Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Paris Hilton Gets 45 Days in Jail; Will Video of Drunken David Hasselhoff Keep Him From Seeing His Kids?
Aired May 07, 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: Will the disturbing video of a drunken David Hasselhoff keep him from seeing his kids? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And I`m taking you inside the luxurious celebrity rehab center with a famous fashion designer who is battling drugs and alcohol. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the countdown is on. Paris Hilton is going to jail. Tonight, the burning question, did she get what she deserved? Was the sentence too harsh? And run for your lives, because this could make Paris more popular than ever.
Plus SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the jail where Paris will be locked up. Even what she`ll be wearing and eating. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the countdown to the Paris Hilton lockdown.
Imitating Anna Nicole, tonight as "Law & Order, Criminal Intent" takes on the Anna Nicole Smith saga, we`ve got the actress playing the lead role. Tonight Christy Swanson reveals what it was like to play the larger than life Anna in the compelling interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you know that shocking, really heart-breaking tape that Extra got of David Hasselhoff drunk out of his mind? Well, a judge got a look at it too. And tonight there`s some very bad news for David Hasselhoff. We`ve got that story coming up.
HAMMER: But first, now look, I`m not somebody to knock someone else when they`re down, but come on, Paris Hilton, how can I not. It would be totally irresponsible of me. And tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your countdown to lockdown, because Paris is heading to jail for 45 days for doing something, well, not really all that bright. And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got it all covered, like did Paris deserve what she got.
Yes, indeed. Here`s the real scary thing: all of this could make Paris Hilton even more popular than ever. I`m not kidding. Hide the children, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Paris Hilton lowdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Is Paris Hilton`s impending incarceration cause for celebration for a nation full of Paris haters? Or is it a dark day in the American legal justice some for those who bemoan the systematic persecution of celebrities like Paris Hilton. Either way Paris Hilton is going to jail, and once again, this party-hopping, reality show-joking, sex tape-starring heiress is the it topic on everyone`s lips.
AMY ARGETSINGER, "THE WASHINGTON POST": She`s been famous for being famous and now she`ll be famous for being the girl who`s famous for being famous who went to jail.
HAMMER: Take a look at Paris` new summer home, the Century Regional Detention Center in Linwood, California, where she must report by June 5th or risk seeing her 45 day jail sentence doubled. It comes complete with plush accommodations, the latest in bathroom fixtures and she`ll get a daily 6:00 a.m. wakeup call. Not exactly hard time, but not glamour time either.
ARGETSINGER: Let`s face it. This is not going to be the simple life, San Quentin. She`ll be in a 12 by eight cell. She won`t have her cell phone or her blackberry. She`ll have to share phones.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Paris Hilton is going to trade the Ivy Cobb Salad for a baloney sandwich. And she will be washing any underwear she might be wearing in the shower. It will be a very Spartan life for her.
HAMMER: From the simple life to the Spartan life. Not a bad idea. But now instead of pitching reality shows, Paris has been playing the blame game. Ever since a Los Angeles judge sentenced her to 45 days in jail for driving under a suspended license following a DUI plea, her attorney has been blaming the judge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she was singled out because she`s who she is.
HAMMER: And Paris has been blaming her staff, namely publicist Elliot Mince. He`s the guy who bravely faced TV cameras the night she first got busted for DUI.
ELLIOT MINCE, PUBLICIST: It`s unfortunate that she was behind the wheel of a car, indeed with one drink.
HAMMER: On the stand during her hearing, she said it was him who told her it was OK to drive. But didn`t she read all those letters reiterating her license suspension? She said, quote, I have people who do that for me. OK. And the statement she signed saying she understood that she wasn`t supposed to drive. Quote, I just sign what people tell me to sign, she said. Uh-huh.
And why did she keep driving after getting pulled over not once, not twice, but three times on her suspended license? Again, blame the publicist. And just days after her sentencing, he became her ex-publicist.
ARGETSINGER: She fired her publicist because her publicist gave her bad legal advice. I don`t think that`s fair to the publicist.
LEVIN: He fell on the sword for Paris Hilton.
HAMMER: Harvey Levin of TMZ.com says Paris Hilton has no one to blame but herself.
LEVIN: And that`s why we found out on Sunday the judge who sentenced her went to church and got a standing ovation.
HAMMER: So, is Paris being treated unfairly or is her pending incarceration a solid sign that karma is alive and well in 2007.
