Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Is it Time for The Dog to be Muzzled?; The Bizarre Stalking of Conan O`Brien
Aired November 08, 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: Duane Chapman speaks out about his recent rant. Is it time for The Dog to be muzzled? And Jennifer Lopez finally announces she`s pregnant. The dramatic video and Marc Anthony`s romantic reaction coming up. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the bizarre stalking of Conan O`Brien. A priest. Yes, a priest arrested, accused of stalking Conan. We just can`t make this stuff up. The priest accused of doing strange and not so funny things to the late night funny man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALICIA QUARLES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: You go to them when somebody`s stalking you. You don`t expect that they`re the ones doing the stalking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, is Conan in danger? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the startling and scary new developments in the bizarre story of Conan`s fatherly stalker scam.
Tonight, a Britney drug test shocker. Startling news in court about Britney`s fears and the drug test she`s supposed to be taking if she wants to see her kids. Is Britney thumbing her nose at the judge and the law? And why was Britney`s attorney almost laughed out of the courtroom? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Britney`s drug diss.
(MUSIC)
Hello I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And I have to ask, who let the Dog out? Dog "The Bounty Hunter" Chapman is speaking out about his racial rant like never before. Well, quite frankly, he appears to be shooting himself in the foot - or mouth. His explosive new interview is coming up.
But first tonight, heaven help us. Has a priest been stalking Conan O`Brien? Yes, I did just said priest stalking Conan all in the same sentence. This story is so bizarre, if I didn`t know any better, I`d think it was sort of a skit you`d see on late night with Conan O`Brien.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O`BRIEN": My next guest tonight is -
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Excuse me, Conan.
O`BRIEN: Oh. Hey, folks, it`s my priest.
HAMMER (voice over): Sure, Conan O`Brien might have the occasional priest problem on his late night talk show.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Shame on you, Conan.
HAMMER: But that`s nothing compared to the trouble he`s having with a real priest. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you an actual Catholic priest has been arrested for allegedly stalking Conan.
O`BRIEN: Oh, no.
HAMMER: Oh, yes, Conan.
QUARLES: Allegedly he`s been stalking him for a year, sending letters to his home, to his place of employment, even contacting Conan`s parents.
HAMMER: Forget a-priest-walks-into-a bar jokes. Now, this priest is behind bars.
QUARLES: To have a priest stalking Conan O`Brien, there`s a lot of comedy in that. I think Conan will probably make fun of it himself.
HAMMER: Too bad. "Late Night with Conan O`Brien" has been shut down because of the writer`s strike, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the case of Conan`s purported testy priest is part comedy sketch.
O`BRIEN: What do you want from me?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Your loyalty to mother church, Conan.
HAMMER: But also deadly serious.
QUARLES: You go to them when somebody is stalking you. You don`t expect that they are the ones doing the stalking.
HAMMER: The suspected stalker, the Reverend David Ajemian, is a priest in Boston, which happens to be Conan`s hometown. Parishioners say Father David seemed nice enough.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was wonderful. I mean he was wonderful to everyone.
HAMMER: But the New York City DA isn`t exactly singing Father David`s praises. TMZ.com obtained these court documents where prosecutors described the creepy letters the priest allegedly sent Conan.
QUARLES: They`re deranged and they`re crazy.
HAMMER: In one letter, prosecutors say Ajemian refers to himself as "your priest stalker." He allegedly talks about showing up to be a member of Conan`s studio audience. The priest allegedly complains he wasn`t allowed into the studio and writes, "Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans? I want a public confession before I even consider giving you absolution. Or else a spot on your couch."
QUARLES: For this priest to allegedly sign out, "Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans?" That`s a warning sign.
HAMMER: And another note hit way too close to home for Conan. The priest allegedly refers to a mobster who was shot in the New York building where Conan now lives. The letter says, "Remember, Frank Costello once dodged a bullet in your building, and so can you."
QUARLES: These notes are absolutely creepy, because they are not just saying, "Gosh, I enjoy your work. I really want to meet you." They borderline on violence.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the priest was arrested November 1st when he allegedly showed up again at Rockefeller center in New York to crash another taping of Conan`s show. So instead of living in a rectory, this priest was sent to reside at Our Lady of Riker`s Island, the jail.
So the big question is why would this priest have such an alleged obsession with the red-haired comedian? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that they have a common connection. Harvard. Both men attended the school. And in the letters, the priest allegedly hints he`s been following Conan`s career since then.
QUARLES: It hasn`t been determined whether Ajemian and Conan O`Brien even knew each other at Harvard. Who knows, he could have been stalking him way back then.
