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Showbiz Tonight
Arrest Warrant Out for Wesley Snipes; Actress Meg Tilly`s Story of Horrific Abuse She Endured as a Child
Aired October 17, 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 HN HOST: Why there is an arrest warrant out for actor Wesley Snipes. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HN HOST: And actress Meg Tilly`s riveting story of the horrific abuse she endured as a child. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now!
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Madonna being treated unfairly? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask as the Madonna adoption controversy explodes worldwide. The African child she wants to adopt arrives in London, but human rights and child protection groups are up in arms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you really wanted to help this child, help him stay with his father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight we say -- hold on, everyone, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking -- did Madonna really do anything wrong?
The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT weight watch. Tonight, how the Pussycat Dolls are inspiring women to put on high heels and slide up and down stripper poles to get in shape. But is acting like a stripper empowering or demeaning?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is possibly limiting individual women`s definitions of beauty and definitions of sexuality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the stripper workout.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everybody, I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask -- is Madonna being treated unfairly? Madonna spoke out today for the very first time since sparking worldwide outrage over the way she adopted a child in Africa. But wait just a second! SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking the tough question.
And there are a lot of questions, A.J. Did Madonna really do anything wrong? What about the child? And, you know what? We`re not the only ones asking that same thing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): This is David, the little boy that Madonna is trying to adopt from the African nation of Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world. He has been taken out of Malawi and brought to England, where he is now staying at Madonna`s sprawling estate.
JO HEYMAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Madonna is obviously thrilled to have the child with her. They are obviously going through the process and steps to have him become a part of her family.
ANDERSON: It seems like a real-life rags to riches story. But, unfortunately, there is no happy ending to this one yet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the adoption is causing global controversy with some people calling the move a publicity stunt.
MICHAEL MUSTO, "LA DOLCE MUSTO": Let me get an African baby, the way I had a Chihuahua and I have a British husband.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, is that really fair? Is Madonna being treated unfairly? What could possibly be wrong with giving an orphan, who is mother died and whose father gave him up for adoption, a safe and loving home?
PAULA MACKIN, ESQ., LAW OFFICE OF PAULA MACKIN: I think she is taking an awful lot of heat for something that is not a frivolous decision, no doubt, on her part and on her family`s part. To take a child into your home, no matter who you are, is a challenge and a wonderful commitment.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": The fact is that Madonna did everything the legal way that you`re supposed to do.
ANDERSON: Madonna`s friend, Rosie O`Donnell, who has adopted children of her own, came to her defense in a big way on "The View" saying, come on, don`t forget about helping kids who face a potentially tough life.
O`DONNELL: There is no one to adopt orphans in Malawi. Just so everyone is clear. There is no way -- There are no people to raise the orphans in Malawi.
ANDERSON: Malawi almost never allows for adoptions. In fact, over the last four years there have been only five exceptions for American families. And while any prospective parents are required to stay within the country for 18 months, Madonna and her family were there for just eight days.
MACKIN: My best guess is that Malawi waived some of its requirements in this particular instance.
ANDERSON: But in a powerful statement, Madonna denies she is getting any special treatment and is acting according to Malawi law saying, quote, "This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly. I am overwhelmed and inspired by my trip to Malawi and hope that it helps bring attention to how much more the world needs to do to help the children of Africa."
Madonna went to Malawi earlier this month pledging to spend $3 million to help Malawi`s children and build an orphanage.
HEYMAN: I think she is acting obviously out of her heart and out of a sincere interest in helping the kids in this country and helping this child. She has been interested in issues of poverty in Africa. She has been interested specifically in Malawi. So it`s not as if she were browsing through a catalog and decided, oh, I`m going to do this.
ANDERSON: Adoption attorney Paula Mackin also tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Madonna is doing the right thing, but understand how this particular adoption could frustrate families who have been waiting years for a child.
MACKIN: It`s got to be very discouraging for those families, many of whom I represent and who are calling me today at my office and asking me, why can`t we facilitate our adoption?
HEYMAN: Madonna is a polarizing figure in the media and in the culture at large and so whenever Madonna does anything, it`s going to get a reaction. I just hope and I think we all would that it doesn`t affect the happiness and welfare of the child, and I don`t think it will.
ANDERSON: And that`s exactly the point. At the end of the day, isn`t it about the child?
MACKIN: The fact that she has adopted from Africa may open some minds of people here in the United States and elsewhere to the possibility of adopting from that continent, and that`s a good thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (on camera): And now we want to hear what you think about it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Say." Adoption controversy -- Is Madonna being treated unfairly? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. Showbiztonight@cnn.com. There is the address.
But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants you to know that we are the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So just look into your video camera, give us a piece of your mind, send us your video e-mail and you may see yourself on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It is really easy. Just go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight for instructions on how to do it. You click, you fill out some information, you attach the video, and send it our way. All videos must be kept to 30 seconds or less, and then just watch for your video e-mails only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, we have some big legal news to talk about with some of Hollywood`s biggest stars tonight. One of three big stories in tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT legal lowdown involves a guy that you see in an awful lot of movies. A judge has ordered that Wesley Snipes be arrested.
