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Showbiz Tonight
Getting The Message -- Paris, Lindsay Are Examples Of What Not To Do; Cuba Gooding Junior`s Life Saving Decision; Paris Hilton Not Handling Jail Well
Aired June 06, 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: How an Oscar winning star`s decision to go out to dinner leads him to save a man`s life. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Angelina Jolie opens up like never before about living with Brad Pitt. I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Paris Hilton meltdown. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with new disturbing details about Paris` life in the slammer. The startling visit from her shrink, what her fellow inmates think about her.
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, could Hollywood bad girls actually, like, be a good influence? Say what?
The most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever! Tonight, the biggest stars doing the most outrageous things, and it`s all caught on tape. Britney`s breakdown! Tom`s tirade! Paula`s punchiness!
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the most painful, most shocking celebrity interviews of all time!
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer with Brooke Anderson in New York.
ANDERSON: And A.J., tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, can the bad girls of Hollywood actually be a good thing, a potential positive influence on young girls? Sounds crazy? Right? Well, maybe not. And we`ve got that coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, we begin with one of the baddest bad girls of all, Paris Hilton. And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that on this, her third day in jail, the pain of it all might actually be getting to be too much for Paris! There are startling new details of what Paris is going through behind bars and it ain`t pretty! As a matter of fact, her shrink`s now involved!
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PARIS HILTON, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": I`m Paris, nice to meet you.
HAMMER (voice-over): The fish out of water hardships Paris Hilton faces on her reality show "The Simple Life" used to be funny.
HILTON: I like my hair on this side better.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, as she serves an expected 23 days behind bars for violating probation, Paris Hilton`s life is anything but simple.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It has been very, very tough on her.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the inside story of Paris Hilton`s hard knock jail life, including new details about her tear-filled days and tough nights.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I seen a lot of things in there.
HAMMER: Former inmates share their firsthand knowledge of the rough conditions faced by the pampered party girl.
PAULINE HINES, FORMER INMATE: It`s a lot of homo sexuality. It`s a lot of violence.
HAMMER: And the big question, is Paris in danger behind bars?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s some people that want to beat her up.
HAMMER: Just hours before she began her jail term, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there at the MTV Movie Awards as Hilton talked about her fear.
HILTON: Trying to be strong right now. I`m definitely scared.
HAMMER: Soon after, Paris hopped into an SUV and checked into her new home, the Century Regional Detention Facility in suburban Los Angeles. There, in a cell like this one, Paris is spending 23 of 24 hours each day in solitary confinement. After that first night in jail, Paris Hilton`s attorney, Richard Hutton, visited her and put on a brave face.
RICHARD HUTTON, PARIS HILTON`S ATTORNEY: She`s doing very well under the circumstances.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now tell you that all might not be well for Paris.
MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": We are told that she is spending much of her time during the day and night crying in her jail cell.
HAMMER: Mike Fleeman of "People Magazine" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Paris has already been visited by her psychiatrist, who had previously expressed concern about the affect jail will have on the young heiress.
FLEEMAN: The psychiatrist who is visiting Paris in jail has said that she was traumatized by the prospect of going to jail, so much so that she couldn`t even bring herself to take part in an unrelated lawsuit. This combined with her being in tears much of the time should tell you something about how tough this has been on her.
HAMMER: It gets worse. TMZ.com quotes jail sources who say Paris is so traumatized she`s barely eating. She`s reportedly not sleeping either. Outside of that jail, former inmates tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas that the conditions Paris faces are no joke.
HINES: For one, the food is garbage. You know? For two, you`re constantly being bossed around by people. You know what I`m saying?
HAMMER: This woman`s niece is serving time.
FELICIANN WILLIAMS, VISITING A JAILED NIECE: She just told me that it`s nasty in there. The showers are full of roaches. It`s dirty. They get peanut butter sandwiches every day at lunch. They get beans for dinner. It`s not good. It`s very nasty.
HAMMER: But Paris may have something to worry about other than bad food.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: What is the feeling inside about Paris Hilton?
JOHNY DIAZ, GIRLFRIEND IS IN JAIL: There`s some people that want to beat her up.
HAMMER: Johnny Diaz`s girlfriend is also locked up at Century Regional. He says some inmates resent that Paris is being housed alone in a special cell away from the general population, presumably for her own safety.
DIAZ: People are upset because she`s short of time, and they kind of baby her more than other inmates here.
VARGAS: So they think she`s getting special treatment?
DIAZ: Yes, a lot of people do feel that way.
HAMMER: That was the sentiment shared by others.
VARGAS: They say they`re doing it because they want to protect.
