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Showbiz Tonight
`Inside The Mind Of Rosie O`Donnell`: Autobiography Reveals Childhood Trauma, Sexual Abuse, Possible PTDS Today; Hot, Powerful Older Actresses Are Hitting It Big On The Small Screen; Britney/K-Fed Custody Battle; Charlie Sheen into Porn, Says Ex; Brad Pitt Describes Kids` Music & Bedtime
Aired September 21, 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, HOST: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards trade shocking accusations in their war over their kids.
And Angelina Jolie opens up about her sexual past. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney, K-Fed and the bitter battle for their boys.
MARK VINCENT KAPLAN, FEDERLINE`S ATTORNEY: He wants primary custody and however that plays out numerically is how it plays out.
HAMMER: Tonight, K-Fed`s attorney speaks out like never before as the gavel comes down. Will court ordered drug tests and parenting classes make a difference?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a new explosive development in the Brit battle.
Tonight, inside the mind of Rosie O`Donnell. Her shocking new book, disturbing revelations about her troubled past. Why she says she broke her own bones. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT puts Rosie on the couch, and we ask, what makes Rosie tick? It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, inside the mind of Rosie O`Donnell.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Friday night is on. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And talk about stand by your man. Exactly what is it O.J. Simpson`s girlfriend sees in him, and why does she stay by his side? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the revealing answers, that is coming up.
But first tonight, the K-Fed strikes back. Britney Spears` ex-husband Kevin Federline is on the attack tonight. It is knock-down, drag-out child custody battle with Britney. Now this has been a remarkable week with the judge slapping Britney down and taking a knock or two at K-Fed as well. So today his attorney decided to set the record straight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAPLAN: I think what Kevin is looking for is something to stabilize the environment that the kids are in. I think that`s what the judge did.
HAMMER (voice-over): That is the attorney for Britney Spears` ex- husband, Kevin Federline, on NBC`s "Today Show," speaking out for the first time since a judge`s shocking order in the Brit/K-Fed custody dispute. The judge slammed Britney for her "habitual, frequent and continual use of controlled substances and alcohol."
But whatever you do, don`t call it a victory for K-Fed.
KAPLAN: I don`t think Kevin looks at this as a victory.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, everyone else is calling it a victory for Federline.
JULIA ALLISON, STAR MAGAZINE: This bodes very well for Kevin.
MIKE FLEEMAN, WEST COAST EDITOR, PEOPLE.COM: The judge came down on Britney Spears much harder than I think anybody expected.
HAMMER: In fact, the judge came down twice at hard on Britney. She now faces mandatory twice-a-week drug testing. K-Fed does not. She also has to spend eight hours a week with a parenting coach. K-Fed does not.
FLEEMAN: Obviously, Kevin Federline`s side made the case that the judge doesn`t have to worry so much about what he`s putting in his body. They have to worry about what Britney Spears is doing.
HAMMER: Both Kevin and Britney have a 50/50 split of their two young sons: 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden. Both parents were ordered to attend co-parenting counseling. But K-Fed`s attorney tells "Today" that is no big deal.
KAPLAN: Courses that they were told to take, standard courses in any contested custody case in California.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it`s Britney who`s now under a legal and public microscope for her questionable parenting skills, her bizarre public behavior, and her constant partying. And she didn`t do herself any favors with her reaction to the judge`s order.
Just hours after the judge called her out for problems with alcohol and drugs, Britney was publicly seen at two L.A. hot spots, prompting the world to ask once again, has Britney absolutely lost it?
ALLISON: Partying a mere 24 hours after a judge very clearly tells you not to? You have to wonder if she really wants these kids.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, K-Fed hasn`t exactly been staying home with the shades drawn either. He has been known to hit a club or two, or three, but his attorney says there`s nothing wrong with that.
KAPLAN: I think that they`re entitled to enjoy their lives as long as when they`re out publicly, they are doing it with moderation.
HAMMER: Julia Allison of Star magazine tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that K- Fed managed to help his custody bid by making himself look more responsible compared to his hard-partying ex-wife.
ALLISON: I think that he has chosen to lie low, and that`s the smartest thing he could have ever done. Let her destroy herself. You know? She`s really good at it.
HAMMER: While on the "Today" show, K-Fed`s attorney took the opportunity to knock down some speculation about Federline`s custody fight.
KAPLAN: I want to put to rest these allegations we`ve heard that he wants more money and that`s why he`s doing this.
HAMMER: K-Fed currently gets $20,000 a month in spousal support from Britney. That money reportedly runs out next month, but Federline`s attorney tells "Today" K-Fed won`t be asking for more.
