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Showbiz Tonight
DUI and Child Endangerment Against Richie Sambora?; Rob Lowe`s Nanny Speaks; Should Dr. Phil Apologize?; The Lohan Family Feud; Alicia Keys Clarifies What She Said
Aired April 15, 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: Will Richie Sambora get charged with child endangerment since his daughter was in the car when he was pulled over for DUI? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Alicia Keys sets the record straight about her statement that gangsta rap was created as conspiracy to get black people to kill each other.
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now. Tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, brand new, Rob Lowe nanny-gate shocker. Tonight, the very first TV interview with the nanny Lowe claims is trying to blackmail him. Plus, startling new claims from the nanny about what she claims Lowe did to her in his home. But we have to ask, is this turning into a big game of he said/she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE DARYL, TMZ TV: Rob Lowe is accusing Jessica, the former nanny, of several things. One of which is taking drugs while watching his children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is judging the nanny-gate scandal. And asking, how low can it go?
The doctor is in - trouble, but is he sorry? Tonight, should Dr. Phil apologize for his show bailing out the alleged ring leader in the notorious videotaped teen-beating scandal. And should Dr. Phil have tried to help the victim of the video beating instead. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the brand new fury over Dr. Phil.
Plus the Lohan family feud. Lindsay`s mom and dad at each other`s throats again as their battle heads to court. But, hey, what about the kids?
(MUSIC)
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.
HAMMER: Well, when it comes to Hollywood scandals, it does not get more explosive than this. Rob Lowe`s nanny is now fighting back big-time against claims she tried to blackmail him, filing a remarkable lawsuit that claims, among other things, Lowe sexually assaulted her.
And, yes, there`s more. Tonight, I`ll be going one-on-one with the nanny`s attorney, Gloria Allred in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT bringing you all the late-breaking details. Today, we got to see and hear the nanny for the very first time. She went on national TV to make her case.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Sorry, brothers and sisters, the real-life drama involving the show`s star, Rob Lowe, is where you can find the really juicy stories lately in the newest edition of the "The Lowes: The Nanny Speaks!"
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: Jessica, did you at any time attempt to blackmail the Lowes?
JESSICA GIBSON, FORMER NANNY OF ROB LOWE`S CHILDREN: Not at all.
ANDERSON: With her new celebrity attorney Gloria Allred by her side, Rob Lowe`s former nanny, Jessica Gibson, faced the public on the "Today" show. She denied Lowe`s claim that she tried to blackmail Lowe and his wife Sheryl for $1.5 million.
VIEIRA: Did you ever demand any money from this family?
GLORIA ALLRED, CELEBRITY ATTORNEY: Let me just say that I`ve reviewed, Meredith, all of these allegations and I find that they are absolutely without merit.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets you the details. In her lawsuit against the Lowes, the ex-nanny is claiming that Rob Lowe sexually harassed, groped and exposed himself to her over the years she watched the Lowes` two kids.
DARYL: It`s just getting dirty. It`s getting nasty. The allegations are getting grimy.
ANDERSON: The interview came just days after Rob Lowe fired the first public shot against his ex-nanny in this dramatic essay in the "Huffington Post." He claims Gibson gave the Lowes a deadline to pay her $1.5 million or she goes public with the harassment claim. In his lawsuit against her, obtained by TMZ, Lowe makes several more astonishing claims against Gibson.
DARYL: Rob Lowe is accusing Jessica Gibson, a former nanny, of several things, one of which is taking drugs while watching his children.
ANDERSON: On the "Today" show, Gibson through her attorney, responded to Lowe`s claim.
ALLRED: She did not engage in any improper conduct at all.
ANDERSON: "Today" show host Meredith Vieira asked Gibson about the fact that she worked for the Lowe family on and off for seven years.
VIEIRA: Why did you keep coming back? Why didn`t you contact the authorities at any time?
GIBSON: You know, I love the children. I needed the job. I always thought it would get better and I was scared.
ANDERSON: In an effort to show that his ex-nanny wasn`t as miserable on the job as she claims, Lowe has released text messages he said Jessica sent to his wife, Sheryl, soon after Jessica stopped working for the Lowes.
One said quote, "Sheryl, I am really sorry. I have nothing bad to say about your family and really am thankful for what you guys have done for me over the years. I hope we can handle this as friends. I did not leave out of spite or anger, it was just time for my heart to let go."
Meredith Vieira tried to ask Gibson about the text on the "Today" show.
VIEIRA: Jessica, are you saying then you didn`t write those E-mails in which you said your leaving had nothing to do with the Lowes?
ALLRED: You know, we`re going to talk about that in the lawsuit.
