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Showbiz Tonight
Kidman Court Appearance; Hollywood`s Baby Craze; Oprah`s Favorite Things
Aired November 19, 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: Nicole Kidman in court, reliving a terrifying car chase by the paparazzi. And Kanye West`s emotional breakdown onstage, just a week after his mom`s shocking death. I`ve got the tape. Plus, a revealing look at how stars deal with grief. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Donny`s dramatic revelations. Startling new developments about Marie Osmond`s son in rehab.
DONNY OSMOND, MARIE OSMOND`S BROTHER: Larry King did Marie a favor.
HAMMER: Tonight, why Donny Osmond is thanking CNN`s Larry King. Just how is Marie doing, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking did you feel sorry for the Osmonds?
Stars stepping up to save Britney Spears, like "Hannah Montana`s" Mily Cyrus. Is Britney really coming over for thanksgiving turkey? Tonight, the over-the-top offers from Hollywood`s biggest stars to help an out of control Britney. What even Julia Roberts wants to do for Britney. It`s the showbiz special report you do not want to miss, "Stars Trying to Save Britney."
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And we can hardly believe it ourselves when we heard it, the young star, Disney`s "Hannah Montana", Mily Cyrus, trying to help Britney Spears. Julia Roberts doing the same. Our special report, "Saving Britney Spears," coming up.
But, first, tonight, Donny`s dramatic apology to our own Larry King. Tonight, Donny Osmond is saying he got it all wrong after the startling he and his sister Marie did with Larry that led to the revelation that Marie`s young son was in rehab. The troubled Osmonds are really going through tough times following the death of their father. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal what happened following the shocking news about Marie`s son.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": I want to bring up a serious note.
HAMMER (voice over): It looked like the beginning of a feud between CNN`s own Larry King and one of America`s most beloved families.
KING: I know that Michael is in rehab, right?
HAMMER: After Larry King revealed during an interview with Donny and Marie Osmond that Marie`s 16-year-old son is in rehab, the reaction from Marie`s famous brother was fierce.
ALICIA QUARLES, CORRESPONDENT, ASSOCIATED PRESS: He was angered that Larry King would bring this up on national television.
HAMMER: But what a difference a weekend makes as Marie gains new popularity for kicking up her heels in "Dancing with the Stars." She and her brother are now dancing to a different tune. Donny is telling the "Today" show he and Marie are going from saying "forget you" to "thank you" to Larry King for his surprise question.
D. OSMOND: In hind sight, Larry King did Marie a favor. I have to back up and apologize publicly to Larry King.
HAMMER: So, how in the world did this happen? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the inside story of how that previously un-welcomed surprise question is helping Marie deal with her latest personal crisis.
QUARLES: She`s right now going through a divorce. Her father just died. She passed out on "Dancing with the Stars" after doing the samba. She`s really had a tough year.
HAMMER: It all started a week earlier as Donny and Marie appeared side-by- side on "LARRY KING LIVE."
KING: I know that you have many children.
MARIE OSMOND, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I do.
KING: And I know that Michael is in rehab, right?
M. OSMOND: Yes. How did you know that?
KING: I was told.
M. OSMOND: Oh.
HAMMER: Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it was easy to see the famous siblings seemed caught off guard.
Her recovery was really good. She made a statement about it, but if you look on their faces, they`re kind of looking like, "Ah, where did that come from?"
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-ANCHOR, "TODAY" SHOW: You both also look very angry and upset about it. Tell me what happened?
HAMMER: on Monday`s "Today" show on NBC, Donny Osmond admitted to Meredith Vieira he wasn`t happy at the time.
D. OSMOND: Meredith, I`m not going to pull any punches here. I was very upset about it.
HAMMER: In the days after the Larry King interview, Donny Osmond told "The Insider," quote, "It`s just unfortunate that Larry King had to throw that question at her like he did. I didn`t appreciate it."
But now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Donny and Marie have had a dramatic change of heart. On the "Today" show, Donny revealed to Meredith Vieira the shocking discovery he and Marie made after the "LARRY KING LIVE" interview.
D. OSMOND: Marie calls me up and she says, "You know what? I found out that the next day, all of the tabloids had all of this information about me," meaning Marie, "and my son, and they were going to spread our names and slander our names all over the place."
So, in hindsight, Larry King did Marie a favor. It was a perfect situation for her because she was safe. She was surrounded by her family. She was able to make a statement about the situation.
HAMMER: And not only is Donny grateful, he is also sorry.
D. OSMOND: I have to back up and apologize publicly to Larry King because I came out and said some things against him.
HAMMER: Marie Osmond also said words of gratitude to Larry King. She`s still not saying exactly what her son is in rehab for, but during the Larry King interview, she emotionally admitted that the kid is going through a rough time.
