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Showbiz Tonight
Cause of Death in Anna Nicole Case to Be Revealed Monday; Does Britney Have Rehab Secrets
Aired March 22, 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: New shocking Anna Nicole Smith mysteries. We are finally going to learn what killed her. And could Anna Nicole`s mom actually end up with baby Dannielynn? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And stunning Britney Spears twists involving secrets about her rehab and a possible divorce settlement.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Angelina`s startling new adoption. But should we be concerned? Tonight, did Angelina do the right thing by renaming the three-year-old Vietnamese boy? The shocking cultural differences. And how will Pax fit in with Angelina and Brad Pitt`s other kids? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes searching for Angelina adoption answers.
Rehab of the rich and famous. Tonight, from Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the rehab facilities of the stars, their cost, what the stars go through and a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, one- on-one with the head of Lindsay Lohan`s rehab center. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates what really goes on in recovery, rehab of the rich and famous.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight, Britney Spears is on the attack to keep the secrets of her rehab private. And just how much money is Kevin Federline going to get from her? Big Britney news, straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first tonight, get ready for what may very well be the most dramatic day since the death of Anna Nicole Smith. The announcement revealing why she died. We learned today that the medical examiner is ready to end the mystery surrounding her sudden and tragic death with a big press conference. But, of course, that is not the only big question in this incredible saga. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the stories behind the three biggest mysteries that we all would like answers to.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s not breathing and she`s not responsive. She`s actually Anna Nicole Smith.
HAMMER (voice-over): It`s now been six weeks since Anna Nicole Smith died suddenly in her hotel room in Florida. And still so many mysteries. The good news, it looks like we are one step close to finding the answer to the mother of them all, who is Dannielynn`s daddy. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Howard K. Stern, who is listed as Dannielynn`s father on her birth certificate, finally took the six-month-old to a doctor`s office in the Bahamas on Wednesday.
JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV CORRESPONDENT: That DNA test went forward, taking a buccal swab with a Q-tip of tissue of little Dannielynn, most notably inside of the cheek.
HAMMER: The entertainment website TMZ.com says Larry Birkhead also gave his DNA. The samples have been shipped to a lab in Ohio.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: They are going to be tested and the results should be in by the end of the weekend.
HAMMER: The results might be ready in a couple of days, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you answers may take longer.
LEVIN: The issue is Howard Stern, that if he appeals this decision to extract the DNA, the results are going to be sealed until the appeal runs its course.
HAMMER: And even if there is no appeal and Birkhead is proven to be the biological dad, that doesn`t necessarily mean Howard will have to turn the baby over. His name, after all, is on the birth certificate.
CASAREZ: Even if he is determined to not be the father, he could mount a fight to still keep the child as the physical custodian at this point, and since the child has been burn that`s all that Dannielynn has learned is Howard K. Stern.
LEVIN: It is a big deal that Howard K. Stern`s name is on the birth certificate, because there`s a presumption he`s the dad. If Larry Birkhead gets a DNA match with that baby, then it basically overturns the presumptions and allows Larry Birkhead to go into court and fight for custody.
HAMMER: Larry Birkhead is not the only one fighting for custody of little Dannielynn. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Anna Nicole`s estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, wants the baby too. She says Howard K. Stern is an unfit father.
JOHN O`QUINN, VIRGIE ARTHUR`S ATTORNEY: My client wants to raise the child. My client is the one that has the experience to raise this child.
HAMMER: Virgie and her lawyers say she will continue to fight for custody, even if the DNA proves Larry Birkhead is the father.
O`QUINN: Me personally, I think Birkhead should be involved. I think he should have rights, visitation rights to time with the child, summer or whenever they can work these things out.
HAMMER: But, of course, even if the paternity and custody sagas come to a close, there is yet another mystery, what killed Anna Nicole? The Broward County medical examiner may shed some light on this one. He says he`s close to releasing the autopsy results.
DR. JOSHUA PERPER, BROWARD COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER: Well, I believe that by the end of the week I will have all the information which I need, And I believe the beginning of the next week I`ll disclose it.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Monday is the day the world will find out what killed Anna Nicole.
LEVIN: There are a lot of rumors swirling over the cause of death. And we do know that she had lots of antibiotics in her system. That`s for sure. We know that. Whether they contributed or caused her death, we don`t know.
HAMMER: And as we wait on what killed Anna Nicole, we move on to the next mystery. What happened to Daniel? Anna Nicole`s 20-year-old son died just five months before she did from a lethal combination of Methadone and two anti-depressants. A formal inquest starts next week in the Bahamas. As many as 40 people will be called as witnesses. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Howard K. Stern will be the subject of scrutiny.
