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Showbiz Tonight
Judgment Day; Stars Under the Knife; Britney`s New Relationship
Aired January 11, 2008 - 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: Judgment day for the guy who tried to extort more than a million dollars from Tom Cruise. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And stars under the knife. Showbiz investigates celebrities and plastic surgery. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney`s bizarre new relationship. Is Britney sleeping with the enemy? Tonight, we blow the lid off Brit`s startling and down right strange choice for a new boyfriend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEERAZ HASAN, FOUNDER, "HOLLYWOOD.TV": His whole mission has pretty much been to follow Britney Spears every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, in all this mess, we`re asking - what about Britney`s two young kids? How is her wild behavior affecting Sean Preston and Jayden James? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT working fast and furious on the late- breaking developments of Britney in crisis.
Roseanne on a rant. The target, Oprah Winfrey. Tonight, the unbelievably shocking things Roseanne said about Oprah. Really nasty, really wild. So, why is Roseanne now apologizing to Oprah? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the anti-Oprah rant you have to hear for yourself.
(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 tonight from Hollywood. And I`ve got to say that we were all pretty stunned when we heard from Roseanne had to say about Oprah Winfrey. Why the vicious attack and why does Roseanne now seem to be backing down. Roseanne`s startling words straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first tonight, even this may seem too bizarre for Britney Spears. And let me tell you, when it comes to bizarre and Britney, that bar is set pretty high. Britney, the same person who married one guy for 56 hours and then moved on to Kevin Federline, has a new man in her life.
ANDERSON: A.J., what is so strange about her new boyfriend is that this is the same guy who for years has been smack in the middle of the paparazzi rat pack that has followed Britney`s every move. Which is why SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, is Britney Spears sleeping with the enemy?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GILLIAN SHELDON, SUPERVISING PRODUCER, "TMZ.COM": Most people around her she believe that she suffers from bipolar disorder.
ANDERSON (voice over): As people as Britney Spears continued to question her mental health, they`re now starting to question her new man, 35-year- old Adnan Ghalib.
SHELDON: I know that several people around her are very concerned about this relationship.
ANDERSON: Why the concern? Because Adnan is a paparazzo. You know, the camera packing crew that loudly follows Britney everywhere, recording her every move and mistake, and making her life a very public hell. Yes. Britney`s new guy is one of them. Oh, and did we mention he`s married?
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": If Britney were one of my girlfriends, I have to say, I would sit her down and say, "Girlfriend, what exactly are you thinking?"
ANDERSON: The photo agency Adnan works for confirms that, yes, the two are in a relationship. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you reports are swirling that Brit`s new boy could have ulterior motives. Some speculate it`s -
(SOUND OF CASH REGISTER OPENING)
PIAZZA: We have it on pretty good authority from several photo editors that he has been shopping these exclusive photos of him and Britney. He`s obviously out to make a buck off Britney which is like K-Fed part two.
ANDERSON: Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT turns our camera on Adnan and tells you why some fear that Britney, who`s made her share of bad decisions in the men department, may be on the verge of making her worst one yet.
PIAZZA: This isn`t going to end well for Brit.
ANDERSON: It was one of the weirder things we saw Brit do last year, walking into a Quizno`s restaurant bathroom and asking a member of the paparazzi to go in with her. That was Adnan.
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: Oh, you are so cute.
ANDERSON: It wasn`t long before Adnan became her favorite.
HASAN: Adnan was that one that would always open the door, get her a coffee, fill up her gas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: He is 35-year-old Adnan Ghalib, a top Los Angeles paparazzo.
ANDERSON: ABC`s "20/20" featured Adnan in a piece last year presumably before he got extra close to Britney. He told them his Britney pictures have earned him $200,000, not that it`s easy work.
ADNAN GHALIB, PAPARAZZO: Most of us awake on 20-hour shifts. Most of us awake for 7 days a week.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Why is she worth it?
GHALIB: Because she is so unpredictable.
ANDERSON: It was in December when people started wondering if Adnan was mixing his Britney business with pleasure. He was shot leaving her hotel at odd hours. At the time, he denied any romance. Not everyone bought it.
PIAZZA: It`s funny because their lunch meetings were happening around 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. So that just seems like an odd time to have lunch to me.
ANDERSON: Now, the photo agency Adnan works for, FinalPixx is coming clean. A statement on its Web site says, quote, "Despite such heavy scrutiny, the pair are enjoying a healthy, normal relationship. And, we can confirm that Adnan is married but has been separated from his wife for over a year."
PIAZZA: People don`t have great things to say about Adnan and they`re painting him as this shady figure.
ANDERSON: Jo Piazza of "The New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Adnan may have had his eye on Britney for a while.
PIAZZA: Some fellow paparazzo have telling us that he had this plan from a long time back to get in good with Britney so that he could get these exclusive pictures and eventually sell them.
