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Showbiz Tonight
A `Heroes` Shocker; Marie Osmond`s Personal Tragedies
Aired November 15, 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: A "Heroes" shocker. An arrest warrant reportedly out for Hayden Panettiere. Has this Hollywood good girl gone bad? And another Oprah Winfrey stunner. The victim of a brutal rape lashes out an her.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now. On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Marie Osmond`s heartbreaking new crisis. Tonight, one of America`s most loved stars with a blockbuster emotional revelation right on CNN. Her teenage son in rehab.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE OSMOND, SINGER/ACTRESS: My son is amazing. He`s dealing with a lot. He`s one of my kids. He`s dealing with adoption issues, all kinds of things right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Also, the shocking death of her father, her painful divorce, even passing out on live TV. Tonight, the difficult questions. Will she be OK? How much more can Marie take? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates "Marie Osmond`s Heartaches."
And more Hollywood heartache. Tonight, the stars who are coming forward with the dramatic stories of their brave battles. Robin Roberts` cancer fight. Oprah Winfrey`s child abuse scandal. Why do they decide to share their deep, personal tragedies with us? It`s a showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache."
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And with O.J. Simpson going on trial, we`re not going to pull any punches. Why do we love to hate O.J. so much? The obvious and not-so- obvious reasons, all coming up.
But first tonight, Marie Osmond`s unbelievable new heartache. I mean how much more can she really take? Passing out on live TV on "Dancing with the Stars," the death of her beloved father, and now comes the startling revelation that Marie`s 16-year-old son is in rehab. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this has all become a terribly painful time for one of America`s sweethearts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
M. OSMOND: He is the most amazing kid.
HAMMER (voice over): It was a touching sight. Marie Osmond, member of one of America`s most beloved families and a celebrity dancer on "Dancing with the Stars" breaking down on "LARRY KING LIVE" when confirming her latest shocking heartache, her 16-year-old son, Michael, is in rehab.
M. OSMOND: He is dealing with a lot of issues. I don`t know that I feel comfortable talking for him. I think he will have to deal with that. But I will say this. My son is amazing. He`s dealing with a lot.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it is Marie who is also dealing with a lot.
ALICIA QUARLES, CORRESPONDENT, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Exactly, Marie Osmond`s been going through a terrible time. On October 22nd, she fainted on "Dancing with the Stars" after performing the samba. Just last week, her father has died. He was 90 years old. And now her 16-year-old son is checking into rehab. So it`s one thing after another. And she`s also going through a divorce.
HAMMER: And now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT shows you how Marie Osmond is bearing her pain and revealing how she`s able to dance through the heartbreak.
M. OSMOND: I really felt like my dad was saying, "This is your time to dance, so do it."
HAMMER: In her interview on "LARRY KING LIVE," Marie didn`t exactly say what her son was in rehab for. But she did say that hers is just the latest American family to be touched by addiction.
M. OSMOND: It`s a reality, Larry. It`s affecting every single family in our country.
HAMMER: Ironically, Marie Osmond`s personal turmoil comes when she`s at a career resurgence, thanks to "Dancing with the Stars."
QUARLES: People over 30 know Marie from "Donny and Marie." People under 30 - they know her from "Dancing with the Stars." She`s probably not the best dancer out of all the contestants. But she`s a dark horse you want to root for because she has been going through so many things.
HAMMER: Those trials include a painful divorce from her husband of 20 years. When she stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Marie Osmond told me how her children are handling the split.
HAMMER (on camera): You`ve got eight kids, Marie. It has to be difficult for the kids to be feeling -
M. OSMOND: Oh, I don`t think anything like that is easy on children, you know. But I don`t think it`s easy to stay in something unhealthy either. So I think that, you know, you have to make smart decisions throughout life.
HAMMER (voice over): It was just last week when Marie Osmond endured yet another personal loss. The Osmond family patriarch, George Osmond, died at the age of 90, just days before he was to join his famous family for a big milestone.
QUARLES: The Osmonds are so close. The whole family was scheduled to appear on "Oprah Winfrey." The father passed before the scheduled appearance, so they made it a tribute to the father.
HAMMER: Indeed, the Osmond family`s nine children, 55 grandchildren and 48 great grandchildren all gathered on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" as Marie paid tribute to her beloved father.
M. OSMOND: My dad is my hero, and I will miss that the most because he was my rock, my strength.
HAMMER: Marie is now dealing with her personal struggles in the spotlight of one of the most popular shows on TV. She tells Larry King that a Bible passage she read after her father`s death gave her the strength to go on.
