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Showbiz Tonight
`Screech` Sex Tape; Anna Nicole Nuptials?; `House of Carters`
Aired September 29, 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, CNN HEADLINE NEWS HOST: Another shocking twist in the Anna Nicole Smith mystery. Is she covering up who her baby`s real father is?
And how a kid who got caught up in a deadly school shooting fooled the media.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the super-nasty fight over a super-hardcore celebrity sex tape. And you can only see this bare-it-all battle exclusively on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come on, Screech. Bring it on, buddy.
HAMMER: Tonight, the shocking fallout over Screech`s XXX sex tape and what the "Saved By the Bell" is demanding. But we`ve got to ask the controversial question: can sex tapes actually help a career?
Hello, Paris Hilton! Do you hear us?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the down and dirty Dustin Diamond dustup.
Cheating co-stars. Tonight, how on-set romances turn into a sizzling affairs off set.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the poster couple for falling in love on set.
HAMMER: Is there something about making a movie together that can lead to love?
Tonight, how what happens when the lights go off can end real-life relationships. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Welcome to Friday night.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
You saw it here first on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the child star you remember as the nerdy "Screech" on "Saved By the Bell" screeching about his shocking sex video. Dustin Diamond, who played "Screech" on the wholesome `90s sitcom, says he doesn`t want this tape to be released. But one of the most infamous peddlers of celebrity sex tapes out there today, including Paris Hilton`s, says Screech is out of luck.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the very latest on the tale of the tape.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DUSTIN DIAMOND, ACTOR: I think I`m starting a trend.
HAMMER (voice over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brought it to you first...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s recording.
HAMMER: ... this shocking side of Dustin Diamond, known to millions as "Screech," the "Saved By the Bell" nerd who couldn`t get girls on TV.
DIAMOND, "SAVED BY THE BELL": My darling. Be my partner. This could be you.
HAMMER: Now, he`s a reluctant amateur porn star who gets two girls in this home video making its rounds on the Internet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s the best time.
HAMMER: Now that Dustin "Screech" Diamond has joined the hall of shame of celebrity sex video stars, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the shock.
MONTY SARHAN, "CRACKED" MAGAZINE: I was actually kind of surprised and amazed that he`s had sex.
HAMMER: The sex and the threatened violence between an angry Dustin "Screech" Diamond...
DIAMOND: You`re a scumbag.
HAMMER: ... and the man who wants to bring the "Screech" sex video to the masses.
DAVID HANS SCHMIDT, TRYING TO SELL SEX TAPE: Look, Screech, brother, bring it on, dog.
HAMMER: And we try to answer the question, how in the world did Screech get a sex video?
SARHAN: Everybody now has had sex on tape in Hollywood. If Dustin Diamond has had sex on tape, it means everyone else has now.
HAMMER: TMZ.com first posted the Screech sex video. The site`s normally unflappable managing editor, Harvey Levin, was almost speechless when he described it to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: I`m a little uncomfortable talking about this. And it was purely professional, but I have seen this tape, and it is endlessly amusing.
There are two women and Screech in a hotel room doing a variety of things. And it is -- Screech makes -- makes it entertaining.
SARHAN: I actually heard in one of the scenes he actually has one of the girls call him "Belding".
HAMMER: For the record, "Belding," the "Saved By the Bell" principal, is nowhere on the video.
Screech himself talked to me about the video and efforts to put it on a store shelf near you.
DIAMOND: I can`t confirm that there is a tape that apparently has gotten out. I have seen a clip on the Internet. I`m not happy about it. Maybe a significant other or a friend that was shown this saw it as an opportunity to make money by selling it to this scumbag.
HAMMER: Diamond is referring to the so-called "Sultan of Sleaze," David Hans Schmidt, who has helped market other celebrity sex videos, including the now infamous "One Night in Paris," featuring, yes, who else but Paris Hilton?
Appearing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Diamond went after Schmidt like a wrestler in a WWE smack-down.
DIAMOND: I`m going to see to it that you`re shut down. I`m not like other celebrities. I`m going to fight 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.
HAMMER: And Schmidt himself came on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and gave me his response to Screech`s challenge.
SCHMIDT: Look, Screech, brother, bring it on, dog. I don`t know how big your biceps are or your lawyers` biceps, but maybe we can measure here in the camera. Can we get that in there? We almost can`t get that in the shot. Can we now?
Come on, Screech.
HAMMER: Ah, this is fun stuff. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, there is something not quite right in Screech pornoland.
A Web site with which Diamond has an endorsement deal is telling TMZ.com that before the sex video`s release, Diamond`s manager told them that Screech was about to get into something big. Screech told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he wasn`t talking about the sex tape. But TMZ`s Harvey Levin is skeptical of Diamond`s innocence act.
LEVIN: I`m not buying it. I`m not buying it for a second. I think Screech was talking about the sex tape, and I think he`s banking on banking a lot of money from this. Screech is genuinely outraged by this video. And I am the center for the NBA.
