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Showbiz Tonight
Anna Nicole Mysteries; Paris and Nicole Reunion; Internet Predators
Aired October 10, 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: Babs goes ballistic. Why Barbra Streisand told someone at her concert to "F off."
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And is one of the biggest, nastiest celebrity female feuds finally over?
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, exactly one month after the strange death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son, mysterious and shocking new questions.
Tonight, why do drugs keep getting mentioned? Why are Bahamian police in the United States? And, most puzzling of all, why is Daniel Smith still not buried?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is demanding answers in this still unsolved Anna Nicole Smith mystery.
He helped catch the bad guys on "The A Team". Now he wants to help you with some self-help advice.
MR. T., ACTOR: You know what I`m going to put in the tank? I`m going to fill it up with motivation.
HAMMER: Tonight, is Mr. T. really becoming the next Dr. Phil? It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And I pity the fool that doesn`t watch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And there are big new developments tonight in the strange death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son.
And A.J., they all ad up to one word -- mystery.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Not just one, but three mysteries. They all revolve around a body still not buried, an investigation in two countries, and disturbing claims of drug use. And it`s all happening exactly one month after Anna Nicole Smith`s 20-year-old son tragically died in her hospital room in the Bahamas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): It`s been a month of splashy pictures and memorable sound bites.
DR. CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: He died tragically and I believe quite accidentally.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": So you are the father?
HOWARD K. STERN, ATTORNEY: Yes, sir.
DEBRA OPRI, LARRY BIRKHEAD`S ATTORNEY: Anna Nicole Smith knows that it is Larry Birkhead and not Howard K. Stern with whom she conceived the child.
HAMMER: It was only on September 10th when Anna Nicole Smith`s son Daniel suddenly died in a hospital room in the Bahamas, launching endless media coverage of that mysterious death. That was followed by a bitter "who`s the daddy" dispute over the baby Anna Nicole had just days before her son died.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: This case has been a roller-coaster ride.
HAMMER: Court TV`s Lisa Bloom has been covering the case from the beginning.
BLOOM: It seems like every day there is a new development in this case.
HAMMER: Now that the drama has passed the one-month mark, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you all the latest developments in what is now an international investigation. And big questions continue to linger. The first question being: Is the investigation into Daniel`s death spreading?
Even though an autopsy funded by Daniel`s family found that Daniel died suddenly of a combination of methadone and two antidepressants, police in the Bahamas, where the death occurred, are still looking for answers. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that investigators from the Bahamian police recently hopped a plane from Nassau to California to investigate the case.
BLOOM: Just as if a death had occurred in the U.S., but somebody had traveled outside the U.S., American investigators would have to travel to get answers. So, too, Bahamian investigators have to travel to the U.S. to get answers to the questions in this case.
HAMMER: Court TV`s Lisa Bloom tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that police in the Bahamas hope to find some missing pieces in this complicated case.
BLOOM: They need to investigate where he was in the days and weeks prior to coming to the Bahamas. That means coming to the U.S., coming to California, investigating who he spoke with, who he met with, who may have given him an illegal drug, who may have prescribed a drug to him, who may have handed him drugs that he ultimately took that led to his death.
HAMMER: And that leads us to the next question: In all of Anna Nicole`s recent dramas, why does it seem that the word "drugs" keeps popping up?
BLOOM: Drugs are coursing their way not only through the investigation into Daniel`s death, but also the custody dispute as to Anna Nicole`s baby, Dannie Lynn.
HAMMER: Anna Nicole`s ex-beau, Larry Birkhead, claims that he and not Anna Nicole`s attorney and purported new love, Howard K. Stern, is the father of Anna`s new baby. Birkhead wants the courts to force Anna Nicole to bring the baby back to the United States, where he wants both Anna and the baby to be tested for drugs.
BLOOM: A lot of questions remain to be answered in this case. How did Daniel get the drugs in his system? Does the baby, Dannie Lynn, have drugs in her system? And if so, how did it get there? And what about Anna Nicole? Has she been using drugs?
HAMMER: The only time we`ve seen Anna Nicole in the last month are in these pictures in "People" magazine magazine, which show her jumping off a boat with Howard K. Stern after their commitment ceremony in the Bahamas. But there`s still one troubling final question: After one month since her son`s death, why hasn`t he been buried yet?
His body remains in the Bahamas waiting for burial instructions from Anna Nicole. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT had to ask, what`s going on?
BLOOM: No one wants to have to exhume a body once its been buried to dredge it up again. It`s very painful for the family and it`s expensive for investigators. So the family and the investigators want to make sure that every lead is turned over, every toxicology test is taken, everything is done before Daniel can be buried.
HAMMER: Even still, the twin mysteries over the death of Anna Nicole Smith`s first child and the paternity of her second continue to linger and show no signs of going away.
BLOOM: It`s got to be tough for Anna Nicole, got to be tough for her family, tough for that new baby being born into this world with so many unanswered questions.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, investigators in the Bahamas expect to hand in a report that will determine whether a jury inquest into Daniel Smith`s death is actually needed, and that report is expected around the end of this month.