M. OSMOND: He is dealing with a lot of issues. I don`t know that I feel comfortable talking for him. I think he`ll have to deal with that. He is the most amazing kid.
HAMMER: As Donny said on "Today," Marie is going through tough times of her own right now.
D. OSMOND: I admire my sister so much that she`s still standing. Think about it. In the last two weeks, we`ve lost our father. The pressure of dealing with "Dancing with the Stars." She told me, "I had no idea it was going to be this hard." But look at her. She has the chance to win this. She could win this entire thing. She`s gone through a divorce, and now her son is being dragged all over the press about his issues.
HAMMER: But Marie`s proud brother says one thing remains constant.
D. OSMOND: She`s still smiling. She`s still standing. She`s still optimistic. She`s still fighting. She`s a great woman.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And about the whole Osmond thing Larry King tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "all is well that ends well." Well, it certainly has been a tough few weeks for the Osmonds who have long had the image of being the happy all- American family. All this news about Marie`s personal crisis has me wondering whether we`re really ever going to look at them the same.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of the fine book "Secrets Can Be Murder," and "UsMagazine.com`s" editorial director Ken Baker.
Ken and Jane, thank you for being with us tonight. Jane, what do you think? Do you think that the happy-go-lucky image of the Osmond clan that we`ve always had has kind of been tarnished by all of this and kind of gone for good?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: A.J., yes, it has been tarnished, and, guess what, that`s a fabulous thing for the Osmonds. Let`s face it, they never seemed completely contemporary. They were always a little quaint, a little old-fashioned, perhaps a little plastic, a little one-dimensional as if they were trying to appear perfect and none of that is very 21st century.
So now, they seem flawed and very real and very three-dimensional. And, of course, that makes them so much more relevant. This is ironically a very, very good thing for the Osmonds, even from a cynical PR perspective.
HAMMER: You know, I`m looking at the image right now that we`re showing Donny and Marie from years ago dancing on stage during the variety show. What do you think, Ken? Will we never look at them in that way that we always did?
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": Well, of course, back then they used to sing "I`m a Little Bit country, I`m a Little Bit Rock `N` Roll." And we found out the family is a little bit more rock `n` roll than we thought, and it`s a really good thing.
But I have to say, I agree and disagree with Jane. I disagree that their image is tarnished. You know what? No one expects - how many people are in this family? There`s over 50 family members that went up to Oprah and celebrated their dad. After he had died, and this is bound to happen. Statistics will bear this out.
But I agree with her in the fact that this is ultimately just a really good thing. It humanizes them, and I think they`ve handled it really, really well.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Can I just say very quickly? I think it`s tarnished only because their image had been so polished to begin with. Had they not aimed for this appearance of perfection, we wouldn`t be talking about it a tarnished image in the first place.
HAMMER: What direction do you have to travel when that is your image, when you have that perfection always sort of backing up what people think of you? But they themselves are saying, "Hey, you know what? We`re just like everyone else, and this is the proof. In fact, listen to what Donny said on "LARRY KING" with sister Marie at his side. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: A lot of people in this country, a lot of people in the world are dealing with these kinds of issues. And the Osmond family, just because we`re a close family doesn`t mean we`re exempt from those issues because society can throw a lot of trash at you.
M. OSMOND: It`s a hard world kids are growing up in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jane, kind of it`s your point. I have to imagine that this really would make them even more loved because now, more than ever, so many other troubled families out there can identify with the Osmonds, where before it was like, "Oh, those are the Osmonds, they`re nothing like me."
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely, A.J., and I agree with Ken in this sense. I think the whole issue of role modelling has changed. In the old days you pretended to be perfect. Everybody kind of imitated you. And then usually somewhere along the line there was a horrible scandal or fiasco where we realized the star isn`t perfect and it becomes very shame-based.
Today`s whole notion of role modelling is totally different. It`s about, "Hey, I am a human being. I have flaws. I have character defects. I have problems. And here is how I handle them." So it`s almost offering an example of how to deal with your problems. And I think that`s a lot healthier and more honest because, let`s face it, nobody is perfect.
HAMMER: One of the great examples, I think, they set, Jane is the fact that they really seem to stick together. They always have. And now, we`re seeing them stick together through the tough times. And one of the things that struck me watching Donny this morning on the "Today" show was seeing exactly how passionate he was about the fact that this has all come out. Let`s listen, again, to what he said this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. OSMOND: Marie calls me up and she says, "You know what? I found out that the next day all of the tabloids had all of this information about me," meaning Marie, "and my son, and they were going to spread our names and slander our names all over the place." So, in hindsight, Larry King did Marie a favor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ken Baker, what do you think? Any down side at all to Donny being so open and passionate about this?
