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Showbiz Tonight
Heather Mills Update; More Celebrity Messes; Holiday Movies
Aired November 09, 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: Britney Spears driving a car, putting her kids in danger again, and it`s all caught on tape. And is Michael Jackson about to lose one of his most prized possessions - his Neverland Ranch? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, all you need is love. Tonight, is this Paul McCartney`s ultimate revenge in his ugly divorce battle with Heather Mills, a beautiful, rich, soon to be divorcee? Is Heather going ballistic? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, as the Mills-McCartney battle get even nastier, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with startling news about what happened to Mills` own lawyers. And is it time for Heather to just shut up already?
Tonight, other stars who should also just shut up. Rosie O`Donnell rants. Dog Chapman`s barking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUANE "THE DOG" CHAPMAN, BOUNTY HUNTER: I need to get a greater vocabulary than what I have. I have to find different words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Haven`t these people ever heard silence is golden? Why do these celebrities make their problems even worse by running off at the mouth? Tonight, an explosive showbiz special report, "Stars Who Should Just Shut Up."
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And there`s some new developments in the story we are still having trouble believing. A priest arrested and charged with stalking late night host Conan O`Brien. Yes, I said a priest. He was in court today. We are going to tell you what happened, coming up.
But first tonight, Paul`s revenge. Paul McCartney has got to be smiling right about now. Unlike his soon-to-be very angry, very bitter ex- , Heather Mills. Tonight, big news to tell you about. Has Heather Mills been fired by her own attorneys for being such a big mouth? Has Paul McCartney found a new love? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest soap opera twists and turns in the mills-McCartney mess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HEATHER MILLS, PAUL MCCARTNEY`S EX-WIFE: I`m being put to the edge.
HAMMER: Sir Paul McCartney`s ex-wife is mad as hell and she`s not taking it anymore. Heather Mills is on the warpath, going from show to show, blowing up about the media.
MILLS: I`ve been close to suicide. So upset about this. I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
JO PIAZZA, CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I think the Heather Mills strategy in this divorce case was to bring the crazy.
HAMMER: And it looks like she has. While Heather gets literally demonized in newspaper headlines like this bedeviled gem in the "New York Daily News," Paul is getting nice and mushy headlines like "Tryst and Shout" for his reported new lady-love.
PIAZZA: Paul has moved on. He has a beautiful new girlfriend who, for all intents and purposes, seems to be completely sane.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the juicy new details of the love that`s melting Sir Paul`s heart and of Heather`s costly meltdown.
PIAZZA: Paul appears to have gotten over this relationship whereas Heather is just clinging to it. It`s very fatal attraction. I could just picture her boiling a bunny.
HAMMER: Well, Heather is a committed animal activist so the bunnies can relax. But as the ex-couple battles over a multi-gazillion-dollar divorce settlement, Sir Paul is showing once and for all that happiness is the best revenge.
PIAZZA: I think Paul is absolutely winning the breakup.
HAMMER: Heather Mills continues to make the TV rounds to vent about her ex-husband.
MILLS: It`s fine that Paul can walk in and go (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And I`m hiding and I`m the one that is abused daily.
HAMMER: And now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Heather`s rampage has cost her her divorce attorneys, who have announced that they have cut ties with Heather and her case.
PIAZZA: The attorneys were just like, "We`re done."
HAMMER: Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Heather`s publicist has also dumped her because of her bitter media tour. So it`s no surprise that her attorneys decided that dealing with her is just not worth getting a multimillion dollar slice of her eventual settlement.
PIAZZA: Life is too short to deal with Heather Mills. Now, everyone thinks she is a raving lunatic.
HAMMER: Meanwhile, Sir Paul`s been making headlines for frolicking in the States with new his new lady friend.
PIAZZA: Paul`s new friend is Nancy Shevell(ph). She`s a New York socialite. She`s been on the New York social scene for a long time. She`s separated from her husband.
It seems the two have been kind of an item since about August, and they`ve been thought about and have been together. When Heather found out about that, she immediately raced to the television networks again to go on and this time say, "I`m totally OK. This is great. I`m fine. I just want him to be happy," which is completely the opposite of what she`s been saying in the past.
HAMMER: But while Heather Mills says she wishes Paul well, she is not about to pipe down about their split. She says her outbursts have been, quote, "cathartic."
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I think Heather is in a lot trouble emotionally.
HAMMER: Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she can see why Mills feels she needs to lash out.
KURIANSKY: Things she is doing to really help herself get rid of all of these toxic emotions that she has inside. And that way, she thinks she`s doing something good for herself. And in the short-term, emotionally, she is, by getting rid of it all. In the long term, it`s not healthy for her.
