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Showbiz Tonight
Real Score on Alleged Pregnancies of Britney Spears and Kelly Ripa; Is There a `Dancing with the Stars` Curse?; Miss Puerto Rico Talks About Pepper Spray Incident at Pageant
Aired November 28, 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: Tonight, big baby talk. Is Britney Spears - yes, Britney, I`m caught up in a nasty custody battle - pregnant again? I`m A.J. in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And why is Regis Philbin insisting his co-host, Kelly Ripa, is pregnant too? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: The red pepper beauty queen finally speaks out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, the beauty queen who claims her dress and makeup were sabotaged, doused with pepper spray right in the middle of a pageant, breaks her silence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRID MARIE RIVERA, MISS PUERTO RICO 2007: My eyes were watery. I wanted cry.
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HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking the tough questions. Is she making it all up?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But to those that would say we think you had something to do with this, what would you say to them?
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HAMMER: Tonight, the beauty who says she was burned is right here in the explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A ballroom bombshell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BERGERON, HOST, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": Helio -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, a new Dancing with the Stars winner and startling new questions. How come a man won again?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HELIO CASTRONEVES, "DANCING WITH THE STARS" WINNER: I can`t thank you enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Could Marie`s meltdown have been an act? And with so much shocking tragedy this season, tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just got to ask, is there a "Dancing with the Stars" curse?
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And, you know, any day that we can hear Paris Hilton talking about reports that she`s crusading for drunk elephants - yes, I said drunk elephants, and she wants her body frozen, well, it`s a good day. Paris in the interview you have got to see. Coming up. A.J., that`s hot.
HAMMER: Yes, and speaking of hot, Brooke, first, tonight the red pepper beauty queen is hot under the collar about claims she made her whole story up. I went one-on-one today with Miss Puerto Rico to get to the bottom of her claim that someone sabotaged with her pepper spray just before she went out on stage to compete. And I can tell you, she was open. She was frank, and she did not shy away from my tough questions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERA: The feeling was horrible. It felt like burning.
HAMMER: For the very first time, the new Miss Puerto Rico is telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her crazy beauty pageant ordeal in San Juan. Ingrid Marie Rivera says someone tried to sabotage her clothes and makeup during the competition with a substance that may have been pepper spray.
HAMMER: You must have been freaking inside your head.
RIVERA: My eyes were watery, and I wanted to cry.
HAMMER: It`s a spicy tale of back-stabbing beauties that has sparked amazement.
ALICIA QUARLES, CORRESPONDENT, ASSOCIATED PRESS: The word is that beauty pageants in the Caribbean are fierce. It`s definitely a cat fight.
HAMMER: More than one movie pitch.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE TV HOST: It really does have all the makings of a Hollywood movie, though. I tell you, Lola.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Miss Congeniality III.
HAMMER: And even a healthy dose of skepticism.
KERRY SANDERS, NBC, CORRESPONDENT: Police are still skeptical about the pepper spray story.
HAMMER: Now, police in Puerto Rico are analyzing Rivera`s makeup and clothing to see if they were, indeed, contaminated by another contestant or maybe even by Rivera herself. So, the beauty queen is setting the record straight right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, telling me her story may be wild, but it`s also true.
HAMMER: Are you completely confident that when the results come back, it will show that your possessions were sabotaged?
RIVERA: Well, they were. They were. It`s not something I just made up.
HAMMER: Despite the alleged sabotage, Rivera won the crown at the Miss Puerto Rico pageant in San Juan. But she tells me she noticed something was wrong early in the competition during the preliminary round.
HAMMER: Will you walk me through exactly what happened when you knew that something had gone terribly wrong?
RIVERA: Yes. I noticed right away because I was going to retouch my makeup when I was finishing my bathing suit competition. And I was changing for my evening gown, so I retouched my makeup, and just then I began, like, itching, burning, feeling in my skin. And it was all swollen and reddish. I think I had something put in my makeup or something.
HAMMER: Rivera claims during the final competition, she found her clothes were contaminated as well with what pageant officials said appeared to be pepper gas. Police are casting a wide net in their investigation, knowing that there were some who were angry that Rivera was in the competition.
QUARLES: There was a lot of drama because Ingrid was a runner up in the Miss World contest in 2005. So, contestants were saying, wait a minute, this girl is overqualified. Why is she even here?
HAMMER: On NBC`s "Today" show, some of the contestants that Rivera beat say they hate being seen as suspects.
UNIDENTIFIED CONTESTANT, MISS PUERTO RICO PAGEANT 2007: It`s awful to hear this because all of us are good girls.
CLAUDIA CRUZ BOSCH, FIRST RUNNER UP, MISS PUERTO RICO: Yes, I`m the first runner-up, and like she said, we`re all suspects, but they can check on me.
HAMMER: But NBC is reporting that police also have their doubts about Rivera`s story.
