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Showbiz Tonight
Who`s to Blame For Lindsay Lohan`s Second Stint in Rehab?; Larry Birkhead Sued by Former Lawyer
Aired May 30, 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: Larry Birkhead`s former attorney sues him, saying pay up. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Donald Trump goes off on "The View" and it`s not just Rosie in the line of fire this time. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Lindsay Lohan in rehab. Tonight, who should get the blame? What about her mom? Her friends? What`s the deal with all those clubs that let the underage stars come in and party?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her staff, her hangers on, her handlers have created just as much of a mess for her as she has herself. It`s a joke
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From Lindsay to Paris, to Britney to Nicole, what in the world is going on? It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event, young Hollywood`s meltdown.
Tonight, Hollywood`s DUI epidemic. TV stars, big screen legends, why are so many stars getting arrested for driving under the influence. When will it end?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not until something horrible happens that people are willing to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a disturbing question, why are so many stars driving drunk?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York Hollywood. And Donald Trump just won`t let it go. He is taking on Rosie again and the other ladies of "The View" too. Hear for yourself coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, Lindsay Lohan in rehab. The wild partying is over for now. And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is demanding answers. Who is to blame for Lindsay`s complete meltdown? Sure, go ahead, blame Lindsay all you want. But let me tell you this, there`s a lot more finger pointing to do, because the blame game goes far beyond Lindsay herself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Lindsay Lohan`s Memorial Day meltdown. The wild weekend that made her check into her second stint in rehab. A DUI arrest and what looks to be drugs found at the scene.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was usable amount of illegal narcotics that was preliminary identified as cocaine.
HAMMER: And then these pictures of her falling down outside of a club, and looking like this in somebody else`s car. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got to ask, where does the responsibility lie when a girl who`s not even old enough to drink crashes and burns so publicly?
LAUREN HOWARD, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Come on, we put these people up on pedestals. We treat them like they`re royalty. And yes, we kind of tell them, the rules don`t apply for you. Then, when something goes awry, everybody`s upset.
GILLIAN SHELDON, SUPERVISING PRODUCER, TMZ.COM: First, you have to look at her family. Her family is totally dysfunctional. Her father has been in and out of prison. He just got out of jail again. He admitted substance abuse problems. Add fame at a very young age. That seems to be, lately in Hollywood, a deadly combination.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan`s parents, who got divorced in 2005, have been very vocal about their daughter`s problems. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Lindsay`s estranged dad Michael the day after his daughter`s DUI arrest. Michael Lohan wasn`t about to blame Lindsay`s background or his own rap sheet. He says the real problem is her inner circle.
MICHAEL LOHAN, FATHER OF LINDSAY LOHAN: It just really bothers me that too many people are around Lindsay because of what they can get from her, instead of Lindsay herself and caring about her. I just wish that Dina, her mother, would get on the same page with me, so that we both can be there as parents that Lindsay needs.
HAMMER: Michael`s not the only one to point the finger at his ex- wife, who has been known to hit the clubs and party scene with Lindsay. The last time Lindsay went to rehab, her mom was the one to come to her defense, saying going out is simply the fun part of being young and famous.
RACHEL SYNE, "RADAR MAGAZINE": She`s not playing a very strong parental role in Lindsay`s career. She`s kind of -- I would say she`s enabling a lot of the partying and a lot of the behavior that people don`t like that`s happening with Lindsay, because she acts more like a sister. She acts more like a party buddy.
HAMMER: Extra correspondent Tanika Ray didn`t hold back when it came to how she felt about Dina Lohan on Tuesday`s "Larry King Live."
TANIKA RAY, EXTRA CORRESPONDENT: Her mom came out a couple months ago and said, Lindsay`s fine. She`s great. She`s just a little exhausted from all of her work. The first time she went to rehab, she didn`t take it seriously. It was a 30 day vacation, where she can get away from the paparazzi, hang out with her friends and stay in the sun.
Her mother practically parties with her, Larry. It`s really embarrassing. Her mom pretty much should be brought up on charges as far as I`m concerned.
HAMMER: But it`s not just Lindsay`s parents. What about her entourage of friends? They`re the ones who were around when Lindsay went to AA meetings and her first stint in rehab. Where are they now? Driving her around looking like this.
GAIL SALTZ, LICENSED CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST: The bottom line is if you turn out to have a problem with alcohol, you can not drink alcohol. You can not drink any alcohol. Unfortunately, what it means is you have to really be around people who understand that. You have to say, I`m not drinking.
