Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Ellen Degeneres` Doggie Battle Heats Up; Oprah`s Health Scare
Aired October 17, 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, CO-HOST. Why in the world is Rosie O`Donnell going off on Matt Lauer? I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And your first look at Pamela Anderson`s wedding photos. I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ellen`s doggie drama. A puppy taken away from two little girls and a heart-broken, sobbing Ellen Degeneres says it`s all her fault.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": I feel totally responsible for it and I`m so sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, did the animal rescue group that took away Iggy, the puppy, do the right thing, or is Ellen to blame for this canine controversy? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a doggone drama that made Ellen break down in tears.
Tonight, Oprah`s health scare. Oprah`s dramatic revelations about why she has gained weight, why she`s been so run down, and what the doctor really told her that so many other women need to know right now. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates Oprah`s health crisis.
(MUSIC)
(on camera): Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. And hey, forget about Donald versus Rosie. How about Donald Trump versus Angelina Jolie? Hear for yourself in just a few minutes. We`ve got that coming up.
But first tonight, is Ellen`s bark worse than her bite? The Ellen Degeneres dog fight absolutely exploded today after she went on her show and broke down sobbing because the dog she gave to kids was taken away from them. And there are now even reports of death threats, yes, death threats. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is all over the canine controversy that`s revolving around the dog named Iggy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DEGENERES: I feel totally responsible for it and I`m so sorry.
ANDERSON (voice over): It was a wrenching sight, the normally happy-go- lucky talk show host Ellen Degeneres, sobbing, not crying, sobbing over a dog giveaway gone bad.
DEGENERES: And I`m begging them to give that dog back to that family. I just want them to - the family to have the dog.
ANDERSON: Ellen`s tearful plea has erupted into a major doggie drama over little Iggy, a 4-month-old puppy Ellen adopted and then tried to give away to her hairdresser`s family with disastrous results. Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Iggy is with another family intensifying a saga that has Ellen sobbing -
DEGENERES: Just please give the dog back to those little girls.
ANDERSON: The hairdresser`s daughter crying on TMZ.com.
DAUGHTER OF ELLEN`S HAIRDRESSER: I want my dog back so badly.
ANDERSON: And the owner of the animal rescue agency blasting Ellen on "Good Morning America."
MARINA BATKIS, CO-OWNER, MUTTS AND MOMS: Who is she to say where I should place my animals?
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you forget Britney versus K-Fed. This Ellen-and-Iggy custody battle is the one everyone`s talking about. It`s even resulting in death threats.
MIKE FLEEMAN, WEST COAST EDITOR, "PEOPLE.COM": Nothing raises people`s emotions more than a good dog story.
ANDERSON: It all started when Ellen and her partner actress Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy from the rescue agency Mutts and Moms. The dog and the celebrity couple`s cats got along like, well, cats and dogs. So Ellen gave the dog to her hairdresser and her family, but Mutts and Moms said that`s a no-no.
FLEEMAN: The adoption agency says, no, this is a violation of the agreement. You have to notify us, and we decide where the dog goes.
ANDERSON: People.com`s Mike Fleemen said that led to a showdown at the hairdresser`s house.
FLEEMAN: The adoption people went to the hairdresser`s house to get the dog. Police were eventually called. It was a big fiasco.
ANDERSON: We see the showdown here in this video from TMZ.com. Since a microchip implanted in Iggy still listed him as Mutts and Moms` dog, the cops let the agency take him away.
DEGENERES: I kept saying, "If you want to be mad at me, be mad at me."
ANDERSON: When Ellen and her hairdresser`s family were interviewed by TMZ.com, she made it clear this is a personal dog fight between her and the adoption agency.
DEGENERES: She has a problem with me and she decided to teach everybody a lesson.
BATKIS: I don`t tell her how to run her show.
ANDERSON: On "Good Morning America," one of the owners of Mutts and Moms barked right back at Ellen.
BATKIS: If Ellen wants to, you know, start her own rescue group she can decide where the dogs go.
ANDERSON: "People.com`s" Mike Fleeman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Ellen is trying to take the moral high ground.
FLEEMAN: She`s not putting the dog in Michael Vick`s home. There`s no dog-fighting ring here. She was just trying to find a good home for a nice little dog, and people are obviously taking Ellen`s side.
ANDERSON: But some people may be taking it too far. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you this police report - a police report filed by Mutts and Moms in an alleged harassment incident.
FLEEMAN: This agency that does so much good putting dogs in good homes is getting death threats because they`ve taken on Ellen.