(on camera): Well believe me, everybody`s got an opinion, so I took to the streets of New York to get some. Do you think it`s unprofessional of me to take such glee and joy in the fact that she`s going to the slammer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think anyone who does what she did is well-deserved.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess her lawyer wasn`t good enough.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She need to get Snoop`s lawyer.
HAMMER: Good to have her out of our lives though for a little time, no matter what the case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m tired of seeing Paris. For a little while, she can go away, definitely.
HAMMER: Any advice for Paris Hilton?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any advice. Don`t look too glam in jail. They might get you.
HAMMER: But maybe, just maybe there`s a silver lining in all of this. The jail time could end up doing her some good. Maybe Paris will be like those guys in the "Shawshank Redemption," whose time behind bars forged an inner strength that led them to do inspiring things. Who are we kidding? She`ll probably get another bad reality show out of this, or find some other way to milk the public`s insatiable appetite for Paris Hilton`s deeds and misdeeds.
ARGETSINGER: This is going to be excellent for her career, whatever it is that her career is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So unless an appeal is successful, Paris Hilton is going to jail. But was she treated too harshly or did she get exactly what she deserved? Joining us tonight from Atlanta, criminal defense attorney B.J. Bernstein and from Los Angeles, host of the syndicated TV show Judge Mathis, Judge Greg Mathis. Your honor, B.J., it`s good to see you both.
Here`s a big surprise. Paris Hilton clearly shocked about the sentence. Let me read to you what she was quoted as saying the next day after she was sentenced. She said quote, "I feel that I was treated unfairly and that the sentence is both cruel and unwarranted. I don`t deserve this."
Well, let`s look at this. She didn`t enroll in an alcohol education program. She was supposed to do that. She got caught driving with a suspended license. She signed some papers acknowledging that she messed up and then she got caught again. Judge, come on, doesn`t she deserve this?
JUDGE GREG MATHIS, TV JUDGE: Well, she`s demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law, and under those circumstances, yes. In another case, perhaps you might give a little leniency. After all, the subsequent violations were that of not having a license while driving. A lot of people they just suspend the license for an entire year. They typically don`t jail them.
But when you get in court and you say, well, I`m a very busy person, and getting caught and doing those things, then the judge tends to be pretty harsh. I know I was as a judge in Detroit.
HAMMER: As a judge, you have that kind of discretion. B.J., what do you think? Is all this whining that we probably would come to expect form Paris, but is any of it warranted?
B.J. BERNSTEIN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Not really, because the problem is she was late to court. And then she goes into court and she says she`s blaming it on her publicist. You can ask the judge. We`ve got him here. Judges hate for you, when you`re on probation -- you already caught your break. You didn`t go to jail at the beginning of your conviction. They get really upset when you try to get out of it by blaming other people.
The case is the state versus Paris Hilton, not her parents, not her lawyers` names on it, not Elliot Mince`s name on it. And that`s why the judge came down so hard.
HAMMER: Her parents` name not on it, although the last name, of course, was. However Paris` mom, Kathy Hilton, right there being very vocal since the sentencing, saying, of course, it was unfair. It`s been a waste of taxpayer dollars. She was making faces in the courtroom. Judge Mathis, if it was you sitting on that bench and Paris` mom was sitting there making face, what would you have said to her?
MATHIS: Well, first of all I would have asked her where was she and did she make faces when her daughter was caught drunk driving? Where was she when her daughter was driving on a suspended license? Was she making faces then? Where was she when her daughter showed up 15 minutes late to court? Was she making faces then?
And then I would hold her in contempt and have her removed from my courtroom.
HAMMER: As we saw in our story -- and this is the thing that totally amazes me. Paris was asked in court why she didn`t realize that she had signed something that told her what she can and cannot do and she said -- this is her quote, I have people who tell me what to sign and I sign. B.j., is that about the stupidest thing she could have said?
BERNSTEIN: It truly is. And I`m a little perplexed with the lawyers, whether she is just out of control and didn`t listen to the lawyer. You know, I`ve had famous clients before and you do have to sit down and spend the time with them to talk and explain to them, you are on probation. This is the one time in your life you are like everybody else. And, in fact, the world`s looking at you closer and you`ve got to follow the rules.
MATHIS: And you know, I think she was doing as they do in Hollywood. She says, judge, have your people call my people.
HAMMER: That is pretty much what was going on there. I don`t know whose brilliant idea was it to put her on the stand to begin with. B.J. alluded to the fact that she was even ten minutes late before she even walked into court getting that sentence. Judge Mathis, I know you`d never put up with that. That`s just the height of arrogance.