HAMMER: And if Mills needs an example of how to handle the breakup, she needs to look no further than her ex. Last year, in one of the few times he`s ever spoken about their breakup, McCartney told BBC Radio, it`s best not to hold grudges.
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN: I think when you go into difficulties, I think the thing to do for the sake of all the people concerned is to keep certain dignity.
HAMMER: Sir Paul seems to be sticking to his advice. Heather, not so much. And as the two continue to fight over money, it`s strange to see that one of them will likely come out of this richer than the other.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, not only do we have Heather Mills` TV venting this week. We also had Duane "Dog" Chapman`s ridiculous excuses for his disgusting racial rant. And Rosie O`Donnell talking herself right out of a new TV gig. Well, tonight I`ve got to say, just shut up. You`re making your problems worse. My provocative special report coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
And now we`d like to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Heather Mills: Should she just shut up already? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us what you think at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Tonight, did Rosie ruin it? Rosie O`Donnell`s possible comeback to TV with a cable news talk show on MSNBC has fallen apart. And Rosie is saying she may be to blame.
She writes on her blog, 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." But was it Rosie`s big mouth that ruined the deal or was it something else?
Joining me tonight from Burbank, California, our good friend "Access Hollywood" correspondent Tony Potts. Tony, also the host of "Celebrity Expose" on MyNetwork TV that`s going to air on Monday with an unbelievably revealing look at Rosie`s life. Always good to see you, Tony.
TONY POTTS, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" CORRESPONDENT: Good to see you too, A.J.
HAMMER: So there are these reports floating around that Rosie wanted a $3 million one-year deal with MSNBC. The reports are also says MS only wanted to pay something around a million bucks and wanted at least two years from Rosie.
And then as we heard Rosie say on her blog, she spilled the beans about the talks and I guess the powers that be got upset. What do you think, Tony? Was it the money or was it the fact that Rosie opened her big mouth that ended the deal?
POTTS: Well, I can tell you that MSNBC doesn`t pay its anchors combined $3 million. There was no way that was going to happen. They don`t have the viewership, quite frankly, to do that.
Secondly, it doesn`t come as a surprise to me to think of how "The View" ended. It was a little bit of Rosie`s mouth and a little bit of Rosie`s money that wanted. So, it`s probably a combination of the two. I don`t think really executives are all worried too much that she might spill the beans, because that`s what Rosie does. You know, what you are getting when you get Rosie. She`s a lightning rod. So it might be a combo deal of both.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes. Sounds like it was definitely an economic issue, whatever the case. Even though the deal fell through with MSNBC, Rosie still is planning on doing some kind of a show. Not necessarily on TV. I want to show you what she said on her blog today. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL: So I`m going to figure out a way to do a show here in my "Blogville," because I really think it`s the next way anyway. Who the hell wants to work with a company with three letters that is going to get mad if you tell people what you are doing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Tony, I realized this Internet thing is going to stick around and we`ll be seeing programs on the Internet. But do you think she`s kidding about doing a TV show online?
POTTS: Well, if she`s going to do it, she needs two things - better audio first, and better lighting. But you know, it`s the wave of the future. I just had a huge meeting about a week ago with a bunch of billionaires about the Internet and what`s going on with the Internet. And it`s funny there`s a system out there called pound and three numbers and three letters. Rosie is making fun of three letters of NBC or whatever and what have you, Fox or ABC.
But she could very well do that. There`s a way out there now; you can charge $4.95 a month, a nominal fee and you can get Rosie every day. Think about that. You get just 100,000 people, just a 100 out of the millions that watch - 100,000, that`s almost $500,000 a month. OK, so that`s what - $6 million a year, makes 3 million. Seems like a child`s play.
HAMMER: Yes, I know you have a point there. You get into the mind of Rosie O`Donnell with this MyNetwork TV "Celebrity Expose." You`re showing, I know, some very candid interviews with Rosie. What`s one of the most revealing things you found out about her in the course of doing this?
POTTS: Well, A.J., one thing I like about our show - about the expose is that it comes through "Access Hollywood." We have obviously talked to all these stars over the years. So you will see this show chock full of the stars talking about themselves, not people who have never met them talking about them.
And we`ll get into - one of the things surprising to me was how candid Rosie was about her childhood, about admitting that - to break her arms and limbs to get attention. And the dysfunctionality of the family as well, and how she has made it kind of her mission to stop the cycle and violence in the sense to make sure her home life with her kids is nothing like when she grew up. And I think those moments were very revealing along with some other amazing stuff that she talks about, because Rosie is always being Rosie as you well know.
HAMMER: Yes, and one of the things she talked about in the course of the show was her obsession with Tom Cruise. What was the deal with that obsession? What did you find out about that?