ANDERSON: So for those keeping score at home, Gibson is suing the Lowes. The Lowes are suing Gibson. The Lowes are also suing another ex- nanny and an ex-chef for a laundry list of charges. So things on the Lowes are going to be very dramatic for a long time to come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, Lowe`s attorney calls Gibson`s claims untrue. Meanwhile, "People" magazine quotes one former and one current employee of Lowes who said they never saw him do anything improper.
One says Gibson told her she left the Lowes because she was burned out and never mentioned any harassment. "People" magazine says the two employees have offered to testify in court.
HAMMER: As you saw, when the nanny spoke out for the very first time today, her attorney, Gloria Allred, was right there by her side. Gloria, joining me tonight from Los Angeles. Always good to see you, Gloria.
ALLRED: You, too.
ANDERSON: You have certainly been involved with some sensational cases in your time. I`ve got to tell you. This one is something else.
ALLRED: That`s right.
HAMMER: But among the claims made by the nanny that you`re representing, Rob Lowe exposed himself to her, he groped her and that Lowe`s wife sexually harassed her. Gloria, I`ve got a simple question for you. Where`s the proof here?
ALLRED: Well, the proof will come out in the lawsuit. And we`re looking forward to litigating this lawsuit because we think what she has suffered, what has been inflicted on her is absolutely outrageous. Because here - you know, she quit working for them. They didn`t fire her because she just couldn`t take it anymore.
And then she did the right thing and she did it in an appropriate way. And now, what did they do? After they saw that she was going to file a lawsuit against them for sexual harassment because that lawsuit was shown to their attorney before it was filed. Instead, their attorney decided to try to do a preemptive strike on her, filed a lawsuit against her.
We think that`s retaliatory, A.J. We`ve now filed our lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, sexual battery, sexual assault and retaliation for standing up and protesting sexual harassment.
HAMMER: Well, obviously, there`s a lot of he said/she said going on. A lot of people trying to make sense of what the environment was that she was working in. Late today, "People" magazine obtained an exclusive new interview with the Lowes` estate manager who was the person supervising the nannies and the chefs and the drivers for the last year and a half.
Now, she tells "People" that Jessica never came to her with any complaints about Rob, sexual or otherwise. Gloria, obviously, this is coming from the person who supervised her. So I`m curious why the nanny wouldn`t go to her or as Meredith Vieira asked on the "Today" show, why didn`t she file some sort of a complaint with the authorities?
ALLRED: OK. Well, of course, now we see exactly what happens when the Lowes get angry. They take to the air big-time through their attorney. They trash her reputation. They file a lawsuit against her, against a person who is 24 years old, who is a nanny, who earns only $18 an hour. Are you kidding me?
You know, I think that, you know, the worst nightmare is a lot of employees fear what will happen if they protest a sexually harassing environment at work. And this is their worst nightmare come true.
But I think what they didn`t know and they didn`t know is that she was going to get attorneys who would support her, who are going to fight for her and stand up to this.
And that`s exactly what we`re going to do. We`re telling Rob Lowe and we noticed his deposition yesterday. We`re going to take his deposition first on May 19th in Santa Barbara and his wife, Sheryl, her deposition the next day.
I`m looking forward, A.J., to sitting across the table from hem and confronting them and asking them the tough questions and let`s see what they`re going to say because Jessica has nothing to hide. Let`s see if that`s their position as well.
HAMMER: All right, Gloria. And we`ll all be watching to see how this unfolds. You`re calling out Lowe`s lawyers right here. Here`s something that has a lot of people really not understanding and having a difficult time with.
This afternoon, the family attorney for the Lowes told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that, "Miss Gibson worked for the Lowes on and off for seven years. She left at least two times to pursue other jobs and returned each time, asking for more hours. She sent two E-mails the day after she left, both saying she loved the Lowes and her leaving had nothing to do with them, but her heart wasn`t in being a nanny anymore. This is totally inconsistent with her latest allegations.
HAMMER: That from the Lowes` attorney. So Gloria, why would she write E-mails or text messages saying that her leaving had nothing to do with the Lowes?
ALLRED: By the way, she was good enough for the Lowes for seven years. They knew her character. They knew that she was honest. They trusted her with their two children. That`s how much they liked her. She quit three times. She kept hoping when she came back that things would get better. They didn`t get better enough for her to stay and that`s why she quit again for the last time in February when she realized that it wasn`t going to change.
And so - no, those E-mails are not inconsistent at all. She was trying to appease them. She was trying to get away. She was hoping that they wouldn`t be angry and this could be resolved quietly and peacefully. Obviously, you see what happens when they do get angry. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMMER: So what you`re saying is the E-mails didn`t tell the full picture of what obviously you claim she was going through?
