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Showbiz Tonight
Lindsey Lohan Disses Wonderland Rehab Center; Celebrity Tirades; Paris Tries New Strategy to Stay Out of Jail; Hasselhoff Custody Battle Heats Up
Aired May 09, 2007 - 19:00 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: Did David Hasselhoff`s ex-wife leak that videotape of him drunk and incoherent. Here attorney is right here to set the record straight.
And O.J. Simpson gets thrown out of a restaurant and people cheer. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paris Hilton`s blame game. Come on, Paris. You`re pointing your manicured finger at everyone, from your publicist to the legal system for your jail sentence. Tonight, should Paris just shut up, take responsibility and do the time?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANGELA, COMEDIAN: This is why regular folks are so excited about her going to jail, because she is not regretful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, hey, Paris, why don`t you just admit what you did was wrong?
Tonight, how low can Lindsay Lohan go? Lindsay takes pot shots at the rehab center that treated her, saying they just didn`t get her. Huh? But wait, there`s more. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the outrageous Lohan comments that made us say, what in the world is she thinking?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And if you thought that David Hasselhoff battle with his ex-wife Pamela Bach (ph) couldn`t get any nastier following the release of the unbelievable tape Extra got of him drunk out of his mind, well, we`re hear to tell you, oh, yes, it can? Our explosive interview with Pamela`s attorney is coming up.
But first tonight, it`s time now to play the Paris blame game. So come on down. Ever since Paris was sentenced to those 45 days in jail, she`s pointed the blame at everyone. Before today, the only one she hasn`t blamed is herself. I`ve got more on that in just a minute. But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, why couldn`t Paris accept that she did the crime and she should just do the time?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Paris Hilton`s legal woes are taking an emotional toll. On this video on TMZ.com, we see the party girl socialite in a way we`re not used to seeing her, sobbing quietly in a car driven by her mother, Kathy Hilton.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Suddenly there`s a stark reality that she`s going to jail.
HAMMER: That is looking extremely likely. She`s appealing the 45-day sentence she received for driving with a license that had been suspended in her DUI case. This video catches Paris after a meeting after an attorney and Harvey Levin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she probably got some bad news.
LEVIN: I`m guessing that the lawyer broke the news to her that it`s very unlikely that this judge`s decision, the sentence, will be overturned.
HAMMER: But with the June 5th deadline for Paris to report to jail bearing down, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Paris has been acting less like a person taking responsibility for her legal troubles and more like a surreal game show contestant playing the blame game. Ever since being sentenced to jail, Paris and her people have been blaming everyone else for her mess. Her attorney even blamed a judicial vendetta, apparently against wealthy socialites.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shame on the system. Shame on the city attorney.
HAMMER: Paris`s court appearance. In her testimony, she blamed her publicist, Elliot Mintz, for telling her it was OK for her to drive on a suspended license. Never mind the cops told her just the opposite, that three, count them, three times they caught her driving with a suspended license, not to mention she signed a summons from them acknowledging that.
LEVIN: I believe, based on what I know, that there were people who made a mistake and said, your license isn`t suspended. And I also believe that she didn`t read any of these suspension notices. It`s just not the way she rolls. That said, she`s still responsible.
HAMMER: Paris didn`t own up to anything in her first public statement after her jail sentence. Instead, she said, quote, I feel that I was treated unfairly and I don`t deserve this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that lack of responsibility may be behind the new round of Paris bashing that damaging her image.
FRANGELA: I`m hot about this.
HAMMER: Even the comedy duo Frangela turned serious when talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about Paris.
FRANGELA: You know what I`m sick to death of? Is people doing something they know is wrong and then say, I`m sorry.
This is why regular folks are so excited about her going to jail, because she`s not regretful. She`s not sorry.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, PUBLICIST: We`re not feeling a lot sympathy for her, the general public.
HAMMER: Celebrity publicist Howard Bragman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that if Paris wants the criticism to stop, she needs to stop blaming everyone else and step up.
BRAGMAN: She needs to accept responsibility. I think people want to hear I`ve done something wrong. I`m going to take my punishment. And I`m going to come back and I`m going to think about what I did.
HAMMER: She could take a cue from Ty Pennington from "Extreme Makeover Home Edition," who was recently charged with DUI. Ty is facing the music, and unlike Paris, refusing to pass the blame. In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, he says, quote, I made an error in judgment. We all make mistakes. However, this is about accountability. Under no circumstances should anyone consume alcohol while driving."
He wraps up by saying, quote, "I also want to apologize to my fans, ABC television and my design team for my lapse in judgment and the embarrassment I have caused.