KAPLAN: There`s no request before the court for any modification of any support order (INAUDIBLE).
HAMMER: Julia Allison of Star magazine tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she can believe that K-Fed isn`t doing this for the money.
ALLISON: At this point, Britney has gone so far down the road of crazy, it`s conceivable that it might not be about money any more.
HAMMER: So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell all of you Britney-watchers out there, mark your calendars for November. In that month alone, the next court hearing in the custody battle is scheduled, K-Fed`s support runs out and Britney`s album is scheduled to drop.
So the question now becomes, how often and how badly will Britney screw up between now and then?
ALLISON: The state`s interest in this regard is the best interest of the kids, and I don`t think that there`s anyone out there who thinks that it`s in the kids` best interests to stay with mommy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Now this custody battle between Britney and K-Fed is not the only nasty fight that is going on in Hollywood. There, of course, is also the down and dirty he said/she said war of words between Charlie Sheen and Denies Richards in which she reportedly accuses him of exposing his private parts on the Internet, which got all of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to thinking, what about the kids in all these cases?
With me tonight, in Hollywood, Ken Baker, editorial director of usmagazine.com. In fact, the headline on the cover of the new issue of US Weekly is "Mommy`s Crying" with one of Britney`s boys on the cover. Also with us tonight in New York, psychology expert, Cooper Lawrence.
Ken, Cooper, it really seems to me we have two pretty similar situations going on here. Both couples have young kids. Both clearly airing their dirty laundry out in public, which is just shameful as far as I`m concerned. Ken, that brings me to the question, are they just shamelessly using their kids as pawns here with all of their personal anger?
KEN BAKER, USMAGAZINE.COM: Yes. The similarities between these two cases are a lot more than what is different. But what you didn`t mention that`s a big similarity here are that there are high-powered lawyers who are going to, like, the "Today" and going to all the media and really putting all the dirty laundry out there and spreading this mud around.
And really, like you said, what about the kids? How does that help the kids, really? Did Mark David (sic) Kaplan have to go on the "Today" show and start trashing Britney in sort of setting the record straight in order for the kids to be taken care of? I don`t think so. The judge took care of that on Tuesday with his order.
One thing that we`ve seen throughout in these cases is that there`s always divorce attorneys who are willing to go out and smear everyone else, and in the crossfire are these poor kids, and particularly Britney`s kids have become sort of this tug-of-war. There is some --sort of these little pawns in this chess game that these lawyers play, and it`s really the most unfortunate thing about all of this.
HAMMER: Yes. And you bring up a really good point about the attorneys going to the media. I`ve never really quite understood it. What about it, Cooper? This can`t be at all healthy?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT: Oh, you are going to love this, because I`ve got research. Well, there is actually research that shows that there are Attorneys that specifically target celebrities because they`re interested in bolstering their own careers. They want to be celebrity lawyers. And that`s why.
Because Ken made a really good point. They are going on the "Today" show and shows like that. And why would they? Because what happened to privilege, what happened to confidentiality? It completely goes out the window once they go on a show like the "Today" show and start trying to, it seems like, bolster their own careers and not so much talk about what`s really essential in the case.
HAMMER: Yes, that is almost equally shameful. And as we heard, Britney Spears was ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week. I want you to listen to the judge`s order here. He said: "There is a habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol by Spears. She is to undergo testing for the use of controlled substances and alcohol."
So a judge actually had to order this, which, from everything I`ve been able to read and understand, that is not a common occurrence even out there in Hollywood. The very same night the judge hands down this order, we all saw Britney Spears celebrated by going out partying. Well, how about that?
Ken, if you`re like me, your gut just says these kids are not in a healthy environment and we should be concerned.
BAKER: Well, a good point to make here is, like you said, she was out partying the very day that the judge says you cannot be under the influence of drugs and alcohol within 12 hours of seeing your kids. She goes out and parties, not to one club, to two clubs. And she does it in front of the paparazzi.
What this is really about, as someone who has watched Britney for years, is that she`s rebellious. She`s rebellious to the point where she`s not talking to her parents anymore. She doesn`t want to talk to the father of her children. She has fired or been fired by her lawyers, by agents, managers, you name it.
She is someone who is driven by rebellion. And instead of like most people, after having a judge really throw the book at her and just kind of go hide, she goes out and says, I`m not changing anything. Nothing`s wrong with me. And I think ultimately that`s really unhealthy, not for her, but for the kids.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s going to come back to bite her and it`s not good for the kids as well, which is the whole point of what we`re talking about here.
