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Showbiz Tonight
K-Fed Won`t Get to Britney`s Millions; Elton John Slams Religion
Aired November 13, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: From Britney and Kevin to Tom and Katie, a look at the power of the Hollywood prenup. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: And Elton John slams religion. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, inside Britney Spears` fortune, startling new details about how much Britney may really be worth.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a woman who sold 75 million albums.
HAMMER: Tonight, how much of her millions will soon-to-be ex hubby Kevin Federline get? The SHOWBIZ truth squad goes digging for answers in the Britney versus Kevin smack down.
The countdown is on, as Tom and Katie get ready to say their "I dos", SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the most bizarre star couple behavior ever.
Are Heather Locklear and David Spade, the wackiest rebound ever? To Nicolette Sheridan and Michael Bolton need sensitivity training. Plus, is Lindsay Lohan on her way to a quickie marriage all a la Britney?
SHOW BIZ TONIGHT presents the Flawed Diamond Awards.
(On camera): Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson. I`m back in Hollywood. Tonight we have Britney`s bottom line. Just how much money does she really have?
HAMMER: Well, tonight, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the secret world of Britney Spears` fortune. We were absolutely astounded by what we learned today about how much she is worth, because you know, it is definitely going to make her divorce battle with Kevin Federline even more interesting.
ANDERSON: A.J., we can also tell you this, while K-Fed no doubt has big dollar signs in his eyes, there is a little thing called a prenup that just may get in the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me just start by saying I know this mess may seem real crazy to you, because everyone thought me and Kevin had the perfect marriage.
ANDERSON (voice over): "Saturday Night Live`s" inevitable take on the Britney Spears-Kevin Federline divorce battle included a exasperated Britney conferring with her divorce attorney.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you entered into this marriage you had a net worth of $250 million, and Mr. Federline --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was $27,000 in debt, that`s correct.
ANDERSON: In the skit and in real life, Brits divorce from K-Fed will come down to a key question -- how much is Britney worth? Check out any celebrity magazine, tabloid, or entertainment show, you will see all kinds of numbers.
The British paper, "The Mail" even devoted a detailed two-page spread to counting up Britney`s Benjamins.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has talked to some of the people who have actually crunched the numbers to tell you how much Britney is worth, and how much of it K-Fed will get his hands on. Here`s a hint. It won`t be much.
LEA GOLDMAN, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: She is no idiot.
ANDERSON: Leah Goldman of "Forbes" magazine tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that before Britney Spears married K-Fed, she took great pains to protect her fortune. How big is that fortune? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked Leah for an estimate.
GOLDMAN: It is a ballpark, it`s absolutely a ballpark.
ANDERSON: OK. We understand it is a rough guess, Leah. So, how about giving us the number.
GOLDMAN: In total, the value of her royalties on the recordings, the value of her merchandising deals, the value of her endorsement deals, the value of her real estate, in total is $100 million.
ANDERSON: Wow! That`s a pretty big ballpark. According to "The Daily Mail", which came up with roughly the same size ballpark, that $100 million includes $22 million in real estate, $37 million in endorsements and merchandising, like Britney`s Pepsi deal and top-selling perfume, and $32 million in cold, hard cash.
GOLDMAN: This is a woman who sold 75 million albums over the course of her very brief career, thus far, so you can glean from that how much she has earned.
ANDERSON: Keep in mind most of the estimates were taken before Britney married K-Fed, two years ago. Which brings up another question: How much is left? Not as much, if you believe "Saturday Night Live."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your main complaint is that he squandered a good deal of your money.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God, ya`ll, he has so much stuff! One time I came home and the dining room was filled with baby tigers! Ya`ll, you know how much baby tigers cost! $650,000, ya`ll!
ANDERSON: Did K-Fed squander the Britney fortune? Celebrity watchers believe that although Britney Spears and Kevin Federline did not have a lengthy marriage, they had a pricey one.
J.G. PIAZZA, "NY DAILY NEWS": The best estimates we have is that he probably spent between $2 to $5 million of Britney`s money on his partying, his toys. K-Fed had a diamond encrusted watch, numerous pendants, and another jewelry. The most egregious was probably, I think it was a half million dollar Ferrari and he had the logo replaced with Federline.
ANDERSON: And as they Federline and Spears prepare to do battle in court, will Britney have to surrender more of her fortune to end her marriage? Probably not thanks to a prenup, which, according to some reports, limits Federaline to $300,000 in expensive gifts and a share of the couple`s home.
GOLDMAN: This is a drop in the bucket for her. He is not walking away with any real estate, he doesn`t get his hands on any of the royalties from her music. Whatever Kevin Federline walks away with it is not going to make a dent in her fortune.
ANDERSON: And judging from Britney`s activities since announcing her split, from K-Fed, it seems like she is looking to add to her fortune.
