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Showbiz Tonight
Nicole Richie Faces Court; Paris` Post-Jail Report Card
Aired July 10, 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: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, important lessons for Nicole Richie from Paris Hilton? Tonight, Nicole Richie possibly facing jail time and reportedly pregnant. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals what she can do right where Paris went so wrong. And, yes, Paris, what about all those post jail promises?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": Being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So, why aren`t you doing anything? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a Paris progress report. And some serious "Simple Life" schooling for Nicole Richie.
Fan addicts. Tonight, why we feel such a personal connection to stars. The gossip, the tabloids, but can these celebrity passions become dangerous obsessions? Tonight, it`s a SHOWBIZ special report, when big fans turn into fan addicts.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And it`s the not-so-simple life for Nicole Richie. Tomorrow she has a big day in court on her DUI charge. And like her "Simple Life" co-star, she could be facing jail. But hold on, Nicole, we actually have some good news for you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the lessons learned from Paris` stay in the pokey may be just what the doctor ordered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Besides being filthy rich, "Simple Life" stars Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton now have something else in common, DUI trouble.
JULIA ALLISON, "STAR MAGAZINE": Nicole and Paris have been friends forever. They`ve gotten their DUIs together and now it looks like they`re going to be serving jail time together.
HAMMER: We all know about Paris Hilton`s just-completed jail term for driving on a license suspended in a DUI case, but now the spotlight goes to Nicole Richie as she faces the music for this shocking December 11th traffic stop.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: She was driving the wrong way on an L.A. freeway and she allegedly confessed to the cops that she had smoked pot and had taken vicodin. She had a DUI about four and a half years ago, so if she gets convicted this time, there is a mandatory minimum jail sentence of five days. And it could be a lot longer depending on what the judge wants to do. So the stakes here are high.
HAMMER: High stakes indeed, no pun intended. Adding to the mix are reports that Richie is pregnant by her boyfriend, Joe Madden of the rock band, Good Charlotte.
NICOLE RICHIE, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": I really hope for the best in my case, just like anybody would.
HAMMER: Nicole herself told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she is ready to pay the piper.
RICHIE: I take responsibility for anything that I`ve done and I`m willing to face whatever consequences come my way.
HAMMER: But just because Nicole appears likely to follow Paris to jail, that doesn`t mean she should follow Paris Hilton`s example.
ALLISON: Nicole can absolutely learn from her friend Paris. Paris made a lot of missteps in the handling of this PR-wise.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT suggests that Nicole look to her "Simple Life" co-star for some simple lessons on dealing with jail. Lesson one, don`t whine, do the time. Almost from the moment she was sent to jail and after she got out, all we heard from Paris was complaint after complaint on the conditions of her jail.
HILTON: The food was horrible.
HAMMER: And the harshness of the sentence.
HILTON: I don`t think the crime did not fit the punishment.
HAMMER: Hilton`s complaining about her self-made situation didn`t exactly sit well with the public.
FRANGELINA, COMEDY DUO: Jail is not fun and you can ask the other millions of people who are incarcerated. I`m tell you something too, they don`t like their cells either.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT suggests Nicole do just the opposite. Unlike her co-star, Nicole should just cowboy up and do the time.
ALLISON: I think the essential lesson that Paris can teach Nicole is just serve your time without complaint. And the rest of the country will respect you for it.
HAMMER: Nicole`s simple lesson number two, own up to what you did. Even after her jail sentence, Paris went on "LARRY KING LIVE" and denied being a heavy drinker and said she`d never use drugs.
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Never taken drugs?
HILTON: No.
HAMMER: That claim led some to question her honesty, to say the least.
FRANGELINA: Nobody believes Paris` drug clean. Paris don`t believe Paris` is drug clean.
Paris is like, you know what, she can hear the lies that she is saying and she`s like, oh, that`s a lie.
HAMMER: And sure enough, before you could say --
HILTON: Let`s smoke some herb.
HAMMER: The Internet was ablaze with video of Paris apparently blazing up.
HILTON: I`m smoking pot.
HAMMER: And the following ridicule Paris received sort of blunted whatever public apology she made about jail. Instead, Nicole would do well to own up to the problem that led to her getting busted in the first place.
ALLISON: America is ready and willing to forgive and forget if people are honest. But if they`re not, there`s not a lot of sympathy.
HAMMER: And the final lesson, if you say you`re going to turn over a new leaf, do it. Both during and after her incarceration, Hilton promised a new Paris, one who did less partying and more charity work.