TERESA AGUILAR, SAYS PARIS SHOULDN`T BE KEPT SEPARATE: There are some people that need to be protected too. There are times that people go in there, and they`re scared to death of life, because they think they`re going to get hurt by convicts. OK, so, she`s no better than us. I`m sorry. To be how special and alone.
HAMMER: Still, most of the people we talked to believe Paris will be okay.
VARGAS: What`s your best advice for Paris Hilton?
ELVIA GASCON, VISITING SISTER IN JAIL: Pick up a book and just keep to herself.
HINES: I think Paris will be fine. And she`ll do her time and she`ll go home. And there`s nothing that`s going to change about her. She`s just going to still be the same. She might not drink and drive, but she`ll be the same.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Not only tough times for Paris, but the rest of the Hollywood Brit pack. Paris` sidekick Nicole Richie could also be heading to jail for her DUI arrest. Lindsay Lohan is in rehab. Britney Spears just out of rehab. It`s one giant meltdown. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask what the heck is going on and who is to blame?
With me tonight from San Francisco, Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. They keep an eye on Hollywood for kids and families. And from Hollywood tonight, Dina Sansing, "US Weekly`s" West Coast deputy editor. Welcome to you both.
All right, guys, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been all over this like nobody else. You know, I wake up this morning and pick up the "USA Today," and I see this poll asking what`s to blame for this insanity? Take a look at this: 79 percent say it`s because young Hollywood has too much money; 68 percent because the pressures of fame; 65 percent blame the negative influences of Hollywood; and 63 percent, the lowest, blame the parents for doing a poor job.
Jim, out to you. What do you think?
JIM STEYER, COMMON SENSE MEDIA: Well, I think basically it`s a pretty pathetic and sad story overall. But I think it`s really the 24-7 celebrity culture that these young women are growing up in, and I think we`ve got to think about the messages and images they`re sending to young girls. You know, I just came from my 14-year-old daughter`s graduation, and whether we like it or not, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, they are images and important celebrities to young girls.
And I think it`s the fame and the culture, and the fact that we bow down to them. It is an ugly picture right now.
ANDERSON: Yes, it`s scary that young girls want to emulate these people who are not setting a good example. And, Dina, let`s talk about the first point, because young Hollywood has too much money; 79 percent say that`s the reason. You know, Paris Hilton said in court that she relied on her helpers to open her mail and read her things. "I have people who do that for me," as she put it.
Is that the problem? Are they just completely out of touch with reality?
DINA SANSING, "US WEEKLY MAGAZINE": They are. They`re surrounded by Yes Men. They`re people who are opening their mail, doing their dishes, doing their laundry. They`re really not held accountable to anything. So they`re free to go out, party, do drugs, do all of these things, because really that`s all they need to do. They have people to do everything else for them.
ANDERSON: Yes, when the people are on the payroll, they`re probably not going to tell the star no or don`t do this or don`t do that. It`s got to be more difficult for them. As we mention, the poll also blames the negative influences of Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke to Lindsey Lohan while she was promoting her film "Bobby." Listen to what she told us about fame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I am a normal person. You know what I mean? I don`t think of it like that, and I don`t -- my friends don`t treat me any differently. And the people that are in my life don`t treat me any differently. And I don`t want to be known for what club I`m at. I`m 20 years old. What am I supposed to do? What, not go hang out with my friends?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What, not go hang out with my friends? OK, we know that Lindsay is in rehab, but Jim, is there something to what she said. She is a 20-year-old kid acting wild, hanging out with her friends. You know, maybe like most 20-year-olds do. Maybe not to that extent, but is there something to what she said?
STEYER: You know, Brooke, there is something to it. I also teach at Stanford. So, you know, those kids are 20 years old too, but I do think you have to ask -- one of the issues in the "USA Today" poll that you mentioned was where are the parents? Where are the parents in this case? When you are 20 years old, your parents should still be really involved in your life.
If you are messing up like this, they need to be there. Again, you also got to ask the influence of drugs and alcohol and the message that is sending to the kids, because I worry about those 13, 14-year-old girls and boys who look at this, think it`s OK to drink at their age. They start doing drugs at that age. I do think you`ve got to look at the parents. But you`ve also got to look at the message this is sending to kids all across this country.
And this may be a wakeup call, because I don`t think this is teaching good lessons. I think this is ultimately teaching very bad messages and lessons.
ANDERSON: Horrible.
STEYER -- to young people. Horrible, and they`ve got to get their act together, because this is not good for them. They need help. They are really sending a bad message to millions of kids, who, for better or worse, look at them as role models.
ANDERSON: Yes, and hopefully kids are smart enough to see that and turn it into a positive thing. I want to go back to the parents, because I was very surprised to see in this poll, this "USA Today"/Gallup poll that the parents were the last thing people thought were contributing to young Hollywood`s downfall.