GOLDMAN: We know that Britney spears has made the bulk of her fortune from music which, no secret, she is back in the studio. Why? That`s where the money is. She goes back to the studio, she comes out with a hit album. She can add another $10, $15, $20 million to her portfolio.
She`s going to do all right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The big fight in the Spears-Federline divorce may not be over money, but over the kids. Each of them has filed for legal custody for their two boys.
HAMMER: Well, now that we know how much money Britney is worth, the big burning question tonight is exactly how much can K-Fed expect to walk away with when this whole divorce thing is settled? Joining us tonight, our friend, famed New York celebrity divorce attorney Raoul Felder.
RAOUL FELDER, DIVORCE ATTORNEY: Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. We`ve been reporting basically the prenup is saying somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000 is what Kevin can expect to get.
FELDER: Right, plus part of the house.
HAMMER: Plus a little piece of the house.
FELDER: Yes.
HAMMER: Can you see any scenario where he could actually wind up walking away with more money than that?
FELDER: Oh, sure. He says that they offered him $15 million for the tape. So that means it`s got to be worth $15 million for her not to have the tape sold.
HAMMER: And to be clear, you`re talking about this reported sex tape that may or may not actually be out there.
FELDER: Yes. Actually, though, with Paris Hilton she did very well after the tape, and Pam Anderson, and so forth. But so you have that in play. He could start a custody case that will be worth going away money to him, to get out of it -- for her to get out of it. So there is lots of money in play here, really big bucks.
HAMMER: Can you clear something up for me? Because, obviously, prenups are done before -- it is done before the wedding, and the marriage actually takes place. Is the money that we`re talking about here, this $300,000 settlement money. Is that a sort of guaranteed minimum? And could there be more money based on what she has earned since the marriage took place?
FELDER: Well, if it says $300,000 in the prenup, that`s what he is going to get. If there were no prenup, of course, there would be a graded scale. The more in the pot, the more he would get. But that sort of verges on unconscionabilty, so that may be another claims that he has. Because if the agreement, if she is worth $100 million, and he is getting $300,000, I mean, that just bothers one. It doesn`t seem terribly fair.
HAMMER: As we heard it doesn`t make a dent in her fortune certainly.
Last week we were talking about the fact that prenups, if they were done well, could be rock solid. In this case, with this particular situation, what kind of challenges do you see that could be raised?
FELDER: Well, it`s an unconscionable agreement. That`s one thing. I was drugged, I was drunk. I wasn`t thinking and I was in Pittsburgh that day. I didn`t know what I was signing. That`s another claim.
He could mount a custody fight, obviously, which could affect everything here in terms of finances. But lots of people fight prenup agreements because if they lose they are back with the deal they bargained for originally. So they have nothing to lose. It`s a free shot.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to a big event that`s going on this week, Raoul. You came at the perfect time, we`re just days away from Tom and Katie getting married.
FELDER: Now, what are you talking about? Tom and Katie, yes.
HAMMER: So obviously there is a prenuptial agreement in place here -- there has got to be. If you were the lawyer who was advising the Tom Cruise on what kind of a deal to do, what would you be saying?
FELDER: Well, first of all, it has to be the mother of all prenuptial agreements. I would advise him to try to be somewhat fair, to make it allow for more money the longer you`re married so that, if some judge ever looks at it, five years from now, seven years, ten years, god for bid, if they`re married for 10 years. Some judge will say, well, they intended for the future.
Prenuptial agreements are better for the wives at the beginning and worse in the long run. So if I were representing this young lady, I would say, Katie, try to get lots more money at the beginning. And then, of course, as time goes by and you`re happily married, you don`t need a prenup any way.
HAMMER: She could just embezzle some to take care of herself -- well, maybe not. Raoul Felder, good to see you.
FELDER: Thanks. Bye-bye.
HAMMER: Appreciate you being with us.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Britney and Kevin split. Should every marriage have a prenup? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail.
Don`t forget, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So, just take a look into your video camera or your webcam. Send us a piece of your mind via video e- mail. It is super easy. Head to our website, cnn.com/showbiztonight. And you can learn how to do it. All you have to do is click, attach and send. Remember to keep them short and sweet, 30 seconds or less. Then watch for your video e-mails only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Elton John slams religion! We`re going to tell you exactly what the singer has said that has people so riled up. And we`ll get reaction from the head of the Catholic League. Right here coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, stars behaving strangely. Does Heather Locklear win the award for wackiest rebound? Is Lindsey Lohan planning a quickie wedding. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT presents the Flawed Diamond Awards for bizarre couple behavior. Coming up. We`ll also have this.
SASHA BARRON COHEN, ACTOR: My name is Borat. I journalist from Kazakhstan.