BRAGMAN: I think Ty did a textbook case of handling his mistake and he did it by accepting responsibility. And that`s what we like. We do give people another chance in this country. We`re really good about it. But only after they`ve accepted responsibility for their actions.
HAMMER: So, as Paris continues her excuse fest ahead of her likely jail term, we can see this whole ordeal and negative attention are not easy on her. So instead of playing the blame game, maybe, just maybe, Paris should be facing all this head-on. It could be the first steps to her moving on.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Maybe Paris is taking a cue from Ty Pennington and possibly, finally starting to wake up to the fact that she has been pointing the finger in all the wrong places. Late today, she released this statement, listen to this, quote, "after reading the media`s coverage of my court hearing, I feel the need to correct what I believe are misperceptions about me. I absolutely realize how serious driving under the influence is. I could not live with myself if anyone was injured or killed while I was driving while impaired. Clearly, no one should, no matter how slightly. I am ready to face the consequences of violating probation. No one is above the law. I surely am not. I do not expect to be treated better than anyone else who violated probation. However, my hope is that I will not be treated worse."
Think she sat down all by herself and wrote that? And of course, I have to ask, what the heck took her so long? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Anna David. She`s the author of this book. It`s called "Party Girl." And from the "New York Daily News" columnist Ben Widdicombe. Ben, Anna, it`s good to see you both. So when you hear Paris, Ben, who just the other day said she doesn`t feel like she deserves this sentence, that it was all unfair and unjust, turn around and release the statement I just read, saying she knows she`s not above the law. I mean, is this nothing more than a huge PR move for her?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I think Paris must have been watching the show yesterday, because that`s exactly what everyone in the media was saying. That`s what we said 24 hours ago. She isn`t going to get out of this mess that she`s in by insisting that she was right and she`s being treated unfairly. The public needs to see that she`s sorry and she`s going to pay the price.
HAMMER: And the Teflon, maybe, is wearing off. We always call her the Teflon celebrity because all these things keep happening to her. We`ve seen that sex tape come out. It only improved her career or maybe even made her as a celebrity. The racial slurs that were all caught on tape, nothing happened there. Anna, it just seems that she`s only gotten more famous every time something`s gong wrong with Paris. Now that she`s going to have to be in that jail cell, with the roommate and one of those silver toilets, she`s got to be freaking out, right?
ANNA DAVID, "PARTY GIRL": Yes, I think you bring up an excellent point. A sex tape is supposed to ruin a career. Instead for her, it`s launch a career. And ever since then, there have been no repercussions. So I think that we, the public, while we built her up and followed her every move, I think she has come to symbolize the celebrity that gets away with absolutely everything.
And so while it`s great that she released this statement, it feels like a little bit too little too late, to me.
HAMMER: I am fascinated by this statement and how it may actually be impacting her. And it`s worth noting, the statement that she put out, that I just read a few moments ago, it came out late in the day and it came through her new attorney. This is a guy named Richard Hutten. He`s a big, hot shot DUI attorney who works with the celebs out in California. Let`s put up that video Charles, the new video we have of Paris Hilton crying that comes from TMZ.com.
This video was shot just after she met with this attorney. So perhaps, Ben, do you think he basically told her, you know, the party`s over. You`ve got to do the time, get it over with and quit your complaining. And maybe she was just facing reality in this moment we`re looking at right here?
WIDDICOMBE: I`m not sure I would describe it as facing reality. I think she`s trying to manipulate the media. And I think what her attorney understands is that we live in the age of a media courtroom, certainly ever since the O.J. Simpson trial. There is such a thing as a media judge. And perhaps what the attorney made clear to Paris is that she has to suck up, because if she`s going around saying that she`s bigger than the legal system, the judge is not going to like that. He`s not going to be accept being smacked down. She has to show that she`s contrite and that she`s not bigger than he is, or she`s going to be in a lot more trouble.
HAMMER: I just hope the attorney wasn`t saying, and while you`re leaving my office, Paris, cry to show that you mean it. I hope that`s not going on. Anna, go ahead.
DAVID: I think, at the same time, that she`s apologizing, there are these petitions that are being sent to Schwarzenegger. I mean, I think that all of that is very above the law, that sort of like, well, let`s just appeal to the governor.
HAMMER: Well, the fact is, these are coming from people, not Paris herself. I think it`s ridiculous the idea that she would even consider it, or that people think that there`s a reason she should be eligible to consider having Governor Schwarzenegger pardon her jail sentence. That`s insane. I`m curious, though, Anna, because you wrote the book "Party Girl." You`ve lived through the party scene. You`re now proudly sober. You`re living a more quiet life than you once did. People have suggested what Paris is going through could actually change her. But I`m curious if you think, knowing the kind of party girl Paris is, could she even sustain any kind of, quote, unquote, career if she did leave the party scene, and just became this kind of gracious Angelina Jolie wannabe?
