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Showbiz Tonight
Worst "American Idol" Contestant Stays on Show; Howard K. Stern Files Two Appeals in Ongoing Anna Nicole Legal Battles
Aired March 29, 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: Why did Halle Berry try to kill herself? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Donald Trump hauls off and slaps someone, and it`s caught on tape. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is "American Idol" becoming an embarrassing joke? Tonight, Sanjaya survives, again. Come on. He`s one of the worst. How much longer can this go on? And could this cause Simon Cowell to quit? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the anger over Idol.
Tonight, another ridiculous turn in the battle over Anna Nicole Smith`s baby. Howard K. Stern makes yet another move that has people outraged. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the burning question to Howard`s own lawyer.
Do you, Howard K. Stern`s attorney, have any doubts whatsoever that Howard K. Stern is the father of the child?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, does Howard K. Stern have something to hide?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and we`ve got the explosive interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the private eye who says he has good reason to believe something sinister will be uncovered in the Anna Nicole Smith drama. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Explosive the right word there. But first tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that "American Idol" is in danger of becoming as big a joke as it is a hit. We`re asking what millions of others are also asking tonight: How in the world does one of the worst singers to ever make it so far on the show continue to survive? I`m thinking maybe they should rename the show Survivor American Idol.
ANDERSON: Maybe they should, A.J. The survivor, of course, is Sanjaya Malakar, the teen of 1,000 hair-dos, whose continued presence is threatening the very credibility of the show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): This great country of ours has often found itself divided over matters of entertainment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tastes great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Less filling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tastes great.
ANDERSON: There`s the whole less filling, tastes great Miller Lite debate, the "Shakespeare in Love" versus "Saving Private Ryan" Oscar dispute. And, oh yes, the 2000 elections. But now one issue is dividing the nation like none other.
(SINGING)
ANDERSON: Seventeen-year-old Sanjaya Malakar is the new breakout star of America`s most popular TV show, "American Idol." Viewers have voted him into the top nine and he`s probably the most talked about star on TV right now. That`s all despite, well, we don`t want to be mean, so we will let "The View" guest host Jackie Reed say it.
JACKIE REED, "THE VIEW": He can`t really perform well.
ANDERSON: Sanjaya`s performance has been criticized for everything from his passing acquaintance with the right key and his passing familiarity with the lyrics.
MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": The anti-Sanjaya forces, and that is probably every male over the age of 13, says he has no talent. He`s a joke. He has no business being there on the same stage of people with legitimate futures and legitimate talent.
ANDERSON: But when he survived a recent elimination round, we saw an unusual reaction from Paula Abdul.
PAULA ABDUL, "AMERICAN IDOL": I`m speechless.
ANDERSON: And a more expected reaction from Simon Cowell.
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL": Simon, what happened?
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": The volume was turned down?
FRANGELA, COMEDY DUO: We all know he can`t sing. Yes. I believe he even knows it.
Yes, he does.
If you look at his eyes, he`s kind of like, you`re going to kick me of stage any second, when he`s performing. He`s kind of looking to the side, like is anybody coming to get me.
ANDERSON: So if his talent is that questionable, how does Sanjaya keep surviving? For one, members of the Asian and Indian reportedly are voting for him out of solidarity. The comedy duo Frangela tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT another popular theory.
FRANGELA: There are 10-year-old girls who have access to the phone lines and they are all dialing in to save him.
ANDERSON: Millions of them. As we saw from this girl whom Sanjaya drove to tears during a recent performance, Sanjaya has proven popular with the tween set. But Mike Fleeman of "People Magazine," which features "American Idol" on its cover, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, there may be another reason.
FLEEMAN: There is a large faction of people, many of them out there in cyber space, who are voting for Sanjaya even though they hate the guy.
ANDERSON: To that end, radio shock jock Howard Stern is urging his listeners to vote for Sanjaya, jokingly, we think. And the website VoteForTheWorst.com is also encouraging pro-Sanjaya votes in hopes of dealing a fatal blow to "American Idol`s" credibility. Frangela tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT --
FRANGELA: They hate us for our freedom. But I`m going to tell you, they are not going to take away "American Idol."
ANDERSON (on camera): I`m here at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood where the "American Idol" finals will be held. It`s looking like it`s possible, yes possible, that if the stars align properly, Sanjaya just might make it here. I just had to ask some people on the street what they think of Sanjaya`s surprising success?
