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Showbiz Tonight
Britney Spears Releases New Single; Owen Wilson Released From Hospital
Aired September 04, 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 right there on the set as Whoopi Goldberg makes her View debut. I get her to dish on how much we`ll actually hear about her personal life.
And the outrage over Jerry Lewis` anti-gay slur on live TV, absolutely shocking. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, what`s up with Owen? Tonight, Owen Wilson`s dramatic return home after his apparent suicide attempt. Tonight, will Hollywood and his fans ever be able to look at him the same way again. Why his toughest battle may still be ahead. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with late-breaking news on the movie star who shocked us all.
Tonight, is this Britney Spears` last chance? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with big Britney news. Another fired up custody hearing today over her children, plus SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Britney`s hot new single.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, with what could be Britney`s last chance for her career and her kids.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight, and every night, from New York City, where today I was right there as everyone was making Whoopi! Get your mind out of the gutter. Today was Whoopi Goldberg`s first day as co-host of "The View." That hot seat that used to belong to Rosie O`Donnell. We`ll get to that in just a moment.
But first tonight, we have big Britney news, so much news Britney Spears news, we have been racing to keep up with it all day long. Tonight, shocking new developments in her baby battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Earlier today lawyers for both sides met behind closed doors. The latest battle come as few days after Britney`s appearance over the weekend in Las Vegas where she helped open a new night club called LAX.
Kevin Federline`s have lawyers dropped a bomb on Britney. Listen to this, they`re asking her to pay Kevin`s legal billing because, according to them, Britney is making a bundle. Can we please put the number up on the screen? It`s almost hard to believe when I just say it. Look at this astounding number, 737,000. That number is apparently what Britney Spears makes every month.
Joining us tonight in New York, celebrity attorney Raoul Felder, and from Court TV correspondent Jean Casarez, in New York City as well. I appreciate you being with us Raoul and Jean. Hi, guys. The latest custody hearing is coming now against the backdrop of a TMZ report that the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services received three anonymous complaints about Britney`s care of the kids. Two of those complaints have been closed out. One that is still open reportedly is about their dental hygiene and eating habits.
Jean Casarez, let me go to you. How seriously should we take this?
JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV CORRESPONDENT: Let`s look at the reality. If you took all the children in this country who maybe didn`t brush their teeth twice a day or ate too much fast food, you would have Department of Children and Families going crazy with all the complaints. You have to wonder what is the real issue here? Who made the complaint? Is it a fabrication? Is somebody out to get her?
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t know what`s going on. It seems somebody is trying to build a very large pile of all sorts of negativity against Britney and her care of the kids. I did mention that Britney helped open a night club in Las Vegas over the weekend. I have to say, she was looking very much like the party Britney we have known from months passed that hasn`t fared too well for her.
Raoul Felder, what do you think? Is this the kind of thing that Kevin`s attorneys could actually use against her?
RAOUL FELDER, CELEBRITY ATTORNEY: Not the anonymous call to child services. That doesn`t matter. As Jean said, it`s nonsense. Some of the other stuff, just going to the club, she was getting paid. He wants part of that money, which makes me think that maybe the money is a little bit behind the child claim of custody, because the person who gets custody will get custody from the person who doesn`t have custody, if they have lots of money.
So it`s sort of in the mix of things, I guess, but opening a club doesn`t mean very much. It`s what she does afterwards that could play in the custody case.
HAMMER: You could say she`s just out there back doing her job. She`s getting a paycheck and we all deserve to do that. But, Jean, we haven`t seen Britney out with the kids. We see her out at night, doing the club appearances or whatever it may be. Do you think that perhaps it wouldn`t be such a bad idea, at this point in time, when she is in this heated custody battle, to maybe take the kids out for a walk in the park? I don`t know. Get them on the swing set and push them?
CASAREZ: A little PR is what you`re saying. I can understand why Britney wouldn`t do that. Every time she has, the paparazzi are right there. What if the child fell out of the swing or something? Then there`s another media blitz and it would be her fault. I can see why she`s not taking the kids out.
HAMMER: You make a good point there. And at the same time, it could backfire on her, because people would probably point out, hey, it`s just a publicity stunt. Raoul, I want to get back to this money thing. You alluded to this a moment ago. Can we look at this number again. Wow, 737,000 dollars a month. That apparently is what she makes.
OK, Raoul, could K-Fed actually be getting a bigger chunk of that than the pre-nup stipulates? They do have a pre-nup in place. It I`m sure has an amount stipulated there. But if he gets more custody of the kids than now, or sole custody of the kids, does that figure rise for K-Fed?