ANDERSON: The agency may get the last bark in this incident. An attorney for Mutts and Moms tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`ve placed Iggy with another family. But amid the anger, tears and public feuding in this, as in all custody battles, there`s one thing to remember.
FLEEMAN: I think everyone agrees that all they want is what`s best for little Iggy and hopefully it`ll all work out.
ANDERSON: And hopefully, the best home is what Iggy is getting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, Mutts and Moms says it has a standing policy; it doesn`t let families with kids under 14 adopt small dogs. The children of Ellen`s hairdressers are 11 and 12.
HAMMER: All right, so the dog is in another home but is this really the end of the dogfight? With me tonight from Los Angeles, "UsMagazine.Com" Editorial Director Ken Baker. Also with us tonight, Emil Steiner of "The Washington Post." Emil blogged about this today, and joins us tonight from Philadelphia. Gentlemen, I appreciate you being here.
Now, we saw Ellen really breaking down emotionally in a way I don`t think we`ve ever quite seen before. And it really threw people for a loop. Ken Baker, let me start with you. Were you surprised at how emotional Ellen got over this?
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": I was surprised, but in the court of public opinion, it`s been effective. On "UsMagazine.com" today we did a poll and we said, "What should they do with the dog?" Eighty-three percent of people on the web site said give the dog back to the family that Ellen gave the dog to in the first place. So I was surprised by it and, in fact, I thought just professionally it wasn`t a good idea.
But the bottom line is, it`s going to come down as like an epic crying moment on television going back to Jimmy Swaggart, the reverend crying and weeping in his "I have sinned" moment, to Dan Rather crying on David Letterman on the wake of 9/11. Now we`ve got this one. This was an epic moment because we usually don`t see our TV hosts breaking down like this.
HAMMER: This is one of those sound bites we`re going to be seeing ad nauseam for a long time. And that`s something - Emil, you were sort of talking about today, just the level to which this thing blew up. I enjoyed reading what you wrote. I have to say, having read your blog, Ellen Degeneres may not be so happy with you. Let me read from it, quote, "As a dog lover, I can relate how tough it must have been. What I cannot understand, though, is why Degeneres would bawl her eyes out on national television. And then it hit me like a Great Dane to the chest: Damage Control!"
Yes, her crying may have come across a bit out of control, Emil, I agree with that just on appearances alone. However, you know, she`s obviously very sensitive about this situation, and obviously is very devastated by it. Do you think she was really doing damage control here?
EMIL STEINER, "THE WASHINGTON POST" CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean whether intentional or not, the effect was wonderful. I mean, as Ken pointed out, the public opinion basically swung in her favor today. Now, had she not come out there and started crying on national television and explaining basically a violent mea culpa, if you will, and had it been leaked out somewhere else, then it would have looked quite differently. She would have become Elvira Gulch. So whether intentional or not, it was very effective.
HAMMER: Look at the snowfall it has created that continues to build as it rolls down the hill into oblivion. And here`s something, as if it`s not all gotten ridiculous enough, the women who run Mutts and Moms have said they received death threats and arson threats. I want you to watch what Ellen said today about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEGENERES: This has become so insane. It`s not even - it`s just - the dog just needs to go to the family. It`s like the fight should - it should not be about anything but - the whole thing that people rescue animals to find a good home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, Ken Baker, you know me, I`m a dog owner, a dog lover. I don`t even like to see cartoon animal violence. But at the end of the day, death threats over a dog. You said you polled your readers. Why do you think people have responded the way they have to this thing?
BAKER: Well, I think first of all, we all sort of relate to Ellen. We`re going to take her side of the story because we know her. We think we know her, so there`s going to be a level of sympathy there. But I think I have to say, everyone needs to give a big time-out, OK. Let`s give a big time- out here. Time-out to Ellen. Ellen, you can`t be crying on TV like that. Your producers really should have protected you and not put you out there. They should have said, OK, you got it out of your system. Now, let`s do it without weeping uncontrollably.
Another time-out needs to go to the adoption agency. They were saying, oh, she didn`t follow the rules, this or that. The dog was happy. They had a 12-year-old kid who fell in love with the thing. Leave them there. Now, another time-out. Whoever is giving death threats over this, please, get a life. There`s more important things to be worried about.