SANDERS: They are curious to find out what exactly it was that was on there, and if it was this, how she was able to stop crying between actual events. Meredith?
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: So Kerry, you`re saying they think she made it up?
SANDERS: They`re looking into it.
HAMMER: I asked Rivera point-blank about the suspicions.
HAMMER: To those who would say, "We think you had something to do with this," what would you say to them?
RIVERA: There`s no way. It`s a beauty pageant. Why should I or why would I lie to hurt myself with a chemical that was burning? Why should I -
HAMMER: Well, some would say, to sort of perhaps get sympathy, deflect everything else that may have been going on.
RIVERA: At the moment, that`s one of the reasons I didn`t want to tell anything because I didn`t want it to get anyone`s sympathy or even, like, to make me victorious. I needed to prove myself at the competition.
HAMMER: So, the investigation continues, and as Rivera prepares to go on to the Miss Universe pageant next year, she told me this alleged pepper spraying mystery is leaving a dark cloud.
HAMMER: I have to imagine it has to be very difficult.
RIVERA: It was.
HAMMER: That you won this competition, and people are saying or accusing you of doing something like that.
RIVERA: Yes, it`s horrible, but whoever is with God, it`s like I have a clear conscience, and I know I did good at all times.
HAMMER: Her conscience may be clear, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that the case of the pepper spray pageant leaves a lot that needs to be cleared up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, you absolutely have to stick around for the rest of my explosive interview with Miss Puerto Rico. I even asked her if Donald Trump gave her any advice to help her get through the scandal. We will do that at 45 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Tonight, is Britney Spears pregnant again? It`s been quite a day here in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom with all the buzz about this startling Britney rumor. Is she expecting? And that`s not all. Britney is also back at work, staying up all night to shoot her next music video.
With us tonight in New York investigative journalist and author of this book "Secrets Can Be Murder" Jane Velez-Mitchell, and in Hollywood Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations.
All right, guys, I want to start with the Britney baby news. There have been reports all day long that she is pregnant again, and this time by her reported on-again, off-again boyfriend, J.R. Rotem. But then, Britney`s friend, Sam Lufti, sent Ryan Seacrest a text message. I was actually listening to Ryan`s show this morning and heard him when he read the text. It reads, quote, "It`s BS. Don`t know who made it up. J.R. doesn`t even know what`s up. It`s fake. Completely fake. We just wrapped her video, going home to sleep."
Howard, you know, Britney, Sam, saying not true. But a lot of people when they heard it thought, well, as erratic as Britney`s behavior has been, stranger things have happened.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, PUBLICIST: Brooke, we know with Britney anything is possible. You know, and that`s the beauty. The way journalism works today, we don`t want to let the truth get in the way of a good story. We also -
ANDERSON: Oh.
BRAGMAN: Well, I`m not saying us, but I`m saying a lot of the blogs and a lot of the internet people are much more interested in speed than they are in accuracy. And there`s also been a lot of closet pregnancies in Hollywood, a lot of women who are in complete denial until they start showing. So, there`s probably some cause to be a little suspicious. It`s not like she`s been totally up front in the past, so let`s see how the belly does over the next few months, and then we`ll know.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Oh.
ANDERSON: Well, Jane, it is the case, right? She does such questionable things, so we always think, well, it could be true. Let`s check it out first, but could be true.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It could happen. Let`s face it. She`s a woman, and she`s had two children. I certainly hope for her sake it`s not true because she`s been struggling mightily and very publicly with a very tumultuous relationship with her two existing young children who have been the subject, of course, of a ferocious custody battle. But beyond that, with all this says to be, again, her life is out of control.
She shouldn`t have a buddy texting like a teenager a response to Ryan Seacrest for such a critical issue. She should have a manager and a publicist. This is a girl who is operating without the necessary structure that a pop star needs to survive in this tabloid world. She needs help. She needs a really good publicist. Howard, I think you should apply for the job.
BRAGMAN: I lost my cell phone. Please, don`t give her my number. I can`t find it.
ANDERSON: Howard would be a great spokesperson for her and to refute these rumors. And as Sam Lufti mentions in that text, Britney filmed a music video last night. "Hollywood.tv" caught Britney as she was leaving the L.A. Club Social where she shot the video. Howard, it`s about time she got to work, isn`t it?
BRAGMAN: It is. I mean, Britney really has three jobs right now. One is to do her work and her music and keep that $700,000 plus a month coming in. The second job is to be a good mother, at least try and be a good mother and take care of those kids as best she can when she has them. And the third job is to control her demons. So at least she`s batting one out of three and .33 would be good in the Major League, right?