M. OSMOND: It said there`s a time to mourn and a time to dance. It was in Ecclesiastes.
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": To dance?
M. OSMOND: And I went - that is not a coincidence. And I really felt like my dad was saying, "This is your time to dance, so do it. And do it for me."
HAMMER: And as she deals with divorce, addiction, and loss, Marie Osmond says she`s leaning on faith and her famous family.
M. OSMOND: My brothers are my rocks. And I`ll tell you one of the great mysteries of godliness - it`s God is there for us. And in those moments when you think, "I can`t breathe," he just lifts it. And I don`t know how God does it, but I know he does it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (on camera): Wow, it really has been such an emotional roller coaster for Marie Osmond. I have to wonder, should we be seriously concerned about her? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez- Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of the fine book, "Secrets Can Be Murder." Also joining us tonight, "UsMagazine.com" editorial director, Ken Baker, also in Hollywood. It`s good to see you both Jane and Ken.
Obviously, so many tragedies for Marie Osmond. Week after week, I find her to be completely amazing. We see her performing in front of 20 million people there on "Dancing with the Stars." Already, we`ve seen her unfortunately pass out on live TV. What do you think, Ken? Should we be worried about her?
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": I don`t think so. I think she has exhibited grace, poise, candor, and frankly just an enormous amount of humanity in a situation where a lot of people would just want to go and lay in bed all day.
You will get this kind of things that stars like Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton have gone through in the last six to eight months and they pale in comparison to the tragedies that have befallen her and what she`s had to deal with.
And look at her, she`s a mature woman dealing with it with honesty, openness and I think it`s very inspiring. And I hope that a lot of young celebrities are watching this and saying, "Wow. This is a great model of how to handle that kind of adversity."
HAMMER: Yes. Inspiring, inspirational - very, very good key word there. What do you think, Jane? You know, everybody does have their limits.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I have a slightly different take than Ken. I have tremendous compassion for Marie, but I think she may actually be an untreated workaholic. There is a show business mantra. When you are in a show business family, it is drilled into you very early. The show must go on, no matter what.
That can be an unhealthy thing and can lead to workaholic behavior. When your father has died, when you`re going through a divorce, when your son is going into rehab, when you`re fainting, when you`re saying yourself I`m running on fumes, maybe the show should not go on. Maybe that`s a time to gracefully bow out and say, "I`m going to take care of myself and I going to take care of my family."
But she comes from this show business family where family and business are so blended, there`s very little boundaries, and it`s sort of the commoditization of family. So when she`s being loyal to her family, ironically, that`s when she keeps on working and there`s a confusion there.
So I really feel she needs to look at that. And sometimes one, two, three, four, five bad things have to hit in you the face before you have a moment of clarity and realize maybe I have a problem with addiction too except not to drugs but to work.
HAMMER: Yes. And the truth is, we don`t know exactly what does go on behind the scenes when the cameras aren`t rolling. And perhaps we get a little insight into that from the story that her brother, Donny, told Larry King about the moments leading up to Marie`s last performance on "Dancing with the Stars." Kind of makes us wonder whether we should be worried. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONNY OSMOND, MARIE OSMOND`S BROTHER: Monday night when Marie was just about to go on stage and I hope I`m not disclosing something that I shouldn`t -
M. OSMOND: I think we`re disclosing a lot here today.
D. OSMOND: But she had a meltdown before the show.
KING: What?
D. OSMOND: She melted down. She said, "I don`t know if I can handle all of this." And I put my arm around her and it was such a touching moment in a way as a producer, I wish a camera could have seen it. But in a personal way, I`m glad nobody was there to capture that moment because it was a brother consoling her sister in a time of need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Obviously such close knit family. What do you think, Ken? If the family were not there for her, would we be seeing Marie Osmond melting down?
BAKER: Well, I respectfully disagree with Jane. I think that she is very much handling this in a way that`s very healthy. When you start seeing celebrities being in denial and not being honest and pretending that everything is OK, that`s when they are truly headed for a real meltdown. When they are being so fake they have such a facade up that all this falls down. And I think that is clearly not happening there. She is being very honest and very upfront, and this is something she`s done for a long time.
In 2001, she came out with a memoir that was about postpartum depression, and she was very honest about that. I think that Marie Osmond is a very spiritual woman who takes the idea of being a celebrity very seriously and takes that responsibility to heart to share her openness and to share her gift, and frankly, not to pull any punches. And I think she`s doing that right now with this, and it`s a very healthy process.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Can I jump in?