Do you support Sanjaya?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANDERSON: What do you think about Sanjaya?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He needs to go. He should have gone about a month ago. He`s horrible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s not a good singer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A lot of people think it would be funny to vote for him.
ANDERSON: If you think people are reacting strongly to Sanjaya, consider this, if he keeps on going the way he has, he may actually win. Imagine the reaction.
FRANGELA: The Four Horseman are coming if Sanjaya wins. I mean, maybe there Texas lost, but there -- Nostradamus, somebody must have predicted this.
ANDERSON: It could happen. A Las Vegas website is placing 45 to 1 odds against Sanjaya being removed in the next round of eliminations. And on a recent "American Idol," even the powerful Simon acknowledged there may be nothing he can do to stop it.
COWELL: I don`t think he matters anymore what we say, actually.
ANDERSON: But maybe that`s the point. After all, it is the purpose of rock music to challenge and provoke us, and to tick off old squares like Simon. And Frangela tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Sanjaya`s young fans may be sending a message to their stodgy older counterparts.
FRANGELA: You`re going to miss 311 and Poppa Roach. Yes, you`re going to wish that you were listening to Green Day.
You going to miss that when I start pulling out "you really got me going."
ANDERSON: And if they can`t do that with a great American icon, a so- so "American Idol" will have to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day: "American Idol," has this become a joke? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. And you can also vote on the question of the day by sending a text to 45688. To vote yes, write Showbiz yes. To vote no, write Showbiz no. Once again, send that text to 45688.
HAMMER: Two dramatic developments to tell you about tonight in the investigation into the mysterious death of Anna Nicole Smith`s son, Daniel. First, late today, seemingly out of nowhere, the inquest that was supposed to start in the Bahamas was put on hold. And that happened after -- second development here -- a jury was already picked, a jury made up of seven women and no men.
CNN`s Rusty Dornin is in the Bahamas tonight for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Rusty, what`s going on here? We were finally thinking that we were making progress, getting to the bottom of this mystery. Why was the inquest put on hold?
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, A.J., you know, the judge here, Roger Gomez, he even had high hopes that this was going to go forward, and he empaneled a jury. The reason it was seven women, it was luck of a draw. He had a cardboard box that said jury raffle on it and he picked the first seven names that came. He asked them as a group if they were impartial, if they had any connections to Anna Nicole Smith or her son. They said no. They sat down.
And Howard K. Stern`s attorney argued there`s no way the judge is not allowed to question jurors. That`s against their constitution. So now they have turned it over to the Supreme Court for a hearing, so he had to excuse those jurors and tell them that they would be contacted again in a couple of weeks. So it`s on hold at least until April 11.
HAMMER: On hold, but now that the Bohemian Supreme Court is getting involved, is it possible they could just cancel this whole thing?
DORNIN: No, there`s no way that this will be canceled. But certainly, as the judge said, we will be lucky if we hear this before next Christmas, and then he said or the Christmas following. So this could -- he was saying -- some of the attorneys were saying this would required an overhaul of their entire constitution, or what they call the Coroner`s Act, because the laws ruling the coroner`s court are ruled by something called the Coroner`s Act. And they are claiming that has to be overhauled before they can do anything about the questioning of the jurors.
HAMMER: So, as we said, the jury turned out to be all women by luck of the draw, which is really just fascinating. If the inquest does continue, and you said the judge notified them that they are not dismissed yet, but there is the chance of the jury, I assume, could possibly all change.
DORNIN: That`s right. They will come back. But new jurors could be picked. Because what Howard K. Stern`s attorney is pushing for is a questionnaire, more like the voir dire that they do for American trials, where they have a very long questionnaire to find out if jurors are impartial. Now the judge was claiming, look, you`re never going to really find that out, because you have to depend on the honesty and integrity of a juror, and people who are partial as jurors are going to try to hide that fact, and they will hide it through a questionnaire or not.
HAMMER: Rusty, I only have 30 seconds left, but you`ve got to help me out with something. Because if the thing does get under way, I`m looking at the witness list here. And one name that`s on the witness list is Vickie Lynn Marshal. We all know that is the real name of Anna Nicole Smith. How is it possible that she could be on this witness list, because, unfortunately, she has passed away.