ANDERSON: That`s right, it would. And $700,000 a month, it still astounds me. And the music video schedule is apparently playing into the custody dispute and visitation schedule with Kevin Federline. TMZ reporting that the reason Britney had an all night shoot is because K-Fed wouldn`t budge with the visitation schedule. Jane, do you think Kevin is being too harsh? Should he cut her some slack, or should he be giving her tough love?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Brooke, it really depends on where Britney is as a parent and as a human being right now. Remember, we don`t know all the details. There are all those sealed records that everybody wants to get their hands on that could have insight into those demons that Howard just mentioned.
The bottom line is, is she sober? Is she working a program? We have to remember, it was exactly a year ago that she was in rehab and going through rehab. So, even if she`s totally sober, she`s still newly sober. So, I certainly hope for her sake that she is, but that is the big question. That`s the structure. That`s the underpinning. If that`s not there, then really she has no claim to responsibility.
ANDERSON: It has been a tough, tough year for Britney and also Kevin Federline with everything they`re going through. We will leave it there for now. Howard Bragman, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you both.
BRAGMAN: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: All right. So, Britney Spears, not pregnant, but how about Kelly Ripa? Her co-host, Regis Philbin, insists she is. I think it would be great if she were expecting her fourth child. So is it true? Is Kelly Ripa pregnant? Straight ahead.
HAMMER: Brooke, "Dancing with the Stars" gave birth to a brand new winner. Yes, I just said that, didn`t I? Helio Castroneves might have won that big beautiful trophy, but tonight I can now tell you this. His fianc'e has dumped him. Yes. Think about all the other things that happened this season that were just so terrible. Coming up next, I want to know is there, in fact, a startling "Dancing with the Stars" curse?
ANDERSON: A.J., I think we`ve all been cursed by Paris Hilton and her antics. Tonight, though, she is finally setting the record straight on a whole bunch of stories out there. Is she helping drunk elephants? Does she want to have her body frozen? Gross. You know you want to see it. 30 past the hour.
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BERGERON: Helio -
HAMMER: There it is. The winning moment on arguably the most dramatic season of "Dancing with the Stars" yet. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight is there a "Dancing with the Stars" curse? Yet another heart break for the woman so many people were rooting for, including myself on "Dancing with the Stars, Marie Osmond. Between fainting live on the show, losing her father, and announcing her son was in rehab all while the show was on the air, perhaps Marie was a victim to this very curse I speak of.
And that curse might also even extend to the winner, Helio Castroneves. Today, the day after his win, the announcement that he and his fianc'e are kaput. So much drama.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Kim Serafin, "In Touch Weekly" senior editor and Marc Malkin, the senior editor of "E! Online." Marc, Kim, I appreciated you both being here.
And I`ve got to say I was actually pretty sad for Marie Osmond. I like her a lot. I was rooting for her. I want you now to listen to what she told Larry King about exactly how the show was helping her cope with all the drama that she had gone through.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE OSMOND, SINGER AND ACTRESS: The support, the feedback that I have gotten from the show. The show has been a gift to me because it`s - it makes you focus on something, and it kind of gives you a little time-out. And so it`s been a healthy diversion for me because it releases the endorphins. And it`s been a wonderful experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, it`s one thing to be disappointed by a loss in a show like this. But, Kim, what do you think? Was Marie devastated by her defeat on "Dancing with the Stars," given how much it helped her therapeutically?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, I think it`s upsetting for anyone, of course, when you put your heart and soul into something like this. And it`s just live performance, and you are getting feedback from audience members and from your fans every week, so, of course, she was devastated. But I think she would not have given up this experience for anything. I mean, you just go back, you know, this season, but go back through all of the seasons.
What people got out of "Dancing with the Stars," reviving careers. I mean, people you hadn`t heard of come back and suddenly they`re on people`s minds again. They say they lost weight. They say they feel better about themselves.
So, yes, while there are rumors of is there a curse because things have happened, especially had this season, a lot of dramatic things, whether it`s Jane Seymour losing her mother, Marie Osmond losing her father, Jenny Garth falling, even the guest appearances, whether it`s Jennifer Lopez or Gloria Estefan that had to reschedule and cancel their appearances. Certainly, it`s devastating, but everyone says this has been such a great experience, and I don`t think Marie Osmond would have changed it for the world.
HAMMER: Yes, and you pointed out a good silver lining that this did really put her back on the map for a lot of people. I want to get back to that curse in just a moment. But really, for Marie to add insult to injury, I`ve got it tell you I was absolutely shocked when I saw that there was this ridiculous report floating around suggesting that Marie may have faked the fainting. Marc, please tell me there`s no chance that`s true.
MARC MALKIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "E! ONLINE": There is no chance that`s true. I mean, we are talking about winning a disco ball. We are not winning money here. Why would someone go to the extent of faking a fainting spell and then having a writing coach writing lines for you.
Marie has been an entertainer her whole life. She knows what to say, what not to say. In terms of the fainting, I remember sitting in my office watching that. That was real. That girl was sucked into that outfit. I mean, it`s just a disco ball.