Charlie Sheen and Denies Richards have another wild story going on. I want to quickly get to this. In -- "Access Hollywood" is reporting that Richards claims in court documents that he exposes his private parts on the Internet and is into porno, which he`s denying.
Cooper Lawrence, do you think Charlie and Denise have just gotten so angry at each other that they`ve completely lost sight of the fact that this is going to impact their kids?
LAWRENCE: That`s the bigger picture here. Because this is true for anybody, not just if you`re in Hollywood. If you`re going through a divorce, if you`re going through custody, the main thing is, is to keep your kids out of it. They don`t need to know who did what to whom, and did somebody cheat on somebody and all of the little intricate details.
For two reasons: one, because mostly it`s none of their business, and two, because it impacts their development. That`s the kind of stuff you want to keep away from the kids.
HAMMER: I just wish everybody would keep quiet and don`t send your lawyers off to the "Today" show, I`m sorry. Ken Baker, Cooper Lawrence, thanks for being with us tonight.
Now still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday, startling comments from the man who wrote the book "If I Did It" with O.J. Simpson.
Plus, a lot of people are wondering who is O.J.`s girlfriend? That Nicole Brown Simpson look-alike that has been standing by his side? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates that.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, ACTOR, COMEDIAN: I was really just like the foster kid for a year. I came and you know we considered adoption but I didn`t really fit into the family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From shocking comments on "The View" to her most shocking words yet. Rosie O`Donnell`s disturbing new book. Why she says she broke her own bones. That is unbelievable. What makes her tick? Tonight it`s a SHOWBIZ special report, inside the mind of Rosie.
And Angelina Jolie opening up about her sexual past, because she wants to set the record straight about her reputation. How many men has she really slept with? Yes, she went there. That provocative story is still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PABLO FENJVES, O.J. GHOSTWRITER: He was a fugue state or he had blacked out or he didn`t remember. But when he came to, when he regained consciousness, this is the scene in front of him and he`s covered in blood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chilling words from Pablo Fenjves, the ghostwriter who wrote O.J. Simpson`s so-called hypothetical confession to the murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, Simpson`s words and the author who put them in print. Fenjves knew the Simpson case very well. He actually testified during Simpson`s murder trial. He was the neighbor who heard Nicole`s dog wailing the night of the murders.
Well, fast-forward more than 10 years. Fenjves signed on to meet with Simpson and detail Simpson`s account of what might have happened that night. The book was originally titled "If I Did It." A judge later gave the rights to the Goldman family who renamed it "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer."
Fenjves told CNN`s Larry King, O.J.`s words were haunting. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Was this hypothetical, or in your opinion was he confessing?
FENJVES: That`s a tough question.
KING: Just in your opinion.
FENJVES: In my opinion, I`ve got to tell you, it sort of puts me on the spot. I wrote the book, at no time did O.J. Simpson say to me, yes, man, I killed them. At no time did he say that. But there were details in there that I think are very convincing, and I think anybody who reads the book should make up their own mind.
KING: But when he was describing things, like the route he took or the way they looked after they were dead, right? That`s described. He doesn`t describe the killing but.
FENJVES: Well, then he does. He describes the aftermath of the killings, yes.
KING: Isn`t that telltale?
FENJVES: Yes it is, absolutely.
KING: What was it like as he would describe it? When he`s describing the bodies, what was that like for him and for you?
FENJVES: It was tough for him. It was very tough. And it came out in bits and pieces. That particular chapter, mind you, was like pulling teeth. The rest of the stuff went beautifully. He talked. He was in a good mood. After the first day he turned to me and said, boy, you know, this was a lot easier than I thought. I don`t know what I was nervous about. The second day, it completely changed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Unbelievable. Fenjves also said that he only signed on to write the book after the publisher showed him proof that Simpson`s share of the money would go directly to Simpson`s children. "If I Did It" is now number two on amazon.com`s best-seller list.
Well, now O.J. Simpson`s girlfriend is in the spotlight thanks to his latest legal troubles. Who is she? Christie Prody sat in the courtroom as Simpson was arraigned. Some even say that she looks kind of like Nicole Brown Simpson. Prody and O.J. have been together on and off since he was acquitted of murder back in 1995.
Prody was a 19-year-old cocktail waitress when they met. And since then, their relationship has been anything but smooth. Here`s CNN`s John Zarrella for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The woman in the sunglasses and red baseball cap tried keeping a low profile as she waited for the luggage at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How`s he holding up?
CHRISTIE PRODY, O.J. GIRLFRIEND: Very well.
ZARRELLA: That`s not easy, when for more than a dozen years you have been the woman nearly always seen with O.J. Simpson. That didn`t change this week. Simpson`s girlfriend, Christie Prody, stood by her man in court in Las Vegas and at his side on the trip back home to Miami.