HAMMER: Well, by now you`ve probably heard of Borat. What do you really know about the comedian who plays him? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes searching for the man behind the mustache coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for yet another story that just made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!" or in this case, it actually kind of made us say, "Holy strange police work, Batman!"
You see, a couple of cops in England dressed up like Batman and Robin. They pretended to be drunks who were looking for a costume party, because they wanted to arrest this guy, who was wanted on drug charges. Well, they dynamic duo made a huge ruckus outside the guy`s house.
And then a bunch of uniformed officers came by, they were just kind of pretending to check out the commotion. Before you knew it, Batman arrested the suspect. Well done.
But, wait, that`s not the only story today about crime, intrigue and campy TV shows. Do you hear the whistling going on? Well, later in the program we`re going to tell you al about trouble in Mayberry and why Andy Griffith is suing "Andy Griffith".
ANDERSON: "Borat" is still box office king. For the second week in a row, "Borat" was number one at the weekend box office taking in about $29 million. And it is also on top of the worldwide box office, it made $15 million in 20 countries, overseas including Australia where Borat visited for the premiere.
Borat was a big hit. And he couldn`t resist bringing up one of Australia`s most famous exports, Mel Gibson. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BORAT: I am hope to receive Oscar for best anti-Jewish film. Although there is, of course, very fierce competition from your Melvin Gibson.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So, just who is Borat? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas went looking for answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: By now everyone knows Borat.
BORAT: My name is Borat. I journalist from Kazakhstan. My government send me to U.S. and A. to make a movie film. Please, you look.
VARGAS: The movie built around the outrageous antics of a phony reporter is a box office success, but who is behind that mustache? Odds are you don`t know he sprang from the imagination of Sasha Baron Cohen. That`s because unlike his alter ego, he is not very public.
Publicists didn`t even respond to our request for an interview out of character. So while Borat has been everywhere to promote his film.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And how are you?
VARGAS: Cohen has been nowhere to be seen. But we can tell you a little bit about him. The 35-year-old British born comedian studied history at Cambridge in the early `90s. He was active in the school`s theater program and did his thesis on the on involvement of Jewish workers in the American Civil Rights movement.
It was a creation of Ali G that made him a star. He was working on a British sketch comedy called the "11 O`Clock Show" in 1998 and when he developed the persona of a wanna be gangster rapper from the suburbs who conducts some interesting interviews.
When that show ended, he struck out on his own program. When he got too famous in England to find interview subjects who weren`t in on the joke, he took his talents to HBO and started interviewing American celebrities who had no clue who he was.
That is when he unleashed his comedic talents before the American public as Bruno the effeminate Austrian fashionista.
Now, Universal Studios will showcase Bruno in his own multi-million dollar movie. While Borat is already a star, he was inspired by random meeting, as Cohen explains, on the DVD commentary for the "Ali G Show."
SASHA BARON COHEN, COMEDIAN: Based, actually, on a guy that I met in southern Russia. I can`t remember his name. He was a doctor. The moment I met him, I was totally crying. He was a hysterically funny guy, albeit totally unintentionally.
VARGAS: The anti-Semitic Borat is almost unrecognizable from the real Cohen, not only because of the mustache that Cohen spent six weeks growing, but Cohen is not only Jewish, but by many accounts, he`s religious, intelligent, well-mannered and courteous.
He`s also engaged to a Australian actress Isla Fisher, who was one of the stars of "The Wedding Crashers" Not what you`d expect from a man who does this kind of thing in the name of comedy. But something to keep in mind if you`re ever approached by a foreign journalist with a big mustache, who is trying to get you to say some crazy things.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas.
Some people aren`t laughing at Borat`s shtick. Two frat brothers featured in the film ranting against women and blacks are suing the movie`s producers for fraud saying they agreed to appear in the film after they say produces got them drunk and promised them the movie would never be shown inside the United States.
And angry villagers in Romania, which doubled as Kazakhstan, say they were humiliated in the film and were paid just $6 each. The studio wouldn`t comment.
HAMMER: It is time for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tom-Kat countdown! Just five days left `til the wedding of the year. Start marking off the dates on your calendar. That, of course, is when Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are expected to say their "I dos" in Italy.
So all this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is looking at everything from the best, tot the wackiest, to the strangest stories of celebrities and marriage in Hollywood. Tonight, we kick it off with "Modern Bride" magazine`s Flawed Diamond Awards. These are for stars who have done and said some pretty crazy things all in the name of love.
Joining me in New York, editor-in-chief of "Modern Bride" magazine, Antonia Van Der Meer.
It is great to have you here.
ANTONIA VAN DER MEER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "MODERN BRIDE" MAGAZINE: It is good to be here.
HAMMER: These awards are a lot of fun. I want to get right to them.
VAN DER MEER: It was about time, right?
HAMMER: Our first couple that we have to celebrate with a Flawed Diamond Award, Heather Locklear and David Spade, they win the "Wackiest Rebound Award".