HAMMER: So now, the priest faces serious charges. And everyone is reminded that even though deranged freaks make for good comedy -
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You`re going down, you heathen dirt bag!
HAMMER: They are not always a laughing matter.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): And the Archdiocese of Boston says Ajemian has been placed on leave and isn`t allowed to minister publicly.
Well, tonight, we have Britney`s drug drama. Her bitter battle to get her kids back took yet another dramatic turn today. And now, it seems Britney has really done it again. Oops. Turns out she missed eight out of the 14 court-ordered random drug tests that are a part of the terms of her child visitation rights.
Attorneys for Britney and her ex-husband Kevin Federline squared off in court today after K-Fed`s attorney complained that Spears was not living up to her end of the deal. Now, Spears` attorney claims the blood test procedure is unconstitutional and even took a swipe at the judge.
Joining me tonight from New York "Court TV" anchor Lisa Bloom. And from Hollywood, Ken Baker, editorial director of "UsMagazine.com." Hello, Ken and Lisa.
LISA BLOOM, "COURT TV" ANCHOR: Hello.
HAMMER: Britney`s attorney said she missed the drug tests because she was sleeping. She just needed more time to call the lab back. Are you kidding me?
I mean, Lisa, I don`t know about you, but if my kids were on the line, I`m thinking I am waking up for the phone call. I`m running to the lab and doing everything I darn well can to make sure I don`t screw this up.
BLOOM: Yes, it gets worse because her attorney says to the judge, "You don`t understand. You`re not a pop star. You can`t expect her to answer the phone at 8:00 a.m. Pop stars don`t get up that early."
Now, it`s true. Every musician I know is not a morning person. But she does not seem to understand that she`s got to comply with the letter of the judge`s ruling, not just the spirit of it.
She`s already been called a habitual continuous and frequent user of drugs and alcohol. She`s got to get out from under that. She`s got to comply with this order. Eight out of 14, that`s a big F.
HAMMER: And I think we have been having this conversation over and over. Well, you mentioned one of those great excuses that was coming from Britney`s attorney. Let me read to you a couple of the excuses that the attorney had lined up.
Besides saying Britney was sleeping when she got the calls in the morning, she also said the drug test process is unconstitutional because it only gives Britney an hour to respond to the calls. And yes, as you said, Lisa, my favorite excuse, Britney`s attorney told the judge in these words, quote, "You`re not a pop star with a number one album," implying as you said that he couldn`t possibly understand Britney`s time constraints.
Ken, let me go to you on this. First of all, we know and we discussed it earlier on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, her album was not number one. Let me just be clear about that. It was number two.
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": Yes.
HAMMER: But yes. But I would have to think, separate from that from that, getting flippant with the judge, probably not the best strategy to win this case.
BAKER: OK. Now, it may be impolite of me to correct the host. But A.J., I`m going to have to correct you, because before I come over here, I did check. Britney was number one. She was number one in Canada. She was number one in Europe. And she was number one in digital downloads.
HAMMER: Listen, Ken, if I have to come out there in Hollywood, you know, and settle this with you in person because you are picking at my semantics, I don`t think that`s what the judge was talking about.
BAKER: No. I think clearly the attorney misspoke. Britney was not number one. She was number two. But in all seriousness, here`s the thing. The only bit of good news that came out of today was that Britney did pass six drug tests. I mean, she ended up - out of the 14, she did pass six. But the eight -
BLOOM: Yes, but if you fail to show up, it counts as a failure.
BAKER: Yes. And that`s exactly what Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline`s attorney, was arguing. I think it`s a very good point. Now, she has a bunch of excuses. I personally, as Lisa pointed out, any musician that anyone knows, they don`t like to get up in the morning. They generally record all night and these kinds of things.
But guess what? Britney is not doing anything right now. She`s not promoting her album. She`s not recording a new album. She`s not doing a video for her next single yet. She`s doing nothing but hanging out. She even gave an interview last week where she said on Halloween she was up until 2:00 a.m. watching movies. But you know what? That`s not a good excuse.
HAMMER: No, not a good excuse.
BAKER: She should get a better excuse.
HAMMER: And the pop star excuse - I mean, let`s face it, she`s not the first busy person no matter what their business, to have been in this kind of situation. And you mentioned Federline. You know, for his part, K- Fed`s attorney said in court today almost to Britney`s credit here that Federline doesn`t want to take the boys out of her life. But of course, he doesn`t know what else to do to make sure the kids are in a safe and healthy environment. What do you think, Lisa? Do you believe that the kids are actually in danger when they are with Britney Spears?