LEVIN: There will be at least one witness who is scheduled to testify that Howard K. Stern gave Daniel the Methadone that contributed to his death, and then flushed the remainder down the toilet after he died. I`m not saying that`s true.
HAMMER: True or not, the chief magistrate overseeing the inquest has said that Anna Nicole`s mysterious death has increased the interest in Howard K. Stern.
LEVIN: The common link is that both were around one person, in this case, Howard K. Stern. It`s got to raise some issues, not necessarily that he killed somebody, but what`s going on that people who should not be dying are dying on his watch?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: But at least we do that the mystery of Anna Nicole`s death is going to be resolved. As we just reported, late today, the Broward County medical examiner announced that there will be a news conference on Monday that`s going to reveal how she died. Joining me tonight in New York, investigator journalist Diane Diamond, and from Los Angeles, Jane Velez- Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of the soon to be released book, "Secrets Can Be Murder." Jane, Diane, it`s good to see you both.
I`m approaching tonight`s show and this segment with cautious optimism. I feel like maybe we`re getting somewhere. There is one report tonight that`s saying that this announcement that`s going to be held by the ME in Florida on Monday is going to be significant. Jane, what are you expecting?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, I`m no psychic, so I can`t say for sure and I could be wrong. But based on everything that we have heard and seen in the last days, I would have to say that it will probably be -- we have heard all of this evidence of Anna Nicole`s alleged drug abuse -- drug related. But we also know that she had suffered pneumonia shortly before her death. She had a fever, that she was being bathed in ice to keep her fever down.
So, I would guess it would be some sort of prescription drug related death with medical complications. But I also think it`s not going to answer all of the questions surrounding her death. In other words, who supplied the drugs, was she pumped up with drugs and then left there, where she couldn`t defend herself, because she was so zonked out? I don`t think we`re going to get all the answers. I think we will get some resolution.
HAMMER: Well, and your latest point brings up, of course, the notion that the medical examiner has been working with Florida police investigators and Bohemian police investigators. I`m curious, Diane, if there`s anything that then leads you to believe the death is going to be branded perhaps as suspicious, or perhaps could actually become a criminal case, even though they are not saying that`s what it is right now.
DIANE DIAMOND, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Yes, they are all working together. They know the spot light that`s on this case. You remember in the beginning, as Jane said, we heard that she had pneumonia and a high temperature. If this woman had died of pneumonia, they would have already told us that. There has to be something more. I agree with Jane, it`s probably drug related.
And there are a lot of questions about who wrote her the prescriptions for all those drugs? Is that person criminally responsible? I think there`s a real possibility that one or more of her doctors who wrote these prescriptions might be in big trouble.
HAMMER: You know, I can`t overstate what a big day it is going to be on Monday, perhaps, as I said, one of the biggest since the day she died. I mean, look at this, on the very same day that we are going to find out what killed Anna Nicole, this is when the inquest begins in the Bahamas, into the mysterious that still surrounds her son Daniel. A lot of witnesses, as I said, going to be chiming in on that.
And also, as we reported, they are going to be looking pretty hard at Howard K. Stern and whether or not he played some kind of a role in Daniel`s death. Jane, what are they going to be looking for, in terms of Howard K. Stern?
MITCHELL: Well, we heard Harvey Levin of TMZ say it just a second ago, that one witness may get up and say that -- allege that Howard K. Stern supplied Methadone to Daniel and then flushed the rest down the toilet. That`s very incriminating. But who is this person? Does he have any credibility? It could be one person`s word against another. That`s why I think Howard K. Stern`s credibility is going to be so crucial and that`s where the paternity tests come in, because if the results of the paternity test come in and show that he is not the father, then that will really hurt his credibility.
Of course, if it turns out that he is the dad, that will make him a very sympathetic figure. It will change the entire dynamics of that inquest. So all of these strands are going to come together and converge. Next week is a huge week.
HAMMER: You talk about Howard K. Stern`s credibility, I don`t recall having one guest on or speaking with one person in the course of the time that this has all been taking place, that has said, he`s got great credibility. Diane, Larry Birkhead said that he`s going to be called as a witness in Daniel`s death, in the inquest there. Why are they talking to Larry? He wasn`t even there?
MITCHELL: Yes, but Larry knows this boy. He knew this boy and he was close to him. Larry Birkhead is a really friendly guy. He may have some e-mails back and forth with this young man. He may have some other sort of written communication with him, letters maybe or what not. But he may just be there as a -- on the character issue. How close was this boy to his mother? Did he take drugs? Did he take his mother`s drugs? And what about Howard K. Stern?