Dina, do you buy that, or do you think that mothers like Dina Lohan and Cathy Hilton need to step it up, take some responsibility?
SANSING: Absolutely. Fame is a very difficult thing, especially for young people. They really need people around them that can be strong and teach them a lot. You have to understand the dynamic between these parents and celebrities is very strained, because they`re making more money than their parents. They`re in the position of power.
It`s really hard for a apparent to say, oh, I`m going to ground you; I`m going to take away your allowance, because they just don`t have that power anymore.
ANDERSON: I think some culpability should lie with the parents. I honestly do believe it begins at home. Jim, you talk about the pressures of Hollywood. Twenty seconds left, how can it be reversed?
STEYER: Well, first of all, I do think the parents need to be involved. But I also think you need to see people coming out and speaking out in Hollywood about this culture and about the role models that these young people are playing for the rest of society. I think there`s a degree of peer pressure that will work here.
Going back to what Dina just said, the parents have to take responsibility. And parents who push their kids to become famous at really young ages need to see the consequences of that in sort of the sad behavior of these young women.
ANDERSON: The long-term consequences. All right, we`re going to wrap it up there. Jim Steyer, Dina Sansing, thank you both for your insight.
STEYER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day; young Hollywood`s meltdown, are the parents to blame? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an email, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
HAMMER: Brooke, what would say if I told you that some people actually believe the theory that these bad girls in Hollywood, like Paris, Lindsay and Britney, with their bad behavior, could actually be a good influence on young girls?
ANDERSON: Anything`s possible, I would say, but they definitely are not leading by example.
HAMMER: I`m a little skeptical of the whole thing. I`m daring to ask the question, can young girls actually learn something from these starlets` shocking behavior? We`ll get into that at 31 past the hour.
ANDERSON: From shocking to some really heroic behavior, A.J. Oscar winning star Cuba Gooding Jr., listen to his truly amazing story. Up next, his simple decision to go out to dinner leads him to save a man`s life!
I`ve also got the most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever! Tonight, the biggest stars doing the most outrageous things. And it`s all caught on tape. And let me tell you, you will definitely be saying, oh, no, they didn`t! That`s straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Well, I bet you remember Cuba Gooding Jr`s line from "Jerry Maguire," show me the money!
HAMMER: Show me the money.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s right. Thanks A.J. Well, tonight, I`m saying show me the hero! Listen to this amazing story. Cuba stopped by to pick up dinner at a Hollywood restaurant and, all of a sudden, heard gunshots! He saw somebody holding his head, bleeding from his neck, apparently shot.
So Cuba rushed over, stemmed the bleeding, flagged down a police car and stayed with the victim until an ambulance got there. Cuba`s rep tells us the guy was not expected to make it, but has made a miraculous recovery. Way to go, Cuba!
HAMMER: Nice going. Well, whether it`s real life crime like that, or shows like "Law & Order" and "CSI," it just seems like we just can`t get enough stories about everything from murder to mayhem. But why? And what is it about murder that fascinates us so? And what does it tell us about ourselves? Investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell has written this book all about it called "Secrets Can Be Murder."
Jane good to have you here in New York tonight. Congratulations on finally getting this book into stores. We`re very excited for you. Truly, though, if you look at the landscape of what`s on TV and the most popular shows on TV, it`s all crime and justice. Why are we so fascinated? Why can`t we get enough of this?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, A.J., there are societal secrets as well, and one of our societal secrets is that we, as a nation, have an addiction to violence. We turn to it for entertainment. And, of course, then we wonder why some people go out and copy it.
So, there are societal secrets and then there are secrets that we all have. And those secrets are about sex and money and about all sorts of issues. But the one thing they have in common is that they make you sick inside. That`s why they say you`re only as sick as your secrets.
The fascinating part of it is we look at these criminals and we say we`re nothing like them. They`re awful. How do they do that? But the secrets that they have, the toxic secrets that exploded in violence, are the very same secrets that we have.
HAMMER: Hold on a second, Jane. so you are talking about now -- in this book you are exploring all the notorious cases from O.J. Simpson to Andrea Yates, who killed her children, to the Lacy Peterson case, where she was murdered by Scott Peterson. We feel a connection to secrets in cases even as big as those?
MITCHELL: Absolutely. Take a look at the Scott Peterson case. What more common secret is there than infidelity? He was cheating on his wife, and he didn`t tell his girlfriend that he was married. Then his girlfriend`s best friend finds out about it, confronts him, and he says, oh, well, I was married, but my wife is gone. Then he repeats that lie to his mistress.