STEVE DUNLEAVY, NY POST COLUMNIST: She was just resting. (INAUDIBLE) but that`s about it. So it was very uneventful.
ZARRELLA: But their lives together have been anything but uneventful. From Minnesota, Prody met Simpson in Los Angeles, during his first trial. She is more than 20 years his junior. By 1999, they were both living here in Miami. That year, a 911 call placed by Simpson from Prody`s apartment.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
911 DISPATCH: Anybody there need rescue?
O.J. SIMPSON: They been doing drugs for two days with (name deleted) who just got arrested on cocaine and I`m trying to get her to leave her house and go into rehab right now.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ZARRELLA: Police said the woman was Prody. From behind her door, Prody says she wasn`t even there.
PRODY: This thing has been a total misunderstanding. This had nothing to do with O.J. and I. No problems between the two of us. This was a friend of ours.
SIMPSON: It had nothing to do with me, nothing to do with my girlfriend and me. Don`t go there.
ZARRELLA: We tried to reach people who know Simpson and Prody, only one, Prody`s uncle, would talk with us. On the phone he says: "She`s a good kid, a nice person, she keeps a low profile, she doesn`t seek the limelight."
But the limelight finds her. In 2000, Prody is caught using Simpson`s handicapped parking detail and she is arrested on a bench warrant for driving with an expired license.
They had an on again/off again relationship. And during one of the off periods, Prody gives an interview to the National Enquirer about cocaine use and abortion, saying: "For years I could never admit that the man I loved could have killed his ex-wife in cold blood." She adds: "But I no longer believe in his innocence."
But she always ends up back with Simpson. Between 2000 and 2006, Miami-Dade Police have responded to 11 incidents involving Prody from a hotel altercation with Simpson to allegations she stole Percocet and Xanax from a neighbor. Charges were never pressed.
PRODY: I`m in shock, still in shock.
ZARRELLA: Prody was a victim, too, of a break-in at her apartment.
PRODY: It must have taken place sometime while I was out. I was with O.J. all night.
ZARRELLA: And now while Simpson remained secludes, it`s Christie Prody forced in to the spotlight to defend her man, whether she likes it or not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s John Zarrella for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, tonight we are taking a look inside the mind of Rosie O`Donnell. You will not want to miss this. Coming up at 30 minutes past the hour, disturbing revelations from Rosie`s shocking new book. Why she says she actually broke her own bones when she was younger. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT puts Rosie on the couch, because we`ve got ask, what makes Rosie tick? It`s our SHOWBIZ special report, inside the mind of Rosie.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Challenging roles for actresses who are seasoned, sexy and feisty as hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, you know, age is just a number and Hollywood`s hottest, most talented actresses are proof. Talking about Glenn Close, Sally Field, Kyra Sedgwick, why they`re leaving the movie industry behind and making a new mark in television. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with an eye-opening look at older actresses and TV stardom.
And Angelina Jolie setting the record straight on her sexual past. She gets more candid than ever. You will not want to miss her provocative comments, next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, Angelina Jolie wants to set the record straight. OK. Well, she says her man-eater reputation isn`t even close to reality. Jolie told Britain`s Cosmopolitan magazine that despite all the rumors about her promiscuity, she has only "slept with four men in my life and I married two of them."
Well, we all know that Brad Pitt is at least one of those guys. He and Angelina have four kids together and one of them, of course, is their biological child. Pitt sat down with ABC`s Diane Sawyer and they talked about his raising kids with Jolie. He says their lives are filled with music.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: "Wheels on the Bus," and there`s -- you know, five monkeys jumping on a bed, hit them in the head and no more monkeys jumping on the bed. You know?
DIANE SAWYER, ABC ACNHOR: That`s big on the hit parade?
PITT: That`s a big one. That started about 6:15 this morning.
SAWYER (voice-over): He says music continues all day.
(on camera): A lot of dancing, too?
PITT: Yes. Actually, we -- yes, we have -- we hope they`re soaking up our moves because they`d be seriously lacking in their future, but we`ll get them some proper training. But yes, there`s a lot dancing around the house.
SAWYER: Tell me about bedtime at the house. Is there a ritual?
PITT: A really special time. A time I value. And it`s that one-on- one time where you really ask the questions, and I want to make sure they have that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I want to hear Brad Pitt singing "Wheels on the Bus" again.
Pitt`s new film is called "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." It`s in limited release starting today.