Because, remember, these two are adversaries, Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead, but they know each other. They have been around each other. And I agree with other people that have been on this program tonight that Howard K. Stern`s credibility is a huge issue in this. If this young boy, Daniel, was taking drugs and he didn`t try to stop him, and Anna Nicole was taking drugs and he didn`t try to stop her, there is a measure of culpability there.
I would think, at the very least, his law license is in big trouble.
HAMMER: Big trouble, and I just have ten seconds here, Jane. Another thing that may happen on Monday is we may get those DNA results back, even if they don`t tell us who the dad is of Dannielynn. What are you expecting?
MITCHELL: Well, I`m very concerned that Howard K. Stern, according to TMZ, did not take a swab. Because let`s say it turns out Larry Birkhead isn`t the father, then Howard could say he`s the father, even though he may not be. It may be somebody else.
HAMMER: This thing is going to go on and on, no matter what`s happening on Monday. Diane Diamond, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thanks so much.
ANDERSON: A.J., big week for Britney Spears, who is out of rehab, as we know. And tonight, you know, I really want to know, will she be able to turn her life around?
HAMMER: That remains to be a big question. We all hope that she does, certainly.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, really hope that she does. And up next, a special look at Britney`s life after rehab, including a shocking court decision about her rehab secrets, and a possible divorce settlement. Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new trend for young Hollywood seems to be going into rehab facilities that are more like spas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan, a special look inside the rehab facilities of the stars. And a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, one on one with the head of Lindsay Lohan`s rehab center. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And Angelina Jolie`s startling new adoption. It`s great to see an orphan child find a home, right? But was it really a good idea to change three-year-old Pax`s name. We`ve got that in a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, puzzling new Britney Spears questions. You know, she`s out of rehab, but why is she desperately trying to keep secrets of what went on at the Promises Treatment Center in California out of the tabloids? And what about her children with her soon-to-be ex Kevin Federline? Will Britney get full custody after the two finalize their divorce? And how much money will K- Fed wind up with?
Joining me now from Glendale, California, TMZ.com`s managing editor, Harvey Levin. Good to see you, Harvey
LEVIN: Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Big news today, Harvey, just one day after Britney gets out of rehab, her lawyers in London winning a court injunction to keep what went on in rehab private. What do you know?
LEVIN: Well, we know a little about this. What has happened is somebody apparently is shopping a story about the supposed secrets Britney Spears in rehab, and I am told that one of these big secrets is absolutely not true. And the lawyers for Britney went into court and basically got an injunction today, prohibiting that person from selling that information to any of the British tabloids. That will not be done in the United States, because the laws are different, and it`s harder to protect somebody like Britney Spears in rehab, in a situation like this.
But they have successfully done that in London.
ANDERSON: OK, so, while that person was successful in London or can`t be yapping in London, you`re saying the person can yap here in the U.S.?
LEVIN: Well, the person can yap, but there may be consequences. You can still sue for defamation, but in terms of actually prohibiting it from happening, that probably cannot be done here the way it can be done there.
ANDERSON: All right, while Britney was in rehab, Harvey, Kevin taking care of the kids. Harvey, does Kevin still have temporary custody of their kids. What`s in the works there?
LEVIN: They have kind of struck a deal, and they did it last Sunday. And the deal is that they are going to do 50/50 custody for now, as she gets back on her feet. But eventually that will turn into primary custody for Britney and visitation for Kevin, and they are very amicable right now. I mean, it was a really bitter divorce at the beginning, but they have settled their differences. He has been really supportive of her and there is really no animosity left there.
ANDERSON: OK, I want to ask you about that. You know, are they just going to find middle ground all the way through this and work it out? Because many people had characterized what they were going through as pretty nasty.
LEVIN: It was nasty. It was definitely nasty at the beginning but a lot of these divorces do settle down over time. And there are a lot of hurt feelings at the beginning and over time, especially when there are kids involved, everybody gets more reasonable, and that is exactly what`s happened here, with respect to custody certainly.
ANDERSON: Good for them, for the sake of the kids. And Harvey, of course, as part of the divorce, there`s that little issue of money. You know, everybody has been speculating that basically Kevin is going to walk away with a bucketful of money, possibly up to 100 million dollars. But you guys have learned, there is no way he`s getting a ton of money. What did you learn about that?