MATHIS: All of her actions were making a mockery of the court system. And the courts don`t take that lightly. You`re making a mockery of the judge. You`re disrespecting the judge. I perhaps would have held her in contempt and had her jailed, having been so late and having shown such a blatant disregard for the law and her repeat violations.
HAMMER: Man, I wish you were on the bench that day. But still we got something out of it. Criminal defense attorney B.J. Bernstein, Judge Greg Mathis of the syndicated TV show "Judge Mathis," I thank you both.
MATHIS: Thank you, A.J.
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Paris Hilton going to jail, did she get what she deserved? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. And you can stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories and find out what we`re working on by signing up for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Go to our website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT, look on the left-hand side of the page where it says newsletter. Click to sign up and we will e-mail you the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter every single day.
And, you know, A.J., I think maybe the scariest thing about this whole Paris Hilton phenomenon is how many young girls look up to her as a role model. It`s frightening. Yes, and coming up at 31 minutes after the hour, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the Paris influence.
HAMMER: Also, this is so disturbing every time I see it, this video of a drunken and incoherent David Hasselhoff. Now, he says it was meant to keep him from drinking, but now it may actually keep him from seeing his kids. That`s coming up. We also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come give your momma a kiss. How do I look?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful, like always.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come meet your new baby sister. Say hi, Ava.
(END VIDEO CLIP
ANDERSON: What is it like to pretend to be Anna Nicole Smith? "Law & Order Criminal Intent" takes on the Anna saga and Christy Swanson takes on a larger than life role and she`s here to tell us about it next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, the Anna Nicole Smith saga ripped from the headlines. The popular TV show "Law & Order, Criminal Intent" is taking on the tragic story of Anna Nicole, who died from a drug overdose in a Florida hotel room. Now, as we know, her death followed the death of her only son Daniel, who died just three days after the birth of Anna Nicole`s daughter, Dannielynn.
Here with us tonight, the actress who was playing Anna Nicole Smith on the special episode of "Law & Order," Kristy Swanson. Kristy, great to see you.
KRISTY SWANSON, ACTRESS: Nice to see you, too.
ANDERSON: Take me back. It`s four weeks after you have your son, your baby boy.
SWANSON: Yes.
ANDERSON: Congratulations.
SWANSON: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And your agent calls you and says, hey, we`ve got a role for you and it`s a character who recently had a baby as well.
SWANSON: Yes.
ANDERSON: And you had not gotten back to your pre-baby weight.
SWANSON: No, I was a long way from it.
ANDERSON: That`s a quick maternity leave, four weeks. What did you think?
SWANSON: Well, the phone call came in and my agent said that Criminal Intent called and said, we know Kristy just had a baby, but how does she look, because that`s how Hollywood is. They want to know is she skinny or is she fat right now.
ANDERSON: That`s terrible, first of all.
SWANSON: I know, but that`s how it works. It`s Hollywood. He says, look, she had a baby. She`s a little chunky right now. So they said, OK, you know what, this is going to work just fine, because the character just had a baby. So it`s going to be perfect. We want her to come do the show. Will she come do it, even though she just had the C-section and just gave birth? Would she come to New York for us?
After talking it over with my family and my fiance and figuring it out, we were like, let`s do this. I mean, I`m going to have to be away from Magnus for eight days, but it will give him eight days to bond with his granny and be with daddy. You know, he was in good hands, so I was OK.
ANDERSON: Talk about jumping right back into work. I want to take a look at one of the clips from the show, because the character, it`s very tragic, based on a real-life person, obviously, whose son died days after her daughter was born. There were rumors of drug use. Let`s take a look at a clip right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SWANSON: Just the angel on my shoulder.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The last time you saw Justin, what did you talk about?
SWANSON: Ava. He was so happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was Justin on any medication?
SWANSON: I know what they`re saying about how he died and it just isn`t true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kristy, you really looked and sound like Anna Nicole. How did you prepare for this and did you try to mimic her?
SWANSON: I tried to mimic her a little bit, but the producers and the director, on a creative level, didn`t want me to go full-on all the way. You know, I didn`t do an accent, necessary, like Texan accent all the time. But I did try to portray that sort of bigger than life sort of part of her, especially at the beginning. And in that scene that you just saw, just heavily sedated after hearing of her son`s death. And a little bit here and there, just not completely.
ANDERSON: Were you following the whole story or did you have to read up on it? Had you been keeping up with it?