HILTON: I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes.
HAMMER: But in the days since Paris left jail, we haven`t exactly seen the new charitable Paris.
ALLISON: We`re still waiting to see how Paris exactly is going to be different. She flew to Hawaii directly thereafter. That seems sort of same-old Paris. She put on her bikini, got some paparazzi shots. I`m ready to see her start a new charity. I`m not going to hold my breath.
HAMMER: "Star Magazine`s" Julia Allison tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Nicole should follow through on fixing her life for real.
ALLISON: Certainly Nicole shouldn`t make any promises she can`t keep. But if she wants to remain in the public eye, it would make a lot of sense for her to redeem her reputation.
HAMMER: And if Nicole is successful at that, maybe Paris could learn a lesson from her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, tomorrow certainly could be a big courtroom showdown for Nicole Richie. It was supposed to be the day her trial was going to get under way. But now all that`s up in the air. Her attorney tried to delay the date because an expert Richie wants to use isn`t going to be in town. The judge said, too bad, get to court.
Joining me tonight from New York, David Kaplan, senior correspondent for VH1`s 24Sizzler.com and from Los Angeles tonight, investigative journalist, the lovely Pat Lalama. Pat and David, it`s good to see you both.
So this judge, Commissioner Steven Label (ph), just seemed annoyed today that a postponement was even requested. Pat, we saw how Paris Hilton and her camp really ticked off the judge in her case. Don`t you think in this case, they ought to be bending over backwards and making sure they`re doing everything right?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: A.J., you`re so right. But let me tell you about this commissioner. He`s a very nice guy, but he is not one to mess with. And I don`t think he`s going to be easy on Nicole. Clearly, this is my opinion, I think they`re trying to do everything they can to divert this whole -- divert the attention the way from her. She`s wasting taxpayer dollars. Allegedly she`s off in Canada with her boyfriend when she knows the trial is supposed to start?
That doesn`t sound responsible to me. And if she`s pregnant, then I`m really disappointed, because we`re bringing another life into this world, you know, a new child of an alleged miscreant, wayward celebrity. I`m very troubled by it. I think what will happen tomorrow, very quickly, is she may be forced to take a plea bargain.
I think that`s her best bet, take a plea bargain, forget the trial. Do your time and go home.
HAMMER: I couldn`t agree with you more. It`s going to be real interesting to see what ends up happening. We did speak with Richie recently to hear about her own concerns after she saw what happened to her buddy, Paris Hilton. She said, at the time we spoke with her, that she was ready to face the music. I want you to listen to what she told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHIE: I don`t have any specific concerns, just I really hope for the best in my case, just like anybody would. At the same time, I take responsibility for anything that I`ve done and I`m willing to face whatever consequences come my way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, as Pat just mentioned, Nicole was last seen in public flying to Canada, so she could be with her boyfriend, Joe Madden from Good Charlotte. He apparently has a gig there tonight. David, whether or not she needs to be there tomorrow, does it not send the message that she`s really not taking this all that seriously?
DAVID CAPLAN, VH-1 CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely. That`s the message being sent here and she`s getting off on such a bad foot. She`s known about this court date for weeks and the interesting thing is, Joel`s concert date in Calgary, Canada tonight has also been known for a weeks. So I think she was never planning on really going to the hearing tomorrow and she wanted to get away from it. But it sends such a strong message and it`s awful.
HAMMER: Pat, you alluded to the fact that this is a big waste of people`s time and money. It does seems to me, more than anything, that the Richie camp is just looking to work the system as best it can and hope that something gets tripped up in the process, keeping her out of jail all together?
LALAMA: Well, they all do that. Michael Jackson was famous for that. Celebrities know how to work the system and they have lawyers who are their pawns for them. I really like Shawn Chapman Holly (ph). I worked -- dealt with her over many cases over the many years --
HAMMER: You`re talking about Richie`s lawyer here.
LALAMA: Richie`s lawyer. The best thing she could do is say, come on Nicole, let`s not do this. It doesn`t look good. Let`s buck up and get in there and show this commissioner that you really mean business. I remember the first case, back when I was with Celebrity Justice, and we covered her case out in Malibu with another great judge, Judge Amira (ph), and, you know, there were heroin allegations. There were all kinds of issue.
She really has had plenty of time to get her life straight. And I am just really -- I`m almost more disappointed in her than I was Paris, because she`s apparently bringing life into the world, not dealing with her 12-step issues. This is a real problem.