BLOOM: Well, I do because I don`t trust a drug addict and I think Britney Spears is a drug addict. That`s effectively what the court found. You know, a drug addict doesn`t mean that they are stupid.
And if Britney is under the influence - if she`s ingested substances, she`s going to say, "Well, I couldn`t answer the phone and that`s why I didn`t go do the drug test". She`s not going to say, "I was under the influence and that`s why I didn`t go to the drug test."
And so judges are wise to this and that`s why they count it as a failure when somebody doesn`t answer the phone or doesn`t go to the drug test. So, you know, I think we have to be cynical when we are talking about an addict. I think that`s the right approach. That`s the judge`s approach in this case, too.
HAMMER: But Lisa, I want to get your take on this because it`s a sort of a legal matter. She did get another chance today, at the end of the hearing. The judge ordered Britney to provide at least one working number to the lab that called her to get these drug tests done.
As we know, this is not the first time Britney`s had some kind of phone problems that she`s blamed or violating the court orders. So she`s been warned before. Should she not have been given another chance as she was today?
BLOOM: Well, as I`ve said before on this show many times, judges want parents to succeed in family law court. They don`t want them to fail. They are going to give them chance after chance after chance.
Britney doesn`t have custody of the kids right now, so what else can he take away from her? I mean, he wants this mother to visit her young children. He wants her to succeed. He`s giving her another chance. And by the way, doesn`t she have staff that can answer the phone and wake her up? The excuse is ridiculous.
HAMMER: Hello? Hey, Ken, let me ask you this. It may be a loaded question. Do you think this is the last time we are going to be hearing about Britney`s phone dysfunction?
BAKER: We know for sure it`s not going to be because there is going to be another hearing in a couple weeks and a judge is going to readdress this issue. And guess what? She`s shown a pattern, OK. And her patterns aren`t really changing that much. And if one of her patterns is that she doesn`t answer her phone, she`s not available, I don`t expect that to change overnight.
HAMMER: Britney Spears, answer the phone. Lisa Bloom, Ken Baker, thank you for joining us tonight.
BLOOM: Your wake up call. Thanks.
BAKER: Thanks.
HAMMER: All right. Duane Chapman is speaking out about his racial rant. I`ve got to tell you, I don`t think so he`s doing such a great job of getting outside of the dog house. Is it time for the Dog to be muzzled? We`ll get into that at 30 minutes past the hour. It`s a showbiz special report. We will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSEANNE BARR, ACTRESS: And if you are a really good writer, you should make really good money for the people who are making the billions off the stuff you write.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am right there alongside the picket line with some of the biggest stars in the world as they show up for the writers` strike. They told me it`s a matter of "Write and Wrong." That`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. >
HAMMER: And finally - oh, I`m so pleased with this. Jennifer Lopez announces she`s pregnant at a packed concert. Gee, we didn`t know. We have the video of the crowd going wild and Marc Anthony`s romantic reaction is on the way.
Now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all. You just have to download our podcast. And best of all, it won`t cost you a cent because it`s free. If it`s for free, it`s for me. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our web site CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or download it on the iTunes by typing "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It looks like Rosie O`Donnell was this close to coming back to TV. But now the deal is off.
At a book signing in Miami, Rosie hinted she was close to a deal with MSNBC. But on her blog, listen to what she writes, quote, "We were close to a deal, almost done. I let it slip in Miami causing panic on the studio end. Well, what can you do? Today, there is no deal. Poof! My career as a pundit is over before it began. Just as well, I figure everything happens for a reason."
And Rosie also posted a video blog. Watch this.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER TV TALK SHOW HOST: Listen. All right. You`ve got to believe, what happens is supposed to happen. We were in the bottom of the ninth inning. We were all sad, the game was almost over. No, it`s okay because I`m not quite sure that that pundit would have been the best thing for me. But who knows? I was willing to maybe try it. But -
HAMMER: She`s always got the Internet. Now, Rosie writes on her blog that the show was supposed to be a one-hour live show following Keith Olbermann on that particular network.
Well, "24" fans, your wait for the new season, I`m sad to report, just got a little longer. The Fox drama is the latest show to be affected by the writer`s strike. "24" was supposed to start in January. But the network says it`s holding off on the premiere so that day seven in the series can air uninterrupted.
So much for Kiefer Sutherland`s plans not to let his jail sentence get in the way of production. If you remember, Kiefer had made this deal to go to jail around Christmas so his pesky little DUI charge wouldn`t get in the way of filming. Well, it certainly was a well thought out and nice try.