HAMMER: Yes. I`m figuring you want to do that right about now.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: well, I would respectfully disagree with you, Ken, because while I admire her honesty, certainly, there is this need to perform that to me is addictive thinking. In fact, she said, "I`m 48 years old. I want to prove that I`m still viable. I`d rather climb a mountain than go crawl into a hole." Guess what? That`s black and white thinking.
There are other alternatives than crawling up a mountain or crawling into a hole. That`s what I`m saying is that when this family has a structure that is so based on performance, it can create problems for a lot of people. This is part of the pressure on her son. He comes from this famous family, living in his mother`s shadow. We have the second generation of the Osmonds performing and that`s a lot to bear.
HAMMER: A lot of pressure. I think we have good points all around. Hopefully, she is hanging in there with the help of her family. And I know she`s getting the support of her fans and friends. Ken Baker, Jane Velez- Mitchell, thanks for joining us tonight.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.
BAKER: Thank you.
HAMMER: I can only imagine what Marie Osmond has been going through. I`ve got to tell you, I feel really sorry for her. She`s one of the loveliest women in showbiz. So many other Hollywood stars are dealing with Hollywood heartache right now as well.
Robin Roberts, Oprah Winfrey. Just why do they decide that they should share their deep, personal tragedies with us? It`s a showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache." We will do that at 30 minutes past the hour. Also this.
That`s "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere completely devastated over a dolphin massacre. Such a shocking even. But tonight, Hayden could actually be in a lot of trouble. She may be arrested. I find that hard to believe. We`ll get into that, coming up.
And speaking of trouble, O.J. Simpson. Yes. He`s not going to make my Christmas card list this year. So many people think he got away with murder. Well, he`s back in court again. So why are we still obsessed with him? I`m really fired up about this. We will get into it next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And I know for a fact this is going to get a lot of people really angry. It`s got me absolutely stunned and just shaking my head tonight.
Well, I can tell you that Lindsay Lohan checked in and checked out of a California jail today. Get this - she served a whopping 84 minutes. That`s right. 84 minutes. She checked in at 10:30 in the morning and was out at 11:54.
Lindsay was sentenced to four days in jail for her second DUI conviction. Two days were shaved off of that sentence in exchange for community service. One day was credited for time served, so that left this one and somehow 24 hours turned into about an hour and a half. Unbelievable.
Tonight, why do we love to hate O.J. Simpson? A judge has just decided that O.J. Simpson will have to stand trial on charges related to the robbery of sports memorabilia in Las Vegas. And if O.J. is convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. I have to tell you, that a lot of people would be pretty happy about that. Actually, I probably don`t have to tell you that.
But why do we still care about O.J. Simpson? What is the obsession? With me tonight in New York, investigative journalist Diane Diamond. Also, Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Lisa, Diane, I appreciate you both being with us tonight.
Diane, let me start with you. You were right there, covering that trial 13 years ago when O.J. Simpson was accused of murdering his wife, Nicole Brown and her friend, Ron Goldman. Is the main reason that people still despise him to this day the fact they think he got away with murder, or is there really more to it?
DIANE DIAMOND: Yes, he got away with it. That`s really why we`re so fascinated about him today. And he also really got away with that civil case found against him too. He owes the Goldmans like a trillion dollars, and what has he paid? Nothing.
So I think we are riveted by this case because, unlike the criminal case, A.J., there are six eyewitnesses who were in the room who have testified against him. And for goodness` sake, we even have O.J.`s own voice on audiotape that - how can he get around what`s on that audiotape, let alone the eyewitness testimony of six others?
HAMMER: Yes. Not getting a lot of sympathy. I`m not hearing it from anybody. Lisa, why do you think we still hate this guy so much?
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, COURT TV: Well, there`s a new reason to hate him. Diane is right about everything that happened in `95 and `96. And let`s not forget that 80 percent of Americans believe that he did slash and kill Ron Goldman. He nearly decapitated the mother of his own children.
Now he`s written a book about it "If I Did It," which I read over the last couple of weeks, where he lays out in detail why he did it. I mean he leaves posterity for his children to read, exactly - the long list of petty grievances of why he was so angry at Nicole.
Her skirt was too short. People were talking about her behind her back. He didn`t like her friends. That`s why he went to her home that night. That`s why he slashed her and killed her.
And he`s laughing at the rest of us because of the acquittal. He knows that no matter what he says now, he can never be tried again for those murders. That`s a good reason to dislike the guy.
HAMMER: Yes. Laughing at it and that brings up a point that I`ve often made to people. It`s that smug factor. Yes. We have the mug shot up here once again. This is his O.J.`s mug shot. It was taken right after his latest arrest.