Now, this arrest warrant came after Snipes was indicted today on federal tax charges.
Also big O.J. Simpson news tonight. And guess what? For once, O.J. Simpson actually has something to cheer about.
Plus there are new developments in the mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son. Why did police search her home in the Bahamas. Joining me tonight from Glendale, California, Harvey Levin, managing editor of tmz.com.
Let`s get to it, Harvey, with Wesley Snipes. This is amazing. There is an indictment claiming he cheated the government out of about $12 million in taxes. He didn`t even file his tax returns for six years. This is pretty serious stuff, isn`t it?
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: It`s really serious, A.J. And this guy has had issues with the law for a long time. This one is the worst.
Basically what the government is saying is, he came up with this phony baloney plan to basically say he didn`t have to pay income taxes. He did it with two other guys, according to the federal government. They have charged them with offenses that could land all of them in prison for several decades. And basically they are saying in one year alone, Wesley Snipes got a refund of more than $7 million based on a concocted plan that was absolutely fraudulent top to bottom.
HAMMER: And there is a warrant out for his arrest, as I mentioned. You remember the naked guy, Richard Hatch from survivor, he didn`t pay his taxes on $1 million that he won from "Survivor" and some other money from another radio show. And he`s in jail for, like, four years. Now, you`re saying Snipes could be doing decades?
LEVIN: Well, he could be doing decades. And it has nothing to do with being naked or not. It has to do with fraud. And the fact is that Richard Hatch, you know, realized that you really don`t try to cheat the government because they will come after you with a vengeance.
And that is exactly what Wesley Snipes is facing. By the way, A.J. he may be on the lam. They can`t find him. So at least as of this moment, as far as I know, he really is a wanted man.
HAMMER: So when we`ve been hearing reports they don`t know where he is, they truly -- it`s not like they just haven`t been able to get a hold of him.
LEVIN: Right. Maybe he will come up and say I was at a movie, but I`m guessing not.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s move on to O.J. Simpson. Of course, he was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Simpson in a criminal trial and Ron Goldman. A civil jury ordered him to pay Nicole`s family $20 million. Now, O.J. has never paid. So Nicole`s father, Fred Goldman`s father took him to court. Ron`s father, rather.
What happened today?
LEVIN: Well, Fred Goldman has been trying to get money for a decade now from O.J. Simpson without really any luck.
And what he has tried to do is go to a judge and say, look O.J. Simpson is a famous guy. He has a right of publicity. In other words, he can use his name to attract crowds and make money. And Goldman said, I want that right of publicity of O.J. Simpson transferred over to me so that I can get the money directly. And tentatively the judge said, I can`t do that. It would really violate O.J. Simpson`s right of privacy. That is something that is a part of him and I can`t just transfer over that right. So Fred Goldman, basically lost today.
HAMMER: That`s too bad. Seemed like a good idea. Let`s move on to the ongoing mystery of the death of Anna Nicole`s son, of course it was attributed to a lethal combination of drugs. We have just learned that the Bahamian officials have searched her home where she is now living in the Bahamas. What are they looking for, Harvey?
LEVIN: Well, I got to tell you, I mean, I know some stuff -- I`ve been calling around the Bahamas today. And not everybody is satisfied about the cause of death in this case being just an accidental combination of drugs.
HAMMER: Well, including Anna Nicole`s mother who suggested on television last week that there was something more to it -- perhaps he was murdered.
LEVIN: She is not the only one suggesting it. And on the surface, A.J., it sounds outlandish. But there are some people paying some mind to this. And they want to find out about the drugs. I can tell you one thing, and we haven`t even put this up on the Web site yet. But I will tell you this -- on that air plane, a lot of people saw Daniel on that airplane, there was no evidence that Daniel was high on anything or disoriented or anything else. And he went directly from that airplane to the hospital.
HAMMER: Wow. Harvey, got to wrap it up. But obviously the investigation remains open. Harvey Levin from tmz.com, thanks as always.
LEVIN: Bye, A.J.
So what`s the absolute most you would pay for a cake? How about $20 million? Well, stick around and see what a cake like that looks like.
Plus, Meg Tilly`s story of the horrific abuse she endured as a child and why she wouldn`t wish fame on her worst enemy. She is here coming up in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is possibly limiting individual women`s definitions of beauty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How the Pussycat Dolls are inspiring women to get in shape with stripper poles. But the question is -- is it empowering or is it demeaning? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the stripper workout. That`s coming up as our series "Showbiz Weight Watch" continues.
ANDERSON: First tonight`s ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
Luther`s Vandross` big break came in 1975 when he sang backup vocals for which legend? Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, David Bowie or Eric Clapton. Think about it. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles (ph).