DAVID: It`s a great question. I do think that, you know, we`ve come to know Paris as a party girl. And if she just became this girl who, you know, reads books and stays home and plays with her cats, I don`t think anybody -- we`re losing what she is. I think her career is very much based on sort of fulfilling all our fantasies and expectations of what it`s like to be this incredibly wealthy woman who sort of doesn`t suffer repercussions like the rest of us seem to. She`s sort of become the recipient of all of our fantasies.
HAMMER: And we look to her because she`s beautiful as well. According to whoever is circulating the petition to get her pardoned, in that petition it says, quote, "Paris provides hope for young people all over the world. She provides and excitement to our otherwise mundane lives."
I can`t even read it with a straight face. I don`t even want to hold on to the paper that it is written on. So, we`ll end it there. Ben Widdicombe, Anna David, I thank you for joining us tonight.
DAVID: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, talk about thinking the rules don`t apply to you. I absolutely could not believe some of the things that Lindsay Lohan said about her time in rehab, including that she`s just too hard-core. The rehab facility just didn`t get her. It is wild. I`m going to get into that coming up in a bit. We`ll also have this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
HASSELHOFF: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is a difficult video to watch every time, David Hasselhoff absolutely wasted. But was his ex-wife to blame for this tape getting out in the first place? I`m going to ask her attorney point blank coming up.
And here`s a story I`ve got to say I love: O.J. Simpson, he`s getting thrown out of a restaurant. We`re going to hear from the restaurant owner why that happened. That`s still to come. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight another dramatic development in the Hasselhoff custody battle. David Hasselhoff`s ex-wife, Pamela Bach, is taking drug tests to fight back against accusations that she`s an unfit mom. Now this comes after the release of this notorious tape, obtained by Extra, showing David Hasselhoff drunk out of his mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell me you`re going to stop.
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: I`m going to stop.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Promise?
HASSELHOFF: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joining me tonight from Los Angeles, Debra Opri, attorney for Pamela Bach. Hi Debra.
DEBRA OPRI, ATTORNEY: Hey, A.J. How are you?
HAMMER: I am well. I appreciate you being with us tonight. You`ve said that David Hasselhoff`s accusations that your client Pamela uses drugs are simply outlandish. If that`s how you feel, and that`s your position, why even bother having her take these tests?
OPRI: I think it was Pamela`s idea. And Pamela said the only way I can challenge and defeat these false allegations for the sole purpose of his not wanting to pay child support is to take the test every day. I said Pamela, you don`t have to do this every day. Once a week, bi monthly, and that`s what she plans on doing. And I`m very proud of her, because it`s a horrible thing to be accused of something so horrible.
HAMMER: She just wants it clear, on the record, and with the proof.
OPRI: Yes.
HAMMER: OK, we have to talk about the tape showing Hasselhoff extremely drunk. This is a sad tape, indeed. It`s hard to watch each and every time. It was shot by his 17-year-old daughter. David`s attorney, a guy named Melvin Goldsman, says he knows exactly who released it. Here`s what he told CNN`s Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELVIN GOLDSMAN, DAVID HASSELHOFF`S ATTORNEY: We`re absolutely certain who released the tape and that is Pamela and maybe her lawyer in concert with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Debra, there you go. He`s pointing the finger squarely at certainly your client, possibly at you. Did you or Pam release the tape?
OPRI: Absolutely not. Neither Pamela or any of her representatives even knew it existed until the media contacted her. He had seen it prior to us even knowing about it. Her daughter, 16 years old, who shot the tape, she had it, her boyfriend knew about it. So someone else did it and it`s a despicable thing. But no we didn`t.
And let me tell you why Mel Goldsman is so certain, because it`s a smoke screen strategy. You always point the finger and blame everybody else when you don`t want to deal with the reality before you. The reality is what`s on that videotape? How does Mr. Hasselhoff explain away a 16- year-old daughter pleading with him -- and this wasn`t the first time. You could see she was not shocked by what she saw. She`s pleading with him to stop drinking. That`s what Mel, who is so certain about everything else, maybe he should start inquiring into his client`s sobriety.