HAMMER: The first step in not drinking, not going to bars and clubs. So where do the owners of those places fit in. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Lindsay has been admitted into these clubs and bars. After all, they only benefit when someone famous is behind their doors, no matter what their age.
SHELDON: They basically drop the velvet rope and say, come on in. We don`t care if you`re under 21. Here`s booze. Here`s food. Here are drugs. Just let us be attached to you. Let us use your name.
RIKKI KLIEMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: What you have here with Lindsay Lohan and these bars that may have served her is the question of did they ask for an ID. Did someone else go up and get a drink? Did they see she was inebriated beyond belief and they continued to help her get drunk? It`s a joke.
HAMMER: With Lindsay behind closed doors in rehab, the party seems to be over. The only question now is whether 30 days will be enough to save Lindsay from herself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Lindsay`s life in the fast lane may be over for now, but I have to ask whether her melt down could have been prevented in the first place. Joining me tonight in New York, Dr. Keith Ablow. He`s a psychiatrist and he`s the author of "Living the Truth." Also tonight joining us from Atlanta, defense attorney and founder of MyFifth.org, B.J. Bernstein.
Keith, B.J., it`s good to see you both. You know, as we just saw, a lot of finger-pointing going on here. B.J. what do you think? Where should the blame be placed? Are we supposed to be pointing our fingers at the clubs or the parents? Or is it basically here is a 29-year-old young woman who is old enough to be taking responsibility for herself.
B.J. BERNSTEIN, MYFIFTH.ORG: You can look to the parents, the friends, the clubs and they`ll have a role in it. But in the end, it comes down to Lindsay. She is reflective of what a lot of young people -- go to any college town in America. Go into a bar and I assure you, a lot of those folks are under 21 and doing exactly what she`s doing.
The problem is she becomes a role model for them and they say, I see Lindsay do it, I can do it. And that`s where the problem comes for everyone.
HAMMER: But again, we have to keep in mind, she`s not 21 yet, as you said. She is under-age. Everybody is wondering where the heck the parents have been. We just heard a little bit from her dad, Michael Lohan. Here`s what he had to say directly to Lindsay about what`s going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: You`re the most important thing in my life and I am sure in mommy`s life and in your brother`s and sister`s life. We just want to all be there for you. Please, honey, get in touch with me. And let`s get this right. All right? I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s good to have parental involvement. It` good timing, but I got tell you, the guy`s been in jail for his own DUI problems. He was just in jail for an assault charge. Keith, is it too little too late coming from the dad here.
KEITH ABLOW, PSYCHIATRIST: They`re nice words, but the bottom line is these things go deep. The roots of why this young woman, with all her fame, all of her influence, the art that she likes to indulge in, would drink herself nearly to death go very deep. Look, this was an absentee father, largely. This was not someone there to support her emotionally.
This is somebody for whom she wrote a song, saying I still love you. I need you in my life. That kind of pain, the question of am I lovable; am I really worth anything at all, that is what is driving this behavior now. So I don`t think anyone is to blame here except for perhaps the clubs, certainly.
You know, this father who wasn`t able to get his act together, I wish he could have gotten the he needed sooner. The mother, who chose this guy and let him stay in her life for so long; there are lots of people who have contributed to this moment for her. But whether it ends as a tragedy, with her death, or whether she recovers, that`s going to depend on what happens next and whether people can set aside their own agendas for her.
HAMMER: Yes, because it certainly seems -- and it has been mentioned on this program before. She is certainly headed down that road if the right intervention -- and hopefully that`s what`s happening now with this rehab -- but if that doesn`t take place. Keith, you brought up the clubs.
Let`s talk about that. B.J., you mention it as well. I am just furious about what they are doing, in terms of enabling young Hollywood. Rikki Klieman in our piece called it a joke. We have been seeing for years Lindsay underage in the clubs. Now we have learned that the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, they`re investigating if Lindsay was served alcohol, if she was served after hours the night of the crash.
B.J., help me understand how they`re able to get away with this and how this has gone on for so long?
BERNSTEIN: I think part of it just not enough focus on law enforcement. We look at clubs when something happens, like a DUI, or a vehicular homicide, like we`re seeing now. It causes attention to be placed on it. And then they go on to the next thing. These are private businesses. As you mentioned, they profit directly from these starlets showing up.
HAMMER: They`re profiting. But why aren`t they being shut down? Why are they just appearing to get a slap on the wrist that is far outweighed by the publicity they get? I don`t understand that.