FELDER: Yes. You can`t decide what a child`s going to get in a prenuptial agreement. That`s up to the court. So that puts aside everything he gets in the pre-nup. Now it`s a question of child support. He`s like a woman married to a man making 8.4 million dollars a year, whatever. It comes to who has custody of the child? And it could be lots of dough here.
HAMMER: A lot of people have speculated one of the reasons he`s in this battle is for the money and not for the kids. Is that something that you have seen in your dealing with celebrity clients?
FELDER: Many times. By the way, you know, he says he`s not making any money. That`s kind of hard to believe, if you got minimum wage, 7.13 an hour. He could be doing some things. Doesn`t have to wait at home waiting for her money.
HAMMER: I think he`s probably figuring something out rather than taking money from Britney Spears. She is expected to return to the stage this weekend. It`s actually a lot of pressure, I imagine, when she goes to appear at the MTV Music Video Awards, given everything going on with her the past year. Jean, is this all about influencing the court of public opinion at this point and is that really important for her right now?
CASAREZ: It is, but maybe she`s really trying to get her life back on track. Maybe she`s coming out with this album and a single, and she`s just really trying to follow the straight and narrow road? And we should applaud her for that, if that`s what she`s doing. In a court of law, the judge is going to look at everything. That`s a family court law judge.
But today`s the first day of Britney`s life, right? Hopefully she is on the right pathway.
HAMMER: Is it her last chance? We`ll be getting into that at 31 past the hour. For now Jean Casarez, Raoul Felder, I appreciate you joining us.
Now we want it hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here is what we want to know tonight. Britney Spears` new song is out. Is it her last chance for a comeback? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Or email us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com
Now let`s move on to Whoopi and what a Whoopi it was. Bye-bye Rosie. Hello Whoopi. Whoopi Goldberg, one of my favorite stars on the planet, officially took over as the co-host hot seat today, a seat left pretty well burned from the fireworks Rosie O`Donnell set off during her explosive and controversial year on the show.
I was right there on the set of "The View" here in New York City as the sparks started flying again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, "THE VIEW": Good morning. I`m Whoopi Goldberg.
HAMMER (voice-over): After months of being a fill-in guest host, the sometimes controversial Whoopi Goldberg is now an official host on the sometimes controversial chat fest. Taking over from the always controversial Rosie O`Donnell.
GOLDBERG: Welcome to "The View."
HAMMER: While Whoopi did not start a screaming match or a nasty feud on her first day, she wasted no time taking on the hottest topic. like Senator Larry Craig`s gay sex scandal.
GOLDBERG: This is the thing that kills me. If you get arrested, why don`t you tell your family? You`re a senator!
HAMMER: The dog fighting case that sacked Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.
GOLDBERG: From his background, this is not an unusual thing for where he comes from.
HAMMER: And that unbelievable video clip of that poor beauty queen mangling an answer during the pageant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. -- should help South Africa. It should help the Iraq.
GOLDBERG: People are just going to walk up and go -- you`re the idiot.
HAMMER (on camera): It`s a brand new season on "The View." They`ve got a new set. They`ve got a new moderator. In fact, it`s just warm and fuzzy with lots of love all around.
(voice-over): Whoopi`s co-hosts told me they thought she did great.
(on camera): Give me a grade. How did she do?
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": On a one to ten, an eleven.
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": I loved it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She felt good and we all felt great. So it`s a good start.
HAMMER (voice-over): And Whoopi told me she`s happy, too.
(on camera): I think you passed the audition?
GOLDBERG: We`ll see.
HAMMER: I think they`re going to let you stick around. Will you stick around?
GOLDBERG: I will. I like it.
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Whoopi`s View debut was a rare moment of calm and tranquility in what has been a stormy last few months on the headline making morning show. Here a look back.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: What in the world is going on at "The View."
MEREDITH VIERA, "THE TODAY SHOW": NBC has asked me to co-host "The Today Show."
STAR JONES REYNOLDS, FORMERLY OF "THE VIEW": I will not be returning as co-host next year.
WALTERS: We didn`t expect her to make the statement yesterday. She gave us no warning.
HAMMER: All-out war broke out today on "The View."
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": I gave you an opportunity.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMERLY OF "THE VIEW": You don`t give me. I asked you a question.
HASSELBECK: I asked you a question.
O`DONNELL: You wouldn`t answer it.
HASSELBECK: You wouldn`t answer your own question is!
HAMMER: Say what you want about the rocky Rosie era of "The View," O`Donnell`s unpredictable antics brought "The View" its highest ratings in years.
