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Showbiz Tonight
Britney Spears Named 2006`s Most Controversial Celebrity; Danny Bonaduce Discusses Celebrity Behavior
Aired December 20, 2006 - 19:00 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 woman claims Mel Gibson is her dad. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad is on the case. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And why Sean Penn says President Bush should be impeached. I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the special event that everyone`s been waiting for, who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most controversial celebrity of the year? Britney`s pantiless partying, Mel`s racial rant, Anna Nicole`s drama in the Bahamas, and more. But who is the most scandalous, the most provocative, the most outrageous? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most controversial celebrity of 2006.
Miss USA`s second chance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARA CONNER, MISS USA: I plan on walking out of this the best Miss USA that you`ve ever seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Miss USA cries without tears. The Donald holds his fire. What`s really going on here? Tonight only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is this whole Miss USA controversy just one big publicity stunt?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York tonight with the moment everybody`s been buzzing about. Who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most controversial celebrity the year?
HAMMER: From Britney to Mel to Tom Cruise, in the past year the biggest stars provoked some of the biggest controversies we have ever seen in a single year in Hollywood. But who is the most controversial? Well, tonight we have a huge show for this special event. We are going to be joined by the very provocative Danny Bonaduce, star of VH-1`s "Breaking Bonaduce," and certainly someone who knows a thing or two about being smack in the middle of controversy, and only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings together three of the biggest celebrity weekly magazines, "In Touch," "US Weekly, and "Star," to get their inside story.
ANDERSON: So let`s get this going. As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most controversial celebrity of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marriages and breakups and crazy racist rants.
ANDERSON (voice-over): 2006 was one big year for celebrity controversy. You had Mel Gibson and Michael Richards` racial rants, Tom Cruise`s continued flirtation with total career self-destruction, and Anna Nicole Smith`s never ending string of dramas.
FRANGELINA, COMIC DUO: Just a cornucopia of wrong and crazy!
ANDERSON: But even with all of those celebs and all that controversy, there was one person who was unrivaled for generating jaw-dropping headlines all year long.
Which is why SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006 is Britney Spears.
FRANGELINA: Oh, Britney.
ANDERSON: No matter how you slice it, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says 2006 was the year of Britney. From the home videos of her that ended up all over the web, to her mommy mishaps, to her pantiless partying.
FRANGELINA: I`ve seen Britney`s (INAUDIBLE) more than my own.
ANDERSON: Celebrity watchers tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Britney Spears was all anyone could talk about in 2006.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I think we love Britney Spears because she is so trash-tastic.
AMY ARGETSINGER, "WASHINGTON POST": You don`t see Tara Reid getting this much attention for similarly bad behavior.
ANDERSON: Tara Reid, amateur. This is Britney Spears` world. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tells you what it was that made us choose her as the most controversial celebrity of 2006. For one, no one generated more discussion or outrage than Britney.
ARGETSINGER: She has given us a lot to talk about.
ANDERSON: It all started in February, when she was photographed driving with her baby, Sean Preston, in her lap instead of a car seat. Then there was her nude pregnancy photos for "Harper`s Bazaar Magazine," that made headlines world wide, even in Japan. Then came this home video of her, shot by her soon to be ex-husband, Kevin Federline, that was posted on the website YouTube.
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: Is it possible to time travel speed?
ANDERSON: That clip was recently named the most watched celebrity web video of the year by ViralVideoChart.com. And then came the earth shattering day that K-Fed became Fed-Ex. Britney announced her split from Federline soon after she gave birth to the couple`s second child, not that it surprised anyone.
FRANGELINA: Did any of us really think this was going to work out, seriously? Even the baby came out of the womb going, yes, this ain`t going to last. I should probably stay attached to the nanny. That`s who I`m going to bond with.
ANDERSON: But the divorce news, which broke on election day, was so huge, it even knocked the Democrat`s takeover of Congress off the front page. But the best was yet to come.
ARGETSINGER: Everyone was watching, fascinated by her next step, which was to go out in public a lot, with the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and other role models, and sometimes forget to wear underwear while she was getting out of cars.
ANDERSON: Oh, yes, Panty-gate 2006. Britney`s pantiless partying with Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, with her kids nowhere in sight, dominated the headlines.
FRANGELINA: Britney, Fed-ex, K-Fed, OK? And then decide to not wear any panties?
ANDERSON: Even the formerly trouble-prone singer Courtney Love issued Britney a public tsk, tsk on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
COURTNEY LOVE, ACTRESS: When my daughter was -- you know, when she was under a year, I didn`t go out much.
FRANGELINA: When Courtney Love starts giving you parenting advice, and she is right, you know you are doing wrong. You have messed up.