BERNSTEIN: I don`t either. And I think that`s what we`re about to see next. I think somebody is really going to have to really say -- you know, paparazzi is in front of these doors every day and see who goes in and out, and sees the rules, and knows that they`re being blatantly broken. And it`s just got to stop
HAMMER: Look at what`s going on here, Keith. You have Paris going to jail. You`ve got Britney, who just went to rehab. She just admitted on a long letter on her website that she hit rock bottom. Nicole Richie had a DUI arrest. And now we have what`s going on with Lindsay. What do you see as the common thread here?
ABLOW: The common thread here are the ways in which people run away from their personal truth. These are young women who have at hand fame as a distraction, unlimited access, it seems, even to substances that are outside their age range. They haven`t grasped whether their internal feelings are ones they can deal with.
So I have to throw the rehab centers in with this too. The bottom line is there are too many rehab centers out there that are revolving doors, that want to not do the work of bringing people back to their real feelings and helping them reclaim their lives. They just want to dry them up and get them out.
HAMMER: As was sadly pointed out in our piece, until there`s a tragedy, which I feel like we`re headed in that direction, nothing will change. Dr. Keith Ablow, B.J. Bernstein, thank you both.
ANDERSON: So what are your thoughts? It`s our question of the day. Lindsay Lohan in rehab; are the clubs partly to blame? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an email, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
And you can now 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. Just go to our website. It is 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.
HAMMER: Brooke, as you well know, simply because the news is unavoidable, Lindsay not the only Hollywood starlet to get in trouble recently. We have Paris. We have Nicole. We have Britney. They all seem to be spiraling out of control. It makes me think something is in the water, although maybe water not the right liquid to be talking about.
Coming up at 30 past the hour, you`re not going to want to miss this, SHOWBIZ special event, Young Hollywood`s Meltdown. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Unfortunately, what it`s going to take is some obituary reports. Not until something horrible happens that people are willing to change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hollywood`s DUI epidemic. You know, I always wonder why the stars don`t just hire drivers to take them everywhere they want to go. They`ve got the money. They have the means. From Lindsay to Mel to Nicole, DUI arrests on the rise in Hollywood and there may be an explanation for it. We`ve got that still ahead.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, I`m never surprised anymore when I hear Donald Trump bad mouthing Rosie O`Donnell. But I want to know why is he going after my good friend, Joy Behar now too. Donald Trump in his own words coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. All right, so reality TV has definitely had its low points throughout its history. Anybody remember Temptation Island around here?
Yes, that doesn`t even hold a candle to a Dutch show that is currently in the works called the Big Donor Show. Yes, pretty much what it sounds like. This is where contestants compete to get a kidney from a terminally ill woman when she dies. Pretty gross right?
Viewers get to vote on who should get the kidney, but the woman makes the final decision. A reality show where contestants fighting over a dying woman`s kidney, now that`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: And just plain wrong. All right, Lindsay Lohan; you know, she`s the latest star to get arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. But if you look back, it seems it`s an epidemic in Hollywood. From Mel Gibson to Nicole Richie to Ty Pennington, the list goes on and on. And is it turns out, there may be an explanation for why famous people keep getting nabbed for DUI. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. LOHAN: This was inevitable. It will continue.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: Michael Lohan reacts to the news over the weekend that his estranged daughter Lindsay Lohan was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
M. LOHAN: Please, honey, just get in touch with me and let`s get this right.
VARGAS: Lohan may be the latest star in trouble for the serious offense, but she`s hardly alone. From TV stars to big screen legends, more celebrities are serving sentences for driving under the influence. The result of a growing epidemic of celebrity DUI arrests. "30 Rock" star Tracy Morgan pled guilty to DUI. Rappers Eve and Busta Rhymes have been charged with DUI, pled not guilty and are awaiting trial.
Just days after Paris Hilton was sentenced to jail for violating probation on her alcohol related offense, reality TV host Ty Pennington pleaded no contest to driving with too much alcohol in his system.
(on camera): Are you surprised that you`re seeing so many celebrities being pulled over for DUI?
DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: No, I am really not. I treat a lot of celebrities. I`m friends with people in that industry. Substance problems are exceedingly common.
VARGAS: Addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky says not only are famous people prone to alcoholism, in a recent study of 200 celebrities, he also found what he calls off the chart levels of narcissism, that he says could lead them to feel they`re above the law.
PINSKY: They feel a deep sense of emptiness, our study showed, very often. And when they get pumped up, what comes with that is a sense of entitlement, a sense of being bigger than life, and special. And if you`re special, maybe the laws don`t apply to you, because you`re so special.
VARGAS: Back in December, Nicole Richie was arrested after 911 callers say they saw her driving the wrong direction on a freeway. She`s awaiting trial after pleading not guilty to charges of driving under the influence.