Because when he tells me how wonderful a guy David Hasselhoff is, why doesn`t he start finding out to the degree of being a drunk his client is. It`s horrible. So leave out the allegations of who leaked the tape. We didn`t, Mel. I`m talking directly to you. We didn`t do it. Maybe your client did it. He has a book coming out May 15th. Maybe he wants some controversy, Mel.
HAMMER: Well Debra, obviously people do feel that there was a way for your client to perhaps benefit from the tap being released. And let`s face it, these guys are in a nasty custody battle. The tape comes out. What`s the next thing that happens? A judge suspends David Hasselhoff`s visitation rights. That is a good thing for Pamela, is it not?
OPRI: No, it isn`t, because her two daughters -- you wouldn`t believe what`s going on in that household. Mr. Hasselhoff to his daughters, he is blaming Pamela for leaking the tape. The daughters, out of loyalty, are believing him. And now we have to subpoena everybody to come into court on May 21st to lay a foundation for where that tape came from and when it was taken. Other than Mr. Hasselhoff admitting it so his daughters and other people don`t have to come into the court, as well as possibly himself, to explain what exactly happened on that tape.
Mr. Hasselhoff is digging a hole. And Mel, instead of pointing fingers at who leaked the tape -- and nobody cares who leaked the tape -- the judge never set a hearing for who leaked the tape. Judge set a hearing to hear when that tape was taken, who took it and he wants to set some dates. That`s what he`s doing. As far as Mr. Hasselhoff, with his allegations of leaking things publicly, let`s talk about the publicity. I was hired to deal with the publicity problems in the media, not because of it.
HAMMER: That`s exactly what David Hasselhoff`s attorney is also saying. He`s accusing you of putting yourself out there, Debra. Well look, you`re appearing on TV. We love having you on, but here you are right now. And they`re saying they`re staying quieter.
OPRI: Let`s put it this way, the media coverage of this case was at a very, very critical level with the leaking and the attorneys for Mr. Hasselhoff did the oops, I`m sorry routine when David Hasselhoff`s declaration, accusing her of cocaine usage was released.
HAMMER: It`s continuing to climb to a fever pitch. Debra, I`m out of time. I`m certain that we will be able to talk about this again. Debra Opri, attorney for Pamela Bach Hasselhoff, thank you. .
Well, another star divorce that certainly got ugly, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. Everybody remembers this well. And now Denise is opening up about starting up a relation with her friend Heather Locklear`s ex, Richie Sambora (ph). It`s pretty juicy stuff, and I`ll have that coming up next.
Also, I just couldn`t believe some soft things that came out of Lindsay Lohan`s mouth. She`s saying that the rehab center that treated her just didn`t get her. Reality check, Lindsay, that`s coming up.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and take it right out and sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and end your career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: When stars are hurt by their own words. Coming up, the most outrageous things that stars have said, getting them in major trouble.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: There was a big party in New York City last night and I was right there as all the big stars were showing up to celebrate "Time Magazine`s" 100 most influential people. A lot of the buzz on the red carpet last night was about one person, who made the list year, Rosie O`Donnell. Well, as you know, Rosie is leaving "The View" and I had to ask everyone, from Matt Lauer to John Mayer, to Brian Williams, who they thought should replace Rosie. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN WILLIAMS, NBC NEWS ANCHOR: Oh, man, like all Americans, I`m going to sit back and watch this process roll out organically and I would never dream of being a prejudice to the vote.
JOHN MAYER, MUSICIAN: I like Rosie. I think the world needs more people like Rosie. She`s never thrown a punch at anybody. She`s never thrown something through a window. She`s just speaking. And I think she`s one of the most powerful speakers in America.
MATT LAUER, "TODAY": I`m surprised at what`s happened over there. I thought it was going well, and I thought they were going to stick with it. Even Meredith was surprised. I remember the day it happened. I looked at her and said, did you know. She says, no, I had no clue. And she hasn`t been able to find out anything either.
HAMMER: Any thought on what Rosie should do next?
LAUER: Oh, you know, Rosie`s going to do fine. She`s successful, she`s talented, she`s a good broadcaster. She`s provocative. She`s going to have a lot of good opportunities and I think she`ll do well at whatever she tries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Matt Lauer says all he knows is they`re not getting Meredith Vieira back. She is sticking with him on the "Today Show."
So, why did O.J. Simpson get thrown out of a restaurant, causing other people there to stand up and cheer? We`re going to tell you. And we will hear from the owner of the restaurant, coming up. We`ll also have this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to wrap my arms around her and take her away for 20 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Would you please, Jane? thanks. Still ahead, the absolutely outrageous stuff that Lindsay Lohan is saying about rehab, including that maybe she was just too hard-core for the rehab to deal with her. Also Lindsay isn`t the only one to run off at the mouth recently. Coming up, a look at the stars who have been hurt by their own words. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night is coming straight back. Don`t go anywhere.
