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Showbiz Tonight
O.J. Simpson Book Ghost Written By Former Witness Against Him; Controversy Explodes on TV`s Most Popular Drama
Aired January 17, 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: The shocking truth about who actually wrote the O.J. Simpson book about the murders. Explosive new details about the book deal. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And could it be true? Is Britney Spears pregnant again? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, anatomy of a scandal with the stars of "Grey`s Anatomy." Tonight the he said/he said over an alleged gay slur on the set absolutely explodes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He referred to me as a faggot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I did not call T.R. a faggot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the unbelievable war of words involving the stars of TV`s biggest show. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, Should Isaiah Washington be fired?
First comes love, then comes marriage, then the cameras come in, and it all falls apart. Nick and Jessica, Carmen and Dave, Whitney and Bobby, Britney and Kevin, tonight, is there really a curse on couples on TV? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, is reality TV bad for marriage?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight there are sensational new revelations about the O.J. Simpson confession book. That`s going to come up in just a few minutes.
HAMMER: But first tonight, all we can say is, wow. We could not believe the war of words that exploded today, involving two of the stars of TV`s biggest show. And no, I am not talking about Donald Trump and Rosie O`Donnell. A he said/he said war erupted over the gay slur "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington allegedly made about his co-star, the T.R. Knight.
And T.R. went to another gay star to set the record straight, namely Ellen Degeneres.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELLEN DEGENERES, "ELLEN": And Isaiah Washington says what to Patrick Dempsey?
T.R. KNIGHT, "GREY`S ANATOMY": He referred to me as a faggot.
HAMMER: On the "Ellen Degeneres Show," "Grey`s Anatomy" star T.R. Knight finally tells his side of on set blow up that sparked a major behinds the scenes war and forced him out of the closet.
KNIGHT: I`ve never been called that to my face.
HAMMER: It`s a backstage drama on TV`s biggest drama. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the inside story of a feud that`s pitting cast member against cast member.
BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": This is a feud between the cast members of the number one drama on television.
HAMMER: T.R. Knight, who plays lovable doctor George O`Malley on "Grey`s Anatomy" told Ellen Degeneres about the widely reported argument last October between costars Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington.
DEGENERES: So Patrick Dempsey and Isaiah Washington are on the set, a scene is about to start, they start getting into a fight of words. And Isaiah --
KNIGHT: Not because I was late.
DEGENERES: No, that was supposedly what it was?
KNIGHT: I had my little backpack on. I was all ready to go.
DEGENERES: You were there?
KNIGHT: I was there.
DEGENERES: And Isaiah Washington says what to Patrick Dempsey?
KNIGHT: He referred to me as a faggot.
DEGENERES: As a faggot?
KNIGHT: Yes.
DEGENERES: So you`re around the corner and hear this.
KNIGHT: It is such an awful word. Isn`t it?
DEGENERES: It really is.
HAMMER: Knight tells Ellen, who famously came out ten years ago, the incident compelled him to tell the world he`s gay.
KNIGHT: I think publicly -- it`s not my thing to call up "People Magazine," and be like hey, do you want to know something about me, but I`ve never been called that to my face. And so I think when that happened, it`s like, I don`t know, something shifted, and it just became bigger, do you know what I mean, than myself.
HAMMER: The story definitely became bigger, much bigger. Since then reports of tension on the set continue to dog "Grey`s Anatomy." It even overshadowed the show`s victory at the Golden Globes awards, where it won best drama series. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras were there. Now, listening as we play for you the less than delicate way Washington addressed the issue.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON, "GREY`S ANATOMY: No, I did not call T.R. a faggot. It never happened. It never happened.
HAMMER: Talk about adding fuel to the fire. Washington`s use of the F word, while denying using the F word, brought yet another co-star into the fray.
KATHERINE HEIGL, "GREY`S ANATOMY": I`m going to be really honest right now, he needs to just not speak in public, period. Sorry, that just did not need to be said. I`m not OK with it.
HAMMER: Katherine Heigl, who plays Dr. Izzie Stevens, blasted Washington in an interview with "Access Hollywood."
HEIGL: I have no idea what it was. I just think I find it hurtful.
HAMMER: Washington also went on Access Hollywood, where, more tactfully this time, denied slurring Knight.
WASHINGTON: It did not happen. It did not happen. There is no way that I could do anything so vile and so horrible, not only to a cast mate, but just to another fellow human being.
HAMMER: But the president of the gay rights group GLAD tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Washington shouldn`t have used the word at the Golden Globes.
NEIL GIULIANO, GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST: You don`t use defamatory language to try to justify defamatory language usage. So, overall, it is just a very poor use of words, and we`re very disappointed.