POTTS: I just think she liked him because he was a "cutie patootie" as she would say. I think, you know, obviously, Rosie is gay and she has that fascination with Tom. So you knew it wasn`t romantic in a sense, although she did sometimes say, "Hey, if ever there were a chance - " But you know, she ended that I think when Tom started attacking Brooke Shields and what have you.
HAMMER: Yes. It sort of went away, didn`t it?
POTTS: Yes, it went away.
HAMMER: Well, thanks so much. Tony`s show, "Celebrity Expose" say will air Monday night on MyNetwork TV.
POTTS: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: You got it. Rosie never afraid to speak her mind. This time, though, she really should have shut her trap because it looks like it cost her her job. You know, Rosie is not alone. (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 be - have a more of an education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Duane "Dog" Chapman trying to apologize for his N-word racial rant. But, Dog, not working. You should just shut up too. Tonight, I`m not afraid to speak up, the stars who are making their problems worse by talking, a showbiz special report, "Just Shut Up."
Also, Britney Spears putting her kids in danger again. You won`t believe what she did behind the wheel and you won`t believe who else was in the car, all caught on tape. That`s coming up next.
And this story. Oh, it`s so bizarre. Still boggles my mind. A priest accused of stalking Conan O`Brien. There are startling new developments. Will the priest stand trial? That is coming up next. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you, Norris Wagman(ph). Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, Britney Spears has done it again. Yes, a big oops. And tonight, I`ve got the shocking video of Britney Spears potentially putting her kids in some serious danger.
Won`t you take a look at how Britney was caught driving, running a red light at a very busy intersection in Los Angeles. And get this - her kids right there in the back seat.
But that`s not all. The court-appointed monitor was riding shotgun with Britney. Brit, definitely not going to help you out with your custody case. Remember, a judge temporarily took away her visitation rights because she was driving without a license.
HAMMER: Well, now onto the latest on the story that we still find kind of hard to believe. The priest accused of stalking Conan O`Brien. Priest stalking Conan, yes. Tonight, disturbing new information on the priest, a guy named David Ajemian.
A judge has just decided Reverend David Ajemian is fit to stand trial, accused of stalking Conan for over a year. Ajemian was so obsessed with Conan he actually posted disturbing messages on the NBC web site. He followed the comedian to Italy one time. And he even tried to go to a taping of "Late Night with Conan O`Brien" about a week ago when he was arrested.
Joining me tonight, in New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat." And tonight, from Hollywood, Ted Casablanca, the online correspondent who has a column called "The Awful Truth." Asheleigh, Ted, it`s good to see you both.
Conan O`Brien actually came face to face with this guy once before when according to court papers, the guy said, "Is this how you treat your most dangerous fan?" Creepy. This has been going on for 14 months. Ashleigh Banfield, what took so long for this guy to get arrested?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST OF COURT TV`S "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": That`s hard to answer only because we don`t know when things got very scary and whether there was a pattern established very quickly. We do know that the archdiocese in Boston actually helped the authorities to try to do the investigation on this person.
But, you know, sometimes it`s just difficult. Sometimes those letters just come in and nothing ends up happening. So it indicates I`m sure they were very careful. I know that the folks at NBC more than likely contacted his superiors and it might be why he lost his job in June.
HAMMER: And have I said "creepy" yet?
BANFIELD: I got that.
HAMMER: I believe I have. That`s it.
TED CASABLANCA, ONLINE CORRESPONDENT: A.J., I can tell you exactly why it`s taken this long for this to come out. It`s the last thing that Conan wanted. He did not want to give this guy attention. And he also didn`t want the Catholic Church to be blamed for this, which, of course, is what`s going to happen. And I must say, I don`t agree that it`s a surprise that a priest is involved in something skanky, because it`s like we have seen priests do a lot of freaky things in the past decade.
HAMMER: Yes. You`ve got that right. I want to read one of these creepy letters that he sent to the late night host. It`s a letter that`s dated February 20. It says, quote, "This is your priest stalker again, the one who has been tracking you through space and time. I paid $250 to fly down to New York City yesterday just to have a spot in the audience in the dimming hope that you might actually finally acknowledge me." Ashleigh - you go ahead.
CASABLANCA: He`s announcing himself. He`s announcing that he`s going to stalk him. This is how badly he wants to make a show of himself. And I think what this is about, it`s about with any stalker, he wants to be Conan O`Brien.
HAMMER: Well, Ashleigh, what do you think, is it that, or do you think he actually wants to do Conan harm?
