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Showbiz Tonight
Walters and O`Donnell Go on Offensive in Feud With Trump; Shocking Details About Alleged Yoko Ono Blackmail Plot
Aired January 10, 2007 - 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: Shocking details about the alleged Yoko Ono blackmail plot, including John Lennon`s son supposedly calling his dad a wife beater. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And why "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell doesn`t want Bob Dylan on the show, ever. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, actually, Justin, we`re bringing your ex, Britney, back. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the must hear advice from Hollywood`s biggest stars on how to save Britney Spears from herself. Listen up Brit, because this might be your very last chance to get your life and career back on track.
Yes, why can`t Rosie, the Donald and Barbara just get along? Tonight, Barbara`s jaw-dropping response to Trump`s claim she is a liar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": That poor, pathetic man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, searching for the truth about who`s really lying. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a five-step plan to end the whole nasty mess. Oh, we can always dream, right?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And Britney Spears, please, listen up. We spoke with some of Hollywood`s biggest stars, and boy, do they have some advice for you.
HAMMER: But first tonight, let me tell you that if Rosie O`Donnell, Donald Trump, and Barbara Walters were all kids in the school yards, the words coming out of their mouths would probably sound like this -- liar, liar, pants on fire! Yes, the downright juvenile war of words involving all of them exploded once again today when Barbara returned to "The View" with Rosie, the day after Trump called her a liar for denying that she said nasty things to him about Rosie. Get a load of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Well, he`s at it again. How about that, Barbara? Are you OK, Barbara?
WALTERS: I`m OK darling, are you OK?
O`DONNELL: I`m OK too. We`re both OK.
What can you say about that guy?
WALTERS: That poor, pathetic man!
O`DONNELL: Give me a high five!
WALTERS: He just can`t let go. But we`re moving on.
O`DONNELL: The man is obsessed with me! and I`m happy to say, his show tanked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Rosie was, of course, referring to the debut this week of the latest season of Trump`s, "The Apprentice." And the words had barely come out of her mouth before Trump fired of his latest liar, liar, pants on fire response, defending "The Apprentice`s" ratings and taking dead aim at Barbara.
Here`s what he wrote, "Barbara Walters has taken the low road for the sake of her show rather than the sake of her morality. She lied with Star Jones and now she has chosen to lie again. She refused to discuss my recent letter because she knows it is true and so does Rosie. They didn`t even have the courage to mention me by name. It was sad to see Barbara read her statement off a cue card. Rosie just pushed her out like a pathetic puppet.
Barbara has become a sad figure head, dominated by a third-rate comedian. And now I wish she had not chosen me as one of the ten most fascinating people."
Wow, so many insults, so little time. Let`s go to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT insult score card because we`ve been keeping track here, which includes, on the board, Trump calling Rosie everything from a slob to a degenerate and a loser. Rosie calling the Donald a comb-over bunny. And Barbara calling Trump, as you just heard, a poor pathetic man.
So what do you say? Isn`t it time we just round them all up and send them off to the principal`s office? With me tonight from Hollywood editor for TV Guide, Mary Murphy, also in Hollywood, co-host of TV Guide Channel`s "The Fashion Team," Daphne Brogden. Ladies, I welcome you to the program.
The battle continues now. Could you ever have imagined, Mary, that this feud, this fight, could have gotten this nasty, this ridiculous, this juvenile?
MARY MURPHY, TV GUIDE: Well, I think, speaking of juvenile, that maybe their kids should get together, Rosie`s and Donald`s, and play in the schoolyard and maybe they could work it out.
HAMMER: I`ve got a plan for that. What do you think Daphne? This has gotten completely out of control now.
DAPHNE BROGDON, "THE FASHION TEAM": Yes, I think the problem is that none of them have any sense of humor about themselves, so I think that what they should really do is try to laugh it off, do a buddy action adventure where Donald tries to save the gay family cruise from a terrorist attack.
HAMMER: Oh, I see you guys have come up with your own little list too. All right, we`ll be getting more into the list that I`ve come up with in my head, but I do want to talk here about Barbara`s credibility. Because it is really being called into question, and it`s not the first time this has happened. Now Mary, you remember during the whole Star Jones mess, Walters looked right into the camera, and she basically said that Star`s job was safe. Shortly after that, we all know, Star gone from "The View." So, is this latest mess, Mary, going to hurt Barbara?
MURPHY: Barbara Walters is the dean of women of American journalism. This is not going to hurt her. And so what? She chose "The View" over Star, and "The View" over the Donald? This is exactly what she should have done.
HAMMER: What do you think about that, Daphne? Because it just seems so blatant. And, you know, Donald, in all likelihood, would not have put those things in writing if there wasn`t some modicum of truth to Barbara having said those nasty things about Rosie O`Donnell to Barbara Walters, if you follow me.