HAMMER: People connected to "Grey`s Anatomy" may be taking that advice now. Neither ABC, which airs "Grey`s Anatomy," nor Washington, are talking. But the issue is not going away. In the wake of the Michael Richards incident, this "Grey`s Anatomy" drama is opening up old wounds in a society and in a show that continues to wrestle with issues of diversity and insensitivity.
GIULIANO: We hope this is an opportunity for some additional dialogue with Mr. Washington, perhaps others, and an opportunity for everyone to realize that this is language that`s destructive and it`s hurtful.
JACOBS: "Grey`s Anatomy" is a positive, fun, meaningful, surprising, dramatic, comedic show. Nobody, and certainly the producers, want to see it tainted with this scandal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Scandal really is a good word here. With the wounds reopened, this rift among "Grey`s Anatomy" stars certainly isn`t going away any time soon. But will it force the producers of the show to actually take some drastic action?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Mary Murphy, consulting editor for TV Guide, also in Hollywood, our friend Howard Bragman, the founder of the 15 Minutes Public Relations Agency. He is the crisis manager who has been working most recently with super model Naomi Campbell. Hello to you both.
All right, Mary, we`ve got two co-stars on the biggest show on television right now, each pretty much saying the other one is lying. Who do you believe?
MARY MURPHY, TV GUIDE: Well, that is -- that`s a tough question, but I think the truth is that this is the number one show on television, and it`s the number one show on ABC, which means it is much bigger than just two stars fighting with each other. I`ve never in my history of covering television seen stars fight like this in public about something that is so sensitive.
HAMMER: Yes, and I don`t get why lies would be happening, because obviously somebody is lying. Howard, let`s say that Isaiah Washington did use that slur. He is still denying it. But his co-stars are saying he did it. For me, it seems like it`s a pretty stupid P.R. move to get on stage, at the Golden Globes of all places, and deny it.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PR: It`s about as stupid as you can get. And here we are today, instead of celebrating their Golden Globes victory, we`re talking about this slur. And I talked to somebody on the show today, and I do believe he used the slur, and from a P.R. point of view, you know, he just should have said, the past is the past. I`m here tonight to celebrate my victory. And I want to go on.
He has created a rift there. There are problems ahead for this show.
HAMMER: Howard, is there a chance that his publicist actually says, no matter what people ask you about this, just deny it?
BRAGMAN: Not if he has a smart publicist. A smart publicist would want a cathartic moment. If he did say it, which I believe he did, he should acknowledge it. He should go on, and that`s the only way. As long as he`s in denial, it is almost like an alcoholic, he is never going to get any better. And he has been shot once. They can take him out pretty easily.
HAMMER: You said that problems are ahead for this show. Mary, as terrible a thing as this all is, wouldn`t it be kind of great to be a fly on the wall on the set of "Grey`s Anatomy?" I mean, these actors spend a lot of time together. How are they working together these days?
MURPHY: Well, you know, they are not working together very well. There`s huge tension on the set, but the problem is that "Grey`s Anatomy" has been like the KGB. You can`t get anything out of the show. And now suddenly the biggest scandal erupts. The question is, what will happen with the character? You know, Burke is already at a turning point. You know, I interviewed Isaiah Washington just the night before about his character, and he was so defensive about his character, that I can just imagine in a situation like this, he just couldn`t handle the tension of the question.
HAMMER: Yes, it sounds like a lot of tension. So, Howard, you mentioned, you know, Isaiah has had his issues before there. Do you think, as popular as the show is, as popular as his character is, it could actually get to the point where basically the producers have no choice but to let him loose and fire him?
BRAGMAN: You know, a show is a community, a family, if you will. And he is not an integral member of this family. He is not one of the leading stars of the show. It`s not Isaiah`s anatomy here. And I think he is putting his job and his career in jeopardy. There is a chemistry for the show that he is ruining right now. When people come to work and they don`t like another cast member, and yet you have to spend 16 hours a day there, it`s a tough environment, and it`s going to show eventually.
HAMMER: Mary, somebody had suggested to me that maybe this will actually help the show`s ratings, and I only have a few second here, because people will want to tune in and see who we`re talking about, who these players are.
MURPHY: Anybody who hasn`t seen it, I can`t imagine. It won`t help the ratings. They don`t need the help. But I think it will hurt Isaiah Washington. It definitely hurt the tension behind the scenes. And I would imagine that the producers are right now figuring out what to do with his character.
HAMMER: And if he is lying, man, do I hope he comes clean. Mary Murphy, Howard Bragmen, I thank you both for joining us tonight.
BRAGMAN: Thanks A.J.