Two weeks later, he turned that lie into the truth by killing his wife and unborn child. He has another secret. He has a family secret because his mother, many years before he was born, gave two children away for adoption. Those children entered his life as adults, shortly before he and Lacie got married. One of them is Anne Bird (ph), and she said she wondered when the bodies turned up in San Francisco bay if it wasn`t sending her a message, because she lives on San Francisco Bay, and can see that bay from her back window.
HAMMER: Well now, I think a lot of people can certainly relate to the love triangle aspect of what was going on in that particular case. Certainly love triangles and murders resulting from love triangles happen all the time, sadly enough, in this country, but they don`t all make it onto television and they don`t all rivet us in the way that a case like this did, where we were glued to every single moment.
What is it that captivated a nation with a case like this, that turned it from just an ordinary love triangle turned murder into such an obsession?
MITCHELL: It hit some very basic human themes. I mean, this was a couple perfect on the outside. And always beware of any couple that looks perfect on the outside. They may have too much of an investment in appearances over the messy truths. One thing that I`ve noticed with all these cases is that when secrets get to a certain level of toxicity, what happens is there`s the real world outside, then there`s the phony facade that looks perfect, and then there are the sick, toxic secrets behind the facade.
You always have to value honesty and truth over appearances, and that`s the message. If you are having an affair, you can tell your wife about it or your husband about it. OK? Because people think, oh, that`s impossible. I can`t do that, but consider the alternative. Consider that it could erupt in deadly violence if you don`t undo that secret.
HAMMER: Yes, so we actually can learn a little something about what not to do. And certainly, as you touched on, we`re talking about sex and race and childhood trauma coming out through all these secrets. There is something we can learn about ourselves through our fascination with this.
MITCHELL: Absolutely and that`s why we watch these trials, because we recognize our dark selves in these cases. When we watch these trials, we experience a flash of recognition. We go, oh my god, I can relate to that. I understand that. I did that. Sometimes the only difference between a criminal and a law-abiding citizen is that their secret was threatened with exposure, and ours wasn`t.
HAMMER: Good for us, I guess. Jane Velez-Mitchell, congratulations again. Thanks for stopping by. The book "Secrets Can Be Murder" is out in stores now. Run out and get yourself a copy.
MITCHELL: Yes.
HAMMER: So many young stars in so much trouble these days. I just don`t get it. Why is it that young women are looking up to Britney, Lindsay and Paris? That seems kind of scary to me. But get this, there are some people out there that think bad girls can be a good influence. If you are going huh, you want to stick around. A revealing look at that coming up at 31 past the hour.
ANDERSON: And A.J., I`ve got the most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever! I`m talking the biggest stars doing the most outrageous things. Can you say, foot in mouth disease big time? It`s all caught on tape. We`ve got that coming up.
Also, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Matt Damon, all the biggies at the premiere of "Ocean`s 13." We were right there and found out some shocking news. Does one of the cast members have a restraining order issued against him? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Well, it was A-list all the way for the Hollywood premier of "Oceans 13." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Brad and Angelina and Brad`s co-stars in the movie all walked the red carpet. We caught up with Matt Damon and George Clooney, who told us how different it was this time around, especially working with new co-star Al Pacino. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: Well, because of the restraining order, I actually never really got to work with Al. But you walked on the set, and it`s Al Pacino.
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: The good news is George didn`t grow up at all, so it kind of feels like the same, you know, dynamic among everybody. The rest of us go home a little earlier because we have kids and stuff, but, you know, George still holds down the fort.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Always ribbing each other, funny guys. Earlier in the day, Jerry Weintraub became the first movie producer to cast his hands and feet in wet concrete at Grauman`s Chinese Theater, along with Clooney, Pitt and Damon. You can see for yourself the chemistry between all the guys when "Ocean`s 13" opens in theaters Friday.
HAMMER: What you do you think Brad and Angie`s home life is really like? Do they eat ice cream out of the carton like the rest of us?
ANDERSON: Do you eat ice cream?
HAMMER: I don`t eat it out of the carton. But a lot of people do. We`re going to tell you why Angelina is opening up like never before and why a bathtub is so important in their relationship. You`ll want to see that.
Also, Paris, Lindsay, Britney, you don`t exactly see halos around their heads, right? But tonight, I`m daring to ask can young girls actually learn something from these Hollywood starlets` shocking behavior. That`s next.
ANDERSON: That`s a controversial theory, A.J.. You want to stick around for that. And also Bruce Willis has some young daughters of his own. Next, I`ve got Bruce revealing just how he kept them from spiralling out of control, and how Will Smith, nice guy, helped him get over his devastating breakup with Demi Moore. Will helping out Bruce. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back. Stay with us.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, Brooke, you know the saying "there`s no such thing as bad publicity"? Well tonight, we`re actually taking a look at the stars who have truly -- and I mean -- truly -- put that theory to the test.