And the writer`s strike is also taking the live out of Saturday Night Live which will go into reruns starting this weekend as the war in Hollywood over the writer`s strike gets even uglier. In fact that war came to New York City right here - right outside the Time Warner Center in New York City, home of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios. That`s where some of Hollywood`s biggest stars picked up picket signs in solidarity with the writers. And I spoke with them, including Tim Robbins and Roseanne Barr.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): People are confused. It`s not about a bunch of people who make too much money who are just whining and complaining because they want to make more money.
BARR: No. The average pay of a writer is $5,000 a year. I mean - people are being - go right to the bottom for writers too like it is for all labor. It`s a union issue. You know, and like - if you are a really good writer, you should make really good money for the people who are making the billions off the stuff you write.
TIM ROBBINS: As a writer, as an actor, as a director, as a producer, as a citizen, it`s very important that we understand that this is not a strike of millionaire writers. This is a strike of working class, rank and file. People who are trying to make a living, trying to put kids through school, trying to make their mortgage payments. They are kind of the back bone of this industry. We might be the face that shows up on the screen, but we are not there without these guys. . (END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And there was more star support for the striking writers including Robin Williams and "Law and Order`s" Richard Belzer. Now, some have the misperception that the writers make a fortune. But when I was out there, everybody was asking one particular question. These are writers, after all. Why were the signs so bad?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Well, there`s no syntax. That was first draft. Where`s the punctuation? What about Strunk, Funk and Wagnals
RICHARD BELZER, ACTOR: Did you see the cartoon where the writers strike but all the signs are blank because they are on strike? And even W`s gone.
WILLIAMS: Why is that? Why is there no writing?
BELZER: I wrote a word myself.
WILLIAMS: Yes. You made up a word called "you`re the decider."
BELZER: But the problem is many writers make less than school teachers. They work month to month or week to week. There`s only a handful of them that are very wealthy. Most of the rank and file, you know are working people or out of work. So this is not to give somebody another Bentley, although we won`t turn it down.
WILLIAMS: No. If you have a Bentley, please help. Bentley.com.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: No one sees an end to the strike anytime soon. In fact be we have just found out today that Fox drama K-Ville is the latest show fallen victim to the writers` strike.
On Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day and here`s what we wanted to know. Hollywood on strike: Do you feel sorry for the writers? Forty-seven of you said yes. Fifty-three percent of you said no. Pretty even split. We heard from Chad in Alabama who sent us an e-mail saying, "If they feel like they are underpaid, they should deal with that when their contracts end."
Denise from Tennessee writes, "I do feel sorry for the writers. Everyone makes the big bucks except them. Without them, obviously there is no show."
Well, just days after the death of their father, Donny and Marie Osmond are paying tribute to him with a dramatic appearance on "Oprah."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE OSMOND, ACTRESS: My dad is my hero. And I will miss that the most because he was my rock, my strength.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oprah gathers dozens of Osmond family members for an unbelievable reunion, and we have your sneak peek. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, something you definitely do not want to miss.
Also, "Love, Drugs, and Fame." You know, this in itself can be a lethal cocktail. Why are stars like Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse and Lindsay Lohan drawn to addictive behavior and to addicted men? Can they ever break free of their cycle with their party buddies by their side? We`ll get into that coming up.
And Duane Chapman speaking out about his racial rant. I`ve got to say I don`t think the Dog is doing such a good job of getting out of the dog house. So, is it time for the Dog to be muzzled? All that coming up at 30 minutes past the hour for a showbiz special report.
And first, we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Dog Chapman apologizes: Should he get his show back? Let us know what you think. CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you go on the web. You can e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And you know, you can e-mail us from your desktop or your laptop. You can get a Blackberry, a Palm Pilot - whatever works, cell phone, just let us know how you feel. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s a dramatic appearance by Donny and Marie Osmond just days after the death of their father. George Osmond died just this week. And the family decided that doing the Oprah show would be a great way to honor his memory. George and his wife Olive, who died, in 2004 had nine kids. That`s eight brothers and Marie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Other than your father, your brothers, the level of integrity and honor, your brothers have the same level of integrity and honor as your father.
M. OSMOND: Yes.
OPRAH: Yes.
DONNY OSMOND, MARIE`S BROTHER: Isn`t that interesting, Oprah?
M. OSMOND: My dad is my hero. And I will miss that the most because he was my rock, my strength.
D. OSMOND: He was my strength too.
M. OSMOND: And so now I`m an orphan. I need a sister.
D. OSMOND: But isn`t it - Oprah, isn`t it interesting how two people can raise a family in show business, nine children, and we still love each other?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Really a great point. The show also features Donnie and Marie singing some of their most famous songs, and a medley from the Osmond brothers. For the show, Oprah flew in more than 100 members of the Osmond family. Check this out, during their 50 years in entertainment, the Osmond family has sold more than 100 million albums. Can you see more of the Osmonds on Oprah on Friday.