ALLRED: Absolutely. And this is a young woman who`s been very hurt by them. She is very disappointed in them. And you know, she was very scared. She stayed because she needed a job and because she loved the children.
But you know what? In spite of the fact she didn`t have a job to go to, she finally had to quit once and for all in February. And we`re going ahead with the lawsuit. I`m very proud of her, A.J., and all the young women who stand up against sexual harassment, or what they perceive as sexual harassment at their jobs. Yes, they`re going to get trashed sometimes. But often, they`re going to fight back and win. And that`s what I believe she will do.
HAMMER: And I`m with you and people who stand up against sexual harassment. I don`t think there is any disputing that. If she was in fact being sexually harassed - I`m trying to understand and I think a lot of people are having difficulty with this - why would she be coming back time and time again in that seven years?
ALLRED: Because she loved the children. That was her job, taking care of the two little children. She was very bonded to the children. And also, she needed a job. You know, and so she kept hoping also that it would stop, that things would get better.
And you know, a lot of battered women have the same feeling that, you know, maybe the person that they care about will actually change their behavior. But unfortunately, it never happened for her or didn`t happen enough. And so finally, she had to leave and, you know, she tried to resolve it peacefully. But you know what? They wanted to notch it off. They wanted - have scorch earth. Maybe they wanted to destroy her all along.
HAMMER: Gloria, I`ve got to wrap you there because we`re out of time. But I really do appreciate your shedding light on your side of the story tonight. Gloria Allred, thank you so much.
ALLRED: Thank you.
HAMMER: Fury over Dr. Phil. I`ve got to tell you, I think it`s just outrageous that employees of his show bailed out the alleged ring leader in that videotaped teen-beating scandal. The question is, should Dr. Phil apologize? That is coming up.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LOHAN, FATHER OF LINDSAY LOHAN: I don`t like some of the people in her life. I don`t like what they`re doing. If they really did care about Lindsay, would they bring her into an environment that they know is bad for her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael Lohan speaks out. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what he really thinks about Lindsay`s friends and nighttime activities. Plus, Lindsay`s mom and dad are at it again as their battle heads to court for yet another round. The Lohan family feud straight ahead.
HAMMER: And I`ve got to tell you. This really shocked me when I first heard about it. Bon Jovi guitarist, Richie Sambora arrested for DUI with his daughter in the car. I want to know, will Richie actually be charged with child endangerment? And could he end up spending time behind bars? That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, is it time for Dr. Phil to issue a public apology for his show bailing out a teenager who was the alleged ring leader in the now- infamous teen-beating video. The outrage is only growing after producers from "Dr. Phil Show" got the teen out of jail so she could appear on his show.
Joining me now in Hollywood, Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. In New York, Maggie Gallant, founder of Spotlight Communications.
Maggie, Howard, the "Dr. Phil Show" has basically said they reprimanded the producers, told them they did the wrong thing, went beyond their guidelines. Howard, is it time for Dr. Phil to go on television, personally apologize for what his people did?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Absolutely, Brooke. I mean during the Britney scandal, we couldn`t get his chubby little face off of TV. And now, when we`re wanting him, he`s nowhere to be found and making the staffers take the fall. You get your face on that camera and you apologize because your staff screwed up and you`re in charge and you`re responsible.
ANDERSON: Maggie, what do you think? Does Dr. Phil need to publicly say, "Sorry, we screwed up and we apologize," that the apology from the show is not enough, that it has to come from the big guy himself?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: Absolutely not. Howard is completely right. It`s the "Dr. Phil Show," which means Dr. Phil has to take responsibility for it. What I would recommend is he wears a bracelet, WWOD, "What Would Oprah Do?" She would make a statement. He needs to make a statement.
ANDERSON: Oprah paved the way for him and his show. Maybe she could give him some advice right now. And besides apologizing to the viewers, Howard, I need to ask what a lot of people are asking. Should he be apologizing to that poor girl who was so viciously beaten in that video that was later posted on the Internet?
BRAGMAN: You know, he runs a show based on compassion and redemption and he`s not looking very compassionate right now. And he was showing a lot more empathy or sympathy for the perpetrator of the crime - potential perpetrator of the crime as opposed to the victim.
So absolutely, he needs to make a statement. He needs to get on TV. And he needs to address all these issues in a very believable way. Because his authenticity is just ebbing away and it`s not working right now.
ANDERSON: Every time I watch this video which we`re showing right now, it just makes me sick what was done to this girl. And she suffered a concussion. Doctors think she has some hearing loss, some hearing problems and vision loss.