ANDERSON: FinalPixx denies that, sort of. It says, quote, "Contrary to reports, Adnan is absolutely not shopping his story via FinalPixx for $5 million U.S. dollars."
PIAZZA: They`re like, we are absolutely not selling these photos for $5 million. We could possibly be selling these photos for $4 million. But not $5 million.
ANDERSON: In fact, the FinalPixx Web site is filled with exclusive pics of the happy couples that media outlets can obtain for a fee, of course, and some even pricier pics may be on the market, as well.
SHELDON: We have spoken to several major weekly magazines who said they were approached and offered photos of Britney that were essentially taken by Adnan.
ANDERSON: So it seems that someone is profiting from Adnan`s relationship with Britney. And as Britney deals with the inner turmoil and custody battle, some say this is one problem she doesn`t need right now.
SHELDON: She is not in any state to be starting a new relationship at all. And, particularly someone who might have an agenda and a motive to take advantage of someone who is for lack of a better term not in their right mind.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And that custody fight Britney`s dealing with is about to get even messier. Friday, an attorney for her ex Kevin Federline asked a court to force the LAPD to release its investigative report on that incident at Britney`s house where ended up getting carted away in an ambulance. There`s going to be another hearing in the custody fight on Monday.
HAMMER: Well, Britney`s out of control, bizarre behavior is just one of many reasons that she has lost total custody of her kids. And let me tell you that in all of this craziness that`s surrounding her, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been wondering what effect is this having on her little boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James? You would have to think that no matter what they`re able to understand, this is all incredibly traumatic for them. We certainly don`t want to lose sight of that.
Joining us tonight from Hollywood, Ken Baker, the west coast editor of "Us Magazine." And in New York, clinical psychologist, Dr. Judy Kuriansky.
I really can`t get away from the sad, sad aspect of this story which is what`s happening with the two kids. We have Jayden James, one. We have Sean Preston, two years old. The dad, Kevin Federline, in effect, their only family that`s present right now.
Now, these kids, young as they are, they are in the early stages of development. Dr. Judy, is this something we should be worried about?
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Very worried. I`m sad to give the news about that, but I`m really worried in terms of child development. Those kids need a stable home environment. They certainly haven`t had that with their mother`s erratic behavior, driving them around like crazy. All these paparazzi in their face. That affects them emotionally anyway even if they can`t verbalize it.
You`ve got Jayden James at one year old, every mother knows kids need - just coming out of the symbiotic phase -they need mommy there when they cry. When they`re hungry, mommy always has to be there and mommy is not there. That`s bad for his sense of trust as he grows up. I`m worried about that.
Then you`ve got Sean Preston, at two years old. Every mom who`s got a two-year-old knows this - oppositional behavior. They`re in their no phase and at the terrible twos. And then to have a mother who`s in her oppositional behavior, too, is not giving him that stable sense of a mommy.
He`s also in the separation-individuation phase. He`s got to be running off and coming back and knowing that mommy is there. So Sean Preston is really going to have problems with also trusting. Those young boys are in my opinion going to have some really difficult times trusting women as they grow up.
HAMMER: Really, really awful. And mommy is not there and mommy is not allowed to be there because currently, as we know, she has no visitation rights to her sons. You`ve got to assume that they`re at home again, regardless of what they can actually understand. But they`re wondering, where the heck is mommy.
Ken Baker, because I know you`re a dad. You travel a lot. Obviously, you have to communicate where you are to your kids. What do you think Kevin Federline is or should be telling his children?
KEN BAKER, WEST COAST EDITOR, "US MAGAZINE": Well, I try not to travel a lot because within a day, my kids are saying, where`s daddy? And I think they`re saying where`s mommy right now? And guess what? It`s been seven days since Britney last saw her kids. It was about seven days ago. That is the longest I`m told the kids have ever been separated from her. Even when she went to rehab last year, they came to visit her in rehab within a week. So this is the longest separation those kids have had had.
Now, on Monday, at the court hearing, we may find out that she`ll get some sort of a limited visitation back. Now, we talked to some experts at "Us Weekly" and they told us that the judges in these cases will do everything within their rights or with the realm of their power to try to keep a relationship of some sort.
Is she going to get any sort of custody, joint, or shared, or anything like that, back? Doubtful. But she will get some sort of visitation unless the judge thinks there`s some a grave concern for the kids` safety by them seeing her. So I would expect some sort of visitation to happen according to experts we say.
HAMMER: Well, regardless of what happens with visitation, talking about being concerned for the kids, with everything that`s been going on with Britney and of her strange antics. It`s being reported everywhere. It`s not only here on television, it`s in the newspapers. It`s on magazines, magazine stands everywhere. Dr. Judy, what should Kevin Federline be doing to shield the kids from what is going on?