ANDERSON: So, in the end, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT chose Britney Spears as the year`s most controversial celebrity because no one could come close to matching her nonstop string of controversies that began at the start of the year and continue to this day.
PIAZZA: Wasn`t just one scandal, it was a consistency of scandal throughout 2006.
ARGETSINGER: Britney, you know what, she had a baby, she had a divorce, she ran around a little under dressed. It`s fairly minor stuff, in terms of the annals of young Hollywood bad behavior, but we were fascinated because every move and every step she makes, because she is Britney Spears.
ANDERSON: And now she is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, if there is anyone who knows about celebrity and controversy, it`s Danny Bonaduce. He shot to fame as Danny Partridge on the "Partridge Family," became a hit radio DJ, and is now a reality TV superstar. Danny`s battles with drugs and alcohol are no secret and have been well chronicled on his hit VH-1 reality show, "Breaking Bonaduce." Danny Bonaduce is with us tonight in Hollywood. Danny, there you have it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says Britney Spears, the most controversial celebrity of the year. What do you think of the choice?
DANNY BONADUCE, ACTOR: Well, first of all, thank you for having me. I want you to know I grappled with this, because this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and CNN put together, so it is the pinnacle of what I do for a living. So I want to agree with you. But the fact is I cannot find it in my heart to agree. I disagree completely that Britney Spears is the most controversial star.
ANDERSON: Really? Who is your pick?
BONADUCE: I think, to be considered controversial, you probably have to be able to spell the word controversy. So that puts Britney out. What you need to have any kind of controversy is two sides, two informed sides that have different opinions. That`s a controversy. Do we belong in Iraq? I think we do. I don`t think we do. And then there`s conflict.
ANDERSON: Well, everyone is entitled to their his opinion, Danny. Who is your pick?
BONADUCE: Everybody`s opinion on this is the same. If you ask anyone, is Britney Spears an idiot? You don`t have two opposing sides. Of course she is. Who would my pick be? Now, my pick is not as exciting, not as juicy, but I have better reasons. My pick for most controversial star would be Angelina Jolie, because that`s a controversy.
ANDERSON: Now, I don`t remember Angelina Jolie going out, partying without her panties, driving with the kid not in the car seat, Danny.
BONADUCE: I don`t remember Britney Spears with Billy Bob Thorton`s blood. If I got Billy Bob Thorton`s blood anywhere near me, I would go to the emergency room and call the hazmat team.
ANDERSON: She`s passed all that.
BONADUCE: The reason I pick Angelina Jolie is because of the dichotomy. She is doing such wonderful work in Africa and bringing home these children to save them, yet won`t let them meet their grandfather. She is building orphanages so these people will have a place to live, yet everyday, she is an average run-of-the-mill home wrecker, who stole a very nice girl`s woman`s husband. That`s controversy.
ANDERSON: You know what, she does create a lot of discussion as well. You`re right Danny. But here`s the thing, Britney Spears, you know, a lot of people -- millions of people search for her on the Internet, and as you saw in the piece, the video of her is the most watched celebrity video on the web. So why do you think people are so obsessed with her, because people are?
BONADUCE: Let me ask you, it`s the same reason as this. Let me ask you why this happens, if there is a car crash, a terrible, terrible car crash on the north side of the freeway, why is there a traffic jam on the south side?
ANDERSON: Rubber necking.
BONADUCE: Because people want to slow down and see the carnage. They want to look over and see who is broken and bleeding and dying, and in this case the answer is Britney Spears` career.
ANDERSON: Well, as we mentioned, there have been other controversies, other people whose careers seem to be dying in a lot of people`s mind. You had Michael Richards racist rant, Mel Gibson`s DUI arrest, anti-Semitic tirade. What was the one thing this year that, Danny, that when you heard it, you thought, you`ve got to be kidding me?
BONADUCE: Well, the biggest thing about the tabloids that shocked me this year is how infrequently I was in them. I was like Lady Di of bad boys. Over the years there have been a dozen pictures of me in handcuffs on the cover of the "National Enquirer."
ANDERSON: The tabloids gave you a break.
BONADUCE: So, they gave me a little bit of a break, but I thought the Mel Gibson thing was super interesting. I hate to elevate Anna Nicole Smith to anything above -- you know, the fact that she has opposable thumbs is the only thing that raises her up from a wolf. So her controversy -- people lost their lives, people were born, people were asking who is really the daddy, did she really mere this guy. That`s at least an interesting story.