DORNIN: She gave a statement right after her son`s death. That`s very important, because she and Howard K. Stern were the only ones that were in that hospital room the night that Daniel Smith died. They were very anxious to talk to her in person. Now that she`s dead, they only have her statement and they will definitely read that in court.
HAMMER: It will be a fascinating part of this inquest. Thank you so much, CNN`s Rusty Dornin in the Bahama for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: A.J., another big part of the Anna Nicole saga, the battle for baby Dannielynn is really heating up. Next, we`ll tell you what Howard K. Stern has done now that has some people really outraged.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me that the night before he had this weird dream that his mother was in a coffin and she looked all gray.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: My explosive interview with the private investigator who said Daniel Smith hired him because he was afraid for his mother`s life.
ANDERSON: And a shocking confession from Halle Berry. She says she was so depressed she actually tried to kill herself. We`ll tell you what happened with Halle Berry, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, you have got to be kidding. The very word spoken today by everyone at our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT morning meeting when we heard that Howard K. Stern is at it again.
Stern has filed an appeal to keep secret the DNA results that will determine once and for all who is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby, Dannielynn. Stern, of course, locked in this ongoing legal battle with Larry Birkhead, who also claims to be the father.
Now I gotta tell you, I`ve spoken with Larry Birkhead`s former attorney, Debra Opri. I also spoke with Howard K. Stern`s attorney, Lilly Ann Sanchez. And when I asked each of them if there was any doubt that their client was the father, I got some drastically different answers. First, Stern`s attorney --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Do you, Howard K. Stern`s attorney, have any doubts whatsoever that Howard K. Stern is the father of the child?
LILLY ANN SANCHEZ, LAWYER FOR HOWARD K. STERN: I do not have any doubts that Howard K. Stern is the legal father of the child.
HAMMER: I understand, but you`re saying the legal father, and by Bohemian law, the legal father is the person who is on the birth certificate, not necessarily the biological father. That`s who I`m talking about, whether or not you believe he is the biological father.
SANCHEZ: I believe that Howard K. Stern is the father of Dannielynn. It is the person who is on the birth certificate.
HAMMER: So, I can`t get you to speak the word biological, can I?
SANCHEZ: I cannot speak to the paternity. I don`t want to step into the paternity area, because of the gag order in the Bahamas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK, were you paying close attention? She said that she believes Stern is the legal father. She did not use the word biological. She refused to say that he is the biological father. Now we can all compare that to Larry Birkhead`s former attorney, Debra Opri, in what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why are you so sure Larry Birkhead is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby?
DEBRA OPRI, FORMER LAWYER FOR LARRY BIRKHEAD: I believe he is the father, and I believe a paternity test will resolve that issue favorably to him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: They can`t both be right, or can they? With me tonight from Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama. And in Low Angeles, investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell, who is also the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." That book is due out soon.
All right, guys. You heard what they were saying. What do you make of that, Pat? You know, I asked Stern`s attorney the question. I asked it quite fairly and straight forward. It seemed to me the best answer she could have given was yes, he is the biological father. So Pat, what do you read into what she said?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I will just go out on a limb and say, well, she doesn`t want to lie. There you go. I give her some points for that. She`s not going to lie. She was very careful. She was being very lawyerly by saying I believe he is the father, because we all know that little klink in the law that says if it`s written on the form, them it`s assumed that until someone comes along and say, no, no, take my test.
So she was being very careful and she`s not lying. So, I give it to her.
HAMMER: And it`s not like she was being cryptic about it at all. You saw her. She wouldn`t say anything.
LALAMA: Very careful.
HAMMER: Jane, it does seems that, obviously, by using those words and carefully choosing those words, Stern`s attorney certainly keeping Stern`s options open, but no matter how she would have worded it, all it does is add to the perception that Stern is not the biological father, right?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Of course. And of all the disturbing things that we have all heard about Howard K. Stern over the past month, and we`ve heard so many, I think this stone walling on the issue of paternity is the most disturbing, because obviously it would appear he does not have the best interest of this child at heart. Remember, this child could be worth half a billion dollars, potentially, and he appears to be using this child as a commodity, as a bargaining chip.