(on camera): So will Whoopi spark the same kind of controversy that Rosie O`Donnell did on the last season of "The View?" That remains to be seen. As far as the controversial topic, Whoopi says, bring them on.
GOLDBERG: We will do everything that "The View" did prior to last year. They have always had the hot topics. They`ve always had really spirited discussions with each other. For me, it`s just those things that I have a different kind of perspective on.
HAMMER: And Rosie`s old sparring partner, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, tells me there will still be disagreement on "The View," just not at bitter.
HASSELBECK: We have so much respect for one another and we both listen. We`re going to disagree, but we do it with love and respect, and I think we`ll continue to do that here.
HAMMER: As is always the case with the soap opera that is "The View," time will tell were where the show goes from here. Are we in for a more loving and respectful View, or is this Whoopi`s lovefest the calm before the show`s next storm? You better believe the people at "The View" hope you keep watching to find out.
GOLDBERG: Take time to enjoy "The View."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I have to tell you, I think she`s going to do great. Whoopi Goldberg certainly had a lot more to tell me during my visit during her big day. At 45 past the hour, more of my chat with Whoopi Goldberg. Will she dish about her personal life on "The View" as we have come to expect with the other co-hosts? You`ll be very surprised by what she told me. That is coming up.
Britney Spears is not only in the fight of her life over her kids, she`s trying to save her career. Now she`s got a brand new single out. It`s called give me more. Listen to this.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Not so bad. Could it actually be her last chance to save her career? Coming up at 30 past the hour, my SHOWBIZ special report, is it Britney`s last chance?
Also Owen Wilson`s dramatic return home after his apparent suicide attempt. I got to tell you, I just am not sure if Hollywood and his fan will really ever be able to look at this guy the same way again. A revealing look at that coming up next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY LEWIS, ACTOR: Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your older son. Jesse, the illiterate Fag -- no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jerry Lewis has done so much over the years. He`s been doing his muscular dystrophy Labor Day telethon for more than 40 years, which is why I find what he said yesterday especially repulsive. The outrage over Jerry`s anti-gay slur coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative TV news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Now the private pain of Owen Wilson. Just one week after one of Hollywood`s best known and beloved actors apparently tried to kill himself, Wilson is finally back home tonight. But his journey to recovery is just beginning. You can see here in this video that Owen tried to stay out of the camera`s glare as he arrived back home to his home in Santa Monica in California.
This story certainly has stunned us all. Tonight we`re asking what is next for Owen Wilson? What challenges does he face as he struggles to put his life back together.
With me tonight in New York City, psychology expert and syndicated radio host Cooper Lawrence, and in Hollywood Tonight, Ken Sealey, interventionist from A&E`s show "Intervention."
Cooper, Ken, I appreciate you both being here. Cooper, straight to you. How hard is this road to recovery going to be for Owen Wilson?
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST: It`s hard for anyone who`s famous, because he can`t just do things like the rest of us do. He`s got to do it in the public eye. Right? There`s going to be people there. A.J., you know how it is with these people. There`s going to be cameras everywhere, following him everywhere. Whatever privacy the rest of us may have, he doesn`t get that luxury.
It`s going to be much harder for him to get back to any sort of normal life, because for him, life is not normal.
HAMMER: Yes, everything is extremely heightened, obviously. We saw in the video, all he wanted to do was go home. Of course, the cameras are going to be there. This is the one of the biggest stories to come out of Hollywood in this past summer. No one obviously can say for sure what drove Owen to do what he did. There have been reports floating around that he`s been in rehab twice.
People.com is actually reporting now that he is being watched around the clock by family and friends at home. Ken, that is so crucial. Is it not?
KEN SEALEY, "INTERVENTION": Yes, A.J. That`s really important now because that`s what we do as interventionists. We come in and get the family together, to show the person that they`re loved and let them know how that would make them feel if they were to lose him. And so it`s so important that the family stays by his side and really supports him and shows him the love that they have for him, and supports him through this. I think that`s so crucial right now for his recovery.
HAMMER: From everything I`ve come to understand, Cooper -- help me out with this -- people have different reactions following a suicide attempt, whether they`re drug related or depression related. Don`t they?
LAWRENCE: Yes. I think people feel like, well, if it`s drug related he brought that upon himself. What they don`t see is that a lot of times - - most of the time, the reason why somebody is doing drugs is because the under pinnings of that is depression or some other issue that actually we can relate to. Maybe you are depressed, but you don`t choose to do drugs. So you feel you can`t relate to somebody who does choose to do drugs.