BANFIELD: Well, you know what? This is a tough one. He did pass his psychiatric evaluation. He will be standing trial, but that doesn`t mean he doesn`t have serious psychiatric problems. And these are misdemeanors, by the way, so even if he`s convicted on all of the charges, he won`t do any prison time. These aren`t prison based charges. This is the kind of thing where he`ll get probation and counseling. And then, A.J., if he violates probation, which he could also get, that`s when you start to see prison time, because stalkers have a tough time dealing with even probation.
HAMMER: And, boy, did he put it out there. I mean, as I said, he not only sent these letters directly to Conan. He also posted some stuff on the NBC web site. I want to read one thing he put on there on the message board. He says, quote, "My brother is terrified that I may `do something` at the taping. When I asked him for some memories of our apartment building (now Conan`s) he said - LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!"
Really disturbing. And they were so disturbing that the moderator of the NBC message boards had to alert NBC security which made a lot of sense. What do you think, Ted? This guy sounds like he wanted to get caught.
CASABLANCA: Oh, absolutely. And come on, when he was arrested, know what he was wearing? His collar. It`s like he knew that NBC security was looking out for him, and so he went in, announcing himself. But I think the most damning and telling thing in all of this is he has threatened Conan and saying, "Hey, dude, you owe me a spot on your couch." That`s what`s going on is he wants the attention or the publicity.
BANFIELD: You know what, A.J., I want to just add something to this. This is such a bizarre story for me to read because when I worked at NBC, I also had a problem that the NBC security members got involved with. The people who were making threats to me showed up there at the building as well. And they also contacted my parents.
So when I read this, I thought, "Oh, poor Conan. I know what he`s going through." But the guys who work at NBC security are awesome. They did a wonderful job and they really did make me feel a lot more safe.
HAMMER: Well, I`m happy to hear that nothing happened in that case. Hopefully, this guy will get put away. He had also sent creepy letters in the past to John McEnroe. At least, Ted, he was an equal opportunity stalker, I guess you could say.
CASABLANCA: Oh, yes. He did have a problem with some anonymous guy, some Joe Smith from when he was a kid. Now, he has a problem with John McEnroe when he was a kid. Obviously he`s been staging this since he was a child. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) a freak.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: What a weird story. Ashleigh Banfield, Ted Casablanca, I appreciate you both joining us tonight.
BANFIELD: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Now, I`ve got to tell you. I always thought that Michael Jackson`s Neverland ranch was - oh, how shall say - interesting. Well, tonight, there is actually talk that Michael may lose all of it - the rides, animals, whatever else is there. Well, I`m sending out the Showbiz Truth Squad. We are going to find out if you can bet the ranch on Michael Jackson losing his. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
I`ve been close to suicide. So upset about this. I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. You know, for a split second, I actually felt sorry for Heather Mills, but then she kept doing interview after interview. She just won`t shut her trap.
So tonight, I`m going after the stars who keep making their problems even worse because they`ve been running of at the mouth. That`s an explosive showbiz special report. "Just Shut Up!" Will you?
And ladies, if you like the sushi, now you can bring your chop sticks with you in your lingerie. Talk about a Victoria`s secret, huh? Huh? The amazing, versatile, My Chop Sticks bra coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On Monday, "Children Of Divorce." Of course, it`s always tough on the kids when Mom and Dad break up. But especially when the fighting is in all the papers and on television. How will stars` kids be affected in the long run? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, "Children of Divorce." Monday.
Well, it`s time now to call out the Showbiz Truth Squad. This is where we get to the bottom of Hollywood`s biggest mysteries and the juiciest rumors. Tonight, all kinds of shocking talk that Michael Jackson is about to lose one of his prize possessions, his 20,000-plus acre California Neverland ranch.
Reports out there that Michael is in default on a $23 million loan on the ranch. So we went right to Michael`s spokesperson who tells us - well, don`t bet the ranch on it - quote, "In 2006, Mr. Jackson`s former advisors refinanced Neverland ranch through Fortress Investment Group, LLC. The loan matured in October of 2007. Contrary to published reports, Mr. Jackson was never in default on the loan. Mr. Jackson is in the final stages of refinance, and will not lose Neverland Valley Ranch. No further comments will be made regarding this subject as it has been our long-term policy not to address Mr. Jackson`s personal financial affairs."
So there you have it. All the amusement rides, animals, whatever else happened to be there, Neverland Valley Ranch is all safe for now. Michael Jackson not about to sell that ranch.
Well, I don`t know about you, but I happen to be a big fan of Ellen DeGeneres. I love her show. I like her a lot. I think a lot of people connected with her during the recent doggy adoption drama. But tonight, she is in the middle of yet another shocking controversy, and a lot of people actually really outraged here. That is coming up. Also this -
(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 a more of an education.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Duane "Dog" Chapman trying to apologize for his N-word racial rant. Dog, I`ve got to tell you, it ain`t working. You should just shut up. Tonight, I`m not afraid to speak up. The stars who are making their problems worse by talking. It`s a showbiz special report, "Just Shut Up."