HAMMER: Now, that`s insane. I don`t understand that at all. The humane society is trying to - I have to tell you, actually, the amount of e-mail, press releases, statements we were getting today, it boggles the mind. Now this is what the humane society - they told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that they wouldn`t have taken the dog away. I agree with that. They should have gone to the home and investigated, seen if it was a right home. We also spoke with PETA, the animal rights activist group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Listen to what their spokesman, Michael McGraw, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MCGRAW, SPOKESPERSON, PETA: PETA has known Ellen to be an animal lover for many years. She was obviously trying to do the right thing. She just missed a step and should have contacted the agency before handing the dog over to the family. Again, PETA says kudos to Ellen for adopting the dog in the first place instead of buying one, and we hope that this has a happy ending for everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, PETA said they would have gone and checked the home out to see if it was the right home and maybe suspended its rules, if it had rules. Emil, what do you think? Can there be any happy endings here?
STEINER: Well, the way I see it, A.J. - call me slightly cynical, but I see Ellen having wonderful doggie reunion show where she brings in Mutts and Moms and the hairdresser`s two daughters, and they have a giant cry fest, and the dogs are reunited once again. Everyone feels happy.
HAMMER: Yes, and big smile. Everybody is going to be happy. I think we all approve of that. Hopefully this will resolve itself quickly. Ken Baker of UsMagazine.com, Emil Steiner from "The Washington Post," I thank you both for being with us tonight.
STEINER: Thank you.
BAKER: Thanks.
ANDERSON: Oprah Winfrey`s health crisis - I was really stunned by Oprah`s dramatic revelation about why she has been so run down and also putting on weight. I have to tell you that it is something all women need to hear about. We`ve got it straight ahead. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Aren`t you worried about sort of alienating women?
DONALD TRUMP: No, I love women. Women love me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Donald, whatever gets you through the night. Donald Trump`s diss list is growing by the minute. And I cannot believe who he is attacking now. I was absolutely shocked to learn people are actually getting paid to stand in line at his book signing. You heard me right. That is kind of amiss.
ANDERSON: Remember the good old days, everybody, Whitney Houston on top of the world, Britney Spears was on the rise, Michael Jackson, the king of pop? This was way before the celebrity train wreck left the station. What was it about them that made us love them and where did they go, oh, so wrong? A showbiz special report, the way they were, coming up.
HAMMER: Yes, that is coming up next, but you can get SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you`d like by downloading our podcast and it`s free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our home page, CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also download it on iTunes. Just type in "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And we all know that Donald trump tells it like it is when it comes to speaking about fellow celebrities. There was of course, his public spat with Martha Stewart, as he called her. Then there is the never-ending war of words going on with Rosie O`Donnell.
Well, Trump just found himself a new victim, Angelina Jolie. In his new book and on "LARRY KING LIVE," The Donald says, quote, "She is not a great beauty by any stretch of the imagination."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
HAMMER: Yes, it`s a little crazy. Now, we know Trump`s new book is called "Think Big and Kick Ass," but why did he decide to kick Angelina`s? Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice over): The crowd waited for The Donald.
CROWD: Donald. Donald.
MOOS: Maybe you`d hold a "Donald for President" sign too if they gave you 50 bucks for lining up on Fifth Avenue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $50 each. We both got $50.
MOOS: But when Trump arrived, he got the title of his new book wrong. Kick became kiss.
TRUMP: Think big and kiss ass. Kissing ass is OK, too, but, it depends on whose ass.
MOOS: It also depends on whose butt you kick.
(on camera): So why are you kicking Angelina Jolie`s butt?
TRUMP: Oh, I wouldn`t do that.
MOOS (voice over): Oh, yes, you would, on page 273, and on "LARRY KING LIVE."
TRUMP: Everyone thinks she`s like this great beauty. I`m not saying she is an unattractive woman but she`s not a great beauty by any stretch of the imagination.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s magnificent.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anybody who has eyes would know that Angelina Jolie is drop-dead gorgeous.
TRUMP: And now she`s like a representative of the United Nations and world peace and hunger and all of this crap.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He actually said that? All that crap?
TRUMP: I remember at the Academy Awards a few years ago, she was frenching her brother. She was giving her brother lip kisses like I never saw before in my life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s obviously insecure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s doing great. I mean, what is he doing as far as humanity is concerned?
TRUMP: And she had just said she made love to Billy Bob Thornton in the back of the limousine on the way over.
BILLY BOB THORNTON: My favorite one in the car was today just before we got here.
TRUMP: I wouldn`t want to shake her hand, by the way. You know, you get back into - I wouldn`t have wanted to have shaken her hand.
MOOS: But these people might. The UN Agency Angelina Jolie serves as a goodwill ambassador said in a statement, "The opinion that really counts is that of the world`s refugees, millions of whom have benefitted directly from the work of Angelina Jolie ... They love her ..."