ANDERSON: For the first time Mel Gibson is speaking out about his anti-Semitic rants this past summer. In an exclusive interview with ABC`s Diane Sawyer, she asks him, point blank, what does he think caused him to spew such hatred for Jews during his arrest for drunk driving?
Mel says, "It was just the stupid rambling of a drunkard, you know, and what I need to do to heal myself and to be assuring and allay the fears of others and to heal them, if they had any heart wounds from something I may have said. So, this is the last thing I want to be is that kind of monster."
You can hear more of Diane Sawyer`s interview with Mel Gibson this Thursday and Friday on "Good Morning America".
HAMMER: Are you ready for some big fun now? Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie have been in one of the nastiest celebrity female feuds in Hollywood. But breaking news tonight. There just might be a starlet cease-fire. Or is there?
Pardon me for being just a little bit cynical. I`ve got to ask, is this truce the real deal or simply one big publicity stunt for the reality show, "The Simple Life"? Deal or no deal?
Joining me from Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama.
Pat, let`s get into it. And here`s what I know...
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: But first, A.J., you know you care. And don`t pretend like you don`t.
HAMMER: All right. Then I won`t.
LALAMA: OK.
HAMMER: After over a year of feuding, which is how long this has been going on -- and this is a battle that has fueled millions of tabloid headlines -- the TMZ.com cameras happened to catch Paris and Nicole meeting for a little dinner, a little steak dinner in west Hollywood.
What`s your take on this?
LALAMA: Right. Well, look, I mean, everything that these people do I believe with all my heart is men to grab attention.
Now, the interesting thing is, they went to a restaurant called Dan Tana`s, which happens to be my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles -- darn, I wasn`t there that night -- but interestingly, it`s not known as one of those celebrity restaurants where a lot of young, crazy, "I got too much money" crowd goes. You know, an end up hitting people kind of crowd.
This is, I don`t know, maybe a little bit more sophisticated, sort of a more stated older Hollywood. So, you know, you wonder, what`s that about? But then my theory after thinking about it was, maybe they knew they would be the only two who would get the real attention by going there. And, you know what?
HAMMER: Yes...
LALAMA: Go ahead.
HAMMER: No, that`s a real problem in Hollywood. If you want the attention, you know you don`t necessarily go to The Ivy, which is well- known for having a lots of celebrities there at one time.
LALAMA: Well, Dan -- Dan Tana`s does. It`s just a different crowd.
HAMMER: Oh, OK.
LALAMA: Not one where you`d ever -- you know -- yes.
HAMMER: They`d be the young, pretty ones.
All right. Well, let`s get some real perspective on the true issue here, because at the end of the last season on the reality show "The Simple Life," there was a big cliffhanger that hinted at a possible reunion. They had this big fight. Now a truce.
Oh, look, their show is about to begin shooting for a new season. Am I a little too cynical here, or can we just put the publicity stamp right on this baby?
LALAMA: Well, I think they have upstaged North Korea for the October surprise. I mean, clearly, the show is -- look, I think it can be one of two things.
No one is going to tell me the truth because it`s not something publicists will admit to. But, you know, last season -- I understand that the last season that they worked together and didn`t like each other, they had to do all these machinations to -- "We can`t have them in the same rooms. We`re going to shoot this here and shoot that there."
I mean, that is just a pain in the you know what for any producer. So it`s very possible, since we all know they are not going to the any big future in films, that they said to themselves, look, you know, we better -- this is all we`re going to get and our popularity is probably going to run out in the next few years. We want to do this TV show, so the producer might have said go out and figure this out.
Now, I`m less inclined to believe that and I`m more inclined to believe that the whole thing was a publicity stunt starting with the fight so that you would have reason to come back and watch them maybe get along.
Who do you believe, A.J.? It is the question, isn`t it?
HAMMER: I have less than 30 seconds Pat, and that is the question. And the other question I have is, you know, do you think this whole thing could just backfire? Because I`m getting the sense that people are having a bit of Paris Hilton fatigue. Or maybe that is exactly why she now needs to attach her name to a television show, because it seems more substantial than attaching herself to just being out getting in fights in public.
LALAMA: Look, I mean, the thing about Paris Hilton is, we know she is never going to get the Nobel Prize and she is never going to win an Oscar. So I think she is just milking everything she can, knowing that eventually the hourglass will run out and we`ll be on to the next, rich, spoiled brat who has done nothing and has achieved tremendous fame.
HAMMER: Paris Hilton will not win the Nobel Prize. You heard it here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT from Pat Lalama.
LALAMA: Exactly.
HAMMER: Thanks for joining us, Pat.
LALAMA: You got it, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. So now I want to hear from you on this. I want to see if I`m alone in my theory.
For our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," here`s what we`re asking. Paris and Nicole make up: Is it a publicity stunt? And I know how you usually vote, but I still want you to do it -- cnn.com/showbiztonight is where you go online, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Babs goes ballistic. Why Barbra Streisand told someone at her concert to "F off." Yes, she did. That stunning story is next.
HAMMER: And "America`s Most Wanted" host, John Walsh, I`m going to ask him all about the discussing kid sex scandal stuff we`ve been hearing an awful lot about, including Mark Foley. He`s also going to let you know how to keep kids safe online.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Satan will try to trip you off your path, off of your race, off the course. Don`t let him do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s a camp for kids, but instead of bunks and bonfires, this one has preaching and praying.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has this coast-to-coast religious battle.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Well, it`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!"