BROGDON: You can kind of see it. You know, they are on some swanky upper east side party, sipping martinis, and she`s kind like, oh boy does my co-worker bug me. And so he goes and runs with it. The truth is, what little social chatter, it`s off the record. He probably should have kept his mouth shut. So there probably is a modicum of truth. And also there is a modicum of truth in that he says Rosie is overly dominating that show. I mean, I`m a part time stay at home mom and for me "The View" has kind of lost a little of its luster, because she is dominating.
HAMMER: Well, it`s lost a little bit of its luster, in your opinion, but the ratings will disprove what you`re saying, and not just because of this feud. Mary, what do you think? Because obviously somebody is lying here. It`s Donald or it`s Barbara. Is it kind of obvious at this point?
MURPHY: I think it`s obvious that they are both trying to cover their tracks. But the truth is, I also think that Rosie O`Donnell has reinvigorated "The View." and this fight, which could have brought those women apart, has brought them together. So Donald has done a great thing for "The View" and the ratings.
HAMMER: So you got to imagine that after reading that letter Rosie and Barbara obviously had to have a sit-down and really talk things out, and hopefully with great truth, and maybe Barbara said, here`s what I said, here`s why I said it, here`s what was running through my head. But it did sound to me, and Daphne, tell me if you agree, that the tone they took today, they really do want to move on from this.
BROGDON: Yes, I`m sure. Because it does look so ridiculous. Obviously Barbara is not in the Jeep with Castro. This isn`t her finest moment. And there was a problem with Star Jones. And, you know, when Debby Mattanopolis (ph) left the show, they trashed her. I mean, they can be a little catty, I hate to say it, so they need to move on.
HAMMER: Let`s talk winners and losers here. Mary, is everybody a loser? Because it`s certainly looking that way to me.
MURPHY: Everybody is a loser except the ratings for "The View." That`s the winner.
HAMMER: And what do you think about that Daphne, winners and losers?
BROGDON: Oh, definitely. The advertisers, and I also think the Miss USA pageant will probably have a little more buzz on it now.
HAMMER: And do you think -- you know, the one point that Rosie had made was that Donald Trump`s "The Apprentice" tanked. It didn`t make as good a premiere this year as it did last year, but it certainly didn`t have a bad night Sunday night, and I have a feeling people are going to start watching it some more.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: All right, well we`ll wait and see. That again will happen on Sunday night. There Donald, I just gave you a little plug. TV Guide`s Mary Murphy, there is your plug. TV Guide Channel`s Daphne Brogdon, there`s yours. I appreciate you joining us, thanks.
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear what you think about it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, The Donald versus Rosie feud -- do you think Barbara Walters lied? Go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e- mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
And don`t forget SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. Just send us a video e-mail by going to our website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT.
HAMMER: All right, I got to admit, while this whole Rosie O`Donnell- Donald Trump-Barbara Walters mess really makes for great controversial TV, we really do want everybody just to get along. So I got a solution right here. I heard a couple ideas from my guests a few moments ago. But this may be the perfect five-step plan to end this feud.
Now first, I know Donald loves his favorite comb-over, but please, trim it Trump. Remember, if you cut your hair, Rosie can cut it out of her act. Then with his new do to die for, I think the Donald should hit the high seas. What do you think? I`m guess if he takes one of Rosie`s feel good same sex family cruises, it is definitely going to ship shape up his opinion of her when he sees all the smiling faces.
All right, now let me suggest that Rosie should move into Donald`s landmark New York City building, Trump Tower, because there she is going to see him in action, as an ordinary billion dollar real estate mogul, just like the rest of us. Since this became a family feud, I really think Donald`s new born baron and Rosie`s kid should all get together in the playground, play nice in the sandbox. And I guess if they really can`t has things out that way, all that doesn`t work, here`s the ultimate way to end this once and for all, Rosie versus Donald in a no holds barred WWE wrestling smack down, maybe not. I don`t know. All right, Brooke, let`s move on. Bob Dylan, I love the guy, what do you think?
ANDERSON: Very talented A.J. You know, he has made a tremendous impact on music over the years.
HAMMER: Easily one of the greatest singer/song writers ever. But get this, does "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell really believe that an idol winner is actually better than Dylan? We`ve got that coming up, plus this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Hanging out with Paris is a difficult thing. It`s like being a (INAUDIBLE). Be careful honey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the must hear comeback advice from Hollywood`s biggest stars on how to save Britney Spears from herself.
HAMMER: And we`ve got the shocking details about the alleged Yoko Ono blackmail plot, including John Lennon`s son supposedly calling his dad a wife beater.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, for Wednesday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Hey, it`s time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous!