Howard, you know, how about this for a novel concept? Instead of the show spending money to spring one of the alleged attackers from jail, how about spending money to help this girl who now has health problems to deal with?
BRAGMAN: Well, Dr. Phil`s got lots of money. If you believe the reports you read, he makes, I think the last report I saw, $90 million a year. He can help this girl get a neck brace, get some help and get some redemption. That might be one nice way to say, "I screwed up and here`s I`m going to help you get your life back together."
ANDERSON: Maggie, do you think he should financially assist her rather than bailing this alleged criminal out because she`s going to have doctor bills. She`s going to have medical bills because of this?
GALLANT: I actually don`t. It kind of makes my skin crawl, the idea of him putting himself into this situation that has nothing to do with him. If he wants to cover this as the news story that he is -
ANDERSON: Well, he`s already done that, Maggie.
GALLANT: That`s true. But I don`t want to see him putting his money and getting even more entrenched in the situation than he already is. If he wants to get out this in a much better situation, he should, as Howard said, go in front of the cameras and say, "We did the wrong thing." To blame this to a mid to low level producer - it`s looking for a scapegoat and nobody is buying it.
ANDERSON: Well, we have made it clear that it wasn`t Dr. Phil himself who went to Florida to bail this kid out of jail, unlike the Britney Spears incident where he did go directly to the psych ward to visit her, to help her. Howard, you know, I do have to ask, is he being unfairly blamed here or as the face of the show, whether he likes it or not, should he take full responsibility?
BRAGMAN: As my friend Maggie said, it`s called the "Dr. Phil Show," not the "Midlevel Staffer Show." The buck stops with him and he absolutely has to take responsibility. And further, he has to say, "Here`s why this happened and here`s how we`re going to make sure this doesn`t happen again." So the buck stops with Dr. Phil. As I said, get that face on the show and tell us what went wrong. Take some responsibility. Redeem yourself, doctor.
ANDERSON: OK. Well said. Howard Bragman, Maggie Gallant, we`ll leave it there. Thank you both.
And now, we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "`Dr. Phil Video` Controversy: Should he apologize?" Vote CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us, the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Rob Lowe`s woes. The nanny has spoken and now, this is turning into a big old game of he said/she said. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the referee. I want to know, who is telling the truth? We are judging nanny-gate, coming up.
We will also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: When Lindsay had both her mother and father in her life, whether we were together or apart, did you see any of this nonsense going on that you see today?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael Lohan speaks out. Yes, Lindsay`s mom and dad are at it again as their battle heads to court for yet another round. The Lohan`s family feud straight ahead.
HAMMER: And this really shocked me when I first heard about it. Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora arrested for DUI with his daughter in the car. I want to know, will Richie be charged with child endangerment and could he actually spend some time behind bars? We`ll tell you, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Here are some more stories that are new right now.
Ashlee Simpson has just gotten engaged and already, the pregnancy rumors are everywhere. And her fiance, Pete Wentz, has had it. He tells "MTV News" that there is a witch hunt for people to be pregnant whenever they get engaged in Hollywood. But it`s not true that they`re expecting a baby.
He says, quote, "This is all news to me. I can`t wait for the story about how I`m really in a gay relationship and this is all just a cover. I mean really, this is crazy. I mean we`re engaged, that`s true, and happy about it."
And Kate Hudson says she`s ready to have another baby. Kate has been seen on and off with Owen Wilson but she says her son with Chris Robinson always comes first. She tells the "U.K. Sunday Times" that being a mom is her first priority and she can`t wait to have more kids.
HAMMER: Rob Lowe`s woes, the nanny has spoken. Now, this is really turning into a huge game of he said/she said. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is proud to be the referee. I want to know, who is telling the truth here? We are judging nanny-gate, coming up.
We will also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: I don`t like some of the people in her life. I don`t like what they`re doing. If they really did care about Lindsay, would they bring her into an environment that they know is bad for her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael Lohan speaks out. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what he really thinks about Lindsay`s friends and nighttime activities. Plus, Lindsay`s mom and dad are at it again as their battle heads to court for yet another round. The Lohan family feud, straight ahead.