Coming up, you`re not going to want to miss this, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT counts down the top five most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever! There is some really cringe-worthy stuff that we`re going to show you. Don`t miss who made our list, coming up.
ANDERSON: You don`t want to miss that. Also, A.J., Bruce Willis really has a lot to say about young Hollywood. As you know, he and his ex- wife Demi Moore have three daughters together. We`re going to hear from Bruce about how he and Demi are trying to keep their kids from going down the same path as Lindsay, Britney and Paris. That is straight ahead.
First, though, it`s Paris in lockdown, day three. And it doesn`t look like Paris is adjusting well. Let`s get you up to date on the latest. TMZ is quoting sources from inside the jail, who say she`s so traumatized, she`s not eating. Those sources also say she`s not sleeping, that she says it`s too cold and too bright in her cell, and that she has been crying on the phone.
"People" magazine is reporting that Paris already has had a visit in jail from her psychiatrist. With about 20 days left to go behind bars. Paris needs to find some inner strength to get through it.
HAMMER: You know, Paris` time in jail may be a wake-up call for her, but as disturbing as it is, a lot of young girls actually do look up to Paris Hilton. But hold on just a second. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask: Can bad girls actually be a good influence? Joining me tonight from Hollywood author and self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner and back with us, in New York tonight, investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell.
Jane, Jessica, it is good to see you, both. I`m trying very hard to wrap myself and wrap my head around this concept. We have Paris in jail. We have Lindsey in rehab, again. Britney, checked in and out of rehab twice in year. Jessica, it sounds pretty strange to me. The idea that bad girls could possibly be good role models. Is this possible?
JESSICA WEINER, SELF-ESTEEM EXPERT: Well, I don`t think that bad girls are good role models, and I think we have to be -- we have to differentiate between bad behavior and a bad girl. I think all of these young women made some pretty bad and horrible choices, but I think we can use this as a teachable, talkable, moment right now. That does make a difference.
HAMMER: OK, but that does make them bad girls, to be clear?
WEINER: I don`t think so. You know, listen, in our society we don`t need to call women good or bad or divide them any more than they already are. I think these are young women who are troubled, who are in a lot of personal pain, who are making very poor decisions, but I think we can learn from them, teach from them, and we have to with employ a little bit compassion, A.J.
I mean, If they didn`t have brand names, they would be another 20- year-old partying and drinking too much with bad friends. And another 26- year-old rich girl who thinks she`s above the law. I think we have to be really cognizant that these behaviors happen all over the country.
HAMMER: They do. But, obviously, these are the women that a lot of young America is getting to see.
What do you think, Jane? There, of course, is the other side of that theory that says they`re doing a lot more bad than good, in terms of the imagery that they`re putting out there.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, AUTHOR, "SECRETS CAN BE MURDER": Well, A.J., I don`t want to be a critic. I`m a recovering alcoholic with 12 years of sobriety. I`ve done things I`m not proud of.
These go girls are rich and famous, and a certain responsibility comes with that. Everything they do is copied by young women around the world. So they could be inspiring young women to do dangerous things that might kill someone. I mean, the composite picture of bad-girl Hollywood are girls that basically go out with little to no underwear, get tanked up, get behind the wheel of a very expensive car, either drive the wrong way on the freeway, or get a DUI or crack it up. And go either to jail or rehab, get out and sometimes do it all over again.
What kind of message does that send to kids who suddenly interpret that as being cool or hot, or whatever you want to call it? But they think that`s now what they`ve got to do, and they can go out there and kill themselves or someone else.
HAMMER: Jessica, I don`t want to miss the point of what I think you`re trying to say, which is young girls are perhaps looking at all this bad behavior maybe, and saying that`s not what I want to be like.
WEINER: Well, actually, I work with girls all over the world. And I can tell you firsthand that girls are very clear that the behavior that Lindsey and Paris are employing are behaviors they want in their life. But they`re really honest that they do slip up sometimes. They do drink when they`re under age. They do things that are wrong and put people in danger. And I think that all I`m asking for is a little more compassion and clarity around this.
I think what they did was wrong. I think Paris driving under the influence, Lindsey driving under the influence, Nicole driving under the influence, are wrong behaviors. I think we have to be really careful to not throw stones at glass houses, as Jane was mentioning. She`s a recovering alcoholic. I have recovery in my background. I think none of us want to be judged on what we did at 20.