Dog, the bounty hunter is speaking out about his racial rant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUANE "THE DOG" CHAPMAN, BOUNTY HUNTER: When I get mad, and my brain searches for a word, I have to find different words. And to do that, you have to have more of an education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: See, I hear him say that and I go, huh? I`m not so sure he`s doing such a great job of getting himself out of the dog house. Is it time for Dog to be muzzled? That is next in the showbiz special report.
Also, Love, Drugs and Fame. I mean, think about it. It can be a lethal cocktail. Why do you have stars like Kate Moss, Amy Winehouse and Lindsay Lohan drawn to addictive behavior and also to addicted men. Can they ever break free of this cycle if they have got their party buddies hanging out by their side? That`s coming up.
And J. Lo`s secret revealed. Yes, Jennifer Lopez finally announces she`s pregnant, and she did it at a packed concert. We have the video of the crowd going wild and Marc Anthony`s romantic reaction coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Duane "Dog" Chapman in an even bigger dog house? Tonight, the unbelievable things Dog, the bounty hunter, has now said about his disgusting "N" word racial rant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAPMAN: When I get mad, and my brain searches for a word, I have to find different words. And to do that, you have to have more of an education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Dog Chapman is trying to apologize for the awful thins he said. But I`ve got to tell you, he just might have made things worse. Tonight, why Dog might be in deeper doo-doo.
"Love, Drugs and Fame." Tonight, star couples who are addicted to drugs or alcohol and are addicted to each other. Why this shocking combination can be so dangerous. It`s a showbiz special report, "Love, Drugs and Fame."
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.
Tonight, a showbiz special report. Is it time for the Dog to be muzzled? You know, that`s what a lot of people are saying. Dog, the bounty hunter is now speaking out about that shocking recorded call to his son that included a raging, racist rant against his son`s black girlfriend. Let`s listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CHAPMAN: It`s not because she`s black. It`s because we use the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sometimes here. I`m not going to take a chance ever in life of losing everything I`ve worked for, for 30 years because some (EXPLETIVE DELETED) heard us say (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and turned us in to the "Enquirer" magazine. Our career is over. I`m not taking that chance at all.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, now the Dog is telling his side of the story to Larry King, but maybe he should just have shut up. Joining me tonight in New York, Curtis Sliwa, radio host at 77 WABC. And in Philadelphia tonight, Marc Lamont Hill, assistant professor in Urban Education and American Studies at Temple University. Marc, Curtis, always good to see you both. I want you to watch a little bit about what Dog told Larry King about making amends. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": How do you fix it?
CHAPMAN: Well, I will continue doing the things I have done, working with interracial people. And I just have to - I have some classes I have to go to and I need to get a greater vocabulary than what I have, obviously. And when I get mad, and my brain searches for a word, I have to find different words, and to do that, you have to have more of an education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: More of an education. An education about what? How about not to say the "N" word over and over again. Curtis?
CURTIS SLIWA, RADIO HOST, 77 WABC: Oh, let me tell you something. Maybe he should enroll in a civil rights boot camp, or maybe be exiled to Snoop Doggy Dogg`s dog pound where he walks women - around black women with collars on and degrades them and use the "B" word on them. And hohoho, like he was Santa Claus and the N word.
Look, let`s face it, the Dog`s complexion is not his protection. He`s got al the furniture upstairs rearranged in the wrong rooms. But because he`s white and used the "N" word, this guy just keeps groveling, groveling, groveling. Enough already. He`s bowed down on his knees so much he`s going to need knee replacement surgery.
HAMMER: What do you think, Marc Lamont Hill?
MARC LAMONT HILL, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN URBAN EDUCATION AND AMERICAN STUDIES, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Well, unlike Curtis, I`m not going to start talking about rappers. I would actually focus on the particular white individual who used the racist term. I think the issue is not that we deep beating a dead horse, but that he comes out and saying more ridiculous things.
Instead of just saying, "You know what? Maybe I have a problem. Maybe I`m racist. Maybe I should just get some help," he continues to insist he`s not racist and that this is a result of his vocabulary limitations, as if people who are uneducated naturally use the "N" word, which is absurd. There are plenty of Americans, white, black or whatever that don`t use the "N" word despite their educational level. It`s absurd. He just needs to step back now.