You have to look at him as somebody who is really very sensitive and very vulnerable. We should have sympathy for him. He`s somebody who`s not hurting anybody but himself. He didn`t go out and get a DUI. He didn`t put himself in a situation of any danger to anybody but himself. I think people are -- you`re going to find them much more forgiving, especially because he`s so beloved.
HAMMER: Yes, I think that will play a lot in to the kind of sympathy we see. I want to go back to something you said, Cooper, about what it`s like being in the public eye. Owen has a new film coming out that`s called "Darjeling (ph) Limited." It`s being promoted right now over in Italy at the Venice Film Festival. Obviously Owen`s not there. He`s back at home in California. At some point he is going to have to go back to being in public, to promoting his project, to sitting down and doing interviews with people like myself.
Ken, let me get your take on this. What kind of pressure is that going to add? Obviously, everybody knows his story. Now people are going to be staring and gawking at him.
SEALEY: I`m glad that`s going to happen, because we really need to be monitored. When you`re an addict -- or if that is true that he is an addict, going through this depression, you really do need to be monitored to be accountable. This would be a great way for him to be accountable, and become back in to a recovery program and get the strength that he really needs for long-term recovery. Because that`s pretty much what it is for most addict.
That`s why these story are making sense to me, that this is true, because what happens is, when you stop working a recovery program, those feelings come in with us again that we`re in control. We`re the lead -- we`re leading our lives again, and that`s when we start becoming depressed. That`s when we start self-medicating. And self-medicating doesn`t work, so we become suicidal.
That`s what I see is happening here with him right now. We`ve got to respect him and give him that privacy that he`s asking for, and give him what he needs so he can recover and get to the other side, and give us that wonderful work that he gives us out there in the public
HAMMER: Yes. Cooper, you said that, I think there is much sympathy for him because he is so beloved. Not so unusual for the sad clown to wear the happy mask though, is it?
LAWRENCE: No, not at all. Just read any biography of any comic, John Belushi, anybody like that, and you`ll see that the under pinnings of that is that it makes them a weightier person. I don`t mean physically. In terms of it makes him more real, because we don`t know much about him. We know a little.
HAMMER: Cooper, I have to wrap you there, because we`re out of time. But I think -- I know everybody is pulling for Owen Wilson tonight.
LAWRENCE: We love our Owen Wilson.
HAMMER: I got to tell you, I`ve been hearing Britney Spears news. Talk about a troubled person. It`s been on the radio all weekend.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Yes, not so bad. It`s called "Give Me More." Britney had better hope that her fans are saying, give me more, because between the head shaving and the divorce and the custody drama and the rehab, could this be her last shot at saving her career? A SPECIAL REPORT, Britney`s last chance after this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: You`re not going to know much more than you know now.
HAMMER: We know some, but it`s part of the gig.
GOLDBERG: A.J., that`s all you get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoopi Goldberg taking over fore Rosie O`Donnell. Her first day on "The View;" Whoopi kind of let me have it about something. You`ll hear what she told me coming up in a minute.
And Angelina Jolie`s dad causing controversy. What he`s saying, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, tonight understandably there`s absolute outrage over Jerry Lewis using an anti-gay slur on live television. This happened during Lewis` annual Labor Day telethon. In the 18th hour, Lewis was joking arranged with a cameraman when he used the slur. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS: Oh, your family has come to see you. You remember Bart, your oldest son. Jesse, the illiterate fag -- no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Pretty stupid, Jerry. Jerry Lewis issued a statement today in which he said he was joking around with a member of the production team and doesn`t want one word to distract from the purpose of the telethon and he also apologized, saying, quote, I obviously made a bad choice of words. Everyone who knows me understands I hold no prejudices in this regard. I accept responsibility for what I said. There are no excuses. I am sorry.
Now, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also had plenty to say about this today. In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the president of GLAD says that Lewis` slur is unacceptable, and that, quote, it also feeds a climate of hatred and intolerance that contributes to putting our community in harm`s way. Our nation`s media have done an admiral job this year holding public figures accountable for their use of anti-gay slurs and I hope they continue to do so with Mr. Lewis.
Judge for yourself now. I got to tell you, I`m extremely shocked by what he said. Thankfully, at least from the statement it appears Jerry realizes no excuse for what he said.
All right, another story is causing serious controversy with his words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: The left, extreme left, beliefs that we as Americans are responsible, actually, for bullying other nations. Needless to say it`s the reverse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is Angelina Jolie`s dad, Jon Voight, saying startling things about the war in Iraq. You almost never hear in Hollywood, he`s actually supporting it. Talk about being in the minority. What`s really shocking, Angelina was just over there herself. The star-studded controversy is coming up.