PINSKY: Unfortunately, what it is going to take is some obituary reports. It`s a not until something horrible happens that people are willing to change.
VARGAS: In the case of "Prison Break" star Lane Garrison, something horrible did happen. A 17-year-old boy died and now Garrison is facing 6 1/2 years in jail. He pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence.
PINSKY: The press tends to spin these stories about celebrities as though it`s something we should sort of chuckle at. When the fact is, these are very serious medical and psychiatric problems. My hope is that something like illegal action, jail time will get someone`s attention and get them to meaningfully participate in treatment.
VARGAS: While the fate of Hollywood`s newest DUI suspect hangs in the balance, the one time pal Paris has just one week left before she must begin serving 23 days behind bars, punishment, the LAPD hopes, will send a strong message.
SGT. LEE SANDS, LAPD: On the average, every 22 minutes, a person dies -- an American dies as a result of being involved in a DUI related traffic incident. People that may emulate these celebrities, some of the younger people, when they see, hey, this person got arrested for drunk driving and brought this much attention to them. It`s affected their careers somehow. Maybe I won`t do that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas.
HAMMER: As life goes on for "The View" without Rosie O`Donnell, there`s at least one person who just can`t seem to let it go, Donald Trump. Do you get the impression that Donald Trump is sitting around one of his penthouses, thinking of mean things to say about his co-host. It seem like he has a grudge against not only Rosie, but every single woman on the show. On "Larry King Live," Trump took pot shots at all of them, from Barbara Walters on down the line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Look, Barbara`s the happiest person on earth right now. She got rid of Rosie. Rosie for her was a total catastrophe. It showed Barbara as obviously not telling the truth, at least in the episode with me. But Rosie is self-destructive and ultimately Rosie is a loser.
It was very surprising to me to see Elizabeth Hasselbeck, who`s not the brightest bulb in the planet, seeing her beat Rosie so easily in the debate. If I look at Joy Behar -- if you`re going to rely on her -- she has absolutely no entertainment ability. She`s got no anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You don`t mess with my friend Joy, Donald. Lindsay Lohan situation also came up. Lindsay was spared Trump`s strange brand of attack. He said Lindsay`s very sweet.
ANDERSON: Huh, well A.J., Lindsay may be sweet, but she is the latest in the young Hollywood set to get into major trouble. I have to ask, why can`t these girls get their acts together? We`re tackling that in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event, Young Hollywood`s Meltdown, at 30 minutes past the hour.
HAMMER: So the question is how much responsibility do the parents have in these situations? Lindsay is almost 21. I don`t know how much her mom could reel her in, but have you seen her mom? How much is she to blame? We`re going to look into that.
ANDERSON: Larry Birkhead may be looking at more time inside a court room. His former lawyer is suing him. But wait until you hear what he is saying about her. You don`t want to miss this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: All right, there could be a smack down in the works between Larry Birkhead and his former lawyer. Debra Opri has filed a lawsuit against Birkhead, saying he didn`t pay his legal bills. But Birkhead doesn`t sound like he`s taking it lying down.
Opri represented him during the paternity suit involving his baby with Anna Nicole Smith. Opri says she spent hundreds of hours working on the case at a rate of 475 dollars per an hour, and she wants a judge to step in and make him pay. In a statement to TMZ, Larry Birkhead said Opri knows that he`s out of the state, taking care of Dannielynn.
And then he says this, quote, "At this time, the public is not aware of the unbelievable circumstances which led to me firing Ms. Opri. The only question at the end of the day is, how much money will Debra Opri be paying me?" So, it should be pretty interesting to see how all of this shakes out. We`ll keep you posted.
HAMMER: Sound like some legal action brewing. So Brooke, you and I both know that never eloquent Donald Trump does not hold back about how he feels about people. Just ask the ladies of "The View." You know what I`m talking about. Earlier I showed you how Donald said that Lindsay is sweet. But that`s not all he had to say about her situation.
We have more from the Donald coming up, in his own words.
ANDERSON: Donald brutally honest always. Not everybody agrees with his opinion though. Also, A.J., Lindsay isn`t the only famous young woman in Hollywood who has had brushes with the law and ended up in rehab. I think it`s really scary that these are the role models for young girls these days. What`s happening with this crowd and why can`t they get their acts together?
That`s all ahead in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event. It`s called Young Hollywood`s Meltdown.
HAMMER: But how much responsibility do the parents have in these situations? Lindsay`s being almost 21 years old, don`t know how much her mom could really reel her in at this point. But how much is she to blame? That`s coming up when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns in just a minute.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan`s meltdown. Talk about hitting rock bottom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Too much money, too much fame, too fast.