HAMMER: Yes. And to that end, we mentioned that Dog`s racial rant was aimed at his son`s black girlfriend, Monique. But the Dog swears he didn`t intend for his remarks to be racist. I want to watch this one particular thing he said to Larry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: So you didn`t like her for reasons that she would be bad for your son.
CHAPMAN: Exactly right. Not because of her color of her skin.
KING: Then why use the word?
CHAPMAN: Because I referenced it, you know, back the only word that I know that would, you know, hurt his feelings or, you know, catch his attention very fastly. Never as a prejudicial or racial slur or anything like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. It was never a racial slur. I knew it would hurt his feelings. That doesn`t even make sense to me. Curtis, should Dog shut the heck up?
SLIWA: You don`t watch "Dog, The Bounty Hunter" because this is an intellectual Ivy League scholar, and this is college ball. Come on. He chases bad guys, cretins with (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Remember, this guy has been to jail himself. I think what he did to go to jail is far more serious than this. This is like so much mama drama. They are going to make a movie out of this for the "Lifetime Channel." Enough already of the Dog.
HAMMER: Go ahead, Marc.
HILL: I was going to say, this is exactly what happens. This is part of what white racism is, is that you deploy at will the extraordinary privilege of deciding what`s hurtful and what`s not, when we have had enough. How about the people who are abused by this term? They are the ones who are the judges of whether or not this is a hurtful term. I can`t go around using the "B" word and decide for women that is not offensive. That would be absurd.
SLIWA: What exactly is your blood? You could the "B" word, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). They use it 24 hours a day. What are you talking about? Your complexion is your protection. When you are black and a rapper (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and using the "N" word, the whole word and the "N" word every day. What are you talking about?
HILL: You never cease to amaze me. Whatever show we are on, you always manage to squeeze rap into it no matter who`s at fault.
SLIWA: Oh my god. It`s an exception.
HILL: We`re going to talk about the war in Iraq and some how Snoop Dogg is attached. When we`re talking about the holocaust, somehow Snoop Dogg comes up.
SLIWA: Well, you don`t see the double standard here?
HILL: Right now, I don`t think that anyone should use these words. But the person we are talking about right now is Dog Chapman. He used offensive language. And right now he`s back-pedaling instead of just making a full apology. That`s the issue here. And somehow you manage to talk about hip-hop all the time.
SLIWA: Well, wait a second.
HILL: That`s ridiculous.
SLIWA: Did Snoop Doggy Dogg, did (INAUDIBLE) ever apologize? Did their contracts ever get yanked? No. They make even more money. They do even more appearances. They get even more "Fortune 500" company endorsements.
HILL: So Curtis, what you`re pointing out is that two camps are doing something bad. At this moment tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re talking about Dog Chapman. I would just like to see for once you`d be able to talk about a white person that does something wrong without having to find a black person who does something wrong. That`s absurd and that`s a reflection of extraordinary potency of whiteness and white racism. It`s absurd.
SLIWA: Idiot, imbecile - those are the words that describe the Dog. Nobody ever said that this guy was a brainiac. But enough already with his apologies.
HILL: Stupidity is not a protection either. You say complexion is not protection. Neither is stupidity. He has to be accountable. He`s a public figure and he did something wrong.
SLIWA: What do you want? What do you want from this guy? You want to take away the bread out of his mouth? You want to send him and do 20 years to life? He used the "N" word in a private conversation. Let me ask you, Mr. sanctimonious hypocrite.
HILL: Not too sanctimonious.
SLIWA: You never use bad language towards white people in private conversations?
HILL: No, only you. Only after being on TV with you.
SLIWA: Oh, yes. You`re a saint. Let me bow to you. In a private conversation, you never demean white people or other ethnic or racial groups?
HILL: No. I don`t. Maybe that`s your thing. It`s not mine.
SLIWA: Well, you`re a saint. You`re a saint (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HILL: I`m not a saint. I just struggle to be a decent human being.
SLIWA: Well, I`ve used that language in private conversations in almost (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with all American persons out there, black or white. And if we have to put your private conversations on this show, you will be down on your knees getting knee replacement surgery too.
HAMMER: A lot of knee replacement surgery going on tonight. Curtis and Marc Lamont Hill, you have run out the clock on me.
HILL: Sorry about that, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. We are going to have to take this off line, I think. Marc Lamont Hill, Curtis Sliwa, I appreciate your time tonight.
All right. Moving on, Jennifer Lopez is finally talking. This might be a little easier. It`s been one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood.