I want you to take a look at this. It`s called the fish and flush. Yes, it`s a toilet tank that`s also an aquarium. Just drop in some of your fine finned friends and you`ve got a party in the potty. We`re not exactly sure how this thing works, don`t really want to know. But at least when it`s time for your goldfish to go to that special sea in the sky, they are going to be right there, all ready to flush away.
Something is definitely really fishy here. So the fish and flush, that`s ridiculous!
Well, tonight we are hearing some of the first shocking details behind the alleged plot to blackmail John Lennon`s widow Yoko Ono. A letter allegedly sent to Yoko by her long-time driver is now being made public, and you are not going to believe some of the things in that letter. It`s an absolutely startling story.
With us tonight from the Court TV news room, Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Nice to see you Lisa.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: Nice to see you too.
HAMMER: All right, so let`s talk about this guy Coral Karson (ph), known as Coco by the way. He was arrested a month ago for trying to extort 2 million bucks from Lennon`s widow. These are unbelievable threats. Run down some of the threats that were made allegedly in this letter.
BLOOM: Right, because we have the letter right now. What he says is, Yoko Ono, pay me 2 million dollars or I`m going to tell the world that you were critical of the U.S. and British governments, that you made embarrassing statements about your own family, including your son, your daughter, people who are close to you, and I`m going to reveal that you, Yoko Ono, claim you were raped during World War II, back in Japan.
So what he is really doing is saying pay me money or I`m going to embarrass you publicly.
HAMMER: And also bringing her son into it. From what I understand, one of the things that`s been made public by this letter, a charge that Sean Lennon has said some truly nasty things. Can you give us a sense of what was said there?
BLOOM: That`s right. He claims that he has a recording of Sean Lennon saying that his father, John Lennon, was a wife beater. In other words, Sean is accusing the deceased John Lennon of beating Yoko Ono. Pretty explosive stuff.
HAMMER: And whether or not it`s true, the stuff is out there now. So even though he has been arrested and facing charges, the fact is, the cat`s out of the bag, it seems.
BLOOM: Right, and now we all have the letter. We can decide for ourselves. And I`ve got to tell you, this letter, to me, does sound extortionate on its face. I used to do sexual harassment cases. I used to write letters asking for money. You have to be very careful. It`s one thing to say, I`m going to file a lawsuit unless you pay me settlement money, perfectly legal. But you may not say, I`m going to reveal embarrassing information about you. I`m going to put things on the Internet. I`m going to write letters to the press unless you give me money. That`s blackmail, or legally, that`s extortion.
HAMMER: Yes, because I don`t really understand why he would have gone the direction that he went. He`s been claiming that he`s a victim of sexual harassment, I guess, by Yoko Ono.
BLOOM: Right.
HAMMER: So it would seem that if he went through the proper channels, he would have grounds for a lawsuit there.
BLOOM: Right.
HAMMER: And instead we`re seeing this letter.
BLOOM: Well, at a minimum he should have had an attorney write the letter and the attorney would have known how to do it properly. This letter says blatantly at the end, pay me two million dollars and none of this stuff will be made public. That certainly sounds like extortion. Yes, he throws in language about a sexual harassment case, that she treated him badly during the course of his employment, but I don`t think that`s going to be enough to get around what really looks like blackmail.
HAMMER: Yes, and let`s put all this in context. The course of his employment, about a decade, this guy was her trusted driver. This is a guy who spent countless hours in very personal, intimate close quarters with her, really the ultimate betrayal, isn`t it.
BLOOM: He says 15-hour days. He had to put off his own son`s engagement party. He couldn`t take his wife to the doctor. He worked long, hard hours for her. She was abusive. She was demanding as an employer, which case he could have filed a claim for that or he could have quit. Instead writing a letter saying I`m going to embarrass you publicly for two million dollars, that`s not the way to go about redressing your employment grievances.
HAMMER: No, it`s not. I guess we`ll find out tomorrow. It will continue to unfold. Coral Karson is going to court tomorrow. Court TV`s Lisa Bloom, I thank you.
BLOOM: Thank you.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s SHOWBIZ Showcase, Shooter Marky Mark Wahlberg plays a to Army sniper living in exile. He`s talked into coming back into service to stop the assassination of the president, but he winds up being framed for the attempt. So yes, Wahlberg gets kind of angry. Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK WAHLBERG, ACTOR: Come on boy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re a hard man to find.
WAHLBERG: not hard enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is going to be an attempt on the life of the president. The shot will be taken from beyond a mile. We need you to stop it.
Out of all the men on the planet, he`s one of the few people alive who knows what to look for.
WAHLBERG: This guy knows what he`s doing. We`ve got to take him. Take him now!