Some have even accused of holding this child hostage. And his story keeps on changing. You remember when Larry Birkhead filed in California and Florida, Howard K. Stern`s attorney said, hey, we are not stone walling. They just filed in the wrong jurisdiction. If they filed it in the proper jurisdiction, in the Bahamas, this would all be settled.
Well now Larry Birkhead has filed in the Bahamas and they are still stone walling. What does that tell you? He has no credibility on anything.
HAMMER: Well, no credibility, and on the point of stone walling, Pat, what does Howard K. Stern have to gain by stone walling?
LALAMA: Can I first say, for the record, that at this point I`ve lost all patience. I want to put bamboo shoots down this man`s fingernails. I have had it with him. He`s humiliating himself. As Jane mentioned, this baby, for god sake, this child needs to bond with an eternal parent.
Now, having said that, what does he have to gain? Well, he`s stalling the whole thing so that he can cross his Ts, dot his Is, try to figure out some way to make sure he still gets the legal right to the child. Perhaps he`s still trying to do some behind the scenes negotiating. This man is not the biological father. But darn it, he`s going to do everything he possibly can to save himself from humiliation and still get that money at the end of the road.
MITCHELL: Pat, I want to jump in, adding to what you are saying, I think his strategy is that the longer he hangs on to the child, the more he can go to court and say -- even when he`s found not to be the father -- hey, she`s bonded with me. So she considers me the father, so I should be able to keep her, even though some of the ex-nanny, who was fired, issued an affidavit saying that this is a wild and unpredictable household and when Anna Nicole Smith was alive, there were drugs everywhere.
LALAMA: Jane, you make such a brilliant point, because even here in California, if you are the only parent a child knows, you can go to court and say, look, I don`t care if the biological father is stepping in to court now and deciding he wants to be around. I`m the one who raised this kid. I`m the one who fed it. And a lot of times the courts will take that under consideration. So you bring up a brilliant point.
HAMMER: Yet, at the same time, ladies, Stern is the guy after he was finally ordered to submit Dannielynn for the DNA testing, he drove the baby to have the sample test taken. And now there`s this appeal.
LALAMA: A.j., these are games, games, games. And it just really chaps my you know what that he gets away with it, that there isn`t a judge who just takes the gavel, says enough. This is going forward. I`m not playing this game anymore and we are going in with child welfare to see how that baby is doing. It`s appalling.
MITCHELL: I agree with Pat. He is a master at manipulating the legal system. I really hope this whole issue of stone walling on paternity comes up into the inquest into Daniel`s death. Because it does raise serious questions about his credibility as a witness, and also what are his motives vis-a-vis the entire family. And how capable is he at pulling the wool over anybody`s eyes, including government officials, including coroners and police.
HAMMER: And all of that provided the inquest goes on. Because that`s going to be yet another chapter that we`re going to get into in just few minutes on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Jane Velez-Mitchell, Pat Lalama, I thank you both, as always.
Still to come, the private investigator who says Daniel Smith hired him just months before he died.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He felt his mother`s life was in danger. He felt that his life was in danger, or anyone that dealt with Anna Nicole, who was friendly with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So why was Daniel afraid for his mother`s life? My explosive interview with the private investigator is coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, a shocking confession from Halle Berry. She says she was so depressed she actually tried to kill herself. We`ll tell you what happened, next.
HAMMER: And on the lighter side, the jib-jab guys are back. You know, the animated jingles that lampoon politics and corporate America. Well guess what? This time they`re taking on the news. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, a shocking revelation from Halle Berry, that she tried to kill herself after her first marriage ended. Berry was married to Atlanta Braves star David Justice in 1993. Well, after three tumultuous years together, they split, and Berry says she was so depressed, she attempted suicide.
She tells "Parade Magazine" that she was sitting in her car and the gas was coming, when she had an image of her mother finding her, and she knew it would be selfish to end her life. Unfortunately, her next marriage to singer Eric Benet didn`t go so well either. He confessed to her that he was a sex addict, and Berry calls that marriage, quote, really horrific.
She tells "Parade," "we were in sex rehab after one year. I wish I had left then, but I was putting everyone`s needs before mine." Now, Berry says she will not get married again, but she has found love again with a male model ten years younger than she is. And she has a new movie coming out, "Perfect Stranger," with Bruce Willis. So it seems things are looking up.
That Halle Berry article is in this Sunday`s "Parade Magazine." And you can find more of Halle`s photos and quotes at Parade.com.