(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. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
When I heard about O.J. Simpson about getting kicked out of a restaurant, I was thinking good for the guys that threw him out. Coming up, why someone was so disgusted, so angry at O.J., he told him to take his business elsewhere.
And I can also admit there have certainly been times when I`ve put my foot, or perhaps both of my feet, in my mouth because I said something that I probably shouldn`t have. Everybody`s done it at one point or another. Well, when you`re a star, doing that could make things much worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY MURPHY, CONSULTANT FOR "TV GUIDE": Sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and take it right out, and sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and end your career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, I`ve got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, how what stars say can destroy their careers.
But first tonight, Lindsay Lohan`s shocking comments about rehab. You probably remember when Lohan checked into the Wonderland Treatment Center in Los Angeles for nearly 30 days, that was back in January. A lot of people couldn`t believe that she started hitting the clubs just after she checked out of the rehab center.
Wait until you hear what she is now saying about her experience in rehab. Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Ken Seeley, he`s an interventionist on A&E`s show, "Intervention".
Good to see you, Ken.
KEN SEELEY, A&E`s "INTERVENTION": Hey, A.J., how are you?
HAMMER: I`m well.
Better than Lindsey, maybe. I don`t know. This was a wacky, crazy article that was hard to believe when I read it. Even when Lindsey was in rehab, you remember, she was constantly leaving. She was doing things you probably don`t do when you`re supposed to be getting treatment. She was shooting a movie. She was getting her car fixed. Well, she gave an interview I`m talking about to "Nylon" (ph) magazine talking about her time at Wonderland Center for rehab. Listen to what she says about Wonderland in this particular article.
She says, ". at Wonderland they didn`t really get that I was working, too. I was making a movie and trying to get sober. I can`t just sit still somewhere all day."
Ken, right there, she points out she was trying to get sober. So isn`t the whole point when you`re at rehab, you`re supposed to stay at rehab and do the program and get sober?
SEELEY: Well, A.J., don`t you realize she`s different?
HAMMER: Oh! Oh!
SEELEY: She`s different than everybody else. Don`t you know that?
HAMMER: I`m sorry.
SEELEY: I mean, that`s really what`s about. She thinks she`s different than the rest of the people that are in rehab because she has to work. So does everybody else that has to go to rehab. They have to work also to pay for their lives.
But the reality is, is she`s just not ready. She hasn`t hit a bottom. She`s not ready to get sober. And what needs to happen is somebody needs to step in, up to the plate. But it`s very difficult because anybody that steps in, is -- she`s -- they`re afraid they`re going to lose their jobs.
HAMMER: Yeah.
SEELEY: I mean, she doesn`t have a mother that`s going to step in. She doesn`t have an agent. You know, we need to get some producer or somebody in there to jump in and say, no more of this behavior. You continue down this road and we`re putting an end to this, whatever this is going to be.
You know, with Paris, as you were talking about earlier, jail is this. We need to create a "this" for Lindsay where she realizes and feels the pain and the jolt where she`ll say, OK, I`ve had enough. And I`m ready to take this seriously, because the end result is going to be death -- or jail.
HAMMER: As you mentioned, you she needs to see that result. She`s certainly been threatened before or she`s been put in place a couple of times in the past, which I`ll talk about in a moment. But you`re right, she hasn`t lost a job, she hasn`t lost her income. I want to read to you something else she said because talk about the height of arrogance and self-importance. Listen to this.
"I don`t enjoy getting F-ed up and I don`t do well. But people will always say that. I just think that the people at Wonderland weren`t used to me. They`ve had other celebrities there, just never as hardcore as me."
Ken, I`ve got to say, I read that and I`m just dumbfounded.
SEELEY: As hard-core as she is. You know, really what it boils down to, she also mentioned in that article that she is a shopaholic. She likes to buy. I guess she had a hotel room that she had just for your closets, for her clothes. The reality is there`s something inside of her that she doesn`t feel good within herself.
There`s something missing, just as David Hasselhoff, and she both says, I don`t like to feel lonely. There`s something inside of them that they feel lonely. And that`s what we need to address to get to the root of the problem, where shopping, alcohol, drugs. Going out dancing and night clubbing, that`s not going to fill the hole. She needs the appropriate care. But she`s not going to get it until she gets that jolt.