I didn`t do whatever they said I did. I`m in some bad trouble and I need some help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Swaggert is still alive.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s the hassle with Democracy, there is always a confused soul that thinks that one man can make a difference. You`ve got kill him to convince him otherwise.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need to back off this.
WAHLBERG: I got a plan, but I think I`m going to need your help. I`m going to find them and I`m going to burn their play house down.
There`s going to be more shooting and more people are going to die. I didn`t start it, but I mean to see it through.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s about to get worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "Shooter" shoots into theaters March 16th.
HAMMER: Now Brooke, everybody knows "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell, not really known for saying the nicest things about people, right?
ANDERSON: No, usually pretty aservic and severe in his criticism.
HAMMER: Which is why he is called Mr. Nasty. Wait until you hear what he has to say about rMDNM_Bob Dylan of all people. That`s next.
ANDERSON: All right A.J. Well wait until you hear what some of Hollywood`s biggest stars are saying about Britney Spears. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the must-hear comeback advice on how to save Britney Spears from herself. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little flabby, I`m sorry to say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looks gorgeous!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The possible presidential candidate who got caught up in all this Hollywood paparazzi stuff with his shirt off! He`s not happy about it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell has ripped into a lot of people, but what he said this time, well, he better watch out, because an angry mob of torch-carrying baby boomers may be banging down his door, with our executive producer, a huge Bob Dylan fan, Dave Levine leading the pack. Listen to this, in an interview with "Playboy Magazine," Cowell compares first-season winner and huge smash success Kelly Clarkson to the legendary musician.
Do I prefer Kelly Clarkson`s music to Bob Dylan`s? Yes, I`ve never bought a Dylan record, a singing poet? It just bores me to tears. And I`ve got to tell you, if I had ten Dylans in the final of "American Idol," we would not be getting 30 million viewers all week. Guess the times are-a changing. Read more of Simon Cowell`s controversial interview in the February issue of Playboy. It`s on news stands this Friday. I don`t get Playboy, but --
HAMMER: Yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here was the question, the Donald versus Rosie feud - - is Barbara Walters the biggest loser? Here`s how the voting went, almost split down the middle. Leaning one way, 53 percent of you saying yes, 47 percent of you saying no.
Among the e-mails we got, we heard from Ty in Pennsylvania, writing "Barbara Walters showed the world how much of a liar she is with the whole Star Jones Reynolds incident."
Anne from Texas write, "Barbara and Rosie are both being manipulated by Trump for his own amusement and sick need for power and attention."
ANDERSON: A.J. do you remember Rob and Amber? They met on "Survivor," then they got married.
HAMMER: Who can forget Rob and Amber, Brooke? Come on.
ANDERSON: They are trying to survive as newly weds in the reality TV world and even though there seems to be a reality show relationship curse, they have actually made their marriage work. The secrets of how they do it next. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: Hanging out with Paris is a difficult thing. It`s like being a (INAUDIBLE) Be careful, honey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Britney`s marriage flopped. She`s dangerously close to throwing away the career. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with must hear advice from Hollywood stars on how to save Britney from herself.
ANDERSON: And the possible presidential candidate who got caught up in all of this Hollywood paparazi stuff, with his shirt off.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I hope you`re having a lovely Wednesday night.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Well, it`s the New Year, of course. But we are not seeing a new Britney. Despite her various statements promising change and words of advice from the show you`re watching right now, Britney Spears is continuing her headline-making, career-destroying path.
So what can Britney do? We`re turning to her fellow stars for some help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Britney: underwear. Remember that.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Oh, Britney. Your partying and sporadic underwear use has now made you Hollywood`s butt of jokes. Even on TV shows like the People`s Choice Awards.
WILLIAMS: Sweetheart, Mm-mm.
ANDERSON: You may remember, not long ago, on your 25th birthday, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT offered some free advice on how you could fix your career.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As our present to you, Britney, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is giving out some free advice on how you can right yourself during your 25th year.
ANDERSON: But judging from recent events, like reports - denied by your people - that you passed out at a New Year`s party in Vegas, and reports - also denied by your people - that your record company is concerned with the quality of your upcoming comeback album - Brit, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says, you need some more advice.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Britney, you need to start listening to the people around you if you want to revamp your image.
ANDERSON: We agree. So Brit, if you`re going to listen to us, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now going to your fellow stars - A-list stars - hoping they can give you advice on how you can improve your image.
Robin Williams tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he has some simple words of advice for Britney.
WILLIAMS: Underwear, number one. Don`t go Brazilian. You don`t want to get out of a limousine like stirrups are waiting for you.
ANDERSON: Williams tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Brit really should cut down on her nights on the town with Paris Hilton.
WILLIAMS: Hanging out with Paris is a difficult thing. It`s like being a hemophiliac in a razor factory. Be careful, honey.