Mel Gibson, I`m not really mad at him for being drunk and saying stupid things. You know, I`ve been drunk and told the toaster how much I loved it. I`m just glad it wasn`t the blender. But the fact of the matter is, I`m not mad at him that he got drunk and said something stupid, it`s just that he wasn`t drunk enough. He blew a .12. I could perform brain surgery at a .12. You got to be blowing a .3 before you want to say a lot of stupid stuff.
ANDERSON: Well Danny, you talk about you got a break from the tabloids. You know, when you were on the show once before, you got really ticked off talking about celebrities who complain about being photographed, about being put into these magazines. So when Britney Spears goes out and is photographed without her underwear on, does she really have anything to complain about, because she is the one who chose to do that?
BONADUCE: Not only did she choose it -- and all celebrities, in my opinion, have sold their right to privacy. I just got that put to the test the other day. If you go on YouTube and look me up right now, I am accosted on the street by a guy with a mic, who has got this big conspiracy theory. And it was the most watched clip on YouTube over the weekend, and they put me on the radio with this nut bag, and the announcer said, you need to apologize for accosting Danny Bonaduce. And he said, no, I don`t. He`s a public figure. And I said, that`s the only place we agree. No, he doesn`t. He has every right. Everybody has every right to any part of me or them that they want, because I sold myself to you. I do it on purpose. If you want to come up to me and ask me anything, say anything you want, you have that right, because I sold myself to you, and you bought it, and I`m grateful.
ANDERSON: Good point. No nut bags around here, right, A.J.?
BONADUCE: There are nuts everywhere.
ANDERSON: As always, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
HAMMER: We have so much more coming your way tonight on our pick for the most controversial celebrity of 2006. Only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing together three of the biggest celebrity magazines in the same place, at the same time, to get their take on Britney`s controversial -- most controversial of the year. That`s coming up at 31 past the hour.
ANDERSON: We want to hear what you have to say about our pick for the most controversial celebrity of 2006. Do you think Britney Spears is the most controversial celebrity of the year? Send us an e-mail at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
HAMMER: Brooke, Britney`s ex has certainly had quite a year. Now coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re going to tell you how he is closing out the year with a big bang. We are going to tell you what he is saying now that actually could bet him body slammed.
ANDERSON: Really?
HAMMER: Yes, that`s next. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think anyone has ever accused Donald Trump of being unsavvy when it comes to getting publicity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Miss Usa`s misbehavior, the Donald holding his fire, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just has to ask, was it all a big publicity stunt?
HAMMER: And we have Luciana Jimenez (ph), who knows a thing or two about surviving scandal in the spotlight. She is the model who had one of Mick Jagger`s kids. She is coming up in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer.
I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York. And this is a very special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the most controversial celebrity of 2006.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: Is that possible, to time -- travel speed? Yes, it is, Kevin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s right, for all her theories on time travel, her partying with Paris, dumping K-Fed, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares Britney Spears the most controversial celebrity of 2006!
HAMMER: Most deservedly so, I might add. And speaking of Britney`s ex, it is time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. Who hasn`t wanted to body slam Kevin Federline, when you get right down to it. But WWE champion John Cena (ph) actually plans to get in the ring with him. Is K-Fed afraid? Oh no, Cena and Federline are facing off in a New Years day event in Miami. Kevin says that he is going to win. Federline`s told of WWE crowd, quote, the real Kevin Federline never backs down from a challenge. Make all your jokes, because New Year`s day, I`m the one who is going to be laughing. We say, Kevin Federline talking trash, now that`s ridiculous!
All right, we hate to be skeptical, or maybe we don`t hate to be skeptical, but tonight we just got to ask, what is the real deal? Why didn`t Donald Trump fire Miss USA? Why did she get a second chance? Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT smells something fishy and we`re daring to ask, was this all just a publicity stunt?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Tara is going to be given a second chance.
HAMMER (voice-over): And with those seven words, Donald Trump spun himself and his Miss USA pageant more press than even he, a professional publicity sponge, could have imagined.
CONNER: I want to apologize to my family.
HAMMER: The Miss USA news conference had it all.
CONNER: And I swear I will not let you down.
HAMMER: A beauty queen`s tearful apology for heavy duty partying and underage drinking, a billionaire boss with a second chance.
CONNER: Tara is a good person.
HAMMER: And enough reporters to tell the story thousands of times over. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got to tell you, the Donald couldn`t have been more on his game with this one. Not only did he give an Oscar-worthy performance, but you got to hand it to him for jumping on the hottest topic in pop culture, fallen starlets and their late night antics.
ARGETSINGER: On the one hand, its not great for publicity if you have Miss USA who is out drinking and running around with guys, on the other hand, Paris Hilton has been running around with interesting guys at night clubs at all hours, and that`s kind of what she does. That`s why she is famous. It`s been a genius move for Miss USA, in a way, getting in on the Girls Gone Wild culture.