SWANSON: I had been keeping up with it quite a bit, because I was very, very pregnant when she passed away. And so I was very much hanging out just at home, watching a lot of television. So I was keeping up on what was going on. And very, very tragic.
ANDERSON: It`s hard to get away from it, I imagine, with you at home watching TV and it was everywhere for months.
SWANSON: Absolutely everywhere.
ANDERSON: And you were pregnant with your son when her son died days after she gave birth. As a woman about to be a mother, what did you think? Could you relate with pain, maybe, that she was going through?
SWANSON: I imagine that Anna was in -- I think she couldn`t overcome the death of Daniel. I think that that was just so great. Because when you`ve just given birth, your hormones are just at a level for months. Sometimes -- I`m sure that her hormone levels were just out of control for a very long time. And then throw depression on top of that, and then the access to drugs that she was using. And mixing all that together is just completely lethal.
ANDERSON: And then throw the paternity battle into the mix. Were you following that? Who did you think the father was, as we know Larry Birkhead --
SWANSON: I felt it was Larry from the beginning. You couldn`t help but sort of root for his confidence. He was very, very confident about it. And I`m so glad that he has the baby now. That`s just phenomenal.
ANDERSON: He seems so excited to get started with his life and his new baby girl. And congratulations to you.
SWANSON: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Your life with your new baby boy; motherhood suits you.
SWANSON: I love it. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Kristy Swanson, thank you so much. And you can catch her in "Law & Order, Criminal Intent" tomorrow night on NBC. Now A.J., I know you`re jealous about this, but I had the pleasure of sitting across from Paris Hilton for a long chat, I have to say, the highlight of my career. I`m kidding, of course. But what Paris told me about the tabloids and the paparazzi straight ahead. And I have to say, it`s really scary to think about how many young girls may be looking up to this person. We are investigating the Paris influence at 31 minutes past the hour.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Just terrible seeing that tape. David Hasselhoff, he wanted to make this tape to keep him from drinking. But now it may keep him from seeing his children. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And I`m going to take you on an exclusive look inside one of the most luxurious rehab centers in the world. And I`ll take you with a famous fashion designer who is battling drugs and alcohol. That`s still to come. Stay with us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Monday night headed straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Paris Hilton may be going to jail, but the reality show must go on. Filming for the new season of the "Simple Life" with Paris and Nicole Richie wrapped up last month. And the E Network tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it will hit the airwaves as planned. They told us quote, "The `Simple Life Goes to Camp` will premier Memorial Day, Monday May 28. We wish Paris all the best as she deals with this difficult time."
Paris and Nicole have had an on-again, off-again relationship. But when I sat down with them to talk about the show, Paris complained that the tabloids make a lot of that stuff up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, HOTEL HEIRESS: I think the media always make up stories. Nicole and I have been best friends since we were two years old. Actually when we got back together and talked about it and got in a room, we realize that all of this was just lies, just people trying to sell newspapers or TV shows. And it`s not really fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And you may find this really hard to believe since Paris will go to the opening of an envelope and loves to pose for the cameras, but she also complained to me about the paparazzi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I don`t think it`s right. I can understand if you`re paparazzi and you`re going to go to an event or a premier and you know you`re going to get your picture taken. But every day I have people camped outside of my house, when I come home at night. It`s like they`re always there jumping out of the bushes. Sometimes if I`m walking out by myself, I get scared if I see some random guy just come out of the bushes. I don`t know, I just think it`s really invading.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right, well, don`t worry Paris. You soon won`t have to worry about the paparazzi for a while, because no cameras are allowed inside jail.
HAMMER: You know Brooke, I`m watching your interview with Paris Hilton there and I started wondering, is Paris Hilton a good role model.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Paris Hilton, while she has potential to be a fabulous human being, as we all do, is a horrible role model.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Maybe not. I agree. I think it`s pretty scary that a lot of young girls are really looking up to Paris these days. But just how much damage is that doing to an entire generation of girls? We will look into that next.
ANDERSON: Yes we will. Also, A.J., David Hasselhoff`s drunken videotape; I found it so disturbing and heart-breaking, as we all did. And now it may affect when and how he`s allowed to see his kids. We have that story coming up. Stay with us.
(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. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, I`ve got to tell you, tonight, every time I see this tape, that "Extra" got a hold of, it just shocks me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hmmm?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, I have late-breaking details on how a judge didn`t find this funny at all. How did one drink cost David Hasselhoff dearly? I`ve got the last-minute details on the way.