BAKER: I don`t really see any immediate down side. You know, what he did this morning on the "Today" show, there are celebrities, like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, who spend a lot of money on PR professionals to tell them to say just what he said. So he is dealing with it in a perfect way.
The only down side is this when you are that candid - once you turn on that faucet and you are open and you`re honest, it sets a standard that you are going to be open and honest about everything else. And then if there`s something in Donny`s past or Marie`s past that they haven`t disclosed, people are going to say, "Hey, you were honest about this and not about this, I don`t know that I can trust you." That`s the only down side.
HAMMER: No question about that. Sitting where I sit, I agree it does sort of set up of this expectation. Got to wrap it there. Thank you so much, Jane Velez-Mitchell and Ken Baker. Appreciate it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks.
BAKER: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: And now we`d love to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here is what we`re asking. The troubled Osmonds: Do you feel sorry for them? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at CNN.com/SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You can also e-mail us what you are thinking at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com, and send an e-mail from your desktop or your laptop, maybe your Blackberry or your cellphone. Tell us whatever you want to tell us.
I don`t know exactly how Kanye West is able to do this. Just about a week after his mom`s tragic death, he was back on stage, but it just might have been too soon. He did breakdown in the middle of a concert, getting very emotional. I`ve got that tape coming up. Plus, how do other stars deal with their grief? My revealing look at that, coming up next. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK CARTER, MEMBER, "BACKSTREET BOYS": Hey, go to therapy, girl. You know what I mean? Do something for yourself. I mean, get your inside fixed because if you don`t get the inside fixed, then the outside won`t be - it will just crumble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s "Backstreet Boys`" Nick Carter giving some blockbuster advice to Britney Spears. But he is not the only one. "Hannah Montana", Mily Cyrus, wants Brit over for thanksgiving dinner. The question is, would that really do her any good? It`s a show biz special report you won`t want to miss, "Stars Trying to Save Britney."
And the Hollywood baby craze. Why do we just have to know everything about stars and their babies? I mean I don`t need to know every detail. Then, on the other hand, I don`t always get it when stars try to keep their pregnancy so hush-hush. The Hollywood baby craze coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Caught on camera, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Kanye West`s emotional heartbreaking meltdown onstage in Paris over the shocking death of his mother just about one week after she had surgery.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Kanye`s tough time just ten days after his mother died. The video of Kanye posted on YouTube shows the rapper breaking down at a concert in Paris just as he was introducing a tribute to his mom with his hit song "Hey Mama." Kanye had to be consoled for a while before he was able to continue with the show.
But Kanye, of course, is not the only celebrity to have gone out publicly so soon after a family death. The Osmonds did the same appearing on "Oprah" soon after their father died. And that got us thinking, how soon is to soon?
Joining us tonight in New York, clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky. Also in New York tonight, Janell Snowden, the red carpet correspondent for VH1 news. Judy and Janell, thanks for being here tonight. I think everyone can certainly understand what a difficult time this has been for Kanye West. It`s such a terrible story.
But a lot of people have found it hard to understand why he got back on stage so soon. What do you think, Janell? I know you interviewed his mom just a couple of months ago, and you have interviewed Kanye many times before. Do you think it was helpful for him to get out there like that?
JANELL SNOWDEN, RED CARPET CORRESPONDENT FOR "VH1": I think that we`ve just lived with Kanye through so much. His mom was his first manager. He has mentioned it in several interviews and even in some of his music. And so, I`m sure at some point he probably thought, "You know what? This is what we`ve been working toward. I`m here in Europe. I`m an international superstar at this point,." And maybe he just thought that his mom would have advised him to just push on.
I mean, I have interviewed Kanye more than a dozen times, and his mom has only not been with him maybe once or twice. She was such an omnipresent force in his life, and so I can`t even watch that video. I just feel so badly for Kanye, and I think so many others do.
Last night on the American Music Awards, Kid Rock, Usher, Rihanna and even some more stars showed their condolences by just offering hands to him. Because if you knew Kanye, then you knew his mom. That`s how close they were.
HAMMER: Yes, and everybody there at the American Music Awards certainly knew Kanye. He was all the buzz backstage on the red carpet. A lot of stars thinking about him, talking about him. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT actually caught up with Alicia Keys. Alicia told us basically everyone grieves in their own way. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALICIA KEYS, MUSICIAN: You know, there`s a certain part of the grieving process that one has to be left to their own process, you know. And so there`s a certain respect that I have for that. But I completely am sending him a lot of light and a lot of prayer and just a lot of strength because I recently lost someone very close to me as well, and it`s a very hard process. There`s no easy way about it. None.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, there is no easy way about it. Dr. Judy, Alicia`s really got a point. We have all certainly suffered through the loss of a loved one in our lives. Nothing wrong with what Kanye did getting back out there to work, is there?