VAN DER MEER: "Wackiest Rebound Award", that`s right. Because you have Heather Locklear, she married for 11 years to a rock star. And suddenly we go from Ritchie Sambora to David Spade? Quite a difference. Plus, the involvement here, with all the different couples. You don`t know, is it a love triangle, is it a rectangle, trapezoid?
I don`t know what it is. But we have Heather Locklear and Denise Richards, who have been best friends. They met on skin city. They shared a very public, on TV, kiss. Rather famous. And then, suddenly, she is going out with Heather`s husband. It`s just very messy.
HAMMER: It`s all very convoluted. And I can tell you, when word started floating around that these two were together, a lot of people in our office went, huh?
VAN DER MEER: Yes.
HAMMER: Like we didn`t quite get it.
VAN DER MEER: Like, huh?
HAMMER: Next, I love this award. "The anyone for sensitivity training award?" Nicollette Sheridan and Nicklas Soderblom. This was the guy she was engaged to before she hooked up with -- again -- and married Michael Bolten. What happened?
VAN DER MEER: Well, here again, if there were a guidebook on sensitivity, they both did not read it apparently. She broke up with him, within just a few months, three four months, who is, suddenly she is engaged to Michael. And she`s flaunting it everywhere in public. Kind of draped all over Michael, publicly.
And if that isn`t enough, he gets back at here by putting the engagement ring up on eBay.
HAMMER: Not very tactful is it, at all?
VAN DER MEER: Not very tactful.
HAMMER: I want to move on now to another "Flawed Diamond Award", not for a celebrity couple, but actually a young woman who is apparently is still busy sewing her wild oats. I want to read a quote from Lindsay Lohan, who wins the "Way to take it seriously award. She says, quote, "Marriage is a big deal but who`s to say I`m not going to pull a Vegas and get married just to get married, and see what it`s like for a minute." Kind of sounds like what Britney Spears did in Vegas.
VAN DER MEER: Yes. Britney did it.
HAMMER: She and that guy Alexander, got married for less than two days.
VAN DER MEER: Exactly.
HAMMER: Is Lindsay Lohan going down sort of the same road here?
VAN DER MEER: There she is, she`s going, marriage is serious. I really -- it`s a serious thing, it`s a big commitment, but -- well, it would be fun maybe let`s do it just for a minute. Let`s pull a Vegas thing. And you`re right. Britney has done it. Nicky Hilton did it already. Didn`t work out so well for them.
HAMMER: We`ll be looking into those quickie weddings a little later this week.
Antonia Van Der Meer, I appreciate you sharing these "Flawed Diamond Awards" with us tonight.
VAN DER MEER: You`re welcome.
HAMMER: You can get your copy of "Modern Bride" magazine on newsstands tomorrow.
Do not forget, this week is the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT TomKat wedding countdown. A special series all about celebrities and marriage, and Hollywood. We`re talking about the wildest, the wackiest, the most wonderful weddings ever.
Now, tomorrow we`ll be dealing with the best celebrity weddings. On Wednesday, the ones that are a total mess, talking about the train wrecks here. On Thursday, the blink and you`ll miss them, we were talking about, the shortest weddings on Friday.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there in Italy for the wedding of the year, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes walking down the aisle.
ANDERSON: So why is Andy Griffith suing "Andy Griffith"? Mayberry will never be the same. We`re going to tell you about it coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Elton John slams religion. We are going to tell you what the singer said that has people so riled up. We`ll actually get reaction from the head of the Catholic League. That`s coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: I decided to share some of my stories, because I can`t keep my recovery unless I give it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ashley Judd opens up about the very emotional journey she is on after the checking into a treatment facility. Ashley`s candid conversation, coming up in the interview you will see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Oprah Winfrey was in Washington today for a groundbreaking ceremony for a memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The monument being built not too far from where King gave his "I Have A Dream" speech, all the way back in 1963.
President Bush said the monument will preserve the civil rights leader`s legacy for ages. Oprah said, it is because of Dr. King that she can be heard. She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she doesn`t take that for granted ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: It`s the most significant memorial for me because my life wouldn`t be what it is without Dr. King. If there had not been a civil rights movement, there couldn`t be me sitting on television every day speaking to millions of people.
So, I owe him. And I owe him, not just to come to the memorial service, but I owe him to live the dream, and I think I`m doing a pretty good job of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The memorial will be the very first on the National Mall to honor an African-American civilian.
ANDERSON: Elton John slams religion! We`ll tell you what the singer said that has people so riled up and get reaction from the head of the Catholic League. Coming up.
