing that?
DIAMOND: I`m not going to - I`ll cross that bridge if I come to it. Chance - I`m - I`m confident that my - my legal team will be able to shut this down. I mean, this guy, is - he`s a smut peddler. And that`s just - it`s not - it`s private stuff that`s not meant for anybody else.
And, you know, lots of people - I can`t keep this earpiece in. Lots of people, you know, film, you know, their, you know, exploits and things. I mean, millions of people do it all over - all over the world. It`s just not - it`s private. It`s not meant for anybody other than you intend it for.
And I want to make something clear, too: they`re saying things on, like, "Scarborough Country" I saw a thing, and I saw stuff on - on the - the Internet making claims that my manager in New York made some statements. My better half, Jennifer, is my manager. She`s my Sharon Osbourne. There`s no - I have an agent in New York who - who is a freelance agent, who if - you know, if he brings work in, we pay him a commission. There`s no - it - it ends there. There is no management; he does represent me or my beliefs like that.
HAMMER: OK (ph).
DIAMOND: And - and - and that`s a write-off.
As far as claims that - that, Oh, I put this out because of a struggling career, is nonsense. Because I`ve been touring, doing comedy clubs and theaters for...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: No, you`re a working guy. We know - we know you`re working year-round.
Let me ask you one more question. Do you have - do you have a message for "the Sultan of Sleaze," David Hans Schmidt?
DIAMOND: For David Hans Jingleheimer (ph) Schmidt, whatever your name is, you`re a scumbag. You`re - you`re - you have no right to have this tape or show it. You`re out as an opportunist. And people like that will always fail.
You may have succeeded in - in little battles here. But you`re going to lose the war. So I`m going to see to it that you`re shut down. I`m not like other celebrities. I`ll - I`m going to find this tooth and nail. You`re going to see me even if I have to fly out to L.A. and challenge you on air.
So it`s not going to happen. Nice try though.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Strong words from Screech.
Now the guy that he`s so furious with - you just saw him going off on, this guy, David Hans Schmidt. David`s with us tonight.
Stay right where you are, David. We`re going to hear from you - get your side of it, coming up next.
ANDERSON: Don`t jump out of that chair, David.
Also ahead, our special weeklong series on stars and body images continues, the "Hollywood Weight Watch." Next, why Jennifer Love Hewitt feels fat at a Size 2.
Plus, we`ve got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: No matter what your sexual being is, by answering it yea or nay, you put (ph) it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Larry King gives Clay Aiken some fatherly advice on how to deal with all those rumors that he`s gay. Will Clay listen to what Larry has to say? You`ll find out next.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...music under. Master, stand by to your break. And roll it, effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAMOND: You`re - you`re - you have no right to have this tape or show it. You`re out as an opportunist. And people like that will always fail.
I`m going to see to it that you`re shut down. I`m not like other celebrities. I`ll - I`m going to find this tooth and nail. You...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s former "Saved By the Bell" star Dustin Diamond, better known as Screech. You just heard him a short time ago telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s absolutely furious that a sex tape featuring him doing some really tripled-X-rated stuff is being shopped around so it can be sold to the public.
And the guy he`s so ticked off at for doing that, this guy, David Hans Schmidt, joining us tonight from Hollywood.
All right, David. Dustin did not hold back. What do you think? You heard what he had to say.
DAVID HANS SCHMIDT, PEDDLING DUSTIN DIAMOND SEX TAPE: God, you know, I - I was so scared, A.J., I wanted to almost get up and run out of this studio here. I - I hope he`s not there (ph) down the hallway in a different studio. Because I - man, I am petrified.
But all I want to say is, Look, Screech, brother, bring it on, dog. I don`t know how big your biceps are, or your lawyers` biceps, but, you know, maybe we can measure here in the camera. Can we get that in there? We almost can`t get them in the shot. Can we now? Come on, Screech.
HAMMER: All right, David.
SCHMIDT: Bring it on, buddy.
HAMMER: Well, let - let - let`s take this beginning. How the heck did you get a hold of this tape in the first place?
SCHMIDT: Well, you know what? I never give provenance, history, all the terms and conditions - and in some cases, the fact of this little agent`s agreements are to be held in confidence, broken only in court order.