ANDERSON: On a more serious note, Williams also recommends that Britney resolve her custody battle with her soon-to-be-ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two children.
WILLIAMS: You and - and Kevin work it out. You know, going to court and having custody battles with shots like that is a rough one.
ANDERSON: Ellen DeGeneres thinks advice may not be working on Brit.
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: She sees what people are saying if she chooses to see it. She`s going to - she`s going to do what she`s going to do until she`s ready to - you know, to do something different.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT also went to musical matriarch Naomi Judd for some motherly advice for Britney.
HAMMER: What kind of advice would you have for somebody like Britney?
NAOMI JUDD, SINGER: As Mama Judd?
HAMMER: As Mama Judd. Lay it on us.
ANDERSON: Naomi Judd has raised two female stars: her singing partner, Wynona, and actress Ashley Judd. Naomi tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Britney needs to resist a media-obsessed culture that keeps young stars from defining themselves.
JUDD: My personal wish would be that they would have someone who really cares about them, to say, Let`s pull back from all that. Let`s go into silence and solitude. There`s a great facility down in Buffalo Gap, Texas.
HAMMER: You know a thing or two about?
JUDD: And - and let them start to be defined from within.
ANDERSON: Time off is something that Williams recommends as well.
WILLIAMS: Sweetheart, honey, just take some time off. Just don`t hang out in Vegas. It`s not good for you right now. It`s not your friend.
ANDERSON: Britney apparently has been taking some time off outside of Vegas lately with a new man. According to brand-new "People" magazine photos, obtained by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
J.D. HEYMAN, SR. EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Yes, it`s true, Britney seems to have a new guy in her life. His name is Isaac Cohen (ph). He`s 25 years old. He is a model and actor from L.A. And according to people who are close to him, he`s a nice guy, a stand-up guy and a gentleman.
ANDERSON: So Britney getting a good man in her life could be step number one in turning her career around. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has found she has lots of people pulling for her in Hollywood, from "Dreamgirls".
JENNIFER HUDSON, ACTRESS: Come on back, girl. Do your thing. I wish her the best of luck.
ANDERSON: .to heroes.
ALI LARTER, "HEROES": I don`t think that girl is ever going to have a problem. I think she`s going to be on the red carpet and do something like Courtney Love - be, you know, head to toe in Valentino and make everyone`s jaw drop. I think that girl probably has it figured out. She`ll be just fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Britney may already be following one piece of advice from Robin Williams. She and Kevin Federline recently hammered out a temporary custody agreement for their two boys.
HAMMER: OK, awkward moment adverted. Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn were both at the People`s Choice Awards. Now, Jen and Vince are exes, but that didn`t stop them from singing each other`s praises. It didn`t end badly, after all.
In fact, it was kind of a lovefest there at the People`s Choice Awards. Jennifer won the Female Star Award. Vince won leading man. And this was both for their - for their roles in the movie "The Breakup."
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: Thank you for loving "The Breakup." I did.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
ANISTON: And.
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
ANISTON: It was truly - actually - truly just such a fantastic experience and an amazing cast. And dear friend and fantastic co-star Vince Vaughn, who is so funny and talented.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCE VAUGHN, ACTOR: Just want to say thank you guys very much. My co-star, Jennifer Aniston, one of the funniest, most genuine people I know. She`s the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And that`s why Vince is one of the coolest guys in the business.
And by the way, Vince beat out another one of Jennifer`s exes: Brad Pitt. He was nominated for his role in "Babel."
ANDERSON: Time now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reality check with two people who know all about sharing their reality on TV.
Rob and Amber Mariano survived "Survivor" and raced around the globe in "The Amazing Race." And now the reality show sweethearts have - you guessed it - a new reality show. We here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT kind of wonder, Can you really have a real relationship on TV? And what about that so- called reality-show relationship curse.
Well, here they are, joining us in Hollywood tonight, Rob and Amber Mariano.
Welcome to you both.
ROB MARIANO, REALITY TV STAR: Thank you.
AMBER MARIANO, REALITY TV STAR: Thanks for having us.
ANDERSON: Good to see you.
Now, I don`t know how you do it. Marriage is hard enough. But you guys, cameras in your face all the time. You know, it seems like you lack privacy. I mean, you have the producers wanting the drama.
Do you ever stop, look at each other and say, What the heck are we doing here?
A. MARIANO: Well, actually, tell you the truth, it`s - we`ve been married for almost two years now, and we haven`t really done anything since our wedding. So we have taken some time off. And it`s been nice.
ANDERSON: Just a little bit of time off.
A. MARIANO: Yes.
ANDERSON: .to focus on yourselves. That`s - that`s a good idea.