And he also had a big smirk on his face when he was listening to witnesses in the courtroom. We are looking at that shot right there. It kind of just pours gasoline on the fire, if you ask me. People look at him, Diane, and they just want to smack the guy.
DIAMOND: Exactly. And you know what? I saw that in court way back in the `90s. I saw it during the civil case, and now we see it again. It`s that, "Oh, yes, I`m here, I`m kind of wasting my time. Is this case over yet?" Then he`s out in the parking lot surrounded by his entourage. And people rush up to him and they still actually want his autograph.
You know, look, if it was you, me, Lisa Bloom, any of us involved in the situation he was involved with in that hotel room in Las Vegas, we would probably still be in jail. We wouldn`t be out getting to go golfing while we waited for our trial date.
HAMMER: The whole people walking up to him for his autograph, that`s just a little creepy.
DIAMOND: I never understood it.
HAMMER: Yes. And the thing is, in the minds of a lot of people, probably, even some of those autograph seekers, O.J. has basically already been convicted. What do you think, Lisa? Any chance this guy`s going to get a fair trial, you know, given how many people love to hate him? Are you actually going to be able to find 12 dispassionate jurors who have no opinion of O.J.?
BLOOM: I think he will get a fair trial. Keep in mind in 2001, he had a road rage case in Florida. He was acquitted. Even though people don`t like him because of the murder acquittals, jurors are going to decide the case based on the evidence. I`m not concerned about that.
And boy, talking about people wanting O.J.`s autograph, one of the guys in this caper, Charles Cashmore, didn`t even know O.J. All he had to do was hear the name "O.J." that night, and he volunteered to go along with the other guys and be a part of the heist.
It`s amazing to me that our celebrity culture has gotten to the point where even if what you are primarily famous for is slashing the necks of two innocent people, hey, that`s good enough for people to say, "I`ll go along. Whatever you want me to do. I`ll help you out."
HAMMER: What if he beats the rap, Diane this time around? If that happens, do you think the hate factor will just get so bad that O.J. won`t be able to go out in public, or is it going to be more of the same?
DIAMOND: Well, I think probably more of the same. I think there is a cadre of people that think he was railroaded the first time around. And I don`t think this case is going to change their mind at all. It does amaze me how even negative celebrities just hangs on people and O.J. is a perfect example.
HAMMER: A small cadre, to use your word.
BLOOM: Those people should read the confession book.
HAMMER: I think they should. All right. I appreciate you both being tonight. Diane Diamond, Lisa Bloom, thanks again.
And now we`d like to hear from you. Why don`t you chime in with your opinion on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we`re asking. O.J. Simpson`s new trial: Do you think he`s guilty? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also e-mail us. Showbiztonight@CNN.com is the address. You can do that from your laptop, your desktop, Blackberry, Trio, cellphone, whatever you`ve got. Let us know what you are thinking.
Could it be more trouble for Oprah Winfrey? You may remember the horrific case of a young jogger brutally beaten and left for dead in New York City central park. Well tonight, that woman, that victim is really ripping into Oprah. It is another stunning Oprah Winfrey controversy. That`s coming up next.
HAMMER: We`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: My son is amazing. He`s dealing with a lot. He`s one of my kids. He`s dealing with adoption issues, all kinds of things right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, I do not know how Marie Osmond is dealing with all of this right now. Her dad just died. Her teenage son in rehab. Robin Roberts cancer battle. Oprah`s school abuse scandal. So why do these stars continue to share their deep, personal tragedies with us? I`ve got a revealing showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache" coming up.
And "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere dealing with painful heartache of her own, trying to save dolphins from being massacred. But tonight, could she be arrested for it? This is unbelievable. It`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Friday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the secrets of making Hollywood relationships last. A lot of Hollywood couples and marriages last no longer than a New York minute. But there are actually pair ups that don`t end up as split ups. The secrets to making star relationships work, right from the women in them. That is Friday.
HAMMER: Tonight, there is another Oprah Winfrey bomb shell. With the shocking African school sexual abuse scandal hanging over her head, now another explosive controversy is surrounding Oprah. Tonight, the victim of horrific brutal crime is ripping into Oprah Winfrey.