Well, Rosie O`Donnell is certainly no stranger to controversy. Now it seems she saved her most shocking words for her new book. Coming up, Rosie`s disturbing revelations why she says she broke her own bones. What really makes Rosie tick? That`s next in our SHOWBIZ special report, inside the mind of Rosie.
Rosie`s former "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck has a lot to say about the feud that led Rosie to leave the show. What`s Elisabeth`s side of the story? That`s still ahead.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her song is called "Give Me More" for a reason, because all you people want is more, more, more, more, more!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: (INAUDIBLE) Britney fan who defended Brit after he MTV disaster gets the surprise of his life. Find out what he`s screaming about now, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, inside the mind of Rosie O`Donnell. What did Rosie really think about her time on "The View"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`Donnell, COMEDIAN: Really just like the foster kid for a year. I came and we considered adoption, but I didn`t really fit into the family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s not all. Even more startling revelations in Rosie`s new book that she used to break her own bones when she was child. We`re calling in the experts to read between the line force a SHOWBIZ special report, "Inside The Mind of Rosie".
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight, and the every night, from New York City.
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Inside the Mind of Rosie O`Donnell". In her shocking upcoming book called "Celebrity Detox" Rosie makes some jaw-dropping claims that really reveals the secret trauma of her childhood.
In the book, Rosie admits to breaking her own bones to seek attention. Rosie also seems to allude to sexual abuse, referring to a strange man who came to her window at night. And she talks about the pain she felt after her mother died suddenly when Rosie was just 10 years old.
We are going coast-to-coast tonight. In Hollywood, clinical psychologist Doctor Robert Butterworth, who specializes in childhood trauma, joining us from New York, clinical psychologist Doctor Judy Kuriansky, and psychology and relationship expert Cooper Lawrence.
Gang, I appreciate you being with us for the special report tonight.
Doctor Butterworth, I want to start with you, because I know you actually got your hands on a copy of Rosie`s new book. So, I want to know first hand, what was the impression you can left with?
DR. ROBERT BUTTERWORTH, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: You know, whether you love her or hate her, after you read the book, you really get a sense of a tormented soul. That a lot of her relationships in the present are really influenced by her failed relationships and traumatic relationships in the past. So women, and men, have all these expectations and if they fail, Rosie can slip in and really go after them, and feel betrayed.
HAMMER: And looking at some of the trauma that occurred in her childhood, one of the things that was leaked out early, which I keep thinking about, because I find it so compelling. The revelation of that gruesome idea she used to break her own bones. I want to read and excerpt from that part of the book.
She said, quote, "Mostly by myself, in my bedroom, with a heavy wooden hanger or small Mets baseball bat, my hand and fingers, usually. No one new my secret."
Such a disturbing thing to do. Cooper Lawrence, let me go to you. Rosie says in her book she did it for attention. Was this just a cry for help, or does it allude to something more of a serious personality disorder?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT: Well, personality disorder is actually -- it might be a misnomer here. Because we`re talking about a borderline personality. The latest research is showing that 98 percent of people that are suffering, there is some trauma and there are psychologists that are trying to get the DSM to make it a post-traumatic stress, because you`re talking about ongoing abuse, which is what she claims in the book.
We don`t know if it`s substantiated or not, but it is her claim. And losing her mother. So, if we are talking about borderline personality, then yes, clearly there`s a problem here. And one of the tenants of that, aside from the mood swings and the unstable relationships, is self-injurious behavior which is what she describes as well.
HAMMER: I want to go back to the sexual abuse that she seems to suggest in her book, that you just mentioned. She says a strange man would come to her bedroom window at night, and she told her mother that this was going on. But mom didn`t believe her. Another thing I found truly disturbing.
Dr. Judy what do you think? What kind of impact do you think that this had? Particularly the aspect of her mom not believing her, impact on the Rosie that we know today?
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, : Huge impact, A.J. And for the, about up to four out of seven women who know what that kind of abuse does to them, for years -- for the rest of your life, unless you get help about it -- you really don`t trust women, and you don`t trust yourself, and you`re angry at women; and certainly angry at women who become a mother figure.
A substitute, projected mother figure, like it has been suggested that Barbara Walters could potentially have become, that kind of a projected mother figure for Rosie. So for all the anger that she has towards her own mother for not believing her, and helping her, and defending her when she said she had been abused, whether or not it really happened, the mother needs to come to your defense.
HAMMER: Anger towards women. And I think we`ve seen a lot anger towards at least one man. Who, of course can forget the enormous blowout, slam down battle that occurred between Rosie O`Donnell and Donald Trump, when she was hosting "The View" that seemed to go on forever. Let us flashback now, shall we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, COMEDIAN: He`s the moral authority. Left the first wife, had an affair. Left the second wife, had an affair, had kids both times, but he`s the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America.
