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Showbiz Tonight
A Bizarre Beatles Story; Is a Scandal Brewing That Could Cost Miss USA Her Crown?
Aired December 14, 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, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: A Bizarre Beatles story, charges of blackmail, sexual harassment, and shocking plot to kill Yoko Ono and hers son. I`m A. J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And is a scandal brewing that could cost Miss USA her crown? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad checks it out. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another startling race scandal. Tonight, why Rosie O`Donnell is now saying, I`m sorry, for the shocking things she said on "The View."
Tonight, why did Rosie do an about-face and give into the pressure. And has her apology been accepted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": And I`m sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the rage over Rosie`s racial words.
Golden globe controversy and some stunning surprises. Tonight, the nominations. Did Brad Pitt make the cuts? Did Mel Gibson`s anti-semitic rant matter? And Clint makes history. Plus an American idol star`s dream come true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew I wasn`t dreaming anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the nominees one on one coast to coast.
Hello I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone, I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. What a day it`s been. We`ve been speaking to the biggest stars in Hollywood about the Golden Globe nominations and we were shocked to hear that Yoko Ono may be the target of an unbelievable blackmail plot.
HAMMER: That`s right Brooke. That`s all coming up, but first tonight, another racial uproar, another big apology. In a startling about- face today, Rosie O`Donnell has now said she`s sorry for something she said that had Asians outraged. But is it enough?
ANDERSON: Rosie first said what she said on the "View," and today that`s also where she said she`s sorry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O`DONNELL: I`m sorry for those people who felt hurt.
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell is trying to regain her one-time title as the queen of nice by apologizing formally for this impromptu impression of the Chinese language on the "View" last week. Rosie was imitating how she thought Chinese broadcasters might sound discussing actor Danny Devito`s recent appearance on the "View."
O`DONNELL: Take a look. This is what I said. This is what I did, roll it. The fact is that it`s news all over the world. You can imagine in China, it`s like ching chong -- Danny Devito -- ching chong chong -- drunk, the "View" -- ching chong.
ANDERSON: It didn`t take long for critics to vent their rage against Rosie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blanketing this fire storm. Among those outraged, one prominent New York City politician, who was among the first to voice his anger.
JOHN C. LIU, NEW YORK CITY COUNCILMAN: I saw it on the Internet and my initial reaction was one of shock and I cringed. I couldn`t help it.
ANDERSON: Councilman John Liu fired off a letter to Rosie`s boss Barbara Walters demanding action. Rosie says she didn`t mean to offend anyone. She says she does accents all the time on the show, but didn`t realize that this particular one had hurt viewers.
O`DONNELL: This apparently was very offensive to a lot of Asian people. And I asked Judy, who is Asian and who works in our hair and makeup department. I said, was it offensive to you? She said, well, kind of, you know, when I was a kid, people teased me by saying ching chong. To say ching chong to someone is very offensive and some Asian people have told me it`s as bad as the N-word, which I was like, really? I didn`t know that.
ANDERSON: Councilman Liu says the complaints started rolling into his office right away, which shocked him, since Rosie has been a champion of gay rights.
LIU: This coming from someone who has been outspoken herself on, I would say, totally similar issues, and that`s why I think it`s entirely appropriate and expected that she apologize.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you not everyone in the Asian- American community was mad at Rosie. We caught up with award winning actress Lucy Lu right after the incident.
LUCY LU, ACTRESS: I think Rose O`Donnell is a comedian and comedians do things that are outrageous and politically correct all the time. Everyone has a right to their opinions and I think if everybody has to apologize for everything that everybody said, then it just would be ridiculous.
ANDERSON: The "View" co-host Joy Behar went to bat for Rosie right after the apology.
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": Comedians are always getting into trouble. And it`s supposed to be funny, and in your case you were trying to be funny.
ANDERSON: Of course everybody`s sensitivity level is heightened after comedian Michael Richards brought on national condemnation when spewed the N-word at black audience members at a comedy club last month. But while some people think Richards and O`Donnell are in two separate categories, some are still concerned that Rosie`s words could lead to discrimination.
LIU: What Richards did, I wouldn`t even compare the two, but O`Donnell`s comments, they are the most stereotypical taunt that, in this case, Asian-Americans have suffered.
ANDERSON: O`Donnell`s latest outburst won`t be her last. Even Rosie admits that.
O`DONNELL: I`m sorry. I want to give you a fair warning that there`s a good chance I will do something like that again, probably in the next week, not on purpose. Only because it`s how my brain works.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Whatever viewers may think of O`Donnell`s antics, they certainly aren`t tuning out. The "View" averaged nearly 3 and a half million viewers during the crucial November sweeps, when advertising rates are set. That`s a 27 percent jump since this time last year.
HAMMER: Now on to the absolutely shocking story about John Lennon`s widow Yoko Ono. It has us all stunned all day long here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Listen to this, it allegedly involves blackmail, charges of sexual harassment, even death threats against Yoko Ono and her son, Sean. Yoko`s chauffeur Koral Karsan was arraigned on New York City today and released on half a million dollars bail.