And I do get Vince Vaughn talking about all kinds of stuff. Tonight, I`m one on one with Vince about fame, out of control young Hollywood. It`s all coming up in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, just shut up!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLS: I`ve been close to suicide. So upset about this. I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, Heather Mills is not the only one who hurt herself with her own words this week. That got us thinking, why can`t these stars keep quiet? Why do they insist on talking when it`s constantly getting them into trouble? Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Just Shut Up."
Now, we don`t want this guy to shut up. I love Vince Vaughn, always entertaining. I got his thoughts on fame, young Hollywood, all out of control, and the celebrity drinking and driving that`s been going on lately. Tonight, Vince Vaughn on the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
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, "Just Shut Up" from Dog Chapman`s emotional, and quite frankly, nonsensical apology about his racist remarks, to Heather Mills crying and whining about her ex-hubby, Paul McCartney, to Rosie O`Donnell yapping her way out of a new TV gig. We`ve had enough.
Tonight, a showbiz special report. These people need to "Just Shut Up." All right. Joining me tonight in New York, founder of 15 Minutes PR, Howard Bragman, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly," Kim Serafin. Also with us in Hollywood, Steve Santagati, author of "The Manual." Gang, it`s good to have you here. Let`s start out with the first person to whom SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says, "Just Shut Up!"
Duane "Dog" Chapman. This guy does not know when to muzzle it. Of course, we all know by now he got busted for his racial rant phone call to his son about his son`s black girlfriend. This phone call filled with the N-word. Here`s how dog explains himself to Larry King.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": How do you fix it?
CHAPMAN: Well, I`ll continue doing the things I have done working with, you know, 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: Steve Santagati, are you with me here? Things just got worse by this explanation.
STEVE SANTAGATI, AUTHOR, "THE MANUAL": A.J., you know who he sounded like? The girl from South Carolina with Miss Teen.
HAMMER: And such as?
SANTAGATI: Such as and kind of for American people. He should have never said that stuff in the first place. But it`s better to just go silent. I think he probably thought, "You know what? I`m going to get press off this. I will be able to somehow monetize it and figure it out later. That`s not how it works, though.
HAMMER: Kim Serafin, you want to just shut up, bust for Duane?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Yes. He seems to be digging a deeper hole every time he does an interview about this and every time he tries to explain away why he was saying this. I guess he`s also said things like well, "Well., I didn`t really know just up until three or four days ago how offensive this was. I didn`t realize that I use it all the time."
But it just seems like it gets worse and worse every time he tries to explain it. He probably needs to go away for a while and take a break because it`s not helping him.
HAMMER: Yes, zip it. Let`s move right along to the next person who whom SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says - "Just Shut Up!" Heather Mills. Mills has gone on, I don`t know, like five or six different talk shows around the world just ranting and raving about her divorce with Paul McCartney. Let`s take a look again, shall we?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLS: I`ve been close to suicide. So upset about this. I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murder, and I have done nothing but charity for 20 years.
(END VIDEO)
HAMMER: Well, her ranting has gotten so out of control she was dumped not only by her lawyers but by her publicist as well. Howard Bragman, let`s go to you. You`re a publicist. Is she a PR nightmare or what?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, 15 MINUTES PR: She said it herself. She said, "I got worse press than a pedophile or a murderer." So if you are getting worse press than a pedophile or a murder.
HAMMER: You can say "pedophile," by the way.
BRAGMAN: I`m sorry. Whatever - it`s not good, whatever it is, and however you say it. Just shut up. And what you have to understand is these people didn`t get to be where they were by shutting up. They got to be there by talking. And they think they can talk their way out.
And as a publicist, it`s one of the hardest things that I have to contend with is convincing clients that now is not a good time to talk, that we will all be better served if you go home, be quiet and zip it up for a little while.
HAMMER: Now, here`s the thing, though, and I don`t know if she said it before her publicist bailed on her. She says she doesn`t regret her rants at all. She actually called the rants "cathartic." Steve Santagati, cathartic for you?
SANTAGATI: No. No. I think she was trying to tap into the jury by media. We are not her jury. We don`t really want to hear it. I have enough problems of my own without hearing about someone`s divorce, especially when millions of dollars are at stake.
I think she thought she`d probably get public support and that might help her case. I don`t want to hear it. We`ve got to stop listening. That`s the problem, A.J. They`ll talk. We`ve got to just stop listening.