TRUMP: She was telling me that she got caught up in the whirlwind that`s New York.
ARGETSINGER: I don`t think anyone has ever accused Donald Trump of being unsavvy when it comes to getting publicity.
HAMMER: Now let`s talk about Miss USA, Tara Conner. She admitted to some wild nights at the press conference.
CONNER: Yes, I went out. I had a couple of nights where, yes, I did drink and that was stupid. It was under age. It is strictly prohibited.
HAMMER: But when it came to saving her crown, she was all business. Tearfully thanking Trump.
CONNER: And you will never know how much I appreciate Mr. Trump for saving me on this one.
PIAZZA: She didn`t seem terribly sincere to me. She had, you know, these almost fake rolling tears coming off her face and she just kept saying how thankful she was to both god and Donald Trump in the same sentence, which is a little bit bizarre to hear.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to say, let`s face it, did we really care that Miss USA was in jeopardy of losing her title? No. Most of us didn`t even know her name before this week, but we watched on live TV, because Trump and his small-town beauty queen, put on one heck of a show.
TRUMP: Yes. Say it.
HAMMER: In fact, Trump did such a good job that just about everyone came out a winner. Tara Conner should be happy. She is now a household name and she didn`t even have to dish on exactly what she did, aside from underage drinking, that got her into this mess in the first place.
(on camera): And, of course, the Trump brand name got some big time exposure. The press conference was held here at Trump Tower. Right behind the stage was a giant Trump logo, and just in case any of the reporters got a little bit thirsty, well, all they had to do was head down to the Trump bar for some Trump bottled water.
(voice-over): Heck, "The Apprentice" even got a little press. Trump waited until the end of the conference to slip this in.
TRUMP: I think I give a lot of second chances on "The Apprentice" actually. I think I do. I do not like firing people, believe me.
HAMMER: Sure you don`t, Donald.
TRUMP: You`re fired -- fired -- fired. You`re all fired.
HAMMER: That clip, by the way, just happens to be from the upcoming series of "The Apprentice," and wouldn`t you know, it landed on our desk just as Trump`s press conference got underway on national television.
CONNER: Thank god I have the chance to make it right.
HAMMER: Coincidence? Maybe, or it just might be the Donald doing what the Donald does best, promoting himself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, rehab, of course, is the next step for Miss USA Tara Conner, or as Trump calls her Tara Conner. No word yet on when or where she is going to be going for treatment. We do know that she will be spending the holidays with her family before going anywhere.
ANDERSON: And that leads us to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Miss USA going to rehab. Is it all a publicity stunt? Go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Write us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com and we`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: You know Brooke, we`re not the only ones who are worked up over this Miss USA scandal. Rosie O`Donnell calling Donald Trump a snake- oil salesman. That`s right. She is very fed up over the whole deal. The Donald, not taking that lying down. Trump verse Rosie in a war of words, that`s coming up at 47 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Also, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006, Britney Spears. Coming up, we`re bringing together three of the biggest celebrity magazines for their reaction and the inside story of which stars sell magazines.
HAMMER: And does Mel Gibson have a daughter from a tryst in the back seat of a car 30 years ago? What? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad on the case, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Sean Penn hasn`t made it a secret that he is no fan of President Bush, but now he is reportedly using some pretty colorful language to call for his impeachment. It was, fittingly, while he was accepting a first amendment award in New York. He compared the Bush administration to the President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. Free speech notwithstanding, he used some words we can`t say on TV, but, this should give you an idea, "if we attempt to impeach, for lying about an oral sex act, yet accept these almost certain abuses without challenge, we become a stain on the flag we wave.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, Luciana Jimenez -- she`s the mother of one of Mick Jagger`s kids. She is here to tell us about surviving scandal in the spotlight.
ANDERSON: Yes, Luciana is a model and we`re also going to talk to her about the skinny model controversy, get her take on that whole thing. Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2006, Britney Spears. Coming up, we`re bringing together three of the biggest celebrity magazines. We`re going to get their reaction and the inside story of which stars sell magazines.
Plus we`ve got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Miss Universe was forced to drop some pounds to keep her crown. Nice, huh?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Pageant scandals through the years, coming up when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. We are getting into the weekend. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, Sibila, in just a moment, we`re going to talk about the strange rumor floating around that perhaps Anna Nicole Smith is pregnant again.
But we have something else that we need to get to the bottom of tonight: the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad investigating while - whether or not Sandra Bullock is pregnant. Those rumors all over the Internet. They are rampant everywhere. We`re going to give you the definitive answer in just moments.