So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
Luther Vandross` big break came in 1975 when he sang backup vocals for which pop legend? Rod Stewart, Carly Simon, David Bowie or Eric Clapton. The answer is C, David Bowie.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a story that made us say -- "That`s Ridiculous!"
Now, it`s being called the most expensive wedding cake in the world. I want you to take a look at this. On Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, this $20 million cake was unveiled as part of a luxury bridal show. You heard me right, $20 million worth of diamonds decorating this cake. They should have called it a carat cake.
It is being protected by security guards, of course. A jeweler and a cake designer teamed up to make the cake which, by is way, inedible. Diamonds are apparently a little too hard on the stomach. A $20 million wedding cake you can`t even eat? Now "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Now a story about abuse and molestation that really is so unbelievable, especially because it involved an Oscar nominated actress, Meg Tilly. Till has just revealed that her first novel, "Singing Songs," was in fact partly autobiographical and that she was molested by several family members during her childhood.
Now Meg has a new book out called "Gemma", a story that will make your stomach churn. It is about a young girl who was kidnapped by a sexual predator. And Meg Tilly joins me now in Hollywood. Welcome, Meg.
MEG TILLY, AUTHOR AND ACTRESS: Thank you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: You were an acclaimed actress, nominated for an Oscar for "Agnes of God" back in the mid `80s. We knew you from "Fame."
TILLY: Yes.
ANDERSON: For aall those years you kept this secret. Why did you decide now to reveal that you were violently sexually abused as a child?
TILLY: I think with "Gemma" coming out, I knew the questions would come up again, why do you write about this stuff, why do you feel the need to speak about this stuff? And I just didn`t want to lie. When I published "Singing Songs" first, I just pretended that I plucked it out of the ether. It had nothing to do with me. And I`m 46 years old, and I just feel like I want to say the truth about my life because maybe it will help other kids out there who are going through this or people who have.
ANDERSON: It`s a truly heartbreaking and shocking story, what I`ve read. In your new book, Gemma, which is a horrific story about a young girl kidnapped by a sexual predator. One of the characters is based on one of your mother`s former boyfriends.
TILLY: Yes.
ANDERSON: One of numerous men who sexually abused you as a child.
TILLY: Right.
ANDERSON: What happened with him? He really put you through it.
TILLY: Well, with him ...
ANDERSON: It`s hard.
TILLY: Sometimes the people that stick in your heart the worst are the ones you couldn`t protect other people from. This man -- some of the other pedophiles who molested me or my loved ones had some redeeming qualities. This guy, Hazen, had none. And not only that, he didn`t just, like, abuse, but he also kept trying to kill us ...
ANDERSON: Tried to kill you.
TILLY: Yeah. Which, you know, kind of pissed me off. You never know when he is going to go on a rampage and pour gasoline all over the house and threaten to burn you down, you jump out and leave, so then it is pointless for him to burn the house down or go on his ax whirling routine.
So I think I had a lot more towards him. Now the Hazen character in this book isn`t just him. I kind of based it on -- there were four that I knew growing up. So I sort of took bits and pieces from each, but he is a fictional character. I just gave him Hazen`s name, because I wanted to kind of give the finger to him. I didn`t know at that time that he passed -- I hired a private detective to find out.
ANDERSON: Deceased.
TILLY: Yeah.
ANDERSON: Well, it`s truly heart-wrenching.
TILLY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And I want to read an excerpt from the book. And it says, "`Give me some sugar,` he always says, late at night, when he creeps into my room, my bed, hurts like hell, and he knows it. Why else would he be holding his stupid greasy hand over my mouth?"
Is this exaggerated or did it really happen to you? It makes me emotional just thinking about something like that.
TILLY: "Gemma" a work of fiction, although I used bits of myself. "Singing Songs" happened to Anna, happened to me. But "Gemma" is a work of fiction. I did have people force me to perform sex acts when I was very young or, you know, touch, and do things, but "Gemma" is a work of fiction.
ANDERSON: OK.
TILLY: Yeah. There are bits of me, things that happened to me or feelings that I had or ways that I dealt, like Gemma travel, or ...
ANDERSON: I see. Let me read another excerpt here, another graph that stood out to me. "Thought I was going to die the first time he did it, eight years old, holding me down, doing bad things to me, crying, crying out, but nobody could hear nothing."
I know it`s a work of fiction, but what happened to you for all those years? Did you tell anybody or did you just internalize it and suffer?
TILLY: When my -- when my step grandfather took me at skunk cabbage (ph) and masturbated and came on my shoe I didn`t tell anybody because he told me it was a secret, or when the other family member forced me to perform when I was seven, I didn`t tell anybody. But the thing is it`s not just all bad because I felt like I got back at him as a child. So it`s not just the bad -- there was also good. Now, I can`t remember your question - - probably on purpose.
ANDERSON: You know what I want to - I do want to ask you -- you had said that you wouldn`t wish fame on your worst enemy.
TILLY: Yeah, I wouldn`t.
ANDERSON: Why? Why do you feel that?