HAMMER: And Alicia Keys, I think she`s absolutely one of the best young talents around. But I`ve got to tell you, I was pretty shocked when Alicia said gangsta rap was created as a conspiracy to get black people to kill each other. Really outrageous stuff. But now, Alicia is setting the record straight. We can know exactly what`s going on with that. And that is still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
You can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. You want it? Come get it. Just head on over to our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You click on that "sign up for newsletter" link at the bottom of the page and it will be our pleasure to send it to you every day. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming straight back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Rob Lowe nanny-gate scandal explodes. First, it was Lowe claiming his ex-nanny tried to blackmail him for more than a million dollars. Now, that nanny is striking back, speaking out on TV for the very first time with startling claims that Lowe sexually assaulted her. So just who`s telling the truth? We`ve got an expert panel just waiting to decide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: I don`t like some of the people in her life. I don`t like what they`re doing. If they really did care about Lindsay, would they bring her into an environment that they know is bad for her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s Lindsay Lohan`s dad, Michael, speaking out like never before to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT as he and Lindsay`s mom, Dina, get set for another ugly court battle. Michael is absolutely disgusted by the people Lindsay surrounds herself with. And it is the blockbuster Lohan family feud.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, a showbiz special report, judging Rob Lowe`s nanny- gate scandal. First, Rob Lowe went public with allegations claiming that his former nanny was blackmailing him.
And today, the nanny, Jessica Gibson, appeared for the very first time on TV and is filing a countersuit claiming Rob Lowe sexually harassed and assaulted her, allegations Lowe and his lawyer flat-out deny to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So who is telling the truth? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is dissecting the evidence. Court is now in session, coast-to-coast.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Darren Kavinoky, attorney for the Kavinoky Law Firm. Also, Kim Serafin, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." And joining me in New York tonight, Atty. Midwin Charles. Gang, I appreciate you being here.
I want to break this down, point to counterpoint, Rob Lowe claiming of course that the nanny was blackmailing him for $1.5 million or she would go public with claims of sexual harassment. Well, the nanny, as I said, appeared publicly for the very first time today on the "Today" show going on with her attorney Gloria Allred. Watch what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIEIRA: Jessica, did you at any time attempt to blackmail the Lowes?
GIBSON: Not at all.
VIEIRA: Did you ever demand any money from this family?
ALLRED: Let me just say that I`ve reviewed, Meredith, all of these allegations. And I find that they are absolutely without merit. She did not engage in any improper conduct at all. And I find that any such allegation is absolutely defamatory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. There you have it. Three words from the nanny, "Not at all." Darren, in a court of law, she`s going to have to produce some hard evidence. It can`t just be he said/she said, right?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY, KAVINOKY LAW FIRM: You`re absolutely right, A.J. And it sounds like there is some hard evidence. Gloria did a masterful job of sidestepping that question and not allowing her client to answer what may be the $64,000 question or $1.5 million question. Did she, in fact, write a letter to the Lowes asking for that $1.5 million?
And we have a non-answer to that question. Gloria said she didn`t do anything inappropriate. But supposedly, that letter`s out there and it will be very interesting to see if that comes into evidence in this case.
HAMMER: Yes, because you certainly have to wonder where the claim would come up with that specific number - $1.5 million. You know, they may be alleging Rob Lowe just pulled it out of the air. I don`t know. But if it`s not true, you`ve got to wonder what`s going on. I don`t know. Midwin, for you, where there`s smoke there`s fire. A lot of people would say that. What do you think?
MIDWIN CHARLES, ATTORNEY: I mean to a certain extent, absolutely. I mean you never want to vilify a victim or an alleged victim of rape or sexual harassment who comes forward. But in a case such as this where you have a young woman who has gone back to the Lowes three times over the course of seven years, it really, really questions her credibility in these allegations.
HAMMER: What about her credibility, Kim Serafin? You know, there wasn`t a lot to go with there. How was your sincerity meter on those words, "Not at all."
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Yes, I mean the thing is she didn`t really say much. I mean on one hand, you can say yes, you know, she didn`t look like this manipulative person who could have come up with this scheme to get $1.5 million. She did look kind of shy. She did look kind of scared.
And Gloria certainly did make the case in saying, "Look, here`s someone intimidated by a celebrity." On the other hand, she didn`t really say much. So it`s really hard to gauge that. And she was really on the defensive a lot of the time because Rob had come out beforehand with these allegations.
HAMMER: Well, there certainly is no shortage of inconsistencies in this entire case. And in Rob Lowe`s posting on the "HuffingtonPost.com" blog, he said that Jessica wrote the text message we`re talking about to him and his wife Sheryl that proves she wasn`t sounding like someone who was treated badly. Let me read that quote to you again.
This was the alleged text message, "Thank you so much Sheryl and I really am sorry. Please tell the kids it had nothing to do with them. They are absolutely amazing boys. It had nothing to do with you or Rob either. This was me. I love you, guys. P.S. Tell Rob I`m really sorry as well."
So, Darren, you know, if this text message gets confirmed and is indeed proven authentic, I`d have to imagine this would be a huge strike against the nanny?