HAMMER: It`s true that stars like Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee rocketed to fame and profits on the strength of their top-selling sex tapes. And if Screech were to join them on the adult video shelves, he would provide a lesson to nerds everywhere.
SARHAN: Here is an unemployed actor with money, about to lose his house, and yet he`s still getting kinky sex. That -- that is something that every nerd living in their mom`s basement should be proud of. That`s something we can all aspire to.
HAMMER: An inspirational story for us all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I just feel ickier and ickier every time I see those clips.
Now, when I talked to David Hans Schmidt about the Screech sex video, he wouldn`t say where or how he got it, but he did say that he would be willing to give Dustin Diamond a little piece of the profits if the video was sold to a distributor and Screech wants that. So when I asked Dustin if he digged that, he just said, "I`ll cross that bridge if I come to it."
So now we want to hear from you on this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sex tapes: Do they actually help a celebrity`s career?
Get online to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us more of what you have to say at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com.
And now the latest chapter in the Anna Nicole Smith saga. And I know that I keep saying, can this story get any stranger? But what can I say? It just does.
The latest is that Anna Nicole and her attorney, Howard K. Stern, who was in the hospital room with her 20-year-old son when he died all of a sudden, and who claims to be the father of Anna Nicole`s baby girl, are planning to get married. Now, we`re told that they had a "commitment ceremony "in the Bahamas.
And with us tonight in Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama. She`s been on top of this story like white on rice.
All right, Pat. Now, we`ve heard Larry Birkhead, the photographer who was once involved with Anna Nicole, claim that he is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby. So could this "commitment" be a ploy to cement Stern`s claim as the father of this child?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: All right, A.J. You ready for the lowdown?
HAMMER: Bring it to me.
LALAMA: This is how I see it.
All right. First of all, this commitment ceremony has no legal basis. That doesn`t mean anything.
I have the Bahamian laws of paternity right in front of me. And yes, it does say that if someone marries a person after the birth of a child and says, oh, guess what, I`m the father, that, yes, under certain circumstances that can hold. However, there`s a very important clause that you cannot forget. It goes like this: if a court finds that on a balance of probabilities somebody else comes in and says, no, no, it`s me, then a blood test can be ordered.
Now, here`s what I believe Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern are trying to do. I think they`re trying to scare the poor guy, Birkhead. They`re trying to put up all this big P.R. machine, we`re powerful, we`re this, we`re that, we`re on TV, and you`re nothing, buddy, so stay away. But legally, Larry Birkhead, if he wants to, can get himself a great old media hawk attorney, fly down there and say to the court, I believe that I`m the father. Please order a blood test.
HAMMER: All right. So it`s not cut and try that just because they snuck away to the Bahamas and had this commitment ceremony...
LALAMA: No.
HAMMER: ... that they necessarily are legally going to be able to lay exclusive claim to who the father of this child is.
LALAMA: Absolutely. Absolutely.
HAMMER: What about -- what about the basic idea that they went to the Bahamas? Because you know originally they were saying, or at least Howard K. Stern said on "LARRY KING LIVE" that other night, that they went to the Bahamas to get away from the paparazzi. It is starting to fell like they actually went there to get away from -- from Birkhead. I don`t want to be cynical, but it`s really sounding like that`s at least a part of the equation.
LALAMA: Well, no, no. A.J. -- A.J., you let me be the cynic. OK?
HAMMER: Sure.
LALAMA: They didn`t go there to get away from the paparazzi. They went there so they can establish some sort of outside of the U.S. residency. I don`t know where this guy got his law degree, the Mickey Mouse Club, maybe, you know, with all due respect. But come on. You`ve got to be smarter than this.
The laws state very clearly that if Larry Birkhead is, in fact, the biological father, he has every right to go wherever they are on the globe and try to establish that. This, to me, is their preemptive strike. Like I said, I think it`s sort of this P.R. attempt to beat him into the ground and maybe make him go, oh, gee, I`m not powerful and famous enough to fight these people.
HAMMER: Yes. All right, Pat.
LALAMA: That`s what I think they`re hoping.
HAMMER: Listen, I`ve got 30 seconds here. I`m curious about this, because the other night you said just by virtue of the fact that Stern and Anna Nicole are involved -- of course Stern has been representing her legally -- he should recuse himself from all future dealings in the legal world. If they in fact get married, is that a foregone conclusion, that he should no longer represent her, period?
LALAMA: Well, of course. But like I said, I don`t really see legal representation here.
Look, A.J., the important thing is if it becomes any kind of criminal investigation or a civil endeavor or a bar association investigation, he should just step aside.
HAMMER: Right.
LALAMA: That would be the classy thing to do. But...
HAMMER: Pat Lalama, thanks, as always. Have a lovely weekend.
LALAMA: OK. You too.
HAMMER: Moving on now.