LEVIN: It`s totally not true. The figure that has been floating today a lot is 19 million dollars. If you put a decimal in between the one and the nine and then almost divide it in two, that`s about what Kevin is going to get. It`s true. He`s going to get around a million dollars. There was an iron clad prenup. There`s a very famous divorce lawyer in Los Angeles, celebrity divorce lawyer, Laura Wauser (ph), who drafted this prenup for Britney. It`s airtight. He is going to walk away with around a million dollars, we are told, and that`s it.
These other figures are kind of ridiculous.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s talk about Britney in rehab. She went to get her life together. She`s out now. What are you learning? Has she turned her life around and cleared her head? We`ve got about 30 seconds.
LEVIN: I`m told it`s really quite stunning. Everybody makes jokes about Britney and we have done it too here at TMZ. But the fact is, I am told that something happened in rehab. She is reasonable again. She is nice. It`s a dramatic change.
ANDERSON: Very good. That`s great to hear. OK, Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com, as always, thanks your insight.
LEVIN: By Brooke.
HAMMER: And now tonight, another celebrity rehab shocker. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Jesse Metcalfe (ph) is in rehab to treat his alcohol problems. Metcalfe, who played the gardener that Eva Longoria`s character had an affair with on "Desperate Housewives," checked in on Monday. This was reportedly after a wild, four-day drinking binge at a hot L.A. Hotel.
Here`s what Jesse`s publicist told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: "He realized that he had a problem and was anxious to deal with it immediately. He hopes that the media will allow him the privacy to deal properly with his treatment."
ANDERSON: A.j., story after story of stars going in and out of rehab. It seems to happen every day. I just can`t believe it sometimes.
HAMMER: And just another one coming today from Jessie Metcalfe, which came way out of left field.
ANDERSON: You`re right, and coming up at 31 past the hour, rehab of the rich and famous. Tonight from Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you inside the rehab facilities of the stars, and they are nice. And an exclusive one on one with the head of Lindsay Lohan`s rehab center.
HAMMER: Also Angelina Jolie`s startling new adoption. Now, I personally think it`s great that she took in this three-year-old Vietnamese boy. He`s going to have a great life. But should we be concerned at the same time? Why did she change his name? How will Pax fit in with Angie and Brad`s other kids? That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And Naomi Campbell, her fourth day of sweeping filthy floors, but treating her community service like a walk on the cat walk with her ridiculous outfits. That`s ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, Naomi Campbell has just one more day of her community service supermodel sweep. Even though I think it`s absolutely outrageous that she is treating this punishment for hitting her maid with a cell phone like a fashion show, we want to recap her startling sanitation sashay.
OK, take a look at her on Monday, day one of her duty of scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. Naomi busting out the black. Then on Tuesday she flaunted fur. We don`t want to know how many cute little animals went into making this coat. And this was also the day Naomi made a New York City cop her bag man. When she got out of her SUV, she passed her purse to a sanitation official. He said no way, but a police officer took it.
Then yesterday, Campbell was back in black when she showed up. She said something to that clutch carrying cop. They had a laugh, and this time she carried her own bag. We are shocked. She didn`t diva out this time.
And then this morning it was back to the fur and, of course, the color, purple, because all queens are meant to wear that royal color, right? I can only imagine what Naomi will put on tomorrow. It`s the last day of her five days of court-ordered community service at a New York City sanitation garage. So perhaps some garbage green covered overalls, studded with diamonds of course.
HAMMER: Another big time celebrity busted for allegedly driving drunk. It just never seems to end. Who was driving crazy like a Fox? That`s your hint, and that`s coming up.
Plus, a revealing look at stars and rehab.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new trend for young Hollywood seems to be going into rehab facilities that are more like spas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: From Britney Spears to Lindsay Lohan, inside the rehab facilities of the stars. And a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive; we`ve got a one- on-one with the head of Lindsay Lohan`s exclusive rehab center. That`s next.
HAMMER: And Angelina Jolie`s startling new adoption. I think it`s great that she took in this three-year-old Vietnamese boy. But should we be concerned too? Why did she change his name? How will he fit in with the other kids in the family? That is coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, of course, you know here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re all big fans of Angelina Jolie. We love her; I think she`s lovely. I think it`s terrific she`s been adopting kids from other countries, obviously giving them lives they would otherwise never have.
But there is one part of Angelina`s latest adoption that`s getting some criticism. It`s raising some red flags. She adopted a 3-year-old Vietnamese orphan, who we`re looking at right now, and changed his name. Now he`s 3 years old. The question is, is that a good idea? We will look into that in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: Yes, some people are concerned about that, A.J.