Donald, sit and spin, my friend.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, you know Rosie was going to address Donald Trump in this book. And calls him, in the book, sadistic, wrinkled and with a Jell- O orange comb over. Doctor Butterworth, let me go back to you, because you read the book. After reading it, do you have any better sense of why did she attacked him so venomously?
BUTTERWORTH: Yeah. The thing that drives me really crazy about this whole thing is in the book, regardless of her relationships with men or women, she knows what she`s doing. She said, yes, I made Barbara Walters into a mother figure. And she realizes all the baggage she puts on her relationships, but realization doesn`t change her behavior. All that stuff, all that disappointment, all the rage, when people let her down, continues. So, so much for insight.
HAMMER: Cooper, what do you think? Is that one of the reasons she went out after Donald so, you know -- I don`t know -- not horrifically, but with such anger and just above and beyond?
LAWRENCE: You know, it`s interesting. Because he`s not the only person that`s spoken out against her. He`s the only person that spoke out against her hitting below the belt. And saying things about her as a human being, and as mother, and what she looks like physically. He went for the jugular with her. He really found a way to play into her most intense insecurities, so she rails back against that, and this became her fight.
HAMMER: And a fight that went on for weeks and weeks. Of course, things heated up beyond just name-calling between them when Donald Trump actually told me Barbara Walters was disappointed in Rosie`s performance on the show. I want you to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: Barbara Walters, if you ask her, and if she tells you what she`s really thinking, she is not thrilled with Rosie. Believe me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, in Rosie`s book she says she knew in her heart that Barbara Walters betrayed her. Dr. Judy, you were talking about this a moment ago. Given that, and what we`re now learning about Rosie, in the book, what do you really make of Rosie`s relationship with Barbara? You alluded to the idea of this mother relationship?
KURIANSKY: Exactly. And I think in a certain way, Barbara Walters serves a purpose then, for Rosie. Because every woman who has been sexually, emotionally, physically abused goes to who? Goes to the mom and tells her about it, and who doesn`t get believed, knows the pain and the anger of that. And that pain and anger we can trace back to what were saying before, A.J., about her hitting her hands with her baseball bat.
So Barbara Walters then become the lightning rod for Rosie. And so it`s really a healthy -- a moment of potential turning the corner for Rosie to say, you know what? I need to go back and resolve this from my past. And every woman who`s watching now knows how important that is.
HAMMER: Doctor Butterworth, I`m curious your take on that?
BUTTERWORTH: Well, I`m sitting here saying, poor Barbara. When she signed onto "The View" she signed on to be a co-host. She didn`t sign on to be a mother surrogate, to get all that baggage. And we saw what happened. Betrayal is anger and rage, and I don`t think Barbara could have handled it.
HAMMER: I want to take a quick look at one of Rosie`s video blogs. This was taken just days after Rosie made that shocking announcement that she was leaving the show before she was supposed to leave the show. I want you to watch how she describes her year with the ladies on "The View." I found this very interesting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I was really just like a foster kid for a year. I came and we considered adoption, but I didn`t really fit into the family, and now was time for the foster kid to go back home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, that`s seems a little odd to me. Rosie talking about being a foster kid. Cooper, help me understand this. Because from the sound of it, Rosie felt like an outsider all along there.
LAWRENCE: It mirrors exactly what Judy was just saying, because she`s characterizing this as a family environment. She`s putting herself in the role of the poor foster child. This is a job. This is her business. She`s not looking at it like this is a job that just didn`t work out. She`s looking at it like it`s a family that rejected her. Exactly what Judy was saying, this mirrors everything of her childhood. And it`s a lot of pressure on the women that she worked with.
HAMMER: So, Doctor Judy, what do you think? Because we sort of started out with Doctor Butterworth saying, you know, maybe people -- maybe we have a little more empathy or sympathy for Rosie now. Do you think when people read these revelations about her and her childhood that they will have more sympathy for her?
KURIANSKY: I think that`s possible. And it would be healthy if we all did, because -- look, what Rosie is doing is bringing us all in to a group therapy. We`re becoming like the members of her group, where she can spill everything that`s going on inside her, in her pain. And in that way, we can be supportive of her, a little sympathetic of everything she`s been through, all the anger, the losses, losing her mom to cancer, breast cancer, a lot of people know this. If we can be sympathetic, we can be sympathetic to ourselves and that type of abuse.
HAMMER: Yeah, tough life. And a troubling read. I`ve got to wrap it up there, guys. Thanks for joining us for the special report. Doctor Butterworth, Cooper Lawrence, and Doctor Judy Kuriansky. Again, I appreciate it.