Well, A.J., Hollywood is a tough town, but when your dad`s Rod Stewart or when he`s Aaron Spelling, you`d think it would all be the glitz and the glamour galore. But, we`re here to say, think again. Coming up, the sons of Hollywood are here to tell us what it`s really like.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me that the night before he had this weird dream that his mother was in a coffin and she looked all gray.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is a man with a lot of provocative things to say. My explosive interview with the private investigator who says Daniel Smith hired him because he was afraid for his mother`s life. His shocking comments are still ahead.
ANDERSON: And you`re not going to believe this. Take a look. Donald Trump, for once, is picking on somebody who isn`t Rosie O`Donnell. We are going to show you more of that WWE slap down coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night continues.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: 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, and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Hey, A.J, you know when most people think about Hollywood, they think perfect life. They must have money and power and fame, you know?
HAMMER: Yes, they think it`s a charmed life. It`s all good. It`s all champagne and caviar.
ANDERSON: That`s right. You can`t always judge a book by its cover. And tonight, I speak with some of the sons of some of the biggest names in Hollywood: Aaron Spelling, Rod Stewart. And they`re spilling secrets on what it`s really like behind all of that glitz and glamour.
HAMMER: Definitely looking forward to that.
Also, Brooke, another shocking new twist in the Anna Nicole Smith case. Get this: her son, Daniel, who died do mysteriously just after Anna Nicole gave birth to her daughter, actually feared for his mom`s safety.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK HARDING, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR ALLEGEDLY HIRED BY DANIEL SMITH: He felt his mother`s life was in danger. He felt that his life was in danger, or anyone that dealt with Anna Nicole who was friendly with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, my startling one-on-one with the private investigator who says he spoke with Daniel just before he died. And you`re not going to believe the explosive things that this guy has to say about how Anna`s son hated Howard K. Stern.
ANDERSON: Well, then. A.J., let`s get you caught up on today`s dramatic Anna Nicole Smith developments out of the Bahamas.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has confirmed that Howard K. Stern has filed an appeal regarding Anna Nicole`s daughter`s DNA. A sample has reportedly already been taken, so this appeal will just delay the results.
And big news regarding the inquest, the official investigation into Daniel Smith`s mysterious death. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that a jury of seven has been picked. They are all women.
Well, we also learned late today that the inquest has been put on hold for about two weeks. Howard K. Stern`s lawyer is arguing that it would be impossible for him to get a fair inquest jury because of all the publicity surrounding the case.
HAMMER: Now my explosive interview with the private investigator Daniel Smith supposedly spoke with before he died. I asked PI Jack Harding if he thought that Anna Nicole`s death and her son, Daniel`s, were linked.
Listen to his shocking answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A lot of people have suggested the deaths are connected, there is a relation between the two deaths.
What are you thinking?
HARDING: I think that could be true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait; there`s more. Harding also told me about Daniel fearing for his and his mother`s safety, and a recollection of a frightening dream - a nightmare in which Daniel envisioned his mom, Anna Nicole, dead.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: First of all, tell us when Daniel first contacted you, and why did he say he wanted to speak with you in the first place?
HARDING: Well, he contacted me - oh, four - about four months now - it`s been a little while. And he wanted to talk to me because he felt that Stern was giving his mother mind-bending drugs and he was in control of her faculties, and he was being pushed out of the picture - or the family picture all together.
He would make phone calls to his mother, and if Stern picked up the phone and found out it was Danny, he would hang up on him continually. And Danny said that there was a standing order to anyone in the household, if he called, to hang up on him. And as I said before, he loved his mother, and he wanted to get her off of these drugs. And he said especially these mind-bending drugs that Stern had been feeding her.
And I asked him why did he decide to come to see me, and he told me that the night before, he had this weird dream that his mother was in a coffin and she looked grey. And he started - his eyes started to swell up - no - no regular tears, but he started to - his eyes started to swell up, and he started to shake up a little. And he was upset about that. And he wanted to prove to his mother that he could take care of her, and that he was a man - you know, he was a man - you know, he was man enough to do it.
And so I said, `Well, what do you want me to do?` And he says, `I want you to` - `I`d like you to be able to go down to the Bahamas and perform a criminal investigation on Stern and his` - and he did use this term - `cohorts.`
HAMMER: Daniel did say to you, as - as you mentioned, that he was concerned that Howard K. Stern was being very controlling of his mom.