HAMMER: All right, Marc. I just wanted to clear that up. Now, let`s get back to the curse there, Kim, because you pointed out a few things that happen other Marie`s drama. Jane Seymour`s mom died. She got food poisoning. All this happened during the season. And now, a day after winning, news comes out that Helio Castroneves, the winner, has broken off his engagement to the woman he has been with for years. Now, tell me straight here, Kim, is "Dancing with the Stars" cursed?
SERAFIN: Oh, I definitely - I don`t think so. I mean, of course, it`s fun to kind of speculate and not - I shouldn`t say fun because, obviously, things have happened. Wrong choice of words. But,you know, it`s interesting to look at all of the things that have happened during the course of the season.
Even - again, go back to other seasons where there`s Sarah Evans had her divorce and she had to then drop out of "Dancing with the Stars." But, of course, this is going happen when you have this many contestants and this many people in one place. There are bound to be things that will happen.
Of course, when you are dancing that closely with a partner, we know many romances have developed on the set of "Dancing with the Stars" whether it`s Mario and Karina, this year`s Sabrina. And of course, with Helio, there have been some rumors that perhaps he is attached to his partner, Julianne. You know, whether you can look at him breaking off his engagement as a bad thing or possibly a good thing, whether there`s a start of a budding romance, you never know.
HAMMER: All right. Well, the bottom line is Helio did win the competition. I`ve got ten seconds here, Marc. Did America get it right? Did they nail this thing?
MALKIN: I do not think they got it right. I think it belonged to Mel B. I was rooting for the spice girl. Talk about a comeback. She has a baby with Eddie Murphy and he doesn`t want to admit the baby is hers. She comes on this show. She loses all that weight. She looks fantastic and gets married. I think it was Mel B.
HAMMER: All right, your ten seconds is up. I got you. Marc Malkin, I appreciate you joining us tonight. Kim Serafin, thanks to you as well.
HAMMER: Well, now, we want to hear from you. What do you think? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Helio wins `Dancing with the Stars,` did America get it right?" CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you get to vote. You can e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com from your laptop, Blackberry, whatever you`ve got and whatever you want to tell us.
ANDERSON: Well, I think Paris Hilton still hasn`t gotten her act right. She said she was going to clean it all up. But I still hear all these crazy stories that she`s helping drunk elephants, that she wants to freeze her body. I`m not shocked these stories are associated with Paris. But coming up at 30 past the hour, Paris sets the record straight on the most ridiculous rumors out there about her. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA: My eyes were watery. I wanted to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Miss Puerto Rico opening up to me about her startling claims that someone sprayed pepper spray on her dress during a beauty pageant. You will not want to miss this. I`m going one-on-one with her. And what advice did Donald Trump give her to get through all this? I`m asking the tough questions tonight that`s on everybody`s mind. Did she make this up? Stick around for that.
Tonight family and even former enemies coming together to celebrated what would have been Anna Nicole Smith`s 40th birthday. A tragic story. Their emotional words next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thursday, pregnancy after 40. Stars like Halle Berry, Geena Davis, Holly Hunter, they are the new faces of motherhood in Hollywood, and they`re all over 40. But is their Hollywood ending giving everyday women false hope? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates pregnancy after 40 in Hollywood on Thursday.
ANDERSON: Tonight Anna Nicole Smith`s family and even old enemies are getting together to celebrate what would have been her 40th birthday. Anna was born on November 28, 1967. The last year of her life really was a tragic one. Her son, Daniel, dying just days after Anna gave birth to her daughter, Dannielyn. Then Anna died last February of a lethal combination of drugs. Tonight, Howard K. Stern, her lawyer, and the guy who insisted he was Dannielyn`s dad, tells "Entertainment Tonight," "My only wish is that Anna is celebrating her 40th birthday with Daniel and J. Howard Marshall in heaven, and that they are able experience the beautiful development of Dannielyn from above."
J. Howard Marshall is the oil tycoon that Anna married. Her estate is still fighting his estate over hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, Larry Birkhead, Dannielyn`s daddy, arranged a get-together, and he tells "E.T.," "Time still hasn`t healed the wound of her untimely passing as she was truly one of a kind. We will miss her dearly."
All right. Is Kelly Ripa pregnant? Her live co-host Regis Philbin insists it`s true. I`ve got to look into this. Kelly Ripa pregnant again? She`s already juggling three children, a marriage, and a jam-packed career. Is she adding another baby to the mix? Coming up.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, we are just bursting with baby news tonight. I mean, literally exploding. Christina Aguilera, for my money she is one of the most talented young singers out there, and she`s opening up about her pregnancy for the very first time. I never understood why she kept the whole thing so hush-hush. And, oh, yes, wow, look at that. She`s posing nude while she`s pregnant. That is on the way.