Speaking of Angelina, are Brad and she about to have another kid? Those guys are going to need another minivan. That`s coming up, as well. And I right there on the set for Whoopi Goldberg`s View debut. You know, Whoopi has taken over for Rosie O`Donnell. Already some controversy with me. She is very clear about something. What? It`s coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jon Voight`s stunning comments about the war in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: The Left, extreme Left, believes that we as Americans, responsible actually for bullying another nations. Needless to say, it`s the reverse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jon Voight goes after people who are against the war with a vengeance. Tonight, why Voight is so fired up about the war even as his daughter Angelina Jolie visits refugees in Iraq.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT report. Does Britney Spears have one last chance to revive her career? There is big Britney news today. Here are the headlines. Today, another custody hearing for Britney, and her ex-husband Kevin Federline, involving their two boys, Sean Preston and Jaden James.
Tonight, Britney`s first new song in a long time. It`s called "Gimme More." It`s out. We`ll be playing a little bit of it for you in just a moment. Britney is also gearing up for her expected performance, this weekend, at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday. And tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you her long awaited album is due to be released November 13th.
Tonight we are coast-to-coast, in Hollywood, it`s the founder of Fifteen Minutes PR Howard Bragman joining us in New York Senior Correspondent for VH1`s 24Sizzler.com, David Caplan, and from fabulous Court TV studios in New York City, Court TV Correspondent Jean Casarez.
Gang, I appreciate you being with us tonight. Howard Bragman is our PR guru on the call tonight, let me start with you.
Is this, in fact, Britney`s last chance? Because if you look at what`s going on, it`s hard to tell. Is it a game plan, or is it kind of just a bunch of stuff happening at once?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PR: I would hate to attribute a game plan to Britney. That would just tear down everything we`ve been believing here.
No. A lot of stuff is happening at once. I think her album`s coming out. I think she`s got the court hearing. I think she`s at a turning point in her life, and she has some challenges with her career, A.J. Her audience base is getting a lot older. They`re not the type of people who buy albums as much as they did. And I think a lot them are tired of her antics. That said, if it`s a good album, it will give her a chance. Will it remake her? I`m not convinced of that.
HAMMER: Shame on me for suggesting there`s any cohesive methodology --
BRAGMAN: Yeah!
HAMMER: -- to what`s happening here. I`m sorry. Slap on the wrist for me.
The new single is called "Gimme More". This is her first single in a very long time. In fact, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT executive producer and teleprompter David Levine (ph) thinks it`s fantastic. But who knows? What do you think? Let`s take a listen right now.
(BEGIN MUSIC CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS: Britney back, bitch!
I see you. I just want to dance with you.
(LAUGHTER)
(MUSIC PLAYS, SINGING)
(END MUSIC CLIP)
HAMMER: Ah, yes. As we get our freak on for a Tuesday night.
David Caplan, let me go to you. She starts off the song, and this is quoting her, she says, "Britney`s back, Bitch." That`s the first line of her song. What do you think, David. Is it a good idea to make that the first line of the new single, the first one in years, or is she being a little too obvious?
DAVID CAPLAN, VH1 24SIZZLER.COM: Yeah, I think it`s great. It sets the tone really for her comeback. It sounds very defiant, respect Britney, using language that`s not necessarily G rated. So, I think it`s perfect for her.
HAMMER: All right. She`s got a new single out, she`s still out there on the party circuit, or at least, making appearances. We know she was in Vegas over the weekend. She was playing really every bit the party girl, as we see in this video of her.
It just looks like party Britney. Everybody was buzzing about what appeared to be an engagement ring on her finger.
Jean Casarez, let me go to you on this. Given that she has this massive custody battle underway, she`s trying to prove she`s a good mother. Wouldn`t it been better off if she showed up perhaps, I don`t know, wearing nun`s outfit?
JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV: Well, you know there are a lot of women in this country that engage in entertainment venues that are very good mothers with their children. I don`t think we can say that.
Let me take you all to the court, because a family court judge is determining custody. And Kevin Federline, he is going to have witnesses that take the stand to give that overall picture to say that she is not a fit parent. And it`s not in the best welfare of the child. The judge will narrow it a bit, though. Because he will truly look to see what kind of mother Britney Spears has been, and is. So, I think to get her career back on the fast track can only be a positive thing, even in a courtroom.
HAMMER: Her behavior is being watched for so many different reasons. Of course, we`re talking about the idea, is this the last chance for Britney Spears? Coming up this weekend, the much anticipated Britney performance, if it in fact happens, as the MTV Video Music Awards, reportedly now, she`ll be performing with magician Chris Angel who is going to be making her disappear with mirrors.