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely, A.J. In fact, I say that it`s healthy what he did. It shows his tremendous strength inside, despite the mourning, as we know, from how close he was to his mom and how really emotionally tied they were. This is healthy for him.
What we know about the grieving process is that, indeed, there are some people who need to withdraw and go into their own shell and go through the four phases of the shock and then the mad and sad feelings and then finally the acceptance.
And other people find if much healthier and much more supportive when they`re more public about it, and when they can let those feelings out as he did. And so I think he is doing the right thing for him, and that`s really positive in a terrible experience that he is going through with this big loss.
HAMMER: Yes, and I think by your words, setting a great example for other people. Another star we`ve been talking a lot about is really trying to handle grief while remaining in the spotlight, Marie Osmond. She lost her father, the patriarch of the Osmond clan. She appeared on "Oprah" with the rest of the Osmonds just a couple of days after. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. OSMOND: My dad is my hero.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Yes.
M. OSMOND: And I will miss that the most because he was my rock, my strength.
D. OSMOND: He was my strength, too.
M. OSMOND: And so now I`m an orphan. I need a sister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Janell, a lot of people might have said, "Cancel it. I can`t do Oprah right now. My dad just died." But she and the rest of the family went on and did the show. Why do you think they did?
SNOWDEN: I think, for one, because they are family. I mean, we`ve grown up with the Osmonds. We`ve seen them through just about everything, and so to withdraw at this point might have caused their fans and even their loved ones to kind of really, really worry. And so maybe Marie thought that it was helpful for others to see her through this.
Because, you know, grief is a real emotion, and many of us do go through, it unfortunately, so - and maybe some ways she thought it would be like the least selfish thing she could do to show everybody that, "You know what, this is how I handle it. I know you can find strength in me. So watch how I deal with this."
HAMMER: And Dr. Judy, I mean just because she`s been in the public eye for her entire life essentially, having her fans be a part of this was probably a big thing for her.
KURIANSKY: Absolutely, and we do help in her grieving process. It`s really important that people don`t say, "Oh, how could she do that? That`s really wrong." In fact, it`s right. It`s right to get on with your life and then have the time of your mourning also.
HAMMER: Got to wrap it there. Thanks so much. Dr. Judy Kuriansky and Janell Snowden, I appreciate you being with us.
SNOWDEN: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. If you think you`ve heard it all about Britney Spears, think again. Tonight it`s "Hannah Montana", Mily Cyrus, really inviting Britney over for thanksgiving dinner? What?
Yes. I`m not making this stuff up, OK? She`s not the only star that wants to save Britney from herself. A showbiz special report, "Stars Trying to Save Britney" at 30 past the hour.
Also, Nicole Kidman in court today, reliving a horrific and terrifying car chase by the paparazzi. Nicole really tries hard to keep her private life private, and she really feared for her life here. I`ve got all of the emotional details. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: You got the hottest ticket in television. Ho, ho, ho, it`s my "Favorite Things" 2007!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And understandably, the Oprah crowd goes wild. Yes. Wouldn`t that be something to score a ticket to Oprah`s "Favorite Things" show? All that great stuff she gives out. Tonight I got your sneak peek and the surprising reasons she took the show on the road. That`s coming up, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tuesday - praying for Hollywood. Why are some churches now actually praying for Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan? It`s Tuesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Nicole Kidman in an Australian court today reliving a terrifying car chase. Nicole is testifying about how she was totally in tears a couple of years ago while paparazzo chased her around Sydney. Kidman`s testimony is actually part of a suit brought by that photographer against the "Sun Herald Newspaper." Now, this guy is suing for defamation because they printed that he was Sydney`s most disliked shooter. But the paper called Kidman to the stand to try and show that description is right on target.
Now, the scary incident really hit home for Nicole, especially because when we sat down with her, she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she tries fiercely to keep her private life private.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: I sort of pretend to say something to just stop the rumors and that`s about it. But a lot of - I don`t read it, and I have my - I have a very, very private world in which I exist. And I don`t - I do not wish to share that on a worldwide scale. At times, it will be written about or speculated or photographed, but what I actually say is very minimal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, unfortunately, even not saying much doesn`t necessarily keep the paparazzi away.
Well, I was totally blown away by the startling new drug rehab revelations from Fergie. She says if she had the problem now, she would have had a much harder time kicking the habit. That`s coming up next.
