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Showbiz Tonight
The Hogan Jailhouse Tapes; An Interview with Sarah Jessica Parker; Denise Richards and Dina Lohan`s Debuts; The Crying Game; A Tribute to Sydney Pollack; "Indiana Jones" Outcry in Russia
Aired May 27, 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, HOST: It is "Sex and the City" week here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I go one-on-one with all the stars from the movie. Tonight, Sarah Jessica Parker reveals the startling things that almost kept this film from being made. Plus, you`re not going to believe the star who made Madonna cry. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Hogan`s jailhouse rocked. Tonight, the jaw- dropping jailhouse confessions of Hulk Hogan`s son caught on tape. Hulk`s son, Nick, serving time for nearly killing his best friend in a car crash. Tonight, did Nick`s mom really trash the mother of the crash victim? Did Nick really tell Hulk to help him pull a Paris Hilton? You will not believe your ears when you hear the Hogan jailhouse tapes.
Also caught on tape, the celebrity crying game. Tonight, the serious sobbing in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT: When stars cry, we get to see them be very real and very vulnerable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Get out the Kleenex, but you may also laugh until you cry. It`s a revealing showbiz special report, the best crying ever.
Plus, are Dina and Denise disasters? Why the premieres of brand-new reality shows starring Lindsay Lohan`s mom and Denise Richards have people saying, what the heck were they thinking?
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And tonight, Madonna`s startling confession about why she broke down crying while making her new hit album, and the superstar who made her cry. That is coming up.
But first, the Hogan jailhouse tapes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained these absolutely remarkable recordings of Hulk Hogan talking to his son, Nick, who, of course, is serving time for nearly killing his best friend in a car accident. And I can tell you, once you hear them right now, you, too, might be saying, Hogan doesn`t know best.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK BOLLEA, HULK HOGAN`S SON: I am ready to accept the punishment -
Hulk Hogan`s son, Nick Bollea, was the picture of contrition on the day he was sentenced to eight months in jail for the street-racing accident that horribly injured his passenger and friend John Graziano. But now, more than two weeks into his sentence, Nick is singing a different tune.
N. BOLLEA: I don`t know what to do, Mom. I`d give anything to get out of this room.
HAMMER: The Florida jail housing Nick has released tapes of his phone conversations with his parents, Hulk and Linda. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, they`re unbelievable.
KATIE DARYL, TMZ TV: I just love that it`s 26 hours of tape and he`s only been in jail for about like two and a half weeks. I have not racked up that many minutes in my cell phone and I`m free.
HAMMER: Because he`s still a juvenile, Nick is being kept in the cell by himself and it`s clear from his tearful conversations with his parents the solitude is getting to him.
N. BOLLEA: I would do anything to get out of this room.
LINDA BOLLEA, WIFE OF HULK HOGAN: I know. That`s like just imprisoning you by yourself is almost beyond what you deserve, don`t you think?
N. BOLLEA: Yes.
L. BOLLEA: I mean solitary confinement is what they do to, like, what, "triple-X" criminals? I mean, you know, it`s like - for a car accident?
N. BOLLEA: I want to go outside. I just want to breathe fresh air.
HAMMER: It`s the same son when Nick talks to his dad.
N. BOLLEA: I`m in maximum. I`m going to ask them at least to put me in a cell with, you know, like maybe something with, you know, some bars where I can see people or something. I`m really freaking out.
HULK HOGAN, WRESTLER: OK. All right. Don`t freak out.
N. BOLLEA: I don`t know, like, if you could - is she could call the judge or something. Just please ask him to put me on house arrest so I can get out of here.
DARYL: Nick blatantly told his parents if he knew how horrible jail was going to be, he would not have accepted the deal, he wouldn`t have pled out. He would have wanted the case to go to trial.
HAMMER: But at least Nick is trying to make lemonade out of lemons. We even hear him asking his famous dad to help hook him up with the reality show when he gets out.
N. BOLLEA: Will you work on that reality deal ...
HOGAN: Yes.
N. BOLLEA: ... for me and get that thing line up so the minute I walk out of wherever I walk of?
HOGAN: Can you do it while you`re on probation?
N. BOLLEA: Yes, of course. I want to do it where I`ll make the most money.
HOGAN: We can call it "The New Nick" or something.
N. BOLLEA: "New Nick."
HOGAN: Or something. We`ll have to come up with a good name. Think of a good name.
N. BOLLEA: I`ll be thinking of a good name. It will be reality ... how I`m getting back on my feet and how I`m recovering after this, "Celebrity Out of Jail."
DARYL: His friend is still in a hospital bed. He should be in there reflecting and thinking about how sorry he was and what damage he caused in this car accident. He shouldn`t be thinking about, "Hey, maybe someone will follow me shopping on a reality show."