VARGAS: Can`t wait for that.
And also, Danny DeVito - I know, we`ve all caught him flossed (ph) on "The View" the other day. But he is not the only celeb who`s gone on TV a little tipsy.
HAMMER: That`s true.
VARGAS: We`ll expose some of those people coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, like the Energizer Bunny, it`s a train wreck that keeps going and going. Talking about the whole Anna Nicole Smith mess. Get this: tonight, she could be out on the street with no place to live.
Or is that really going to happen? After ignoring an eviction notice by the owner of the Bahamian property she`s been holed up in, a court has now ordered her off the property. But wait - there`s breaking news on that front - and now Anna Nicole Smith is saying she might be pregnant again.
Let`s get it through it all tonight with Court TV`s Ashleigh Banfield here in New York.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV: Is it in the water?
HAMMER: It is just nutty. It is crazy.
And - and let me talk about this deal with the house in the Bahamas. This is where she has been holed up. It`s owned by a guy that she used to date. Now she has been staying there since she got out of the hospital after her daughter was born and her son died.
The guy who owns the house wants her gone, evicted her, she didn`t leave. However she went to a judge, got an official notice of eviction, and the judge is saying, You got to go.
But there`s now breaking news.
BANFIELD: (INAUDIBLE) we always have a piece of breaking news with Anna Nicole.
She has gotten that turned around. Just happened. She - she applied on Wednesday, after she got the boot, the official boot - which was a default judgment because she hadn`t shown up to start with. She went back Wednesday. She`s now been given a three-month reprieve on that eviction.
HAMMER: Any idea why, or is that pretty standard (INAUDIBLE)
BANFIELD: Can`t tell you that yet; can`t get my hands on the documents. They`re too fresh.
However I can tell you this: I spoke with her lawyer; I spoke with Thompson`s lawyers, his lawyers, just a few moments ago.
HAMMER: Right, and you`re referring to the lover - her former lover, who owns the house in the Bahamas.
BANFIELD: Exactly. Owner of the house. And I said, is it true, number one, that this is been vacated, that - that in fact, she`s got a three-month reprieve. And they said, yes. And I said, What are you doing about it? And they said, We are in a flurry of filings. We`re preparing right now two actions to reverse what`s just happened so that we can, in fact, evict her.
I know, it`s difficult. And without giving you the names of them, they`re doing a concurrent process to something called a writ of possession. Does the same thing. They`re doing a double whammy to try and nail it down.
HAMMER: More importantly and real quickly, if she does actually get kicked out, how do they actually do it? Do the cops show up and they grab her little pink suitcases and throw them out in the street?
BANFIELD: Sometimes they will actually do that. It might be a little different in the Bahamas, though. It`s a different jurisdiction.
But my thought is she`s a little media savvy at this point. So I don`t think she`s going to want that to be going out over the airwaves.
And you know the cameras are there.
HAMMER: Yes.
Well speaking of being in front of the cameras, let`s get into this piece of weirdness: she goes on "ET," and on this show, she basically says that she thinks she might be pregnant again. Now she says she`s not ready to be pregnant. But - but Howard K. Stern, who is her lover and the woman - the man that she claims is the father of her daughter.
BANFIELD: You`re good with this.
HAMMER: .wants a son, apparently.
Then she later on said that she was just kidding; she`s not really pregnant.
Sort of a strange thing to joke about after you just gave birth and just lost your son. Her son died just - less than a couple of months ago.
BANFIELD: Yes, the whole thing`s a little bizarre. And apparently her tenor changed very quickly and she asked to change the subject. And then later, off camera, said, I was kidding. I was joking.
You know, I don`t know what to make of it. Everything about her is so bizarre. Is it true? Is it not? I`m not sure she`s that clever to come up with a good joke that quickly, and then all of a sudden have to reverse herself.
I don`t know. TBA.
HAMMER: The other piece of the puzzle we have to talk about is Larry Birkhead. He - he`s the photographer that she used to date who claims that he is the father of her newborn daughter. He wants a paternity test done. Now a judge in L.A. says he has jurisdiction - the judge has jurisdiction to - to make the decision if the paternity test should happen.
If she stays in the Bahamas, is she safe from - from that paternity test?
BANFIELD: I`ve had a lot of conversations with people about this. This whole jurisdictional issue is a little bit of a conundrum, because this judge has to decide why he has jurisdiction over Anna. Is it a conception issue? Was she actually living there functionally at the time that Larry Birkhead started to make these inferences? He`s signed an affidavit that she has said to him definitively, This is your baby. Not once, but twice. Other people have signed affidavits as well.