How did Daniel actually feel about the guy? I mean, obviously that wouldn`t have boded for - for his feelings towards Stern. But what else did he tell you in terms of how he personally felt about him? Because obviously, he was very much in his mother`s life, and he was very much somehow connected to Daniel`s life.
HARDING: Yes.
Well, he - he told me that he felt that Stern was - and this attorney said (ph) - Stern is - is like this guy that was in Russia that was controlling the king and queen. I said, `You mean the czar?` And he - he said, `Yes.` I said, `Svengali?` He says, `Yes. He`s a Svengali. A Svengali. That`s what he says. He`s in control of my mother.`
HAMMER: And as a result of - of being in control of his mother, and as a result of - of his feelings that Howard K. Stern was in fact giving Anna these mind-altering drugs, did - did he say to directly that he was afraid his mother`s life was in fact in danger?
HARDING: He felt his mother`s life was in danger. He felt that his life was in danger, or anyone that - that dealt with Anna Nicole who was friendly with her, who tried to help her, he - he felt that.
As a matter of fact, when I was talking to him, and he was looking at the restaurant windows, and sort of at times looking around - and when I see someone doing that, that sort of indicates to me that he feels someone`s watching him.
HAMMER: We do know that Daniel died of a lethal mix of prescription drugs.
Did you have any indication, Jack, when - when you met Daniel and when you spoke with him, that he had been taking any kind of drugs?
HARDING: Not at all. As a matter of fact, as I have said before, the boy was coherent. He - he - he wasn`t really weak at that time. He didn`t stumble; he didn`t slur. If you`ve been around people who have been taking drugs, or if you`ve dealt with them, you know the difference.
HAMMER: Jack, there`s been a - a lot of criticism of the people who surrounded Anna Nicole Smith, people saying that they simply did not do enough to prevent what was a preventable death. So said the coroner.
Did it seem to you that Daniel was really one of the only people who was truly looking out for her, and - and for Anna Nicole`s best interest?
HARDING: Oh, yes. He - he - he loved his mother with a passion. He - he told me that he - he - he was almost sickened by the fact that he was in control of - of his mother.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Just some astonishing words.
Well, yesterday, we did ask you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," asking, is Howard Stern being ripped into unfairly: "Howard K. Stern: Is He Getting a Bad Rap?"
Look at that: 38 percent of you say, "yes, he is"; so the majority, 62 percent of you, saying, "no, he isn`t.`
Among the e-mails, we heard from Laurie in Wisconsin. She writes, "He is not getting a bad rap at all. If he doesn`t want all this attention, then why appeal the DNA test?"
We also heard form Bobbie in Michigan. Bobbie writes, "Howard is getting a bad rap. I have yet to hear anyone defend him. He loved Anna, and she loved him."
ANDERSON: So you remember those jibjab.com cartoons, really clever and funny. They usually rip into politicians, especially George Bush.
Well, tonight, they are taking a pretty big shot at us, the media. They tear into coverage of Anna Nicole, Britney Spears` pantyless partying, celebs in rehab. But we`re keeping our cool around here, because we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT think we`re a pretty funny bunch. We can take a joke.
So here`s your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first look.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: JibJab.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This just in: President Bush can`t open a door.
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HAMMER: Well, that is news to me.
Brooke, the JibJab guys might rip into us for covering this next story, but - well, I don`t care, because we like it. What do Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, and Sonny and Cher, have in common with the world`s tallest man? We`ve got that, babe. That`s coming up. That was a Sonny and Cher reference.
Plus this:
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ANDERSON: Did A.J. just call me baby by the way?
All right. Donald Trump there taking the phrase "WWE Smackdown" a little too literally. Jeez, why in the world did all hell break loose with the Donald? I mean, Rosie O`Donnell wasn`t even there.
HAMMER: I said it was a Sonny and Cher reference.
And Hollywood glitz and glamour. It`s all fabulous, right?
Well coming up next, the sons of the biggest names out there, like Aaron Spelling and Rod Stewart, spilling secrets about what really happens behind money and fame.
ANDERSON: First, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz": "On the show `Friends,` Phoebe`s relationship with scientist David didn`t last because he ended up moving to which European city?" Prague, Antwerp, Minsk or Paris?