HAMMER: Santagati, you`re a smarter guy than that. You know that that won`t happen.
SANTAGATI: Well, we just get to dream.
HAMMER: That brings us to our next person to whom SHOWBIZ TONIGHT quietly says, "Just Shut Up!" Rosie O`Donnell. Rumors were flying around that Rosie was getting her own show on MSNBC. But now, it looks like she actually blew the whole thing because she spilled the beans too soon. I want to read to you what she wrote on her blog, 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?" Kim Serafin, what can you do? Maybe she should keep her mouth sealed? I don`t know, keep her mouth shut?
SERAFIN: Yes. You would think she would have learned her lesson with "The View." I mean, that sort of her outburst and comment she made after was probably one of the reasons she didn`t go back to "The View." So obviously, by talking about this too soon was one of the reasons that the MSNBC discussions stopped.
But as Howard sort of alluded to before, one of the reasons that these people are who they are, one of the reasons we know their names, one of the reasons they are famous, is because they talk. It`s because they understand the media and the power of the media. But sometimes they have to learn when to stop when it`s not going to help. The media is not always their friend. They`re not on their side all the time. It can hurt them.
HAMMER: You can`t always be going around, going blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
SERAFIN: You`ve got to take the bad with the good, exactly.
HAMMER: Today, she kept on talking, of course. Blah, blah, blah, blah, on her blog. That`s her media outlet of choice at the moment. She`s come up with another way to be in the public eye. Watch what she said on the blog.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
So I`m going to figure out a way to do a show here in my Blogville. Because I really think it`s the next way anyway. Who the hell wants to work with a company with three letters that`s going to get mad if you tell people what you are doing. I don`t know. Listen, I`m too old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, I`ve got to point out, and I`m not taking the credit for this. But I did point out on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that if the MSNBC thing didn`t pan out, she always had the Internet. And now it looks like she`s trying to kick start her career again using the Internet. Howard Bragman, what do you think? Sitting in her home, right there in her office talking on the web cam is the way to go for her, or should she just shut up?
BRAGMAN: Actually, it`s interesting. We saw an example with Owen Wilson a couple of weeks ago. Instead of doing his post suicide catharsis interview with Oprah or Diane, he chose to do it with Wes Anderson, the director of his film, and he did it on MySpace. And the beauty of that is you get absolute control.
And I think of my buddy Tom Green who used to be on TV and went off TV, created a show on the Internet and now he`s getting invited back to TV. So you get wonderful control. It is the future where there will be shows that are on TV. Shows that on are the Internet and they`re going to be virtually indistinguishable.
HAMMER: I`m here and the Internet is going to be sticking around. What do you think, Santagati?
SANTAGATI: Howard, look at the way Rosie looks. Tom Green is funny. He`s going to look and stuff like that. And you know Owen Wilson is a good looking guy. He`s smart and he`s taking care of himself. Rosie looks like she just rolled out of bed and rolled over. She just actually - she said today she just got out of the shower and her hair was wet.
And Rosie lost me with that whole 9/11 thing. The biggest problems celebrities make - and Howard, correct me if I`m wrong, is talk about things they know nothing about. And make huge conjectures and stuff. And then they get the ignorant public to possibly believe this stuff. It carries a lot of weight.
HAMMER: And Howard would be happy to correct if you`re wrong, except that we are out of time. So we`ll wrap it up there, but that was a lot of fun. Howard Bragman, Kim Serafin, Steve Santagati, I thank you. And Steve, I want to add a little congratulations to you because we have you here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all the time wearing your own line of t-shirts. Can we take the shot of Steve? "Bad boys finish first." I know your line officially launches, so congratulations.
SANTAGATI: That`s right. Thanks.
HAMMER: Thanks, Steve. We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Heather Mills: Should she just shut up already? Keep voting, and I promise you that`s the last time I`m going to do that. CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where to go on the web. E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. The desktop, the laptop, your Blackberry, your cellphone, wherever you happen to send your messages from, it`s all good.
After the writer`s strike is over, Ellen DeGeneres may have an awkward day at work. We`re going to tell you why Ellen is actually stirring up some controversy in Hollywood. That`s coming up.
Also, the always entertaining Vince Vaughn, one of my favorite dudes out of Hollywood. I`ve got his thoughts on fame and young Hollywood out of control and all that celebrity drinking and driving that`s been going on lately. Vince Vaughn coming up in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, man, you`re not going to want to miss this. A bra that comes with chop sticks. Yes, you heard me right. But I`m going to tell you why it`s not as crazy as it sounds. That`s next in the showbiz snapshot.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for our showbiz snapshot. It`s underwear and dinner wear together at last. Take a look at this. It`s called the "My Chopsticks Bra." A lingerie maker in Japan come up with this idea. The bra`s cups look like a bowl of rice and miso soup. And a set of collapsible chopsticks tucks neatly into each sad.