ANDERSON: A.J., Paris Hilton, we`ve seen her nude. Well, I haven`t seen that, but somehow, the icky porno "One Night in Paris." I mean, I`ve heard so many crazy things about her recently, yes, even over the top for Paris. Tonight, she`s setting the record straight. Is she trying to help out drunk elephants? Does she really want her body frozen? Yes, frozen, not hot. Next.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paris Hilton sets the record straight. Did she really want to freeze her body? And what about her campaign for drunken elephants? Sounds crazy? Well, Paris puts all the shocking rumors to rest. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA: My eyes were watery. I wanted to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A tearful Miss Puerto Rico and the pageant scandal. The beauty queen sits down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to reveal what really happened the night she claims someone tried to sabotage her using pepper spray. Was she faking? And what advice did Donald Trump give her about dealing with the scandal? The explosive and revealing interview coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome become to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, for the first time, Paris Hilton is launching her own on- camera truth squad about all those crazy stories out there about her. Everything, from campaigning for drunk elephants in India, to the rumors she wants to have her body frozen.
With us in New York, tonight, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." Also in New York, with us again, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of this book "Secrets Can Be Murder." And in Hollywood, "Extra" correspondent, Carlos Diaz.
Carlos, Carolina, Jane, I want to start with the drunk elephants story. It just makes me laugh. You know, it all began with an Associated Press story that said Paris was campaigning to prevent elephants from getting drunk in India by drinking rice beer made by farmers. Take a listen to what she told Ellen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": This is the quote that is all over the press from you, "The elephants get drunk all the time, and it`s becoming really dangerous. We need to stop making alcohol available to them."
PARIS HILTON: I read that too. I`m, like, how would an elephant get alcohol in the first place. Why would I talk about that? Why would I care if an elephant got drunk? Can an elephant get drunk? I`ve never talked about that in my life.
DEGENERES: You`ve never heard about it.
HILTON: No. I`ve never - I didn`t even know an elephant could get drunk. I don`t think they can still.
DEGENERES: Well, it would take a lot.
HILTON: Well, they said I said - They always put words in my mouth all over the press.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Obviously, a very crazy story. But, Jane, given that we are talking about Paris Hilton here, isn`t it easy for people to think, hey, could be true?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, the funny part is that Paris Hilton is starting to remind me of Michael Jackson. Remember Michael Jackson with the hyperbaric chamber? It`s a very dangerous situation when you are a celebrity and the general public cannot distinguish between the crazy things you actually do and say and the crazy things people claim that you do and say.
That`s precisely the position that Paris Hilton has gotten into herself right now. And I can tell you that she also reminds me of Michael Jackson because of the globe trotting and making a scene wherever she goes. That totally is what Michael Jackson did. So they enter that realm of celebrity where it becomes almost a journey in insanity.
ANDERSON: Carlos, what do you think? You know, the person who made up the story - I don`t know, probably thought, hey, you put drunk elephants, you put Paris Hilton together in the same story, you`re good to go.
CARLOS DIAZ, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: As long as the elephants aren`t drinking in the VIP section, I think we`re OK with this. But the thing is, though, it`s not that - it`s not a totally made up story. There is a problem with the rice and the fermentation. And actually, when I read the story, I did some research.
But the thing is, though, I think it`s somebody who says, "Hey, this is a problem. Let`s attach it to Paris Hilton, and that`s one way to kind of get this story noticed." But the thing is if this story is attached to, say, Angelina Jolie, well, people are going to say, of course, it`s a load. You know, there`s no truth to it. But with Paris, you have to stop and say, "Hmm, maybe she did say that. You know?"
ANDERSON: Right, right. Carolina, Paris, the elephant activist, would you believe it?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": You know, I think that Paris Hilton, we all know she`s an animal lover. She has about 17 Chihuahuas. She has like (UNINTELLIGIBLE) So of course, you are going to say she loves animals. But I don`t think she can crusade for drunk elephants while she`s out partying and shooting films and doing everything that she has on her schedule.
ANDERSON: Right. And she did say, after she got out of jail, that she had other causes she would be committed to first, most likely. The next silly story going around about Paris was that she wanted her body frozen after she died. Listen to what she told Ellen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEGENERES: Yes, there`s another story that you want to be - here`s your quote - about being frozen. You want to be frozen, "It`s so cool. Almost all the cells in the body are still alive when death is pronounced. And if you are immediately cooled, you`re going to be perfectly preserved. My life could be extended by hundreds and thousands of years."
HILTON: You know me. Do I talk like that?
DEGENERES: No.
HILTON: Does that sound like something I would say?
DEGENERES: So this - and, again, in quotes that you`ve said this.