You know, what about this reality-show curse on relationships that we hear about? Because you had Nick and Jessica, you had Carmen and Dave. A lot of the bachelor couples - Travis Barker, Shanna Moakler. They all reality shows, and then ultimately, they split.
Is there something about putting your life out there in this way that puts intense pressure on your relationship?
R. MARIANO: You know, I think the one thing that Amber and I make sure we do every day is take some time for us. So - and, you know, focus on our relationship, and put that first.
I mean, we`re in the reality TV show business, if you will. And that`s our job. But at the same time, our life together is the most important thing to us. And we always make that a priority.
ANDERSON: You`ve got your priorities straight.
So you say, You, cameras, get out of here. You know.
(CROSSTALK)
A. MARIANO: Yes, you know what?
ANDERSON: Quality time.
A. MARIANO: Going into this show, we did have a really good relationship with the producers on both sides that they knew our limits and we knew their limits. So we had a really good relationship going into it.
I think some of these other stars - it - I - I mean, it does add a lot of pressure, having the cameras there and having people judge you, you know? It is tough.
But maybe - I don`t know, the arrangements going into it just weren`t as good as ours were.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s talk about the new reality show. Because we all know you two like to live on the edge. And here you are with Rob and Amber again, stall lives (ph).
Well, you`re taking money you guys have won in the past from reality shows, and you`re gambling with it in Vegas, trying to be a professional poker play.
R. MARIANO: It`s not gambling.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Amber, you agree with me here.
A. MARIANO: I agree.
ANDERSON: You have to be nervous about this.
A. MARIANO: Well, that was one of our biggest arguments, was the fact that I kept saying, Honey, I can`t believe you want to go and be a professional gambler. And he`s like, it`s not gambling. I said, it is gambling.
R. MARIANO: It`s a calculated risk. It`s a calculated risk.
A. MARIANO: He has so far as to quote a dictionary of the definition of "gambling," right? It was - it was crazy.
ANDERSON: I still call it gambling. And a lot of people are going to say, You`re crazy, because the odds are against you playing poker like this.
Are you a little bit crazy?
R. MARIANO: Well, you know, we didn`t get to where we are today without taking some risks. And I think that`s my personality. Luckily, I have a wife that loves me and stands behind me and was willing to take the chance with me.
ANDERSON: Take a big chance, because you`re the one who actually won a million bucks on "Survivor" (INAUDIBLE).
A. MARIANO: I did. I did. And - and we have been very smart with the money, so far. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn`t have supported him if I didn`t know that he did - I knew he had some talent behind me. And he`s not going to come to me with anything that he doesn`t feel strongly about as well. I mean, he`s my husband; I want to support him no matter what.
And he`s not going to come to me and say, I have this crazy idea, if he doesn`t think he can do it as well. So.
ANDERSON: You two are so sweet.
A. MARIANO: He`s proved to me that he`s a good poker player. And I believe in him. So.
ANDERSON: Aww.
Well, let me ask you this - putting yourselves out there, your personal lives, from - from time to time, even your marriage, your wedding - have you ever had any regrets, or, so far, so good?
R. MARIANO: You know, Amber and I have been very lucky to have all the opportunities that we`ve had. I mean, we`ve done more in the last five years than a lot of people in a lifetime.
So we take each opportunity and experience that we get to have, and we cherish it, you know? So I can`t say we have had any regrets. I mean, there have been times where we say, What have we gotten ourself into? But, you know, we - we try to make the most of everything, and work it out to work to our advantage.
ANDERSON: How`d you do in Vegas? I know the show`s wrapped. They`re smiling; must be good. We will see what the show`s - when the show airs. Hopefully, the odds were in your favor.
A. MARIANO: Yes.
ANDERSON: Rob and Amber Mariano, good to see you.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Thanks so much.
And you can catch the show, "Rob and Amber: Against All Odds," on the Fox Reality Channel tomorrow night.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, you`d think it would be a challenge to stay in shape when you`re constantly surrounded by food for your job. So coming up, Giada De Laurentiis is going to tell us how she does it.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, A.J.
And we`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little flabby, I`m sorry to say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looks gorgeous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The senator and the swimsuit. We`re going to tell you why Senator Barack Obama is being label a beach babe, straight ahead.
HAMMER: Hey, speaking of beach babes, we have a walrus doing pushups. What more do you need to know? It`s walrus, and he`s doing pushups. It`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go 3, music under. Stand by A.J. Open his mike. Pre-set Camera 1. Dissolve. Go.
HAMMER: I think you, Gnarls Weggman (ph).
And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for the SHOWBIZ "Video of the Day." Of course, lots of people make New Year`s resolutions to get in shape. Well, here we are, 10 days into the 2007, and it looks like at least some individuals are sticking with their program.