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear from you about this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Grey`s Anatomy" controversy, should Isaiah Washington be fired over his alleged gay slur? go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
HAMMER: I`m really interested to see how people react to that question tonight.
Well, tonight there are explosive new details all about O.J. Simpson`s book that describes the murders of his ex-wife and a friend Ron Goldman, including who actually wrote the words. We`re going to fill you in, coming up. It`s fascinating. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reality giveth and taketh away. There is sort of an MTV curse that`s destroyed a variety of marriages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is reality TV a curse for marriage? From Nick and Jessica to Britney and Kevin, is there any way for a couple to stay together with cameras on them 24 hours a day?
HAMMER: And a fat cat -- no, I mean, really fat -- turns to a life of crime. We`re going to tell you what this cat burglar was after when he did a little breaking and entering. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It is time now that we call in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad. This is where our crack team of celebrity investigators sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
Tonight our question, could Britney Spears be pregnant again? That`s the rumor, yes, after a tabloid reported that her friends are wondering why she hasn`t lost that baby weight after giving birth to Jaden back in September. So is Britney expecting a baby one more time? Nope, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad got in touch with Britney`s record label and they kept it short and sweet. No, she is not.
ANDERSON: Tonight we have explosive new details on O.J. Simpson`s botched book deal with Harper Collins. We`ve now learned that O.J. Simpson would have gotten a lot of money for his unpublished book, "If I Did It." And we also know the identity of O.J.`s ghostwriter. Ashleigh Banfield, the host of Court TV`s Hollywood Heat, broke this story exclusively and she is with us tonight from the Court TV studios in New York City.
Ashleigh, good to see you.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV: Hi Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi there, OK, so we all know about this book in which O.J. hypothetically confessed how he might have killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, if he had done it. We all know about the uproar it created. So what have you found out about what has happened between O.J. and Harper-Collins?
BANFIELD: Well, we actually got our hands on the contract, finally, the contract between Harper-Collins and a company called Lorraine Brooke Associates. Now, we have already reported that those names, Lorraine and Brooke, are the middle names of his children. That company was formed right around the same time as this contract was actually put together. In fact, this contract is dated the same date that this second contract is formed.
And I want you to zero in, if you will, Brooke, come in here and take a look at the signature on the bottom of this second contract. I think you`re going to recognize the name. Clear as a bell, you can see it, O.J. Simpson. What is the significance of the second one though? This is crucial. This is the deal with Harper-Collins.
ANDERSON: Well, what does that all mean in terms of the money situation and how did that all shake out? Because Lorraine Brooke, reportedly, a holding company, right, for funneling money so he can avoid payment?
BANFIELD: Well, that`s what the allegations are. That`s why this second contract is so key. This is the nexus to O.J. Simpson. Don`t forget, O.J. Simpson didn`t make the deal in the Harper Collins contract, right. It was Lorraine Brooks Associates. But this second deal says, I am Lorraine Brooke and Associates. I`m fully responsible for it. I`m entering into this agreement. And this was with Harper-Collins, the actual publisher.
So this is not a good day for Harper-Collins. It is a bit of a black eye. Now, what`s really key, and everybody has been talking about it, the money. It`s all been reported, 880,000, 1.1 million -- how much was it? Did he get paid? We finally have the actual breakdown in the contract of this money was supposed to be disbursed. There is eight different categories of how he was supposed to be paid. Each of them about 95,000 dollars. For instance, for the outline of the book, for the first half of the manuscript, for the second half of the manuscript, for the acceptance of the publication of the hard cover edition.
Well, Brooke, that never actually ended up going out. It was printed, boxed and shipped, but it didn`t go out.
ANDERSON: So about a million bucks total then, right?
BANFIELD: Well, yes or no, that`s the problem here. When it`s broken down eight different ways, he may or may not have been paid for certain things. If Harper Collins didn`t pay out on that publication because they didn`t actually make the ship date, it could be argued either way. And then there is that 400,000 dollar breakdown for the TV interview, which he did do. They didn`t air it.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: All very interesting. Ashley, very quickly, I do want to get to this mysterious ghostwriter, the person who wrote "If I Did It" with O.J. What did you find out about him?
BANFIELD: Well, it`s been rumored to be Pablo Fejves. And it is Pablo Fejves. He is a ghost writer, who happens to also be also a witness in the criminal trial against O.J. He is the guy who heard next door, living to Nicole Brown Simpson, the dog barking. And that set the timeline for the prosecutors. How bizarre is this Brooke that 13 years ago he is testifying against O.J. Now in collaboration in a book deal, ghost writing for him. It is weird.