TILLY: Because -- because it`s -- well, you know. You`ve experienced it. You feel a little bit like a monkey in the zoo.
ANDERSON: Not to that degree. You were ...
TILLY: Right.
ANDERSON: A huge actress.
TILLY: Right, I love the creative part, but I didn`t like -- OK. The fact of the matter is, as a child, how I kept myself safe, a lot of the times and avoided beatings or molestation was when I would hear somebody coming, I would jump out the window and climb up the roof. And he was scared of heights, so he won`t go up. Or I would find ways to hide, like behind the fridge. If I turned my head sideways and feet sideways. He never thought to look behind the fridge because it was too small of space.
So those were, to me, triumphs, like, I`m clever, I got away. I found ways. So, to me, it`s like -- I keep on losing my train of thought because I`m so flustered talking about this.
ANDERSON: We were talking about fame.
TILLY: So for me, to keep myself safe was always being able to hide. Ad so the first time I got recognized, it was down in Brentwood at a grocery store. A packer recognized me from "Psycho 2." I took to my bed. I couldn`t come out of the house for three days. I thought I would be able to act well enough that people wouldn`t know that I was the person who was up there on the screen. I thought that I would be able to change myself enough.
And when I realized I wasn`t, it was very scary and I would have nightmares about it. And I think that`s the reason why I tore my ligaments when I was shooting "Amadeus". Because I was afraid that would shoot me to the next level.
ANDERSON: Well, what you have overcome, the adversities and the experience, what you have overcome is remarkable. Thank you for sharing your story with us. I know it can`t be easy. Meg Tilly, thanks so much.
TILLY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And her new book, "Gemma" is in stores now.
Lance Armstrong sets the record straight, so to speak, about the gay rumors. We`re going to tell you what he had to say coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s a wonderful way to build confidence in yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Pussycat Dolls are inspiring women to get in shape with stripper poles! Is it empowering or demeaning? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the stripper workout that`s coming up as our special series, "Showbiz Weight Watch" continues.
ANDERSON: Plus our special series, a prescription for rehab begins. Coming up, a revealing look at some of the biggest Hollywood stars battling drug and alcohol problems in the public eye. Stay with us!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Lance Armstrong is speaking out about rumors that he and his friend, Matthew McConaughey, are gay. Armstrong and McConaughey have been seen palling around a lot since Armstrong and Sheryl Crowe broke off their engagements. There have been lots of snarky tabloid reports questioning their sexuality. But Armstrong says that`s the media`s problem, not theirs.
Quote, "We all have buds, we all take guy trips. But you take something very normal and put it in a magazine, and people start talking. It`s like either you sleep with anything that moves or you`re gay. They can`t figure it out."
For more of Lance Armstrong`s interview, pick up a copy of "Details" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: Kevin Federline getting body slammed, it`s a story that made us say -- "That`s Ridiculous!" And that`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
RICHELLE CAREY, HEADLINE PRIME NEWSBREAK: Hi everyone. I`m Richelle Carey. Here`s your "Headline Prime" newsbreak.
President Bush has signed new legislation establishing procedures for interrogating and prosecuting terrorism detainees. It establishes military commissions to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down back in June. Critics predict it will some face legal challenges.
After 22 rounds of voting, the race between Venezuela and Guatemala is still on to become Latin America`s next nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council. Some diplomats are calling for a compromise candidate to be put forward.
There are now more than 300 million people living in the U.S. The Census Bureau estimates the population hit that milestone at about 7:46 a.m. Eastern Tuesday. It took just under 39 years to reach that number, and the Census Bureau says the U.S. will hit 400 million in 2043.
And actor Wesley Snipes is now a wanted man. He has been indicted on federal charges of income tax evasion and an arrest warrant has been issued.
That`s the news for now. Keep it here. Thanks for watching. I`m Richelle Carey.
(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.
HAMMER: Brooke, as you know, Madonna`s certainly been coming under a lot of fire from some groups for her efforts to adopt a 1-year-old from a poverty-stricken country. Certainly seems counterintuitive. Well, Rosie O`Donnell has come to her friend Madonna`s defense. You will hear what Rosie had to say in her own words. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J.
Also, I think a lot of people have probably waiting awhile to see something like this: Kevin Federline - or K-Fed as some people call him - gets beaten up, A.J. He gets bodyslammed. And we`ve got the video to prove it. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: I`ve got the sound effects. Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: But first tonight, the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch" continues. It`s our coverage of the obsession with weight and body image in Hollywood. And tonight, stripping to shed the pounds. That`s right. Turn on the TV, and you`ll see big stars like the Pussycat Dolls swiveling their sexy selves to dance moves inspired by strippers.
Now there`s a coast-to-coast trend of using those sultry steps to get in shape.
Here`s CNN Brianna Keilar for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, bringing sexy back to the gym.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These aren`t your typical athletic shoes. But then this isn`t your typical workout.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lift it up. Very nice, girls.