The so-called central park jogger, a young woman who was brutally beaten, raped and left for dead in New York City Central Park back in 1989 has got some harsh words for Oprah. In an interview with "New York 1`s" Cheryl Wills, Trisha Meili now says that she was stunned by some of the questions Oprah asked her during a 2002 interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISHA MEILI, RAPE AND ASSAULT VICTIM: You know, she kind of leaned over to me and said what were you doing in the park, you know, at that hour? I said basically well, you know, it was a time to relax, but it in no way justified what happened to me. You know, if she were to ask me that question now, I`d say well, if that isn`t a blame-the-victim question, I don`t know what is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It really is such a horrible story. We reached out to Oprah`s people and this is what they told us, quote, "Oprah Winfrey is and has always been an advocate for victims of sexual abuse of any kind." Well, as I said, Oprah has been very hard on herself over the shocking allegations of abuse at her African school for girls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": This has been one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating, experience of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She is really letting us see her emotions. So I`m asking, why do stars let us in on their personal tragedies? It`s a showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache," coming up next.
It was so hard for me to say "Heroes" Hayden Panettiere suffer through her heartache, trying to save these dolphins from being brutally massacred in Japan. But tonight, Hayden, reportedly, could be arrested for trying to save them. I can`t believe this. You`ve got to stick around to hear this shocking story coming up.
And Jessica Simpson co-hosting on "The View" and she gets grilled about her love life. Is she dating anyone? Lot of people want to know. Find out, coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Hollywood Heartache."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: My son is amazing. He`s dealing with a lot. He`s one of my kids. He`s dealing with adoption issues, all kinds of things right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Marie Osmond`s son in rehab, just as she mourns the death of her father. Robin Roberts opens up about her struggle with breast cancer. Oprah Winfrey devastated over her school scandal. Why are these stars taking their private pain public and will it help others? Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache."
Hayden Panettiere`s heartache leads to her becoming wanted woman. A warrant for her arrest reportedly issued in Japan after she tries to save dolphins from being slaughtered. Tonight, a showbiz update, will Hayden, the hero, go to jail?
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 past minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Hollywood Heartache."
Marie Osmond`s grief over the death of her father and her new revelation that her 16-year-old son is in rehab. "Good Morning America`s" Robin Roberts` raw and revealing look today at her battle with cancer. And more. Strong women are all showing the world their very real heartache.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez Mitchell. Also in Hollywood, editorial director of "UsMagazine.com," Ken Baker. And tonight, with us from New York, psychotherapist and author, Dr. Robbie Ludwig. Gang, I appreciate you all being here.
I think you`d agree with me there is not a celebrity in Hollywood right now who`s going through more heartache than Marie Osmond. Her father just died and then another shocker, Marie, confirming to Larry King that her 16-year-old son, Michael, is in rehab. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: My son is amazing. He`s dealing with a lot. He`s one of my kids. He`s dealing with adoption issues, all kinds of things right now. God is there for us. And in those moments when you think, I can`t breathe, he just lifts it. And I don`t know how God does it. But I know he does it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Dr. Robbie Ludwig, let me start with you. Is it a good thing for Marie to be talking so openly about things that are obviously such very private things?
DR. ROBBIE LUDWIG, PSYCHOTHERAPIST AND AUTHOR: It doesn`t have to be a bad thing. It can feel very cathartic to share what`s on one`s mind. It`s called the talking cure. And so when you reveal who you really are and if you can get support for that, then you feel loved. That`s really what we all crave.
HAMMER: And that may be exactly what Marie and her brother, Donny, have been doing, talking very openly about the death last week of their 90-year- old father. He`s the guy who created the Osmond dynasty, the patriarch. And now, we all of a sudden have this revelation about Marie`s son. Ken Baker, why do you suppose she is speaking so openly about so many private things in her life?
BAKER: Well, I think Jane wrote a really good book called "Secrets Can Be Murder." and I think maybe some of the celebrities are taking this to heart. And Marie Osmond clearly has chosen the path to be open. And I think that - I`m not this psychological expert here, but it seems as if it is cathartic for her.
And I think it`s also very much serves a professional purpose in that it bonds us with her. And I wouldn`t be surprised, if Marie Osmond comes out of all this crisis with an offer to host a talk show and to become sort of the next Oprah Winfrey because she`s taken a page right out of Oprah.
HAMMER: Yes. And not to be confused, I don`t think that is at all her motivation behind doing it. But here`s a woman who essentially has lived her entire life speaking publicly and in the public eye. As I said, Marie Osmond is not the only one who has recently been sharing her heartache on national television.
"Good Morning, America" anchor Robin Roberts announced back in July that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Well, today she shared a very personal moment with America. She actually showed her head being shaved which she needed to do because of her chemotherapy treatments. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN ROBERTS, ANCHOR, "GOOD MORNING, AMERICA": So many people, when you`re facing this, you`re like, "OK. I`m going to be the one that doesn`t lose my hair because there are so many people." There are some chemotherapies that you don`t. But I was virtually guaranteed with the type that I was.