Well, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is opening up about her feud with Rosie. Elisabeth is featured in "Pregnancy " magazine. She is pregnant with her second child. She and her husband, New York quarterback, Tim Hasselbeck have a daughter named Grace.
The magazine asked her how she kept it together during her on-air confrontation with Rosie. Pregnancy hormones and all. Here`s what Elizabeth said, quote, "I`m very lucky that tears didn`t come out. But unfortunately when a woman cries it`s never seen as sign of strength, and never seen in a positive light. A man cries, and he`s sensitive. And a woman cries, and she`s weak. So even when you`re debating another woman, the first person to cry pretty much loses."
Elisabeth told the magazine that being a conservative in New York, and on television, is a challenge, but motherhood has made her sure that she wants to make decisions and cast votes that will create long-term benefits for Grace, and her next child. For more with Elizabeth Hasselbeck, pick up a copy of "Pregnancy" magazine, it`s on newsstands now.
From Sally Field to Glenn Close, I`ve notice this trend going on. More and more big-time women movie stars are on TV shows now, proving that older women can really heat up the small screen. We are looking in to this trend. Why older women rule. That`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, Mary J. Blige says her husband helped save her from her self- destructive ways. Addiction, abusive relationships, and helped teach her the meaning of real love. Now that they`ve been married a few years, how do they make it work? She`ll tell us, coming up. We`ll also have this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CROCKER, YOUTUBE CONTRIBUTOR: Her song a called "Gimme More" for a reason, because all you people want is more, more, more, more, more!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, brace yourself. You may soon be seeing a lot more of the guy who begged for mercy for Britney Spears. Oh. I`ll tell you why coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now for another story that really made us say --
STUDIO CREW: "That`s Ridiculous!"
HAMMER: I don`t know quite how to tell you this. So I`m just going to come out and say it, right now. The "Leave Britney Alone" guy is getting his own TV show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROCKER: Her song is called "Gimme More" for a reason because all people want is more, more, more, more, more! Leave her alone! You`re lucky she even performed for you bastards. Leave Britney alone! Please!
(SOBBING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah. That`s Chris Crocker, the guy who`s become an Internet star for that video clip he posted on YouTube. And now he may become a TV star as well. "Variety" is reporting that Chris has signed a deal with a production company for his own show. The company says that Chris has been on their radar for a year, even before the now infamous video. Chris had a pretty big following online. Still, the "Leave Britney Alone Guy" getting his own TV show now -- "That`s Ridiculous!"
Maybe time for me to get out of the business.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes an in-depth look at a powerful and inspiring trend in Hollywood. From of the hottest most-talented older actresses of Hollywood are leaving film behind and taking television by storm. And it is absolutely changing the face of primetime. It`s TV at its most empowered. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLLY HUNTER, ACTRESS: Let`s see if there`s a bullet wound under all that crap you got on.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Hollywood`s hottest most-talented older actresses are leaving the movie industry behind and kicking some major butt on television.
TIM STACK, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": With these roles they actually are the stars, and they are really challenging roles.
ANDERSON: Challenging roles for actresses who are seasoned, sexy and pricey as hell.
KYRA SEDGEWICK, ACTRESS: I have a lot of questions about what happened here, and I don`t need this crowd --
EMMA ROSENBLUM, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: A lot of times actresses can`t find meaty roles in Hollywood and they are a lot of times relegated to the role of -- the feisty grandmother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where`s the beef?
ANDERSON: You won`t find any grandma tendencies with these ladies. They`re taking a no bull approach to their careers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If were you a man I`d kick the living dog (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of you.
GLENN CLOSE, ACTRESS: If you were a man, I`d be worried.
ANDERSON: Glenn Close`s new character is just about as no bull as a woman can get. She plays the cut-throat attorney FX`s new show, "Damages". And speaking of cut throat --
HUNTER: You`re going to lose this game.
ANDERSON: TNT`s "Saving Grace" star Holly Hunter takes on just about anyone who gets in her way.
HUNTER: Go ahead, give it your best.
ANDERSON: She plays a tough alcoholic cop whose grappling with some very personal demons. It`s one of the meatiest roles right now on TV.
STACK: What`s great, there are all these roles available on television now; very challenging roles, interesting, complex women.
ANDERSON: And Kyra Sedgwick`s role on TNT`s "The Closer" is proof that it pays off. "The Closer" was the most watched season premiere on cable television.
SEDGWICK: I thought we agreed to keep snacks with processed sugar out of the murder room!
ANDERSON: She plays a sweet but no nonsense detective thriving in a man`s world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are my nuts allowed in here?