Donald trump`s diss list is growing. There was Rosie O`Donnell.
TRUMP: Well, Rosie is a loser.
MOOS: And Dan Rather.
TRUMP: Dan Rather is a loser.
MOOS: And he said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should be fired.
TRUMP: We don`t need people walking off planes waving sitting with a dictator, waving, getting back on the plane, waving. And nothing happens.
MOOS: Makes you afraid to wave.
(on camera): Aren`t you worried about alienating women?
TRUMP: No, I love women. Women love me.
MOOS: Got anything to say to Donald about Angelina?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald, take a look in the mirror. My goodness, take a look in the mirror.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He really is a husk.
MOOS: Maybe his next title should be, "Think Big and Kick Yourself" for having opened your mouth.
CROWD: Trump! Trump! Trump!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: He loves women. Women love him. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, we`d like to hear from you for our showbiz next question of the day. Let`s throw this one at you, Donald Trump: Do you admire him? You can vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight, or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell, not exactly an admirer of Donald Trump. You know, how those two have been at each other`s throats while Rosie is taking on somebody else now. And I`ve got to tell you, I was really surprised about this. Tonight, Rosie is lashing out at "Today`s" Matt Lauer. Now, Matt sat down with Idaho senator Larry Craig for a revealing interview. Remember, Craig was arrested in a Minneapolis airport for allegedly soliciting gay sex in a bathroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER, HOST, "THE TODAY SHOW": You have taken, Senator, several opportunities to say - come out and point blank and say, "I am not a homosexual."
SENATOR LARRY CRAIG (R), IDAHO: Yes.
LAUER: Which raises two questions in my mind, one of them - you`re going to have to forgive me for this, are you technically not a homosexual? Is it possible you`re bisexual?
CRAIG: It`s no to both.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, Rosie didn`t really like the way that Matt was grilling Craig. Here`s what she wrote on her blog, "You know there have been many whispers about Matt Lauer and his marriage woes ... No comment. And another baby. Everyone smiles. I am watching as he grills Senator Craig and his shell shocked wife about their sexy gay secrets. It makes me sick in every way."
Hey, I usually like how Rosie O`Donnell speaks her mind but I think she`s off-base here. If she`s saying it`s hypocritical that Matt Lauer is asking these personal questions of Larry Craig, when there have been rumors of problems in Matt`s personal life. Sorry, that`s comparing apples and oranges. Senator Craig, a public official, he`s been arrested, it`s Matt`s job to ask the tough questions and Matt Lauer`s private life should stay just that, private.
HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey`s health crisis. Oprah`s dramatic revelation about why she`s been so run down, and why she`s been putting on weight. You`ve got to hear what she revealed. And I have to tell you, it is something that all women need to hear about. We`ll get into that at 30 minutes past the hour.
ANDERSON: Also, Lance Bass opens up about the night he revealed to Britney Spears that he`s gay. I cannot believe the night that he picked to tell her this. Let`s just say Britney had a lot going on in her life at the time. We`ve go that coming up. And we`ve got this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX WAGNER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "FADER MAGAZINE": Michael Jackson, when he was at his most popular, was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ah, memories. Do you remember when Michael, Britney and Whitney were really only in the news for their music? Yes, there was a time, but the big question is, how is it possible that these three went from the top of the world, because they were all there, to basically train wreck city, which is kind of where they all are. And what was it about them way back when that made them win our hearts? All of that coming up in a showbiz special report, "The Way They Were."
Tired of celebrities stealing the spotlight. Well, we want to hear from you. So send your opinions on videos to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Go to CNN.com/showbiztonight for details and watch. You could see your video e- mail on the most provocative entertainment news show on television, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, every night at 11 p.m. Eastern, right here on HEADLINE NEWS PRIME.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, Halloween is just around the corner, and if you haven`t found that perfect costume, have I got one for you. This will have all of your friends saying that`s hot, literally. Yeah, if you really want to look like Paris Hilton, you can do it. It`s the princess in prison costume. It comes complete with blonde wig, sunglasses, prison dress and hat and even your very own Tinker Bell, a chihuahua and a purse. Career, not included. Yes. You can get all of this for the low price of 39.99. Operators are standing by. Act now, hey, we`ll throw in a copy of Paris` CD.
(SCREAM)
We`re only kidding. We want you to have a happy Halloween. And you can check out "Dress Up America," if you really do want one.
HAMMER: I think our stage manager Dave Webber is going to be ordering one right now.