And there is so many of you, and I should have listened to you, who have been through this and said be preemptive and do it ahead of time and I didn`t. And it was so emotional but I`ve got to tell when you I`m sitting in the chair and finally did it, took the power back. Because now I was making the decision instead of letting cancer make the decision for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This clearly has to be one of the most difficult times in Robin`s life. Jane Velez-Mitchell, it must have taken an unbelievable amount of courage to share such a private thing in her life, particularly given the fact that she`s so famous and she`s showing up in millions of homes every morning.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, absolutely. This is incredibly courageous. And women are trained almost from infancy to be very concerned about how they look, especially on television. This is very counter intuitive, but it is embracing her condition and therefore, as she said, getting the power back. Not being a victim. Not being shame-based. And in taking this very courageous step and sort of swimming toward the wave and sharing it, she`s really providing a template for millions of other women who are going through the same thing to do it in this way, to embrace it, to be open. Not to be shame-based. I applaud her 100 percent.
HAMMER: Yes, my hats off to her. It is so inspirational watching her go through this and do it with the amount of grace and dignity she is doing it with. Another person who has really opened up, and has always opened up, but recently shared her heartache with her fans, Oprah Winfrey. We all know that she put her heart and her soul into opening that school for girls in South Africa, which is the most important thing she says she has ever done in her life. Then the accusations of sexual abuse came out. When that happened, Oprah came forward. She expressed her feelings very openly and honestly. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: This has been one of the most devastating, if not the devastating, experience of my life. You know, when I first heard about it, I spent about a half hour crying, moving from room to room in my house. I was so stunned I couldn`t even wrap my brain around it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, obviously, as I said, not the first time Oprah has come forward and spoken so publicly about something that`s been very private. Dr. Robbie Ludwig, let me go back to you. What is it about Oprah Winfrey that allows her to be so open about these heartaches in her life and yet maintains such a high level of dignity?
LUDWIG: Well, she`s very real. That`s what`s so lovable about Oprah. We all relate to her. And that`s what happens when you share the story of your life for the right reasons, and it`s to connect. And really the audience, when you are a public figure, becomes a part of your life. And you want to share what`s going on with them and to say, "Hey, listen, things happen in my life," and that`s what people respond to.
It`s very nice to know that you could admire somebody and that they are not perfect and they are struggling. There is something inspiring about that for our own lives. We then tell ourselves I don`t need to live a perfect life in order to live a rewarding life.
HAMMER: And do you think it actually is making a difference? I mean it`s all good to talk about and we are here chatting about it right now. But do you think people actually watching TV and seeing this happening and saying, "Oh yes. You know, maybe I can better myself and how I behave"?
LUDWIG: Absolutely. And with Robin Roberts, who is going through cancer, she is inspiring many women. If you are in the media, then you have a responsibility to live your life in a certain way and you are a role model. And if you can inspire other people to be that light, to look towards, you`re really doing your job, and it`s a blessing.
HAMMER: And as we`ve been talking about, it seems like more and more celebrities are being so candid about their painful, personal heartaches that are going on in their lives. Ken, why do you think it is that we seem to be seeing so much more of this these days?
BAKER: You`re totally right. I think this is the new school of celebrities. The old school of celebrity was sort of that Tom Cruise version in the `90s where it was like all spin and innuendo and there was all this mystery surrounding who they were. The new school are all these open celebrities and saying, "Here I am. This is my life," and it sort of allows them to connect with the audience and connect with their fan base.
Not only that, the Robin Roberts situation is particularly interesting because it`s not just catharsis. It`s not just sort of damage control like with Oprah. What it really is is public service.
I just read that there`s over 200,000 women a year diagnosed with breast cancer. How many women saw her today and went in and got a mammogram? You know, so I think there`s really an inspiring thing in that story. We talk a lot on this show about celebrities doing bad things. It`s so great to see celebrities actually doing some good things.
HAMMER: Yes, I couldn`t agree with you more, Ken. Our hats off to all of them. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ken Baker, Dr. Robbie Ludwig, I appreciate you all being here tonight.
BAKER: Thanks.
LUDWIG: Thanks.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere says a warrant has been issued for her arrest. Now, the warrant is in Japan. That`s where Hayden broke down after she was trying to save dolphins from Japanese fishermen.