ANDERSON: It is unbelievable, very weird. Ashleigh Banfield, host of Court TV`s Hollywood Heat, thanks so much for sharing this exclusive story with us.
BANFIELD: Happy to be here.
HAMMER: That is all very creepy. All right, we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT absolutely love the series "24." As it turns out we have something in common with Rush Limbaugh. In fact, there are lots of politicians who follow the show very closely and not just because it is riveting television. Here`s CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monday on the Fox television series "24," terror in California, a mushroom cloud spreads over a suburb of Los Angeles, triggered by a mini nuclear bomb, set off by an Islamic terrorist. Action-packed entertainment for sure, but is it more?
Is it as "Newsweek magazine" calls it a "neocon sex fantasy?"
DEVIN GORDON, "NEWSWEEK": "24" is just your worst nightmares realized. If "24" is true, then everything the neo-conservatives have been saying all along is true.
COSTELLO: As in a terrorist network working inside the United States, sending suicide bombers to subways and shopping malls, ordering up dirty bombs, assembled right in California, and a hero, Jack Bauer, who is decent, like John Wayne, yet often ignores international law, torturing terrorists to get vital information.
JAMES JAY CARAFANO, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION: Jack Bauer is kind of a metaphor for all the great people that we have out there every day, really are working hard to make us safe.
COSTELLO: Carafano, with the conservative Heritage Foundation, so admires "24`s" plot, his group sponsored a forum in June called "24, and America`s Image in Fighting Terrorism, Fact, Fiction, or Does It Matter?" On the panel, terrorism experts, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: And I think people are attracted to that because, frankly, it reflects real life. That is what we do every day. That is what we do in the government. That`s what we do in private life when we evaluate risks.
COSTELLO: Also invited, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, who so loves "24," he has posted a review of this season on his website.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I am literally in awe of the creativity of the brains behind the program.
COSTELLO: Feeling the neocon love of the program, possible presidential candidate John McCain made a guest appearance on "24" last season. The buzz is so loud this season, Gordon says he is starting to get a little nervous.
GORDON: Nothing that happens on the show would ever happen like that in real life. So for neo-conservatives to claim it as sort of a badge that they`re right is kind of like admitting that something that you watch in a fantasy world is reality.
COSTELLO: Fantasy or something more? "24" remains as popular as ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a good show though. That was CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: So, A.J., you know that interview that Paula Abdul did? It`s all over the Internet. It has some people wondering if she was bombed. Well, her fellow "American Idol" judge, Randy Jackson, he is now weighing in on the whole thing and we`re going to have that next.
HAMMER: And speaking of Internet hits, Brooke, have you seen the "Scrubs" song yet? Man, it`s something else. "Scrubs" taking a stance that everything comes do you know to poo. We`re going to show you the whole thing. That`s ahead in the SHOWBIZ Showcase.
ANDERSON: And you`re not going to believe the length a really fat cat went to to get some food. Look at this cat. It`s a ridiculous story of petty theft, coming your way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: "American Idols`s" Randy Jackson is rushing to the defense of his fellow judge Paula Abdul. After Abdul was interviewed on a news show in Seattle, people started to wonder if maybe she was, well, on something. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How do you think Idol has changed the face of pop music?
PAULA ABDUL, "AMERICAN IDOL" Well, let`s put it this way. When the show started, the record industry said this show is going to ruin the music industry. And the record industry was already kind of upside down. But now we have -- we are legitimate and we`re turning out mega, mega stars. And it`s the show actually you see great things happening to these kids, and I love it. And I think that it`s going to be around for a while.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There you have it. Well, this morning on "The Today Show" Meredith Viera asked Randy Jackson about Abdul`s bizarre behavior, and here`s what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL": It looks like one of those long days of like doing nothing but interviews. And, I mean, we go through those all the time on the press junkets. And it looks like, you know, she`s just like it is the end of the day. If you could see us at the end of the day in the auditions, those 12-hour days -- I don`t know if she was doing it for 12 hours.
MEREDITH VIERA, "THE TODAY SHOW": You`re pretty punchy?
JACKSON: Yes. After 14 hours, you`re like Oh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Abdul has blamed her strange behavior on audio problems, and technical glitches. She says she is not a partier.
HAMMER: Brooke, there are a bunch of stars who are starting off the new year looking for a new love. From Reese Witherspoon to Kate Hudson, to Britney, we have some advice for finding Mr. Right, coming up.
ANDERSON: Yes we do, including a kind of surprising love match for Jennifer Aniston. And we`re also going to have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reality giveth and reality taketh away. There is sort of an MTV curse that has destroyed a variety of marriages.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is reality TV a curse for marriage? From Nick and Jessica to Britney and Kevin, is there any way for a couple to stay together with the cameras on them 24 hours a day?