HAMMER: Young stars falling apart before our eyes.
ANDERSON: Has Britney gone from being out of control to being out of her mind?
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this, Nicole Richie has definitely got a problem.
(Voice over): Rehab, jail or even worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This path she`s on now is to spiral down to death.
HAMMER: Is there any chance of saving them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Paris should listen to any advice coming her way.
HAMMER: Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event, young Hollywood`s meltdown.
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 -- tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a very special event. Young Hollywood`s meltdown. Britney Spears, her wild head shaving, panty-less partying, then rehab. Paris Hilton, she`s about to start a 45-day jail sentence, for violating the terms of her probation. Then there`s Paris`s buddy -- Nicole Richie. She`s been arrested for heroin possession, DUI. And, of course, Lindsay Lohan, crashing her car, getting arrested for DUI and shipped off to rehab herself.
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes coast to coast to bring together all of the people who can try to help us understand what the heck is going on here. Joining us tonight, in New York, "Star" magazine`s Editor-At-Large Jill Dobson; in Hollywood Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations; from New York psychiatrist Gail Saltz; also in Hollywood; editorial director of USmagazine.com Ken Baker; and from the Court TV studios in New York, we`ll be joined by Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom.
All right, guys. A lot of ground cover here. Certainly throughout it`s history, Hollywood has seen a lot of stars getting into trouble. But right now it`s like the perfect storm. That`s all I can keep thinking of.
Jill, what the heck is going on here? Give me some insight.
JILL DOBSON, "STAR" MAGAZINE: I think the problem is these young ladies have become products rather than people. And it seems like everyone around them wants to profit from them. No one is really looking at what`s in their best interest as a young adult. Instead everyone just wants to make money off them. They`re surrounded by yes men and they aren`t really succeeding in their life goals or their professional goals.
HAMMER: And we`ve watched them spiral out of control. And if there`s one thing that seems to be a common thread, to me, is this sense of -- I don`t know -- invincibility that goes on. I want you to look what Lindsay told Ellen Degeneres on her show. Ellen asked Lindsay how she would be celebrating her 21st birthday. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: So you`re going to be 21. That`s a huge birthday, what are you going to do?
LINDSAY LOHAN: I`m going to milk it.
DEGENERES: Yeah.
LOHAN: And it`s -- I think it`s been a long time coming for some of my friends that have clubs out in L.A.
DEGENERES: Uh-huh?
LOHAN: They don`t have to worry about getting into trouble because I`m under-age.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. That wasn`t that long ago. Lindsay, now in rehab.
Help me out here, Gail. This was a young woman who was a card carrying member of Alcoholics Anonymous. I mean, we saw the picture of her with the sobriety tokens, those same tokens that were seen swinging in her face when she was seen passed out in her friend`s car.
GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIST: Right.
HAMMER: This is the definition of denial, isn`t it?
SALTZ: Well, it is. And yet, as you pointed out, it is the perfect storm in that adolescents and young adults, just as you said, feel invincible. It`s developmental actually. They are impulse ridden, they are risk takers, and this is in normal teenagers, and young adult. And yet their frontal lobe is not fully developed so the ideas that they would have the judgment about the consequences that might happen, if they do these risk-taking behaviors is really lousy.
That`s when you need parents to step in, and the parents` job to say, hey, this is dangerous, you can`t do this, we won`t allow this. And so, on and teach them the morals and values in how to keep control.
You have -- you have, basically, young adults, kids who already a set up for this, but now the parents have lost control because they`re celebrities. Because financially, they`re independent and surrounded by people who treat them like little adults, which , they`re not really and who party and substance abuse themselves, and want a piece of them. And, you know, it is a perfect storm. It`s not at all surprising that this is happening repeatedly to so many of these young celebrities.
HAMMER: I have to say, that really spells out so clearly to me why it is such a pattern. We just saw the same thing basically happen with Britney Spears, didn`t we, Ken Baker? Britney checked in and out of rehab twice, as if she was going to see a movie, shaved her head. And finally gave in to do those 30 days on rehab. Maybe she`s on her way now. It seemed at the time, total denial?
KEN BAKER, USMAGAZINE.COM: Actually, as we speak, Lindsay Lohan is in the same rehab center, Promises in Malibu, that Britney Spears was in, and spent -- like you said, her 30 days there. But what`s happening right now is this has been a long time coming. Lindsay was in what we call fake rehab earlier this year. She checked into an outpatient facility called Wonderland here in Hollywood. And it was widely considered by everyone who knows her as a total joke. It was more of a PR stunt than anything. She didn`t change her behavior.