And I will tell you this much: I have got every legal hurdle covered. I`ve got every dot on every `t` crossed, every `i` dotted. Man, you name it. I am set to go. If Screech wants to get his lawyers versus my lawyers, let`s all meet out on the street, and let`s have a boxing match, man. Let`s get it on.
But I guarantee the public this much: like all of the David Hans Schmidt projects, every one of them, with or without litigation, always see the light of day. And this one`s going to be on the World Wide Web, on home DVD for sale within net two weeks. I guarantee that.
HAMMER: David...
(CROSSTALK)
SCHMIDT: ...my word on it.
HAMMER: You know, his lawyers are going to go after - after you, as - as we just heard him say. I don`t think those were idle threats. I think he`s quite serious, because it`s quite clear from what he said - and you heard it yourself - he doesn`t want this tape out there. He did not consent to it being out there.
So how do you have a legal leg to stand on here? Help me understand that, in the simplest of ways.
SCHMIDT: In the simplest of ways, I have a contract with a - a party that I cannot identify that gives me all legal right and proxy to the worldwide and distribution of this Screech tape.
And you know what? The great thing about America is that we can enter into private business arrangements, and we can keep those confidential. And you and the press can ask me all day long to breach that confidence, and I just - you know, (INAUDIBLE), can`t do it.
But what I can do, is it don`t matter how I got it. Possession`s nine- tenths of the law. I got it; it`s going out there. I guarantee you, A.J, you`re going to see the whole thing real quick here.
HAMMER: Well, I don`t know if I`m going to see the whole thing, David.
But clearly he`s going to make some trouble or attempt to make some trouble for you to keep this thing from seeing the light of day no matter what you say.
So let me ask, just to avoid the trouble and the expense of going through that, are you willing to offer Dustin a cut of the deal to just get him off your back there?
SCHMIDT: Hey man, we always throw out the bone...
HAMMER: Do you?
SCHMIDT: ...to these people - we`re always looking for a peaceful resolution under Rule 408, law. If we can get it, fine. If we can`t, fine. But you`re going to see the tape either way.
HAMMER: I - I`ve gotten that impression from this conversation.
But do you really think there`s a market for a Screech sex tape? I mean, come on.
SCHMIDT: A.J., at the level of inquiry that has come in from around the world - we`ve gotten calls from France, England, Spain and Down Under in Sydney, Australia - swear to God - and...
HAMMER: No.
SCHMIDT: ...and - and - and when - you know what else is shocking? This is really shocking: I had two meetings today with people outside the industry that are in film and entertainment here in Hollywood that want to buy the rights, and they`re not in the industry. How do you like them apples?
HAMMER: I don`t know how I like them apples.
David, why are you always the guy who`s winding up with these tapes? Because we`ve talked to you before; we`ve seen this happen before. It - it`s - it`s a very niche kind of business to be in. But it always seems to be happening.
SCHMIDT: Well, it`s - you know, hey, look: my dad always said as a young boy growing up on the farm in Rochester, Minnesota - my father, Fred (ph) Schmidt, God bless him, he always said, Son, you ain`t going to make it on the farm here. You ain`t going to make it in land development or in grain farming, like the rest of the boys.
But whatever you do, son - I don`t care if you - you`re going to be - if you`re going to be a - a - a bricklayer, or you`re going to be a ditch digger...
HAMMER: Yes.
SCHMIDT: ...be the best you can possibly be at.
HAMMER: David, I - I`m - I`m certain you made your daddy proud.
David Hans Schmidt, thanks for joining us tonight. I appreciate it.
SCHMIDT: You, too, brother.
HAMMER: We want to hear from you now for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Celebrity Sex Tapes: Do you think they`re released intentionally?" Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Clay Aiken still making the rounds, talking about his struggle with panic attacks and tackling those rumors that he`s gay.
On CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," Larry wasn`t shy about giving the American Idol some fatherly type advice - American Idol runner-up, rather. If you set the record straight on something, people might just stop carrying about it, is what Larry says.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING: I`m going to give you some logic from an older person. No matter what your sexual being is, by answering it yea or nay, you`ve put (ph) it away. It`s gone once you answer it.
In other words, if you say - no, you say yea, what are they going to do? Hit you over the head? Not listen to you sing? No.