HILTON: I don`t want to be frozen. No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kind of creepy. I think Paris kind of said it best herself, "Do I talk like that?" But, Jane, you know, people do freeze their bodies. It`s not like the idea is that far-fetched. She`s rich. She can afford it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, I`ll get back to that hyperbaric chamber that Michael Jackson had. It`s all becoming very clear now. I have to say that all of this discussion happened in the context of her going on a worldwide tour where she visited Korea and China.
And, unfortunately, wherever Paris goes, she takes herself with her. And instead of making it something that could be meaningful, it became very superficial where she talked about how girls were dyeing their hair blonde and approaching her with Chihuahuas. That would have been a great opportunity to talk, for example, about the problems, the horrors with the fur trade in China, the dog and cat fur.
But she doesn`t go to those depths. It always stays superficial. What happened to her whole vow to do something to change the world and make the world a better place when she got out of jail? Whatever happened to that?
ANDERSON: Yes. We`re still waiting on that, Jane. You know, we hear all of these absurd rumors about Paris. Carlos, why do you think that people just sit around to making this stuff up? Is it because she`s an easy target?
DIAZ: Well, I have interviewed Paris several times, and her being frozen, not that much of a stretch. You know?
ANDERSON: I agree with you. I agree with you from my own experiences.
DIAZ: The thing is, though, it`s all about volume because there are so many things that are made up about Paris, there are so many things that are said about her, she can`t defend all of them. So somebody slips in, hey, she wants to be frozen after she dies. Then it`s like, well, you know, maybe that kind of slips through the cracks and people, you know - they don`t get a defense from Paris Hilton in that way.
It`s just there are so many stories about her. Hopefully, someone can slide one in and get one past her lawyers.
ANDERSON: And you know, like it or not, Paris is a celebrity around the world. She just returned from a whirlwind trip to Russia, Japan, China, Korea where she was promoting her clothing, her perfume line. Listen to what she told Ellen about that trip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEGENERES: Do you get recognized everywhere you go?
HILTON: Yes.
DEGENERES: Yes. Do people dress like you there and want to be like you?
HILTON: Some of the teenage girls, when they come to the signings or we`re doing an appearance, will be there, and they dye their hair blonde and they bring a Chihuahua. It`s really cute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right, Jane mentioned that. Carolina, what do you think? Should we be surprised that she`s worshipped everywhere?
BERMUDEZ: Not at all. Paris has been planning this since she was a little girl. If you know, her family used to call her "Star." That was her nickname. And like it or not, she`s going to be here for a long, long time. Now, every generation goes through this.
Yes. I mean, when I was little, I used to dress like Madonna. I used to wear the lace glove and put the head band in my hair. It`s not surprising to me that little girls look up to her and want to emulate her.
ANDERSON: All right. Carolina Bermudez, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Carlos Diaz, thank you all for your time.
BERMUDEZ: Thank you.
DIAZ: Thanks.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks.
HAMMER: All right. Paris may have gone a little too far, trying to put rumors to rest when she announced publicly that singer Christina Aguilera was the most beautiful pregnant woman. Now, that was a nice thing for her to say, except for the fact that Christina wasn`t quite ready to go public with her special delivery.
Well, now a very pregnant Christina Aguilera is baring it all. Wow, look at that. Yes. Literally, too, as she took it all off for the January issue of "Marie Claire" magazine. She`s also opening up for the very first time about her pregnancy. Aguilera said that even though she and her husband were planning to get pregnant, the timing was a huge surprise. She found out while she was on tour with eight months of performances to go.
She said, quote, "I was paranoid. There are so many things that could go wrong. Somebody could fall. I could fall. There was no way in hell I was going to jeopardize my baby for my show."
Aguilera wore a small heart monitor while she was performing on stage. That was just a precaution. She also spoke candidly about pushing the envelope when it comes to sex. She said, quote, "We`re so labeled. If you`re too sexual, you`re slutty. If you`re not sexual enough, you`re a prude. I like to put it out there as a topic of conversation. Why does it bother you? Am I hurting you? Let`s get to the root of it."
You can read the rest of Christina Aguilera and her interview. Look at all those pictures in the January issue "Marie Claire." It will be on newsstands on December 11th.
ANDERSON: Well, Christina`s secret is out, but is there another star who is hiding a baby bump? Coming up, was it actually morning sickness that caused Kelly Ripa to abruptly leave during the middle of "Live With Regis And Kelly?" I couldn`t wait to hear what she was going to say about that. We`re going to have her explanation in just a bit. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA: My eyes were watery. I wanted to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You would be out of your mind to go anywhere. I sat down with Miss Puerto Rico herself, and I had to ask her about her shocking claims that somebody was trying to sabotage her during the pageant. You will not believe what she told me about what really happened. And she also shared this surprising advice that she got from none other than Donald Trump. It is the explosive interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And A.J., this next story just takes the cake and then some. Who could forget hotel queen Leona Helmsley? Well, her controversy didn`t end when she died and left $12 million to her dog. If you can believe it, it gets worse. Why is the dog in hiding now? This one really blows my mind. We`re going to have the crazy story for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Well, it`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!" When hotel queen and billionaire Leona Helmsley died, she left $12 million to her dog Trouble.