Officials are saying he demanded 2 million dollars from the wife of the late Beatle`s star. Otherwise he would release embarrassing recordings and pictures of her. And it gets worse, prosecutors say Karsan, quote, had people on stand by, ready to kill Yoko on his orders, unbelievable. Karsan denies everything, and actually claimed Ono sexually harassed him.
Joining me tonight from Glendale, California, Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment website TMZ.com. Harvey, these allegations are bad enough. But all of this went down on a really significant day for Yoko Ono, didn`t it?
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: It did indeed. It was the anniversary of John Lennon`s death. We were told that she was actually in Europe, came back this past week and that`s when it all happened. It is kind of interesting, A.J., that the timing was the anniversary, because that really helps Yoko, because of this, you know -- you add the counter allegations here, it does look like she was easy prey on that day.
HAMMER: Certainly very vulnerable day for Yoko Ono. He was so intimately involved in her life. He supposedly, according to this, had photos and recordings of her. What are you hearing that he had that could be so damning that she wouldn`t want to get out?
LEVIN: Well, I talked to some law enforcement sources there, and they are really playing this close to the vest. But what they are saying is that he was alleging that they had highly embarrassing photos, the word embarrassing was used. However, that was what his allegation was to her, according to Yoko Ono, that was the alleged extortion here. They searched his house and we don`t know what they found. We don`t know whether he was making this up or whether he, in fact, does have something, or if it`s a little bit of both
HAMMER: Well, you`ve got believe he certainly knows stuff, because this guy was driving Yoko Ono for years, very close to probably many aspects of her personal life. So, you`ve got to imagine he does know some very personal things about her. He`s around a lot.
LEVIN: I agree with you. And you know, if somebody came to you and said, A.J., look, I`ve got photos of you that show whatever, and you say they don`t exist, it`s almost like, you know, go away, this is a stupid thing. You go to the police when there might be a little bit something behind it, maybe, and she did go to the police. So I don`t know what it is, but it`s intriguing.
HAMMER: Yes, where there`s smoke, there`s fire, as we often say. Why don`t we move on, quickly now, to Nicole Ritchie, another big story this week, just arrested, of course, for DUI, going the wrong way on the freeway, telling the cops that she smoked pot and took Vicodin before the arrest happened. You guys find out at TMZ that it`s her second DUI, so I imagine, if she`s convicted, she could wind up in the slammer.
LEVIN: She has to end up in the slammer. According to California law she has to spend a minimum of five days in county jail, consecutive, if she is found guilty in this event. She pleaded no contest, which is just like guilty for these purposes in 2002 to driving under the influence, so the stakes here are really high.
HAMMER: And will we find out what the up shot of this will be before the holidays?
LEVIN: That`s a good question. My guess is yes, this is the perfect time. I have to tell you, this is the perfect time to plea bargain a case, where you don`t want a whole lot of publicity, when not a lot of people are looking. So we may see something happen very fast here. I just don`t know.
HAMMER: TMZ`s Harvey Levin, thanks, as always, for being with us.
HAMMER: By A.J.
ANDERSON: We want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Nicole Ritchie`s DUI arrest, if convicted, should she go to jail? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. You can also vote on the question of the day by sending a text to 45688. To vote yes, write SHOWBIZ Yes, to vote no, write SHOWBIZ No. Once again, send that text to 45688.
Well, Nicole`s Simple Life buddy Paris Hilton, who last time we checked had no kids, is she really speaking out about Britney Spears` mommy skills. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was just like still trembling, because it`s so much excitement and then having a moment to sit there and just take it in, it just happened so fast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I was right there just after dream girls star Jennifer Hudson found out her dream came through. She`s nominated for a Golden Globe. And Brooke, I understand you had the chance to chat with a star or two today.
ANDERSON: I certainly did, A.J. I`ve got a lot more. And check this out, another big winner because he`s the biggest loser. Coming up, a guy who lost, get this, more than half his body weight. The amazing story of how he did it, still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now to call out the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad. This is where we get to the bottom of Hollywood`s biggest mysteries and rumors. Tonight, is Paris Hilton really defending Britney Spears` partying. Now, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been telling you, Britney, a soon to be divorced mother of two, has been going wild with new friends Paris and Lindsay Lohan, even partying without panties.
That got many questioning Brit`s mommying. Well, there have been reports that Paris has Britney`s back, amid all the criticism of her, on her own MySpace page, saying Brit`s not a bad parent for letting lose a bit. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got to the bottom of this by checking with Paris` publicist, who says Paris didn`t write any of that stuff and she doesn`t even have a MySpace account. So, case closed.
ANDERSON: Tonight, from coast to coast, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been all over today`s Golden Globe nominations. Sibila Vargas has been up since the wee hours here in Hollywood, tracking down some of the biggest stars. Sibila, give us the scoop.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Brooke, Hollywood is all abuzz today after this morning`s Golden Globe nominations were announced, the awards for both television and film. This year`s crop has both new and familiar faces, with a little bit of controversy sprinkled in.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): In any language, Babel translated into big news at the Golden Globe. The ensemble drama scored a leading seven nominations, including best picture drama. Acting nominations went to three of Babel`s supporting players, Brad Pitt, Adrianna Baradsa (ph) and Rinko Cacuchi (ph).
JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I get the feeling we got a cop in my crew.
VARGAS: Competing with Babel for best drama are a couple of other ensemble dramas, the gangland hit, The Departed, and Bobby. Rounding out the category are Little Children and The Queen.
SASHA COHEN, BORAT: She is number four prostitute in all of Kazakstan, nice.
VARGAS: For Borat, the news was nice. The outrageous fictional account of a Kazak journalist coming to American earned a nomination for best picture, musical or comedy. It will go up against The Devil Wears Prada, Little Miss Sunshine, Thank You For Smoking and the one true musical of the category, Dream Girls.
(on camera): At the Golden Globe nominations, good news came in twos or threes for some of Hollywood`s biggest names, like Leonardo Dicaprio, Clint Eastwood, and Hellen Mearan (ph).
(voice-over): Dicaprio earned two nominations for best actor drama, one for Blood Diamond, and the other for The Departed. He`s the first actor in Globe history to compete against himself in the same category. Hellen Mearan scored three nominations, one for best actress drama in The Queen, and two more for TV movies. And Clint Eastwood became the first director to garner two nominations in the same year, one for Flags of Our Fathers and another for Letters From Iwo Jima.
Letters from Iwo Jima, which is almost entirely in Japanese, is nominated as best foreign language film. Up against it in that category, Mel Gibson`s Apocalypto. By rule, neither is eligible for best drama. Gibson`s nomination is raising some Hollywood eyebrows, because it comes just months after his anti-Semitic rant during a DUI arrest.
In the TV category`s, newcomer Heroes is in the running for best drama, along with Lost, 24, Big Love and Grey`s Anatomy. For TV comedy the contenders are Desperate Housewives, Entourage, the Office, Weave and newcomer Ugly Betty. Ugly Betty and All The Beautiful People will be on hand when the Golden Globes are presented January 15th.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And journalists from around the world, based here in Hollywood, decide who will win the Golden Globes. And thanks to Sibila Vargas for that report.
HAMMER: Well, this was also a golden day for former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson, who got nominated for best supporting actress for her role in Dream Girls. Hudson is up against Adrianna Barraza for Babel, Cate Blanchett for Notes on a Scandal, Emily Blunt for the Devil Wears Prada, and Rinko Kikuchi for Babel. There has been unbelievable buzz about Hudson`s performance in Dream Girls. I have seen the movie. She is outstanding in it. When I caught up with her today, just after the nomination, Jennifer told me she was very surprised to hear her name, because it always just seemed like a dream.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER HUDSON, NOMINATED FOR DREAM GIRLS: I knew I wasn`t dreaming anymore. At first it was like, OK, is this real? Is this really real? But to see it. It`s one thing when you hear people talk about it, but when you actually can see it and it`s real, then that`s when you know it`s like, oh my god, this is real.
HAMMER: Have you been emotional?
HUDSON: Oh, emotional. That`s not the word.
HAMMER: What happened?
HUDSON: I have been on an emotional roller coaster since what, what, 8:40, 8:00 this morning. I was getting in the dressing room, getting ready for the "Today Show" and it came on. At first I was nervous and anxious and then emotional and crying and screaming and I couldn`t even pull it together for the interview or the performance. I was just like still trembling, because it`s so much excitement. And I didn`t have a moment to sit there and just take it in. It just happened so fast.
HAMMER: Everybody says, just happy to be nominated, but there`s not a person I know who hasn`t been nominated for an award, who just inside their own head, after they found out they were nominated, started to work on that little acceptance speech, maybe, like, oh my god, what am I going to say?
HUDSON: Well, I guess, you don`t want to get caught with your pants down. So, I guess you should, you know, at least consider it, but you don`t want to set yourself up at the same time. It`s smart to prepare yourself a little bit at least. Don`t get too big headed about it. Just enjoy it. Just being a nominee is like, I`m living the moment. I`m a Golden Globe nominee. Don`t even call me Jennifer, call me Golden Globe nominee.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Lesson learned here, don`t get caught with your pants down, as Jennifer told us, Brooke. I know you caught up with another nominee today.
ANDERSON: I did, A.J., and I love Jennifer from American idol finalist, who acting phenom, what a talent. Seems to have a great head on her shoulders as well. Good for her.
Yes, I did. I caught up with actress Penelope Cruz, A.J. She`s nominated in the best actress category for her starring role in Volver. Now Cruz is up against Judi Dench for Notes on a Scandal, Maggie Gyllenhaal for Sherry Baby, Hellen Mirren for the Queen, and Kate Winslet for Little Children. Penelope Cruz teamed up, once again, with her favorite director, Pedro Amadovar (ph). She plays a daughter returning to her hometown after her mother`s death. When I caught up with Penelope today, she told me she hadn`t been asleep for hours, that she was at a party thrown in her honor all through the night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You must be feeling incredible about that?