ANDERSON: Also, who`s the A-list fashion designer that is taking me, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, inside one of the most luxurious rehab centers in the world. This designer tells me exclusively how drugs turned his life into a disaster. That`s straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first tonight, countdown to lockdown. We`re talking about Paris Hilton and the 45-day jail sentence that she was slapped with on Friday. Paris needs to report to an L.A. County jail by June 5, although her people are planning an appeal.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you something really scary. There are girls all over who admire, worship and love Paris. And we have to ask, why in the world would they?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): Paris Hilton, America`s sweetheart. Well, she was never quite that. But with her little catch phrases.
PARIS HILTON: That`s hot.
HAMMER: Her red carpet ready fashion, and her soap opera of a personal life.
PARIS HILTON: People say they don`t know me -- I`m far less promiscuous than any of my friends.
HAMMER: Well, now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the fun`s over -- well, OK, maybe not always fun.
HILTON: She`s a (bleep) hoodlum broke poor (bleep) from Compton."
HAMMER: We see the ugly side of Paris Hilton in this video, one of several of her personal items taken from a storage space and now placed online. We also see her hurl a slur found offensive by blacks.
HILTON: We`re like two (bleep).
HAMMER: And another slur found offensive by gays.
HILTON: (Bleep)
The Gay rights group, GLAD, quickly issued a statement slamming Paris, saying, quote, "These are not frivolous words, and to use them as if they are gives tacit sanction to the racism and homophobia they engender."
HILTON: A public school (bleep).
HAMMER: Paris` rants came at the beginning of an anti-Paris backlash, as America woke up to a shocking fact, our girls are actually looking up to Paris.
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGITST: Our teenagers are looking to her as a role model. We`re not making this up. They`re buying the magazines with her on the cover. They`re buying anything to do with her. They`re watching her reality show. Young girls are interested in her.
HAMMER: And it`s not just this shocking video, which was part of a treasure of Paris-analia sold by a website which got hold of Paris` possessions when she failed to pay a storage bill. Paris-analia that includes naked pictures of her and other outrageous party photos.
A "Newsweek" cover story, titled, "Girls Gone Wild", looked at the affect the exploits of Paris and her crew were having on American girls. The magazine`s poll found that 77 percent responded -- 77 percent -- thought Paris, Britney and Lindsay have too much influence on young people.
KATHLEEN DEVENY, "NEWSWEEK": I think parents are definitely concerned about it. As a parent, I am.
HAMMER: Kathleen Deveny co-wrote the "Newsweek" cover story. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "You won`t believe how young girls are when they start their Paris worship."
DEVENY: Fifth graders who are carrying giant purses with little tiny stuffed dogs inside them. And first graders who use words like "sexy" and talk about sexy song lyrics. In a lot of ways they`re really appealing to young girls. They`re completely uninhibited by parents and curfews and school. They do whatever they want. They`re beautiful. They wear fabulous clothes. They also have boyfriends and nice cars and great cell phones. So you can see why they would be appealing to girls.
LAWRENCE: I think Paris Hilton, while she has potential to be a fabulous human being -- as we all do -- is a horrible role model, horrible.
HAMMER: Which is just what we heard from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers who swamped us with angry e-mails. Many echoing Ricardo Cater from Lake Worth, Florida. He writes, quote, "Is there any way you can make Paris and her sister go away? If there is a petition or something I am ready to sign it . because she is a disgrace to us."
Developmental psychologist Cooper Lawrence tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there is a danger to the Paris effect.
LAWRENCE: The danger in following somebody like Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan, and using them as your role model, is that they`re not going down a very good path. These are ages when girls are forming their identity. So where do they look to decide who they are? They look to their socio-cultural environment. They look in the social environment and they say OK, this is who I am, this is who they are, how do I measure up? And that`s not a good yardstick.
HAMMER: So, while Paris was left to wonder if that new video would harm her career, a nation of parents was left wondering if Paris and her never-ending string of seedy exploits would harm the development of America`s girls.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right, so with the countdown to lockdown underway, with Paris Hilton going to jail, you would think the Teflon Hilton princess would see her image suffer.
But consider this, as crazy as it may seem, could this make Paris even more popular than ever? Joining me tonight from Los Angeles, investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell. She is also the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." It`s coming out next month. And Ken Baker, who is the editorial director of USmagazine.com.
Ken, Jane, I appreciate you both being here tonight. It is a frightening prospect, Jane, but could it happen? Could it actually happen, Paris becomes more popular as a result of all that?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, AUTHOR, "SECRETS CAN BE MURDER": Absolutely. This will increases her notoriety or fame, much like Martha Stewart became more famous when she did a stint behind bars.