And I`ve got to tell you, I think I have stumbled upon one of the hottest new celebrity trends. Saving Britney Spears. I mean, "Hannah Montana", Mily Cyrus, actually has invited Britney over for thanksgiving dinner. Even Julia Roberts wants to help out Brit. A revealing special report "Stars Saving Britney Spears." Also this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: Raising a human being that I hope will be someone who will add something wonderful to this world in which we live in, and that`s like the biggest challenge I can think of in life right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am among those thrilled for Halle Berry that she`s going to have a baby. But I want to know, why do stars sometimes try to keep the pregnancy hush-hush when it`s obvious they`re expecting? And why are we so obsessed with these baby stories in the first place? The Hollywood baby craze, coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Saving Britney Spears."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: Hey, go into therapy, girl. You know what I mean? Do something for yourself. I mean, get your inside fixed because if you don`t get the inside fixed, then the outside won`t be - I mean, it will just crumble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And Nick Carter is not the only star who wants to save Britney Spears. In fact, she has an invitation to thanksgiving dinner with "Hannah Montana" star Mily Cyrus. What is it about poor little Britney that has all the stars offering her help? Tonight a showbiz special report, "Saving Britney Spears."
Hollywood baby craze. It`s a star-studded baby boom, and we just can`t seem to get enough of these celebrity babies. Celebrity mommies. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, why are we so obsessed with star baby stories?
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 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. And tonight a showbiz special report, "Saving Britney Spears."
You know, some of Hollywood`s biggest stars have actually been reaching out to Britney and now there`s this remarkable offer. None other than "Hannah Montana" star Mily Cyrus and her dad, the wonderful Billy Ray Cyrus, are reportedly inviting Britney over for a little thanksgiving dinner. Even Julia Roberts is reaching out to Britney.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood for our showbiz special report, "Saving Britney Spears," Ken Baker, the editorial director of UsMagazine.com. Also Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." Also in Hollywood tonight, clinical psychologist, Dr. Lillian Glass(ph). Gang, I appreciate your being here.
Ken, let me fire right up to you. Would it do Britney a little good to spend a little time with a good family like Mily and Billy Ray Cyrus, eating turkey this thanksgiving?
BAKER: The keyword being "family." Yes, it would be good for her to spend time with a family. I`m sure that Mily Cyrus has a very good family, but Britney really needs her own family. Her mother, Lynn, she`s been somewhat estranged from her for a while now, and also from her dad, Jamie, and I think that it`s time that Britney heals those wounds.
She`s made some steps to get back with their parents. They are in communication, we`re told by the sources we talked to. But the fact remains that she is estranged from her own family. And I think that`s a big tragedy if this thanksgiving Britney doesn`t spend it with her own family and ends up with some celebrity family, no matter how well- intentioned they may be.
HAMMER: Yes. But one of the things we talk about a lot here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the fact that she does not have people around her in her life that are good influences. So, Jane, what do you by think about the idea of Britney perhaps sitting down and breaking bread with a great family like the Cyruses.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, A.J., I`m sure it was very well-intentioned, but it was so public that it really misfires and once again makes her more of a freak and more of a public spectacle. When you and I get an invitation to a thanksgiving dinner, it`s a phone call or an e-mail, not a news release.
So once again, because she has stripped herself of all privacy, everybody in the world feels entitled to weigh in on her life and publicly invite her and so she has no curtain of privacy.
I`m not a believer in toxic secrets, but she`s gone to the other extreme where she literally has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and in that sense she`s being psychologically violated over and over again. Frankly, I don`t know how she lives with it day in and day out.
HAMMER: I am right there with you. Among those huge stars reaching out to Britney Spears, probably one of the most famous actresses on the planet, the great Julia Roberts. She told "Vanity Fair," "I see what`s happening to Britney Spears, and it`s all I can do not to move her into my guest house, and say OK, this is how it`s going to be! And just take care of her." You know, let`s take a look at what she - she had more to say about this, and she said it to Oprah today about Britney. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: I`ll take her to my house and strap her to a chair and just keep her safe from harm.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Dr. Lillian Glass, let me go to you. Julia Roberts has certainly been America`s sweetheart for a long time now. I don`t think Britney is actually going to move into the guest house of Julia Roberts, but what do you think Julia could teach Britney?
LILLIAN GLASS: Oh, Julia could teach Britney a lot because, as you said they both wore the crown of being America`s sweetheart, so Julia really knows what Britney has gone through. But Julia knows how to be a mother. Julia knows what it`s like to raise children and to have discipline. Unfortunately, Britney doesn`t know this. So she needs a reality check, and Julia could be the one to teach her how to mother, how to love her children, how to take care of her children, and not leave them in a car with somebody while she goes chandelier shopping.
HAMMER: Yes. I got to tell you any time I see Julia Roberts on any show, whether it`s "Oprah" or in the movies, I get nothing but positivity from her. What do you think, Ken Baker? Would Julia be just what the doctor ordered for Britney?