Monkey climbing, bears boxing. Hey, more stuff of the ridiculous nature. If you`re an animal lover, you`re actually probably going to get outraged by what we`ve got coming up.
It`s the animal Olympics. That`s ridiculous and that`s coming up next.
Also, former Backstreet boy Nick Carter and his brother Aaron, one of them has claimed to have slept with Debra Lafave. She`s of course the teacher who admitted to having sex with a teenage student.
Which one was it? Find out when they join me next.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When there are sex scenes in a film, you could almost expect that something is going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Cheating co-stars. Tonight, how on set romances turn into sizzling affairs off set. Is there something about making a movie together that can lead to love?
It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report and it`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for a little story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!"
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Yes, and this is one you can bet that PETA is not going to like. It`s the fourth national Animal Olympics.
Yes, more than 300 animals from all over China came into Shanghai, including plenty of monkeys and bears. Now, this apparently is going on for the next couple of months.
We`re talking ability monkey climbing and bike races and bear boxing, other track and field events, too. Even soccer.
We think this is a beary bad idea. No gold medal for the Animal Olympics.
"That`s ridiculous!"
Well, some pretty angry moments on the "Today" show this morning. Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira were visibly upset. And that`s because one of their guests lied to them about a deadly and tragic story.
Now, yesterday they interviewed 16-year-old Cassidy Grigg (ph). He claimed to have been in a classroom when a gunman took some girls hostage at a Colorado high school. Authorities say that the gunman sexually assaulted some of the girls before killing one of them and then turning the gun on himself.
We`re going to show you what Cassidy said yesterday and how Matt and Meredith reacted today when Cassidy`s mom admitted her son had made the whole story up about wanting to stay behind and help the hostages.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEREDITH VIEIRA, "TODAY": Now, when he came up to you, Cassidy, you were standing next to a friend of yours, a girl. And he told you to leave and you refused.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, he told me to leave the room. And when -- when I left, I turned -- I couldn`t turn around. And I told him -- I said, you know, "I don`t want to leave." And this is because I was -- it was apparent to me that he wanted the females in the class. And he turned me around and he pointed the gun in my face and told me it would be a good idea if I just left.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIEIRA: It`s such a sad story anyway way you look at it. I mean, we talked to Cassidy yesterday. And I absolutely believed him at the time. So...
MATT LAUER, "TODAY": The generous side of me wants to say, yes, this is trauma and that`s why he did that.
VIEIRA: I think it is trauma.
LAUER: The less generous side of me says it`s just -- it`s a pretty despicable act at a time when families are grieving. So...
VIEIRA: Yes. I don`t know. I mean, I just think a lot of kids need a lot of help right now.
LAUER: He needs help. This young man needs some counseling.
VIEIRA: And what we do know is that Emily Keyes lost her life. And obviously we care deeply about her family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Cassidy`s mom says that her son may have lied because he wanted to really help the other kids. He actually left the room before the gunman even got there. But she adds, he`s very sorry.
Moving on now to what might possibly be the most fascinating family reality show since the Osbournes.
Are you ready for the "House of Carters," featuring Nick and Aaron Carter? Well, let me tell you, they`ve been making some big headlines over the past week.
And Nick, formerly of the Backstreet Boys, has just claimed he lost his virginity to Debra Lafave, the infamous Florida school teacher convicted of having sex with her teenage student. And heartthrob Aaron Carter got engaged to Nick`s former girlfriend, a "Playboy" playmate, and then broke it off a week later.
And he`s shaking his head no. So we`ll find out about that.
Did we mention them fighting over dating Paris Hilton? Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK CARTER, "HOUSE OF CARTERS": Why I don`t trust my brother? Why he doesn`t respect me? I`m going to tell you why. Because when I broke up with Paris, this guy takes her out, gets her (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
The next day I find her on the phone in the car. And who is it? It`s his phone taking a picture of her. Her!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. That quiet little scene is from the new E! reality show "House of Carters." And look who`s here, Aaron and Nick Carter.
Thanks for stopping by, guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks for having us.
HAMMER: Nice to see you.
What the heck was going on there?
N. CARTER: Brotherly love. Brother love.
A. CARTER: Yes, that`s how we express our emotions.
N. CARTER: Yes.
HAMMER: I`m sad for both of you right now. Is that -- is that pretty -- does that pretty much exemplify what is going on in this show? I mean, that`s a little dysfunctional if it`s love.
N. CARTER: It kind of sums it up. Well, you know, the funny -- it is. Our family life has always been dysfunctional. But the idea is to fix that, to communicate better, to have a -- to work towards a normal family. And that`s what we`re trying to do in this show.
A. CARTER: I think we`re doing a good job.
N. CARTER: We definitely -- we`ve -- I mean, we reconcile and we`ve gotten the things out that, you know, that I didn`t know about. And we`re good now. We`re great.
HAMMER: Well, by way of background, you guys have had a rough time of it over the years despite your individual successes.