If you say nay, what are they going to do to you?
In other words, you`re - you`re putting yourself in a no-win, and you could be in a win-win.
CLAY AIKEN, SINGER: Or, I could just say, You know what? Forget it; I`m not going to deal with it anymore.
KING: And then you`re always going to have people...
(CROSSTALK)
AIKEN: Stop doing it.
KING: But they`re going to keep taking pictures then. And they`re going to keep asking questions, because they`re going to say, Why doesn`t answer it? I`m - it`s your choice.
(CROSSTALK)
AIKEN: I want people to stop driving by my house and taking pictures, and hopefully they`ll do it.
KING: Tell them to stop driving by his house.
AIKEN: I`m just going to put nails up on the road, and let them flatten their tires.
KING: All right. As a hypothetic, do you think it would be career- affecting if you were? Do you think people would stop buying your CDs?
AIKEN: I don`t - hypothetically, I don`t think so.
KING: Hypothetically.
AIKEN: I don`t think so. I think ...
KING: I don`t either.
AIKEN: I think it`s a - I think it`s - we`re a very progressive America now. I don`t really sit around and - and hypothesize about it though. You know, I don`t really - it`s not something that occupies my time.
KING: But you don`t think it would be career-ending.
AIKEN: No, I don`t think anything - I mean, I think again - I think people`s - if - if celebrities nowadays can do the things that celebrities do and still be successful, you know, I think that anybody can get by with pretty much anything.
I don`t plan on killing anybody. And so I don`t think so. But again, I don`t think (INAUDIBLE).
KING: One other thing though: has the whole episode been difficult for you?
AIKEN: The whole...
KING: The rumors. The ...
(CROSSTALK)
AIKEN: I don`t know that it hasn`t had a little bit to do, if I`m honest, with why the panic attacks got a little more difficult.
KING: Oh really?
AIKEN: You know, it`s not fun to be at home and have people come to your house, friends of mine from high school or just anybody - family members even still - who know me, and - and know what`s in the tabloids are not true, but still don`t know, OK, what can I say? What - you know, there`s always an elephant in a room.
And so that`s uncomfortable when people are around you. And - and whether it be family, friends, when you go out in public, you know, my thinking is - I mean, the people who - like I said, the people who know me best, know not to believe that stuff. But when you`re out in the mall - when you`re out at the mall or the store and people are staring at you, which they did before anyway - but now they`re staring at me and I`m thinking, OK, they`re thinking, Oh, I read that thing about him. Or I heard about such-and-such on the radio. And - and they probably aren`t.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Clay`s fans - and he`s got a lot of them - are sticking by him. His new CD "A Thousand Different Ways" debuted on No. 2 on the Billboard charts this week.
HAMMER: Now more of our special weeklong series about stars dealing with nonstop heat from Hollywood to stay slim. We`re calling it the "Hollywood Weight Watch."
Tonight, it`s Jennifer Love Hewitt. She, of course, is the star of CBS` "Ghost Whisperer." And when I sat down with Jennifer, she opened up about how she deals with the pressure to stay skinny, and what she thinks about that controversial ban on super-skinny models in Spain.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Have you heard about the whole fuss about the skinny-model ban in Spain?
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, ACTRESS: I have.
HAMMER: Has anybody been talking to you about this?
HEWITT: I love Spain.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: So what do you...
HEWITT: Yes (ph) Spain!
HAMMER: So what do you think? What they did - they`re not allowing the super-skinny models on the runway. And now other fashion shows may follow suit.
What do you make of that?
HEWITT: I think it`s great. I - I - I mean, you know, do I think that - that people that just happen to be naturally skinny should be out of work and not be able to do what they love and what they`re doing? Absolutely not.
But if - if it means that they can live their - healthier lifestyle and - and eat a hamburger and still be considered absolutely beautiful and give the curvaceous people a chance to kind of walk out in the styles, and that maybe designers will actually make things for people with hips - hello, people, there`s a lot of us out there - it would be great to be able to go and try on 12 dresses, and actually have 12 of them fit, because they`re built for people with curves.
So I think it`s kind of exciting and good. And I hope people follow suit. I think there`s a place in the world for both. I think there`s room for really, really skinny, beautiful people, and really beautiful people who have a little bit of a butt. I think there`s - there`s room for both.