We`ll be right back with your answer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Master stand by to your break. And roll it, and (INAUDIBLE) effect black.
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ANDERSON: So again, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz": "On the show `Friends,` Phoebe`s relationship with scientist David didn`t last because he ended up moving to which European city?" Prague, Antwerp, Minsk or Paris?
The answer is C, Minsk.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for a story that definitely made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Donald (ph), you just love being on TV, don`t you?
Now that the whole Miss USA Tara Conner scandal is yesterday`s news, and the Rosie O`Donnell feud has hopefully has ended, Trump`s new stunt: taking on the WWE. That`s right. At a press conference for Wrestlemania XXIII, Donald was about to shake hands with WWE chairman Vince McMahon when he smacked him in the face.
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HAMMER: Well - well, then, as you can well imagine, all hell broke lose. Yes, you got to love this scripted stuff, right?
Vince and Donald had picked wrestlers to fight for them this Sunday. And the loser will have to share his hair off. Yes, right; that`s going to happen.
"That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you a fascinating look inside the lives of the sons of the rich and famous.
Imagine what it must be like to be the son of legendary rocker Rod Stewart. Or how about the son of one of the most successful TV producers of all time, "Charlie`s Angels" creator, the late Aaron Spelling? And then there is the friend who is a part of that world, too.
All three of them are "The Sons of Hollywood." It`s a new reality show debuting on A&E on April 1.
And with me tonight in Hollywood, of course, is Sean Stewart, Randy Spelling, and their friend, rising-talent agent David Weintraub.
Welcome to all three of you guys.
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ANDERSON: Hi, there. Of course. Thanks for being here.
Now, Sean it`s called a reality show. And what a reality you have had. And you make no bones about it. You recently told Howard Stern that at one time you were addiction to heroin; you were addicted to pills; that you`ve been in and out of rehab.
Are you over that now, or are you still struggling?
SEAN STEWART, ROD STEWART`S SON: Oh, yes, I`m very over that, very focused on my career, and very focused on my music career right now.
ANDERSON: Yes, you`re a musician and a model. And we`re just glad to hear that you`re winning that battle over addiction.
And Randy, you know, this series shows warts and all. And you have a name people love to know, what happens in your family. And your family recently has made a lot of tabloid headlines there. You know - of course, your sister, Tori; she recently had that baby, and she had the public falling out with your mother, after your dad, Aaron, died.
And now here you are, putting yourself out there in this television show. Do you ever get uncomfortable seeing all of your personal information out there for the world to see?
RANDY SPELLING, AARON SPELLING`S SON: Yes, you know. It - it`s - it`s a little weird to - to be in a fishbowl. But this is something that we chose to do to at least, you know, give an insight into - you know, into our lives, and to, you know, maybe, with all the speculation, to - to show them what it`s really like.
ANDERSON: Yes.
And David, you`re their manager. Sean is out there publicly talking about his past drug problem, and rehab; Randy surrounded by all these headlines about his family. They`re both trying to get their breaks in the business.
What is it about these salacious headlines? Does it help them, or does it hurt them?
DAVID WEINTRAUB, HOLLYWOOD AGENT/MANAGER: I mean, I think at the end of the day, you know, the visibility that they get from doing this show is going to help their careers. What`s out there in the public now is a lot of misconceptions about who they are.
So hopefully with this show - because it is a documentary about young Hollywood - is going to clear up a lot of them, kind of give you an insight into who they are as individuals, and what their individual talents are.
ANDERSON: Sean, you grew up with Rod Stewart, as we said, as your dad. He was a major sex symbol. He was surrounded by gorgeous women all the time. And, you know, that would seem like the fantasy of every boy.
Was it a fantasy? Was it a great life, or was it difficult at times?
STEWART: It was - I had a very great - I`m very grateful for my life, and - plus, growing up with my dad - because, you know, when he went on tour, I would - most of the time, I would go with him. And, you know, I grew up with watching him on stage. And, you know, I - he grew up being my hero.
ANDERSON: Maybe an inspiration as well with your own career, right?
STEWART: Yes, he is probably one of my biggest inspirational rock stars there is.
ANDERSON: Wow.
Randy, while you were filming the show, I want to talk about your dad, who sadly passed away. I would imagine that must have been very difficult for you.