HAMMER: Can you believe it. Luke and Laura getting married again? We are going to have your very first look at a soap opera event 25 years in the making. That`s coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDD: I decided to share some of my stories because I can`t keep my recovery unless I give it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ashley Judd opens up about the very emotional journey she is on after checking into a treatment facility. Ashley`s candid conversation is coming up in the interview you will see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Keep it here.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. 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, still to come tonight, earlier this year, Ashley Judd was admitted into a treatment facility where she had behavioral addictions that were actually treated like chemical addictions.
ANDERSON: Right.
HAMMER: A lot of people wondering why Ashley decided to finally to go in and get the kind of help that she did. She will reveal, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Very emotional time for her.
Also, A.J., comic Paula Poundstone has endured a lot of pain and heartache. You know, five years ago, she temporarily lost custody of her kids after driving under the influence of alcohol with them in the car. Well, now she has published a book detailing her struggles, and she`ll join us in just a few minutes to talk about it.
HAMMER: Yes, some serious topics for a funny woman. It`ll be interesting to hear what she has to say.
But first tonight, Elton John is stirring up controversy and outrage once again. In a shocking new interview with London`s "Observer Music Monthly" magazine, Elton calls for a ban on religion. You heard me correct; he wants religion banned.
Elton has also said that religion promotes homophobia. Check this quote out:
"From my point of view, I would ban religion completely, even though there are some wonderful things about it. I love the idea of the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the beautiful stories about it, which I loved in Sunday school, and I collected all the little stickers and put them in my book. But the reality is that organized religion doesn`t seem to work."
Joining me in New York tonight, the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, who you can bet has a thing or two to say to Elton John, a man he admires.
BILL DONOHUE, THE CATHOLIC LEAGUE: I do. I think he`s magnificent. But the Rocket Man is - is off in his ship on this one, isn`t he?
Look, if he wants to talk about the fact that there are hypocrites in all religions, he`s right. If he wants to talk about the fact that people have killed other people in the name of God, he`s certainly right about that.
But he swings too wildly when he indicts all religions simply because there are some miscreants within in.
HAMMER: Well, let`s get into it point by point and look at exactly what he said here, Bill. He did say he wants to ban religion completely, which is a pretty wide.
DONOHUE: You have to have a lot of cops put the handcuffs on all the world.
HAMMER: Were you shocked to hear that he said that?
DONONUE: Yes, because look, I think what happened - the guy got excited, all right? I`m not going to get upset about it, because Elton John is - is an iconic performer. He`s done a lot of good for a lot of people, raising money.
But at the same time, he - he - he has to take this back. I mean, this is an absurd statement which there`s no evidence for whatsoever. I think that he was trying to take a point that he`s angry at certain people.
Had he been specific - there`s a guy in this country, his name is Fred Phelps. He runs Westboro Baptist Church, not affiliated with the Baptists. I want to make that clear. He hates gays, all right? He walks around with his signs, "God hates fags." That`s what he does all around the country. This guy is a menace. And I would be on Elton John`s side if he wants to be specific.
But you can`t just go ahead and say, All religions - all religions - that`s most people on Earth. I mean, I think I know what he probably meant. But he just - the Rocket Man just was off on his own ship, as I say.
HAMMER: All right, Bill. I - as I said, you do have some things to say about this.
Let`s get on to another point that Elton made - quote - "The reality is that organized religion doesn`t seem to work."
He`s saying it doesn`t seem to work, which I have to imagine would have to make a lot people angry, not just the Catholic League.
DONOHUE: Well, I was going to say - so, in other words, he has no problem with unorganized religions? I mean, I don`t understand what that means. What does he mean by it doesn`t work? Does it mean that - that people who claim to be faithful members of their congregation are - are - are not always nice to people?
Look, as a Catholic, we understand sin. That`s why the pope goes to confession, because he`s a sinner. So there`s nothing new in the sun to say that - that - that people who believe in a religion do some pretty bad things. I - I don`t understand when he says it doesn`t work. What does he expect us to do? Because I - it`s not like something I drink, taking some medicine from a doctor, that all of a sudden I - I get injected with my religion, therefore I walk around and I treat everybody like Mother Theresa? It doesn`t work that way.
HAMMER: Next point from Elton John. He says that religion "turns people into hateful lemmings" and that "it`s not really compassionate."
He doesn`t specify the religion here. Where do you think Elton`s coming from?
DONOHUE: Well, I think he obviously must mean those people who are the worst representatives of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, all the other world religions. He certainly couldn`t mean the Mother Theresas. He couldn`t mean all the great, wonderful men and woman of all religions who have reached out to the destitute.
Now I think what he`s doing - again, he - he - he got caught up in the moment because he was angry about what some religions may have said in their name of their religion about gays, and then he just made these wild, irresponsible statements.
HAMMER: Well, I want to talk more about that, because that particular issue, and - and - and for Elton John, living out loud as a gay man, it`s a hot-button issue for him, and something that he`s talking very openly and candidly about over the years.