KEILAR: Welcome to "Xpose Fitness," one of a growing number of gyms dedicated to workouts inspired by stripping. Classes include pole dancing and chair dancing, but unlike so-called exotic dancers, these women keep their clothes on.
ANITA AMMON, XPOSE FITNESS GYM INSTRUCTOR: I think it is empowering.
KEILAR: Anita Ammon owns this franchise in suburban Maryland. She says her average customer is in her late 30s to early 40s, and many participants are moms.
AMMON: It`s kind of bringing their femininity back, that they`ve kind of lost for sacrificing with their kids and, you know being so hectic and leading such busy lives.
KEILAR: At home, Jenny Becker is a wife and mother. In her spare time, she pole dances at another studio she opened early this month. Becker credits the classes with working out her confidence as much as her muscles.
JENNY BECKER, XPOSE STUDENT AND GYM OWNER: And I`m able to speak without feeling awkward. It`s a wonderful way to build confidence in yourself.
KEILAR: Dr. Tina Deshotels has stripper culture for a decade. She says the growth of upscale clubs has made exotic dancing mainstream enough for gyms and music videos.
Witness the chart-topping Pussycat Dolls, born of a burlesque Hollywood dance troupe.
DR. TINA DESHOTELS, SOCIOLOGIST, JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIV: This is making it more acceptable because it`s not so seedy anymore.
KEILAR: But Deshotels found many dancers lose their individual sense of self and sexuality, and she fears stripping as exercise could have the same results.
DESHOTELS: I have some ideas that this is possibly limiting individual women`s definitions of beauty and definitions of sexuality, just like it does for the women in this profession.
KEILAR: But these women don`t see it that way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Make it look a little naughty.
KEILAR: They say there`s a big difference between doing this for fun and fitness than to pay the bills.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Brianna Keilar for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show with ongoing coverage of the obsession with weight and body image. Catch the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch" every Tuesday and Friday, and other days as this stuff comes up, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: So get this: the ladies on "The View" actually all agreed on something today: they`ve all got Madonna`s back.
As we`ve been telling you, Madonna has been coming under fire from some groups. They say she skirted laws in adopting a baby boy from the poverty-stricken African country of Malawi because she`s a celebrity. The 1-year-old, named David, was flown into London with a police escort.
Now on "The View," all the co-hosts think what Madonna is doing is great -- her friend Rosie O`Donnell with the strongest support.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Well, I say that fame makes everything easier besides going to the mall, OK? Because any famous person you know does not wait in line at the DMV. They have a special thing for famous people.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do?
O`DONNELL: Yes. And you get to cut the line. And you never see famous people really waiting in line.
So there is no wait to adopt orphans in Malawi. Just so everyone is clear: there is no wait. There are no people to raise the orphans in Malawi.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
O`DONNELL: It is a country.
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": There`s no wait?
O`DONNELL: There is no waiting list.
BEHAR: Oh.
O`DONNELL: So people think Madonna went in and cut and there were nine other families waiting. That is a fallacy.
The fact is that Madonna did everything the legal way that you`re supposed to. And no one here is really an expert on the adoption laws in Africa. And I think that she should be applauded for what she`s done.
BEHAR: I do, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well said, Rosie.
But what do you think? It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Here`s what we want to know: "Adoption Controversy: Is Madonna being treated unfairly?" Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. We want to just look into your video camera or your webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s really easy; just go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight to learn how to do it. You just have to click, attach your video and send. Keep in mind the video`s got to be 30 seconds or less. And then you can watch your video e-mails, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: It`s now time to kick off our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT weeklong series "Prescription for Rehab." We`re taking a revealing look at some of the biggest Hollywood stars who have been addicted to drugs or alcohol, in and out of rehab, and even jail.
Tonight, as hard as it is to get through this stuff when you`re in the public eye, being a star can actually be a light at the end of the tunnel when battling substance abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Hollywood, where high stakes and big bucks often lead to crippling addictions. It`s a tale we hear all too often. But this isn`t one of those tales.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the big screen is filled with addiction success stories.
JASON MEWES, ACTOR: Sometimes I wish I`d done a little more with my life instead of hanging out in front of places.
ANDERSON: Jason Mewes in "Clerks II"; Robert Downey Jr. in "A Scanner Darkly"; and Colin Farrell in "Miami Vice."
COLIN FARRELL, ACTOR: Do you think I`m in so deep I should die?
ANDERSON: Each conquered addiction; each lived to tell about it.
MEWES: Now that I`m sober, I can really talk about it.
ANDERSON: Jason Mewes from "Clerks II" talked to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about his battles with drugs, including heroin, which raged as he was a frequent star in Kevin Smith films, such as "Dogma" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."
MEWES: Jay and Silent Bob are in the hizzouse!
ANDERSON: Jason tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that that all changed when his drug problems caused his friend, director Kevin Smith, to leave him out of a movie, "Jersey Girl," which starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
MEWES: (INAUDIBLE) that Kevin`s family wasn`t talking to me. A lot of my friends were - stopped answering my calls and all that. It was a - sort of an eye opener, that I was like, All right, I`m not going to be able to work. I have no friends pretty much. I`m in a house with no heat and electric and.