So go Spain. That`s what I say.
HAMMER: And of course, being in the public eye all the time, I imagine it puts some degree of pressure on you in terms of, you know, staying fit.
And you`ve always - you`ve always appeared to have a very healthy attitude about life and a very healthy lifestyle. But is there added pressure, and is that part of, you know, the - the thing for you? Is it - is it, like, you know, I got to worry about staying fit for getting my photograph taken and being on TV?
HEWITT: Yes. I mean, I think first you have to take of yourself so that you feel good, and then try not to worry about it. But it definitely - you know, there`s definitely pressure. To say that I didn`t think about it every once and awhile as a 27-year-old girl in Hollywood would be a complete lie.
So absolutely sometimes you think, Gosh, you know, I`m a Size 2, and I`m the fattest person in the room. This is really scary. You know what I mean? It`s really - that`s not a good thing. And that can get very odd for - for somebody.
HAMMER: It shouldn`t be that way though.
HEWITT: No, and it really shouldn`t. And, you know, I - it`s kind of crazy and out of control at the moment. And I just try to - you know, when I do have those moments, I try to find other things about myself that make me feel really good about myself and get off of the, you know - the weight stuff that you see in magazines and everything like that. And I think we all just kind of need to give less attention to that.
It`s not a beauty pageant. It`s a - it`s a - it`s a talent place. And that`s - that`s actors and actresses and singers and songwriters are about is their talent. And it doesn`t matter if you`re beautiful doing it or not really. It matters what you give people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Jennifer certainly has a level head when it comes to the Hollywood "Weight Watch." But what`s her take on Hollywood` hounding paparazzi? You might find her answer surprising.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It must be fun to have the fans following you around. You`ve had that certainly for a lot of your career.
You`ve also had the paparazzi following you around for a lot in your career. Your photos have been splashed everywhere.
I imagine you`re more or less used to it. Do you - do you feel over the years, as far as all of that has gone, that you`ve gotten a pretty fair shake?
HEWITT: Yes, I`ve been really lucky. I mean, I - I`ve heard all of the horror stories. Of course, I`ve met some of the not-so-nice ones.
But my experience altogether has been really nice. If you treat like them like people, they - you know, they try as hard as possible to treat you as a person.
I mean, they have a weird job. But then again, so do I. And without the paparazzi and without the magazines that remind people what time your show is on and what`s happening, then the whole sort of business doesn`t really work. And so at some point, you just have to kind of go, OK, this is their weird job. I do what - my weird job. We work together and we figure it out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: She is my new favorite celebrity. Absolutely charming.
You can catch Jennifer Love Hewitt on "Ghost Whisperer" Friday nights on CBS.
ANDERSON: Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." No new shows have really busted out in the ratings. So here`s what we asked you: "Fall TV Season: Are you disappointed by the news shows?" Pretty close vote: 53 percent of you say, "yes, you are"; 47 percent of you say, "no, you`re not."
Here`s some of the e-mails we received:
Christine from New York writes, "I`m not enthused about the new fall lineup this year because a few of my favorite shows were canceled."
But Becca from Canada is a big of one of the new shows. "How can I be disappointed? The only new show I`m watching now is `Studio 60.` It`s exceptional, and I`m impressed."
We appreciate your e-mails.
Stay close. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Earlier, Dustin Diamond - Screech from "Saved By the Bell" - was here to tell us about his shocking sex tape. We know Paris Hilton, Colin Farrell, Kid Rock also have X-rated videos floating around out there.
So we`re asking you, "Celebrity Sex Tapes: Do you think they`re released intentionally?" Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at this address: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, it is time now to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, we`re going to be getting into when stars fall for other stars. We`ve seen it happen. It seems time and time again on set. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks into the celebrities who allegedly cheated on their significant others while on the job. Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Is it too hard to separate roles from real life? Find out tomorrow.
Also, Sean Lennon, the son of the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono. What he thinks of the shocking revelation that the U.S. government was spying on his family and tried to kick his mom and dad out of the country for speaking out against the war in Vietnam. That`s tomorrow.
And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks so much for watching, everyone. Have a good night.
Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