There is a responsibility for young and famous girls and women and guys in Hollywood, but Hollywood doesn`t raise our children. And I still think there`s an opportunity for parents, and families, and mentors and teachers to really talk about what`s going on right now and open the conversation to talk about personal consequence, to talk about drug and alcohol addiction.
This is happening in our families and our own back yards. It`s not just happening to Paris, Lindsey, and Nicole.
HAMMER: Of course, that`s right. I think it is really important that people differentiate the behavior from the individual, if that`s at all possible. But, again, as I said earlier, that`s more difficult when they`re so in the spotlight. And the fact is these are the young women out there carrying on with this behavior, and they`re also making a ton of money in the meantime.
So, I think that a lot of young people, and young women -- Jane, shed light on this -- will look to these young women and say, OK, this is how they`re carrying on, but there`s a big pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
MITCHELL: Yeah, absolutely. They are getting rich and even more famous and that sends a message to a lot of kids, hey, you can do whatever you want. You can break the law and you can get away with it and still become rich and famous. But ultimately it does catch up with you.
I mean, take a look at the problems, the legal problems, Joe Francis has right now and look at Paris Hilton. She`s in jail. Look at Lindsey Lohan. She`s in rehab. The list goes on and on. There is a cautionary tale here. But you kind of have to read the fine print to get it. My question is are the teenagers reading the fine print, or are they just seeing the headline and seeing the photo of, for example, Lindsey Lohan walking around with knives and putting long knives in her mouth and pretending to almost slash the throat of a friend.
There`s enough violence against women in Hollywood as it is. Actresses, prominent actresses should not be encouraging that kind of misogynistic behavior.
HAMMER: I think it is definitely a lot of food for thought. And Jessica, as you alluded to, perhaps young women are getting it, and they are able to separate those headlines from what is actually going on.
WEINER: I think young women are smarter than that.
HAMMER: I think it`s a lot of good food for thought, and the discussion will definitely continue. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Jessica Weiner, thank you both for joining us.
MITCHELL: Thanks, A.J.
ANDERSON: Bruce Willis has a lot to say about young Hollywood`s meltdown. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Bruce during a chat about his new movie, "Live Free or Die Hard". He really opened up about how he, along with his kids` mom, ex-wife, Demi Moore, have really tried to keep their three daughters from going down the dangerous and destructive path Paris, Lindsey, and Britney have taken.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE WILLIS, ACTOR: We raised them in Hollywood when they were kids, and they were always aware, or started to become aware, as they got older of the illusion of Hollywood and the illusion of being movie stars and what other people think or what other kids think about it -- is they know better, they know what`s real and what is not real. And so by the time they got down to Los Angeles, they had a pretty good education in the illusion of Hollywood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: In a revealing interview in "Playboy" magazine, Bruce also sounds off about rehab. He says, quote, "Anybody who makes a choice to go into rehab, or go in and out of rehab, if that`s what it takes, is brave. You fall down, you have got to get up. Drugs and alcohol aren`t bigger problems in Hollywood than anywhere else. They`re everywhere."
Bruce also talks about how hard it was at times to see Demi with her new husband, Ashton Kutcher, but Bruce says Will Smith got him to realize how important it was for everybody to get along for the kids` sake. Bruce`s revealing interview is in the July issue of "Playboy" which is on newsstands this Friday.
We have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here it is. Young Hollywood`s meltdown: Are the parents to blame? Keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you like to e-mail us, please do. Showbiztonight@cnn.com, is our address. We`re going to read some of your emails tomorrow.
Now, you can stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories. You can also find out what we`re working on by signing up to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Go to the web site cnn.com/showbiztonight. On the left side of the page, click on the button where it says newsletter and sign up. We will email you the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter everyday.
ANDERSON: You know, A.J., you have to wonder what life is really like for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. You know, they`re rich, they`re talented they`re beautiful. They have great, beautiful kids. It seems like they really have it all. It turns out they also have a lot of their conversations, listen to this, in a bathtub.
HAMMER: Well, good.
ANDERSON: Angelina is giving some pretty intimate details of her life with Brad. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And she doesn`t seem embarrassed about it at all. Got to love her. Angelina, just perfect.
That`s not the case with some other celebrity interviews that I can think of. Ones that made me wonder what these people were thinking. We will be counting down the most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever. That is still ahead.
ANDERSON: And speaking of embarrassing, how would you like to be invited to a wedding and have to dress up like R2D2 from "Star Wars"? It`s one of the most unusual weddings I have seen, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for another story that made us say --
OFF CAMERA, PEOPLE SHOUT: "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Well, for any bridesmaid who has ever had to wear a hideous dress, I suppose that would be all of you. Except in Brooke Anderson`s wedding, of course.