KURIANSKY: Well, first of all, he should be totally not allowing them to be in front of the media. That`s one thing. Second of all, he really needs to create some kind of family environment for them. It`s very important. Also, that they be with little kids of their own age, too, like other celebrities do when they have their little children with other children.
And here`s something that`s really important and I want to add to what Ken said, and that is that he needs to give the kids toys and pictures of Britney. Because as Ken said, they`re separated from her and god knows how long that will happen for goodness` sake.
So, he`d have to have what we call transitional objects. Toys that Britney has given them that he can say, "Well, mommy`s not feeling well right now. I know you miss mommy. Mommy loves you but these are the things that you can remember mommy gave you." And that will give them some sense of mommy.
HAMMER: I almost misunderstood you there for a second, Dr. Judy. I thought you were talking about a pull string toy of Britney which I`m sure is out there. Ken, this is a yes or no. Do you think it`s possible for K- Fed to shield the kids from everything that`s out there since it`s so on the present.
BAKER: Yes. And from what I`m told and what I`ve observed, he`s done a very good job of it. Have we seen any paparazzi shots of Kevin with the kids since he got custody?
HAMMER: No. Good point. Good point.
BAKER: No. In fact, we haven`t seen any in months.
HAMMER: Ken, I`ve got to end it there because we`re out of time, but that makes a very good point and hopefully he`ll do the right thing. Ken Baker, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, thanks.
BAKER: Thank you.
HAMMER: Now we need to hear from you for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Britney Spears: Can she ever have a healthy relationship?" CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you go to vote. E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com from your desktop, laptop, Blackberry, whatever you`ve got. Just tell us what`s on your mind.
ANDERSON: Well, sometimes we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will hear something so outrageous about a star. There`s just one thing to say - are you kidding me? Coming up, why Pam Anderson, Tom Cruise and Britney have us all shaking our heads in disbelief. The stories that made us say, "Are you kidding me?" at 30 past the hour.
HAMMER: I was kind of thinking that when I saw this, Brooke. Roseanne goes on a rant. I just could not believe what Roseanne was saying about, of all people, Oprah. I`m talking some really nasty stuff. What Roseanne said and why she`s apologizing, coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARA REID, ACTRESS: I needed to get my body into top shape. This is what I needed to do. Unfortunately, everything that they wanted me to do, the surgery came out terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: When stars go under the knife. Sometimes it goes well but other times, well, they should have slept well enough alone. We have the good, the bad and the ugly when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates stars and plastic surgery, next.
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ANDERSON: The autopsy report is in. Complications from plastic surgery probably contributed to the death of Kanye West`s mother Donda West. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Coroner`s officials say Donda West most likely died of heart disease coupled with complications following a breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction. But the exact cause of death can`t be known. Still, it`s a really tragic case and could be a wake-up call for Hollywood where cosmetic surgery is everywhere you look. Tonight, showbiz investigates "Stars and Plastic Surgery."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): In Hollywood, beauty is everything.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You look great.
ANDERSON: But in Hollywood, beauty - and youth, for that matter, can come from a little help from your neighborhood plastic surgeon. But who`s done well, and who should have left well enough alone? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got you covered.
ANDERSON: That`s Ashlee Simpson back in 2004. This is Ashlee now. Something looks different. Is it the nose? The chin? The lips? Ashlee won`t say.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s never looked hotter.
ANDERSON: Unlike Ashlee, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons and his longtime girlfriend, former "Playboy" Playmate Shannon Tweed have put it all out there, and we mean all, when it comes to their surgeries.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, Gene, we`ll go ahead and make some drawings on your face.
ANDERSON: Gene and Shannon, both in their 50s, decided to document their his-and-her face-lifts on their reality show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re hot.
ANDERSON: When they came straight to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios, they couldn`t stop talking about it.
HAMMER: Why do the surgery?
SHANNON TWEED, FORMER "PLAYBOY" PLAYMATE: Because I had a couple of extra chins.
GENE SIMMONS, "KISS" BASSIST: It was sort of like, what the hell, throw caution to the wind. You know, throw your shoulder - throw your face over your shoulder, and just see what happens.
ANDERSON: Doctor Frank Ryan did the nipping and tucking for both Gene and Shannon. Unlike most of his celebrity clients, who use the secret backdoor to his offices, Gene and Shannon just walked right in. Dr. Ryan tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that in Hollywood, it`s not just the older stars who come looking for his expertise.
DR. FRANK RYAN, PLASTIC SURGEON: Surgery in younger people is getting more and more popular. Of course, things like breast augmentation and rhinoplasty has been popular in younger age groups. But more and people are getting face-lifts, especially actresses in their 30s.
ANDERSON: Enter comedienne Kathy Griffin, she`s definitely not shy when it comes to the laundry list of work she`s had done. Just listen to what she told CNN`s Larry King.
LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE": Have you had cosmetic surgery?