Yesterday, we told you about Paris heading to Rwanda to do a little charity work, and we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Paris going to Africa: Will charity work change her image? Well, look at this. Surprisingly, only 13 percent of you say, yes, it will change her image. Eighty-seven percent of you said, no, it won`t.
Among the e-mails, here`s one from Julie in Iowa, who does hope that this trip will straighten Paris out, "She has been humbled this year. I am one to give people a second chance." But Robert from Florida says, no way, "It will never change her and it will end up costing more than it will ever generate in donations."
ANDERSON: Oprah Winfrey`s health crisis - Oprah`s dramatic revelation about why she has been so run down and also putting on weight. It`s something that all women need to hear about. We`ve got that next.
Also, this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAGNER: If you look at the early tapes of Whitney, you`ll see there`s something that is just glowing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s right, yes.
HAMMER: Remember when Whitney, Britney and Michael were only in the news because of their great music? How did these three go from top of the world to train wreck city? And what was it about them way back when that made them win our hearts? That`s coming up in the showbiz special report, "The Way They Were."
ANDERSON: (SINGS) Here comes the bride, hoping that the third time is the charm. We have your very first look at Pamela Anderson`s wedding photos from her Vegas marriage to Rick Salomon, that`s of Paris Hilton`s sex tape fame. That is still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Oprah`s health scare. Tonight, shocking revelations about why she gained weight, why she`s so tired all the time, plus, what she learned from her doctor that women everywhere need to know. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates Oprah`s health crisis.
WAGNER: Michael Jackson, when he was at his most popular, was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
HAMMER: Ah, remember the good old days when we all just loved Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears for their music? I mean, these guys were on top of the world and then it all came crashing down, so what happened? Tonight, it`s a revealing Barbra Streisand-inspired special report "The Way They Were."
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Tonight, Oprah`s health crisis, Oprah`s shocking revelations about her health. Oprah says by the end of last season`s final show, she was exhausted all the time and she couldn`t figure out what was going on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": At the end of May, I was so exhausted. I couldn`t figure out what was going on in my life. I ended up going to Africa and spent a month with my beautiful daughters there, was still feeling really tired, really tired, going around from doctor to doctor trying to figure out what was wrong, and finally figured out I had literally sort of blew out my thyroid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Joining us tonight in Hollywood, consulting editor for "TV Guide," Mary Murphy and a New York psychology expert and syndicated radio host, Cooper Lawrence. Ladies, great to see you. And we all know that Oprah has always been very open about her weight fluctuations and her dieting. Oprah was clearly gaining weight again. It turns out it was related to thyroid problems.
Mary, do you think that this time around people were on to the fact that there was something really wrong here?
MARY MURPHY, CONSULTING EDITOR FOR "TV GUIDE": You know, I think Oprah`s announcement is a landmark moment in television, because she admitted to a health problem that a woman over 50 has. She may have been forced to talk about it because of her weight gain. But that was an amazing abundance for women in America because the weight gain forced people to talk about it and eventually Oprah talked about it. This is a remarkable moment. Celebrities never talk about health problems.
ANDERSON: You`re right. It was very courageous of her to open up in this way and she elaborated on the connection between her thyroid condition and weight gain in a candid article in her magazine "O."
She wrote this, "My body is turning on me. First hyperthyroidism, which sped up my metabolism and left me unable to sleep for days (Most people lose weight. I didn`t. Then hypothyroidism which slowed down my metabolism and made me want to sleep all the time. (Most people gain weight. I did! Twenty pounds!)
Cooper, I bet a lot of women are relating to this and saying, "You go- girl. Thanks for being honest."
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT AND SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: They`re relating to this just the way they were relating to Magic Johnson when he announced he was HIV positive and every time someone like Sheryl Crow came out and said breast cancer. The reason why this is important is because it sends people to their doctors.
And were finding that early detection is the way to combat these types of issues that people have, and especially for women because women are more reticent to go to doctors specifically because they`re dealing with children and have responsibilities so they keep putting it off. So someone like Oprah coming out and saying, "I have this issue," is going to send women to doctors all over the place and they`ll find all kinds of things.
ANDERSON: Right. Encourage them to check on their health, and Oprah said it on her show, a lot of women suffer from thyroid problems. One in four, in fact. And she really opened up with the problems associated with her thyroid condition and the candid conversation that she had with her doctor. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: I wanted to call Dr. Northrop(ph) here who I think is just the best doctor when it comes to women`s health issues because she not only has the information, the medical information, but when I called her to talk about this whole thyroid issue, she always connects the mind, the body and the spirit. And the first thing Dr. Northrop(ph) wanted to know was what was really going on in my life and I go - I`m so tired.