You can thank your lucky stars that you weren`t asked to be in this wedding in Knoxville, Tennessee. I mean, look at what`s going on here. The groom dressed as a bounty hunter from star wars. The bride, Sarah from the 1986 fantasy movie "Labyrinth." The wedding party, even some of the guests dressed up too, to keep the spirit going. Well, the happy couple happened to meet a few years ago -- where? At a Star Wars Convention.
Congratulation on your wedding, but I have got to say --"That`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Oh, boy.
All right, now that Paris Hilton is locked up, there is surely a frenzy brewing over who will get that first interview with her after she gets out of jail. It will be interesting to see if jail will change her interview style, you know, between all that all "that`s hot" business and the weird poses. She`s really had some doozies, hasn`t she? Paris doesn`t hold a candle to Britney Spears` most embarrassing interview. Remember the gum chewing, the crying. It was so over the top that made SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s list of the top five most-embarrassing celebrity interviews ever. Here they are.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: You know the guy who -- geg-geg-geg -- wub-wub- wub-wub --
ANDERSON: Whether it`s Danny Devito`s nonsensical ramblings on "The View".
BRITNEY SPEARS: I would like to really be alone.
ANDERSON: Or Britney Spears` emotional breakdown on "Dateline NBC".
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the top five most embarrassing celebrity interviews ever. Sit downs, throw downs, and meltdowns, the stars probably wish they had never happened. And have us asking what the heck were they thinking?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: They`re really not thinking, and that`s the problem.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: It`s bad, you`re glib. You don`t even know what Ritalin is.
TERESA STRASSER, "TV GUIDE": But then when he was so condescending to Matt Lauer and when he insulted therapy -- of which I get, and need a lot. Now, you`re pissing me off.
CRUISE: She doesn`t understand the history of psychiatry. She doesn`t understand in the same way that you don`t understand it, Matt.
ANDERSON: It`s mission impossible to forget Tom Cruise and his anti- psychiatry rant on the "Today Show" where Tom went off on host Matt Lauer about Brook Shields` use of anti-depressants for her postpartum depression. That put him in the top five of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT most-embarrassing interviews ever.
BRAGMAN: I think Tom is an incredibly passionate man, passionate about his belief in Scientology, passionate about his wife and his family. And I sometimes think the emotional elements get in the way of his rationale thinking about it.
ANDERSON: That interview pretty much made his Oprah couch jumping interview -- we`ll call that one 5A -- look tame in comparison.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: We`ve never seen you behave this way before.
CRUISE: I know.
WINFREY: Have you ever felt this way before?
You`re gone. You are gone.
STRASSER: Oprah kept telling him, you are gone, are you gone. You know who was gone? His publicist.
ANDERSON: Well, Tom Cruise may be gone, but he is not alone.
SPEARS: You have to realize that we`re people and that we need to -- we just need privacy and we need our respect and those are things that you have to have as a human.
ANDERSON: This dateline interview, which took place with Britney`s handlers nowhere in sight, is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT fourth most-embarrassing interview ever.
STRASSER: The aesthetics were a mess. I mean, the look of her, it looked like, you know, she wasn`t a multi-millionaire but somebody who needed to rotate the tires on her house.
ANDERSON: Even ageless beauty Farrah Fawcett had to explain away her 1997 space cadet moment on the "Late Show With David Letterman" which landed her on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT list as the No. 3 most embarrassing interview ever.
BRAGMAN: Did you ever consider that maybe Farrah Fawcett is spacey?
DAVID LETTERMAN, LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN: Now, a lot of people said to me, what was the deal with Farrah Fawcett? Was she drunk? I said, I don`t think so. You weren`t drunk, were you?
FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: No. You could have smelled it. That`s what I meant. You could have smelled it.
ANDERSON: Hmm, smelled it, huh? Well, the question of whether or not Danny Devito was drunk during his appearance on "The View." Is one that the actor, and his reps, answer no way. He was just tired.
DEVITO: No, I knew it was the last seven Lemon Cellos that was going to get me.
ANDERSON: It also got you, Danny, the No. 2 most-embarrassing interview ever.
STRASSER: I found Danny Devito`s appearance refreshing because, you know, he was honest. He just said I had some Lemon Cellos, and I`m hung over. Who has not gone to work a little hung over?
PAULA ABDUL, SINGER: You know what, it is what it is.
ANDERSON: Even some of the stars we may idolize can find themselves on the business end of an embarrassing and somewhat incomprehensible interview.
ABDUL: No animation. I`ll not being cast for girls that are going to play the roles of these characters, and I get to play a role in it.
ANDERSON: Hey, Paula, how about playing the role of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT No. 1 most-embarrassing interview ever.