I want to check out this video from Sea World in San Diego. That`s Seahook (ph) the walrus - the one on the left there - working on his pushups. As it turns out, workouts are scheduled for many of the park`s star attracts. And they`re also eating better and having regular weigh-ins. Thank goodness.
Well, that walrus doesn`t have to deal with the paparazzi - at least not yet. But of course, when you are a celebrity or a could-be presidential candidate, you just can`t take your clothes off and expect no one to notice, right?
Well, here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a story of a possible White House - White House hopeful who got caught in the non-stop Hollywood media search for the naked truth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sorry, but we refuse to obey the headline, quote, "Stop looking at it."
It being Barack Obama in a swimsuit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A little flabby, I`m sorry to say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looks gorgeous.
MOOS: There he is in a two-page spread in "People," entitled "Beach Babes." The babes range from Jessica Alba in a bikini to actor Hugh Jackman with his six-pack abs.
The senator`s inclusion led to this "Washington Post" headline: "The Honorable Beach Babe from Illinois."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would vote for her, to be honest with you.
MOOS: That would be Penelope Cruz.
How did a possible presidential candidate get mixed in with the beach babes? In the words of Senator Obama himself: "It`s, uh, paparazzi... Stop looking at it!"
"It`s embarrassing," he told "The Washington Post."
The pictures were taken while the senator was vacationing in Hawaii.
Watery shots can come back to drown a politician.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry, which ever way the wind blows.
MOOS: The first President Bush wasn`t afraid to take off his shirt and dive in.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It`s wonderful!
MOOS: But George W. Bush was smart enough to know what not to wear at a summit in Cancun.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No Speedo suit here. Thankfully.
MOOS: This image of Arnold Schwarzenegger ricocheted around the web, temporarily terminating his pumping iron image.
Even the woman running for president of France got nabbed in her bikini. Segolene Royal weathered the exposure well.
But when LBJ revealed his surgical scar, it left a mental scar on all of us.
As for Obama:
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He has rolls.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rolls.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He looks pretty good to me.
MOOS: She left, then came back to add:
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn`t look so good that he`s spending all his time working out. He`s probably paying more attention to policy matters.
MOOS: Obama is known for working out at a Chicago club. A columnist who happened to run into him in the locker room memorably said, "Obama doesn`t have enough fat on his body to make a butter pat."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to see Ted Kennedy in the same pose.
MOOS: And then there`s the shot of the Clintons dancing on the beach that ended up on the front page. Boy, did they look white as ghosts.
Funny how a guy who looks a little like he`s swimming in his business suits looks not so skinny when he`s actually swimming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Buy big, look small. Buy big, look small. That`s what I say.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Do you think it`s safe to look now?
That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Imagine being a beautiful young woman who is around food all day, every day, but manages to maintain a fantastic figure doing it. She`s laughing, but you do have a fantastic figure.
Food Network`s TV host Giada De Laurentiis knows - does just that, known for always cooking up something good. She`s also kicking off a new series called "Giada`s Weekend Getaways."
And she joins me now here in Hollywood.
Good to see you.
GIADA DE LAURENTIIS, HOST, "GIADA`S WEEKEND GETAWAYS": Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And you do look terrific.
So how do you do it? How - what - what is your secret? Because if I was surrounded by all of that good food, every single day, tasting things here and there, I would be as a big as house.
DE LAURENTIIS: Well, the first thing is, it`s always - it`s every body`s first question. Anytime somebody meets me at a booking signing, whatever it is, even on the street, that`s the first question - portion control.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DE LAURENTIIS: Basically, that`s it. I try to eat small meals all throughout the day. Sometimes, five or six meals. But they`re always small.
And even, you know, on this new show that I have, when I travel, it`s the hardest time to actually try and be good, because you get tired and you - your routine is sort of out of whack. So the small meals really help.
ANDERSON: And you exercise regularly.
DE LAURENTIIS: Yes, I do.
ANDERSON: .I assume.
DE LAURENTIIS: I do exercise. But when I go on the road, it becomes more difficult.
ANDERSON: Right.
DE LAURENTIIS: So I try to even do 20 minutes in the morning, if that`s all it`s .
(CROSSTALK)
DE LAURENTIIS: Some thing to get my blood pumping, exactly.
ANDERSON: Well, you know what? People love your shows. They love foods shows in general. The popularity has exploded in recent years.
DE LAURENTIIS: It has.
ANDERSON: Why do you think we are all so obsessed with food and cooking?
DE LAURENTIIS: Well, I think it`s a few things.