HAMMER: If she`s found guilty, there`s mandatory jail time because it`s her second DUI. So she should cop a plea, right Pat?
LALAMA: It all depends. The whole Prop. 36 thing out here of California, which is if you`re not a violent offender and not selling drugs, you can go to rehab. I can name you tons of celebrities who have gotten by with that program and have been able to get over the fact that they might have to go to prison or jail.
She could. It`s all up to this commissioner. He could really bend the rules for her, but she`s not putting on a good show right now.
HAMMER: No, it is not good at all. Speaking of a show, we saw the circus that surrounded Paris Hilton when she was convicted and got sent to lockup. David you have about ten seconds, but do you see the same thing happening with Nicole Richie. Probably not as big a star, but the paparazzi are hungry for it.
CAPLAN: There will be a huge circus. Listen, if she`s pregnant, that bump is only going to get bigger and bigger. So you can imagine, the frenzy around that belly is going to be huge.
HAMMER: When you think about it, what are the most photographed celebrities -- the most valuable pictures are relationships. They`re also going to jail and the baby bumps. You got it all right there. David Caplan, Pat Lalama, thanks for joining us tonight.
Now let`s hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We are asking, Nicole Richie`s DUI trial, if convicted should she go to jail. You can vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail with your thoughts at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
All right, Paris Hilton has now been out of jail for two weeks. When she went on "LARRY KING LIVE," she said she was going to work with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, set up a halfway house for troubled women. I haven`t heard anything from Paris. You guys, anything? No.
Coming up next, a Paris progress report. It ain`t pretty. I`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They sort of address you like you`re their long- lost buddy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The glossies just flood their mailboxes or these people just pour over them at the checkout counters. Talking about folks who just love to read about stars. The question is, can this passion really turn into a dangerous obsession? Tonight, I`ve got a SHOWBIZ special report, when big fans turn into fan-addicts.
And what is this? Tori Spelling, a minister? She`s marrying gay couples? Definitely a long way from playing Donna Martin on "90210." It`s a wild story. If I got it right, it`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: You know, I realized that there was a lot more important things in life and there`s a lot more things to do. And I`m, frankly sick of it. I`ve been going out for a long time now and, yes, it`s fun, but it`s not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That, of course, Paris Hilton in her controversial one-on-one interview with Larry King on CNN swearing off parties. Yes, if you believe that, I`ve got some hair extensions to sell you. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It was two weeks ago today that Paris got out of jail and swore to the world the old Paris is burning and the new Paris is being built. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you tonight that construction is moving slowly, very slowly. So let us now pull out the Paris Hilton progress report.
Joining us from Hollywood tonight, Howard Bragman, founder of 15 Minutes Public Relations, and in New York, Maggie Gallon, publicist and founder of Spotlight Communications. Maggie, Howard, it`s nice to see you both.
I want to start out with the party promise. Paris said she would party less. She was getting sick of that scene. There have, however, been numerous Paris party sightings in recent days. Howard Bragman, not a good identity for Paris to be going out quite so soon?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, 15 MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, it`s not so much that she`s partying. Nobody expected her to stay home and comb her hair extensions. What we did want is to see a little mix of the old Paris and the new Paris that was promised. So she certainly talked the talk. She hasn`t walked the walk. She hasn`t even taken a baby step yet. And that`s what`s so disappointing. It`s not that hard.
HAMMER: We did want to see here go away a little while and not show up anywhere. I think we should just move onto our next point. Thank you very much. The bell means we move on. Paris promised that she was going to raise awareness for charities. Let`s listen now to what she told Larry King about using her fame for charity.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I feel like, you know, being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes, and just do so much with this, instead of, you know, superficial things like going out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now I want to read to you what she has said since about her new charity work. I just don`t have anything here. We did hear she took a trip to Hawaii, however. Maggie, I don`t suppose she went over there to save the world or save the whales.
MAGGIE GALLON, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: No, I`m afraid not. But the thing to remember is that when any celebrity is going to attach themselves to a charity, it`s not something that should happen overnight. When you are going to attach your name to a cause, you have to take that very seriously. You`ve got to do the research if you`re going to be the mouthpiece for a particular cause.
Frankly, she`s not doing the research on the beaches of Maui, nor is she doing them at nightclubs.
HAMMER: You don`t think? All right, let`s move on to Paris progress report number three. Ding, thank you. Paris said she wants to create a halfway house for inmates. Now, no, still not among my paperwork. Don`t have the blueprints here, Howard. Do you think she`s interviewing architects as we speak?