OK. When you hear the name "Sam Adams," what comes to mind? Maybe American history or a brand of beer. How about terrorists or even a 4- year-old terrorist?
OK. The name "Sam Adams" is on the U.S. government`s no-fly list. Now, what that means is that people with that name are considered potential terrorists. So when 4-year-old Sam Adams from San Diego, California, goes to the airport, you guessed it, he has a very hard time.
All right. We`re all for increased security, but there`s got to be a better way to sort the good guys from the bad guys. Look at little Sam.
A 4-year-old on the no-fly list? Now "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Would it shock you to hear that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, one in five children are exposed to some sicko creep making unwanted sexual advances to them online? It is an amazing and staggering statistic, and it doesn`t shock "America`s Most Wanted" host John Walsh, who has devoted his life to capturing fugitives, criminals, and disgusting child predators.
This is his new DVD series. It`s called "The Safe Side," and the release deals with children and Internet safety.
John Walsh with me in New York.
Always good to see you and welcome you to the program, John.
JOHN WALSH, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Nice to see you again, A.J.
HAMMER: Talk about timing with the release of this DVD -- and we are now more aware of Internet predators than ever before -- Congressman Mark Foley busted, you know, getting -- blown -- the story blown wide open about, you know, soliciting young pages online. I have to imagine you had a reaction when you saw this coming from a guy tho championed the fight against Internet predators.
WALSH: Absolutely. I mean, first of all, I was appalled, completely flabbergasted. I mean, I thought I had a pretty good street smart sense and a gut feeling about people.
I think he fooled a lot of people on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans. He`s a very well respected congressperson. And he -- you know, July 27th of this year was a really great day for my wife and I. It was the day that President Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act, a bill that we`ve been working on for years, setting up a registry in every state for sex offenders, stiffer penalties, and making solicitation of minors over the Internet a federal crime. Right?
And who is standing in the Rose Garden with about 30 or 40 other congressmen and women who worked on that bill? It was Mark Foley.
And when all this came out, I said, you know something? This is not only appalling, his staff is absolutely flabbergasted that were with him for years. I said, you know something? You never really know.
You know, we`ve arrested priests, rabbis, "Dateline" does a great series about Internet predators, et cetera. But here is a guy that was the chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children.
HAMMER: And standing right there with you.
WALSH: Right there.
HAMMER: You know, it really drives home the point.
WALSH: Yes.
HAMMER: You mentioned "Dateline`s" "To Catch a Predator," which really has done a remarkable job. And it is television you can`t take your eyes off.
WALSH: Absolutely.
HAMMER: There is no shortage of these guys. And what amazes me is now that the show has been on for a while, you see these guys walking right into the trap, and then saying, "Oh, I know this show. I`m aware of this show."
So they are aware of the potential of getting caught, yet they go anyway. Can you give me a little insight into what`s going on in their mind that they feel like "I`ve still got to go through with it"?
WALSH: That they can beat the odds. I mean, you make a great point.
For years I`ve said that pedophiles are incurable, that it`s an incredible compulsion and they will do anything to get at children. And those guys that show up on "Dateline" -- we`ve been doing stings like that for years on "America`s Most Wanted" and "Dateline" has taken it to an art form.
And these guys will show up. They are doctors, they are rabbis. They will risk their whole careers and everything to get at children.
So it really confirms my belief that they are incurable, and the compulsion is so strong, like with Mark Foley, that they will risk everything to get at underage kids. And the only thing I take out of that, all these years that I`ve been hunting these guys down, are -- is that you need to be aware of them, your kids need to be aware of them, and more street smart, more savvy, and that those of them that are really bad and reoffend, we need to keep them in jail.
HAMMER: And your show, when you`ve done these things, and "Dateline," when they`ve done these things, you know, that`s just scratching the surface. That`s only what we`re seeing on television.
WALSH: Yes.
HAMMER: Can you give me a real solid sense of how widespread an issue this is? I mentioned that statistic earlier of one in five kids being approached.
WALSH: Yes. I don`t think anybody knows.
I went and did a sting last November in the Hamptons. You know, the very Tony Hamptons, right? Where you wouldn`t think that there were a lot of pedophiles, with the Suffolk County Cyber Crimes Unit, and we set up a sting there, and 28 guys came in two days to have sex with what they thought was a 12-year-old girl.
A lot of them sent pornographic images, images of themselves doing all kinds of weird sex stuff, and they all showed up. A guy with a $150,000 Mercedes, two guys with burglary tools that wanted to rape the 12-year-old and rob the house. It`s just appalling.
I don`t think anybody really knows how many of these creeps are out there.
HAMMER: Yes. To your point, it could be anyone. And the thing is, predators have always existed, I`m sure, throughout history. It`s just obviously with the Internet, it has provided this unbelievable tool, and really has made it easier. Therefore, probably even more prevalent.
WALSH: Oh, absolutely. The Internet really is the information super highway. It`s a great, you know, resource. My 12-year-old son does his homework by it all the time.