HAMMER: And she does seem to live with such a disconnect. Of course, her new movie, "Georgia Rule" is in theaters this weekend. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there, last night, the big premiere in New York City. Let`s not forget, this is the movie where the studio head did chew her out publicly for showing up late to work and for her poor work ethic. She didn`t get fired so she didn`t get that jolt. But listen to what Jane Fonda said when we asked her how she felt about Lindsay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: I want to wrap my arms around her and take her away for 20 years. You know, she needs protection. In many ways -- we don`t know -- unless you`ve been there to know what it`s like to have been a celebrity since you were 12 and to have that kind of scrutiny. And the difficult family situations she`s been through, she turned 20 on the movie. She`s a kid. But talented, oh, my Lord.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Talented, and she`s been acting for such a long time. But, Ken, is that really perhaps at the root of the problem. She`s never really known a normal life so she does have this detached sense of reality.
SEELEY: No, as you see the disease of addiction, it travels through every -- it`s not prejudice, it gets all walks of life. So I agree with Jane of putting her arms around her and helping her, and getting her through this. But it`s through medical attention. That`s the only way she`s going to get through this.
I really wish somebody would step up to the plate and do what`s necessary to help her get through this because she could help millions of people across the country and the world if she really does the right thing here.
HAMMER: It would be nice to see her setting a really good example. I`ll tell you what, if you read this article, in "Nylon", you won`t be feeling that`s what she`s doing.
Ken Seeley, from A&E`s "Intervention". I do appreciate you joining us tonight.
SEELEY: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: Let`s move on now to a story that I`m just loving tonight. O.J. Simpson, kicked out of a restaurant. Here`s what happened. O.J. stopped by a steakhouse with some friends while he was attending the Kentucky Derby in Louisville over the weekend. When another diner mentioned to the owner, Jeff Ruby, that O.J. was there. Ruby went right up to O.J. and said, I`m not serving you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF RUBY, RESTAURANT OWNER: He came out. And it`s the first class he has shown, in my opinion, since the murders.
He said, I understand, Jeff. Can I just have a few minutes to find the people that I came with so they know we`ve got to leave? I said, yeah. And I almost shook his hand because he was cool. But I didn`t go there. And then this blond comes up to me -- I guess his date -- and started getting in my face in the middle of the restaurant. And said, it`s a free country, he should be able to eat wherever he wants. I said, listen, you`re a blond, you better be careful he don`t slit your throat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoa! Just as Jeff said, O.J. left calmly. Ruby says the other diners gave him a standing ovation for throwing O.J. out. Now, Ruby, as you heard, believes O.J. killed his wife, Nicole Brown and a friend Ron Goldman. You remember that Simpson was found not guilty in a 1995 criminal trial, but he was found guilty -- liable, rather -- in the civil trial that followed.
And get this, O.J.`s lawyer said that Ruby`s move was racially motivated and intends to go after him.
Well, there certainly have been times when I have opened up my mouth when I shouldn`t have, said things I shouldn`t have. But when big stars do that, well, it can really hurt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: Sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and take it right out. And sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and end your career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got a revealing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, how stars can practically destroy their careers with the words they say. That`s next.
And sometimes, you know, actions can hurt just as much. I`ve got Denise Richards setting the record straight on that nasty love triangle that involved her former best friend Heather Locklear and her husband, Richie Sambora. How could we forget that one?
Well, with all the celebrity splits come, of course, high-powered divorce lawyers. And next you`re not going to believe what one firm did to rustle up a couple of new clients. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
When it comes to people putting the old proverbial foot in their mouth, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that when big-time stars do it, they can get into some very hot water. But can saying hurtful and embarrassing things really destroy someone`s career or is Hollywood able to forgive and forget? Here`s my SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MURPHY: Sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and take it right out. And it`s only a one-day story, it`s a blip. And sometimes you can put your foot in your mouth and end your career. And Don Imus certainly knows this lesson.
HAMMER (voice over): He sure does. Don Imus got fired for his outrageous comments on his radio program about the Rutgers University woman`s basketball team.
DON IMUS, TALK RADIO HOST: . hardcore hoes, that`s some nappy-headed hoes, there. I`m going to tell you that now.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Imus is not the only one who has suffered from foot-in-mouth disease.
ALEC BALWIN, ACTOR: You are a rude, thoughtless little pig, OK?
Alec Baldwin`s horrific voice mail rant to his 11-year-old daughter has cost the "30 Rock" star embarrassment, pain and maybe future visitations rights with his daughter Ireland.
BALDWIN: You`ve made me feel like (bleep).
HAMMER: And just like Imus, Alec went into full damage control mode, appearing on "The View" to say how sorry he was. Even vowing to quit the acting business altogether.