BRAGMAN: I think she is really blowing it right now. Maggie`s right that you really have to look into the long-term association with a charity, but, at the same time, it`s so easy to do something small and meaningful. She could have given 10 percent of her 300,000 dollars from "People Magazine" to a charity. She could have started ParisHilton.org. There`s so many little things she could have done and we see nothing. And that`s what`s so disappointing.
HAMMER: When she was just about to get out of jail, Howard, we were talking about the fact that she should either lay low or come right out of the box swinging with something to show that was truthful about what she said she was going to do. We need to move on to the next point in our Paris progress report. She said that she would also attend church, as in mass. Now, Maggie, I want to take a listen to another sound bite from that Larry King interview when Larry asks her about her new-found spirituality.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What`s your favorite Bible passage?
HILTON: Um, hmm, I don`t have a favorite.
KING: Do you read it every day?
HILTON: In jail, I read it a lot.
KING: Going to go to mass?
HILTON: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I could watch that over and over. Not to say she`s not spiritual, but we have seen a lot of pictures since jail of Paris in Hawaii out partying, holding up her line of hair extensions, showing off a big push up bra. Haven`t seen the church photo op yet, Maggie.
GALLON: You`re right. That`s not exactly a church-going outfit. That is what she`s wearing on the beach. I think that that was everybody`s favorite moment from that interview. That was clearly the moment where we all realized she`s been media trained, but not media trained well enough. That was an easy follow-up question that she missed.
HAMMER: I want to get into the summation here to see how Paris did on this progress report. Let`s go through them one by one, party less? Nope. Raise awareness for charities? We need to raise a little money for our sound effects. Create a halfway house? No nothing. Go to church? maybe we haven`t seen it.
We`ll be pulling out another Paris progress report soon enough. Howard Bragman, Maggie Gallon, I appreciate you both joining us tonight.
BRAGMAN: Thanks, a.j.
HAMMER: Big fun it was. Believe it or not, there are actually people out there who are obsessed with Paris Hilton. I don`t know why, but, you know, sometimes these celebrity passions can actually get frightening.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They come up to you -- everybody knows you, you know. So I don`t know who I really do know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, why we feel such a personal connection to stars. It is a SHOWBIZ special report, when big fans turn into fan-addicts.
Speaking of frightening, Tori Spelling an ordained minister. You heard me right. Coming up next, the bizarre story of Tori`s turn as a lady of the cloth. Going to have you saying 90210-geez.
Well, I bet Katie Couric`s ratings on the "CBS Evening News" have got her bosses crying, oh, no. Now there`s talk that things have gotten so bad that the princess of perky is actually punching her staff? We`ll figure out what that`s all about. I`ve got that coming up.
And Barbara Walters reveals her surprising connection to Katie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tori Spelling ordained minister. All right, I think I`ve got to say that again so it kind of sinks in. Tonight, Tori Spelling is an ordained minister. Talk about 90210 geez. Tori got her online certification in order to marry a gay couple at her bed and breakfast. She runs the joint with her husband Dean McDermit (ph) as part of their Oxygen reality show, "Tori And Dean In Love."
Now, you`d think that playing this role would be a breeze for Tori. I mean, of course she spent years playing the lovely Donna Martin on "Beverly Hills 90210." But on her MySpace blog, Tori says that she was, quote, beyond nervous as she performed the commitment ceremony. She writes, quote, this by far was my scariest moment, simply because they had bestowed such an honor upon me.
Now, Tori got pretty emotional. She adds that all the marriage stuff got her thinking about her young son. She also wrote, quote, as I put Liam down to bed that evening, I told him that he will one day find true love, a love that unites him as one with his soul mate.
So there you have it, deep thoughts by Tori Spelling. Coming up next, a poetry reading by Luke Perry.
Well, Tori and her husband Dean making their marriage work in a kind of off the wall, unique way. Whatever works, right. Well, coming up, I have the secrets of how another big-time celebrity couple keeps their relationship going despite being in the spotlight. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They sort of address you like you`re their long- lost buddy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, why we feel such a personal connection to stars. But can this intense passion for celebrities become a dangerous obsession? It is kind of scary. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, when big fans turn into fan-addicts.
And a sequel ten years in the making. I`m looking forward to this one. Kate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush they`re back in Elizabeth. I`ve got your SHOWBIZ first look coming up when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns for Tuesday night.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMERON DIAZ, ACTRESS: They come up to you, everybody knows you, you know? So I don`t know who I really do know. It`s scary.