So we`re still waiting to find out exactly what was it, the basis of this judge, to decide that he has jurisdiction over her body, so to speak. But, like you said, he has not ordered paternity. There is a - a hearing for December 12, so I guess we`ll find out perhaps then if .
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Oh, let`s get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Ashleigh Banfield, thanks for joining us.
BANFIELD: Nice to see you.
VARGAS: Well time now to call in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad, where our crack team of celebrity investigators sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
Tonight, we`re opening the case file on Sandra Bullock. There have been rumors floating around that Sandra Bullock and her husband, Jesse James, are expecting a little bundle of joy. The truth is, no way. In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the couple says - quote - "we are not with child, but we are pregnant with ideas."
I love that.
So there you have it: Sandra Bullock, not pregnant.
Tonight, the dangers of the sometimes deadly diamond trade. Leonardo DiCaprio`s new film "Blood Diamond" hasn`t even opened yet and it`s already stirring controversy. In it, DiCaprio plays an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe who trades diamonds for weapons. The story twists and turns as some characters battle over one rare diamond, while others simply fight to stay alive.
I had a chance to actually (ph) sit down with Leo. I asked him about the role, and how he thinks it will affect people who see the film.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND")
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: Who do you think got you out of jail, huh? That makes us partners!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not your partner!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: How much did you know about conflict diamonds before doing this film?
DICAPRIO: To be honest, not much. I sort of just knew the tagline that was, you know, there are many diamonds in the past that have sort of funded these civil wars and - and funded these warlords who take over these diamond mines and cause civil unrest and - and I - I heard of people, you know, losing their lives.
And - but it wasn`t to the degree that I learned about the real problems and I started to - to research this movie and learn that, you know, an estimated 4 million people lost their lives because of conflict stones. And there`s been child refuges and child soldiers and - and, you know, the amazing impact that it`s had on Africa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When was the last time the world wasn`t falling apart, eh?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: I heard that you guys were - were really moved by some of the locals, and you guys did some amazing things.
What did you do?
DICAPRIO: Well, we - we set up a fund where we shot in - in - in Mozambique to sort of give back to the community. I mean, we - we essentially went into these people`s home environment and set up shop and made this pretty loud movie. And we wanted to give back to the community.
So the - the - the - the production set up all the actors and everyone involved and set up a fund, and the studio sort of matched that. And we got to, you know, visit places like the SOS, which is an orphanage in - Africa. You know, you see that as a real beacon of hope, because, you know, oftentimes we`re so disassociated from what happens around the world, you know? And - and how we affect, you know, situations like that.
And - and, you know, you watch an infomercial or something like that and you give your money. But it - it`s not often times where you get to see, you know, that in action. And that really was inspiring to see, like, this whole place where a whole community of small children are able to, you know, have a better opportunity in life. And, you know, it`s - it`s pretty amazing.
So I`ve become more involved in issues like that. And how could you not be affected?
VARGAS: Yes, I mean, I know I watched - I watched the film, and - and, you know, I walk out, you know, in tears. And I`m thinking, you know, what am I doing, you know? And I - I - I would imagine that it has to change you.
DICAPRIO: Well, you come back to, you know, a place like the United States, where we`re all kind of living in the lap of luxury here. And you - it`s hard to listen to anyone`s problems because of people living under those conditions can maintain a positive attitude about life. It`s - it`s pretty inspiring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before you say anything, look at that man. You see him? His entire village was burned down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: What do you hope people walk away with from this film?
DICAPRIO: Well, certainly, you know, my first objective with a movie isn`t always, you know, let`s find a social message. Because you have to find a - a movie that`s going to move people emotionally, that they`re going to want to go see. Because, you know, one hand feeds the other. If you don`t have a film that is ultimately entertaining and moving, you`re not going to get that social message.
And - and - so that`s what`s always looked for. But the bonus on this was the fact that it is going to resonate with people, you know? And - and everyone that I`ve shown the movie to have - have responded in a very deep way to this issue.
And it makes you realize that, you know, this is stuff that has been historically going on for a long time, especially in Africa. You could say the same for, you know, gold or ivory or rubber or coal tan (ph), you know? There are a number of different resources that we have extracted for sort of our own comfort around the world. And we need to be responsible for that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: "Blood Diamond" his theaters December 8.
Now the diamond industry launched a counterattack after the movie trailer started generating buzz. The World Diamond Council, a group founded to ending legal diamond trading, said 99 percent diamonds are now from - quote - "conflict-free sources."
HAMMER: Well, first there was the Virgin Mary grilled cheese. Now the Jesus-Satan fishbone? That`s right; you can check it out for yourself, next.