BALDWIN: Obviously calling your child a pig or anything else is improper and inappropriate, and I apologized to my daughter for that. If I never acted again, I couldn`t care less.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: I think Alec Baldwin has played this really smart. He acknowledged he made a mistake and he went right to women. And you really need that cathartic moment. You really need to put yourself in the chair, and sweat, and answer those questions.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT always asking the tough questions, is taking a good, hard look at stars whose words hurt their career from Baldwin to Imus to Mel Gibson, Isaiah Washington, and "Seinfeld" star Michael Richards.
MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR: Here`s to feeling good all the time.
HAMMER: Michael Richards played the lovable character "Cramer" on "Seinfeld". But he certainly got no love when he put his foot in his mouth, not just once, but several times on stage at a comedy club in November 2006, calling audience members the "N" word.
RICHARDS: He`s a (bleep)! He`s a (bleep)!
HAMMER: Even though Richards also went into full "I`m sorry" damage control mode, has he ruined his career?
MURPHY: We saw the rage and the erratic nature of it. And so I think that it really has hurt his career. I`m not sure he`ll be able to come back from this.
BRAGMAN: I don`t think Michael Richards had a big career before his racist rant. So has it ended his career? He`ll pop back up again in some way, but to get another network job, I don`t think that`s going to happen.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON, ACTOR: No, I did not call T.R. a (bleep).
HAMMER: "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington didn`t lose his TV job for using a gay slur toward his co-star T.R. Knight, but he, too, apologized. And even entered a treatment facility after putting his foot in his mouth a second time, backstage at the Golden Globe Awards.
MURPHY: He came back to work. He`s taken himself out of consideration for Emmy nomination. He`s taken all the right steps to heal his relationships with his cast members.
HAMMER: Washington even agreed to do a public service announcement for a gay activist groups. He hasn`t lost his TV gig and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went right to his spokesperson, Howard Bragman, who tells us Isaiah knows what he says was wrong but he`s no homophobe.
BRAGMAN: He would be the first to say he used the wrong word. But I`ve looked at this man in the eye, and we`ve talked as people, and I don`t believe that there`s a homophobic bone in his body.
HAMMER: And then, there`s Mel Gibson, whose movie "Apacolyptos" scored big at the box office, after his anti-Semitic tirade following his drunk driving arrest. But what about Mel being hired to star in someone else`s movie?
BRAGMAN: Mel Gibson`s going to be challenged when it comes to people casting him in studio films.
HAMMER: It was back in July of 2006 when Gibson unleashed an anti- Semitic tirade to arresting officers after they pulled him over for driving while intoxicated.
RABBI MARVIN HEIR, SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER: He clearly said some horrible things, which have been reported, that the Jews are responsible for all wars.
HAMMER: So will Hollywood ever forgive and forget?
MURPHY: It will take a lot for Hollywood to forgive him.
HAMMER: So, whether it`s Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, Isaiah Washington, Michael Richards or Don Imus, sure, you can say you`re sorry, but it doesn`t always mean you`ll be forgiven. Imus is now suing CBS for $120 million for wrongful termination. And he has a long road ahead of him.
MURPHY: Don Imus could have a future in satellite radio, if they have him. The big question is, will the major politicians stop by the show?
HAMMER: Because in the end, sticks and stones may break some bones, and words can definitely hurt you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Denise Richards is opening up like never before about her relationship with Richie Sambora and how she feels about Heather Locklear.
In the new issue of "OK" magazine Denise is setting the record straight about how she and the Bon Jovi guitarist hooked up. The tabloids, of course, when wild last year when Denise and Charlie Sheen split up, after three years of marriage. And it all reached a fever pitch when Denise started a romance with Sambora right after he broke up with Heather Locklear, who was Denise`s good friend.
Got all that? Well, now Denise says that she thinks she was treated unfairly and she was shocked at how judgmental people were. She says quote, "I didn`t have an affair with Richie during his marriage, nor did he during mine. I am a loyal girlfriend and a good friend."
Denise goes on to say, that even though she didn`t do anything technically wrong, quote, "I understand why Heather was jealous or upset. I have to suck it up and take the consequences for that."
For more with Denise Richards, you can pick up a copy of "OK" magazines on newsstands in New York and L.A. right now, and everywhere on Friday.
Well, we don`t know what lawyers that Denise, Charlie, Heather and Richie all hired but they just might want to dial up a Chicago divorce firm that put up an ad that has caused coast-to-coast controversy. You can kind of call this a billboard that has not left anybody bored. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): You know how they say --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You may now kiss the bride.