Howard Bragman, let`s go back to you. We`re talking about how important all of these various appearances are to the future of her career. If she doesn`t do well at the VMAs, should she really disappear?
BRAGMAN: Haven`t we been saying all along she needs a time-out to get out of the public eye? Chris Angel`s doing what a lot of us have prayed for, for months and years now. Listen, you only get so many times in your career. Her career is only one part of her life. We think of her as mother. We think of her personal problems, and we think of her career. If this doesn`t work, she will figure out another way to get back in the public eye. It`s too important to her. She`s too driven for that attention.
And whether it`s panties or magazine covers without clothes, whatever it is, she knows how to push the buttons of the media, and she`ll figure out a way to get back and get another chance, even if this one isn`t it.
HAMMER: The VMAs though, Howard, a really, really big deal and coming at a crucial moment when she has so much going on and so much riding on it, would you have advised her to take this gig?
BRAGMAN: I don`t think she is getting good advice. I remember when everybody talked about her performance at House of Blues, how important that was a few months ago, and she came out and lip-synched. I don`t think she gets it. If the song is really good and she performs it really well, it`s not going to do anything but help her. But, again, we talked about this overall plan that isn`t there. She`s living from moment to moment. That`s what`s really wrong with that`s going on here.
HAMMER: David, what do you think about her going on the VMAs? Because everybody is buzzing about it, so much seems to be riding on this last performance for her. Is this her last chance to blow us away and does it all dough go to hell in a hand basket if she doesn`t do that?
CAPLAN: This is definitely her last chance. This is where she really has to have a bit of a show stopper, so she can show everyone she`s changed. I don`t know, doing this performance may be a bit premature. Because she`s really putting herself out there. Because if people don`t like the performance, they won`t buy the album come November.
HAMMER: Jean Casarez, I want to ask you, as she goes to do this performance, which can make a very powerful statement about how well she`s doing. How important is the court of public opinion, as to whether or not she gets to keep her kids? You know? Is this really going to make a difference in that battle?
CASAREZ: Technically, it`s not important, because public opinion is not within the four walls of the courtroom, but I think it is, because respect is a key issue here. And the respect of Britney Spears can then translate into her being a good mother, in the best welfare of the child. So, it can do nothing but help. Plus, if she`s working she`s not partying, we hope, and that puts her on a very good track to be a good mother.
HAMMER: And if she back there performing and getting headlines for the right reasons, Jean -- yeah, you`re right. Is should help her if we`re seeing her as that woman that we came to know and love as America`s sweetheart and that great performer.
CASAREZ: Exactly. You know what`s so ironic about this? Let`s go back to last fall, November of `06, when she filed for divorce. The next day, Kevin Federline filed a response saying he wanted sole legal custody and sole physical custody of the children. Everybody thought he was out for the money, that that was why he was doing it. But as the months went on and her behavior started to get so erratic, he started having his case made by Britney herself, which is just ironic.
HAMMER: Everybody`s been laughing about that.
Quick recap, now gang, she has the new single, the performance, a new album. Prediction, Howard Bragman, end of the year, will Britney have turned it around?
BRAGMAN: No way. Come on.
HAMMER: Ever the optimist Howard Bragman. David Caplan, over to you?
CAPLAN: No, I don`t think so either. And I don`t want to be the pessimist, but no.
HAMMER: All right. Jean Casarez, 10 seconds? Will we be saying nice, happy things about Britney, her kids and her career?
CASAREZ: You know, a court of law and a family court judge is going to determine custody. It`s a very serious issue. She could lose the children.
HAMMER: Let`s hope things work out, how she wants them to work out, and she`s fit to keep to be with those kids and give them the life they deserve. I guess, is all I can say now. Jean Casarez, David Caplan, Howard Bragman, thanks for being with us tonight.
We`ve been asking you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Britney Spears new song is out. Is it her last chance for a comeback? Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiz. Or e-mail us, Showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
Jon Voight is all fired up about the war in Iraq. He`s blasting people who are against the in stunning comments on a radio show. This is happening while his daughter Angelina Jolie is out there visiting refugees in Iraq. What he said about the war, and Angelina, all coming up.
Also, Angelina may be getting ready to be a mommy again. I guess that wouldn`t really surprise any of us. We`re going to tell you what Brad Pitt said about having another kid.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, "THE VIEW": You`re not going to know much more than you know now.
HAMMER: Because we know some but -- there`s --
GOLDBERG: That`s all.
HAMMER: But that`s part of the gig, Whoopi.
GOLDBERG: Hey, hey, A.J. --
HAMMER: They didn`t have you write it into the contract? That`s it?