HAMMER: And you`re not going to believe the lengths that a really fat cat went to to get some food. A ridiculous story of petty theft coming your way.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. Here we are at 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, here we are at the beginning of a new year. I guess we can still say that. There are a number of stars - women stars - who find themselves no longer married or in a relationship. Certain people come to mind like Britney Spears, like Reese Witherspoon.
Who should these ladies be dating? We`re bringing in an expert, and you might be surprised at our expert`s choice for Jennifer Aniston. Play along in a moment and see if you agree.
ANDERSON: Maybe they can have a full house of kids or some thing, A.J.
Also coming up, it`s time to face the music on the show "Scrubs." The - the cast is doing a musical, if you can believe it, and it is hilarious. We`re going to tell you why the cast believes that every thing comes down to poo. Straight ahead.
HAMMER: It`s a lot of fun despite the (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: All set to music. Yes. All set to music. It is fun.
But before we get to that, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reality check about reality shows and marriage. From Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, to Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, it would make - make you think there is a reality show curse.
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report": is reality TV bad for marriage?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER: Nick?
NICK LACHEY, SINGER: What?
SIMPSON: Our dumplings buoy a little.
ANDERSON (voice-over): The good, the bad and the ugly, courtesy of relationship reality TV.
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: (INAUDIBLE)
KEVIN FEDERLINE, ENTERTAINER: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: Whether it`s Britney Spears and Kevin Federline in "Chaotic," or Whitney and Bobby in "Being Bobby Brown".
BOBBY BROWN, SINGER: (INAUDIBLE)
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: .millions of us watched cutsie celebrity couples make their marriage into a hit TV show. And then we all watched as reality - single life - bit back hard.
JOHN HENSON, TV GUIDE CHANNEL, "WATCH THIS": Reality giveth and reality taketh away. There`s sort of an MTV curse that`s destroyed a variety of marriages. You`re talking about Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro, Shanna Moakler and Travis Barker.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
HENSON: Most famously, Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson. Ironically, the only marriage to survive the MTV curse is the couple who began the whole genre, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. I think that`s mainly because nobody can understand a word Ozzy says.
OZZY OSBOURNE, SINGER: (BLEEP) (BLEEP) (BLEEP) (BLEEP)
ANDERSON: Relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she doesn`t buy into the reality show curse, but she says couples who decide to do reality TV may simply be predisposed to breaking up.
LAURA BERMAN, AUTHOR, "THE PASSION PRESCRIPTION": I think that if someone`s going to put themselves on camera 24/7, and in particular putting their relationship on camera 24/7 that it says a lot about them as people in terms of the kind of attention they need, in terms of the kind of feedback they need.
SPEARS: Hi, every one. I`m Britney.
ANDERSON: Brit and K-Fed grossed us all out with their in-your-face UPN reality show highlighting the best of their home video collection. Look what happened to them.
SPEARS: Huh?
ANDERSON: Surprisingly, K-Fed told me he didn`t regret the reality show. He says he and Brit were just having fun, and wanted the world to see how real they were.
FEDERLINE: We had this footage, and - and we used to give people a better idea that, you know, we - we fell in love. We wanted to show people the real - real side of it.
HENSON: "Chaotic" was arguably the worst reality show in history. But on the bright side, they did make up with it with lots and lots of headlines about their divorce.
LACHEY: (INAUDIBLE). Shut up.
ANDERSON: Nick Lachey blames a big part of his real-life break-up on his reality show, "Newlyweds." He says the lines between what`s real and reality become blurred once the cameras start rolling, telling "Rolling Stone" magazine - quote - "when you are on a reality show, your life ceases to be reality. It becomes TV."
BERMAN: I`m sure that for many of these couples, when the cameras turn off, they still are sort of on. And it`s hard for them to really tone it down, be genuine with each other, be vulnerable with each and be honest with each other.
HOUSTON: Damn! Damn! Lord, I just want to be a real person.
BERMAN: They feel like there`s always a third witness there, which is millions of Americans, watching their every move and their every mistake, or every complication in their relationship.
ANDERSON: So you`d think today`s crop of reality stars would have learned from their predecessors. Uh, no. VH-1`s viewers are seeing a lot of complications in "Breaking Bonaduce," the reality show on the air now starring Danny Bonaduce and his wife, Gretchen.
DANNY BONADUCE, ACTOR: I`d be like, God, I need to have a shot right now. And I made a mistake and I had a drink.
ANDERSON: But oddly enough, showing the world their faults, like Danny`s struggle with sobriety, might actually be helping to save their marriage.
HENSON: This is an incredibly dysfunctional couple, and they would be the first to admit that.