BAKER: Well, like I said, she really needs to be with her own family. But if she`s going to spend thanksgiving with any celebrities, I`m going to say there`s two, OK? Dr. Phil so that he can clean up her life and make it less toxic and the second one is that woman from "Nanny 911," the nanny expert who comes in and teaches you how to deal with your kids. Those are the celebrities she should be dealing with.
HAMMER: Yes. I`m there with you on the nanny thing. I don`t think can argue with that. Rosie O`Donnell, another big star that`s been a long-time Britney supporter. If you remember back when Rosie was on "The View," she made an offer for Britney to live in her house. She could save all kinds of money. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I want Britney to move in with me and Kelli and the kids. She`s going through a hard time. I think she needs a stable family around her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CO-HOST: What, are you crazy?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Now, that`s all well and good for Rosie to be putting that offer out there, whether or not she was serious. What do you think, Jane? Rosie certainly has had her issues in her life, being in the public eye. Do you think she could possibly be a good influence on Brit?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t think it`s a good idea, A.J. Actually, I think Britney Spears should move in with Nicole Kidman. That`s going to solve it all because Nicole Kidman has this really fabulous sense and expertise in how to maintain her privacy. Even when she`s being chased by the paparazzi, she manages to keep a very private and dignified life.
And I think Britney could certainly take a page from how Nicole Kidman has handled celebrity. And I saw Britney Spears on TMZ being chased when left a pet store with probably surrounded by a hundred paparazzi and just people with cameras. It was totally out of control, and it was just like a complete violation. And she sort of brought this on herself, obviously. But nevertheless, it was really tragic. She has become emblematic of the very worst aspects of celebrity culture.
HAMMER: Yes. And we wonder often if it`s past the point of no return at this point. I asked Backstreet Boy Nick Carter about Britney, and had he some solid advice on what she should do to get her life back on track. Let`s watch what Nick Carter had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARTER: Hey, go into therapy, girl. You know what I mean? Do something for yourself. I mean, get your inside fixed because if you don`t get the inside fixed, then the outside won`t be - I mean, it will just crumble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Go into therapy, girl." Dr. Glass, let me throw it right out to you. Is that exactly what Britney needs, some good therapy?
GLASS: Definitely, but with therapy, unless you want to be helped, nobody can help you. So Britney has to have a revelation that, "Yes, I need help." She has to come to that on her own, because if not, and she goes on the way she`s going, she`s going to die.
HAMMER: Yes. I think that`s a big concern that we`re all having because all we`ve seen is the sort of downward spiral that doesn`t seem to be spinning around the other way any time soon. What do you think, Ken Baker? Therapy for Britney, probably one of the best things she could be doing?
BAKER: Nick Carter`s comment was brilliantly insightful, and it`s clearly what she needs. Don`t forget that Britney did actually go into rehab this past February. She was there for 30 days. There`s a lot of people who think that it wasn`t completed properly, that she wasn`t cured.
Here`s the thing. "UsWeekly" - we have a cover story this week that really goes into her checkered past, and it really informs the present behavior she has. She lost her virginity at a very young age, 14 to be exact. She grew up in a household with alcoholism.
She grew up really fast on the road. She was dedicated to her career, wasn`t allowed to be a child. And now it`s all coming and hitting her right in the face. And I think that it`s really painful for all of us to see it, and that`s why we`re so concerned for her. It`s not just Rosie. It`s not just Julia Roberts. It`s all of us. I think that anyone who has any humanity in them sees someone suffering and wants them to heal.
HAMMER: Well, I`ve said it before, I`ll say it again. I would just like to see her have her proper people around her influencing her with the right sort of ideas, getting them into her head, wherever she spends thanksgiving. Ken Baker, Jane Velez-Mitchell, and Dr. Lillian Glass, thanks for being here tonight.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.
BAKER: Thanks.
GLASS: Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, fresh off of her win for best female artist at the American Music Awards, Fergie opening up about some of the darker days in her life and why she`s glad she wasn`t super famous at the time. When she was 26 years old, Fergie was addicted to crystal meth.
Now, you would never know it from looking at her these days. She cleaned up by going to Narcotics Anonymous and a therapy. And she says that she was successful because there weren`t cameras following her every move. Listen to what Fergie tells "Allure" magazine, quote, "The thing that appalls me is when you get these stories from inside rehab. How are you supposed to get better when people are constantly leaking stories about you when you`re in rehab? It`s just not conducive to healing." I mean, obviously, there`s a terrific point there.