But wait, that`s not the ridiculous part we`re talking about. Now, Helmsley`s dog is getting death threats. You heard right, death threats against a dog. All right. So, Helmsley wasn`t known as the nicest lady on the block. In fact, her nickname was Queen of Mean
But who would really go as far as threatening a dog? Well, apparently a few people. CBS`s "Early Show" correspondent Tracy Smith talked to the dog`s trustee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CODEY, TRUSTEE OF THE $12 MILLION DOG: We were alarmed by the number.
TRACY SMITH, HOST, "EARLY SHOW": How many?
CODEY: Thirty, 20, 30. Something, in that order.
SMITH: Twenty, 30 people saying either what? "I want to kill the dog?"
CODEY: "I`m going to kill the dog. I want to kidnap the dog. I need the $12 million live." Trouble is very much alive and taken care of.
SMITH: Can you tell me where Trouble is?
CODEY: No, I can`t.
SMITH: Can you give me a hint?
CODEY: I can tell you that she`s in this country and she`s in a nice, warm climate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, at least Trouble is living up to his name. Still, death threats against a dog, now that`s ridiculous.
HAMMER: Tonight, Miss Puerto Rico tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "I didn`t lie." Right now, my explosive interview with Ingrid Marie Rivera. As you know, she claims that somebody sabotaged her at the Miss Puerto Rico pageant, drenching pepper spray all over her makeup brushes, her bikini, even her evening gown, making her break out in hives.
Now reports are surfacing that she`s making it all up. But she tells me she has proof that her story is true and she says she will be vindicated. And she told me all about it, including how the heck she was able to compete and win with so many obstacles in her way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You must have been freaking out inside your head?
RIVERA: Yes. My eyes were watery. I wanted to cry. The feeling was horrible. I was - I felt like burning.
HAMMER: Well, there have been reports that there was a lot of jealousy among all of the contestants, partially because you have been a judge before and -
RIVERA: The year before.
HAMMER: And perhaps they thought you had some kind of unfair advantage because of that. Now, the other contestants are being looked at as suspects for what you are claiming happened to you. And needless to say, they`re not real happy about that. I want to take a look at something that they told the "Today" show. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE MISS PUERTO RICO CONTESTANT: Everyone is a suspect, and it`s not - I don`t know. Really, it`s awful, you know, to hear this because all of us are good girls, honestly.
CLAUDIA CRUZ BOSCH, FIRST RUNNER UP, MISS PUERTO RICO: Yes, I`m the first runner-up, and like she said, we`re all suspects. But they can check on me. If I win my position as a first runner-up, it was because of my preparation for this contest and all the effort I had made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. You said that you were feeling sorry for whoever did this to you. Who do you think is responsible?
I really don`t know. That`s why there`s an investigation going on to really know what`s put on my brush, my evening gown, and my bathing suit.
HAMMER: There has been speculation, as you know, that maybe nobody did this to you, that perhaps -
RIVERA: Yes, I`ve heard that.
HAMMER: Perhaps, you were responsible for somehow manipulating this or doing this yourself. Or perhaps, it was some sort of a nervous physical reaction to all the pressure that was going on.
RIVERA: At first, I didn`t want to report or make an issue about it or even mention it at the press conference we had on Sunday.
HAMMER: Clarify it for me. You are talking about why you didn`t come forward with this initially. So why exactly is it that you decided to go public with it?
RIVERA: Well, first of all, at the press conference we had back home, one of the reporters asked directly, like, "We heard something that happened at the preliminary night, and we didn`t notice you were swollen. I don`t know. You had Botox or what happened?"
HAMMER: So it was going to get out there in any event? Is this what you`re saying?
RIVERA: Yes. This guy from the press asked and then the franchise owner, the national director began to speak about it.
HAMMER: But to those who would say, "We think you had something to do with this," what would you say to them?
RIVERA: There`s no way. It`s a beauty pageant. Why should I or why would I like to hurt myself with a chemical that was burning? Why should I -
HAMMER: Well, some would say to sort of perhaps get sympathy and deflect everything that may have been going on.
RIVERA: At the moment that`s one of the reasons I didn`t want to tell anything, because I don`t want it to get any sympathy or even like to make me victorious.
HAMMER: So the investigation is underway.
RIVERA: Yes, it is.
HAMMER: They`re actually doing forensic test on your makeup brush and on your bathing suit -
RIVERA: And the bathing suit.
HAMMER: Which is a little wild to think of, that the government officials or police officials, whoever it is, are actually doing this. But, OK, they are. Are you completely confident that when the results come back, it will show that your possessions were sabotaged?