However, they have really used to show to fight to save their marriage.
ANDERSON (on camera): You`ve always been very open about your addictions.
D. BONDACUE: Right.
ANDERSON: But now you guys are also very open about troubles in your marriage.
GRETCHEN BONADUCE, DANNY BONADUCE`S WIFE: If we didn`t stay honest and we tried to whitewash it, we wouldn`t help anybody.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Not all reality relationships turn into reality wrecks. Rob and Amber, the couple who met on CBS` "Survivor," are still going strong.
ROB MARIANO, REALITY SHOW STAR: We`re in the reality TV show business, if you will, and our life together is the most important thing to us.
HENSON: Rob and Amber - Romber - I think they`re going to go public soon. You can trade these guys on the NASDAQ. They`re like pork-bellies. They`re - they`re reality royalty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Rob and Amber are coming up on their two-year anniversary. So far, so good.
But get this: they`ve even signed up for yet another reality show. This time, CBS` "The Amazing Race All Stars," heading back to "The Amazing Race."
And we`ve got a great guy for Britney Spears and hook-ups for other newly single stars who are starting over in 2007. All that at 45 past the hour.
HAMMER: (INAUDIBLE), I want to give you a little warning before tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." If you happen to be eating some thing right now, you might want to put it down. We here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT absolutely love NBC`s off-the-wall "Scrubs." And tonight, the cast is getting all musical with their hilarious but may-not-make-it-to-Broadway song-and-dance routine called "Everything Comes Down to Poo." You can certainly bet that Kenny and Cartman over at "South Park" are loving this.
Here now, your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Ah, you liked that, Jay (ph), didn`t you? It was perfect for my crew`s sense of humor. I can only imagine the writers` meeting when they came up with this idea.
You can catch that entire episode of "Scrubs" in song when "Scrubs: My Musical" airs on NBC tomorrow.
Brooke, it`s all yours.
ANDERSON: Luckily, not all the songs in the musical are about poo. I`m not really sure how to follow that, A.J., but I`ll just ask you this: What do you think of all the newly single stars out there, like Jennifer Aniston, like Reese Witherspoon?
HAMMER: I think we need to help them figure out who their next guy is, right?
ANDERSON: That is exactly what we`re going to do. Next, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is playing celebrity matchmaker for them with some surprising 2007 hook-up ideas.
We`re also going to have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": It`s official: there is no place in America that does not have the Trump name on it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rosie O`Donnell can walk all over Donald Trump, because he`s got a star on the Walk of Fame. So who is he taking on next?
ANDERSON: And the ridiculous story of a fat cat who got stuck in a doggie door. Sounds like one for the birds. That`s straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stand A.J. by in 3, 2 - and dissolve mike. Cue him.
HAMMER: Thank you very much, Chris (ph).
And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Apparently, a very fat cat got itself into a doggone mess. Look at this fella. It`s a 20-pound flabby tabby. That`s right; you heard me correctly. I said 20 pounds. And it got stuck trying to go through a doggie door in Oregon.
Apparently, this cat was trying to sneak in to steal some more food. I guess it wasn`t really the purrfect pilfering. They`ve nicknamed him "Goliath," and he really, quite frankly, needs to hit the gym. This furball should be playing with a medicine ball, or perhaps doing some pussycat push-ups.
To Goliath, the super-sized cat burglar, we say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: That is an enormous cat.
All right. Some one called Donald Trump a fat cat. I mean, this guy`s name is on buildings every where. He`s got "The Apprentice" TV show. Oh, and of course, there`s the whole Trump-Rosie O`Donnell feud, right?
But there`s literally a new kid on the block that might trump Trump. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump!
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the unveiling of his Hollywood star, Donald Trump got some advice we thought he would never have to be told.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t cover up your name.
LENO: It`s official: there`s now no place in America that does not have the Trump name on it.
MOOS: But it was Trump`s young ,son Barron, who stole the show. Seemed to be Barron`s first encounter with a velvet rope. His first encounter with a mike.
DONALD TRUMP, HOST, "THE APPRENTICE": That`s Barron. He`s strong, he`s smart, he`s tough, he`s vicious, he`s violent. All of the ingredients you need to be an entrepreneur. Uh-oh, he won`t give up the mike.
MOOS: Like father, like son.
And when dad got the mike back to do interviews, there was one subject he steered clear of. As "Saturday Night Live" has made clear...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems like you`re obsessed with this Rosie thing. Are you still mad at her?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gabby, I don`t know how I could be any clearer. I`m taking the high road. Absolutely no questions about Jabba the Rosie.