KATHY GRIFFIIN, COMEDIANNE: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
KING: What have you had done?
GRIFFIN: A had a brow lift, which where they take your eyebrows and put them on a completely different part of your head, and you look months younger. And I had - what have I had? A lower face-lift, where they only do it to here. I don`t know why. I just said stop at the ears.
KING: Have you had Botox, collagen?
GRIFFIN: Yes, all of that.
JILL DOBSON, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "STAR" MAGAZINE: Some celebrities are very open when they have plastic surgery. Other celebrities, especially those who seem to lose lots of weight, usually keep quiet about the surgery that may have gone into it.
ANDERSON: It`s easier to deny a surgery when it comes to a dramatic weight loss. But how about when it`s, um, how do we say this, a little more obvious?
CARMEN ELECTRA: You can`t really judge someone for their choices, you know. But I think that if it`s something that you want to do, and you feel good about it, it has a lot to just dealing with yourself and your own self- confidence; and sort of figuring out, you know, how to deal with life.
ANDERSON: But bigger breasts don`t always mean bigger bucks.
REID: You have to look a certain way. It`s something that, you know, I was thinking about for a while.
ANDERSON: Tara Reid had to fix her botched job in 2006, which she says kept her from getting work.
REID: I needed to get my body into top shape. This is what I needed to do. Unfortunately, everything that they wanted me to do, the surgery came out terrible.
ANDERSON: And speaking of terrible, you just can`t help but feel sorry for Kenny Rogers.
KENNY ROGERS, SINGING: Know when to walk away, know when to run.
ANDERSON: Kenny gambled on what he thought was a routine eye lift. And the results, well, let`s just say not so good. Kenny later told "People" magazine that he, quote, "went a little too far".
Also in the little too far category - Michael Jackson, Joan Rivers, and Melanie Griffith. So why do so many stars go under the knife? The answer, according to Dr. Ryan, is simple.
RYAN: Well, you know, I think with the entertainment industry, to be honest with you, I think, we, as the public, hold these personalities to a higher standard. How many times do you see a photo of a celebrity in a tabloid, with maybe a 60-year-old man with kind of a beer belly? You say, my god, what happened?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And plastic surgeons tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the most popular type of surgery in Hollywood is breast augmentation.
HAMMER: Roseanne, I love her. But she has taken on one of the most powerful women in the world. I`ve got to wonder exactly what Roseanne was thinking when she posted a blog that said some outrageous things about Oprah. You`ve got to hear it for yourself. It`s coming up.
ANDERSON: And remember the guy who tried to get millions of dollars out of Tom Cruise for stolen photos of Tom and Katie`s wedding? Smart move, right? Well, it`s judgment day. We`re going to tell you what a judge had to say about the whole deal, next.
HAMMER: And a book about Tom Cruise makes some claims that I`ve got to tell you, I think they`re just absolutely ridiculous, including one that the late L. Ron Hubbard is actually Suri`s father. We`ve got that plus new Pam Anderson and Britney shockers. It`s all coming up as we serve you a veritable feast of stories that made us say, "Are you kidding me?"
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HAMMER: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It is time now for "Celebrity Justice," and there are three big legal stories that we`ve got to get to tonight about Marion Jones, Nicholas Cage and Tom Cruise.
First up, gold medallist Marion Jones has been sentenced to six months in prison and two years` probation for lying about using steroids and her involvement in a check fraud scam. Jones is going to start a prison term in March. She also has to do 800 hours of community service.
All right. Remember this? The guy that broke into Nicholas Cage`s house, took off all his clothes and put on one of Cage`s leather jacket? Well, yes. He`s been ordered to under go drug rehab for six months. He also has to stay at least 100 yards away from Cage`s family. The guy`s lawyer says he was in a pill popping stupor the night that Cage found him in his house.
And the guy who tried to extort $1.3 million from Tom Cruise has been sentenced to two years` probation. The extortion was over stolen photographs from Tom`s wedding to Katie Holmes. And that`s tonight`s "Celebrity Justice."
Well, there`s also a new book out about Tom Cruise that is making some claims that I`ve got to tell you I think they`re just ridiculous, including one that the late L. Ron Hubbard is actually Suri`s daddy. Are you kidding me? That plus new Pam Anderson and Britney shockers. All the stories that made us say, "Are you kidding me?" Coming up next.
ANDERSON: Also, Roseanne goes on a rant. I really couldn`t believe what Roseanne was saying about Oprah. Some really nasty stuff. Hear what Roseanne said and why she`s apologizing now, straight ahead. You really have to hear this for yourself.