And also coming up, we`re going inside Lindsay Lohan`s rehab center. We`re going to talk to the head of the Wonderland Center here in Hollywood where Lindsay sought treatment to find out what really goes when the stars go to rehab. That`s straight ahead.
And, you know, these days, when any celebrity gets into trouble or has an issue with drugs, alcohol or any number of problems, you can almost guarantee that the next press release you read will be that they checked into rehab.
But from what we`ve seen, rehab for some stars isn`t all that different from taking a few weeks` vacation at the fanciest spa. Tonight, we`re taking you inside rehabs with price tags in the tens of thousands of dollars that made us wonder if rehab for the rich and famous is more like relax for the rich and famous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: Welcome to "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous."
ANDERSON (voice-over): You`ve heard of "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous." But lately you`ve been hearing more about rehab of the rich and famous.
BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, "US WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: The new trend for young Hollywood seems to be going into rehab facilities that are more like spas.
ANDERSON: That`s right. Gone are the days of tough love.
JACOBS: It used to be that rehab meant 28 days and you were on lockdown.
ANDERSON: But when you`re rich and famous, rehab doesn`t sound all that bad.
Take Crossroads Treatment Center, for instance, where close to $20,000 a month gets you group meditation overlooking the Caribbean on the island of Antigua. Plus, gourmet meals.
Just ask Whitney Houston. She`s been there.
JACOBS: It`s not like the old, classic rehab days.
ANDERSON: Indeed, it isn`t.
TARA FIELDS, PSYCHOLOGIST: If they`re being treated like they`re special, that`s really going to get in the way of their recovering.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, when it comes to rehab, stars like Lindsay Lohan and Mike Tyson dropped $80,000 a month - 80,000 - at treatment facilities like L.A.`s Wonderland Center for amenities like.
JACOBS: It does have yoga, and you can go horseback riding and (INAUDIBLE). And they are gourmet meals served. You can have ahi tuna and lobster.
ANDERSON: Wait a minute: Mike Tyson doing yoga and horseback riding?
FIELDS: You know, there`s nothing wrong, whether you`re a star or you`re a non-celebrity, when you go into treatment, to have body work. You should have a nutritionist; you should exercise, doing yoga, meditating.
ANDERSON: Mel Gibson`s meditated as Passages` Malibu Treatment Center for close to $60,000 a month after his DUI arrest and anti-Semitic rant.
JACOBS: Passages, which is located in Malibu, offers a gym with personal trainers, a juice bar. And you can even get filet mignon cooked by a former chef at Spago.
ANDERSON: It has SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asking the tough question: is all this high-end rehab nothing more than living it up, instead of living a better life?
FIELDS: And the focus has to be on getting better, not, `Oh, who`s here? Is it Mel Gibson?`
ANDERSON: He wasn`t at Bomand (ph), where Nicole Richie chose to get away from her not-so-simple life. She did it by taking a page from Courtney Love and checking in there for treatment, which left in their wallets at the cost of $80,000 a month.
JACOBS: Bomand, where Nicole Richie and Courtney Love, is fairly swank. They have no more than five people at a time there. You can get anti-aging treatments. There`s a concierge service. People in treatment there even go whale-watching.
ANDERSON: Shamu? Really?
Is all this gratification necessary, or is it simply about making celebrities comfortable?
FIELDS: Being comfortable does not mean that you have your cell phone and you`re doing interviews or you`re going out to - to a kickboxing class in Malibu.
ANDERSON: Not all rehab treatment facilities give celebrities the spa treatment.
JACOBS: The Betty Ford Center, where Keith Urban went, is one of the holdouts of the old treatment style.
ANDERSON: Not just Keith Urban, but stars like Drew Barrymore as well.
JACOBS: Guests have to do chores, including scrubbing toilets.
(TOILET FLUSHING)
JACOBS: There are no cell phones allowed. Everyone has a bunkmate. And the food is served cafeteria style.
ANDERSON: No whale watching or massages?
JACOBS: There`s no whale watching. There`s no massages.
ANDERSON: So what works best: pampering or tough love?
FIELDS: You need both.
ANDERSON: We`re guessing that`s what Promises alumnus Britney Spears was thinking when she checked into the $48,000 a month treatment center.
JACOBS: Now that places goes 500 thread-count sheets, a beautician, tennis, massages, and even meals prepared by what they call "recovering nutrionists."
ANDERSON: With such big stars going into rehab, we also question whether the rich and famous are really getting help, or simply hiding from media scrutiny and the paparazzi.