But tonight, I`ve got the amazing video of J. Lo revealing something that the whole world has been asking about and there will be no fights about it. She even stunned her husband, Marc Anthony, but he did have a romantic reaction. Now, I know we couldn`t get this out of her, but we`ve got the tape coming up next. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAKER: From the outside it certainly looks like Whitney Houston pre-Bobby was a lot healthier than post-Bobby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Take Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Stir in some hard core drugs. You mix it all up and I telly you, you`ve got a real recipe for disaster. And there are plenty of stars who are putting themselves in real danger as well. Tonight, I`ve got a shocking showbiz special report, "Love, Drugs and Fame."
Well, personally, I think Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are a couple who are doing things right. And I also have to tell you tonight Angelina Jolie is kicking some serious butt in her new movie, your first look at "Wanted" coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, I can tell you something that probably won`t have you saying, man, I can`t believe that.
Jennifer Lopez has finally confirmed what everyone pretty much knew. She`s pregnant. Yes, J. Lo, worst kept secret ever. She told the world the good, not so news in Miami on Wednesday during a concert with her hubby, Marc Anthony. Someone sneaked a cam coder in. No big surpirse there. Now this video is tearing up YouTube today. And as they say, the crowd goes wild.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER LOPEZ, SINGER AND ACTRESS: We wanted to thank you for being part of such a special time in our lives. We all wanted to for the last show, as not to burden our audience with the thought of anything else except the show. But and I are expecting.
MARC ANTHONY, SINGER AND HUSBAND OF JENNIFER LOPEZ: I could not expect her to say anything.
LOPEZ: But now we are ready and we are going to go away and have a little bit of time alone. It was the right time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sorry, I`m not a fan of the screaming. I am happy for them, however. Don`t really know why they had to hold out so long to tell everybody. But anyway, J. Lo, Marc, congratulations to you both.
Well, tonight, Love, Drugs and Fame from Kate Moss and Pete Doherty(ph), to Lindsay and her new guy that she met while she was in rehab. You know, when it comes to Hollywood, love and addiction seem to go hand in hand. But the very important question we are asking tonight is, is it dangerous for star couples to hook up when they are both addicted to drugs or alcohol? It`s a showbiz special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Kate Moss and Pete Doherty(ph), Amy Winehouse and husband, Blake. Lindsay Lohan and her new boyfriend, Riley. Their fame, extraordinary. Their love, undeniable. But their addictions, uncontrollable. Put it all together, add some Hollywood stardom and you`ve got a dangerous mix of love and destruction.
BAKER: The reality is that celebrities, just like everyday people, will bond with other people who have the same interests, and oftentimes, if the interest is drugs and partying, they`ll bond over that.
HAMMER: It`s the kind of twisted love stories we hear about in Hollywood and across America. Couples who are addicted to drugs and addicted to each other. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, is it a good idea for admitted addicts to fall in love when they are fighting addiction?
KEN SEELEY, LEAD INTERVENTIONIST, "INTERVENTION": It`s so dangerous and it`s so sad because that`s one of the first things they teach is do not get into a relationship in your first year of recovery.
HAMMER: You hear that, Lindsay? Fresh from her third stint in rehab, Lindsay Lohan reportedly found love with a recovering addict, Riley Giles, who she met in rehab. A major no-no, according to Ken Seeley, lead interventionist on A & E`s "Intervention."
SEELEY: Most addicts have that co-dependency also with them, so they`re co-dependent and are looking for somebody to help. And she`s not going to make it. I can pretty much guarantee it.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Lindsay`s cocktail of mixing love and addiction is nothing new in Hollywood. Take supermodel Kate Moss and British rocker Pete Doherty. Right now, they are the poster children for why you shouldn`t mix love and drugs.
Kate Moss blew millions of dollars in modeling contracts after being photographed with Doherty and reportedly doing blow on the cover of a British tabloid. But even after rehab, Kate couldn`t shake her on-and-off boyfriend of two years. Doherty continues to battle charges of drug possession and his penchant for heroin. Ken Baker, editorial director of "UsMagazine.com" says Kate and Pete are a poisonous pair.
BAKER: Obviously, these are two people who bonded in some way over this use of drugs and that probably should just get away from each other. Because together, they are just like toxic twins.
PETE DOHERTY, ROCK MUSICIAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMMER: Arrested more times than we can count, why is Kate so addicted to this guy?
SEELEY: Misery loves company. They seem to love to get involved with people that like the same type of lifestyle. And that`s what I see happening here.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Taking a page out of Kate and Pete`s book of love is the anti- rehab queen herself, Amy Winehouse. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the 24- year-old singer has openly admitted her love of pot and alcohol.