RIVERA: Well, they were. They were. How other reason would you -
HAMMER: What if they don`t come back that way?
RIVERA: Then I can`t explain how - there`s proof. You know, my face changed. There`s a videotape. There are pictures. People notice. I couldn`t even use my jewelry. The supervisor noticed. The staff noticed. Security noticed. So, it`s not something I just made up. It`s not possible because if it was that way, I wouldn`t turn in my possessions for investigation, and the organization wouldn`t support me to do this.
HAMMER: So, all that`s said, I have to imagine it has to be very difficult -
RIVERA: It was.
HAMMER: That you won this competition, and people are saying or accusing you of doing something like that.
RIVERA: Yes. It`s horrible. But, whoever is with God, it`s like I have a clear conscience. And I know I did good at all times. And the only way I could get with it was because I blocked myself, like, to think about the pain or to think about who did it or how unfair it was at the moment. I had to go through so much and then people put into questioning my victory.
HAMMER: It only must have made you much stronger. So, Donald Trump is the co-owner of this particular - of the Miss Universe Pageant.
RIVERA: Yes. I had the honor to meet him today.
HAMMER: Yes. I want to ask you about that, because Donald Trump, no stranger to controversy within his pageant, of course. He had to deal with Tara Connor and her eventually having to go to rehab and retaining her crown under some controversy.
RIVERA: She is doing great, by the way.
HAMMER: She is doing terrific. So, did you seek out any advice from him, or what did he tell you about what you are going through related to this whole saga?
RIVERA: He asked me, "How are you doing," and don`t - what could I say? I was so surprised. He was very nice to me. We had fun. We talked over his office.
HAMMER: Did he give you some advice?
RIVERA: Yes.
HAMMER: What did he say?
RIVERA: That`s between us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. Fair enough. She obviously didn`t want to talk about the advice that Donald gave her, but I imagine it was pretty solid and said in a big voice. Miss Puerto Rico will now go on to Vietnam and compete for the title of Miss Universe. She really was a lovely woman to sit down with.
Well, Kelly Ripa wasn`t trying to win any awards when she went live on "Regis and Kelly" while she was feeling sick. I`ve got to tell you there were some scary moments when suddenly she had to leave in the middle of the show. Well, coming up, what led Kelly to rush off the set? You have to stick around so you can hear Kelly`s surprising explanation. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On Tuesday, we told you about Kelly Ripa`s medical scare. Right in the middle of "Regis and Kelly," she was rushed off the set during a commercial. So, of course, everyone, myself included, has been wondering what in the world happened. Well, tonight, we know, but not before the Regis rumor mill went into overdrive.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": Because I`ve got my own theories, and let me tell you. She`s pregnant again.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "REGIS AND KELLY": No.
PHILBIN: Please. I have been through it twice now.
RIPA: No. That would be nice, though, wouldn`t that be nice?
PHILBIN: Yes. That would be great.
RIPA: No, I have to tell you, though, it was one of those things. I went out to dinner with my parents the night before. And as the check came - I know this sounds like a ploy, but as the check came, I sort of shut down. I got a chill, and I said, boy, you know, I kind of feel like I have the chills.
And my parents said, you know, you are probably tired running around with the kids. And my kids had to go back home to go to school and making sure they were all packed up and probably just - but when I spoke to Mark that night, he said that the kids were sick and that he was sick and I thought, oh, no.
PHILBIN: And what did they do for you? Pills?
RIPA: They gave me an anti-nausea medicine, and I had some water trapped in my inner ear.
PHILBIN: From the -
RIPA: From the dive.
PHILBIN: Yes.
RIPA: So I think that`s what caused the whole thing.
PHILBIN: My gosh.
RIPA: Apparently, when your equilibrium goes, the nausea comes next. Or just could be this giant pregnancy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. It wasn`t her kids, husband Mark Consuelos, or even another baby on the way, but Kelly`s leaving live was from a scuba dive.
ANDERSON: Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this, "Oprah endorses Obama: Should she be involved in politics?" Thirty-one percent say yes. Sixty-nine percent of you say no.
Here are some of the e-mails we received. Jessica from Texas writes, "Oprah`s job, being in the public eye, is to educate and inform the public, not to tell them who to vote for."
Joan from California says, "Oprah Winfrey is a citizen of the U.S.A. She has the same right as any other citizen to voice her God-given opinion as anyone else."
HAMMER: Here is what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thursday, the inside story of what really happened to Dennis Quaid`s kids. Shocking details behind the alleged overdose that had the newborns fighting for their lives.
Also Thursday, pregnancy after 40. Stars like Halle Berry, Geena Davis, Holly Hunter. They are the new faces of motherhood in Hollywood. They`re all over 40, but is their Hollywood ending giving everyday women false hope? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, pregnancy after 40 in Hollywood. That`s Thursday.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS," coming up next. Stay with us. Take care.
END