But this thing isn`t just weird. There`s actually an environmental cause behind it. You know, Japanese consumers go through, listen to this, an estimated 25 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks every year. So this company is basically trying to convince people to carry around their own pair of chopsticks. And that is tonight`s showbiz snapshot.
HAMMER: Well, tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got some answers on exactly what`s going on with young Hollywood`s massive problem with drinking and driving. When I sat down with Vince Vaughn to talk about his new movie "Fred Claus," I had to get his take on all this craziness. I asked him why new stars drink and drive.
Thankfully, Vince is a guy who keeps his nose clean and is even helping out Santa Claus in his new movie. Vaughn plays Santa`s brother, Fred Claus. Santa`s played by Paul Giamatti. I`ve got to tell you, the movie has a lot of heart. When I sat down with Vince, he told me it was that very reason, the great message in this film, that gave him the reason he needed to sign on to do the movie in the first place.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VINCE VAUGHN: What I liked about the movie the most is really - it`s got a real magic and optimism to it. It`s got a nice heart and a nice, you know, old school Christmas feeling.
HAMMER: That`s why I`ve been telling people, it`s got heart. It sounds a little clich', but it`s true. You can`t deny it.
VAUGHN: Yes. Definitely.
HAMMER: Now, there`s something that I heard, and you`ll have to straighten me out on this whether or not it`s true. You have a 4-year-old nephew.
VAUGHN: Yes.
HAMMER: He saw a poster of you posing with Santa Claus and had some kind of issue with that?
VAUGHN: Well, no. He saw me with Santa -
HAMMER: Played by Paul Giamatti in the movie which is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CROSS TALK)
VAUGHN: Paul Giamatti - that`s right. He`s a great actor. Yes. And Paul does such a great job because he is such a good actor. And Kathy Bates is in it and Kevin Spacey. And Ludacris plays the deejay. Michael Higgins is on the film, on and on. But my nephew saw the picture of me on the big wheel and said, "Why is Uncle Vince riding bicycles with Santa Claus?" And he was kind of upset, "How come Uncle Vince hasn`t introduced me to Santa Claus?" And my sister was kind of wigged out like, "I don`t want to address the whole Santa Claus thing with him like this.
HAMMER: And four - that`s the age when, you know, the kids are thinking, "Hey, Santa Claus."
VAUGN: They big time love Santa Claus.
HAMMER: Well, the other thing, that you had going for you at least in the film - and I applaud this move - Fred Claus, your character, of course, is Santa`s brother living in Santa`s shadow.
But you decided when you had this opportunity to take over this aspect of Christmas. Kids weren`t going to be naughty or nice. You thought, you know what, kids are kids and the nice and naughty - that comes from someplace else. Is that what you would do if you were sort of in that role?
VAUGHN: You know, that`s really the emotional angle, I think, that`s very different, almost like the old film "Boy`s Town" with Spencer Tracy, that there`s no such thing as a bad boy. And in this film here - the most powerful thing is the whole look at what is a naughty kid or a nice kid. And it really does make you think especially around the holidays, kids out there, how important to think that someone who believe in them.
HAMMER: You know, you are a beloved Hollywood actor, Vince. I don`t have to tell that. But I also don`t have to tell you there`s a lot of wackiness going on in Hollywood these days. A lot of people getting a lot more attention for things other than the work of acting.
I`d like to read to you, if you`ll indulge for a moment. This is something that the great Julia Roberts just said to "Vanity Fair" magazine. This is her quote, "I think it`s just grotesque. It`s like a circus sideshow. I don`t even know why anybody would want to go into show business these day, with all the different magazines and shows, it just wouldn`t be worth it." Do you ever feel that way?
VAUGHN: You know, to me, it`s a different time than when I started, no question. There was only "Entertainment Tonight" when I was younger. And there was not the amount of magazines, and the ones that were extremely tabloid were sort of seen very clearly that they were overly exaggerated.
But that`s changed. And so when I was younger, I think the biggest difference for me - the tabloids, that kind of stuff, I don`t find to be that intriguing. But I understand, especially now when things are kind of tough out there, people want an escape, and I don`t think they take it as seriously.
HAMMER: There is one thing that I just find hard to ignore, and I really want to sort of maybe get some perspective from you on. You know, you can`t open the newspaper or magazine these days without hearing about another Hollywood star, particularly young Hollywood stars getting busted for DUI. Now, DUI is a problem in this entire country.