ANDERSON (on camera): You made the decision to straighten your life?
MEWES: Yes. Yes. And then I just - yes, I woke up and I was like, I got to stop.
ANDERSON (voice-over): But someone who could not stop for the longest time was Robert Downey Jr., who spent most of the 1990s in and out of court, and even jail, on various drug-and-alcohol-related charges.
Now Downey is working steadily, in movies like "A Scanner Darkly."
ROBERT DOWNEY JR., ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE) It`s awe-inspiring stuff.
You know, this reason that`s listed in American medical - you know, in - in (INAUDIBLE) is a disease.
ANDERSON: On "LARRY KING LIVE," Downey talked about the second chance he`s been given at sobriety.
DOWNEY: I think once you have an opportunity to get the help you need to get out of it, you just have to remember that sometimes that train doesn`t come back around for seven years, you know? It`s very specific how many chances you get.
FARRELL: This is Detective Crockett, Miami-Dade PD.
ANDERSON: Right after he finished shooting his role as Sonny Crockett in the "Miami Vice" movie, Hard-partying actor Colin Farrell went straight to an addiction facility.
His co-star, Jamie Foxx, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Colin`s been doing great.
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: I speak to him all the time. He`s all good.
ANDERSON: Celebrity entertainment reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that stars like model Kate Moss find that fighting a drug problem is especially hard when you`re a celebrity.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: These stars have all the character defects that you and I have. The difference is that when they go down, they go down very publicly. It`s especially humiliating.
ANDERSON: But as we hear from the stars themselves, nothing beats a public information more than a public recovery.
DOWNEY: You figure it out what makes the - the souffl' not drop.
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: I know.
DOWNEY: In the oven. But once you figure it out, you don`t throw away the recipe, you know? So I`m - I`m just really fortunate right now.
ANDERSON: Metallica lead singer James Hetfield, who`s battled his own problems with alcohol addiction, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that staying sober is a constant fight.
JAMES HETFIELD, METALLICA: Someday you`re on vacation, and all of a sudden there`s some guy drinking a nice, cold beer. And you go, Man, that would - that would be nice. But, you know, not for me. I`ve abused it. And I have consequences around it. And it`s not a good trade for me. I have things that are more important to me.
And so some days are tough. Most of the time, I - I - I have a lot of good support.
ANDERSON: As celebrity reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell, who`s had her own battle with addiction, tells us, it`s a lifelong fight.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So I`ve been sober more than 11 years. And so it`s a daily struggle. You get a daily reprieve. It`s a spiritual work that you`ve got to do. And you got to stay on target.
ANDERSON: And as these stars, who have stayed on target have proven, staying clean is a good way to stay on top.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We`re going to have more of our special series, "Prescription for Rehab," tomorrow, including more of Jason Mewes` ironic story of playing a drug dealer on the big screen and dealing with a real- life heroin addiction.
Plus, former "Full House" star Jodie Sweetin`s struggle with crystal meth. That`s also tomorrow.
And on Thursday, "Partridge Family" star Danny Bonaduce on his painful battle with cocaine.
Sean "Diddy" Combs - the music mogul is opening up about Jennifer Lopez and his other relationships like never before. And will we see him on a 2008 presidential ballot? Diddy in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Plus, Britney Spears` husband, Kevin Federline, gets beaten up. And we`ve got the amazing video of what happened that is kind of ridiculous. It`s next.
ANDERSON: Also, Jessica Simpson comes clean and reveals some dirty secrets. She finally speaks out about the John Mayer tabloid scandals, and the juicy details.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, 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!"
Yes, Kevin Federline, Britney Spears` hubby, who we and many others have quite frankly slammed for being famous for - well, nothing - he really got slammed in L.A. last night. He got into a heated battle with WWE champion John Cena. He flicked K-Fed onto the nap. It was all for a taping of USA`s "Monday Night Raw" show - so yes, it was probably all a big publicity stunt.
K-Fed`s got an album coming out in a couple of weeks - oh, the timing, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Oh, the timing.
You know, he wasn`t amused who`s been trash talking either from John Cena. He came out, taunted him. And he said, You know, the album is called "`Playing With Fire,` K-Fed. Well, they should call it "the biggest scumbag on Earth. And you`re less talented than Paris Hilton."
HAMMER: That`s fantastic.
ANDERSON: That probably stunned a little more than the body slam.
HAMMER: Well said, John Cena.
K-Fed fighting with a WWE wrestles?
HAMMER: "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: "That`s Ridiculous!"
All right. Jessica Simpson is speaking out about dealing with the tabloids as well as her sex life.