MOOS: Rosie, by the way, doesn`t have her own star yet on Hollywood`s Walk of Fame.
While the Donald wasn`t dissing Rosie, he rose to the bait when asked about Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
TRUMP: We need a negotiator. We don`t need sound bytes. We don`t need people walking off planes, waving, sitting with the dictator, waving, getting back on the plane, waving, and nothing happens. We need negotiators.
MOOS: Could he do the job?
TRUMP: The answer is yes, I could do a very good job. But I know 20 people that would be fantastic at it.
MOOS: One thing Trump never turns is the other cheek.
TRUMP: Rosie`s a loser.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Rosie, I think we should act like grown-ups. And here`s how it`s going to go: I`m made of rubber, you`re made of glue, whatever you say bounces off me because I`m classy, and sticks to you because you`re ugly.
MOOS: Those who accuse the Donald of acting like a child can also say he looks like one -- his own.
TRUMP: Melania did Barron`s little comb-over. She loves that. She goes like this, a little flick of her wrist, and Barron has a comb-over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And Barron is adorable. That was an always-impeccably- groomed CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has some advice for some of Hollywood`s sexiest women who are starting over. They`re newly single here as we begin the 2007. Talking about people like Britney Spears, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Hudson - all newly single. The question is, Who should these successful, A-list ladies date? What kind of a guy is Mr. Right for Britney?
Development psychologist and national radio talk show host Cooper Lawrence joining me here in New York.
Nice to see you.
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGIST: Nice to see you.
HAMMER: You know, relationships come to an end. It can be a devastating moment in one`s life. And - and when you`re a celebrity, you have all the media attention that is coming at you when that happens. But even for celebs, there can be a silver lining when these things shut down, can`t there?
LAWRENCE: Well, especially because these girls we`re talking about are young. So they should that as an opportunity. I mean, an opportunity - especially like Britney you were talking about. I mean, here`s a great opportunity for who to do some girling while there`s time (ph).
HAMMER: Well, let - let`s talk about Britney and - and what needs to happen in her life. Because somebody challenged me on our show about this the other day, when I suggest - you know what? Here`s a young lady, only 25 years old. She broke up with Justin Timberlake, was married quickly after that, that ended. Got married again. Two divorces already.
I said, You know, maybe she should take some time and - and be single. And I was told maybe, you know, that`s up to her and not such a good idea.
What do you think?
LAWRENCE: No, that`s my philosophy. I`m with you.
I think - yes, she needs to stop. Just absolutely stop dating, stop doing whatever it is she`s doing. Because I mean, if you think about it, she`s in the public eye doing all these crazy things with the no underwear and all that. If that`s what`s happening publicly, you must think about what`s happening privately for her.
She needs to really figure out what`s going on, and stop dating these men who are socially, emotionally and financially beneath her. Because then it becomes this co-dependent relationship. So.
HAMMER: I`m with you.
LAWRENCE: Yes, just stop, Britney.
HAMMER: All right. Britney, take a break for a minute.
LAWRENCE: Stop it.
HAMMER: Work on your album, make us all and put out some good music.
Let`s do a little matchmaking, Cooper Lawrence, shall we?
LAWRENCE: OK.
HAMMER: Let`s talk about Jennifer Aniston. Jennifer Aniston, America`s sweetheart. We love Jennifer. Things didn`t work out with her and Brad Pitt; she got together with Vince Vaughn. As the year ended, things didn`t work out in that relationship.
Do you have some advice - do you have a suggestion of - of what kind of guy would be Mr. Right for - for Jen?
LAWRENCE: I know you don`t agree, but I`m - I`m going with John Stamos. But let me - let me make my argument for her.
Because he`s - he`s very stable. He`s got a great career.
HAMMER: Right.
LAWRENCE: And he starred in soaps. You know, so did her dad. She can relate to that.
And he`s some body that would probably get her. Because - look, Brad is - was very down-to-earth, even though he was so hot. John Stamos - not that he`s not down-to-earth, but he`ll understand her need to go to Prada.
HAMMER: OK.
LAWRENCE: You know, whereas I think Brad maybe didn`t really get that.
HAMMER: No. No, I can see your point with John. And - and John a really, really good guy. And that - that might be a good match. Whoever she gets involved with, obviously, is going to have to be OK with all of the paparazzi attention.
Let`s talk about Reese Witherspoon. She was married for longer than usual in Hollywood to Ryan Phillippe. Unfortunately, that ended. There were some kids involved. Well, there still are.
We saw her just recently at the Golden Globes looking absolutely beautiful.
LAWRENCE: Amazing.
HAMMER: I mean, look at her. She looks gorgeous.
LAWRENCE: Gorgeous.