PENELOPE CRUZ, ACTRESS: Yes, it`s a very exciting time. It feels like it`s been Christmas for many months, you know. Surprises every day and with a movie that I love so much. All of this is very interesting, very strange.
ANDERSON: Has it sunk in yet? How are you going to prepare?
CRUZ: No, no. I mean, it just happened this morning. And I haven`t gone to sleep yet, because last night there was a party that was for me, so I was up all night and then it was announced at 5:00 in the morning, and then I came here. So now to celebrate I`m just going to go to sleep with a smile on my face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I bet that was some good sleep. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been speaking with more of the nominees all day long. And soon we are going to be hearing from Aaron Eckheart (ph), Jeremy Piven, Maggie Gyllenhaal. That`s at 37 minutes past the hour.
Will we be waving bye-bye to Miss USA. Tonight Donald Trump himself calls the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad to let us know if she will have the crown ripped right off her head.
HAMMER: Also, we say hello to Danny Bonaduce. Get ready for a no holds barred chat with this "Partridge Family" star and his wife, all about his battle with the bottle, and struggle with being in and out of rehab.
ANDERSON: And A.J., I bet you haven`t heard Angelina Jolie speak out about Brad Pitt like this before. Whether they want more kids and what she thinks of Brad as a dad. That`s straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Time now to call on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad to shoot down another juicy Hollywood rumor. There are reports that the current Miss USA, Tara Connor, is about to have that shiny crown stripped right off her head. Pageant officials supposedly haven`t been too happy with her behavior in bars. Well, the Donald, Donald Trump himself called us.
You know, Donald owns the Miss USA pageant and he said reports that Miss USA is being dethroned are absolutely not true. She is going through some personal problems and difficulties right now, which could affect her ability to reign. We are right now looking into what we can do to work with her and what we will do about her reign going forward. So it looks like the Donald isn`t about to fire Miss USA, but he did mention he will have more to say within the next week.
HAMMERS: So, now that we know who the nominees are, who will be crowned the big Golden Globe winners? Our entire SHOWBIZ TONIGHT team is right there, coast to coast, one on one with all the nominees, including Brad Pitt.
ANDERSON: And check this out A.J., a big winner, because he`s the biggest loser. Coming up, a guy who lost, get this, more than half his body weight. The amazing story of how he did it, coming up.
HAMMER: Also Danny Bonaduce, a guy who`s candor and honesty I`ve always appreciated, he`s got a story of his own, and we`ve got a no-holes barred chat with this "Partridge Family" star and his wife about his battle with the bottle. That`s coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, did you happen to watch the season finale of "The Biggest Loser" last night?
ANDERSON: I did indeed. It was amazing. What`s that guy doing? Really improved his health, too.
HAMMER: You can`t help but cheer these people on. Look at this guy. This is Erick Chopin. Lost more than half his body weight to win the grand prize. How did he do it? How`s he feeling today? We`ll find out, because he`s going to be right here in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: Truly unbelievable, A.J.
Also, the Golden Globe nominations were out. And it`s a meaningful time for a lot of actors, and we`re coast to coast with all the big nominees, including Brad Pitt. And that`s straight ahead, A.J.
HAMMER: Looking forward to that.
ANDERSON: But first, Danny Bonaduce has gone from beloved child star to hit radio DJ to a reality TV star, all the whole becoming notorious for his bouts with drug and alcohol. It`s that very battle with addiction that now plagues his marriage. Danny and his wife, Gretchen, into their first date. Sixteen years later, their marriage is full of drama, and much of it is played out on their VH-1 reality show "Breaking Bonaduce." And they`re also featured in the new VH-1 series "Celebrity Paranormal Project."
And with me now here in Hollywood, Danny and Gretchen Bonaduce.
DANNY BONADUCE, ENTERTAINER: Wow.
ANDERSON: Good to see you both.
D. BONADUCE: We said this was the most provocative entertainment show, I didn`t realize until probably you introduced us. We are provocative.
ANDERSON: Indeed it is. You`re very provocative.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: And that`s why you`re - that`s why you`re here.
And - and Danny, I want to ask you, you`ve always been very open about your addiction.
D. BONADUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: But now you guys are also very open about troubles in your marriage.
D. BONDAUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: Why in the world would you want to put yourself out there like that? So - so many people would say, That`s so personal, that`s so private.
GRETCHEN BONADUCE, DANNY BONADUCE`S WIFE: Well, I really wanted to help people. And I thought we had a tremendous opportunity to do that. And I also felt like if we didn`t stay honest and we tried to whitewash it, we wouldn`t help anybody.
And so I felt like we should keep it all in and keep it real. And that`s what we did.
ANDERSON: Yes, a lot of people can probably identify.
D. BONADUCE: And I did it for the money. I actually, 100 percent - I did it for the cash.
ANDERSON: That`s it.
D. BONADUCE: I can put that money, you get to see everything you want to see. And they said to me, they - they asked me to do a couple things - they were scared to ask me. And I said, Listen, I`ll make you a bet. I said, I`ll do something that you won`t have the guts to put on television well before you ask me to do something I won`t do.