CARLIN FLORA, "PSYCHOLOGY TODAY": The more details that you know about someone, the more absorbed you become and the more emotionally attached you become.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Crossing the line from fan to fan-addict. They are your favorite stars, you follow their every move, but when is it too much? And what is it about celebrities that make us feel like we really know them? Tonight, we have a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Fan-Addicts".
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, it`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Fan-Addicts," the line between star struck and celebrity obsession seems to get fuzzier by the minute, from TV shows, to magazines, to the gossip blogs, fans can now follow their favorite stars` every move all the time. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, when does star-gazing goes too far? Why do some people become so obsessed with the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears? Why do they feel so personally connected? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Fan-Addict."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, look it, he`s got Ross` hair cut.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, let me see!
HAMMER (voice over): They were "Friends" for over a decade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m just going to propose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ah!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds perfect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re going to mess it up, let me do it.
HAMMER: It was as if Joey, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Rachel and Phoebe were just down the street waiting for you to join them for a cup of joe at Central Perk.
CARLIN FLORA, "PSYCHOLOGY TODAY": We`re built to view people we recognize as acquaintances, so it`s almost that on an unconscious level, if you watch a lot of TV and you have all these characters in your head, on a deep level, you think they`re also your friends. You sort of feel more socially satisfied.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that this satisfaction deepens as the trials and tribulations of real-life celebrities become more and more available to us. Whether knowingly, like the former newlyweds of reality TV --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nick!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are dumplings gooey a little?
HAMMER: Or unknowingly, like the magazines photos that prove celebrities put their pants on one leg at a time just like us, right?
FLORA: The more details that you know about someone, the more absorbed you become and the more emotionally attached you become. So now, you know, if you want to know everything about Jessica Simpson, you can go on the Internet. You can learn about her home, or what she wears. You can read magazines. You can look at cable and so the more details you amass, the more you want.
ZACH BRAFF, ACTOR: They sort of address you like they`re your long- lost buddy.
HAMMER: Zach Braff is just one of the stars who has seen how friendly the public can be. For the celebrity involved, it can be overwhelming. Cameron Diaz tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says about fans playing the "I know you," role with her.
DIAZ: They do. They come up to you, everybody knows you, you know? So I don`t know who I really do know. It`s scary.
HAMMER: So, is there a right way and a wrong way for public to deal with this attachment to their celebrity friends.
DIAZ: Everybody knows me.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picks the brain of "Psychology Today" Carlin Flora to see where this sense of friendship comes from.
FLORA: So, our brain actually plays a trick on us. We are built to view anyone we recognize as an acquaintance. So, on sort of a deep level we think these people are in our tribe, right? And because of that, we want to gossip about them, the same way we want on gossip about our friends and our family.
HAMMER: It`s shocking but true, our brain is to blame. But what about the media?
FLORA: The media feeds into these natural tendencies we have, again, to, you know, to follow high-status people, to copy them, to know what`s going on with people whom we think we know. So, you know, to blame it on the media is too simplistic. It`s really, you know, it certainly feeds into those tendencies, but it`s not the whole story.
HAMMER: Carlin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that teenagers who are well versed in celebrity gossip are actually more popular, with stronger social networking. Can it be? Does our friendship with celebrities actually bring us closer together as a society?
FLORA: No matter what social class you come from, no matter where you grew up, you know, we can all talk about Britney Spears, we can all talk about what happened on "American Idol," and it sort of brings us together, helps us kind of talk about our own values and our own beliefs, through those common stories, such as what happened with Britney`s marriage.
HAMMER: But before you go on boasting about your best friend Brit, remember, no one loves a bragger -- or a stalker.
FLORA: Understand that you`re kind of built to do this, but at the same time, you know, evaluate, am I spending too much time on this? You know, is my obsession with celebrities leading me to feel unsatisfied with the things that I have?
HAMMER: But as long as it doesn`t get to the point of obsession, have fun with your celebrity friends. And, hey, it could even help you make new friends.
FLORA: It is a way to get to know each other, at least as a jumping off point.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Carlin also points out that looking up to a celebrity, somebody like Oprah Winfrey, for instance, that`s a good thing because she motivates us to do good things, unlike Paris Hilton, of course, who is famous for just being famous and, of course, for doing time behind bars.