His quote specifically about that. Quote - "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promoted the hatred and spite against gays, but there are so many Christian people I know who are gay and love their religion."
Elton clearly feels very strongly about this. What do you think he`s really trying to say here?
DONOHUE: Well - well, he`s a walking contradiction. His whole argument imploded, didn`t it?
On the one hand, he says he wants to get the cops to lock us up, he wants to make - he wants to ban all religion. On the next - and then he tells that - that religion is this terrible force in history. At the same (INAUDIBLE) time, he tells that he has a lot of gay friends who take their religion seriously and are clearly good men.
Well, are they good men because they take their religion seriously? One would hope. But again, I think there`s a contradiction in what he`s trying to say.
But, you know, look, he`s an entertainer. He`s not a wordsmith. He`s not somebody like Rosie O`Donnell, who does have an animas against Christians, and who never lets up on us. He blew off some steam; he`s not Rosie O`Donnell.
HAMMER: But to his point that religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people.
DONOHUE: No. Obviously, I don`t know what religion he`s talking about.
In my religion, we make a distinction between behavior and the status. The Catholic Church is no more anti-gay than it is anti-straight, even though it has problems with behaviors that people of both orientations engage in.
So again, if you asked Elton John, cite chapter and verse - in my religion to begin with, where we hate gays, I don`t think he could do it.
HAMMER: Bill Donohue, thank you very much for your response to Elton John and the words that he had to say tonight. I appreciate it.
DONOHUE: Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "Premonition." Sandra Bullock stars in this thriller, and gets some awful news: her husband is dead, killed in a terrible car crash. But the next day, she finds him alive and well. So what gives, and can she stop the accident from actually happening?
Fasten your seatbelts; here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mommy said to give you extra hugs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mrs. Hansen (ph)?
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: Uh huh?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sorry to tell you this: your husband was in a car accident. He died on the scene yesterday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tomorrow we should probably start thinking about our funeral arrangements.
BULLOCK: Mom, I`m not ready for that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nobody`s ready for anything like this, honey.
(MUSIC)
BULLOCK: I had a dream that felt so real you could swear it was actually happening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was only a dream. Everything`s going to be fine.
BULLOCK: We fell asleep together yesterday. He was right next to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) is gone.
BULLOCK: I wake up and he`s dead? I wake up and he`s alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, you`re dealing with some inconsistencies.
BULLOCK: I wake up every morning to find my husband`s died again. Don`t you think it was just a little beyond inconsistent?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you know my husband?
BULLOCK: Just a little after we talked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we talked?
BULLOCK: We were here yesterday.
I`ve never met you before in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your husband was in a fatal car crash on Wednesday. That`s strange; he showed up in my office on Tuesday claiming he was already dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems (INAUDIBLE) before the accident.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
BULLOCK: Oh God. Jim (ph), don`t go on this trip, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why? What is it?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pleased to meet you. (INAUDIBLE)
BULLOCK: It`s nice to meet you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
BULLOCK: Something bad is going to happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s never too late to (INAUDIBLE) your life.
BULLOCK: I don`t know what to fight before (ph).
ANNOUNCER: Sandra Bullock.
BULLOCK: I let Jim die. Is that the same thing as killing him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Honey, Jim`s already dead.
ANNOUNCER: "Premonition."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: We`ve got a feeling that "Premonition" hits theaters March 2007.
HAMMER: Well, now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your very first look at Luke and Laura`s second walk down the aisle.
You remember their first wedding back in 1981, General Hospital`s Luke, Tony Geary, Laura France - Laura, played by Genie Francis, got hooked up. Of course, at that time, it was the most-watched daytime event ever. Not the most attractive hairdos, as we see here.
Anyway, 25 years later, they`re doing it here. ABC has reunited the two characters. They`re going to be tying the knot. But of course, in true soap style, they`re getting hitched won`t go off without a hitch.
Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY GEARY, ACTOR: With this ring, I thee wed.
GENIE FRANCIS, ACTRESS: With this ring, I thee wed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m on pins and needles already.
See what else happens at the Luke and Laura wedding - a wedding event not to be missed, November 16 on ABC`s "General Hospital."
ANDERSON: Coming up, Andy Griffith sues Andy Griffith. It seems what`s in a name is important enough to go to court for. "That`s Ridiculous!," and that`s next.
HAMMER: Also coming up, Paula Poundstone`s emotional battle with alcohol that nearly cost her kids to be taken away from her.
We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEY JUDD, ACTRESS: I decided to share some of my story because I can`t keep my recovery unless I give it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ashley Judd`s personal struggle with Hollywood and body image, addiction and depression. She`s really opening up, and it`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Guess what? Andy Griffith is suing Andy Griffith. You heard me right. The real Andy Griffith - of course, the actor you see here, the one from "The Andy Griffith Show" - you know, the sheriff from Mayberry, Opie, that whole deal - he`s going after a guy in Wisconsin who legally changed his name to Andy Griffith.