I mean, you, of course, were a massive superstar with the Backstreet Boys. Now you`re at a bit of a crossroads in your life and have had some sordid family history.
And I know, Aaron, that you at one point had tried to emancipate yourself from your mother, and then the whole thing that we just talked about, I mentioned the idea that you were engaged to and broke it off with Nick`s former girlfriend.
A. CARTER: It was never his girlfriend. I promise you that.
HAMMER: OK. Setting the record straight.
(CROSSTALK)
A. CARTER: There was something, but it wasn`t ever a girlfriend situation. No. But I didn`t find out until after -- after the case.
HAMMER: OK. So it was all innocent.
A. CARTER: Yes.
HAMMER: You would never have stepped on his toes if you knew they had actually been dating?
N. CARTER: No.
HAMMER: Let me ask you guys this, because I`m always curious when I see these family reality shows. And pretty much ever since "The Osbournes," I have wondered, especially when there`s so much personal stuff involved, why put it out there for the world to see?
N. CARTER: Well, in this particular case, you know, I thought about the same thing. And I thought, you know, well, we`re -- we are a family who grew up in the spotlight and pretty much a business family, a music business family.
And our family had kind of been destroyed from it, from the business, just separated. And obviously we had our problems with our mother and father in the past, too.
But this will give us an opportunity to -- and maybe other people -- to look at us and maybe relate in some ways and say, hey, we`re not that bad, either. You know? And we`re working towards fixing our family because I think all problems stem from the families.
HAMMER: Yes. And money and fame doesn`t buy you all the happiness.
I have to ask you this, because I get home and flip on the Howard Stern radio program and I hear you reveal to the world that at the age of 15, you lost your virginity to the woman who is now known as Debra Lafave, who had a sexual relationship with a teenage student. I hear that, I hear that you`re engaged to -- and breaking off a relationship with a "Playboy" playmate within just a week.
A lot of people might say, oh, here they have a new TV show coming on. Big publicity stunt.
N. CARTER: Right. Right. Right.
Well, you know, the way that we respond to that is that our lives have always been followed, you know, no matter what we were doing, even when we weren`t trying to, you know, be out there and do stuff. There was always, like, tabloid stuff on our mother, stuff on him, stuff on me.
A. CARTER: But we were never -- we were never putting any of this stuff out. We were trying to avoid it, always.
HAMMER: And now you`re -- and now, as long as they`re going to follow you, let`s just put it all out there.
A. CARTER: Exactly. Exactly.
HAMMER: All right. Fair enough.
N. CARTER: Hey, you want it, you got it.
A. CARTER: You got it.
HAMMER: Nick and Aaron Carter, I appreciate you joining us tonight.
N. CARTER: No problem.
HAMMER: Thanks very much.
Their new show is called "House of Carters". It premiers Monday night on E! for an hour.
Well, which red-hot stars are taking in the green? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals which celebs are swimming in cash and are breaking records in the process.
That`s coming up next.
Also, Oliver Stone`s stunning words. He says President Bush has set America back at least 10 years. More of the director`s passionate comments coming up.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When there are sex scenes in the film, you could almost expect that something is going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: ... cheating co-stars. Tonight, how on-set romances turn into sizzling affairs off set. Is there something about making a movie together that can lead to love? It is a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, some big-time stars are making some big-time record- breaking bucks. And get this: after all this time, it`s Madonna who is still the multimillion-dollar "Material Girl".
"Madge" has kicked Britney Spears out of the top spot for highest yearly earnings by a female singer. Madonna brought home about $50 million in 2004.
Other stars with some serious money power.
Nicole Kidman is the highest paid actor per minute. More than $3.5 million for a Chanel perfume commercial.
Oprah is the highest paid person on TV.
Cher`s highest never-ending farewell tour was the highest grossing tour by a female artist.
And the boys from the Land of Green, Ireland, took home some serious green. The biggest earnings singer or group, U2.
And, by the way, all these records can be found in the latest addition of the "Guinness Book".
Well, coming up, John Lennon and Yoko Ono`s son, Sean. He`s going to tell me exactly how he felt about the fact that the U.S. government wanted to kick his parents out of the country. That`s in just a bit.
Also, Oliver Stone`s stunning words. He says President Bush has set America back by at least 10 years. More of the director`s passionate comments on the way.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When there are sex scenes in the films, you could almost expect that something is going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: ... cheating co-stars. Tonight, how on-set romances turn into sizzling affairs off set. Is there something about making a movie together that can lead to love? It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Still to come tonight -- well, director Oliver Stone does not mince words when it comes to how he feels about President Bush. You`ll hear how he feels in his own words coming up in just a moment.