KAVINOKY: It`s possibly an overwhelming hurdle for her to get over. Those kinds of messages are circumstantial evidence that nothing really happened. And if you take a step back from this case, there are so many inconsistencies as you pointed out, A.J.
Over the course of seven years, she left twice and she kept coming back. If it was really that bad, would she keep coming back to that place of employment? And of course, the excuse that she offers, that she did it for her love of the kids or she did it for the money, that doesn`t really hold much water either because she was an $18-employee and could make that waiting tables somewhere. So there`s an awful lot there that`s just not lining up.
HAMMER: Yes, I`ve got to say, I asked Gloria Allred that very same question earlier on the show. And I have to say, I was not satisfied with the answer that she kept coming back because she needed the job despite what she alleges was going on. Now, Meredith Vieira did ask the question to the nanny about those text messages this morning on the "Today" show. And I want you to watch exactly how the nanny responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIEIRA: Jessica, are you saying then you did not write those E-mails in which you said that your leaving had nothing to do with the Lowes?
ALLRED: You know, we`re going to talk about that in the lawsuit and why she did. But I will just say this, she was in fear of them. She was trying to appease them. She was trying to get away. And she`ll go into that in greater detail when it`s time for her to have her deposition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Midwin, let me throw this one at you. Is that good enough in a court for the nanny to say, "Oh, I was just trying to appease them? " I`d have to imagine this would make a jury pretty skeptical to say the least.
CHARLES: In the court, absolutely not. There is no jury in this country that is going to sit there and listen to what she has to say and say that she went back because of the love of the boys? Are you kidding me?
I mean for $18 an hour, no way. Just as the other attorney said, she could go wait tables. There are so many other jobs that she could have taken and made even more money. So it makes absolutely no sense.
HAMMER: And a lot of people are wondering, you know, how this whole thing got started with Rob Lowe`s preemptive strike in public airing the dirty laundry. But after hearing what the nanny said on the "Today" show of didn`t say for that matter, Kim, do you still think it was a smart move on Rob`s part to get in front of this thing?
SERAFIN: Yes, I think you have to these days when image is everything, especially when you`re a big celebrity. I mean he had to do this. Because, again, like I said before, it sort of put her on the defensive. She had to answer these questions from Meredith. Did you send these E-mails? Did you ask for the money?
And you know, Rob has been through this before. You know, he had a little incident a few years ago and he didn`t work for ten years after that. So he knows the importance of it. And you know, yes, one thing is in a court how this plays out. But certainly, he`s a big actor. He`s a celebrity. It really matters how it plays out in the court of public opinion.
HAMMER: Well, I want to get back to the point also of Jessica Gibson, the nanny, having worked for Rob Lowe on and off for seven years which is a long time. She claims sexual abuse and harassment and battery. Everybody wants to know why she didn`t quit as we`ve been discussing. Here`s what she said one more time on the "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIEIRA: Why did you keep coming back? Why didn`t you contact the authorities at any time?
GIBSON: You know, I loved the children. I needed the job. I always thought it would get better and I was scared.
ALLRED: And a lot of people in that position, Meredith, are scared to go against someone who`s rich and powerful and famous celebrity such as Rob Lowe is. And look what happened. Her worst nightmare came true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Darren, I`ve got ten seconds. Is that going to hold up in a court that she was scared and just needed the job when they start arguing this point?
KAVINOKY: No, that one barely passes the grin test, if at all. And frankly, I think it lends a whole new meaning to the term "staff infection" in this case. So no, I don`t think that`s going to carry much weight for her at all.
HAMMER: All right, thank you all for being here tonight. Court now adjourned. Darren Kavinoky, Midwin Charles and Kim Serafin, I appreciate it.
ANDERSON: Well, A.J., a lot of people have been judging Lindsay Lohan with the DUIs, the partying. You`ve got to wonder, can she ever get her head on straight?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: When Lindsay had both her mother and father in her life, whether we were together or apart, did you see any of this nonsense going on that you see today?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Lindsay`s father, Michael, speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT like never before about the people surrounding Lindsay and the dramatic effect they are having on her. Plus, how Lindsay`s mom and dad are about to head back to court for a nasty fight. That`s next.
HAMMER: Also, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora could be facing some jail time. You know, if he really drove drunk with his daughter in the car, I`ve got to tell you, I`d be pretty disappointed. I`ve got the very latest details of this very disturbing story. That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: And we told you about Alicia Keys` explosive words that gangsta rap was a government conspiracy to get black people to kill one another. Well, now, Alicia seems to be scrambling to clarify what she meant. Was she misinterpreted or just spinning? Stick around for this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, two big legal stories that are new right now.