A big wake-up call today for all women over 35.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mary, you said it. Celebrities rarely reveal such things and definitely not to the extent many times. How is it possible for one woman to be so public about her problems, about her issues and yet always pull it off with such dignity?
MURPHY: Well, the thing about Oprah is that I can relate to her and I think every woman can relate to this exact problem. She does it with dignity because she has always been honest about her life. But the connection between Oprah and women is profound because what she does will then lead other celebrities hopefully - not just women around America but celebrities. I can`t tell you how many celebrities I`ve interviewed who have a health problem and say please, never, ever, ever, ever talk about it. This will humanize celebrities and may, in fact then help the population.
ANDERSON: Cooper, you know, what do you think about it? Is this really at the heart of why Oprah is so loved? She not only talks about her problems but she is so relatable to women and people everywhere.
LAWRENCE: That`s exactly what it is, Brooke. I mean, it`s the idea that - look at what we`ve been shown with celebrity, right? Celebrity is all perfect and beautiful and seems like this glamourous life we can`t relate to. Oprah is letting us in to something very vulnerable. And not only can we relate to her, we embrace her for that. And I think she becomes even more of the icon for what other celebrities should strive to be. Because, not only is she opening herself up, but she could help people.
ANDERSON: Yes, she is a living legend. And you know, in a world of crooked politicians, inauthentic reality show stars, Mary, how important is Oprah to society, to the world?
MURPHY: You know, amazingly, she`s a talk show host and she`s probably the most important figure in our country culturally, because when she recommends something, it`s always high quality whether it`s a doctor or a book, that is Oprah`s importance. If she didn`t recommend high quality things she wouldn`t have this kind of power.
ANDERSON: Or even when she recommends nice sheets, who knows? Mary Murphy, Cooper Lawrence, thank you both. Oprah definitely makes an impact with her words, she does.
LAWRENCE: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, we have your very first look at Pamela Anderson`s wedding photos. She married Rick Salomon. He is the guy that starred in the sex tape with Paris Hilton. That happened on October 6th in Vegas. Now, "OK" magazine says Rick organized the ceremony in a villa at the Mirage Hotel. Listen to this, Pam`s driver gave her away. That`s a first for me. This is Pam`s third marriage after Tommy Lee and Kid Rock. But she and Rick have been friends for 17 years. Pam tells "OK" magazine, quote, "There has always been chemistry, but mostly it`s been camaraderie. We have been there for each other through everything. We have seen each other through it all - that`s tough to find. I don`t just love him, I like him. We are an oddly good match." For more of Pam and Rick`s wedding photos, you can grab "OK" magazine on newsstands this week.
All right, let`s move now from one weird Las Vegas wedding to another. Tonight, I am revealing the strange connection between Britney Spears` first quickie marriage in Las Vegas, and former `N Sync star Lance Bass, telling the world he`s gay. Yes, Vegas, baby. What happens there definitely does not stay there. That`s next.
We`ll also have this -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE NEWS ANCHOR: If you look at the early tapes of Whitney Houston, there`s something that is just glowing.
ANDERSON: Whitney Houston, such a huge pop star at one time. Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, they were on top of the charts and on top of the world. And then it all came crashing down. So what happened? We`re channeling Barbra Streisand to find out. A revealing showbiz special report, "The Way They Were," next.
HAMMER: Barbra Streisand, huh? Well, onto Nicky 6, definitely no Barbra Streisand. Here`s the guy who took sex, drugs and rock `n` roll, shall we say, to the extreme with one of the biggest, baddest bands of the `80s, of course, Motley Crue. But tonight he is opening up about his personal addictions and the connection he has to today`s bad girls like Lindsay Lohan. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this - Donald Trump: Do you admire him? Keep voting. CNN.com/showbiztonight.com. Write to us; there`s the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We are going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ellen`s dogfight. The animal rescue agency that`s battling Ellen Degeneres on the attack, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Makes me want to pull off the teeth out of my firebird. Remember that? Whitney Houston`s "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," a number one hit for her, back in 1987. She was on top of the charts and she was on top of the world. But oh, how things have changed.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight at the showbiz special report "The Way They Were." Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears - they all have something in common, going from the stars America loves to the stars America loves to watch as they became train wrecks. But tonight we would rather remember the way they were.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER (voice over): Ah, the memories. Remember Michael Jackson`s moonwalk? How about Whitney`s heavenly voice and Britney`s brilliant pop sounds? It`s like Barbra Streisand sang in "The Way We Were," memories of the greatest entertainers in the world still live in the corners of our minds.