Well, Hayden says given the chance, she would absolutely do it all again. And in a statement, she is encouraging everyone, especially young people, to get involved with environmental issues. During the rescue attempt, Hayden was very moved by swimming with the dolphins that she was trying to save. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAYDEN PANETTIERE, "HEROES" STAR: They were literally fly hopping which is when they jump out of the water, they stick their head up out of the water and they can look around. A baby stuck his head out and kind of looked at us and the thought that the baby is no longer with us -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the video, Hayden`s heroic attempts made news all over the world. She says that she is excited that people were actually interested in what she and the other activists were actually trying to accomplish. She said, quote, "In this town, you only tend to get publicity for not wearing underwear or going to rehab."
Well, Jessica Simpson was married to Nick Lachey and she dated John Mayer. So, why is she now saying she is done with boys? I`m not (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but those are her exact words. Jessica explains why. Coming up. We will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: I have a very, very private world in which I live and I do not wish to share that on a worldwide scale.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nicole Kidman versus the tabloids. Nicole opens up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about how she keeps the rumor mills at bay and how she learned to take control on what people know about her. Nicole Kidman. You won`t want to miss her coming up next in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And have you taken a look at O.J. Simpson in court lately? You know, all the eye rolling, the smirking, all the sighing. This guy says a whole lot without ever uttering a single word. You really have to see this. The many faces of O.J. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. >
And now can you watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT anytime you`d like by downloading our podcast. Best of all, it`s not going to cost you a penny. It`s free. You will find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on the web site CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also download it on iTunes. Type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back/
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, Jessica Simpson says she is done with boys. She was a guest co-host on "The View" on Thursday morning. And Whoopi Goldberg just could not help asking the question that everybody has been wondering lately. Watch this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": How is your love life?
JESSICA SIMPSON, GUEST CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": My love life.
GOLDBERG: Do you love a boyfriend?
SIMPSON: I love life.
GOLDBERG: Yes.
SIMPSON: My love life is going good. I`m kind of married to my music right now.
GOLDBERG: Excellent.
SIMPSON: And focusing on writing an album, and then as far as boys go, I don`t need them. I want a man.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CO-HOST: What is your definition of a man?
SIMPSON: A man? You know, somebody who is a really great family guy. Like if a kid were to come up to him and tug on his shirt, like he`d pick them up and twirl him around.
(CROSS TALK)
GOLDBERG: Any kid?
SIMPSON: I`d definitely love a family man, a guy who is not afraid to pick up the babies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CO-HOST: What else?
SIMPSON: Gosh, just somebody who is strong enough to be my man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Jessica said that she really needs a guy who can handle a strong, confident woman but he doesn`t necessarily have to make a lot of money, she says. Well, she`s got that covered. Well, when the co-hosts asked her, Jessica also said that "People" magazine`s "Sexiest Man Alive," Matt Damon would fit the bill perfectly. Unfortunately for her, that particular family man is taken.
And on Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Matt Damon: Is he the sexiest man alive? I wonder what happened here. Twenty-three percent of you said yes. Seventy-seven of you said no.
We`ve got a lot of e-mail on the subject. One from Teresa in Louisiana who writes, "I think Matt is a great choice for sexiest man alive. He has a humble spirit that is almost alien nowadays."
We also heard from Nicky(ph) in Ohio who writes, "Actually, this honor should have been bestowed on Johnny Depp. He is and always be the sexiest man alive!"
All right, tonight, Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman, opening up like never before. The usually press-shy Kidman sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s wonderful producer, Jenny D`Attoma, and they talked about how she handles all the tabloid talk and all the rumors that playing around about her.
Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh star as sisters in "Margot at the Wedding." Their strained relationship plays out while preparations for a wedding are under way. Jenny asked them if it was difficult playing characters who are so dysfunctional.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, ACTRESS: I didn`t think it was so difficult, actually.
KIDMAN: No?
LEIGH: I don`t know what that says about us, but I just find them both really human, you know. Flawed but very human and very touching. They are trying so hard, and everything they do sort of meets fire.
KIDMAN: I think, you know, we can all say it`s about our families. We can press each other`s buttons. We may be family but when you get to a certain stage in your life, it`s not necessarily that you can all live together in the same house.
JENNY D`ATTOMA, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: I`m sitting here with two icons in the business. And Julia Roberts, another icon in the business, just did an interview with "Vanity Fair." And she said this about Hollywood, about how it`s changed since she`s been in the business. She said, quote, "I think it`s just grotesque. It`s like circus side show. I don`t even know why anybody would want to go into show business these days with all the different magazines and shows, it wouldn`t be worth it."