JACOBS: In some ways, I do think that it is a way to hide out for these young celebrities. They`re tired, they`re exhausted, they`ve been partying too much. So they just go into a rehab center, where they`re treated like kings and queens. And every need of theirs is catered to. It`s really like checking into the Four Seasons.
ANDERSON: It may be posh, but it serves a purpose. It gets a star much-needed help.
FIELDS: When I`m really close to getting the addict or alcoholic to say yes, I star telling them about, `You`ll have private Pilates. You`ll have a nutritionist. They`ll be yoga. You`ll be in your own condo.`
I start thinking, `Can I go there, too?`
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: As you just saw, Wonderland is one of the best-known rehab facilities that has housed some of the biggest names in Hollywood, like Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay spent 30 days there and checked out last month.
Dr. Howard Samuels is the executive director of the Wonderland Center, and he joins me now here in Hollywood.
Welcome, Dr. Samuels.
DR. HOWARD SAMUELS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WONDERLAND TREATMENT CENTER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: OK, we were just seeing all the luxuries offered at some of these rehab facilities, like yours at Wonderland. You`ve got the yoga; there are the trainers and the beauticians.
Why so luxurious? Is it really all necessary? Or do the stars demand it? Do these high-end amenities entice them to fix their problems?
SAMUELS: Well, I - I - I find it rather amusing, because there are no beauticians at Wonderland. I don`t know where that.
ANDERSON: But some of the other facilities.
SAMUELS: I mean, I - I have no idea where that comes from.
I mean, at Wonderland, the most important thing for us is not luxury, but changing people`s lives. I mean, that is our goal. And, you know, yes, Wonderland is a beautiful facility. It`s very nice.
And part of that is a seduction to allow people to come into treatment and be comfortable and to get sober and go through a lot of emotional changes in a comfortable environment.
Plus, who wants to go a dump? I mean, come on.
ANDERSON: Well, let me ask you this: there is the perception that celebrities may get special treatment when they go into rehab, that they`re treated differently, and that that could possibly get in - get in the way of them getting proper treatment.
Is that true? Can you straighten that out for us?
SAMUELS: OK, first of all, celebrities are people. And all people that come into Wonderland are unique and are special. And that`s very important, because every individual has a certain unique set of issues and problems.
Let me give you an example. We had a mother of two that came in. Now, she had two kids at home. And during her stay, we sent her home with one of our sober companions to go home and deal with the stress and the anxiety of having to raise two small kids sober, without her drugs, without her alcohol.
Now that was a very important part of the treatment, so that way she could learn how to deal with the triggers, the anxiety. She came back to the facility. We processed it, we talked about it. Because at Wonderland, we believe in integrating recovery into people`s lives, not isolating them.
ANDERSON: So she wasn`t in-patient the entire time, and that leads me to Lindsay Lohan. And I know that you can`t talk about specific cases, but, you know, there`s been a lot of attention paid to the fact that she didn`t spend the entire time there. She would leave to work on a film, for lunch, to fix her car.
And there is the perception that when people do things like that, they`re not taking rehab seriously.
Is that the case?
SAMUELS: That is absolutely not the case.
I`m not here to talk about individuals, but like I say, you know, it`s the integration of recovery. If you isolate somebody for 30 days, and then they leave and they go pursue their life, they don`t have those tools out there of learning how to deal with those stressors or learning how to deal with going to work, or learning how to just live their life.
So we try to bring recovery to their lives. And we do it all the time with staff members. No one ever leaves our facility without a trained staff member with them 24/7.
ANDERSON: Would you say it`s a good idea to go back to the old places, hang out with the same people that got you in trouble to begin with? Because not speaking specifically - you don`t have to answer specifically - but we have seen Lindsay back in the clubs. You know, no confirmation if she`s drinking or not.
But would you say that`s a good idea?
SAMUELS: Absolutely not, OK?
We do not teach that. Going back to old haunts is not a good idea. The whole difficult thing about changing your life is you have to change everything. You just don`t change - it`s not just about not drinking. You have to change your friends. You have to change your location. You have to change your mindset. You have to change everything in your life.
And it is probably the most difficult thing someone can do.
ANDERSON: I`m sure it is.
Dr. Howard Samuels, thanks so much for coming on here.
SAMUELS: You`re welcome.
ANDERSON: .tonight, and - and clearing up any misconceptions that there may be about.
SAMUELS: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: .the celebrity rehab facilities. Howard - Dr. Howard Samuels, executive director of the Wonderland Center.