And thankfully, Fergie was able to get clean, and now she is on top of the world. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with her right after the American Music Awards after she won best female artist, and she says these days she has it all in perspective.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGIE, SINGER: I`ve had ups and downs in my life, in my career, in my personal life, and it`s all been this - it`s going to be a good book someday, put it that way. But it`s all been this really crazy ride that I always kind of had my eye on the ball even though, you know, I swerved a little bit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And for more with Fergie, pick up a copy of "Allure" magazine. You`ll find it on newsstands everywhere on November 27.
All right, have you noticed? It`s a Hollywood baby craze.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERRY: Raising a human being that I hope will be someone who will add something wonderful to this world in which we live in, and that`s like the biggest challenge I can think of in life right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Halle Berry definitely has got that pregnancy glow. She, of course, is one of many Hollywood mommies that we love to see. So, I got to ask, why exactly are we so obsessed with celebrity baby stories? We`ll get into that next.
And yes, that time of year again. The Oprah show that makes grown men and women go absolutely bananas.
WINFREY: Yes!
HAMMER: But there`s a twist to this year`s "Favorite Things" show. I`ve got that coming up.
We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The troubled Osmonds: Do you feel sorry for them? Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can e-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. You can do that from your desk stop, your laptop, your Blackberry, your trio, your cellphone, whatever you got, and whatever you want to tell us. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: I have a little picture of him. I thought I would just show everybody.
ALL: Awww ...
ROBERTS: That`s what I`m talking about.
(CROSS TALK)
TOM HANKS, GUEST: That`s an adorable baby.
HAMMER: That`s Julia Roberts on "Oprah" showing a photo of her son, Henry, publicly for the very first time. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight the Hollywood baby craze. Yes, there is a baby boom happening in Hollywood, and it`s making fans ga-ga for every little detail about stars and their pregnancies. I mean, think about it. Julia Roberts just had her third. Halle Berry, J. Lo, Christina Aguilera, they`re all expecting their first babies. And this Hollywood baby craze is only fueling people`s obsession with knowing all there is to know about them. But why?
Joining me tonight from New York Ashleigh Banfield host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat," and from Hollywood CNN entertainment correspondent Corrine Winter. Corrine, Ashleigh, thanks for joining us tonight.
You know, I have been out there on the internet. There are entire web sites devoted to celebrity babies. You got celebrity bloggers telling us that photos of the star babies are getting the most hits. The magazines are paying fortunes for those first baby pictures.
Ashleigh Banfield, you just had your second child. You haven`t made it into the newspaper for that. What is it that makes people go crazy over pregnant celebrities?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Sometimes I wonder if it`s a little bit of that schoedenfreud thing. You like to see skinny pretty girls get fat. I know it is for me. OK, if that`s not it, then how about this? We all kind of think that these celebrities are our friends, and there`s nothing better than hearing your friend is pregnant. And then there`s also the idea that you love this person so much, you can`t wait for more of them or at least to see if the scion looks like your favorite celebrity. Those could be reasons.
HAMMER: All right, you know, whether they`re celebrity or not, mommies are always proud to show of pictures of their kids, usually. Now, we just saw Julia Roberts giving us that first glimpse of her third child, Henry. But Julia talked to Oprah about why the public hadn`t seen a picture of Henry until now. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: There`s been a lot of curiosity about Henry because, obviously, my friends have seen him. My family has seen him. Those photographers that like to lurk about and try to get -
WINFREY: There`s not been a shot of him?
ROBERTS: There`s not been a picture of him, which I`m proud to say. But people get a little aggressive in trying to get that. And as a mother with a baby, I don`t really like aggression.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is quite understandable. Corrine, you also just had a baby, and congratulation on that, by the way.
CORRINE WINTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Thank you.
HAMMER: You`re welcome. You`re out there covering the stars. Do you get a sense that when a star is pregnant that the attention is even more out of control than normal?
WINTER: You know, A.J., "control" isn`t even the word. It`s just down right crazy. And frankly, I don`t even know how they deal with it. You know, being pregnant for nine months, sometimes you just want to be in your own cave, and you know, it feels like nine years. But it definitely is taken to a different level.
We`re all obsessed with celebrity, you know. Let`s face it. Throw a kid in the mix, and it`s a different world out there. People criticize celebrities. You know, Christina Aguilera, even J. Lo, you see the bump, and you know that there`s kind of something going on there. Why won`t they come forward and confirm it?
Hey, they`re trying to maintain this privacy, if you will, as long as possible. Because once the media latches on to that, you know, the paparazzi, it`s just going to fuel it even more. And so, that`s kind of why they wait so long. And I just want to throw this out there too, A.J., just having covered Britney Spears as much as we all have, the last several weeks.