Do you think it`s gotten that bad as far as, you know, all the other stuff or for a younger actors coming into business today? Are they taken as seriously as they were before?
LEIGH: I think it`s harder with the tabloid. I mean, I`m glad I didn`t come up now.
D`ATTOMA: Tt the same time, though, Nicole, you have been a victim, if you will, about the tabloids and everything. What is your advice to people trying to navigate all that? Because you have been very open and honest about everything in your life -
KIDMAN: No, I have not.
D`ATTOMA: No? You don`t think so?
KIDMAN: Not in the tabloids. No. I mean, people speculate.
D`ATTOMA: People speculate, but when you had to tell the story, you told the story.
KIDMAN: I told just a very - in a brief sentence, I sort of tend to excite something to just stop the rumors and that`s about it. But I don`t read it and I have my - I have a very, very private world in which I exist and I do not wish to share that on a worldwide scale. At times it will be written about, speculated or photographed, but what I actually say is very minimal.
D`ATTOMA: But how hard is that to do? Is it hard or is it not?
NICOLE: It just requires - I think as a person, you want to have - you want to be able to be honest, but at the same time, you want to also say, I have the right not to answer that question. And I use that phrase a lot.
D`ATTOMA: That`s great.
KIDMAN: And I say, I would prefer not to answer that. It works. It works.
D`ATTOMA: But at the same time people, you know, especially women, I`m sure they learn from stories. You know, when your own personal stories, your own personal struggles. Do you feel like you ever want to get a piece of that?
KIDMAN: I think that gets written about and I can talk a little bit about it, but at the same time, it`s a very, very fine line that I`ll walk. So I think just walk the walk, you know. Everyone can do a lot of talking. You`ve just got to live your life and say ultimately that`s what we will be documented.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You can catch Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh in "Margot at the Wedding" in theaters on Friday.
All right. So have you taken a look at O.J.Simpson lately? Actually kind of funny with the eye rolling and smirking and sighing, saying an awful lot without uttering a word, doesn`t he? You really have to see this. The many faces of O.J. Next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
First, it is time for a look at what`s new at the movies this weekend. Brought to you by Bisquick Heart Smart. Opening Friday, "Mr. Magorium`s Wonder Emporium" Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman star in this family movie about a toy store that comes to life.
And you remember this from high school? "Beowulf." But your high school teacher didn`t look like Angelina Jolie, did she? Angelina stars alongside Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich. And as we said earlier, also in theaters on Friday, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black in "Margot at the Wedding."
And that is what`s new at the movies this weekend brought to you by Bisquick Heart Smart. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Call it arrogance. Call it exasperation. There is something about watching O.J. Simpson`s reactions in the courtroom that make people have a visceral reaction. I mean, here`s a guy who`s on TV. He is being broadcast live around the world on the Internet. You`d think he`d know that people were watching. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He may hide behind sunglasses on his way into court. When things get underway, O.J. is a head holding, eye rolling, lip licking smorgasbord of facial expressions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: You can just see that he`s like a little volcano.
MOOS: A volcano of outraged disbelief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I spoke to the "National Enquirer," he was going to sue me.
MOOS: A volcano that shakes rather than quakes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I carried a gun at the request of O.J. Simpson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He wanted to this to go to the tabloids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought my weapon because O.J. Simpson wanted me to have a weapon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What were you doing with it in the room?
MOOS: O.J. is a dream come true for a body language expert and author of the book "Emotionomics".
(on camera): He does a lot of blowing his cheeks out.
DAN HILL, BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT: He blows his cheeks out in exasperation. He rolls his eyes. He shakes his head. But here`s - the thing that`s going to give the most trouble is the smirking. It`s kind of contemptuous.
MOOS: The smirk of disbelief.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, I see. The money -
MOOS: Remember how Al Gore got panned for sighing over George Bush`s debate performance? O.J. makes Al Gore look like an amateur. Even when O.J. is bored, he`s demonstrably bored.
HILL: The whole issue with O.J. is lack of control. And he has a lack of control with his facial expressions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you could spin or shave -
MOOS: He purses his lips.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was your suit buttoned? Closed, or was it open?
MOOS: He licks them and comes back for seconds. If looks could kill, O.J. would be guilty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said, show them your weapon and look menacing.
MOOS: Years ago "Time" magazine decided to interpret Simpson`s mug shot by making it darker. Bet O.J. rolled his eyes over that one. Talk about expressive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you walk to the bathroom?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you walk to the television?
MOOS: O.J. Gets startled by his own name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Simpson -
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And that leads us again to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. O.J. Simpson`s new trial: Do you think he`s guilty? Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
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.
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