HAMMER: And Rosie O`Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck have made up, everybody, we`re happy to report. I always hoped these two would come around. The on-air fight - man, that was hard to watch but they are over it. And we have got startling news about exactly how and why they have buried the hatchet. That is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the shocking things that have got me saying, "Are you kidding me?" Britney Spears sneaking off with a paparazzo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASAN: His whole mission has pretty much been to follow Britney Spears every single day, nonstop, pretty much he does day, night shifts. His whole goal has been Britney, Britney, Britney from day one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Also, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` startling allegations about their baby. And Pam Anderson, is she or isn`t she pregnant? Tonight, the blockbuster stories that have us screaming, "Are you kidding me?"
Roseanne rips into Oprah and Barack Obama. Tonight, the totally shocking things Roseanne Barr said about Oprah Winfrey and the guy she`s backing for president. But why is Roseanne now taking it all back? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Roseanne`s rant you`ve just got to hear.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Make no mistake about it. Well, tonight, we`ve got the outrageous stories that are making us say, "Are you kidding me?" Well, guys, did you see that? We upgraded.
Apparently a week out of the hospital Britney`s new guy is none other than someone who actually makes his living off of her, a member of the paparazzi. Seriously, are you kidding me? And then there`s the new unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise. It`s written by a guy named Andrew Morton and it claims - man, I have to say, the craziest things I think I have ever heard about Tom. And there have been nutty stuff out there. His wife mentioned in there, even little Suri. Are you kidding me?
And where would we be without another Pam Anderson pregnancy story or divorce story for that matter both happening at the same time. When you hear her answer, you`re going to say, "Are you kidding me?"
Wow. We`ve got an amazing panel that is all fired up to talk some smack tonight. Joining us from Hollywood - you know, gets better every time. The founder of Fifteen Minutes PR, Howard Bragman. Also in Hollywood, west coast editor for "Us Weekly," Ken Baker joining us again. And in New York, Janelle Snowden, the VH1 News "Red Carpet" correspondent.
All right, gang. We`ve got a fancy new graphic and some big topics to tackle, including Britney who is now canoodling with her new paparazzo boyfriend, a guy named Adnan Ghalib. Now, they were toasting with mimosas just after Brit got out of the hospital and just a couple of days later, what did they do? Well, what do you do when you get out the hospital? You op over the border for a quick trip to Mexico. Are you kidding me?
Howard, can you help us figure this out? Being in the PR business, don`t celebrities usually run the other way when the see a paparazzo coming?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, I train my clients too and a lot of them have security guards and machine guns. But Britney sort of treats her paparazzi like the secret service. They show her how to fill the car with gas. They help her get it in gear, help her when she has a flat tire. So she`s always had kind of an unusual love-hate relationship with the paparazzi because, after all, she is addicted to publicity and they`re the enablers. So she kind of likes them. At the same time, she complains about them.
HAMMER: Ken Baker, have you ever seen anything like this at all before?
BAKER: What I have seen are people romantically involved with Britney making money off her, OK? Does the name Kevin Federline ring a bell? Who was Kevin Federline before he started hanging out with Britney Spears? So why is it such a shocker that she`s with someone who is basically Mr. Britney Spears?
But I have to add, we all have to be careful not to assume that Britney is not somehow a willing participant in all of this. And may be - I`m not accusing her, I don`t have proof of this - but maybe in some way, profiting off this. She seems to be way too willing of a participant in all his activities. And some of those photos and some of those videos seemed way too staged for me.
HAMMER: Ken, she makes seven hundred grand a month without profiting off of this guy. I don`t know if I quite am on board with that. I have to tell you, and this was very exciting, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT received a video E- mail from one of our viewers about Britney`s little excursion to Mexico with the new boyfriend. Listen to what R.J. Johnson from Los Angeles had to say. Take it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
R.J. JOHNSON, VIEWER FROM LOS ANGELES: The only reason Britney Spears should hide out in Mexico is that they have good psychiatrists down there, too. Because goodness knows, she needs one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. You can send us a video e-mail, by the way at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Sounds like a sound advice there, Janelle, coming from R.J. Somehow, I don`t get the impression that Britney headed off to Mexico to find a psychiatrist.
JANELLE SNOWDEN, "RED CARPET" CORRESPONDENT, VH1 NEWS: Not at all. Britney was probably headed to Mexico to get the groove on under the Mexico sun. Talk about sleeping with the enemy. I mean who`s she going to sleep with next? K-Fed`s lawyers? Come on.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, I can understand needing a little R and R. And let`s all face it, Britney certainly could use a vacation. But she needs a different kind of vacation, Ken.
BAKER: Well, here`s the thing is that it`s not going to let up for her. I mean, she has a lot of - there are depositions right now in her custody case. I think she`s just trying to escape. And you know what? Going to Mexico - it actually makes sense. Maybe she should still be there. She`s probably a lot saner for it.
HAMMER: Yes. I think she needs to be away for a long time.
SNOWDEN: Yes, but when she`s with a guy who`s a member of the paparazzi, she`s never going to be away. I don`t know about that one.