But it`s also, according to Interpol, for example, the worldwide policing agency based in France, that child pornography over the Internet is a $4 billion difference. Not adult pornography, illegal child pornography. And that this is a place for these guys to hide.
And this is something that I got involved with Julie Clark, the lady - - the genius lady who created "Baby Einstein". She came to me years ago and said, "Look, I`ve been very successful with these `Baby Einstein` videos. Are there any real good safety videos, proactive, educating our kids?"
HAMMER: And we`re looking at "The Safe Side" DVD right now.
WALSH: We teamed up. The first one was about stranger safety. That worked great, won a whole bunch of awards.
And we`ve been working on this Internet safety one for the last year. And available in stores today. Wal-Mart carries it. We have a Web site, thesafeside.com.
But it`s very proactive, because I didn`t grow up with Internet and lots of parents haven`t. And it`s the kids who really work the Internet and know what`s going on.
HAMMER: Well, and that`s the key. They are so savvy. And at times so much more than their parents.
WALSH: Oh, much more. And this is as much for parents as it is for kids. And I really believe a parent`s job is to take charge in the house.
Put the computer in the family room. Don`t have the kid with his laptop all night visiting those, you know, personal chat rooms and all that type of stuff. Set the rules.
Limit the time on the computer, no pop-ups, no e-mails, no going to Web sites that we don`t know about, and no personal information. Because that 12-year-old daughter of yours who is so wonderful and thinks she is going to meet that 12-year-old girl at the mall to talk about the pony that she has and all that type of stuff, and it`s a 50-year-old guy with a gun waiting to get her in the car.
HAMMER: She`s putting herself right out there.
WALSH: Yes.
HAMMER: John Walsh, continued thanks for all the wonderful work that you do. And this is yet another tool that every parent should see.
Appreciate you stopping by.
WALSH: Thank you.
HAMMER: This is the DVD. It`s called "The Safe Side: Internet Safety". It`s in stores now, as John mentioned, or go to the Web site, thesafeside.com.
ANDERSON: Babs goes ballistic. Last night at a concert in front of her hometown fans in New York City, Barbra Streisand told someone in the audience to "F off." She was in the middle of a skit making fun of President Bush -- you know Barbra leans left politically. Well, that`s when a heckler who didn`t like the sketch kept, well, heckling her.
So Babs finally screamed, "Shut the F up! Shut up if you can`t take a joke!"
Streisand later apologized for the swearing outburst.
Sultry Scarlett on sex. Coming up, Scarlett Johansson`s very frank talk about her sex life and whether she thinks it is even possible to be monogamous.
HAMMER: Well, he helped catch the bad guys on "The A Team". Now he wants to help you with a little self-help advice. Tonight, is Mr. T. possibly becoming the next Dr. Phil?
I pity the fool that doesn`t watch this. I`m not saying that anymore.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re asking, shift the course (INAUDIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s a camp for kids, but instead of bunks and bonfires, this one has preaching and praying. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the coast-to-coast controversy over Jesus camp.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Scarlett doesn`t sleep around. That`s exactly what Scarlett Johansson herself is telling "allure" magazine. The 21-year-old sultry star is dating fellow Hollywooder, "Black Dalia" star Josh Hartnett, and admits she is not doing any bed hopping.
She says, "There does seem to be a mistaken belief out there that I am sexually available somehow, which is not to say that I`m nop open-minded about sex. Yet, I wouldn`t say I`m a serial monogamist either. I mean, I went through periods of time when I was single. I do think on some basic level we are all animals and by instinct we kind of breed accordingly."
Scarlett also says she gets an HIV test twice a year and encourages others to do the same thing.
Read more of her interview in the November issue of "allure" magazine. It will be on newsstands on October 24th.
ANDERSON: The bride who bailed on her own wedding, you remember her, the runaway bride. Well, now she wants to run away with a lot of cash.
Find out why next.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Satan will try to trip you off your path, off of your race, off the course. Don`t let him do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A camp for kids. But instead of bunks and bonfires, there`s preaching and praying. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the coast-to-coast controversy over Jesus camp.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, for Tuesday night, 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`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
A.J, move over, Dr. Phil. Mr. T - yes, the guy famous from the show "The A-Team" is now a self-help guru. And he`s going to join us in just a couple of minutes to tell us about his new motivational show, appropriately titled, "I Pity the Fool."
Perfect guy. When people - when - when Mr. T speaks, people listen. It`s a matter of fact.
And when Gladys Knight sings, people listen. The legendary Gladys is back; she`s got a brand new album. She`s making a difference with her music, and she`s making a difference in the lives of women in many ways, among which - there`s some women who may not be able to slink into that tiny, little black dress that everyone should have. Well, she`s doing something about that. And Gladys is coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Great message from Gladys.
But first, continuing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s look at "Holy Hollywood." The documentary "Jesus Camp," about a Pentecostal Christian summer camp is causing a firestorm of controversy in theaters across the country.
Tonight, a closer look at one of the film`s young subjects.
Here`s CNN`s Gary Tuchman for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fourteen-year-old Levi lives in Southern Missouri with his brother and parents. In many ways, he`s a typical kid.
LEVI, EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN: People will try to trip you off your path. Off of your race. Off the course. Don`t let them do that.