First, could Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora be headed to the slammer? The L.A. District attorney is considering charging Heather Locklear`s ex with child endangerment and DUI as a result of his arrest last month. He and Heather`s 10-year-old daughter Ava was in the car when cops pulled him over.
And it`s another Lohan family feud. Lindsay Lohan`s parents, Dina and Michael, may be headed back to court. And wait until you hear what Lindsay`s dad is telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about Lindsay`s inner circle. He is not happy.
Joining me in New York from the Tru TV cameras, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat." Also in New York, Sunny Hostin, legal analyst for CNN`s "American Morning." Ashley, Sunny, welcome.
And first, this Richie Sambora story. You know, people - police pulled Sambora over last month with his current girlfriend, his 10-year-old daughter, Ava and her teenaged cousin in the car. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that police are recommending that the district attorney charge him with DUI and child endangerment. Ashleigh, this is serious. Could he possibly be going to jail?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Yes. I mean even on misdemeanors, you can go to jail. And Sunny can certainly weigh in on this.
But I`ll tell you something. It is never good if you`re going to get a DUI and you have a child in the car because it is almost considered an automatic. Think about it. If you`re over 0.08, and we don`t know if he is just yet. But if you`re 0.08, that`s kind of an automatic DUI. And driving illegally with a child in the car could be considered dangerous even if you`re not bobbing and wheezing.
ANDERSON: Yes, and speaking about blood alcohol level, we are still, you know, awaiting test results to find out if Sambora was drunk. And I don`t know if they`ll ever be released actually. But Sunny, it seems the cops wouldn`t be recommending those charges unless that were the case, correct?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL ANALYST, "AMERICAN MORNING": That`s correct. And I think Ashleigh is just right on here. The bottom line is we know that the police are recommending this type of charge. They`re recommending a DUI with an enhancement because of the child endangerment piece - 10 years old, in the car. Any prosecutor looking at that is likely going to charge him.
I would say his lawyer, whichever lawyer he has, is in big negotiation mode right now, trying to make sure that this doesn`t get charged as a felony and trying to plead this out as a misdemeanor.
We know he has a history of alcohol abuse. He entered rehab last year. There, he`s really going to have to fall on his sword here and say, "I apologize, I did something wrong. Let me be out, take care of my issues and not be in jail for the next three years."
ANDERSON: He could be heading behind bars as you both say. All right. Moving on to another legal story that is new right now. Lindsay Lohan`s father, Michael, is reopening his bitter divorce case with his ex- wife Dina.
Today Michael Lohan came straight to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to set the record straight about why he`s doing this. Listen to what he told A.J.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: I gave up everything to have a relationship with my kids and to instill a relationship between my parents and my family with the children. And as late as only a week ago, Dina was on the phone with my mother, telling my mother what a great family I come from and how the kids love my parents and my brothers and sisters and their kids. And she wants the kids to see my side of the family and nothing ever comes to fruition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Basically, Ashleigh, he`s saying that Dina will make promises regarding their children but never follow through with those promises. But I have to ask you, is that the kind of thing that`s worth going to court over? Haven`t they been through enough?
BANFIELD: Well, let me tell you one thing, Lindsay`s no kid. So if she chooses not to see her grandmother or her grandfather or even her father for that matter, you don`t have a case. Ali is a different matter. She`s a minor. So yes, he has some say over what`s going on in that household.
And certainly, it`s worth looking into if he has this type of a complaint. And people don`t ignore complaints. Authorities don`t ignore complaints. They usually investigate them, look into it as an issue for family court.
ANDERSON: You know, A.J. also asked Michael why he is bringing this private feud public. And he told us basically that when the media gets involved, things get done. But Sunny, could this backfire on him?
HOSTIN: Well, absolutely. I mean you know, he has a point. But the bottom line is, now he`s going to court. A judge is going to get involved. Things do get done when judges get involved as well and there are penalties for bringing people into court falsely for sort of stirring these things up.
And so there`s some liability for him as well. Hopefully, he really just wants to see his children. He`s doing the right thing. Hopefully, this isn`t some sort of a media ploy. There have been reports that he`s also upset with his ex-wife because she`s, you know, stolen his idea for a reality TV show. So judges are going to look at what is this really, really about.
ANDERSON: Yes, and he does seem genuinely concerned about the welfare of his kids. And you know, Lindsay has said in interviews before that she has suffered from her parents` public bickering.
So we did ask Michael why he`s going public knowing that it could hurt Lindsay when that happens. Listen to what he told A.J.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: When Lindsay had both her mother and her father in her life, whether we were together or apart, did you see any of this nonsense going on that you see today? Lindsay was at the height of her career. You didn`t see any of this partying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ashleigh, some people believe if they wanted to protect their kids, they would stop talking publicly, period. Quickly, what do you think?