HAMMER: This is true, because you know what? He`s got a cellphone and there are other paparazzi who`s sure to follow.
Moving on to some more incredible news out there. Now this one truly a doozy about Tom Cruise. An explosive unauthorized biography which claims, among other things that Tom is not actually the father of baby Suri. That some in the Church of Scientology actually believe the church`s late founder L. Ron Hubbard - there is no delicate way to say this - provided the sperm. Are you kidding me? The Cruise camp has released a statement. They`re calling the whole book, not only false, but just downright vicious. Howard, what do you think? L. Ron Hubbard, the baby daddy?
BRAGMAN: You know, I know Tom. But more importantly, I know his lawyer, Burt Fields. My money is on Burt Fields over Andrew Morton here. Andrew Morton had better done some really good fact checking here because Tom Cruise - every time I dealt with him, pretty upright, professional guy. His legal team is behind him.
You know, all these outrageous accusations come out about Tom Cruise were kind of cynical out here, and it keeps going on. He manages to settle his situation with the Writers` Guild and the only studio to produce movies. My money is on Tom for the long run in this one, not Andrew Morton and his wild claims.
HAMMER: Yes, and look at the smile on his face. Look at the smile on Katie Holmes` face. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, out and about, and what you`re looking at right now is a footage we rolled from the Hollywood premiere of Katie`s new movie "Mad Money." What do you think? Janelle, it doesn`t look like any of this is bothering them one bit. Why do you think people love to make up the ridiculous stories about Tom Cruise?
SNOWDEN: You know, they`re such easy targets. It`s like their romance couldn`t have been scripted better if we tried. You have America`s biggest movie star who courted and whisked away for a worldwide romance - I would say it`s fair to say C-list child star and has since catapulted her career and impregnated her.
I mean, come on, that`s the stuff that movies are made of. So they`re such easy targets but I don`t think it bothers them because so much is always said of them. If they were to get bothered by everything, then come on. They would just be losing their minds. They would need Britney`s psychiatrists.
HAMMER: Fair, fair point. Let`s move on now to someone who certainly makes an easy target of themselves. Definitely another story that had us saying - let us see it - "Are you kidding me?" By the way, that`s me on the guitar.
We all know Pam Anderson loves to get attention and she seemingly loves to fall in love. Now, the latest news this week that she was both pregnant and getting divorced all this news coming in at the same time. Pam is denying the pregnancy. Ken Baker, I`m going to go to you on this. Now the divorce is happening from the guy who made that sex tape with Paris Hilton. So what do you think? Are they splitting up because they just couldn`t make a good tape together?
BAKER: Well, I think - wow. That could be possible. But I think from what I have seen, his skills with the camera are very good.
HAMMER: You have seen the tape?
(CROSS TALK)
BAKER: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Research only. But I have to say, she should not be marrying guys because of the skills they bring to the camera in the bedroom. This is a really bad thing. She`s 40 years old. It`s in the point now where if you told me she was like getting married to some guy tomorrow, I would barely care, because it`s just got to be such a joke.
HAMMER: All right. Well, because it`s brand new and I just want to make sure we get our money`s worth the first night out with it - one more time, Charles? Can we see our little - Yes. I need applause with the guitar thing. Howard Bragman, Ken Baker, Janelle Snowden, thank you so much.
SNOWDEN: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Well, A.J., when I heard what Roseanne Barr said about Oprah Winfrey and the guy she`s backing for president, Barack Obama, it made me say, "Are you kidding me? You`ve got to hear this explosive stuff. And get this, now she`s backing off, even apologizing. Hey Roseanne, what gives? That`s next.
HAMMER: All right. I remember Rosie O`Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Man, they were always going at it on "The View." They have very different opinions on politics, the war in Iraq. They did make the show very interesting. But tonight, have these enemies finally laid down their guns and made nice? Is it possible? You got to stick around to find out.
Also this -
NIKKI BLONSKY, "HAIRSPRAY" STAR: You have to stay true to yourself and the only opinion that really counts is your own.
HAMMER: I am so impressed by this young lady. "Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky. She came out of nowhere, even has a Golden Globe nomination now. And tonight, I get her to really open up about her body image issues and she`s got such a great message. That is coming up in just a bit.
We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Britney Spears: Can she ever have a healthy relationship?" What do you think? Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or you can E-mail us if you have more to say at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Use your laptop, or your Blackberry, your cellphone, or your desktop. Whatever you`ve got, tell us what`s on your mind.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, Roseanne Barr`s shocking attack against Oprah Winfrey. I had a hard time believing it when I read Roseanne`s blog this morning. She wrote some downright nasty remarks criticizing Oprah`s political moves.
One small snippet here about Oprah`s support of Barack`s Obama`s presidential campaign, "Oprah, you play the race card and the gender card too. You are a closeted Republican and chose Barack Obama because you do not like other women who actually stand for something to working American women, besides glamor, angels, Hollywood and dieting! Ouch.