TUCHMAN: But kids don`t typically end up preaching in a documentary, like Levi now is in moviehouses across the country.
LEVI: And we are a generation that needs to rise up.
TUCHMAN: It`s the true story of the summer camp, a place called Kids on Fire, where adult indoctrination of children to fundamentalist Christianity is seen as the key to salvation. The movie is called "Jesus Camp," and it`s eye-opening.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No more, Lord. No more. No more!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Raise them up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are here, God.
TUCHMAN (on camera): Do you think sometimes maybe it`s a little harsh to be a kid and hear all these things from adults?
LEVI: Well, when we`re crying, we`re not -- we`re not scared for ourselves. We`re scared for the people out there who - who - who can`t get it.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): A Pentecostal minister runs this North Dakota camp, where children are taught when it comes to their beliefs, there is no compromising.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me say something about Harry Potter. Warlocks are enemies of God. And I don`t care what kind of hero they are. They`re an enemy of God. And had it been in the Old Testament, Harry Potter would have been put to death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amen.
LEVI: Yes. I like it.
TUCHMAN: Levi says God regularly talks to him.
(on camera): What does he tell you?
LEVI: Like sometimes, like, when I need to hear it, he`ll tell me that he loves me. And he told me to be a doctor to this certain nation, and I don`t want to say.
TUCHMAN: You don`t want to say the name of the nation?
LEVI: No. Because this is going on in the world -- somewhere or ever.
TUCHMAN: The nation might be happy to hear a doctor is coming.
LEVI: Yes, but they may not be happy to hear that a missionary is coming, too.
(MUSIC)
TUCHMAN (voice-over): Levi`s father is an evangelical minister. His mother and father home-school Levi and his brother.
TIM, LEVI`S FATHER: Somebody could watch the movie and - and - and think that maybe we are - are being narrow-minded, but we`re not. We`re single-minded.
TUCHMAN: Levi left Jesus camp with sadness for those who don`t have the faith he has.
(on camera): So you don`t think they`ll go to heaven, though, if they don`t believe what you believe?
LEVI: Nope.
TUCHMAN (voice-over): They`re taught to spread the word.
LEVI: This generation is a key generation to Jesus coming back.
TUCHMAN: And Levi is only just getting started.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Gary Tuchman for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: All right. You remember the runaway bride? Of course you do. There was no escaping her. She took off before her wedding, and she made up a story that she was kidnapped.
Well, Jennifer Wilbanks is now suing her former fianc' for half a million bucks. She says he bought a house with some of the money that they made selling their story to a media company in New York, and she wants her share of it.
Now she also says that her former fianc' abused the power of attorney she granted him to handle their financial affairs. The couple broke up in May - shocking, shocking. That was about a year after she ran away from their wedding.
ANDERSON: If I said to you, "I pity the fool," who would you think of? Mr. T, of course. The former star of "The A-Team" is now inspiring people to improve their personal and professional lives in a brand new motivational show.
So is Mr. T the new Dr. Phil?
With me here in Hollywood, Mr. T.
Good to see you. Welcome back to the show.
MR. T., "I PITY THE FOOL": Thank you, Brooke. I`m glad to be here.
ANDERSON: Oh, it`s - we`re so happy to have you, and to see you again.
So tell me: are you the new Dr. Phil.
MR. T: No.
ANDERSON..in this new show, "I Pity the Fool."
MR. T: I`m glad you asked me that, Brooke. And I`ll explain to everybody as I (ph) do my press tour. We`re not Dr. Phil. See, Dr. Phil will give advice. I don`t give advice on my show. I motivate people. I inspire them. I left their spirit. I give them hope.
You know, so that`s - that`s what makes me different from Dr. Phil. I`m an authority figure to give people advice.
ANDERSON: I see.
MR. T: See what I give them - I bring a certain street, you know, credibility from me putting myself up and going through things, surviving. And that`s what allows me the position to give people.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well - well how - give us an example of how you are doing that. You say you`re - you`re motivating the suckas out there.
MR. T: No, well - well - now - now - I did not - I - I don`t - now I want you to know, I don`t them call them suckas and fools during the show, you know? Even though the show is called "I Pity the Fool," we`re not going - during the show, I`m not saying, Hey you fool, you stupid. Nothing like that. I`m not saying it like that.
You .
ANDERSON: You`re making it positive.
MR. T: All right, a positive. All right - there`s one episode, there`s a mother, she got four sons. One son is 13, the other I think 14, and 17 and 18. And the oldest son, he called his mother "dude."
So I told him, I said, I want you to look in the dictionary under the word "dude," and you won`t find your mother. I said, I want you to apologize to your mother and show her some respect. I said, your dude is your chums at school, you know?
So it`s like that. That`s sort of like tough love. But that`s what I do. I - I lift people`s spirits, and I tell them stories, how important and what his mother meant to him. And I tell them little bit of stories about why I love my mother, you know?
ANDERSON: And why he should respect.
MR. T: Yes. Exactly. Definitely.
ANDERSON: Well, you certainly have the life experience to do this. You just mentioned, you know, how you were raised and - and bringing yourself up.
You grew up in a ghetto.
MR. T: Yes.
ANDERSON: One of 12 kids.