They are the biggest stars the world has ever seen. Their careers have become prisoners to their personal demons.
Rehab, trials and addiction have put a different spin on their lives and none of it good. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the golden era of these super-sized stars will never be tarnished.
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP STAR: I am totally innocent of any wrongdoing.
HAMMER: It has been a tough couple of years for Michael Jackson. From being accused of child molestation in 1993, dangling a baby from a window in 2002, to facing more child molestation charges in 2005. Everyone watched as the king of pop became the king of bizarre. But remember when we just couldn`t get enough of Michael?
(MUSIC)
Before he was the center of controversy, Michael Jackson was the undisputed king of pop.
WAGNER: Michael Jackson, when he was at his most popular, was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
HAMMER: Alex Wagner, editor-in-chief of "Fader Magazine" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Jackson`s music career was nothing short of genius.
(MUSIC)
WAGNER: I think Michael was the first in the, you know, true pop kings. This is someone that has sold a total of 3 billion albums worldwide. So it`s basically everybody and their mother in every country in the world was listening to him.
HAMMER: And, of course, there was "Thriller."
(MUSIC)
Still touted by "Billboard" magazine as the single biggest selling album of all time. With Michael, it wasn`t just the music.
WAGNER: He had dance moves. I mean, nobody had a floor show like Michael Jackson.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Oh, boy, Britney Spears, between the panty-less partying, the head shaving, rehab and the custody battles, it`s easy to forget Britney was once a superstar.
(MUSIC)
No matter how crazy people think Britney might be, you can`t deny that for more than a decade she`s been a pop phenomenon, 83 million albums sold worldwide. A superstar by the age of 19.
WAGNER: Britney, you know, back in the day, was someone we loved watching grow up. She was young. She was kind of this teenybopper with pigtails.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: "Hit Me Baby One More Time" made her a sensation and, oops, the hits came coming, again -
(MUSIC) She told CNN in 1999 the success even caught her by surprise.
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: I just wanted my song to be in the top 40.
(MUSIC)
WAGNER: Britney`s is someone whose, you know, personal crises may have eclipsed her musical career, but fundamentally has a team around her and understands music and pop hooks in a way that we`ll never escape or anything.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, POP STAR: Crack is whack.
HAMMER: A moment in pop culture history, Whitney Houston being interviewed by "Prime Time Live`s" Diane Sawyer about her reported drug use. Just one example of Whitney`s bumpy ride in the spotlight.
HOUSTON: Damn, damn. Lord, I just want to be a real person.
HAMMER: Substance abuse, rehab, divorce - all turned the American sweetheart into tabloid fodder. Some blame her ex-husband bad boy Bobby Brown, her co-star in the reality show "Being Bobby Brown."
BOBBY BROWN, HOUSTON`S HUSBAND: I`ve been to jail before. That`s American.
HOUSTON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMMER: But we remember the time before her life spun out of control when everybody wanted to dance with somebody named Whitney.
(MUSIC)
WAGNER (voice over): Whitney came on to the scene and was an angel
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: That song from Whitney`s film, "The Bodyguard" marked her pinnacle. She`s still the only artist in history to have seven consecutive number one hits. She holds the title of being the first female artist to enter the billboard 200 at number one, "The Bodyguard" soundtrack in top ten biggest selling albums of all time.
WAGNER: If you look at the early tapes of Whitney, there`s something that`s just glowing, this poise and this dignity. And, you know, there really actually isn`t anyone like her now.
HAMMER: And if they had a chance to do it all again, tell me, could they, would they?
WAGNER: They all had something fundamentally that none of us have and I think, you know, the American public wants that again. So they just need to realize that for themselves.
HOUSTON: Makes you feel kind of old, huh? Hah, but I`m not done yet. Believe me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, while Britney`s personal life is certainly a disaster, her day job isn`t doomed yet. Her new single, "Gimme More" actually hit number one on Billboard`s hot digital songs chart. We will see if she could keep it up.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the strange connection between Britney Spears` first marriage, and former `N Sync member Lance Bass` decision to come out of the closet. Lance and Britney were friends, of course. But Lance says he actually told Britney he was gay on her wedding night. This was when she married her friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas, which was annulled a few days later.
Lance said he was in sin city with her, and that her managers got rid of Jason, flew him home. Lance tells "GQ" magazine, quote, "Britney was upset about what she had done. I felt bad for her. I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something. So I sat her on my bed, and I`m like, `Well, I`m gay!`"
Lance says Britney was really surprised and that was the last time he talked to her. Lance says he`s reached out to Britney recently but doesn`t think she`s talking to any of her old friends.