Now, of course, Paris Hilton can play the martyr card and say this is her Marie Antoinette moment, and make a big drama out of it. But if she really wants to go down in the history books, what she could do is use this as an opportunity to go in there, see how the other half lives, have an epiphany, have a transformative experience and come out saying to the world, Hey, I`m going to use my beauty, my brains, my charisma, my money, and my power to make this world a better place --
HAMMER: Yeah, yeah, Jane -- Jane, what is the likelihood that would ever happen, come on?
VALEZ-MITCHELL: You can always hope.
HAMMER: You can dream. I dreamt that she gets into jail, and look that`s happening.
Ken, what do you think here? In terms of her popularity growing, and Jane a makes a good point. Martha Stewart, we barely remember that that happened to her and she is as popular as ever.
KEN BAKER, USMAGAZINE.COM: Jane, as always, makes a very astute point. The problem is that Paris has shown no ability -- or no prospect -- of her actually learning from this experience and having a transformative experience. In fact, as of Saturday, she was complaining to the paparazzi following her, that it was unfair, that it was just an awful injustice. And she hasn`t changed her tune.
Actually, literally an hour ago, I was just at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Paris Hilton walked in and having lunch just as though nothing has happened, doing her thing. But here`s the beauty of Paris Hilton, she knows who she is. There`s singularity of focus, which is -- Paris Hilton.
HAMMER: Yeah.
BAKER: And she does it very well. And she`s a product and she knows it and she sells it, and she`ll continue to sell it.
HAMMER: And you kind of have to wonder how much she was considering how all of this would play into her image. I mean, she told the judge that she doesn`t read her mail. She told the judge that she doesn`t have time to meet with the lawyers, go over the terms of the probation. And, of course, blamed her publicist, poor Eliot Mintz (ph) got blamed. He took the fall for it as well -- and, you know -- because he apparently said it`s OK for you to go ahead and drive with a suspended license.
Is it possible, Jane, maybe Paris did think her bad girl image would be benefited by all this? Because in the back of her head, she`s thinking, I`ll never get sent to jail, but actually she turned out to be completely dead wrong.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: How about this? On a subconscious level maybe she wants to go to jail, maybe she wants somebody to finally say, hey, the rules do apply to you? She`s is what they call terminally unique. Somebody who`s entire identity and self esteem is based on the notion that the rules do not apply to them. That they`re special, that they`re different, that the rules are for everybody else. But deep down inside they know that`s not true and they really yearn for some kind of a more meaningful life.
Yes, she is utterly superficial. It`s all about Paris. But even Paris is a human being and has the possibility, perhaps, of growing and maturing. Look at Angelina Jolie. She was a wild child. And she has transformed into this wonderful person who is making the world aware of genocide and starvation, and the millions of orphans around the world. Who knew Angelina Jolie was going to do that?
HAMMER: And I don`t want to be so cynical, even if I were to go down into the deep recesses of Paris subconscious, I don`t think we`d find any of that going on, Jane. I love you all the same.
What do you think about that, though, Ken, the idea of her emerging as a changed woman? Am I being too cynical here? Is it possible?
BAKER: No, you`re not being cynical at all. You`re being very realistic. But there`s the thing, about an hour after the news came down that she was going to jail, a friend e-mailed me and goes, "Hey, Paris is cool again."
HAMMER: Oh.
BAKER: This is the kind of celebrity that she is. She`s edgy. She`s hot -- not in the sense that she uses the word, but hot in the fact that she`s dangerous. You never know what`s going to come. And she will burn you, but that`s the appeal of her. And I think hands down, Paris Hilton is going to come out of this experience more famous, with more notoriety.
And you better believe there`s a bunch of guys in Hollywood somewhere crafting some show, whether it`s reality or scripted --
HAMMER: Yeah, no kidding.
BAKER: to take advantage of this opportunity.
HAMMER: Well, in the meantime, we`ll have a 45-day buffer period, I feel, without Paris being on camera everyday. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ken Baker, thanks a lot.
MITCHELL: Thank you.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about Paris. Paris Hilton going to jail, did she get what she deserved? Keep voting, CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight.cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, you can tell I`m just a little excited by this story. And I can tell you that I could not wait to see what the ladies on "The View" -- particularly, Rosie, of course -- had to say about the whole Paris to jail mess today.
ANDERSON: So, what did you think? Did it live up to your expectations, what they said?
HAMMER: Absolutely. Loved it. The ladies of "The View" never hold back. You are going to see for yourself what they had to say coming up.