SEDGWICK: Do they have sugar on them, Lieutenant?
ANDERSON: She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she loves her role.
SEDGWICK: For me, I mean, it`s a great part that encompasses a lot of complexities and differences.
ANDERSON: And she won a Golden Globe for her efforts to boot.
SEDGWICK: What could you better than that?
ANDERSON: What could be better? Well, the fact that these trailblazing women are changing the face of television.
STACK: I think the fact that they`re going to TV just shows sort of that the, the shame of like moving the television is dissipating. It`s no longer this medium that`s like lesser than film. It`s equal if not, I think, better.
ANDERSON: Better for Sally Field for sure. She just won an Emmy for her role on ABC`s "Brothers and Sisters."
SALLY FIELD, ACTRESS: Isn`t this nice?
ANDERSON: It sure is, Sally. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT more women are getting roles on TV because that`s where the juicy parts are.
FIELD: They`re wonderful shows. With really complex, meaty characters, who are no longer young. They are actors. That`s what they do. They go where the roles are.
ANDERSON: "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she couldn`t agree more with Sally Field.
EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: Television a great format for women. There`s way more roles on television for women than there are in movies.
ROSENBLUM: It`s nice they have this platform.
ANDERSON: And what`s even nicer? Television is breaking all kinds of stereotypes. That`s what "Ugly Betty" Judith Light tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
JUDITH LIGHT, ACTRESS: We`re alive. We do really good work. We look good.
ANDERSON: Oh, yes. The seasoned women of Hollywood look really good. Eat your hearts out, movie stars. The best part of all, the ladies of television are getting way more exposure.
STACK: They`re reaching audiences of, you know, millions each week, which, you know, with a film they might get that total.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you just because a sexy star is getting a little older, her career is nowhere near over.
STACK: TV is no longer like the fallback. TV can be the career maker.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
Well, here we are, it`s Friday night. So Fergie, and her boyfriend, Josh Duhamel, probably have a wild night. Right? Club hopping, dancing on tables, maybe not.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGIE: We`re not out at the clubs all the time. We`re not doing scandalous things. We go fishing and we think we`re rowdy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Say it ain`t so. Fergie tells us more about the secrets of their relationship`s success. Coming up next.
First, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Britney`s custody battle: Are the kids better off with K-Fed? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Email us at Showbiztonight@CNN.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, "Making it Work", where we take a look at stars who find a way to build a strong relationship in Hollywood. Tonight, two of the biggest names in music, Fergie and Mary J. Blige, and how they make work with men in their lives.
Well, Fergie, and actor Josh Duhamel, say they just try to keep it real. Fergie has said they like to do things like sing living room karaoke -- or get (UNINTELLIBLE), as they say -- and cook together. And she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the secret to their success pretty simple. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGIE: Pretty boring. We communicate all the time. Communication. Definitely. We have a good time together. We like each other. We`re not out at clubs all the time. We`re not doing scandalous things. You know, we go fishing and we think we`re rowdy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love it. They go fishing. And we also caught up with Mary J. Blige and her husband, Kendu Isaacs. Blige has credited her husband with helping her break free from addictions and abusive relationships. And they told us now, it`s all about the basics.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY J. BLIGE, SINGER: It`s love. It`s real, genuine love and not being afraid to express yourself to the person in whatever way you need to. And just supporting him. You know? And just getting over yourself to really accept somebody else in your life. That`s it.
KENDU ISSACS: No, she nailed it. It`s exactly that. It`s honesty and love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: With honesty and love, seem like such a great couple, Mary J. Blige and Kendu Isaacs are going to be celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary in December.
So yesterday we asked you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of day. Britney Spears, is she sabotaging herself? Look at how one-sided it was, 94 percent of you say, yes. And 6 percent saying, no.
Doris from Arkansas is included among the e-mails we received, "If a woman is in risk of losing her children, she wouldn`t be out partying every night. She would be on her best behavior."
Jessica from West Virginia writes, "She is her own person and owes no one an excuse but herself for her actions. She is still human."
Time now to take a look at what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
On Monday, Britney versus Justin -- oh, how the times have changed. Remember when these two were young love birds? Now Justin at the top of his game. Dating hot young actresses, making great music; and Britney, not so much. Why did Britney zig when Justin zagged? We`ll get in to that Monday.
Coming up on Tuesday, even young Hollywood has its heroes. Hayden Panettierei seems to be one of the few young stars whose has her act together, but how does she do it? Hayden will join us Tuesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. "Glenn Beck" coming up right after the latest from CNN "Headline News". Have an excellent weekend!
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