You`re also going to hear what Sean Lennon thinks about the fact that the U.S. government was trying to kick his parents, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, out of the country. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first tonight, love on the set. Why is it that so many celebrities mix business with pleasure? Why does filming a movie mean falling in love?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks at why co-stars just can`t keep their hands off each other.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): From Ben to Jen to Vince and Jen to Brad and Angelina, the on-set romance is a time-honored Hollywood tradition. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you, that tradition is alive and well.
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are the poster couple for falling in love on set.
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: Come on, honey. Come to daddy.
HAMMER: You could almost see the sparks fly when Brad and Angelina co-starred as husband and wife in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
KURIANSKY: When there are sex scenes in the films, you could almost expect that something is going to happen. People want to see the chemistry on the screen.
HAMMER: And people did. That movie sent the rumor mill spinning -- especially since Brad was still married to Jennifer Aniston when he shot those steamy scenes with Angie.
KURIANSKY: But Brad Pitt falling for Angelina Jolie was not just about being on set and being lovers. She was also his ticket to doing something important in the world. The fact that she`s a U.N. ambassador and traveling all over the place -- he wanted to do that. So there was a bigger package for him.
HAMMER: Angelina`s not the only actress who mixed business with pleasure. Jennifer Garner met her first husband, Scott Foley, on the set of "Felicity." Then came boyfriend and "Alias" co-star Michael Vartan. And then came Ben Affleck, who she met when they co-starred in "Daredevil."
JENNIFER GARNER, ACTRESS: Nice to meet you.
HAMMER: Now Ben and Jen are married with a kid.
KURIANSKY: There are so many elements that add to the possibility of falling in love on the set. Indeed, you`re isolated; you`re spending an enormous amount of time with one another; and you`re separated from your own home life.
HAMMER: Before that Ben and Jen, there was this Ben and Jen. Jennifer Lopez and Ben fell for each other on the set of "Gigli." That movie flopped, and eventually so did the romance.
JENNIFER LOPEZ, ENTERTAINER: You`re not my type. Good night.
KURIANSKY: The bubble that`s created on the set when you`re in that romance can certainly burst and be over when you go back to your own lives, and when you`re distracted or when you`re on the next movie set.
HAMMER: Maybe that`s what happened to Julia Roberts, who hooked up with a long list of leading men, including Liam Neeson, Dylan McDermott, Kiefer Sutherland, Lyle Lovett and Matthew Perry.
She`s now married to cameraman Danny Moder. And get this: she met him -- where else? -- on the set of "The Mexican."
With all this canoodling between co-stars, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, there is a way to keep famous relationships safe.
KURIANSKY: One way is to have a life that is away from Hollywood. So you have someone like Julia Roberts who`s now living in another state, happily married to Danny Moder, raising her kids.
Goldie Hawn has that, too. She has a house in Utah.
HAMMER: Speaking of Goldie Hawn, guess where she met Kurt Russell, who`s she been with for 24 years? On the set of their 1982 movie "Swing Shift."
Goldie`s daughter Kate Hudson may have learned a thing or two from mom. "People" magazine reports Kate, who`s split from Chris Robinson, is quietly stepping out with her "You, Me and Dupree" co-star Owen Wilson, although the two deny a relationship.
KURIANSKY: In the long run, if somebody is going to fall for their co-star, and leave you for somebody else, you need to just say, You know what? There was nothing that I could to stop that from happening.
HAMMER: And as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has shown you, it is something that happens plenty in Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So what is it about being on a movie set that makes celebrities fall head over heels in love with their co-stars -- so much so that they`re sometimes willing to leave their wives and husbands?
Well, with us tonight from Hollywood, Dr. Drew Pinsky, host of Discovery Health Channel`s "Strictly Dr. Drew."
Hello, Dr. Drew.
DR. DREW PINSKY, "STRICTLY DR. DREW": Good evening. How are you, A.J?
HAMMER: I`m good.
And it`s amazing to see it put in this -- in this context. Because we hear of this happening on movie and TV sets all the time. But it seems staggering how often it goes on.
I mean, we know that office -- office romances will break up a marriage or two here and there.
PINKSY: Sure.
HAMMER: But with celebrities -- what is about being on the set that really encourages them to hook up off the screen?
PINSKY: Well, your report was quite good. As you`ve -- and as you`ve pointed out here, it`s like any other office situation. This are the people around with whom you work.
Now the problem here is that oftentimes is at the expense of relationships back home. And as you pointed out in the piece, that this is a very isolated environment on a movie set. If you`ve ever been on a movie set -- I mean, it`s almost like an isolation tank. You are up at 6 in the morning; you`re -- you`re working till late at night. You have no interaction for weeks and sometimes months at a time with anyone except your co-stars. And you`re being encouraged to have very emotional experiences with your co-stars. That`s the nature of the acting set-up.
And sometimes those feelings are in highly charged romantic or sexual circumstances. And as I`ve pointed out on this show a couple weeks ago -- I talked about the fact that I had done a recent study on celebrities -- and they have the kind of personality structure that makes it difficult for them to maintain boundaries, the ability to maintain a distance between self and other, and not get co-mingled with those very intense feelings that are going on on the set, is something that`s already difficult for a celebrity.