In the November issue of "Jane" magazine, Jessica also says she is acting as her own publicist after firing hers after a tabloid scandal that said she was dating musician John Mayer. Jessica says, "The thing that sucked about the John Mayer fiasco was it looked like a publicity stunt. Trust me, it`s if the" - quote - "`inside sources` who leak this kind of stuff were my friends, the magazines would have a lot juicier info."
Jessica also says she probably won`t wait until she`s married again until she has sex, but she doesn`t plan on sleeping around: "I do believe you need to respect yourself and respect your body. It is a very sacred thing to me." I know - "I have to know you" - excuse me - "I have to know you for a really long time."
There it is.
Read more of Jessica Simpson`s revealing interview in "Jane" magazine, on newsstand October 24.
HAMMER: Now on to a man who is a giant among entertainment giants. He has conquered the music business, he has redefined the fashion industry. He certainly made waves on television, and he even took Broadway by storm.
"Time" magazine named this guy one of the most influential people in the world this year. And from the looks of things, he`s not slowing down anytime soon.
Sean "Diddy" Combs has definitely proven he cannot be underestimated. Now Diddy is pushing even his own personal limits on his latest project. It`s one that brings him back to his first love, which is music -- the new album, in stores today, called "Press Play Diddy."
Here in New York at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS, ENTERTAINER: Yes.
HAMMER: (INAUDIBLE) to see you.
COMBS: Thanks for having me, man.
HAMMER: That was quite a build-up, wasn`t it?
COMBS: Yes. It was great.
HAMMER: Well, you know - you know, dropping an album.
COMBS: Need to take you on the road with me.
HAMMER: Dropping an album is a - is a pretty big deal.
And I`ve heard where you have said this is your most personal.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: .album yet. I know on the CD, in some of the raps you`re alluding to your longtime relationship.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: .with Kim Porter.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: Even your ex-girlfriend.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: .Jennifer Lopez.
Are we kind of seeing a softer side of Diddy?
COMBS: Yes. I - I wouldn`t say a softer side. I would say a - a real side. We all have been in relationships. We`ve all experienced love and heartache and pain. And hopefully, we all get a chance to experience love that stands the test of time. And, you know, I - I have an album that really talks about the whole seduction phase, when you meet somebody in the nightclubs, so you have that musical element.
Then I fall in love. Then I experience pain, and I realize I wasn`t as tough and as rough as I thought I was. And this - this is all done with some of the greatest voices in the musical game right now, like Christina Aguilera I`m doing songs with - Mary J. Blige, Big Boi from OutKast. You know, Brandy, Sierra. I mean, a whole - a whole great cast of people. I treat it like a - a - a movie on disc.
And it`s - it`s a love story. It`s about the love for my music, and - and the - and the love you have in a relationship. And what comes with that, the reality of it.
So - so - so it shows the good, the bad and the ugly of a relationship.
HAMMER: Yes. The words coming from the heart though.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: It`s nice to see that from you. You know, because we`ve certainly seen different sides of you.
COMBS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: .in the past.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: And I - I mentioned your relationship with Kim Porter.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: Congratulations on the.
COMBS: Thank you.
HAMMER: .impending twins.
COMBS: Thank you.
HAMMER: Got the twins. You - now you already have two sons and a stepson.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: Now you got twin girls on the way.
COMBS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: How are you feeling about that? Are you a little nervous? Scared? Are - are you excited? All those things?
COMBS: It`s - it`s - it`s exciting to me man. I mean, this is one of the - probably the greatest times in my life. God is truly blessing me right now with - with new things. I`m evolving as a person. I`ve evolved as a producer. And, you know, I`m praying I have evolved as a father, so when these young - young ladies get here, that - that I could be the best I could be.
You know, but it`s just a great time to be back to making music and to be having these new - new editions to the family.
HAMMER: It`s very exciting.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Sometimes - there are some men, who quite honestly - especially when they`ve only had boys around, get a little nervous about that.
COMBS: Yes. No. No. I mean - I`m - I`m excited. I can`t say I`m nervous. I mean, I - I can`t wait. I mean, I - I`ve always dreamed, you know, to - to be able to have girls. So I`m very excited.
HAMMER: You dream big.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: There`s - there`s no question about that. It obviously got you where you are today. And as I mentioned, "Time" magazine had named you this year one of the most influential people in the world.
Wow. You know, I mean, that - that`s pretty incredible.
COMBS: That - that was definitely one of - one of -- one of my biggest moments. It was definitely humbling. It felt great.
HAMMER: Well, on - on this CD, on the song "In the Future," you - you rap about the first black president in the United States.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: What do you think it would take for us, in our lifetime, to see a black person in the White House at the head of this nation?
COMBS: I - I - I think that you will see that one day. I - I - I have - I definitely have beliefs that you will see that one day.
I - I think it`s going to take time. I think there`s a lot of issues here at home that we don`t deal with, we`re so busy, you know.
HAMMER: What`s the biggest thing standing in our way though? Because it - it just seems like something that so many people are so ..