Also we have this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hmmm?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Every time I see this video of David Hasselhoff drunk out of his mind, I still can`t believe it. Well, a judge has now seen it, too, and tonight there`s some really bad news for Hasselhoff. We`ll tell you about the judge`s dramatic decision in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: Plus, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT rehab exclusive. Famed fashion designer Marc Jacobs actually sat down with me inside the rehab to the stars facility he was recently treated in. I couldn`t believe how open he was about what he`s going through. My compelling interview with Jacobs, in rehab, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
David Hasselhoff`s horror of a divorce just gets dirtier. A Los Angeles superior court watched this home video "Extra" obtained.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hmmm?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And it appears that tape, Hasselhoff calls it an experiment, has cost him. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the judge has suspended Hasselhoff`s right to visit his children. He is now only allowed to have phone contact with his kids until a hearing later this month to decide if long-term visitation rights get cut off.
Here`s something you don`t see in Hollywood all that often, a star actually owning up, "Extreme Makeover" star Ty Pennington was arrested over the weekend for suspicion of DUI. Pennington apologized to fans and the network telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "I made an error in judgment. We all make mistakes. However, this is about accountability. Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving. I could have jeopardized the lives of others. And I am grateful there was no accident or harm done to anyone. This was my wake up call."
ANDERSON: There are some stars who get that wakeup call in a rough way. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gives you a remarkable look at what it`s like when a celebrity goes through rehab. You`re about to see my exclusive with designer Marc Jacobs who candidly told me his drug and alcohol addictions have turned his life into chaos, disappointment and disaster.
Marc gave SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive inside access while doing a 30-day stint at the Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, California. If you think being high in the high life is fun, think again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARC JACOBS, DESIGNER: Hi, everybody!
ANDERSON (voice over): His name is synonymous, all over the world, with cutting-edge fashions.
JACOBS: I just love when girls wear my clothes. It`s the highest, absolute highest compliment.
Designer Marc Jacobs has been a trend setter for two decades with a loyal following.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I wear Marc everyday.
ANDERSON: Including actresses Selma Blair and Tori Spelling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love his stuff.
ANDERSON: Marc Jacobs appears to have it all.
JACOBS: This is like a dream come true.
ANDERSON: But beneath the cool and confident exterior, Marc Jacobs has been fighting a dangerous addiction.
JACOBS: When I pick up a drink, or when I choose to pick up a drug, it gets out of control and I behave irresponsibly.
ANDERSON: We caught up with Marc while he was seeking help for drug and alcohol dependency at Passages Addiction Cure Center in Malibu, an expensive and luxurious rehab facility.
JACOBS: I needed a break. I need to look at what this is about, and sort of -- you know, it wasn`t about a vacation. It was about a therapeutic break.
ANDERSON: Marc`s struggles began with what we describes as a horrible childhood.
JACOBS: I didn`t have the ideal family. I was teased and sort of made fun of by my peers, and I had no one to go to and talk to. I was too full of shame to really approach someone to talk to. I was always looking over my shoulder saying, he`s better, she`s better, they`re better.
ANDERSON: Marc first went to rehab seven years ago, but his sobriety didn`t last.
JACOBS: I started slipping into the thinking of I could have a drink, I can have five drinks. I can have 10 drinks. And you know, this began for me a year ago, in Moscow, on a trip. And I just felt like, oh, everybody`s drinking vodka and I haven`t had a drink in years. I can drink again. So, it really came out of a celebration that I decided to drink, and of course, it progressed.
I`m not happy and full of life like this when I`m holed up in a hotel room, you know, on my third bottle of vodka. And not answering the phone because I didn`t show up for work.
ANDERSON: This is Marc`s second trip to rehab in two months. He left a treatment facility in Arizona after just 18 days to come here to Passages because he felt the group therapy wasn`t working and he needed the individual attention Passages offers. Besides, it`s a center that looks more like a ritzy resort than a rehab, offering tennis lesson, massages and gourmet foods.
JACOBS: We pulled up here, I said, we`re in the wrong place. Because I didn`t believe this was, you know, a drug treatment center at all.
ANDERSON (on camera): Does this seem a little bit like a vacation at the same time, though, because you are a very busy person?
JACOBS: Well, sitting here in a tank top and a pair of shorts with the sun shining, it seems like a vacation.