Now, the fake Andy was running for sheriff of his county, and he did it to help his campaign out. The real Andy is angry. He wants the guy to change his name back. Sounds like a job for - I don`t know, maybe Matlock?
By the way, the fake Andy? He lost the election. Now she`s stuck with the name.
And we say, taking Andy Griffith`s name? Now "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Paula Poundstone is one of the smartest stand-up comedians out there. She`s also one of the most honest. But Paula has been through some really tough times. Five years ago, she was forced into rehab for alcohol abuse, and temporarily lost custody of her three children.
Paula`s never been shy about admitting her mistakes. Now she`s got her life under control, and she`s also out with a brand new book, "There`s Nothing in This Book That I Meant To Say."
Paula Poundstone joins me tonight in Hollywood.
Paula, good to see you.
PAULA POUNDSTONE, COMEDIAN: Nice to see you.
ANDERSON: Now, in this book you waste no time talking about what happened. You get right to it. You say - go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
POUNDSTONE: Well, I do, only because otherwise it would be in the elephant in the room. And so I address within the first chapter. But it is not, however, what the book`s about.
ANDERSON: Address it; get it out of the way.
You do talk about - I want to ask you about this really quickly before we move on. You talk about how you were arrested, after an employee at an ice cream shop called the cops.
POUNDSTONE: No. No. No. An employee at the ice cream shop didn`t call the cops. Someone else called the cops.
ANDERSON: You - well, you had driven to the ice cream store.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Did you know your drinking problem was that serious before that happened? Or was this your wake-up call?
POUNDSTONE: No, I don`t think I did. And - and you know, one of the things about alcohol is - for me anyways, can`t speak for everybody else, but I don`t - certainly when I drink, I have - I do not do and say the things that - you know, that are in my heart. And therefore, it was a - you know, a horrible mistake. Had a drinking problem, went for ice cream - you know..
ANDERSON: You needed ice cream at that moment.
POUNDSTONE: I needed ice cream. So, you know, fortunately it was five years ago.
I - I do address in the beginning of the book, but just those reasons. But it`s about 5 percent of what the book is about. The book is - my book is, in the first place, a funny book. That`s it`s .
ANDERSON: It is funny.
POUNDSTONE: .its goal, is to entertain. But it is a series of biographies of towering, historic figures. And in the telling of their story, I tell my own.
ANDERSON: Like Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc.
Well let me ask you this: the title of the book is, "There`s Nothing in This Book That I Meant To Say." What did you mean to say?
POUNDSTONE: Well, the - the whole notion of it kind of came from - well, it`s kind of a nod to obsessive compulsive disorder, which I was diagnosed with several years ago. One of the things that happens is I start out on one topic, and invariable I get somehow bumped to another, mentally.
For me, I find - I feel that I`m actually on topic, generally speaking, and other people look at me kind of sideways and wonder how I got there. But - so in this book, what I did was, I would start talking about Abraham Lincoln on purpose, and then anything that - you know, anything that came up that reminded me of something about me I would - I would jump off and then.
ANDERSON: Something that you could relate to.
POUNDSTONE: I - yes, I would jump off and then talk.
ANDERSON: Well, what.
POUNDSTONE: For example, I didn`t actually emancipate the slaves, but I try to - I try not to keep my babysitter out too late. So there are similarities.
ANDERSON: There`s that common ground.
POUNDSTONE: Exactly.
ANDERSON: Well, one thing in the book that you do talk about is that you`re celibate.
I`ve got two questions here. Why - number one - and why did you want to tell the world?
POUNDSTONE: Well, I never really mean to say anything. This is my entire point. I don`t think I`ve kept a secret in my entire life.
Why am I celibate? I don`t like sex. There, it`s been said. I - I - you know, I`ll you something: I`m happy for the rest of you, don`t get me wrong. I have - I have nothing against it. It was a great idea.
But I am single, working mom with three kids, 11 cats, a big, stupid dog, a bearded dragon lizard, a bunny and one ant left for my ant farm.
ANDERSON: You`ve got a zoo.
POUNDSTONE: Well, I don`t go to bed at night, I pass out. So the idea that I would go into my bedroom and there would be someone in there with - with whom I had to have an activity is actually upsetting to me.
ANDERSON: Just wears you out just thinking about it.
POUNDSTONE: And I`m sure there`s something horribly wrong with me, and CNN viewers everywhere are going to think, What a freak, and they`re probably right. And if I .
ANDERSON: No way.
POUNDSTONE: If I went to a sex therapist every day and wrote things down and paid thousands of dollars and - and - and watched educational films and worked with plastic figurines, I`m sure it could be overcome.
ANDERSON: But to each his own. Paula, you know that.