HAMMER: Do you think she should be involved with another actor?
LAWRENCE: I think another actor who has a career at the same level she does, some one who doesn`t feel threatened by her, so they feel more like equals.
I`m going with Jake Gyllenhaal.
HAMMER: Oh really?
LAWRENCE: They`re - they`re doing that movie rendition together. I`m sure they`re becoming friendly. I`m - I`m - I`m hoping they hook up.
HAMMER: Yes, a lot of people - a lot of people said that that was the reason that things did not work out with Ryan, because she really eclipsed him with the big Oscar win last year.
LAWRENCE: It`s - it`s hard on a guy. I mean, especially a guy that`s in - if they`re in the same career. Even if they`re not, it`s hard on the guy to see his wife do so well. It`s - it`s tough on some men`s manhood.
HAMMER: Let`s - OK. Let`s move on to Kate Hudson, who - divorcing from her rocker husband Chris Robinson.
Now, she`s a pretty private person. Now that that split-up has happened, we`re not seeing her out in the clubs and partying. Do you think she should go with another rocker, or should she take a different direction this time around?
LAWRENCE: I`m thinking she should stay with somebody who is in her industry, in the acting industry, but maybe somebody who`s also a director, producer, writer - somebody with more dimension to them. Because she`s - she seems pretty complex to me.
So I`m thinking Zack Braff would be a really good.
HAMMER: Oh really?
LAWRENCE: .hookup for her. Yes, because he - after "Garden State," he`s beloved. He`s the golden child. He writes, he directs, he produces, he acts. He`s amazing.
HAMMER: Yes, and now we found out he can sing about poo. But we`ll talk about that another time.
Cooper Lawrence, always good to see you. I appreciate you joining us.
LAWRENCE: Thank you so much.
HAMMER: Giving us some match-making advice for these stars.
LAWRENCE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." "Ugly Betty" star America Ferrera wins big at the Golden Globes, and she hopes her character is an inspiration to women with curves everywhere.
So: "The `Ugly Betty` Effect: Will Hollywood start celebrating real women?"
Only 23 percent of you say yes; 77 percent of you say no.
Here`s some of the e-mails we received:
Oliver from New York writes, "I hope the positive attention received by `Ugly Betty` will translate into changed attitudes in Hollywood."
But Dionne from Ohio thinks it will all fall on deaf ears: "There is so much money to be made by those who strive to be the Hollywood standard for a real woman. There is no way that this will top the trend."
We appreciate your e-mails. Keep on voting.
HAMMER: Well, country star Naomi Judd knows a thing or two about raising the ladies. She`s mom to Ashley and Wynona. Coming up, Naomi`s going to give us very candid motherly advice for Hollywood`s wild children. Of course, we`re talking about Paris, Britney and Lindsay. And we want you to pay attention, because it could actually save your career.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Got to love Naomi Judd. She is pretty concerned about the negative messages that the Parises, Lindsays and Britneys are sending out. And when I sat down with her to chat about her Hallmark TV show and new book, the country star told me that she thinks somebody needs to step in and straighten these starlets out, ASAP.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NAOMI JUDD, SINGER: My name`s Judd; it`s not judge. But I will say about these gals, I`m very concerned about their mental health. If you have someone who doesn`t know who they are, who`s not defined from within, who hasn`t been given boundaries, been given mentoring and appropriate affirmations in their life and what works and what doesn`t work, then if they flash crotchless and the Kid`s Choice Award, which Lindsay Lohan did, and you splash on the cover of all the tabloidesque magazine, then they`re going to get rewarded for that.
And I - my personal wish for them 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Naomi also says her daughters are doing OK, which was good to hear. Wynona was being treated for an eating disorder; Ashley was being treated for depression.
You can catch Naomi`s new show - it`s called "New Morning" - Sunday mornings on the Hallmark channel. And her book is called "Naomi`s Guide to Aging Gratefully." That`s "gratefully." And it`s out now.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is this: "`Grey`s Anatomy` Controversy: Should Isaiah Washington be fired over his alleged gay slurs?" - directed towards co-star T.R. Knight.
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And you can write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
And don`t forget, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So send us a video e- mail. Go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, to learn how to do it.
HAMMER: And here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow:
Stars who have a craving for other stars. The biggest names in Hollywood who just always seem to hook up with other big names. Serial celeb daters - a good move or are they setting themselves up for failure? That`s tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, an emotional look at Steve Irwin`s last TV project. It`s Animal Planet`s "Ocean`s Deadliest." Philippe Cousteau (ph), who was with Irwin when he was killed by a stingray, will join us. How he and many others are keeping Irwin`s important legacy alive. That`s tomorrow.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot 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, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
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