GOLDBERG: That`s all you`re getting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Now, there are some places Whoopi may not go. What she told me may shock you. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: Good morning. I`m Whoopi Goldberg.
(APPLAUSE, CHEERS)
GOLDBERG: Welcome to "The View".
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoopi Goldberg, right there, making her very first appearance as the new moderator of "The View." Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight Whoopi`s "View" was all the talk today. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, was right there as Goldberg stepped in to the hot seat, taking the place of her good friend Rosie O`Donnell.
Of course, Rosie O`Donnell sparked one controversy after another while she was on "The View" last season. I went one on one with Whoopi today and asked whether she was looking forward to igniting some controversy herself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: They`ve always had the hot topics. They`ve always had really spirited discussions with each other. For me, it`s just those things that I have a different kind of perspective on. Like we talked about Michael Vick today. Not excusing his behavior, but certainly this is a part of the country that a lot people don`t realize that this is normal for folks.
HAMMER: You know, one of the things that happens with the show is, we get to know a lot about the personal lives of all the people.
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
HAMMER: We know things about Elizabeth and Joy and Barbara.
GOLDBERG: Yeah.
HAMMER: And -- you know, we`re probably going to get to know some stuff about you. Are you going to --
GOLDBERG: Oh, I don`t think so.
HAMMER: What`s going on with you?
GOLDBERG: Oh, you`re not going to know much more than you know now.
HAMMER: Because we know some.
GOLDBERG: That`s all you`re going to get.
HAMMER: But that`s part of the gig, Whoopi.
GOLDBERG: Hey, hey, A.J. --
HAMMER: They didn`t have you write in the contract? That`s it?
GOLDBERG: That`s all you`re getting. That`s all you`re getting.
HAMMER: I don`t know. You know, Barbara Walters, she coaxes it out of people.
GOLDBERG: What about her? How much you know about her?
HAMMER: Well, yeah, I guess --
(CROSS TALK)
GOLDBERG: No, you know, it`s -- I don`t know if people get to know any more about me, but maybe they`ll get to see a different sort of side of me. Or understand that I have lots of different opinions about different things, and if people have an interesting or intelligent way of bringing information to me, I could actually change my mind. I could actually change my thought process and think, oh, you`re right. But if you scream at me, I probably won`t. You scream at me, I`ll just harrumph, and turn my back.
HAMMER: So, does Barbara Walters pull you aside before all this starts, and sit you down, and you have a little head to head, one on one? She say anything to you?
GOLDBERG: Yeah. Mostly good morning. You know? She`s a good person to have as your guidepost, because she`s done this a million years.
HAMMER: I don`t think she wants to hear you saying that.
GOLDBERG: That`s why I`m saying it over here. But she`s done it long enough to where she says you can cut some time out by doing this or doing that. It`s really good. So I`m having a good time. Listen, I`m lucky. OK? Four years ago, where was the work? Now, it`s pouring, I`m swimming well. Life is good.
HAMMER: Yeah, because a lot of people would say, well, why would you take this job? But it`s nice have a job, right?
GOLDBERG: It`s nice to have a job, Honey. Especially, at this point in time, this is the perfect job for me.
HAMMER: How long you going to stick around and do this gig for?
GOLDBER: A couple years.
HAMMER: You think? Get you more than one? Come back every year and have to meet the new people.
GOLDBERG: Well, you know. I just figure, we`ll see if they want me. Because they might say, you know, those feet, they`re too big. We can`t stand her anymore. You got to go, but I hope not. I think they`ll let me stay.
HAMMER: No, I think the feet are cool.
GOLDBERG: The feet are cool, you see the socks? Through the shoe? Very hot, these.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She has lovely feet. You remember that Elisabeth Hasselbeck was the with who had a fight with Rosie O`Donnell, that lead to Rosie leaving the show early at the end of last season. I asked Elizabeth if she was at all worried about more onset tension with Whoopi now at the helm? They do have a slight difference of opinion about a lot of things. Well, Elizabeth just shook it off and said she welcomes differences of opinion. And she said she is sure that when Whoopi disagrees with her she will be very respectful about what she has to say.
There is no word yet, by the way, on when ABC is going to fill that fifth empty seat left vacant by Star Jones. ABC reps tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that they do expect a decision to come soon.
Well, the "Brangelina Bunch" may be growing soon, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their kids are in Italy right now. They are at the Venice Film Festival that is where Brad is promoting his new movie about Jesse James. Brad told Italian state TV that he and Angelina are ready for a fifth child. Now, he didn`t say whether they would adopt or have another biological child. But Brad did say that fatherhood is the most fun he has ever had. Although he said he is not getting much sleep.