HAMMER: A foxy star gets pulled over for allegedly driving drunk. We`re going to tell you who got the handcuff treatment in Los Angeles, coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, what`s in a name? You know, we think it`s great that Angelina Jolie adopted an orphan. But one of thing that got us thinking: what is right for her to change the child`s name when he`s already three years old?
We`ll look into that next.
HAMMER: And remember the very nasty, very public divorce battle between "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" writer Terry McMillan, and her husband, who announced later that he was gay.
Well, it just got even more bizarre. You do not want to miss it. We`ll fill you in, coming up.
ANDERSON: First, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz": "Which Kiss tune did Garth Brooks record on a 1994 tribute album?" "Beth," "Hard Luck Woman," "Christine Sixteen," or "Love Gun"?
Think about this one. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So again, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz": "Which Kiss tune did Garth Brooks record on a 1994 tribute album?" "Beth," "Hard Luck Woman," "Christine Sixteen," or "Love Gun"?
Garth Brooks covered "Hard Luck Woman." That answer is B.
HAMMER: Tonight, Angelina Jolie is back home with the newest member of the Jolie-Pitt brood, the 3-year-old Vietnamese orphan that she just adopted.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking some tough questions about this adoption. And we`re not alone.
Now, nobody is saying Angelina did anything wrong by adopting the boy. In fact, I think it`s terrific. I`m really happy that she is continuing to pursue these adoptions.
But there are some definite concerns, red flags that have been raised.
And joining us tonight to go through them in Philadelphia, Maxine Chalker, who`s the founder and executive director of Adoptions of the Heart. That`s the agency that worked with Angelina to facilitate the adoption of Pax from the Vietnamese orphanage.
And with me in New York, developmental psychologist Cooper Lawrence.
Maxine, Cooper, it`s good to see you both.
Maxine, let me start with you. Because Angelina now has three adopted children, with Pax joining 5-year-old Maddox from Cambodia, and 2- year-old Zahara from Ethiopia.
Tell us exactly how Angelina hooked up with your agency, and why she picked Vietnam this time around for the adoption.
MAXINE CHALKER, FOUNDER, ADOPTIONS FROM THE HEART: Well, Vietnam is a very popular program right now. There`s a lot of children being placed.
Vietnam was closed for about three years. And when they reopened, everybody was very happy, because there`s a lot of beautiful children that need homes in Vietnam.
The way we heard about Angelina was that a Dr. Jane Aaronson from Manhattan - evidently Angelina called her and told her that she was looking for a 3-year-old child. And Dr. Aaronson called us and asked us if we could assist her.
And it just so happened, coincidentally, that we had a what we call a referral of a 3-year-old child. So what happens is, nobody picks the child that they`re going to adopt. We find referrals of children that are available. Because not all children in orphanages are available.
And when we get the referral, we find a family that`s suitable for that child. And so we offered the 3-year-old child to Angelina, and she was very interested and wanted to know more about him.
HAMMER: Well, I - I certainly do think you did find a suitable family for that 3-year-old.
Cooper, let me ask you about the part that I`m having a hard time getting past. And - and a lot of people have raised this - I keep saying the red flag - as well.
Her son`s name was Pham Quang when he was in Vietnam before she adopted him. She changed it to Pax Thien.
To me - I don`t know a whole lot, but it seems to me, for a 3-year- old, not necessarily a good thing. Give me some insight on this.
LAWRENCE: Well, the thing is, it`s not like she`s trying to Americanize him and she was changing the name to "Tom." She`s giving him an exotic name as well.
The thing is, this child is going through a lot of changes right now. It`s not like he was in a bad orphanage where he was treated terribly. He had people there that he loved. And - and it`s a big change for him to move to America, to move to this new family, to have all of a sudden brothers and sisters thrown in there.
So I think - I mean, the name change seems a little weird. And I think it`s probably not the best thing. Because his identity is all he has.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, that - that is exactly it.
I would also like to believe though, Angelina being as consummate as she is with these adoptions, that she would have talked to somebody about this. I can only speculate, and - and - and hope that.
Maxine, now you made it clear that Angelina did not receive any preferential treatment in this adoption process. In fact, from the story you just told us, sounds like it`s what anybody would have gone through.
But Pax is obviously now living with two of the biggest celebrities in the world. How might that affect him?
CHALKER: Well, I think it`s going to affect him. I mean, it`s certainly different. He was a shy little boy.
But, I mean, I think he`ll adjust. He`s young. And I think the same thing in regard to the name. I mean, he`s learning a different language. So since he can learn English, he can certainly learn to call himself "Pax." And actually, with adoption of 2- and -3-year-olds being places, parents frequently change their names. And I`ve never seen - I`ve been doing this for, like, 30 years - and I`ve never seen a problem with anyone changing their child`s name.