Let us now dig a little deeper into the whole celebrity worship thing? What does make somebody a fan-addict? Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report continues now with developmental psychologist -- and author -- Cooper Lawrence; and in Hollywood tonight, Tom O`Neill, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly".
Cooper, Tom, thank you for being here for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
Tom, this is your business, man. You`re in the business of selling all this stuff, so, for you, what would you say makes people so obsessed?
TOM O`NEIL, SR. EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I think the addiction element, the fact that we are now covering this, in the media, as soap opera. This is very new, A.J. Five years ago, we saw the launch of all these magazines like "In Touch Weekly," "Life & Style," and on the print side. And then the Internet, the blogs like Paris Hilton, and TMZ, and what happened is you`ll see that before that, celebrity covers of magazines were news driven. After that, they`re relationship driven.
Next time you go to 7-Eleven, notice the cover has nothing to do with what`s new but what`s happening in terms of their heart.
HAMMER: It`s kind of the deal where people become interested, perhaps, in the celebrity but then, as you said, like a real soap opera, if you don`t pay attention to what`s going on, you`re going to miss out.
O`NEIL: Yes.
HAMMER: I get that.
Cooper, you`re actually writing a book about this whole star worship thing. Take me into the minds of people who are really involved here. What is the psychology behind this? Why do people feel the need to worship basically strangers whom they`ve never met in their lives?
COOPER LAWRENCE, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: It`s so fascinating because it really says a lot about your personality. The people that feel this -- there`s three basic types of people that worship celebrities.
One of the people, that really it`s entertainment, they get it. They know that it`s really just something they can go gossip with their friends about and say, my god, did you hear what Paris did today?
Then the second tier are the people that feel, really feel if they met the celebrity today, they would definitely be friends with them. Because they have so much in common and they have developed this intense personality relationship where they start to project a lot of what`s going wrong in their life, or what`s going right in their life onto the celebrity. It becomes more than just somebody they admire, but somebody that they maybe, on some level, strive to be like.
It really -- it kind of screws with your personality a little bit. Because it makes you feel like, well, this is me, and here`s them, and they`re doing this and that`s not something I`d normally do, but if they`re so much like me, maybe I should do something like that. Maybe I should go in that direction.
HAMMER: You also hear, I talk to a lot of people who, because they obsess about recording artist`s lyrics. Because those lyrics changed their life somehow, changed.
LAWRENCE: They speak to me.
HAMMER: They speak to me, exactly.
So, all of a sudden that fan feels well they must clearly want to be my friend because they would understand me.
Now we know the types of people who obsess. Tom, what makes a person the perfect character to obsess over, to wind up in your magazine?
O`NEIL: The perfect cover story? Let me tell you it would be -- that`s a great question -- it would be a beautiful young Hollywood starlet, in distress, in a relationship preferably pregnant, and who has confessed to plastic surgery. I don`t know what the plastic --
HAMMER: And going to jail. I`m going to throw in going to jail.
O`NEIL: And going to jail, that would be it.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Primarily because of those soap opera issues that you`re talking about and somebody wanting to follow all aspects of wherever those storylines are going to go?
O`NEIL: Yes. And there is a disconnect now which is fascinating between our stars and the movies they make. Take Angelina Jolie, I think, is probably the best example. We used to, let`s say, root for Clark Gable and then go see his movies. Look what just happened to "A Mighty Heart," it bombed. Even though all the critics say it`s the greatest movie of the year. It doesn`t matter, we care about Angelina because she stole Prince Charming from America`s sweetheart`s and she`s interesting as a sub- character.
HAMMER: Cooper Lawrence, you talked about two the three tiers of the types of people who are into star watching, and then moving into star obsession, but this really does, and I suppose this is where that third tier is, star worship can actually become a mental health issue.
LAWRENCE: Oh, yeah, stalker, we`re talking about. That third one really is when you really cannot distinguish your reality and a celebrity`s reality. And when a celebrity is on a screen talking, they`re literally talking to you. Not I can relate to them, but they`re sending you some sort of message, that really is on the fringe. That`s really a small percentage of people.
So, I say celebrity worshipers, we`re talking about people, really, they just dig the celebrity, they get them. And on some level they feel that maybe they can be friends with them. But the stalkers are just -- it`s just a small percentage that, really, I`m not going to address it in the book because -- that`s a whole other realm of psychology.
HAMMER: That would be a whole separate book.
LAWRENCE: Oh, yes.