VARGAS: Also, Danny DeVito showing up buzzed on "The View." Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates other stars who have been sloshed while on TV.
HAMMER: And he was Lou Grant from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Now he`s in one of my favorite programs on TV, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." And he`s been very outspoken about the war in Iraq. A provocative chat with the great Ed Asner, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
And yes, it is time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, first there was that grilled cheese that someone had claimed had an image of the Virgin Mary on it. It sold for thousands of dollars.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I`d like to feast your eyes on this: the Jesus-Satan fishbone. Yes, a North Carolina couple says they found this bone on the beach that has the image of Jesus on one side, Satan on the other. Isn`t that kind of like a McDLT? They`ve even got it in a safe deposit box so nobody walks off on it. They`ve hired a sea-life expert to figure out where it came from.
But something smells fishy. And that`s why we say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
VARGAS: OK, something else that`s ridiculous: celebrities appearing on TV shows sloshed and buzzed. Danny DeVito just appeared on "The View," and it seems he had a little bit too many drinks in him.
So we went digging to pull out the most outrageous clips of stars showing up soused.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Danny DeVito was able to walk. It was when he started to talk on "The View" that he earned his new tabloid nickname, Danny DeVino, though vino wasn`t what he admitted drinking.
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: I knew it was the last seven lemon cellos that was going to get me.
MOOS: Got him after a night of hanging out with George Clooney. And there DeVito was midmorning, apparently still smashed, ranting about President Bush, likening him to the Three Stooges.
DEVITO: The guy who went (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS: DeVito came to plug his new movie, "Deck the Halls." Instead, he decked the president, describing how he visited the White House when Bill Clinton was there.
DEVITO: The place was -- had that kind of Clinton feeling.
(CROSSTALK)
DEVITO: You know, I didn`t -- I didn`t go after, you know, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
MOOS (on camera): ABC bleeped what DeVito called President Bush. But it`s a colorful phrase, a blend of numb and nuts, a phrase that basically means "numbskull."
DEVITO: I`m trying to, like, you know, figure out what to do with our country and our women and men in the military. (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS (voice-over): DeVito is far from the first celeb to show up on TV in an altered state.
There was Joe Namath threatening to kiss an ESPN reporter.
JOE NAMATH, FORMER NEW YORK JETS QUARTERBACK: I want to kiss you. I couldn`t care less about the team struggling.
MOOS: There was Courtney Love barging in on an MTV interview with Madonna.
COURTNEY LOVE, MUSICIAN: (INAUDIBLE) interrupting?
KURT LODER, MTV HOST: No, no, no.
MOOS: Barging onto David Letterman`s desk.
Poor David has had his share of out-of-it celebs. For years, it`s been debated whether actor Crispin Glover was on acid, which he denied, or doing a comedy act.
CRISPIN GLOVER, ACTOR: I can - I can - I can kick.
DAVID LETTERMAN, NBC HOST: I`m going to go check on the Top Ten.
MOOS: And then there was Farrah Fawcett.
LETTERMAN: How you doing? Are you all right?
FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: You know what it`s like? It`s sort of like, they -- well, like, they receive it in -- I really thought I was looking out the window.
MOOS: Sort of makes Danny DeVito seem lucid talking about spending a frisky night in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House with his wife.
DEVITO: Really wrecked the joint.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Yes. Yes.
DEVITO: I mean, every place in that bedroom was...
O`DONNELL: Utilized.
DEVITO: Utilized!
O`DNNELL: There you go, Danny!
MOOS: DeVito ended his appearance on Rosie O`Donnell`s lap. When the next guest came on, Rosie greeted him with, "nice to see you sober."
And the morning after Danny DeBlotto`s appearance, they were still talking about it.
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": He was a fun drunk.
O`DONNELL: He was a fun drunk.
MOOS: Tell that to President Bush -- not that he didn`t used to party hardy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Ed Asner will always be remembered for the role he created: Lou Grant, the curmudgeonly boss of the TV newsroom on "The Mary Tyler Moore" show. Ed is now the boss these days of a corporation that runs an entire TV network on NBC`s "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." It is my favorite show of the season. He`s also starring in a new Hallmark Channel movie called "The Christmas Card." It`s all about a soldier in Afghanistan who receives a Christmas card that changes his life.
Ad es - Ed Asner joining us from Hollywood tonight.
Welcome back to the program. Good to see you, Ed.
ED ASNER, ACTOR: Very good, A.J. Good to be with you.
HAMMER: You know, I`ve always appreciated the fact that you`ve been so outspoken and - and raised your voice at various times throughout history - about our current administration, about our military action overseas and the wars that we`re in.