But listen to this. Just hours after she posted that attack, she blogged an apology. What the heck is going on here? With us tonight in New York, Maggie Gallant, founder of Spotlight Communications. And in Hollywood, Jane Velez-Mitchell, author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder."
Maggie, Jane - ladies, we all know Roseanne, never shy about expressing her opinion. I want to read you yet another excerpt of the blog. She says this, "Oprah has given us Schwarzenegger and Dr. Phil. If that was not offensive enough to decent thinking people, now she brings us Obama. He has no ideas, no plan and nothing to add other than the cynical pacification of the masses with bedtime stories about hope." Jane, why do you think Roseanne got so vicious about this?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, AUTHOR "SECRETS CAN BE MURDER": Well, I think the bottom line, Brooke, is envy, resentment and fear. There are a lot of people in Hollywood who really envy and resent the enormous, almost mind boggling power that Oprah has amassed. These are people feel they`re power houses and they`re powerful players in their own right. But compared to Oprah, they feel very diminished, very inconsequential, very impotent. So there`s a lot of envy there.
And I think the second thing is fear. A lot of Democrats thought this was going to be a coronation of Hillary Clinton. Now, it`s a wide open race and their underlying fear is that that could result in a Republican getting elected.
ANDERSON: Maggie, your thoughts on this vicious rant?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: Well, I can`t believe anyone`s really surprised that we`re getting a very angry rant from her. This is the same woman who grabbed her crotch singing the national anthem. I think she was so excited to put herself out there and she surprised that people have read her blog and this was becoming a national story. But whenever you`re going to say anything about Oprah Winfrey, you can even whisper something negative in a bathroom and it`s going like a major story.
ANDERSON: Well, there was such a huge response to this that her Web site actually crashed more than once today due to all the traffic. But when it popped back up, what do you know? An apology, quote, "I am so sorry for sounding like I don`t like Oprah or Obama. I do. I got upset because I felt Oprah was adding to the divisiveness in this country. I am sorry, Oprah. I really do admire and love you for all the good you do and have done in this country and the world at large."
What an about face. Jane, Roseanne says, like you mentioned, that she`s just upset about the possibility of another Republican in the White House so she went over the top. Do you buy the apology?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think she had to make the apology. She probably got a lot of heat from people who are saying, "Hey, you are not doing Hillary Clinton any favors. What are you thinking?" I mean, when Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire, she reached out to Obama and the other candidates trying to be a candidate of inclusion and this is so alienating. The last thing to do is alienate Obama supporters. So obviously, this backfired horribly. And this is her m.o., doing something wildly inappropriate and then saying, "Oops! Never mind."
ANDERSON: Yes. She`s never phrased things or done things in a gentle way. Maggie, her words are out there. She can`t really take them back, can she? Even with the apology.
GALLANT: No. Once you put something on a blog, it is out there for the world to see. I mean these are the kinds of things we`re saying to people. It could be like an E-mail you send to somebody else. But when it`s out there on a blog, we`ll forever be able to look back and see after she says it she really likes Oprah. We can look back and say, "She really likes Oprah when she just told everybody that she`s playing the gender card?" That`s not really something you say about somebody you like? And we have the words to point to.
ANDERSON: Right. I want you to listen to another excerpt attacking Oprah., "It is historical that Oprah Winfrey, beloved of women chooses a flashy man with some credentials over a seasoned woman politician with 35 years of experience and sells that to the female demographic who look to her for inspiration!"
Jane, couldn`t she have maybe said the same thing in a different way and still gotten the point across without the attack?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. I mean she called Obama an empty suit and that`s just patently unfair. This is a man who has graduated from Harvard Law School, who was a prominent civil rights attorney, who served in the Illinois State Senate and now is a U.S. senator. Now, she said, "Well, I don`t know if two or three years in the U.S. Senate qualifies you to lead the nation." That would be a reasoned argument. But let`s face it. When does a reasoned argument get any air play?
ANDERSON: Very good point. And by the way, I want to mention we did reach out to Oprah for a comment but had not gotten a response by show time. Maggie, do you think Oprah will be upset about this or just say, "What do you know. It`s just Roseanne"?
GALLANT: Well, my favorite part of the whole entry is when she says, "I`m so sorry, Oprah," as if Oprah is sitting in the office at Harpo reading Roseanne Barr`s blog. That is my favorite part. I don`t think this is going to even be a blip on Oprah Winfrey`s radar.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, she followed her apology by saying, "I better keep my big, fat, stupid mouth shut." And Jane, she also said that she always intended for the site to remain under the radar. It contains dangerous and inflammatory free speech. You know, she is a high-profile person. How can she expect something like this to be kept under the radar?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t think she really wanted it deep down inside to be kept under the radar. I mean she`s kind of like Rosie O`Donnell. Now that Rosie stepped off the world`s stage, there`s an open spot. National loud mouth - and Roseanne wants to get that coveted spot and hang on to it. And she`s in the running tonight.