HAMMER: Tom, you mentioned Angelina Jolie. Here is somebody who is obsessed over, but really, you get the sense and when I`ve spoken to her in the past, she doesn`t love her having picture taken. She gets that`s a part of the deal, but does that make her even more intriguing to the people who are addicted to this stuff?
O`NEIL: Oh, absolutely. And look at the whole story of her life. Now that she has found herself in this relationship drama, she is trying to save the Third World one adopted child at a time. The folds of this story are absolutely intriguing and -- it`s the disconnect from the movie thing, that`s what`s so interesting, A.J. We don`t care about her movie, even though it`s supposed to be a great movie. Why aren`t we going to see this movie? We used to do both. We`d follow the star and follow the movie.
HAMMER: Yeah.
LAWRENCE: Because her life is becoming more interesting than the life of the movie character.
O`NEIL: Right.
HAMMER: And talk about a soap opera, soap opera, indeed.
Well, I have a feeling things are not going to get better, they`re just going to continue down this path. Cooper Lawrence, Tom O`Neill, thanks for joining us for this SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
LAWRENCE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, Katie Couric fans are not lining up to watch the "CBS Evening News." It seems they`re actually becoming less and less sympathetic every day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m supposed to feel sorry for somebody who cut a $75-million deal? Am I supposed to feel bad for her? Are you kidding me?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, first a ratings slump and now this? The slap heard across the Internet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets to the bottom of a shocking headline, did Couric actually smack one her co-workers? This is a story you will not want to miss.
Also, former `N Sync star and "Dancing With The Stars" alum, Joey Fatone, opening up to me about life in the spotlight, and how it really affects his marriage. How does he make it work? We`ve got the story just ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And Oscar-winners, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush returning to the big screen for a sequel of the Academy Award nominated film, "Elizabeth". We have got your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look" that you won`t want to miss, still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, HOST, "THE VIEW": Everything that was promised faded, as Katie says, it is with her. There was not a possibility of my making it, was it because I was a woman? Was it "The Today Show"? Was I too curt? I exactly the same thing. My resurrection was "20/20" and her resurrection may very well be going to "60 Minutes" because she does wonderful interviews.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Barbara Walters sounding off on Katie Couric`s troubles over at the "CBS Evening News". Barbara knows better than anybody about what Katie is going through right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Bad ratings are not the only problem for Katie Couric, now a story about a temper tantrum is making its rounds all over the Internet. We want to know, did the once perky news anchor actually slap her co-worker? Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): First, we couldn`t stop calling her perky, and now we`re perking up our ears because Katie Couric supposedly slapped someone?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, that is so unlike Katie Couric.
MOOS: It`s more like what Zsa Zsa Gabor might do to a cop or what one Czech politician did to another. Politicians are one thing, but slap-happy Katie?
(on camera): She didn`t exactly slap his face. She went --
She slapped him like that. Sorry, Phoebe, it`s OK?
(Voice over): In a "New York" magazine cover article about what a bad year it`s been for Katie at her new "CBS Evening News" anchor gig, one little anecdote is getting lots of attention.
"Couric got angry with news editor Jerry Cipriano for using a word she detested, `sputum` and the staff grew tense when she began slapping him over and over again on the arm."
Couric`s spokesman disputes the over and over and over part. Tackled one blog, Katie Couric doesn`t like sputum.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All it is, is throat garbage.
MOOS: It was a story about that tuberculosis patient. Katie`s spokesman says she read the skip beforehand but the word sputum was inserted afterwards and she mispronounced it, "spa-tum" on the air, which explains why she was annoyed at the writer.
I sort of slapped him around, I got mad at him. And said, `You can`t do this to me, you have to tell me when you`re going to use a word like that.` I was aggravated. There`s no question about that."
(On camera): Have you ever slapped anyone?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Only my husband.
MOOS: What drove you to slapping?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband.
MOOS: Where did you slap him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Probably on the shoulder, sometimes on the head. Come on, get with it.
MOOS: Since she got with the "CBS Evening News" Katie says, "I have days when I`m like, Oh, my God! What did I do?" Adding, "But for some reason, they don`t happen that often."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hang in there, Katie. Hang in there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m supposed to feel sorry for somebody who cut a $75-million deal? I`m supposed to feel bad for her? Are you kidding me?
MOOS: As for sputum, Katie says the word`s become something of a joke, banned from "CBS Evening News".
(on camera): Sputum, that which Katie Couric would probably like to spit on this slapping story.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leave Katie Couric alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take a Zanax (ph) and call me in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I`m going to have to go bail Jeanne out of jail. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about Katie Couric. Did she make a big mistake by going to CBS? Look at this. You basically said, yes; 96 percent of you with only 4 percent saying no.