AMY WINEHOUSE: I guess it`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HAMMER: Winehouse recently married husband Blake Fielder civil and just a few months later, shocking photos emerged of the two beaten, bruised, and bloody. Amy text messages PerezHilton.com that Blake was actually helping her, saying "I was cutting myself after he found me in our room about to do drugs with a call girl and rightly said I wasn`t good enough for him. I lost it and he saved my life."
SEELEY: Yes, I know. He`s just helping her to continue to stay sick. And, you know, just like her song no, no, no to rehab, she has to say yes.
HAMMER: Well, actually, daddy doesn`t thing you`re fine now.
MITCH WINEHOUSE: In the last three or four months, however long they have been married, that`s when the problems really started.
HAMMER: So why can`t Amy just say yes to rehab and no, no, no to her relationship?
BAKER: I think that they rely on each other in order to be weird and dark and just do all those kind of crazy things that they have been doing.
BOBBY BROWN, RAPPER: This is my wife.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER AND ACTRESS: Hi.
HAMMER: In the reality show, being Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston and husband, Bobby Brown, gave us a glimpse into their bizarre life together. On and off camera, we watched them spiral out of control with drugs and violence. Suddenly Whitney went from superstar to super something.
HOUSTON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
BAKER: From the outside, it certainly looks likes Whitney Houston pre- Bobby was a lot healthier than post-Bobby. Now, whether it was Bobby`s fault that Whitney ended up getting into drug problems and having these issues with herself, I think that`s a big question. But it certainly seems like where there`s smoke, there`s fire.
HAMMER: Whitney has cleaned up her act these days. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know, could Whitney have sobered up around Bobby?
SEELEY: Bobby helped Whitney stay sick. And you see what happened, as soon as they separated, it didn`t take long at all, and look how well she`s doing now.
HAMMER: So do famous couples with addictions have to leave their careers and loves behind and get sober on their own? Or can star couples stay together and get clean.
SEELEY: If you are in a relationship and you don`t want to end your relationship, take six months off and get the help you need to get the foundation, to get your life back on track. And then get back into your relationship.
HAMMER: And that is some sobering advice.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Ken Seeley also tells us that statistically, only about one percent of addicts who get into relationships the first year after rehab actually make it and stay sober. That`s just one percent. So Lindsay, if you`re watching, be careful.
You know, I think some of these star couples clearly are a total mess and they can really learn a thing or two from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. You don`t hear about them doing outrageous stuff. But tonight, it is all out war for Angelina kicking some serious butt in her new movie, "Wanted." Your super high energy look coming up next.
But first, a look at what`s new at the movies this week brought to you by Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. "Lions for Lambs" roars into theaters. Tons of buzz on this one with an all-star cast. Robert Redford directs and stars along with Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep. It`s a political thriller. Cruise actually running for president in this film.
Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Woody Harrelson are in "No Country for Old Men." Shocking things happen when Brolin stumbles upon a truck full of cash, drugs, all surrounded by a bunch of dead guys.
And yes, it`s that time of the year. Vince Vaughn, the great Paul Giamatti, and Rachel Weisz in "Fred Clause." It`s a funny movie. Paul is Santa, St. Nick. Vince is his older brother, but he is anything but a saint. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight I`ve got your first look at Angelina Jolie`s rock-them, sock-them new movie, "Wanted." She is a trained assassin who helps a kind of wimpy guy avenge his father`s death. And lots of things go boom. Morgan Freeman stars too.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANGELINA JOLIE, "FOX": I knew your father.
JAMES MCAVOY, "WESLEY": My father died the week I was born.
JOLIE: Your father died yesterday on a roof top at the metropolitan building. He was one of the greatest assassins who ever lived. And the other one is behind you.
MORGAN FREEMAN, "SLOAN": Welcome to the fraternity. This gun you`re holding belonged to your father. He could conduct the symphony orchestra with it.
JOLIE: Shoot the target.
MCAVOY: How am I supposed to do that?
FREEMAN: If no one ever told you that bullets fly straight, what would you do? It is a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face. To remain ordinary, pathetic, beat down, coasting through a miserable existence like sheep herded by fate. Or you can take control of your own destiny and join us, releasing the caged wolf that you have inside.
Our purpose is to maintain stability in an unstable world. Kill one, save a thousand. Within the fabric of this world, every life hangs by a thread. We are that thread. A fraternity of assassins, weapons of fate. This is the decision that lies before you now - the sheep, or the wolf? The choice is yours.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S senior producer Tammy Reese(ph) who hates it when I have the sniffles, says it kind of looks to her like "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" meets "Tomb Raider." If you want to see "Wanted," well, it`s coming out in 2008.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next. >
END