Now, another connection you may not have heard about, apparently Lance and Marc Anthony were good friends back in the day. Lance says Marc was also really surprised when he came out, and you can check out more with Lance Bass. Just pick up a copy of "GQ" magazine; it is on newsstands Tuesday. And be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday when Lance bass - that`s right, Lance Bass, right here.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve heard so many different opinions about Britney Spears from you, our viewers. A lot of you are fired up. Some are saying she is a real mess and deserves to lose her kids. Others are saying, yes, she screwed up but others are to blame in her life, as well.
Well, tonight, we`ve got this video e-mail that I want to show you. I`ve got to tell you it`s pretty well done. It`s all about the bizarre Britney behavior. I do hope the guy who Charles Thomas from Arlington Heights did keep two hands on the wheel while he did this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES THOMAS, SENDER OF VIDEO E-MAIL: The question is, should Britney Spears get her kids back? Dear, god, I hope not. Not right now at least. No offense, Britney but you`re not exactly coming off, you know, like you really even want them. Give me, give me, give me, my baby.(SINGS)
That`s what you should change the lyrics to, Britney. Give me my baby. (SINGS)
Let your mom take them or that nice boy, K-Fed. What kind of name is that anyway? Sounds like a slang name for a penitentiary. Welcome to K- Fed penitentiary. You, Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, the both of you are like Thelma And Louise, only that car just doesn`t seem to ever hit the bottom. You just keep going down and down.
I think Britney Spears, you got like better chance of getting your kids back than Danny Bonaduce going through the rest of his life without a lawsuit. I love you, Danny. Oh, Danny, big fan, Romanov. I just wanted to say, a good throw the other day. You should play for The Bears. Thank you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Good-bye.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good-bye, Charles. Nicely done. We definitely want more of your video e-mails. It`s really easy to do. See, you can do it while you drive. Just check out CNN.com/showbiztonight.com. You`ll learn everything you need to know to send us your own video e-mail.
Well, while Britney Spears is certainly being pretty bad, she kind of looks like a quiet kitty cat if you were to stack up her against one of the baddest of the bad boys, Motley Crue`s Nicky 6. Tonight, Nicky opening up to me about today`s out-of-control young Hollywood stars. And he has some pretty good advice about how they can keep from going down the same ugly path he did, and, man, when I say ugly, it got ugly. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT," TV`s most provocative entertainment show. Tonight, one of Hollywood`s all time bad boys who used to be in one of the baddest, wildest rock bands is speaking out about his painful uphill battle with addiction.
He`s offering up some really good insight on how he can relate to today`s bad girls especially Lindsay Lohan who has been in and out of rehab as we know. Nicky 6 played bass for Motley Crues. You remember their hits, "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Home, Sweet Home," and "Shout at the Devil." And he really took the same sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll to the extreme. Nicky was addicted to heroin and alcohol.
He writes about fighting back in his new book. When I recently sat down with Nicky, he admitted it is a never ending struggle and it`s also important to surround yourself with good people.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan, we know just got out of rehab after staying two months there, after smashing up her car and getting arrested on DUI and cocaine charges. Now, Lindsay should be very clear that she`s not out of the woods and shouldn`t start thinking she has this thing beat right now.
NICK 6, FORMER MOTLEY CRUE MEMBER: None of us are out of the woods, ever. Once we have this, it`s always going to be lurking. So what I think is really important is just - this is just my personal story and my personal experience because I can`t speak for Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears or any of the rest of us that have gotten ourselves in situations like that.
The enablers that we allow to be around us - the managers, agents, friends - as long as those people are around us and they`re enabling these people to do what they were doing, they`re enabling me at that time to do what I`m doing by not standing up to the person, then there`s - they`re sort of signing the death certificate for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can pick up a copy of Nicky`s new book called "The Heroin Diaries: A Year in a Life of a Shattered Rock Star." It`s in bookstores now.
ANDERSON: Time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tomorrow, we`ve got startling new details about Kiefer Sutherland`s battle with alcohol. Has he quit drinking as he faces a jail sentence for DUI? We`re investigating. Kiefer Sutherland`s DUI battle. That is tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, the Ellen Degeneres dog controversy has plenty of bark and bite. The latest developments, plus the bulldog lawyer, pun intended, for the animal agency that took Ellen`s dog away, is right here.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson. Glenn beck is coming up after the latest headlines from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS."
END