Weren`t there days when you thought, `I can`t do this show anymore. I can`t deal with these cameras. This is a tough time.`
SPELLING: Most definitely. There was - you know, I - I wanted to be professional and I wanted to continue the show. And because it is, you know, reality, that`s really what was going on.
But there`s times where, the - the last thing you want to do is have a camera in front of your face. And, you know, it`s - it`s, like, wow, am I - am I laughing too much? Am I crying too much? Am - am I saying the right thing? If it`s a lot of stuff where you - you tend to get inside your head, and it`s - it`s a very weird, strange feeling.
ANDERSON: Yes, I`m sure it can`t be easy.
And David - you know, listen, two of your buddies right there beside you, they`re the sons of some very, very famous, influential people. All of you grew up together; you were kind of like an entourage.
We know Sean and Randy got a lot of perks because of their families. How about you? What were the biggest perks from growing up inside this world?
WEINTRAUB: Well, I think growing up in this world - you know, the benefit that I got is I started working at a young age, and I learned the business at a young age, which got to me to the place that I`m at now.
So I think if anything, I just go to see how the business really works from an inside, coming from a family that`s in the medical profession, and transferring my career into the entertainment business. So if anything, I got a real - a real inside look on how to work in the business.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And I love that you`re - you`re dressed in the suit and tie. A manager if I`ve ever seen one.
WEINTRAUB: That`s how we (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: OK, Sean Stewart, Randy Spelling and David Weintraub, thank you all so much. We appreciate your being here.
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ANDERSON: Of course.
Now "Sons of Hollywood" premieres this Sunday, April 1, on A&E.
HAMMER: And speaking of Hollywood, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sanjaya, a lousy singer still going strong on "American Idol." Fans purposely voting for the worst. Is all this going to make Simon leave the show?
Here`s our "Question of the Day": "`American Idol`: Has it become a joke?"
Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Or vote on the "Question of the Day" by sending off a text to 45688. To vote yes, write "SHOWBIZ Yes." To vote no, "SHOWBIZ No." Send it off 45688.
ANDERSON: Well, what do Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Sonny and Cher, have in common with the world`s tallest man? Think about it, because we bet the answer will really grow on you.
That`s next. Stay with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And music full. Stand by to your break. Roll it, and effect black.
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ANDERSON: OK, so if I`m walking down the street, and see a really tall woman with a short guy, or vice versa, a really tall guy with a short girl, I may think, `That`s an odd couple.`
Well, that`s what people have said about Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Even Sonny and Cher. And tonight, you won`t believe this hookup: how about taking it to new heights?
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s a marriage milestone. OK, maybe not a mile, but 7 feet, 9 inches must seem like a mile to his new bride.
She is a 5 foot, 6` saleswoman, about two-thirds his height. The groom is a herdsman from Inner Mongolia who holds the "Guinness Book of Records" title for tallest person in the world.
You might remember Bao Xishun. These dolphins probably remember him. After all, he put his three-and-a-half-foot arm down their throats, all the way to their stomachs, to retrieve deadly plastics that the two dolphins had nibbled from the side of their pool.
The Chinese newspaper that reported Bao`s marriage says the bride is half his age. These two now join other famous mismatched couples, ranging from Mutt and Jeff to Arnold and Danny.
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DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: I hope nobody is looking in the window.
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MOOS: No word on whether Bao`s new wife feels a little like Mini Me.
Already, there is a Web site for taller women and shorter men, the sort of pairings that get you on "The Maury Povich Show."
Maybe Tom Cruise, with his taller wife, Katie, has some inkling of what Bao`s bride is experiencing. Looking up to your husband physically...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Down! Down!
MOOS: ... doesn`t mean you won`t end up looking down on him metaphorically. After all, Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra split up.
Like Arnold and Danny...
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DEVITO: OK. One, two, three.
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MOOS: ... just imagine these two slow-dancing, for richer or poorer, for taller or shorter.
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ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos with a really tall order for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And here`s what`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, as we get into the weekend:
Stars who divorce and are still friends. What is the secret to celebs not ripping each other`s heads off after going their separate ways? Our special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series "Making It Work," tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, who failed Anna Nicole Smith? All right, so the authorities have ruled no one is criminally responsible for her death. But come on, some people have to be morally responsible. And that is what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates tomorrow.
And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Take care, everyone.
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