And the show turned into, I must admit, insanity.
G. BONADUCE: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: And did have ramifications (INAUDIBLE) that were rather serious. But I - you know, in the long run, Gretchen turned out to be right. We`re on MySpace - and this is the weirdest thing - I would - how many letters do you think we get a day after a show airs? Hundreds in a day?
G. BONADUCE: Oh probably. Hundreds. And.
ANDERSON: And - and you say you get you advice when you`re out in public, too. People..
(CROSSTALK0
D. BONADUCE: Oh constantly. But the letters I get - because it`s anonymous - I get - I got one today - this morning from a 16-year-old who`s been cutting herself.
ANDERSON: Oh no.
D. BONADUCE: .since she was 13. And she wants to know my opinion. Apparently somehow, I have gotten to be - if you have a huge problem, I must know something about it. I get - these - these letters - I mean, it was getting too depressing. I had to put some funny messages up just to change it. I got 200 letters that start like this - almost all of them - Dear Danny, I love husband very much, but every time he drinks, he beats me. What do you think I should do?
And at first, I just - they were so sad, I started to weep. And I came up to my wife, and I said, I am not qualified for this.
ANDERSON: Well, I think a lot of people can probably identify.
G. BONADUCE: They do.
D. BONADUCE: Apparently they do.
ANDERSON: .with struggles in general.
G. BONADUCE: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: You know? And that.
G. BONADUCE: We - we just get so much mail. And I feel vindicated that we did help people.
D. BONADUCE: Yes.
G. BONADUCE: Because I`m certain in the beginning, the producers were totally, Oh, you`re so cute with your little reality show, going to help people.
D. BONADUCE: And we have.
G. BONADUCE: And - and it has. And I`m so proud of it.
D. BONADUCE: Proof positive. We get - we get mail all the time.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: It`s been turbulent, as a lot of people`s lives are very turbulent.
Danny, you were in rehab. Gretchen kicked you out of the house. But then what? You`re back in the house, but in the guest house, right?
D. BONADUCE: In the guest room, yes.
ANDERSON: In the guest room.
What`s it been like for you?
G. BONADUCE: Difficult.
D. BONADUCE: Difficult at the very least, you know? But when things come down to getting too difficult, I`ve been known to take matters in hand, and that`s exactly what I did.
And got very comfortable down in the guest room until, you know, I finally worked my way back into her affections. I am now sober for the longest time in my entire life.
ANDERSON: Congratulations.
D. BONADUCE: And - thank you very much. I appreciate that.
I still don`t feel qualified to give out all this advice. So I don`t really do it. I tell them what I would do, but I also tell them, I`ve been failing at getting sober now for 10 years.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: Keep them in mind.
ANDERSON: Yes. Well - well - well.
D. BONADUCE: But Gretchen and our pastor both said - and this freaked me out - this was - I was surprised at this answer. They said, How do you know this wasn`t your calling the whole time? Like, dude, I`m a clown for a - I`m a juggling bear.
ANDERSON: It`s something to think about though.
D. BONADUCE: It`s too much to think about.
G. BONADUCE: But I - I think it`s very true.
ANDERSON: Yes.
G. BONADUCE: You know, I think that Danny has been put in a - in a position to help a lot of people because he`s been there. You know, a lot of people that are psychiatrists, they haven`t had the drug problems or the alcohol problems. And I think for someone like Danny to have gone down that road, really has some very good advice on how to not go there.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, and speaking of helping people, you know, you have a perspective of someone who still struggles to keep it under control.
D. BONADUCE: That`s the point exactly.
ANDERSON: Yes, and your partying.
D. BONADUCE: If I had my way, we`d be doing this interview really drunk, and then I`d try to talk that lady into sex.
ANDERSON: But luckily, we`re not doing it that way.
G. BONADUCE: Exactly.
ANDERSON: And you`ve been sober - exactly.
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: Those days are over.
ANDERSON: But, you know, you started your partying when you were very young. Some, you know, of what you`ve learned over the years when you see young Hollywood stars carrying on like they have been recently - Britney, Lindsay, Nicole - when you look at them, do you see a bit of yourself out there?
D. BONADUCE: No. First of all, there`s not nearly enough Nicole Richie to see a bit of myself in.
But no, I don`t. I never took the celebrity - I have - I have a lot of problems because I`m really rich and famous. You know, I look at a real skinny girl who`s getting real high and getting in trouble, and I think, That`s too bad. Chad (ph) too far.
I don`t know. I just can`t raise it up to care a whole lot about a really rich girl who won`t snack. Now I know it`s a disease. It`s one of the few maladies I`ve never had, so maybe I`m unsympathetic. But I`m telling you, there are bigger problems in the world than Nicole Richie, and I care about them.
ANDERSON: Gretchen, what advice would you give to those stars? Because you`ve learned a lot through.
G. BONADUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: .seeing Danny struggle.
G. BONADUCE: I feel so bad for them, because so many people would trade places with them in a minute. You know, they`ve got the world at their feet. And to throw it away like that is amazing.
And I don`t understand how people that own bars out here - they know they`re underage. I don`t understand why they let them in. That`s (INAUDIBLE) to me.
ANDERSON: Yes. Lindsay Lohan, 20 years old.
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: Because Lindsay Lohan is good for business.
I - I will tell you this: the thing that I couldn`t get out of my head, because I - I really have no emotional interest in Nicole Richie at all. I don`t want to know her.
ANDERSON: We have established that.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t - I don`t want to go to the place she goes.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t want to hang out with the people she hangs out with. But I`m a huge fan of her father`s. And when I heard the news.
ANDERSON: As I am.
D. BONADUCE: .I could not shake the idea of seeing Lionel Richie sitting down at the piano playing piano at his daughter`s funeral.
ANDERSON: He`s (INAUDIBLE).
D. BONADUCE: That - that - that`s the picture that`s in my mind.
ANDERSON: Well he`s a father, and - and you`re a father. You know, you have (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
D. BONADUCE: An extra-strength Vicodin, which is what she had taken - I believe she said she took three - they are this big. That is not a third of her body weight.
ANDERSON: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: OK, she can`t live through this kind of behavior.
G. BONADUCE: And I`m just happy she didn`t hurt someone, you know? I mean, going the wrong way.
D. BONADUCE: She did hurt someone.
G. BONADUCE: Well, I know. But, you know, it could have been much worse.
D. BONADUCE: She hurt every teenage - she hurt every teenage girl that looks up to her. She hurt her father. She hurt a lot of people.
Just because I happen to be a recovering alcoholic and a drug addict doesn`t mean I have a lot of sympathy for us.
ANDERSON: Right.
D. BONADUCE: I think - I - I believe somewhat in the medical theory that I have a disease that I can`t help. But I also, at some point have to realize, there are things that I do that are a blatant lack of character. And if I were a better man, I wouldn`t have done them.
And so it`s hard for me, if I`m going to be this hard on myself, to be any easier on anybody else that has everything going for them and is going to throw it away. Because I got to tell you right now.
ANDERSON: Understandable.
D. BONADUCE: I don`t know exactly what Nicole Richie actually does for a living. But I`m telling you this: the clock`s ticking fast on her 15 minutes. And if you think being rich and famous is a good reason to take drugs, wait till you`re 24 and nobody cares who you are.
ANDERSON: From someone`s who`s been.
D. BONADUCE: You`ll be taking bowls of Vicodin like - like breakfast cereal.
ANDERSON: From someone`s who`s been through a lot. Yes.
D. BONADUCE: From someone`s who`s been there.
ANDERSON: Well.
D. BONADUCE: I used - I - you know, I was on "The Partridge Family," and then I lived between the Dumpsters at Grauman`s Chinese.
ANDERSON: Yes.
D. BONADUCE: So I`m telling you, the famous life is a little bit...
ANDERSON: It`s understandable. And at least you recognize.
D. BONADUCE: Yes.
ANDERSON: .you know, the - the issues that you`re dealing with. Congratulations on your sobriety.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: We are going to have to end it there.
D. BONADUCE: I didn`t mean to be mean. I`m pleased (INAUDIBLE), I would love to help you.
ANDERSON: Danny and Gretchen Bonaduce, thank you so much.
And you can check out both of their reality shows on VH-1, "Breaking Bonaduce" as well as "The Celebrity Paranormal Project."
HAMMER: We have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Nicole Richie`s DUI Arrest: If convicted, should she go to jail?" Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll get in some of your e-mails tomorrow.
You can also vote on the "Question of the Day" by sending a text to 45688. To vote yes, write "SHOWBIZ Yes." To vote no, write "SHOWBIZ No." Once again, send the text to 45688.
Brad the dad. Coming up, Angelina Jolie opens up like never before about what it`s like to raise kids with Mr. Pitt. We`ll also get another look at the new picture of beautiful Baby Shiloh.
Also coming up, the winner of "The Biggest Loser." You are not going to believe the transformation this guy went through. We`re going to hear how he lost more than 200 pounds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It is time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Picture of the Day." Look at this. It`s so incredibly cool. It`s the world`s tallest man saving a dolphin`s life.
In China, two dolphins got sick after they ate some plastic that was at the edge of their pool at an aquarium. Well, doctors tried to use some surgical instruments to get the plastic out. That didn`t work. So what did they do? They called in a 7`9" guy from Inner Mongolia. He is in the "Guinness Book of World`s Records" (sic) as the world`s tallest man. His arms? Three feet long. So he was able to reach right inside, pull the plastic out. And the dolphins, I`m happy to report, are now doing fine.
ANDERSON: Aww. That`s a good story.
Angelina Jolie is opening up about life with Brad Pitt and their children in revealing, very personal details about their family. And it`s just as new photos are coming out.
Take a look at Baby Shiloh in "People" magazine. She is one gorgeous baby. That issue of "People" magazine is on newsstands Friday.