Last week Angelina went to Iraq to visit refugees. At the very same time her dad, Jon Voight, made headlines of his own doing something that is virtually unheard of in Hollywood, supporting the Iraqi war. Here`s CNN Ted Rowlands for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: The Left, the extreme Left, believes that we as Americans are responsible, actually, for bullying other nations. Needless it say it`s reverse. We`ve kept all nations free from so many onslaughts against them.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Angelina Jolie`s father wasn`t acting when he ranted about liberals on "The John Ziegler Show" on Los Angeles radio station KFI. Jon Voight started out hyping his new film "September Dawn", but then things changed.
VOIGHT: The extreme Left has certainly been programmed to believe that we can be passive to our enemies and that`s the way to survive the onslaught --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
VOIGHT: -- of this extreme group of Islamic insurgents, right?
ROWLANDS: Besides all but calling Hollywood liberals brainwashed, Voight did what very few celebrities are doing right now, support the Iraq war.
VOIGHT: We`re in a war there that must be won -- and is it winnable? Yes, it is winnable? And we have to stay with it.
ROWLANDS: What`s ironic is that the 68-year-old actor who made his mark in "Midnight Cowboy" and "Deliverance" and later, "Ali" is boldly backing the U.S. occupation of Iraq, at the same time his A-list daughter is rubbing elbows with refugees in Iraq and Syria as a goodwill ambassador.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot is written about your strained relationship with your daughter, Angelina Jolie. As fate would have it, she was in Iraq today. What do you make of that?
VOIGHT: I`m a little bit trepidatious about it, but let`s see. Let`s see what happens.
ROWLANDS: Voight is certainly not the first actor to chime in on the war but one expert on celebrity impact says how much people pay attention to celebrities who take political stances depends on how bright their star shines in Hollywood.
PROF. S. MARK YOUNG, USC ANNEBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION: Unless you are, I think, at the top of the A list of Hollywood and you have credibility, most people are going to dismiss those remarks. They won`t have a long-lasting effect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Ted Rowlands for "Showbiz Tonight". Jon Voight, by the way, not the only star talking about the war. At the Venice Film Festival, Charlize Theron and Richard Gere both spoke out, but unlike Voight, they are critical about the war and the Bush administration. Theron said that the decision to go Iraq for this war was too quick, the facts weren`t there. And Gere asks, how did we elect bush twice?
Shocking revelations from Nicole Kidman tonight. Unbelievable how much she`s opening up about everything. From a painful secret during her marriage to Tom Cruise, to a mystery man in her life before she was married to Keith Urban, that`s all coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Nicole Kidman is revealing some very explosive things tonight. Very personal stuff about her marriage to Tom Cruise, including that she suffered a miscarriage. All this is part of a shocking interview with "Vanity Fair" magazine. Now, get this, Kidman says she lost a baby early on in her marriage to Tom Cruise when she was in her early 20s.
Kidman also reveals that she has, quote, "No regrets about that relationship." Even though her agent told her that if she married Cruise, her own career was going to die. They were married for 11 years and ended up adopting two kids.
That`s not the only blockbuster here. This is unbelievable. Kidman, who is now married to Keith Urban, says she was engaged to another man before she married the country star, but she refuses to say who it is. Only saying they weren`t ready.
In the interview, Kidman says she really wants to have a baby with Keith, and she`s also fully committed to helping him with his alcohol addiction recovery. Urban, of course, was in rehab last year. You can read more in the October issue of "Vanity Fair" magazine. You`ll find it on newsstand everywhere September 11th.
Last week we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we wanted to know, star custody battles. Should they keep their feuds private? Wow, a landslide, 95 percent of you said yes; 5 percent of you said no.
We got a whole lot of e-mail, too. Including one from Mike in Massachusetts. Mike writes: "Stars are way too public about their problems and need to learn to keep the kids out of it."
We also heard from Laure in Wisconsin who writes: "It`s hard enough for the kids when their parents are divorcing, let alone to hear all of the fighting and the arguing."
It is time now to find out what`s coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, it`s a shocking tell-all book about Katie Couric. An unauthorized biography is saying some absolutely explosive things about what Katie is really like, and we have the guy who wrote it. He`s going to be joining us right here tomorrow, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, tomorrow, why are some of the most successful people in Hollywood so lonely? From Britney Spears to Anna Nicole Smith to Lindsay Lohan, we`re looking beyond all the money, beyond all the fame and glamour, to find out exactly why at the end of the day so many stars are so lonely. And that is coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. "Glenn Beck" is coming up next after very latest from CNN Headline News. Have a great night.
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