Is that part of you what you got you interested in doing this film?
ASNER: That very much so.
I mean, they made - they made it so easy. After Vietnam, there must have been some incidence where troops were spat on, and it was like, the whole country hated and reviled the troops coming back. So everybody was very concerned about not seeing that that happened this time.
I think those incidents with Vietnam were very minor and very limited. But there were made to seem as if they were epidemic. So it`s - it`s easy to - to put the placard on you - on your car if you want it, saying "I support the troops." And wherever I have gone, I certainly support the troops. But I certainly don`t support the war.
HAMMER: And - and how do you explain that to people? Because it`s something that I have certainly battled with. I`m - I`m pretty much in the same shoes as you are, as far as that`s concerned.
And a lot of people don`t understand that distinction. It is so possible to support our men and women, who are working so hard and fighting overseas, even if we don`t support the action they`re involved with.
What do you say to those people?
ASNER: Well, that`s the immediate reaction, to condemn John Murtha for his patriotism, wounded hero from Vietnam to - to vote the - the Congressman, the paraplegic congressman in - in Georgia out of office, implying he was too toasty with Osama bin Laden or whatever.
You can`t let them have the turf. You are as much a patriot as any of them. Your patriotism wants to save lives in this country as well as elsewhere. And so you condemn the war. And if we keep practicing more like this, we may have a good chance we`ll arrive at outlawing it finally. Which may be a very - a very good positive effect from all of this.
HAMMER: And we may have actually heard some good news today. The prime minister of Iraq saying that it looks like or they believe that they`re going to have enough control by June so our troops can actually begin to gradually withdrawal. Of course, we would like to see that happen.
What do you think, Ed? You`ve followed this really closely; I know you`re fired up about it. Do you think it`s even possible at this point, to - to have a deadline that quick?
ASNER: I don`t think George will let us out by June. I think he has to prove himself constantly, and I think he`ll keep finding means and sources by which to say we need to stay longer, we need to stay longer.
I mean, my - my - my problem is that while this is going on, you`re slowing losing Afghanistan. These troops in Iraq can certainly be used in Afghanistan, if you want to hang on to that. So you could easily find us losing both places if we keep up this parity.
HAMMER: Well, "The Christmas Card" is - is a movie all about supporting our troops, and I know that everybody who would like to - everybody would like to be able to send some holiday cheer over our troops` way, around the world.
They don`t think it`s a possible thing for them to do. But you guys are actually making it pretty easy to do, aren`t you?
ASNER: We are. We are.
We - we toured the Bethesda Hospital, the Walter Reed Hospital, and we met with some of the wounded from this war. And if this country doesn`t take care of those people for the rest of their lives, shame on this country. Because these are those beautiful, full-of-energy, full-of-hope- and-determination, intelligent charming - these are a valuable resource, and we must keep their lives going. We must - we must support their lives, because they`re beautiful people.
So I definitely proclaim to the - to the rafters, support these troops. Because they`re valuable assets.
HAMMER: Ed, it`s always good to see you. I do appreciate you being on the program.
Real quickly, the Web site to send a Christmas card?
ASNER: The Web site to send a Christmas card is www.hallmarkchannel.com.
HAMMER: And the new movie is called "The Christmas Card." It`ll air this Saturday on the Hallmark Channel.
Ed, thanks again.
VARGAS: Well last night..
ASNER: Thank you, A.J.
VARGAS: .we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Michael Richards` racist rant; Mel Gibson`s anti-Semitic tirade; Britney Spears behaving badly; "Celebrity Scandals: Do stars use controversy to promote themselves?"
Wow, almost all of you say you do - they do. Ninety-eight percent you say yes; only 2 percent of you say no.
Here`s an e-mail:
Sue from Wisconsin writes, "Come on. Are you honestly surprised that `Seinfeld` DVD weren`t impacted by Kramer`s outrage?"
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Britney Spears: Can she make a comeback?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And write us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails Monday.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets your express your opinion on video. Look into your video camera or webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. Head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, to learn just how to do it. Then check out your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, let`s find out now what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday.
I will have a very revealing one-on-one interview with this man, George Clooney. I got to ask him, Is life just so much better now that he`s "People" magazine`s "Sexiest Man Alive" again? Plus, we`re going to hear all about this very unique new movie, "The Good German." George Clooney in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s Monday.
And you bet (ph) George Clooney will want to tune in for this: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT getting up close and personal with Victoria`s Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio. You can bet we`re going to ask her all about the controversy with models and eating disorders that everybody`s been talking about. That`s Monday.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see you again tomorrow night. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Good night, A.J.
Glenn Beck is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