In fact it became more erratic, to the point where -- like you said -- she passed out in her car in front of a group of paparazzi. It really showed that Lindsay needed this help. Of course, the backdrop to all of this, is the fact that she has a career. She was supposed to start a movie. They announced it in "Variety" just a couple of days ago that she was supposed to start a movie -- that is a big budget film. And the sources I talk to say she may be uninsurable.
HAMMER: Yeah.
BAKER: So, it`s not just a personal issue, a real professional threat for her.
HAMMER: A real professional bit of trouble. You mention PR stunt. So I have to bring in our PR guru, who would never be accused of performing any kind of a stunt with any of his clients.
But Howard Bragman, if there is another threat, Ken brings it up, it is the meltdown for young Hollywood in terms of their careers. They could all be, as you put it last night on our show, in deep doo-doo. Britney is coming back, going nowhere fast. Paris as we know, going to be cooling her stilettos in jail soon. Nicole Richie facing jail time for her DUI charge. Lindsay, as you said last night on our show, unemployable at this point.
Howard Bragman, do all ye who pass through these gates abandon all hope?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: We love second acts in America. Look at Kate Moss, look at Robert Downey, Jr., they have great careers. But my concern is it`s not about great careers, it`s about the lives of these young women. I mean, this is life or death we`re dealing with, for them. We have a real chance for something really tragic to happen here. The career is secondary right now, if they don`t get their acts together. And start paying attention to what it is that`s going to keep them alive for another year.
HAMMER: Part of what is playing to whether or not they stay alive is, I believe, the culpability of these night clubs, that these young Hollywood stars are constantly being photographed at. We know that they`re out drinking. Lisa Bloom from Court TV, help me out here. Because it is so remarkable how the clubs play into this young Hollywood meltdown, they`re letting the party girls party on. Obviously, Lisa, they love the publicity. To do think the clubs even give a rat`s -- you know what -- that all of these young women are melting down, as long as the club`s names are appearing in the papers?
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Well, if they`re serving underage patrons, like Lindsay Lohan, they are in a heap of legal trouble. And they can get shut down. There was some very revealing testimony recently in the Phil Specter case, where the manager of at the House of Blues, in Hollywood, said we have a different set of rules for celebrities. Yeah, if they`re drunk, we`ll continue to serve them.
I think that applies to underage celebrities like Lindsay Lohan. But eventually that is going can catch up with them. They can be fined. They can be sanctioned. They can have their liquor license revoked or they can be shut down entirely, because the state of California takes that kind violation very seriously.
HAMMER: So, I don`t understand how they continue to do it. Jill Dobson, is it that the clubs themselves are in some sort of denial; they`re going to ride it out as long as they can and ride the wave? Because they know what they`re doing.
DOBSON: Right. I think until something happens. Until a celebrity leaves a club and crashes their car and gets a DUI, the clubs just kind of go on. And we have pictures of Lindsay walking out of the club, but the police aren`t going to pick up my magazine and go track down Lindsay Lohan. They have other things to focus on until Lindsay gets the DUI arrest. Then police suddenly take it much more seriously. They really have a case to work on. They when they start cracking down on these clubs.
I think we`ll see other clubs straightening themselves out as a preventive measure, now that the club that served Lindsay may be getting into big trouble.
HAMMER: Doctor Gail Saltz, I only have a few seconds for this. But, you know, Britney had her stint in rehab, Lindsay now going in for the second time, also from AA. Is it ever a good idea for anybody being treated for alcohol addiction to even step foot near a club?
SALTZ: No. It`s a terrible idea. I mean, basically, you know, if you`re an alcoholic, if you are a substance abuser, you cannot use the substance. Again, period, you can`t have part of a drink, half a drink. And that is exponentially more difficult if you`re surrounded by people who are drinking. So, it`s very different to be a few years out and sit down at a dinner while somebody else has a glass of wine, that is acknowledging that you are only going to have a soda. And that`s the way it needs to be.
But to go to a club where there is just alcohol everywhere -- and other substances -- is absolutely the wrong thing to do. And you`re going to relapse.
HAMMER: Again, back to that word, denial. Doctor Gail Saltz, want you to stand by. The rest of our panel, none of you go anywhere. A lot more to chat about in just a few moments.
So the question is: Who is to blame for these young stars totally messing up their lives? It`s a question so many people are asking -- and you know what, I understand why -- where are their parents? Why aren`t they taking control of their daughters? We`ll get into that with our panel -- as our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special event, "Young Hollywood`s Meltdown" continues. That will go next.