MR. T: Yes.
ANDERSON: A mother -- a single mother on welfare.
MR. T: Yes.
ANDEROSN: You were then on a very popular, successful show "The A- Team," which my brother and I used to watch and love.
MR. T: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You became a huge role model.
How have those experiences geared you to help others?
MR. T: Well, it`s - see, because - see, back then, I would use my celebrity status to go in the neighborhood and tell the kids, you know, Don`t do bad. Stay away from the wrong crowd. Don`t join gangs, and listen to their mother. I been doing that.
So but now, the TV show just caught on with message. I would go to the jails, I would go to the boys club, neighborhood club, high school, grammar schools, and I would speak, deliver my message. I would go back and - and - and help dealing with people in the hood. And so the crowd would come out when I go to a playground and talk to the kids there, tell them to straighten their cap out, tie them shoes up. Tell them the importance of certain things.
ANDERSON: You now have an outlet to do it.
MR. T: Yes. Exactly.
ANDERSON: And you`ve certainly been through a lot.
MR. T: Yes.
ANDERSON: Mr. T, you were diagnosed with cancer.
(CROSSTALK)
MR. T: Right. Right.
ANDERSON: You overcame it. You beat it.
We just learned that Farrah Fawcett was recently diagnosed with cancer. You battled it in the public eye.
What advice would you give her to get through that?
MR. T: Well, the biggest thing is, she got to - she got to forget about what people say and just concentrate on the healing. Because if you get caught up in what people saying, that`s going to bother her. And then she also got to let certain people go in her life. Because there are negative people. You don`t need nobody negative around you. You know, just - you got to - it`s hard, like I`m saying to Steve (ph), focusing hard, and stay focused.
But just allow yourself to heal; allow yourself to go through the treatment, whatever it might be - whether it be chemotherapy, radiation, whatever. Allow you time to heal. Because there`s nothing more important than your healing process. You can`t worry about the business; you got to let that go and whatever. Just concentrate on your healing process. And that`s what you got to do.
ANDERSON: I sense a lot of changes in you, and I see a lot of changes.
You know, you used to walk around with - what? - 35 pounds of gold chains and jewelry.
MR. T: Yes.
ANDERSON: But Mr. T, after Hurricane Katrina, is that when you decided you wanted to take the jewelry off? You said that with so many people that lost so much, you just couldn`t do it.
MR. T: Right. No, because as a Christian, I felt it would be a sin against the God I serve to wear my gold and keep it in front of people`s faces who don`t have nothing. That would be disrespectful, and that`ll be - I think that will be cruel, you know? And too many people lost too much. And, you know, a lot of them homeless; a lot of them will never get their lives back together again.
ANDERSON: Do you think enough is being done (INAUDIBLE)
MR. T: No, it isn`t. No, they can do a lot more. I think they see it`s out of sight, out of mind. When it first happened, that first month, all the press, everybody was down there. Celebrities coming down, using the people as a photo op, which I thought was kind of - is kind of - is kind of sickening, you know? They`re not really going to be down helping you build the house and donate money. Don`t just use the people as a photo op and then you go about your business.
A year passed. Is they - is they talk - talk - talking to those people that they took a picture with? I don`t think so. You know, so don`t - don`t disgrace the people, you know? So like I said - you know, I mean, I`ve helped some people up here that came to different shelters. We have a church in Chicago that brought some people in.
But I don`t - as I call it in the streets, I don`t prostitute the situation. I do it for my heart, not, Hey press, come on down and watch me do this here. You know, and so, and - and - and.
ANDERSON: Right.
MR. T: If - if more - more people get involved with - you know, they`re bringing more emphasis on what`s going down there.
(CROSSTALK)
MR. T: Yes, a lot of people have shut out there, you now?
ANDERSON: It seems very genuine. We`re so glad that you`re doing well healthwise.
MR. T: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And congratulations on this new show.
Mr. T, great to see you again.
MR. T: Thank you, Brooke. Thank you so much, Brooke.
ANDERSON: All right. And Mr. T`s new show, "I Pity the Fool," debuts on TV Land tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, legendary singer Gladys Knight has a brand new album out, and she`s going to be right here to tell us about it. Gladys Knight coming up next, in the interview you`ll so only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Plus, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are honoring murdered journalist Daniel Pearl on his birthday. We`re going to tell you how they`re marking the day coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From "Team America" to "MAD TV," North Korea`s leader gets lampooned. We`re taking a look at how Kim Jong-Il is used for laughs. And that is coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s get A.J. to desk with tracking (ph) for the next block.
Master, roll your break. And effect black.
(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. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
You know what it`s time for? It`s time for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
And here`s a word to the wise: if - if you`re going to fry up some pot burgers, don`t serve them to police officers. You heard me right. Three employees at a Burger King in New Mexico are facing charges for allegedly putting marijuana in hamburgers and serving them to two police officers.
Now police say the officers about half a burger each before realizing something was amiss. But workers were busted after a field test identified the pot.
But we still have to say, pot burgers? "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, moving on now to a story I`m sure you have heard about: North Korea reportedly threatening to fire a nuclear missile. Not exactly the funniest situation out there in the news right now. But from "MAD TV" to "Team America," the portrayal of North Korea`s leader has always been good for a chuckle, even if it`s a nervous one.