Now in an interview with Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning, America," Angelina said she and Brad probably will adopt again. And Diane asked her what she loves most about Brad as a father.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: He woke up very, very early this morning, and he let me sleep me in because I had this interview.
DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS: That`s major.
JOLIE: He was.
SAWYER: That`s big.
JOLIE: Feeling (ph) with the two girls and bottles and food - which is not easy to do on his own for quite a few hours this morning. So I - so I could rest. He`s - he`s just a - a really great partner. A great, great man.
But to see him in the morning and he`s not exhausted or tired or - or - or frustrated about it, he`s happy. And he finds them fun. And he is excited about the little things they do. That`s the greatest thing I think you can hope for for your kids, that your children know that they are - they`re a joy to be with, and that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday for our own interview with Angelina Jolie.
Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Angelina and Brad: Do you admire them as a couple?" Twenty-eight percent of you say yes, but 72 percent of you say no.
Here`s some of the e-mails we received:
Amy from Texas writes, "Why should we admire them as a couple? She is a home wrecker. She will forever be that in my mind."
And Carolyn from Oregon says, "I love them as a couple. They complement each other very well. I wish them great happiness and fun with their kids."
HAMMER: All right. Imagine losing 214 pounds. One man did it in nine months - more than half his body weight.
And now, he is "The Biggest Loser."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAROLINE RHEA, HOST, "THE BIGGEST LOSER": Your current weight is.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What an amazing achievement. On NBC`s "The Biggest Loser," Erick Chopin went from 407 pounds to 193 pounds, beating out 50 contestants from all 50 states. He walked away with $250,000 in the process, and trainer Bob Harper was right there with him every step of the way.
Bob Harper, Erick Chopin with us tonight in New York.
Congratulations to you.
Bob, welcome back to the show. Excellent to see you.
BOB HARPER, TRAINER: Thank you. Thank you very much.
HAMMER: I got to imagine people were just high-fiving you in the street as you walked through New York today.
ERICK CHOPIN, WINNER, "THE BIGGEST LOSER": Yes, it was great. Everybody`s just, Way to go. They can`t believe it.
HAMMER: We got to throw up the before-and-after picture once again. I - I want to look at this, because I have to know what goes through your mind when you see this.
You went from 407 to 193. That`s amazing. I mean, that`s not - that is not any small feat by any stretch.
What - what - what are you thinking of?
CHOPIN: I mean, I look at the 407 guy, and it`s - it`s just not that long ago. So at first glance, it`s me. But it`s not me. You know, I - I`ve - I`ve - there`s a huge transformation. And I just got to get used to this, you know? It`s.
HAMMER: Well, and - and - and - in terms of getting used to it, when you look in the mirror now, and you see this very fit guy - because not only did you lose the weight, but you got into great shape. But when you`re not looking in the mirror, do you see yourself as a heavy person in - in your mind?
CHOPIN: Oh, yes. Absolutely. It`s - it`s - it`s just something I got to get used to. And I - you know, the way I see myself in the mirror, it - you know, it reminds me. But it`s just so many years of being that size, you know? I just - and if - even if I just, you know, have a little indiscretion with food, I think I`m going to wake up and be him, you know? So it`s - it`s - you know, it`s - there`s going to be some time for me to get used to.
HAMMER: Yes, and you think Bob`s going to be there cracking the whip on him.
HARPER: I - we were trying to figure out how I can be his friend and his trainer right now. We`re on the road together, and it`s like I`m watching everything he eats - and I`m like, What are you doing eating that? What`s going on?
HAMMER: Yes, I mentioned steamed dumplings before we go, and all of a sudden steamed dumplings is a no-no.
CHOPIN: Yes, I got a couple omelets (ph). I got crazy before, and he just couldn`t believe it.
HAMMER: Erick, there was obviously so much involved in the process of losing that amount of weight in - in that relatively short amount of time. Nine - nine months.
For you, what do you think the biggest component was that really made it happen?
CHOPIN: I think the fact that it was a goal of mine to - to - to bring this to completion. And so many times I just give up. Bob noticed that right away with me. He said, You know, you got to go to the finish line. You got to push it through, keep going, don`t give up. And - and (INAUDIBLE) to do that. And - and I actually did. I got to the end.
HAMMER: Perseverance, commitment.
Bob, we talked about before the - the - the big stars that you`ve worked with, from Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ellen DeGeneres. And you`ve been doing this show now, "The Biggest Loser," for three seasons.
HARPER: That`s right.
HAMMER: You consider Erick your biggest success story. Why is that?
HARPER: Erick is absolutely my biggest success story.
He was a guy that came to the ranch at 407 pounds. He had diabetes. He had sleep apnea. This guy had so many health issues. Now, no more sleep apnea. He`s actually with a - on a campaign with me, stepitupdiabetes.com, where he is going around talking to people with Type 2 diabetes. It`s, like, his whole health is just changed because he got the weight out.
And the perseverance. I mean, to get up every single day and go, OK, I`m going to - I`m going to do what Bob wants. I`m going to - I`m going to work out, I`m going to eat. And all of a sudden, wake up one day and be 193 pounds. I mean, it`s - it`s unbelievable.