ANDERSON: Hey A.J., I know you`ve interviewed Donald Trump before, I have too. And he`s not the most, well how should I say this? Emotional guy -- but he really is opening up about Lindsay Lohan`s shocking DUI arrest and, rehab. I`ve got that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, GUEST CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": What I`m concerned about here more than anything, where are the adults?
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Yes.
GOLDBERG: Where are the adults?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, she is one now.
GOLDBERG: No, she`s not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You said it, Whoopi. And that`s a really good question. Just where are the parents in all of these of all of these young Hollywood starlets that are completely out of control?
Welcome back to this SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event, "Young Hollywood`s Meltdown". I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
So, who is to blame for all these Britney, Lindsay, Paris and Nicole messes? A lot of people are pointing their fingers right at these kids` parents. Our coast-to-coast panel of experts back with us tonight.
Let me start off guys, by reading this quote from the lovely Dina Lohan. This is Lindsay`s mother. This came from her interview in "Harper`s Bazaar" magazine.
The reporter asked Dina if Lindsay is an alcoholic. Here`s what Dina said, "Nooo! She is just a 20-year-old who had to reel it in, and she`s from an addictive personality genetically. And in that world, they give you things like candy. Hurt your ankle? Let`s giver her something."
You know it`s bad enough when a kid is in denial, Doctor Gail Saltz, but when I read this I have to tell you I kind of felt like I was in the twilight zone. Does the quote kind of say it all? Mom is clueless?
SALTZ: Well, Mom`s in denial as well, I would say. Basically, she said no, and then the rest of the quote said, yes. That in fact, the family has problems with addiction. These things do run in families. You know the fact is A.J. a recent study came out that said when you`re exposed to alcohol before the age of 15, you have a five-fold increase in basically being an alcoholic.
So, early exposure to drugs and alcohol sets the brain wiring, which is still developing, such that you`re more likely to really be addicted. And I think when you see this kind of risk-taking behavior, and this kind of -- even in the face of danger, and losing so much, you`re still driving drunk. You have a problem. You have an addiction and it has to be treated as such.
In terms of the parent being responsible, these things are set early. You know, Lindsay Lohan was a child star so that the normal kind of upbringing, where basically a parent is reinforcing morals and values and setting limits and saying you can`t do that. And these are the rules, those things get terribly disrupted if you`re a child star.
HAMMER: But I think it`s also never too late to set a good example for your kid. Let`s not forget the photo spread for this interview that Dina Lohan did. And, of course, Dina was often spotted out and she talked about going out clubbing with her daughter, Lindsay! For this photo spread, you had Dina Lohan, the mom, spread out in the back of this limousine with a glass of campaign.
Ken, has Dina kind of become the poster child for moms gone wild at this point?
BAKER: Really, Dina has come under fire, principally, because she also functions as a manager for Lindsay, and a lot of people think there`s an inherent conflict of interest. Your professional interest often will clash with what`s in the personal interest of your client. And I think she has been criticized, mostly fairly, for not getting that.
But let`s be clear here. Lindsay Lohan is 20 years old. She`s legally not a minor and can make her own decisions. She may have had some bad advice and wasn`t given boundaries when she was young. But right now she is the one responsible for her own actions, and it`s just a little too convenient to be blaming everyone else for what she has done.
HAMMER: I have to tell you I`ve been spending a lot of time in the twilight zone, lately. The other time when it hit me really hard was when Paris was sentenced to jail for the violation of her probation, from her DUI charge.
Her mother, Kathy Hilton -- you know, a woman who certainly has her high place in society -- blew her stack in court and she criticized the judge. Lisa Bloom, you know what courtroom behavior is supposed to be like. Is this another example of moms in denial?
BLOOM: Yes. She should be kissing the judge`s feet. Because look what Paris got. She got a pass the first time around, she got only probation for that DUI. Then, when she violated the probation, she got only 45 days in jail. And then that was reduced to 23 days in jail.
Let`s talk about the serious consequences of drunk driving. On Court TV, we see victim`s family members in tears talking about loved ones that they have lost from drunk-driving accidents. Thank, God nobody was hurt by Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie or Britney Spears because they very well could have been.
These young women are a danger, a menace to society. God forbid any of us or our family members are on the road when they`re out there driving. So, they got light sentences, they got a pass. And these mothers should be praising these judges.
HAMMER: No, it makes me absolutely furious that they are able to get away with the things they`re able to get away with. And part of what goes on here, and this is something Ken Baker alluded to a moment ago, let`s face it, a lot of these parents of these Hollywood starlets are on the payroll of the kids. So, they have a lot at stake going on here.