First of all, we all have to eat, right? So what happens on the Food Network - and I think I can say this about all of the Food Network personalities and chefs - is that we make it fun.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DE LAURENTIIS: We make it fun, we make it accessible, and we make it hip, where I think for a long time we were stereotyped as being in the kitchen was a place a woman certainly didn`t want to be. And we make it look really fun and really good, and it`s great to eat. And it`s OK to eat.
ANDERSON: It doesn`t seem like work.
DE LAURENTIIS: That`s it.
ANDERSON: Which is not - you`re right.
DE LAURENTIIS: That`s it.
ANDERSON: You know, a lot of people live to eat. Other people eat to live.
Why do you think that is, and - and which are you?
DE LAURENTIIS: I live to eat.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DE LAURENTIIS: Definitely live to eat.
I think that we all - well, we all have to eat to live. So I think we should just have a good time doing it. And there`s so many - there`s so much good food out there nowadays that I don`t think was here even - I mean, I`ve been in this country - what? - 25 years. When we first got here, my mom had to import every thing. Nowadays, you find fantastic ingredients at the local grocery store.
ANDERSON: So accessible.
DE LAURENTIIS: So - yes. So it just makes it a lot of fun to eat.
ANDERSON: There are a number of shows similar to yours. What makes your shows different? What makes "Giada`s Weekend Getaways" special?
DE LAURENTIIS: Well, first of all, they`re my weekends. So you really get to see how much fun I`m having in these different cities.
And the cities are fun, unique. The places I take you to are sort of out of the beaten path, off the beaten path.
And I do a lot of activities, which helps when you`re eating and having a lot of fun eating. And I take you to little places that maybe you might not know about, that aren`t always in the guides or in the handbooks.
And also some sites. You know, South Beach is a classical example. Drinking a mojito, having a little appetizer on the beach, driving in a convertible, Jet Skiing, learning how to salsa dance. Really fun stuff.
ANDERSON: Oh, sounds like a really fun weekend.
DE LAURENTIIS: It was fun. It was great.
ANDERSON: You know, a lot of people may not know your name, Giada De Laurtentiis. Your grandfather, legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis produced, you know, all sorts of movie, including "Hannibal," "Serpico."
Have you ever been bitten by the acting bug? Very quickly.
DE LAURENTIIS: You know what`s funny? I`ve been beginning - I did. I tried it. Wasn`t any good.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, you`re very successful with that.
Giada De Laurentiis, thank you so much.
DE LAURENTIIS: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And you can catch Giada`s new series, "Giada`s Weekend Getaways," this Friday on the Food Network.
HAMMER: Coming up, pro-ana Web sites - the shocking sites that give tips on how to starve themselves. Now, they`re getting a big challenge. We`ll tell you who`s leading that fight shut them down next, in "The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch."
Also coming up, Diana Keaton sounding off on beauty standards in Hollywood. What she says every woman has the right to have. That`s coming up.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It`s time now for "The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch." Now this is where we cover issues of Hollywood and body image like nobody else.
Well, Spain led the charge against skinny models. As you may remember, Madrid banned ultra-thin models from the catwalks. And now the city has set its sights on Web sites.
Madrid is shutting down so-called pro-ana Web sites, where girls can find tips on how to starve themselves. The first target is a site called "The Great Ana Competition," where girls compete to see who can eat the fewest calories over a two-week period. Health officials in Madrid have filed a lawsuit against the site, asking a judge to determine if the site`s owners are criminally liable. Last week, the Eating Disorders Association said there were more than 500 pro-ana sites online.
HAMMER: Of course, in addition to the pressure to be thin, there are also be - tends to be a sense coming out of Hollywood that beauty equals youth.
Diane Keaton is now challenging that idea. She told us that she doesn`t think the standard of beauty is changing in Hollywood, although she does see a shift.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANE KEATON, ACTRESS: I do think that - that some thing interesting is kind of going on in - in marketing and in products, that - that more and more people recognize that - that my generation, they - they do buy products, and they are out there, and they do deserve to be taken seriously and - and to - and to feel good about themselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Diane Keaton`s new movie, "Because I Said So," also starring Mandy Moore, is going to open up on February 2.
And you can also see Diane as the face of L`Oreal in commercials that are airing now.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is this: "The Donald Versus Rosie Feud: Do you think Barbara Walters lied?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us. Here`s the address: SHOWBIZTONIGHT@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So just send us a video e-mail. Go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Here now, what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
We`re going to get into the clash of the giant egos. The Rosie O`Donnell and Donald Trump feud is a prime example. Where it`s ego versus ego, can any one win? Well, one guy says yes. He`s going to tell us how. The ego expert, joining us tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow - there she is, Miss America. Miss America Jennifer Berry is going to join us tomorrow. We`ll be getting her take on the whole Miss USA controversy that set off the whole Donald-Rosie feud. Miss America, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, every one. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is coming up next. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
END