STRASSER: She was looking here. And, you know, Paula Abdul, this is not her first day in show business. She knows to look at the camera. She`s looking over here. She`s moving. She can`t stay in frame. She was hyperkinetic. She was here and she was here, she was all over the place.
ABDUL: Listen, any publicity is good publicity.
BRAGMAN: No, that`s one of the biggest myths of our business. There is definitely bad publicity.
ABDUL: You got to learn to eat it up and embrace it and say, Seattle had the best delusional people.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: All right, Paula, we won`t go that far. The way these celebrities keep finding themselves in interviews that are, hmm, less than flattering, it doesn`t look like it`s going to end any time soon.
CRUISE: What do you mean by that?
ANDERSON: Well, what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT means, Tom, is this: If you guys keep thinking you can go out in front of millions of people making a - -
(DONKEY BRAYING)
-- out of yourselves, we`re probably going to be there to say --
STRASSER: Now, that was the most-embarrassing celebrity interview ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Celebrity public relations guru Howard Bragman, who you just saw in the piece, says some celebrities` embarrassing moments, like Danny Devito`s, are harmless when they`re handled well. Then there are others like Tom Cruise`s that can actually hurt a career.
HAMMER: Angelina Jolie is opening up like never before about life with Brad Pitt and their four kids. She is talking all over the place. In the July issue of "Esquire" magazine Angelina says she and Brad don`t go to parties. They hardly ever leave their house. And they try real hard to schedule alone time.
In another interview in "Parade" magazine, she says this really just want to be at home with the kids. And that she and Brad will probably only work for a few more years. As it turns out, a lot of staying connected with Brad apparently happens in the bathtub, of all places.
In yet another interview, this one from "Marie Claire" making, Angelina says, quote, "It`s easier to talk when you`re naked. Get naked with me, and I`ll talk."
All righty, then. Note to self, if I want to talk to Angelina Jolie, get naked with her. Tonight I got to spend some great time with one of the most precocious kids to ever get her own TV show: Bindi Irwin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BINDI IRWIN, DAUGHTER OF STEVE IRWIN: I really think I want to follow in my mom and dad`s footsteps. They are my super-heroes pretty much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She`s only eight years old. Totally charmed me. You will absolutely be won over by everything that Bindi Irwin had to tell me about animals. You won`t want to move. You won`t want to miss it. That is coming up next when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Bindi Irwin is definitely one very busy little girl. The eight-year old daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin is hosing a slew of shows all about animals. I sat down with Bindi today and she told me that she is very passionate about continuing her dad`s legacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IRWIN: I really -- I really think I want to follow in my mom and dad`s foot steps. They`re my superheroes, pretty much. That`s the bottom line. And, also, I want to save animals. I really, really do. Because animals are actually dying to be in fashion, and I think we really need to save them because we`re getting so far away from them. We`re just getting farther and farther and farther away.
I think we need to get closer and closer, and closer, because we`re just losing them so fast. And, I mean, every time we lose a species, I think it`s like we`re losing one brick from the house or the hotel, and soon the house or the hotel will fall down. We won`t have any more house or hotel because we don`t have any more animal species.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Eight years old. What do you say? That`s unbelievable. Bindi is hosting "Daddy, The Crock Hunter" on Animal Planet on Friday. On Saturday, great show, "Bindi, The Jungle Girl" makes its premier on the Discovery Kids channel and Animal Planet. And "Planet`s Best" with Terry and Bindi, will premier Sunday on Animal Planet.
You`ll be able to see my full interview with Bindi and Terry Irwin Friday right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: How cute is Bindi -- and smart.
HAMMER: Unbelievable.
ANDERSON: OK, yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Paris in jail, will she come out more popular than ever? And 59 percent of you say yes; 41 percent of you say no. Here are some of the emails we received.
Joseph from Alabama writes: "She will be a bit wiser because of the experience, and she may end up helping some of the other detainees in jail."
All right.
Sharon from California, isn`t pulling any punches. She writes: "Paris will never change. Everything she does is calculated and a PR moment. She makes me want to throw up."
Don`t do that, Sharon.
HAMMER: That`s a nice visual.
Well, it`s time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, lessons for Paris Hilton on how to be a good girl. You know, it really can be done. You can be rich and famous and beautiful and you can still manage to stay out of jail and rehab. What Paris can learn from the good girls of Hollywood. That`s tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Robin Givens` powerful new memoir. She writes about surviving an abusive marriage to boxer Mike Tyson. It`s a very moving story. And Robin Givens is here to share it with us, tomorrow in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Brooke, good to have you here in New York.
ANDERSON: Nice to be seated right next to you, A.J.
I`m Brooke Anderson. "Glenn Beck" coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News." Have a great night, everybody.
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