Jill, I imagine it has to be kind of hard to reign your kids in when you`re making money off them.
DOBSON: Exactly. And Gail Saltz said earlier, that the problem is these teens are financially independent. So they can do what they want. And so the teens can do whatever they want. And they`re paying their parents, so I certainly don`t give my boss a curfew or tell her where she can go or what she can do.
I think, you know, it`s the same way, Dina Lohan isn`t going to tell her boss, her employer, Lindsay Lohan, what time to come in, or what she can do. I think Dina loves her daughter very much and in a lot of ways she has really been there for her, but on the other hand, the whole partying together and nightclub scene doesn`t necessarily set the best example. And it appears Lindsay has gotten herself into a lot of trouble.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s talk about what we will be talking about a year from now. Give me your prediction Howard Bragman, PR guru. You know we have a long list of young Hollywood stars melting down right now. Who will we still be talking about as being in deep trouble one year from now?
BRAGMAN: I think all four or five of these women are right up there on the list. None of them have really shown the judgment that they`re willing to accept their problems, accept that they have some things to overcome. Until they do, they`re going to keep getting in the same kind of trouble.
I want to add one thing. It`s not just the parents, its people like me, publicists, agents, managers, we have a responsibility, too. It`s not just about making money. I have resigned clients because of substance issues. I`ve confronted them. When they`re not willing to change, I can`t be the enabler. I can`t hold the responsibility. I hope others in similar situations will accept that same kind of responsibility.
HAMMER: You have to help them out where you can. Howard Bragman I`ve got to wrap you there, because I`m out of time. Gail Saltz, Ken Baker, Jill Dobson, Lisa Bloom, thank you very much for joining us tonight. I think we learned a lot.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking to you vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We want you to weigh in on this. Lindsay Lohan in rehab: Are the clubs partly to blame? Keep voting, CNN.com/showbiztonight. And write to us, Showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
You can now 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. It`s easy. 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 newsletter every single day.
I`ve interviewed Donald Trump a bunch of times and he`s not the most emotional guy, at least not on the outside. But up next, he`s speaking out about the whole Lindsay Lohan mess. And I`ve got to say, The Donald seems to be really concerned, if you can believe it. That`s next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Young Hollywood`s Meltdown". I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Well, the reaction to Lindsay Lohan falling apart, her car crash, DUI arrest, and checking back into rehab, is coming in fast and furious. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you even Donald Trump took time out from bashing Rosie O`Donnell and everybody else on "The View" to talk about the disturbing Lindsay developments.
Dare I say, The Donald actually got emotional.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: I think it`s very sad. I thought she was over her difficulties, her problems. But then you see her lying virtually in the gutter last night. It`s a very sad thing. She`s a nice person. I know her a little bit and she`s a nice person. When I hosted "Saturday Night Live", she was there. I got meet her. And you know, she`s very sweet and it`s very sad to see what`s happening to her. She has to stop it very quickly.
LARRY KING, HOST, LARRY KING LIVE: She`s also very talented.
TRUMP: She`s very talented. She seems to be, and it`s really a very sad case.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know what, I think there`s a good reason that Donald is sensitive to this whole Lindsay stuff, because remember, he shipped last year`s Miss USA Tara Conner, into rehab after her battle with the bottle.
Well, yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was about Lindsay Lohan`s wild weekend. Do you feel very sorry for her? Very one-sided here, only 6 percent of you say, yes. And 94 percent of you say, no, you don`t feel sorry for her at all. Here`s some of the e-mails that we received.
Laura from Wisconsin writes: "I don`t feel sorry for someone who deliberately brings this stuff on. I`m wondering if all these girls are cloned."
But Tony, from Florida, disagrees: "I`m a big fan of Lindsay and feel sorry for her. She is only a 20-year-old girl and does not know how to deal with this."
HAMMER: It is time now to tell you what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Not be missed, tomorrow: the power of Paris. Yeah, we know she`s about to head off to jail. I`m still smiling about that. So how will that affect Paris Hilton -- the brand? You know, she`s got her perfume, "The Simple Life," she even has those X-rated movies to peddle. Will Paris still be "hot" when she gets out of the slammer? The power of Paris, tomorrow.
Also they`re rich, they beautiful -- so why are they so unlucky in love? Sheryl Crow, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz -- big careers, but you know, big flops when it comes to hooking up. We will be investigating that, tomorrow.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you very much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"Glenn Beck" coming up next. Right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News." Stay tuned for that.
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