BANFIELD: Yes, I hate to say it. Because I`m sorry it was a great interview for us, and we always want to get to the bottom of the story and we get interviews from horse`s mouth that way. But it doesn`t serve their children well.
ANDERSON: All right. Ashleigh Banfield, Sunny Hostin, thank you both for your insight. We appreciate it.
And we have so much more of our amazing interview with Lindsay`s dad, Michael. He sounded of about Lindsay`s circle of friends and what he really thinks about Dina`s reality show which Sunny mentioned. That`s Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
OK. We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It`s about the "Dr. Phil Show" bailing out of jail the person accused of beating a teenager caught on tape. So, "`Dr. Phil" Video Controversy: Should he apologize?" Keep voting, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you. Things got really heated over on "The View" on Tuesday. You know, the ladies love talking politics over there - Elizabeth Hasselbeck, the only real conservative on the show.
But you`ve got to take a look at what went down between her and Joy Behar while they were comparing what you get for your taxes in Denmark versus here in the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": They have heavily subsidized day care for kids. They don`t pay at all, but they give you big discounts, OK? Extensive social care system. If someone loses their job, for example, they get up to 90 percent of their previous salary and they`re eligible for re-schooling so people are out of work for a very short period. To answer your question, they have an unemployment rate of 2.6 percent. The United States 5.1 percent.
SHERRI SHEPHERD: How many people -
BEHAR: everybody`s on the dough.
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": So everybody move to Denmark and see how much you like it?
BEHAR: Don`t give me that argument? (CROSS TALK)
I heard that in the `60s and the `70s. If you don`t like it here, get your ass out. I don`t appreciate that.
HASSELBECK: I`m saying - I just think. Look, there are people trying to get into this country every single day. This is not - I think sometimes this country gets painted as a really bad place.
BEHAR: No, I`m not!
HASSELBECK: I`m just giving you information.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: In my mind, it`s better than the Fourth of July fireworks.
ANDERSON: Yes, may have been, A.J. And I`ll tell you there are some serious fireworks over this Alicia Keys conspiracy story. We told you about how Alicia said gangsta rap was a government conspiracy to get black people to kill each other. Well, tonight, she`s speaking out, hoping to clarify her words or is she trying to spin this because a lot of people are angry? You`ve got to stick around for this, next.
HAMMER: You know what I think is really cool? You can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. We are always posting new stuff for you to see at our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, Alicia Keys is trying to clarify some of the outrageous and shocking things she was quoted as saying in "Blender" magazine`s May issue.
In the interview, she made some jaw-dropping claims, including that gangsta rap was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. And not just any ploy - a government conspiracy.
Well, now Alicia says she was misinterpreted. Listen to what she said when she called into Ryan Seacrest`s "Kiss FM" radio show on Tuesday morning.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ALICIA KEYS, SINGER (on air): To clarify that statement was what we were discussing on at the interview. What I was saying was that the term "gangsta rap" was so "over-sloganized" during that time.
RYAN SEACREST, HOST, "KISS FM": Right.
KEYS: You know what I mean? That - you know, that`s what I was trying to talk about, that it was so over-sloganized. They over-sloganized the term, gangsta rap. And that in so many ways, everyday people, as well as the government, could have really done so much more to really obliterate and eradicate the things that were going on in the communities at that time that forced the artist to discuss and talk about so strongly what they lived with every day.
So that`s what I was talking about. I wasn`t, you know, saying that I was a conspiracy theorist and I wasn`t saying, you know, I`m anti-anyone. Because anybody who knows my character, knows that, you know, I`m a very positive person.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. So it seems Alicia is saying that it`s the actual using and spreading of the term "gangsta rap" that might have been the ploy.
In a statement we got today, Alicia tells us that in no way is she trying to suggest the government created gangsta rap music. And "Blender" tells us it`s standing by its story.
HAMMER: Well on Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Heather Mills: Do you want to see more of her on TV?" Almost unanimous with 97 percent of you saying, no, you don`t.
Among the E-mails, we got one from Martha. Martha thinks, "Heather Mills should be on TV. I want to see her replace that potty mouth Elizabeth Hasselbeck on "The View."
We also heard from Andrea in Arkansas who pleads, no more Heather Mills, "She`s a gold digger and a nut. If I see her on TV, I change the channel immediately."
And you know, according to Heather, Brooke, she`s had worse press than a murderer or a pedophile.
ANDERSON: All right, yes. She has.
HAMMER: So maybe it`s a good thing. All right. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We appreciate you watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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