POUNDSTONE: From where I`m standing, I can`t imagine any physical sensation I would enjoy more than sleep.
ANDERSON: Well let me ask you this - you know, when things are bad - you know, when I have a bad day, sometimes I have a hard time finding a humor in certain aspects of life.
You`ve had a really hard time. How do you find the comedy in that? Because you manage to do it so well.
POUNDSTONE: Well, thank you very much.
It`s..
ANDERSON: Is it something in your brain? In your dreams?
POUNDSTONE: I suppose that it is. I think that I - humor`s obviously a part of healing for everybody, and.
ANDERSON: Yes.
POUNDSTONE: .maybe I`m just lucky. But it is - it is part of how we get by. And it`s certainly, you know, part of how I do. And it`s not like every day is, you know, bleak and horrible.
And fortunately, that part of my life has kind of recessed into the background a little bit. It was five years ago, and thank goodness, I haven`t had a drink in five years. And I just found out the other day, it`s alcohol you can`t drink. And what a relief, because I`d no water, no milk, I was parched and dry.
ANDERSON: You needed some kind of hydration.
POUNDSTONE: I wasn`t sure I could make it.
ANDERSON: Well, it seems like you`re doing great now.
Paula Poundstone, good to see you, and that you`re doing so well.
POUNDSTONE: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: And the book, "There`s Nothing in This Book That I Meant To Say," is in stores now.
HAMMER: Now on to another celebrity who has had to deal with her demons. Tonight, actress Ashley Judd is opening up about her addictions, including her stunning decision to get help for depression.
Ashley was actually visiting her sister, country star Wynonna, in the same Texas treatment center. Wynonna was there for food addiction when the counselors approached Ashley, because this type of stuff usually runs in families.
Well, Judd is now getting the best reviews of her career for "Come Early Morning." Ironically, Ashley plays a woman whose personal life is in shambles until she meets someone who makes her confront her fears.
Ashley sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`attoma, and finally revealed why she decided to put all this out there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JUDD: I decided to share some of my story because I can`t keep my recovery unless I give it away. And I`ve been given a tremendous gift. And so how dare I not share the solution with others who might be experiencing similar changes, you know?
I call it the curse of the competent woman. I can get a lot done between when I get out of bed and when I go to bed. But what I realize now is that that human doing is not where my happiness comes from. It`s the quality of my human being. And that`s what my program of recovery has given me.
JENNY D`ATTOMA, CNN SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: I`m sure that you have influenced so many women.
JUDD: I hope so. But it`s really - it`s not - it`s really not any of my business, do you know what I mean? I just keep my head down, do my work, do my internal housekeeping, and live my truth. And then in that wonderful, energetic way, God does with it - God does for others what they can`t for themselves. Because there was certainly a lot I was trying to do for themselves that I really wasn`t succeeding at. And only when I turned it over did I start to feel better.
D`ATTOMA: Being a Hollywood actress, do you ever feel pressure to look a certain way, be a certain way? Do you.
JUDD: No.
D`ATTOMA: How did you get past that?
JUDD: I just - it`s very - I - because that doesn`t work for me. I`m sure that at various times I`ve tried that, and I`ve come home, and thought, you know, Look at me. I look lovely tonight. Why did I feel so lousy?
And so what I`ve realized is that doesn`t work. Hair and makeup - you know, for something like today it`s nice, and I texted my husband, "I look so pretty." Do you know?
But for making a movie, it`s a drag. It`s a drag. And it`s such a distraction.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Ashley Judd`s "Come Early Morning" hits many more theaters - it goes into wide release on Friday.
ANDERSON: On Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." "Married at 22: Was Britney Spears Too Young?" Seventy-seven percent of you say, yes she was; 23 percent of you say, no she wasn`t.
Here`s some of the e-mails we received:
Kim from Ohio thinks, "She wasn`t too young. I was 17 when I got married, and just had my 20th anniversary. Marriage is what you make of it."
But Heather from Canada says Brit should have waited, "Don`t get married until you`re at least 30, and don`t have kids until you`re at least 35."
We appreciate your e-mails.
Hang tight; SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Britney and Kevin Split: Should every marriage have a prenup?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So just take a look into your video camera or your webcam, and send us a piece of your mind via video e- mail. It`s really easy; head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight to learn how to do it. Keep them 30 seconds or less, and then watch for your video e-mails right here, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Time to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, the new James Bond. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson going one on one with Daniel Craig. There`s a brand new 007 movie about to hit theaters. Not without a bit of controversy. What do the critics think of Craig? How about the fans? That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, the TomKat countdown. We`re counting down to the day I don`t have to say TomKat anymore, and to the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes wedding. We`re doing a special, weeklong series about celebrities and marriage in Hollywood. Tomorrow, the best star weddings, from Nick and Jessica, to Brad and Jen. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