Maybe it`s just more magnified because it`s Hollywood. But between - you know, Mickey Rourke just arrested for DUI on a Vespa. You know, of course, we`ve seen Lindsay Lohan and we`ve seen Paris Hilton all getting in these situations. Nicole Richie, and then the tragedy with Lane Garrison and a kid who got killed as a result of that. You go out in Hollywood, right? What`s the deal? Why don`t people hire drivers? This is a thing I can never escape from. Is it a privacy issue?
VAUGHN: I think - look, I don`t think it`s an isolated incident to Hollywood. I think it`s something that affects different people throughout the country. I think you notice it when it comes to Hollywood because obviously the people that are in the spotlight - but we`re talking about young people too who are growing up. And look it`s a bad decision to make, there`s no question about it.
HAMMER: When we see people who we know can afford to hire a driver, is there a general feeling among people in Hollywood?
VAUGHN: I would say in general, I would think anyone who has made that decision, it`s a bad decision. And probably being impaired had something to do with that. Do you make the best decisions at that point? Probably not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Always good to get perspective from a star in Hollywood. You can catch Vince in his new movie. It`s called "Fred Clause" and it is in theaters everywhere.
Well, the writer`s strike continues to shut down TV shows, and in the case of Ellen DeGeneres, even stir up a little bit of controversy. Now, David Letterman and Jay Leno are on reruns. Ellen`s show continues, and she`s taking some heat from crossing the picket line. Well, on the "Today" show she tried to explain her decision. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": I want to say that I love my writers. I love them. And in honor of them today, I`m not going to do a monologue. I support them and I hope that they get everything that they are asking for.
And I hope it works out soon. And in the meantime, you people have traveled across the country. They have made plans. They are here. And I want to do everything I can to make your trip enjoyable and give you a show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, Ellen also said that it`s important for her to stay on the air because it sweeps. And this is where all the shows pull out all the stops so they can get ratings and get the advertising dollars.
Well on Thursday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we were asking, Dog Chapman apologizes: Should he get his show back? Sixty-six percent of you said yes. Thirty-four percent of you said no. We`ve got a bunch of e-mails too.
We heard from Ed in Michigan. He writes "This guy`s apologizing. If he did it again, then I would say cancel his show."
Margaret from Missouri writes, "The N-word is inappropriate, but people do make mistakes, and Dog has more than paid for his."
Well, when you think of rock stars, "Family Man" may not be the first thing that springs to mind. But of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Case in point, Jon Bon Jovi, married for 18 years. How do he and his wife make their marriage work? That`s next.
And now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT anytime at all by simply downloading our podcast. It`s absolutely free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or download it on iTunes by typing in "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." And we`re coming right back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for "Making It Work." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of famous couples who are making their relationships work in Hollywood and beyond. It does happen. And perhaps, there`s no better example of this than Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, the lovely Dorothea.
Now, Jon and Dorothea have not only been married for 18 years., they have been together a lot longer. Dorothea was actually Jon`s high school sweetheart. They met in a history class when Jon Bon Jovi was just 17 years old. And when I spoke to Jon, I just had to ask, how do they make it work and defy the odds?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON BON JOVI, ACTOR AND MUSICIAN: Something that you have to work on. I think that there`s a mutual respect. There`s also an independence and we are not reliant on celebrities to fuel our next move. You know, I mean that`s just what I do for a living.
There`s not a platinum record hanging in my house. It`s just my job. You don`t see my kids at premieres and getting in magazines and playing that whole game. It`s a shallow pool to swim in. And when it`s new, it`s fun for a lot of people. When you have been at it for this long, you just think, "That`s cute but I have no interest in it."
HAMMER: But one thing that you mentioned that I think applies to people, famous or not, the independent thing, is because so many couples live in a relationship where one spouse is perhaps out on the road a bit, is a business traveler or whatever. You spend a lot of time out on the road. And I`m sure at the beginning that was pretty daunting for your wife as you headed out.
BON JOVI: You know, you can sit her down sometimes and talk to her about. But it`s just always whey done and I have done it for a long, long time. So it is what it is. And, you know, to me, the other thing just doesn`t really have any appeal. It just, it never did, so fortunately for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea have four kids. They have a daughter and three sons.
It is time now to find out what the heck is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Monday, "Children of Divorce." You know, it`s always tough on the kids when mom and dad break up. Imagine that the fighting is going on in the newspapers and on TV. How will the kids of these famous exes be affected in the long run? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates "Children of Divorce" on Monday.
Also Monday, "Boys to Men." Some of the most popular guys in Hollywood have stood the test of time. They have aged gracefully while they have managed to keep their star power intact. But how do they do it? You won`t want to miss this. "Boys to Men," that`s Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, 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.
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