I was at a court hearing recently, and while Britney isn`t pregnant, you know, the paparazzi - they follow her 24/7. I was elbowed and kicked and jabbed everywhere. And so you throw someone who is expecting in the mix, and it`s just so dangerous. And there`s no way to really reel that in whether or not you confirm it or if you`re still fueling that curiosity.
HAMMER: No. It`s out of control, and it is interesting that you bring up Christina Aguilera and J. Lo not formally confirming their pregnancies, even though it was kind of obvious at a point. In fact, the obsession has gotten so extreme that Jennifer Lopez actually had to squash some rumors that she had a health scare in the course of her pregnancy.
Here`s a statement that she gave to "People.com," or her did anyway about J. Lo, "Despite erroneous reports of Jennifer Lopez having difficulties with her pregnancy, we are happy to confirm she is very healthy and continuing with her schedule as planned." Ashleigh Banfield, do you think the secrecy that these stars sometimes maintain about their pregnancy only fuels people`s obsession around the pregnancy?
BANFIELD: I think so, yes. But you forget that in those first three months, maybe even four or five months, if they`re little people, you don`t know they`re pregnant. Not until that bump shows. So, all that speculation might not start until a little bit later on, which means you buy yourself about three to five months of peace and quiet.
HAMMER: Well, one star who has been very open about her pregnancy, Halle Berry. I talked to her, and she was just glowing and excited. And I asked her what she was looking forward to most about becoming a mommy. Here`s what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERRY: Experiencing what motherhood is all about. Unconditional love in my life, to raising a human being that I hope will be someone who will add something wonderful to this world in which we live in, and that`s like the biggest challenge I can think of in life right now is raising another - And if I get to raise a man, to raise a decent man in the world. Like that would really be a full circle moment for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Corrine, I only have about 20 seconds here, but do you think Halle being so open about having a baby kind of lifted the pressure and eased the public craziness around her?
WINTERS: Absolutely not. You wish that would be the case. Again, with the media they`re all about - it`s cha-ching here. You know, it`s all about getting that money shot, the bump watch, the "how many months are you." Unfortunately, not. There`s still an obsession there.
HAMMER: All right. Well, I appreciate you guys chiming in just off your own pregnancies. Ashleigh Banfield, Corrine Winter, thanks a lot.
WINTER: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, it is that time of year again. Big excitement. Oprah`s audience goes bonkers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: You got the hottest ticket in television. Ho, ho, ho. It`s my "Favorite Things" 2007!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This year, there`s a little twist to Oprah`s "Favorite Things" show. She packed up everything and headed down south. I`m going to tell you why she did this. I`m going to tell you why she decided to take her show on the road, coming up next.
Well, now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you would like by downloading our podcast. It is absolutely free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast right there on our web site at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can download it on iTunes. Go to iTunes and type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into that search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey took Macon, Georgia by storm for her annual give- away fest, Oprah`s "Favorite Things" show. Even before the show started, Oprah caused quite a stir just by arriving in Georgia. Well, the lucky audience members thought the taping was actually going to be about hometowns across America. So as you can imagine, they lost their minds when Oprah surprised them with the real theme of the show. Here`s a sneak peek.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: We packed up, and we came to Georgia. And we filled this audience with some of our most loyal Macon fans and most loyal Macon viewers and supporters because I wanted to say thank you. And so, my friends, not only did you get the hottest ticket in town today - yes, you did - you got the hottest ticket in television. Ho, ho, ho. It`s my "Favorite Things" 2007!
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And the crowd goes wild. Now, the reason Oprah decided to go to Macon, Georgia, she kind of alluded to for this year`s show was because that`s where Oprah has the highest ratings ever since the show went national back in 1986.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: In Macon, at any given time, when the Oprah Winfrey show is on at least half the television sets are watching "Oprah Winfrey Show." So of all the people in the United States, this is the number one city for people watching the Oprah show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s not bad. The audience was sworn to secrecy about what they received, and you can find out Tuesday on Oprah`s "Favorite Things" show. On Friday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Lindsay Lohan`s 84 minutes in jail: Did she get off too easy? Look at this, 92 percent of you said yes, eight percent said no.
Among the e-mails, one from D in Oregon who writes, "Lindsay will learn her lesson only when she suffers the consequences regular citizens face when we commit crimes."
Cynthia from Wisconsin, "Lindsay needs to spend a substantial amount of time in jail and public service before she kills someone or herself."
Time now to see what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tuesday. It`s "Praying for Hollywood." Britney may not have a clue, but she does have a prayer. Why are some churches praying for Britney and Lindsay? "Praying for Hollywood," that`s Tuesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also Tuesday, celebrity nips and tucks. Stars from Joan Rivers to Gene Simmons, now speaking out like never before about going under the knife. New confessions from stars revealing and defending their plastic surgery decisions, Tuesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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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