Here`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Though no one was practicing duck-and-cover drills, news from North Korea is yet another stressful thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s bad. It`s bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It worries me a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it absolutely makes me nervous.
MOOS: On North Korean TV, the nuclear bombshell was dropped...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKIN IN KOREAN)
MOOS: .by an anchor woman so enthusiastic she rivaled Katie Couric`s pre- "CBS Evening News" self.
(on camera): "The New York Times" had a straightforward, across-the- page, banner headline: "North Korea Says it Tested a Nuclear Device Underground." And the "New York Post"? "Nut with a Nuke."
(voice-over): After all, that`s how Kim Jong-Il is often portrayed in America.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: I am so crazy.
MOOS: "MAD TV" presented Kim as a talk show host interviewing Donald Trump.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Donald Trump, you have a head like a mushroom cloud.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.
MOOS: Whoever imagined Donald Trump`s hair would be prophetic
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Omarosa, you`re fired!
MOOS: North Korea`s U.N. ambassador was the object immediate chase as he went by foot to the U.N. The press followed and followed, even when the ambassador said he`d had enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s enough. That`s enough.
MOOS: But at least he didn`t do what Angelina Jolie`s bodyguard did to a photographer staking out Angelina and Brad in India.
At least the North Korean ambassador, despite his imperfect English, was able to pronounce a certain word...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The nuclear test. .
MOOS: ... better than a certain president.
BUSH: A nucular (ph) test.
MOOS: Nuclear is correct, though "Merriam-Webster`s" notes that, while disapproved of, nucular is widely used by "educated speakers, including at least one U.S. president."
And speaking of nukes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a real argument about why we can have it and they can`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t have any. Do you have any?
MOOS (on camera): No. Not on me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s OK, because I - I always have to go next door to my neighbor`s when I need one.
MOOS (voice-over): No depiction of Kim Jong-Il...
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: Hello.
MOOS: ... has captured the dear leader quite the way the guys who created "South Park" did in their movie.
UNIDENTIFIED VOICE ACTOR: (SINGING)
TREY PARKER, DIRECTOR, "TEAM AMERICA": I actually think if the real Kim Jong-Il ever sees that, he`ll probably start crying.
MOOS: Don`t cry for me, North Korea.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Ah, everybody sing along. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are honoring slain journalist Daniel Pearl today, which would have been his 43rd birthday. Today, the couple donated $100,000 to the Daniel Pearl Foundation.
In an exclusive statement to "People" magazine, the couple said their thoughts go out to Pearl`s family, and that the music festivals going on around the world are a reminder of his life and his love of music.
Pitt and Jolie are in India, filming "A Mighty Heart," based on Pearl`s story. Jolie plays Pearl`s widow in the movie, and Pitt`s production company is co-producing it.
HAMMER: Well, last night, we told you how Brad and Angelina were swarmed by the paparazzi when they tried to go out with their 5-year-old son Maddox on a rickshaw in India. And we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day" on the subject.
"Stars Out With Their Kids: Should the paparazzi leave them alone?" Very decided her: 93 percent of you say "yes"; 7 percent of you say "no."
Among the e-mails we received, we got one from Cindy in California. Cindy writes, "When they are with their children or spouses doing normal things, they deserve as much privacy as anyone else."
We also heard from Ryan in Florida. He writes, "If it were anyone else`s kids, leave them alone. But Brad and Angelina are out to make their personal life a mission."
ANDERSON: Angelina Jolie came up in a different way this afternoon, with Donald Trump weighing in on her looks.
Trump was on "CNN NEWSROOM," promoting his new book, "Why We Want You To Be Rich," which he co-wrote with Robert Kiyosaki. And they played a little word association with host Kyra Phillips and Don Lemon.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I`m going to throw out some names. Brad Pitt.
DONALD TRUMP, CO-AUTHOR, "WHY WE WANT YOU TO BE RICH": Well, he`s married to somebody that I`m not a big fan of. I don`t think Angelina Jolie is very good looking, but these are minor details.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Is it all about looks?
TRUMP: No. But you know what.
PHILLIPS: Oh, wait a minute, let me just look at your wives.
TRUMP: Excuse me.
PHILLIPS: Your wives are very attractive.
TRUMP: That`s true; I agree with that. But I don`t ever want to go out with a woman who`s been out with more people than I have.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Trump also said that he thinks Britney Spears is very lovely.
HAMMER: Wow.
Not a lot of people out there that you can call a legend. You can certainly call Gladys Knight a legend. You know her songs, from "Midnight Train to Georgia"; "The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me." The list goes on and on.
She first performed when she was just 4 years old. She`s out now with this, her 37th album, called "Before Me."
Gladys Knight, a pleasure to welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Good to see you.
GLADYS KNIGHT, SINGER: Thank you. It`s great to be here.
HAMMER: So as I mentioned, we know these songs. They`re - they`re so legendary in and of themselves. And they`ve been out for a long time now.
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: .over 30 years in - in some cases.
I`ve never gotten the impression - while some artists will sort of shy away from the songs that maybe people know them best for, after performing them for so long, that I - I just know you love going out there and belting out "Midnight Train to Georgia" whenever you have the chance.