MOOS: Kiss her good-bye, if you believe this billboard, "Life`s short, Get a divorce." Bosoms galore and washboard abs await you. The all- female Chicago law firm that put up the ad described it this way.
CORRI FETMAN, LAWYER: Gutsy, unique, outcome oriented.
MOOS: Passers-by chose somewhat different words.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Disgusting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it`s ludicrous.
MOOS: And no one seemed more irritated than other attorneys.
RAOUL FELDER, DIVORCE ATTORNEY: This looks like they`re advertising for an escort service. It doesn`t look like it`s from a law firm.
MOOS: The eye-catching cleavage graced and area known as the Viagra triangle for it`s trendy upscale singles bars.
FETMAN: Typically law firm advertising is lawyers in suits. We wanted something that was going to provide hope and fantasy. Hope gets you through the darkest times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it`s saying, give up on your marriage if you can find something a little more exciting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s encouraging divorce.
FETMAN: We don`t cause divorce. People cause divorce. Lawyers don`t.
MOOS: Just as guns don`t kill people, as for the killer abs --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These muscles I like, they`re very handsome.
MOOS: The abs belong to the personal trainer of the lawyer behind the billboard.
(On camera): Life`s short, get a divorce.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, life is too short to waste your time.
FELDMAN: It looks like it`s a Victoria`s Secret ad.
MOOS (voice over): This from a divorce attorney who surrounds himself with slogans.
(On camera): Didn`t you hand out pens? You still hand out --
FELDMAN: Yes.
MOOS: Do you have them now?
FELDMAN: It`s a joke. It says, "Sue someone you love." It`s a joke. But I don`t do -- I don`t have a pen with one of these things, with a nude person on it, when you turn it upside down their clothes fall off.
MOOS (voice over): A few years back, a British divorce lawyer put up these ads in London restrooms. They got tons of publicity, which is exactly what we`re giving this. These two aren`t ditching anybody. They`ve been married going on 47 years.
(On camera): Your slogan would be, life`s short, stick together.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life`s short, fix it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take this ring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With this ring I thee wed.
MOOS: That`s wed not shed. But what with the all the controversy the offending ad was shed Tuesday afternoon. Life really is short, especially the life of this billboard.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Oh, and it will be missed. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
By the way, according to the Chicago officials, the billboard was taken down not because of its content, or because of the uproar, but because the firm didn`t get a permit to put it up. Two words on that: Yeah, right.
Carmen Electra just went through a divorce herself. She divorced musician Dave Navaro. But she`s back out on the singles scene. She is looking as sexy as ever. And coming up next, I get her to spill the secrets of how anyone can be sexy. And an even bigger surprise how Carmen Electra sees herself. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night, coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Carmen Electra, of course, you know her as the sexy star from "Baywatch." She was married to Dave Navaro from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane`s Addiction.
Carmen has doing a lot of stuff on Hollywood and body image. She has a new book called "How To Be Sexy, " where she is sharing the secrets of hotness.
When I sat down with Carmen who revealed it`s not just what`s on the outside that makes a person sexy. And a surprise about how she actually sees herself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARMEN ELECTRA: Funny, because when you`re in front of the camera, you really learn how to turn it on, and you learn how to work the camera. But in real life, I`m actually kind of shy.
I think that it`s all about how you feel, really. And if you feel good, and you feel young and, you know, that comes through. So it`s really what`s going on, on the inside and feeling confident and feeling good about yourself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sounds like good advice to me, Carmen. Thank you for that. Carmen Electra`s "How To Be Sexy" is in stores now.
We asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Paris Hilton going to jail. Did she get what she deserved? Look at this vote, a landslide, 96 percent of you said, yes, she got what she deserved. Only 4 percent of you said, no; a couple of e-mails, too.
Molly from Florida wrote us: "Just because she has money doesn`t mean she should be spared the punishments of average citizens."
We also heard from Lori in Canada, she agrees, "She is 26-years old, so when is she going to start taking responsibility for her own actions?"
Well, maybe, Lori, just maybe -- today we saw her start to take a little responsibility.
It is time now to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, star plastic surgery successes and nightmares. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates whose nips and tucks were terrific, and whose -- well, were just plain terrible. When bad nose and boob jobs happen to good stars. That`s tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, former "American Idol" contestant Kimberly Locke`s has a brand new challenge for all to see on TV. She`s shedding pounds on "Celebrity Fit Club". Of course, we`ll ask her who her "Idol" pick is this season. Kimberly Locke, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT
And that is it for tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This guy, "Glenn Beck" coming up next right after the latest from "CNN Headline News."
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