ANDERSON: Right. She may have done just that, taken steps towards that anyway. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Maggie Gallant, thank you both.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, as Roseanne battles Oprah and Obama and speaking of Rosie O`Donnell, tonight, I am pleased to report one of the nastiest fights out there, two people who really have been at it, have finally kissed and made up. I`m not talking about these two though I really hope that the Israeli prime minister and the Palestinian prime minister would finally make peace. Maybe they`ll do it soon. I`m talking about these two.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I`m an adult and I am certainly not going to be the person for you to explain your thoughts to. They`re your thoughts. Defend your own insinuations.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I defend my thoughts.
HASSELBECK: Defend your own thoughts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. You remember Rosie O`Donnell and Elizabeth Hasselbeck always going at it on "The View." Well, "people" magazine is reporting that these two have made up. They E-mail each other. In fact, Rosie O`Donnell even bought Elizabeth a baby gift for her new son Taylor. Peace prevails is what Rosie says, so here`s to that.
Well, Taylor is Elizabeth`s second child. She has a two-year-old daughter named Grace with her husband Arizona Cardinals quarterback, Tim Hasselbeck. So just how do they make their marriage work? Always juggling their kids, their busy careers. Well, I got Elizabeth to reveal her secret.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSELBECK: Trust. It`s cool to walk around the block and go get ice cream. You know, that`s what worked for us from the beginning. We haven`t really been on an official date, but we had an hour where Taylor is sleeping and Grace has just gone to bed and we just went to a mall before it closed and walked around and looked inside the windows. So that for us, like, really boring, right? Wow, that`s not exciting but it works for us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So there you go. Just keep it nice and boring. Britney Spears, you paying attention?
ANDERSON: A.J., it will also do Britney Spears some good to pay attention to Golden Globe nominee Nikki Blonsky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLONSKY: You have to stay true to yourself and the only opinion that really counts is your own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
You know, I think Nikki is fantastic. She`s just 19 years old but is such an inspiration to young girls everywhere. Straight ahead, we`re going one on one with Nikki who really opens up about her body image. We`ve got that coming up next.
HAMMER: Now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all by downloading the podcast which happens to be absolutely free. You will find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our Web site CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. New ones added all the time. You can also download it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, this two-month-old writer strike has really taken a major toll on Hollywood. The Golden Globe Awards, usually the rip-roaring time we see the beginning of awards season, reduced to what will probably be a snooze fest press conference. And that has really bummed out teen star Nikki Blonsky. Nikki is up for her very first Golden Globe award. She is nominated for best actress in the musical or comedy category for playing Tracy Turnblad, the plus-sized girl with big dreams in "Hairspray."
Now, it was a dream come true for Nikki just to get nominated. But even though she`s disappointed, when I sat down with her, she told me she is just so happy with her overnight success.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLONSKY: It kind of feels like when you`re a senior in high school and if somebody just canceled the prom right before it. You know, you`re kind of waiting and you have a dress and - But it`s OK. You know, I`m just honored to be nominated this year. I mean, I look back and I say, a year and a half ago I was working in an ice cream store and now I`m nominated. I can`t believe it so I`m very thankful to be where I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is such a great attitude about all of this. Now Nikki is also starring in a fantastic new lifetime film. I highly recommend it. It`s called "Queen Sized" about a teenager who has to deal with painful weight and body image issues. And Nikki tells me this movie has a great message and that she actually really related to it in real life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLONSKY: One thing to remember at the end of the day is that you have to stay true to yourself, and the only opinion that really counts is your own. You have to go home with yourself. You have to deal with yourself. You have to live with yourself. So if you`re happy with yourself, and that`s really all that matters.
Other peoples` opinions can definitely contribute to the way you feel about yourself, and can definitely make you a stronger or better person. But it`s really your own opinion and your own self confidence and own feeling of self worth that can make you the person that you really want to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Such a refreshing attitude for a young star. You can catch Nikki Blonsky and "Queen Sized" on Lifetime Channel this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
ANDERSON: On Thursday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this, "Britney goes to Mexico: Is it time for her just to hide out?" Eighty-nine percent of you say yes it is; only 11 percent of you say no it isn`t.
Here`s one of the E-mails that we received. Jody from New Mexico thinks, "Britney doesn`t need a vacation in Mexico. She needs to be `hiding out` in a hospital getting help.
And Sandy from Florida says, "Instead of hiding out, Britney needs to step up. She is a horrible, attention starved, slutty drunk who is a complete embarrassment to the female species." Ouch! And A.J.?
HAMMER: Wow!
ANDERSON: We don`t know - We don`t know whether Britney has a drinking problem. That`s not confirmed.
HAMMER: That is true. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next.
END