And be different. It`s - it`s not about him being in these thinner clothes. It`s about, He`s different up here.
HAMMER: Oh yes.
HARPER: And he will never be that man again. He will never be 407 pounds again.
HAMMER: And - and we see the physical manifestation. We see the physical changes, and we know the physical rollercoaster is a big one for anybody struggling with weight.
But we also know there`s an emotional component. And we certainly saw a lot of it within the course of the season on the - on "The Biggest Loser."
Was that a big deal for you? Did - did you quite an emotional rollercoaster as well?
CHOPIN: Yes, I did. I mean, I - you know, I kept some of it bottled up, and there was a point at the very end where Bob had showed me my likeness, that 407-pound guy, and I just - it all came to a head, and I just - you know, I get emotional, because it`s just - wow, you know? What we - what we accomplished and, you know, is just - the - the transformation is just a lot take in.
HAMMER: I only have a few seconds left, Bob. But I have to ask you, you know, Erick obviously had the show, he had the ranch, he had you he had the goal of $250,000. Most people don`t have that.
What`s the biggest take-away from what he did that people can apply to their own lives?
HARPER: I think that if Erick can do it, anyone can do it. It just takes small steps every day. Eat better - make better food choices. Move your body around a little bit more. And you will be able to change your life.
HAMMER: Bob Harper, Erick Chopin, thanks for joining us. And truly, it - it is so inspirational to see every - every time a season wraps up, and I had a big smile on my face watching you win last night. Congratulations.
CHOPIN: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Bob and the other trainers are out with a new DVD. It is called "The Biggest Loser: The Workout, Volume 2." It`s in stores now.
ANDERSON: Sit tight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been all over the Golden Globe nominations, and we have more reactions from the nominees now.
I caught up with actor Jeremy Piven, who was nominated for his role on the HBO series "Entourage." Now Piven plays the snarky agent Ari Gold. And when I caught with him, he told me how grateful he is to HBO, and what it`s like taking his mom to all these award shows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEREMY PIVEN, ACTOR: It`s an embarrassment of riches, because to - to people able to - to work, you know, on a network like HBO, that - that allows a show a chance to find its voice. And the show was nominated.
ANDERSON: Yes.
PIVEN: And I`m just so proud of everyone. It`s really great. And everyone really deserves it. So it`s - it`s - it`s pretty cool, and - and really thrilling.
Well, my mom`s great. She has really great taste. But she`s from another generation. So I have to hide tags.
(LAUGHTER)
PIVEN: And when she - when she found out how much the purse cost that I got her for the Emmys, she immediately put it on eBay and - and - and gave the money to charity because.
ANDERSON: Of course.
PIVEN: .she doesn`t - she doesn`t understand.
ANDERSON: Who would pay that much for a purse?
PIVEN: .who - why? Why?
ANDERSON: Why?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And we also caught with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was nominated for her role in "Sherrybaby." The new mom plays a mom in "Sherrybaby" who returns home from prison eager to re-establish her relationship with her daughter. She told us what she was doing when the nominations were read this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL, ACTRESS: Well, I was sleeping, which I think is better luck than, you know, waking up and - I just - I went to sleep. I left my phone on. I knew my manager would call me, or my agent or my publicist. I knew they would call me. And so I left the phone on and I went to bed. And - and I - I - yes, I got woken up by a phone.
Actually, they called me about 10 times and I didn`t wake up. I guess I was just sleeping so hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT also caught up with Aaron Eckhart. He was nominated for his starring role in "Thank You for Smoking." He joked that the nominees who received multiple nods, like Leonardo DiCaprio and Clint Eastwood, have a better chance of winning, and if he was a betting man, his money would be on one of them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AARON ECKHART, ACTOR: Well, I mean, it was a little bit selfish. It`s a little bit greedy, don`t you think?
No, I mean, they have a better chance of winning. If I were in Vegas, I would bet on Leo and - or Clint Eastwood. I mean, the odds are better.
HAMMER: What are you planning on wearing?
ECKHART: I`m going to what Borat did, probably, and wear - go for the - just the single sock. It worked for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, please don`t do that.
OK, Brad Pitt also celebrating tonight. He was nominated for his role "Babel." The film raked in the most nominations - seven total, including Best Picture.
Brad is up against Ben Affleck, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg.
We got this statement from Brad: "I am so pleased this morning to be nominated along with my fellow actors in `Babel` for a Golden Globe. I am very proud of this film, and I congratulate Alejandro Rink, Adriana and Cate as well. As a producer with Plan B, I`d also like to congratulate Annette Bening and all the nominees from `The Departed.`"
The 64th annual Golden Globe awards will be held on January 15.
HAMMER: Friday night`s almost here. Let`s see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special: "Prescription for Rehab." From Whitney Houston to Kate Moss, we are taking an in-depth look at what it`s like to battle addiction under the hot lights of Hollywood. "Prescription for Rehab" - that`s tomorrow, a Friday night, in a special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
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