ANDERSON (voice over): But Marc says it`s far from a holiday, with four to five hours of intense individual therapy every day. A 30-day stay costs nearly $70,000. In addition to regular meetings with psychologists and addiction specialists, there`s also hypnotherapy, acupuncture, relationship and spiritual counseling, unusual offerings for a rehab facility.
JACOBS: I think this is kind of like an eye-opening experience. And the more your mind is open and you are mindful of the world around you, I mean, that`s a spiritual existence.
ANDERSON: Passages rejects the decades-old, 12-step approach and claims addiction is not a disease. Unconventional ideas in the world of rehab, but it`s a mindset Jacobs embraces.
JACOBS: The idea of positive reinforcement through one`s words, and through one`s actions, I think made a lot of sense. I liked the idea of being cured as opposed to being forever an alcoholic, or forever an addict.
ANDERSON (on camera): Do you think a month is enough?
JACOBS: I think for me, a month is enough. I really feel like I could leave today and never drink and drug again. I really do. I mean, it`s been a very powerful experience and one that I will never forget. I`m already thinking about coming back here, not because I have to, but because I just like to around the all people here for another period of time.
ANDERSON: You don`t hear that often. A lot of times people want to leave rehab as quickly as they entered.
JACOBS: Because the environment is more like a hospital or a prison. I think when you make a place that`s so delightful to be in, and when you treat people like human beings, and not as lepers, you know -- or maniacs - - then you inspire this kind of reaction.
ANDERSON (voice over): Inspiration is what Marc hopes his honesty can provide others dealing with addiction.
(On camera): What would you say to other people out there?
JACOBS: We`re all unique and we`re all special. I don`t think there`s a right or wrong. I know that it does me a great service to help somebody else. It always has.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Passages, the treatment center, claims the success rate of better than 80 percent. As for Marc, getting back to his life, getting it back in order, his company just announced it was releasing a new fragrance this summer called Daisy Marc Jacobs.
HAMMER: Paris Hilton, look out. You made a big mistake and now the ladies of "The View," including Rosie, of course, are taking dead aim at you about your upcoming 45 days in jail. I could not stop watching them today. You`ve got to hear what they had to say. That is coming up in just a couple of minutes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It`s the story all America is talking about. Paris Hilton getting slapped with a 45-day jail sentence. Miles (ph), can you role that fantastic tape of Paris coming to court, 10 minutes late, mind you? Here we go.
The paparazzi screaming at her. You`d think she`d come an hour or two early just to be on the good side of the judge. While America counts down the days to her lockdown, the ladies of "The View," at least one of them, promised to surprise Paris while she`s behind bars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": I hope to go visit her in prison.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
O`DONNELL: I only visit the celebrity prisoners. I visited Martha.
BARBARA WALTES, "THE VIEW": That`s good to know, if we ever have to go --
O`DONNELL: She`s not really a celebrity, Lizzie Gruman (ph). I visited Martha Stewart.
But Paris, if she needed me, is all I`m saying, if she wrote me and said, "Rosie, I can`t stand it, please!"
WALTERS: Yeah, what Paris Hilton really needs is 45 days when she should just be sort of quiet.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
WALTERS: And she probably will. What she really needs is a visit from you.
O`DONNELL: Well, I don`t know. What jail is it? Where is she going? Beverly Hills jail?
(CROSS TALK)
O`DONNELL: They get Melba toast and caviar.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yeah, I don`t think there`s Melba toast and caviar. In fact, I`ve got the official menu from the Lynnwood Correctional Facility, where she will be locked up. Inmates there getting three low-sodium meals a day, with dinner the only hot meal, beef and pork, not permitted. It`s all chicken.
ANDERSON: Definitely not Melba toast and caviar, A.J.
All right, on Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Paris Hilton in court, would jail time do her some good? And 88 percent of you say, yes; 12 percent of you say no. Here are some of the e-mails that we received.
Kathie, here in California writes: "Paris Hilton is not above the law. If it was anyone else, they would be doing time already. She has to realize that just because she comes from money, she still needs to obey the laws."
And Kim in Indiana agrees, writing: "Paris has a sickening sense of entitlement. I hope that jail humbles her."
HAMMER: Well, on that subject, let`s take a look at what`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be asking the question that I think everybody is asking, is Paris going behind bars finally the end of the reckless partying by the Parises, the Britneys and the Lindseys of the world? And where in the heck are their parents? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, it`s one of the nastiest, meanest divorce battles in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes deep inside the Hasselhoff divorce drama, allegations of alcohol, drugs. What effect does that "Extra" videotape have on the kids? All that tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. "Glenn Beck" coming up next. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Stay with us.
END