Now, you put them in that -- that work environment, where they`re being urged to have those experiences, they`re isolated from the rest of their world, and yes, indeed -- naturally enough, some very intense feelings develop -- unfortunately, sometimes at the expense of experiences -- relationships back home.
HAMMER: Well, and speaking of intense experiences on the movie set -- you know, there are intense sex scenes that often happen.
And I got to wonder -- because Dr. Judy just said in -- in that story, when there are sex scenes, almost -- you can almost expect that something`s going to happen. Now of course, if you talk to an actor, they will say, Oh, it`s very mechanical.
PINSKY: Yes.
HAMMER: You know, we have lots of people around; there are lights and it`s very uncomfortable.
But come on. You have two beautiful people who are that close to each other take after take. Sparks are potentially going to fly.
PINKSY: And -- and again, as I said, somebody who tends to have the kind of personality construct that has difficult maintaining boundaries, yes. And -- and against, because of that sort of narcissistic construct, celebrities often don`t understand what relationships need. So they leave their family back home; their -- their wife or even kids, and say, I`ll be back in three months, not really appreciating what those relationships need or how they will suffer when their intimacy is transferred into another setting.
HAMMER: Now -- now real quickly, Dr. Drew, sometimes, as we`ve seen, it can last when they hook up on the set. I mean, we saw some examples just now...
PINSKY: It -- it can last. It`s really -- I don`t know what the data is on that. But I -- I would expect that they last less frequently than you might expect. Because when you -- as Judy pointed out, when you go back into the real world, that sort of fantasy context -- these are no longer the people that are pretending to be on the set; these are people trying to have a relationship in real life. And the reality can be far different than the fantasy.
HAMMER: Of course, when we saw Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, they`re still together all these years later. Julia Roberts and Danny Moder, and of course Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt seem to be doing well. But perhaps they are the exceptions.
Dr. Drew, it`s always good to see you. I appreciate you being with us tonight.
PINKSY: My pleasure.
HAMMER: Dr. Drew, of course, is the host of Discovery Health`s "Strictly Dr. Drew."
In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "A Good Year" starring Russell Crowe. He inherits a vineyard after the death of an uncle. Now he wants to sell it as soon as he possibly can, but he also wants to put the past behind him at the same time. Then all of a sudden, a mysterious woman shows up claiming to be the uncle`s daughter.
It`s being billed as a comedy. And get this: it`s directed by action guy Ridley Scott.
Here is your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: Morning, lab rats.
CROWD: Good morning.
CROWE: Today, I was greeted by .
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty bid people are buying.
CROWE (on camera): Sell.
(SHOUTING)
CROWE: Well done today, lab rats. We all made a spectacular amount of money. It`s times like this when everyone hates you. That`s why it`s fun.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Burn in hell. Rot in hell. Die.
CROWE: Charming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations. You`re my hero.
CROWE: Who sent that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your lawyer.
CROWE: Oh.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh Henry, bloody hell.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you care for him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I loved Henry deeply, but I never got around to telling him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your Uncle Henry hasn`t updated his will in over 20 years. So you get everything.
CROWE: The old farmhouse and the vineyards and the grapes and everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, where are we Max?
CROWE: Look, they`re both the Dietre (ph). I`ve got a GPS here with a stutter. Oh shut up!
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
CROWE: I`m the pool man. I do these every Thursday. It`s just routine maintenance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Fanny Shimod (ph).
CROWE: Have I told you you`re a vision?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you trying to seduce me, Max?
CROWE: The thought would never even cross my mind, not more of six or 10 times.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re selling us the hog?
CROWE: News travels fast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would take me away from my vines and take my last few chances of immortality?
CROWE: Afraid so. Be in touch.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If this place meant as much to him as I believe it did, you`re worse than I thought for thinking about selling it.
CROWE: This place just doesn`t suit my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is your life that doesn`t suit this place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once you grab something good, Max, you have to take care of it. You have to let it grow.
CROWE: I can`t for the life of me think of why I started coming down here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It kinds of reminds you Max Skinner doesn`t do weekends or take holidays. Max Skinner makes money.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now what`s it to be? The money or your life?
(SCREAMING)
CROWE: Every single one of my memories takes place within about 100 steps of this very spot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are they good memories?
CROWE: Yes. They`re grand.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: A charming movie. Truly amazing scenery in it.
"A Good Year" will be in theaters on November 10.
Well, Oliver Stone says President Bush has set America back at least 10 years. We`re going to have more of the director`s passionate comments next.
Plus, his father is certainly one of the most revered musicians in history. So what`s it like for Sean Lennon to live with that legacy as he makes his own music? I sat down with Sean, and that`s coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SACHA BARON COHEN, COMEDIAN: I`m giving invitation to Premier George Walter Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How a satirical comedian is using a visit from Kazakhstan`s president to promote his new movie, "Borat." Not everyone is thrilled with his shtick, although it`s very funny. And it`s coming your way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pre-master (ph), stand by to your break. You can roll and...