HAMMER: Well, that`s good to hear. And - and perhaps - you know, perhaps we`re - we`re mistaken in making too much of this. It just - it - it struck a lot of people as perhaps not a great thing to do.
Now Pax has taken the second-oldest position spot in the Pitt-Jolie brood. That spot used to belong to Zahara.
What kind of impact might that have, Cooper, on the family dynamic here? Because, you know, if you were the second oldest and now you`re the third-oldest, I`d think, `Yeah, I wouldn`t be too happy about that.`
LAWRENCE: Well, you know, the placement of family is very important. Personality is more important. The fact that he`s a little bit shy may make the other children feel like they want to be more protective of him. So they`re not going to be as jealous.
It`s less about placement of family and more about gender. Because Maddox was the only boy. So now there`s two boys to fight out. So it`s more about the fact there`s another boy in the - in the place here.
HAMMER: Maxine, I want to ask you quickly, Brad and Angelina couldn`t do the adoption together, because that`s not allowed in Vietnam if - if they`re single and they`re not actually married.
Now that Pax is back here in the states, Brad can adopt here. What does he have to go through so Pax can legally be Brad`s son?
CHALKER: Well, actually, most people that come back from a foreign country, even though their adoption is finalized, they still re-finalize the adoption. So that just includes going to court and doing a regular adoption hearing, the same as most people do that adopt from the United States.
At that time, Brad will be able to adopt Pax as well.
HAMMER: Got to - great. I got to wrap you there.
Maxine Chalker, Cooper Lawrence, thanks so much.
More of the Jolie family photos in this week`s "People" magazine, on newsstands tomorrow.
ANDERSON: And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is this: "Angelina Jolie Adopts Again: Was it right to change the 3-year-old`s name?"
Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we will read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
And you can also vote on the "Question of the Day" by sending a cell phone text message to "45688." To vote yes, "SHOWBIZ Yes." To vote no, "SHOWBIZ No." Once again, that text is 45688.
HAMMER: A foxy star gets pulled over for allegedly driving drunk. We`re going to tell you who got the handcuff treatment in L.A. coming up.
And remember the very nasty, very public divorce battle that happened between "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" writer Terry McMillan and her husband, who announced that he was gay? Well, it just got even more bizarre.
We`ll tell you how bizarre.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, another star pulled over for alleged drunk driving. Actress Vivica A. Fox from "Independence Day" and "Kill Bill: Volume 1" was pulled over in Los Angeles. The California Highway Patrol says she was speeding and swerving and failed a sobriety test. She was held at the Van Nuys police station briefly, and then released.
Fox will have to appear in court. The date hasn`t yet been released.
HAMMER: Stella wants a lot more than her groove back. Author Terry McMillan is suing her ex-husband for $40 million. McMillan is suing Jonathan Plummer, the guy who inspired her novel "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" about a fortysomething woman who falls for a guy half her age.
The problem was, in real life, the guy was gay.
Now the lawsuit claims that Plummer married McMillan only to become a U.S. citizen. He`s from Jamaica.
Now McMillan says that Plummer and his lawyer tried to smear her reputation during their very public divorce. Plummer is not talking about this lawsuit.
ANDERSON: Yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It was this: "Anna Nicole Smith Baby Battle: Is Howard K. Stern Hiding Something?"
Well, this vote pretty one-sided. Take a look at this: 90 percent of you say "yes"; only 10 percent of you say "no."
And here are some of the e-mails that we received:
Tracey from Georgia says, "If Howard is not hiding something, why is trying to strike a deal with Larry out of court? All he cares about is the money."
Rebecca from Texas writes, "It is so obvious he is an evil person. Anybody who thinks this guy has any positives or good motives is crazy."
And we do appreciate your e-mails. Keep on sending them, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Our director, Eli Kalazar (ph) is going to roll out our "SHOWBIZ Marquee" animation right now so we can tell you what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, the transformation of Angelina Jolie. You know, it was just a few years ago that Angelina was known for kissing her brother, playing with knives, wearing Billy Bob Thornton`s blood around her neck. Now she`s the closest thing to Mother Teresa that Hollywood has. How in the world did that happen? And how did it happen so fast? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the transformation of Angelina tomorrow.
Plus, Anna Nicole Smith diaries sold on eBay. But who bought them? How much did they go for? We`re going to talk to the guy who is cashing in on Anna`s secret and very revealing diaries, tomorrow, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
All right. "GLENN BECK" is up next, so stay tuned. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
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