KNIGHT: Of course I do. I love that song. From the beginning, it`s been one of my very special favorites. And I enjoy performing it.
I`m there for you. If that`s what you want to hear, we can do that. I get a little nervy sometimes when that`s all people want to hear.
HAMMER: Yes, but you - you sort of expect that. But - but of course.
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: .you have such a range of music. And of course, this new album, which I want to talk to you about in - in - in just a moment.
The first thing I noticed when you walked out there, Gladys.
KNIGHT: What happened?
HAMMER: .you look amazing.
KNIGHT: Well, thank you.
HAMMER: You truly look - look great. And I`m not saying, like, you don`t always look great. May I say how old you are?
KNIGHT: Yes. Go ahead.
HAMMER: Do you mind? Do you (INAUDIBLE) - you`re 62. Do I have that right?
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: You`re 62 years old, and you look absolutely great.
KNIGHT: Thank you.
HAMMER: We`re always hearing about how much pressure there is, particularly in the entertainment industry, to look great. And - and women seem to feel it more than ever.
You always look good.
KNIGHT: Thank you.
HAMMER: Do you - do you feel the pressure?
KNIGHT: Not really. I`ve never thought about numbers, as far as age as concerned. I`ve been fighting the weight thing all my life. That`s why I did the kind of "Dress for Success," you know, with our foundation, with Ashley Stewart. And I do this clothing line for - for plus-sized women, because we kind of get overlooked.
But, yes, in the industry, you do feel like, you know, they want you to stay thin, get in those gowns. But I just - my mom always said, "Dress where you are." And I just try to do that, rather than putting on something that doesn`t fit me where I am, I`ll go and do something that - that is complementary.
HAMMER: Well you seem like you have a very realistic attitude about it, which I think is what escapes a lot of people - or it certainly escapes the message that Hollywood puts out there.
KNIGHT: Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, it`s kind of sad a little bit. You know, because we were created with differences and that kind of thing. And we don`t all fit into one little mold. We don`t look alike.
And that`s the beauty of the world; that`s the beauty of - of what we have, and who we are.
HAMMER: You mentioned your Ashley Stewart clothing line.
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: It`s kind of loungewear and - and basically, I - I once you say, it`s sort of the idea, Well, every woman should have that great little black dress, and little can, you know, mean different things to different people.
KNIGHT: That`s right.
HAMMER: And now you`re sort of making that happen.
KNIGHT: Yes. I was talking to a friend of mine at one of the spas that I had visited, and she was saying, Why do they keep making all these clothes for these little bitty women? You know, we can`t even find a black dress. And I said, You know what? I`m getting ready to come with a line, and we going to have the little, bigger black dress.
HAMMER: Nice.
KNIGHT: OK?
HAMMER: Yes.
KNIGHT: So we`re looking forward to it.
HAMMER: No, it`s a really realistic and - and nice approach. And, you know, it`s nice that, you know, perhaps people will see that you`re paying attention to it, and maybe other designers will follow suit.
And - and Ashley Stewart, not just selling your clothes; they`re actually selling your CDs as well.
KNIGHT: That`s true (ph).
HAMMER: .in addition to some other outlets.
The new CD is called "Before Me."
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: It`s a legend covering legends. You`re covering Dinah and - and - and - and all these great artists, from Ella to Nina.
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: So - so why did you choose these particular artists? I mean, I imagine they`re the - the women that you grew up listening to, and who inspired you.
KNIGHT: Yes. And the other blessing in my life was I met them all, and had the opportunity in certain situations to even work with them. I met them all except Billie Holliday. And I heard their stories. So I know what they went through in order for me to be sitting here, talking to you. Or even for hip-hop to become what it`s become, someone had to open the door.
Jazz is one of the oldest forms of music out there. And they came through that era. And by them being African-African women, it was not easy for them to do that. A lot of times they couldn`t stay in the places where they performed. So I`m grateful that they stood tall, stayed true to the music and gave me an opportunity to come along. And I just wanted to play - pay tribute to them.
HAMMER: Well, it`s - it`s terrific, because these were women who empowered women who came after them.
KNIGHT: Absolutely.
HAMMER: And here you are, Gladys, empowering women who are coming after you.
KNIGHT: I hope so.
HAMMER: And I think it`s terrific. And - and congratulations on everything that you`re doing.
KNIGHT: Thank you.
HAMMER: .on the new album.
KNIGHT: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: You`re welcome.
This is the CD; it is called "Before Me." It`s in stores now. There`s also a holiday album. It`s called "A Christmas Celebration."
KNIGHT: Yes.
HAMMER: Also in stores now.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
Sandra Bullock opens up to us about marriage and Hollywood. We asked about her secret to success when it comes to getting hitched and staying hitched as a superstar. Because it can be tough. We`ll talk about that, plus her new movie, tomorrow in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also coming up tomorrow, Donnie Osmond is here. He is back on Broadway in "Beauty and the Beast." He`s not playing the beauty; he is not playing the beast. But the musical`s main bad guy is tell us all about his new role, and his lifetime in entertainment. That is tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Stay tuned; Glenn Beck is coming up next. And right after, the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