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ....music under. Stand by, A.J. Open his mike. Pre-set Camera 1. Dissolve. Go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And it`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous."
The movie "Borat" doesn`t open for a month. But it`s already getting some bad reviews from the government of Kazakhstan.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagine if this was the face of your country. No wonder officials from Kazakhstan can`t bear what`s coming soon.
COHEN: My name is Borat, a journalist from Kazakhstan.
MOOS: Borat was not among the real journalists on hand for a photo-op on Friday, when the president of Kazakhstan met with President Bush at the White House.
COHEN: Hello, my name is Borat. I am new in town.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS: You can bet the presidential get-together had a bit more dignity than Borat`s new film.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he`s a delightful man, and it wouldn`t take very much time for him to really become Americanized.
MOOS: Borat is also known as Ali G.
COHEN: My main man...
MOOS: He`s really a British comedian by the name of Sacha Baron Cohen. But he never seems to go out of character.
For instance, standing in front of the real Kazakhstan embassy Thursday, threatening war on Uzbekistan.
COHEN: If there is one more item of Uzbek propaganda claiming that we do not drink fermented horse urine .
MOOS: Borat is taking advantage of the Kazakh president`s visit to Washington to promote "Borat" the film. With a hoard of press in tow, he walked over to the White House...
COHEN: I am giving an invitation to Premier George Walter Bush.
MOOS: ...to see his movie at a nearby theater Friday night. His satirical shtick is anti-gay, anti-Jewish, anti-women.
COHEN: You know what the problem, that the woman have a smaller brain than the man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s it. I`ve had it. We`re finished. We have to leave.
MOOS: Kazakhstan officials worry what he`ll leave is the impression that Kazakhs are really just like him.
VOICE OF ROMAN VASSILENKO, KAZAKHSTAN EMBASSY SPOKESMAN: What he represents, though is not Kazakhstan. It`s kind of Borakistan, a purely invented country of one person where he pleases his fantasies.
MOOS: The government has begun an American ad campaign with a gauzy- looking commercial.
ANNOUNCER: Kazakhstan: ever wondered?
MOOS: Borat is wandering all over America, his film.
COHEN: What`s up vanilla face (ph)?
MOOS (on camera): The government of Kazakhstan also took out a four- page ad in "The New York Times" extolling the country.
(voice-over): But all that fine print can`t compete with shenanigans like dropping an invitation ...
COHEN: I`ll leave it here, OK?
MOOS: ...at the White House gate. The party to be held...
COHEN: At the quarters .
MOOS: Talk about a hoot: this is a guy who dares to show his face and everything else in a neon lime green swimsuit.
(MUSIC)
COHEN: Very nice. How much?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And "That`s Ridiculous!" That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
"Borat" in theaters on November 3.
Well, director Oliver Stone is blasting President Bush. Stone is at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain. That`s where he talked to reporters before a screening of his movie "World Trade Center." He said that President Bush has set America back at least 10 years by going to war with Iraq, rather than focusing on poverty, disease and the environment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STONE: The war on Iraq is a disaster. I`m disgraced. I`m ashamed for my country. I`m also ashamed that America has attacked itself with its constitutional breakdowns. I`m deeply ashamed. We`re living through worse times now than we did in 2001.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Stone also said that the United States` reaction to the September 11 attacks was out of proportion and politicized.
Well, John Lennon was also very vocal against war. At the time, it was Vietnam. And "give peace a chance" was his cry. And now 30 years later, his son Sean Lennon tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how he felt about the extremes the U.S. government went to try and stop that anti-war movement - - even trying to deport his parents, John and Yoko.
Sean`s sophomore album, "Friendly Fire," is about to be released. And I asked him if he sees himself carrying on his father`s legacy, and whether being the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono was a mixed blessing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEAN LENNON, SINGER: I never have a problem with it. I never have an issue with it. I think of it as only a blessing. And I -- I`m really proud, you know, of my dad. And it`s really -- you know, I feel honored to have come from such a, you know, kind of prestigious musical background. With my mother, too, I think she`s a great artist.
I`m proud of it. You know, I think the -- the only problem occurs when -- when -- when -- when someone else might have a problem with me doing music. You know, there -- there might be someone who thinks, Oh, like, you know, who does he think he is, doing music just because he`s John Lennon`s kid. That`s when there seems to be a problem.
But it`s never a problem for me personally. You know, it always seems like a nice -- a nice family business, you know?
HAMMER: I was speaking with your mom a couple of weeks ago myself, talking about the movie "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon," and the crazy time that it was during the Vietnam War...
LENNON: Yes.
HAMMER: ...when essentially, our government was trying to get your family thrown out of the country, which just -- just was so surprising to see the lengths to which went...