(CROSSTALK)
COMBS: No. No. No. I mean, race - it simply is - what? - racism. You know, people - you know, racism and just old ways. But - but it`s a new time. And this is a new America. And we got to start showing the face of the new America, and stop showing the face of the old America, which is putting our nose in other people`s business, other wars, spending billions of dollars on - on - on fighting, and not spending billions of dollars on rebuilding our nation, which needs education, health care and things like that.
And - and, you know - and - and it`s going to take - I feel it`s going to take a black president to - to make a change like that. It`s going to take a black president to stand up, that has gone through all of that pain and - and - and heartache and - and - and turmoil in their lives and struggled to be able to - to set things right and balance the world out. Or - I mean, that - or, you know - or a woman president.
We - we - we need a change in America.
HAMMER: We do need a change. There`s no question about it. But getting that dialogue started.
COMBS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: .to - to put a woman or a black person in the White House, it just seems daunting.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: And it seems like there`s no easy solution. We know what we have to talk about it. But how do we get it done?
COMBS: I mean, I think the dialogue needs to be starting now. Because, I mean, when you look at what`s going on - especially, we were watching CNN, and it - it just hurts your heart, you know, what`s going on throughout the world. And we could be having much of - more of a positive impact in the world than - than we having right now. And, you know what? I - I think that there is going to come - when that change comes, we - we - we`ve seen things change throughout the years. But there`s more changing that we have to do.
HAMMER: There`s no question about that.
You have had certainly such an impact on so many facets of our culture. Fashion - certainly not among the - the least of them with Sean John. What an unbelievable success that has been.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: And - and now, I know you have a women`s line.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: .Sean, that - that`s - that`s out, or coming out.
COMBS: Yes. We have a women`s line, Sean John, that - that`s going to be coming out in the spring.
HAMMER: So I`m curious, your take, as a fashion mogul.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: Because Diddy, you are, after all, a fashion icon and a fashion mogul - there`s been quite a revolt against the use of super skinny models in fashion models. I`m sure you heard in Madrid, they actually banned them from the runway.
There is a certainly responsibility that comes with putting people out there that are going to create these images that young women will aspire to.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: What`s your take on that?
COMBS: You know, to be honest, I didn`t really have a take on it.
You know, I - I - I myself, I - I like a young lady with some meat on her bones. I`m not going to lie. So, you know - I mean, I - I was cool with it either way. It was never - it was never a problem for me. When I - when I use women on the runway, you know, I - I used all shapes and colors and sizes. You know, I didn`t discriminate.
But when I had heard, you know, it was kind of funny to me. But I could understand, you know, them taking that position. But I - I - I really - I love all shapes and sizes myself.
HAMMER: Well, I`m asking you because - because when you so much influence, it`s important to be socially conscious. And is that something that comes up in your boardrooms - somebody makes a suggestion, do you ever say, You know what? I don`t think that`s a good idea.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: It sends a bad message.
COMBS: I mean, yes. I mean, really - I definitely, with my music, have been way more socially conscious. And I think that has just come with time, evolving. Once you realize you have the power, you want to do things positive with that power. And even where we have our billboard in Times Square with the - you know, the fists up in the air that represents black power, and - and the - and the hundreds of young minorities that - that we - that - that we employ at Sean John, that`s what we decide to do with our power. And we`ll always be a shining example of not being able to be put in a box, like we did with Estee Lauder.
HAMMER: Right.
COMBS: .and Unforgivable cologne. That a man of color could come out here and be as successful as a Ralph Lauren or a Hugo Boss.
HAMMER: Well, hopefully you`ll continue to inspire.
COMBS: Yes.
HAMMER: .and make a difference.
COMBS: Yes. Thank you.
HAMMER: Diddy, thanks for dropping by.
COMBS: Make sure you - make you get the album.
HAMMER: The CD?
COMBS: You can dance, too, man.
HAMMER: I - I can dance?
COMBS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: I don`t know if I can dance.
COMBS: No. No. I`m saying it`s - it`s all right now. I`m back.
HAMMER: Oh. It`s back, because Diddy`s back.
"Press Play" is in stores now.
COMBS: Yes.
ANDERSON: Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," tied into the controversy over Madonna adopting an African boy: "Adopting Children: Do celebrities get preferential treatment?" Well, take a look at this, one-sided vote here: 98 percent of you say "yes"; 2 percent of you say no. Just 2 percent.
Here`s some of the e-mails we got:
Julie from Wisconsin is mad: "Thousands of families throughout the world have to wait years. Madonna adopts a child in two weeks. It`s an insult."
But Barbara from Virginia is a bit a more understanding: "Celebrities get preferential treatment, but at least the child will have a future."
Stay with us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Some are slamming Madonna, saying officials looked the other way while she adopted an African baby boy because she`s a celebrity. So: "Adoption Controversy: Is Madonna being treated unfairly?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Or you can just look into your video camera or webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s really easy; just head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, to learn how to do it. Just click, attach your video, and send. Thirty seconds or less. And then watch for your video e-mails right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night.
Glenn Beck is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