Among the e-mails we got, we heard from Deborah in Virginia, who writes, "Katie`s mistake was trying to put perky in the evening news. I watch the evening news for new, not legs, fashion, or big smiles."
We also heard from Gary in Oregon, who writes: "You should have asked CBS if they made a big mistake by hiring Katie in the first place. The answer is a resounding, yes."
And now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is continuing coverage of couples who are making their relationships work in Hollywood and beyond.
Former `N Sync star and "Dancing With The Stars" alum Joey Fatone has been married for almost three years. He and his wife Kelly have actually been together for over a decade. They have a six-year-old daughter together. I when I sat down with Joey, I had to ask him, how has he been able to balance his life in the spotlight with his family life?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOEY FATONE, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": Just being up front, being really together, being a unit, basically. You know, being one. That`s the key, you know. Sometimes, nobody`s perfect. My wife sometimes calls me, "Joey, party of one", because sometimes I do think of myself other than my wife and my kid.
And that`s the things that -- you`re on a roller coaster. I`ve been with her now dating 13, 14 years. And it`s got up and down, up and down. And you just really have to buckle down and kind of really evaluate each other, and sit down and just like talk a lot.
There`s a lot of communication, obviously, is a must. That`s something that has to happen. You can`t just blow things up or, you know, keep stuff inside because then you will blow up, or get mad, or whatever the case may be.
You know, you -- for me, I tend to get away from everything. Living in Orlando is really nice as far as not being in L.A. And being in the scene, being, you know, in people`s eyes all the time. There are times and places to do that. And like this right now, I`m kind of doing a lot of press blitz and being out there, it`s fun to do.
My wife is not the limelight kind of person, which is also I guess a plus. She`s, you know, a fantastic mother, a fantastic wife, and it`s just fun. You know? We`re enjoying the ride. You know we do have things, we do argue, people argue. That`s going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joey`s got a great attitude. Fatone is now hosting a new show called "The Singing Bee" and can you catch it Tuesday night on NBC. >
Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush are returning to the big screen doing a sequel of the Academy Award-nominated film "Elizabeth." Coming up, your first look at the new film "Elizabeth, The Golden Age." You will not want to miss it.
We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we want to know from you tonight. Nicole Richie`s DUI trail: If she`s convicted, should she go to jail?
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, we want to hear it at Showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll be reading some of your e-mails tomorrow.
You can always stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories just by signing up for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Which is easy to do if you got a computer and know how to use it. Go to the CNN.com/showbiztonight web page. Click on the Newsletter button, it`s right there on the left-hand side of the page and every single day you`ll be receiving an e-mail from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Oscar winner Cate Blanchett stunned audiences with her amazing portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, The First, back in 1998. And now, fans cannot wait to see her performance in the sequel to the Oscar nominated film. Neither can we. Here now your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look" at "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".
(BEGIN MOVIE TRAILER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ll need your strength in the days to come.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have reason to fear?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are hard days coming, but I am no prophet. I see no more than the shadows of ghosts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Spanish Armada is at sea with an army of 10,000 men?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Spanish are barely a day away, Majesty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Walter Raleigh, Majesty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This man is a pirate.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Spain is no friend of England. The more gold I take, Majesty, the safer you will be.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He interests me. Talk to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I fear for your safety, threats to your person are real.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Spain intends to place Mary Stewart in our country`s throne, and I am to be assassinated. Tell your king I fear neither him, nor his armies.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a wind coming that will sweep away your pride.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I, too, can command the wind, sir! I have a hurricane in me that will strip grain bear if you dare to try me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our mission is to kill a queen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will not fear the coming of the shadow of death.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We mortals have many weaknesses. We feel too much, hurt too much. All too soon we die, but we do have the chance of love.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I envy you this, you`re free to have what I cannot have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forgive me, majesty, I have failed you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This armada that sails against us, curries the Inquisition. We cannot be defeated.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Spanish will overwhelm many us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since when were you so afraid?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When the storm breaks, some are undone with terror and some spread their wings and soar.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let them come with the armies of hell! They will not pass!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elizabeth!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: By God, England will not fall while I am queen.
(END MOVIE TRAILER)
HAMMER: Looks good, "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" set to hit theaters on October 12.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
This guy, coming up next after the latest from CNN "Headline News." Have a great night.
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