LENNON: Yes.
HAMMER: ...to try to make that happen.
As you grew up and started to understand what was taking place at the time, what really surprised you about what our government was doing?
LENNON: Well, I think it`s really relevant now in terms of how it relates to, you know, the way the government kind of changing their relationship with people`s, you know, personal and -- personal information and, you know, medical records and all those kinds of things. I mean, I think it brings up a lot of question in terms of, you know, what the -- how far you can go in terms of, you know, respecting the individual`s rights and still, you know, maintaining whatever security means.
And I think it almost makes it seem like a farce if you think of John Lennon as a threat because he was, you know, just a songwriter. And if there was actually tax money being spent on monitoring someone like that, then it should be investigated -- you know, whether the government`s spending those -- those funds, you know, responsibly or not. I think it`s kind of relevant.
It`s interesting that that movie is coming out now. Because it -- you know, it does relate to a lot of the things we`re going through in America, I think.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It is hard not to feel his father`s presence when you`re sitting there with him.
Sean Lennon`s sophomore album is called "Friendly Fire." It`ll arrive in stores on October 3.
It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ Guide." And tonight, in "People`s" "Picks and Pans," new movies, a queen, a guardian and a couple of scoundrels in theaters this weekend. "The Queen" stars a very royal Helen Mirren; Kevin Costner teams up with Ashton Kutcher in "The Guardian"; and Billy Bob Thornton heads up the "School for Scoundrels."
With me here in New York, "People" magazine film critic Leah Rozen.
OK, a lot of Oscar buzz already around Helen Mirren in this role as "The Queen." Is it worthy?
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Completely deserved.
Helen Mirren is so good in this playing Queen Elizabeth, the current queen. This is essentially a peek behind the palace doors the week after, the week that followed Princess Diana`s death. And the queen -- you know, there`s this huge public outpouring of grief. And she really doesn`t react publicly.
Tony Blair, who has just been elected prime minister, realizes the monarchy is at stake if she doesn`t unloosen that stiff upper lip. And it`s how he sort of persuades her.
Helen Mirren -- it`s just this phenomenal performance. These tiny little things she does with the muscles of her face, she just becomes the queen. It`s in the end very moving, and it is a smart film.
HAMMER: And sort of refreshing to see the royal family not as a period piece, to seem them in modern times.
ROZEN: Completely.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to "The Guardian" now, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Costner, in what looks like a big-time action-adventure movie in the water.
ROZEN: Yes, that you`ve kind of seen before. You have the feeling they said, OK, "Top Gun," you know, that was the Air Force. Maybe you`ve seen Navy SEALS.
What elite portion of the military has not been focused on? The Coast Guard rescue swimmers. So essentially, it`s "G.I. Jane"; it`s an "Officer and a Gentleman"; it`s "Top Gun."
You`ve seen it before. Just this time, they`re in the water, swimming, rescuing people. This one though mostly concentrates on the training period. Kevin Costner is the veteran instructor; Ashton Kutcher is the cocky young student. You know, and you`re going, I signed up to see a movie, not a train -- not to enroll and training myself. The training goes on forever.
Good rescue-water scenes. I`m going to stop there.
HAMMER: We got 30 seconds there for "School for Scoundrels." I`m really curious what you think of this, having seen it myself.
ROZEN: This is kind of one of those movies -- how do I put this nicely? -- for guys who couldn`t get dates in high school, or still think about it.
Very minor comedy. Has a couple of amusing sections, but I think the -- the -- the politest way to describe it would be "slapdash."
HAMMER: Slapdash? With a little bit of, Eh.
ROZEN: A few laughs.
HAMMER: OK. I -- I did like Billy Bob Thornton, and I did like Jon Heder. And it was interesting because you wonder if he could transcend his role that we got to know him...
ROZEN: But it seemed to me he was doing really a grownup version of "Napoleon Dynamite."
HAMMER: Of "Napoleon Dynamite." Yes.
OK, well, Leah, thanks as always.
ROZEN: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: I appreciate you joining us.
And as always, grab your copy of "People" magazine for "Picks and Pans." It`s on newsstands now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ...music under. Master, stand by to your break. Let`s get A.J. to desk with mon (ph).
Roll the break, and effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music, Camera 2. Dissolve. Go.
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`ve been asking: "Sex Tapes: Do they actually help a celebrity`s career?" We`d appreciate it if you`d continue to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
If you have more to say, let us know. Send us your words to ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails on Monday.
It is time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this weekend, our special "Hollywood Weight Watch." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT going right to the source, talking to the big-time stars about body image, the pressure in Hollywood to be thin, and the extreme lengths some stars go to to drop the pounds. "Hollywood Weight Watch" tomorrow and Sunday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And coming up on Monday, holy Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a special look at the controversial power of Christianity in movies, music and more. That`s Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Have a great weekend.
Glenn Beck is next, after the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