HAMMER: Most shocking of all, we hear Hulk and Nick apparently blaming Graziano for his heartbreaking predicament.
HOGAN: Well, I don`t know what type of person John was what he did to get himself in his situation. I know he was pretty aggressive and used to yell at people and used to do stuff and ... but for some reason, man, god laid some heavy (EXPLETIVE DELETED) on that kid, man. I don`t what he was into -
N. BOLLEA: John was a negative person.
HOGAN: He was what?
N. BOLLEA: He was a negative person.
HAMMER: By the way, at last report, Graziano was semiconscious and will need constant medical care for the rest of his life.
DARYL: He`s pretty much blaming his friend, John, for him being in jail. I mean it`s disgraceful.
HAMMER: John`s family is blasting the Hogans for what they say on the tapes. Meanwhile, Nick`s attorney is furious that they were released. But TMZ`s Katie Daryl tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they should have known the risk.
DARYL: These phone conversations are monitored. They`re recorded. But it never occurred to them to think, oh, public record. Someone could possibly ask to listen to them.
HAMMER: And now, the fun-loving family we got to know on reality TV may have permanently damaged that image.
DARYL: At one point it was like, they`re kind of rock and roll. They were fun. They were hip. They were edgy. And now, it just seems like they`re cold, they`re callus and they`re unsympathetic.
HAMMER: It`s hard to believe that`s even real. And this isn`t even over yet. Late today, more fireworks exploded when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heard from the Graziano family about the tapes.
Joining me tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." And from the Tru TV cameras, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat."
Now, Ashleigh, Carolina, I want to take a look at what the Graziano family told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Listen to this, quote, "These tapes clearly show what the Bolleas said in court was calculated to give the court the impression that Nick deserved a break. It was a true Academy Award performance. They spoke of their love for John and they expressed how sorry they were, but their true feelings have now been revealed in the tapes."
Carolina, are you as outraged as the Graziano family. This is unbelievable.
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, absolutely. But you know what? I think this was a great thing because it has exposed the Hogans for what they really are. They`ve spoiled their son. Now, look at him. He`s in jail and rather than teaching him to take responsibility for his actions and also to have some remorse for his friend who is still in the vegetative state in a hospital. Now, they`re just going to try to coddle him and maybe see if they can get him a little bit of house arrest. I mean this speaks volumes about what their values are and who they are as people.
HAMMER: It`s just sickening to listen to. So we need to go back to the proof here, a phone conversation between Hulk and his son, Nick, about John Graziano who`s Nick`s critically injured friend, of course, still in the hospital to this day in a semiconscious state. Now, I want you to listen to this, the first voice you`re going to hear on this particular bit of tape is Hulk Hogan. Roll that, Charles.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
HOGAN: Well, I don`t know what type of person John was or what he did to get himself in this situation. I know he was pretty aggressive and used to yell at people and used to do stuff and ... but for some reason, man, god laid some heavy (EXPLETIVE DELETED) on that kid, man. I don`t know what he was into ...
N. BOLLEA: John was a negative person.
HOGAN: He was what?
N. BOLLEA: He was a negative person.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Ashleigh Banfield, you know, a lot of people are going to hear what Hulk and his son are saying and it`s going to make them sick. Is anybody at all going to have any sympathy for the Hogans after hearing these?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": No, I doubt it. I mean it`s not easy to listen to that stuff. On the other side of the coin, I think their attorney has a point. There should be maybe some privilege between parents and children who are in jail. He was a juvenile.
The truth is the only privilege that really exists is your conversation with your attorney. So if you`re on a phone in a jail, know it can come back to bite you. The Hogans should have known better and they`re certainly not looking like heroes.
HAMMER: Yes. So Ashleigh, I mean, to be clear now, they may have a problem with the fact that these tapes got out. But they have no recourse here because they knew there was the chance that they would get out, again a matter of public record.
BANFIELD: Touchy. It`s touchy. Juvenile system is a very different situation especially state to state. But I think you`re absolutely clear when it`s an attorney, maybe a little bit more muddled when it`s your parents.
HAMMER: Well, one conversation was caught on tape that just blows my mind. Is Nick`s mom, Linda, talking trash about John Graziano`s mom during a phone call to her son Nick? You`ve got to listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
N. BOLLEA: John never meant anything to her or Ed(ph). It`s sad because I really appreciated you kids and I miss John and I miss you too. And it`s like, she`s not suffering, I am. I have the loss. She (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HAMMER: All right. Wait just a second here. Nick`s in jail for eight months, John Graziano in a semiconscious state, perhaps for the rest of his life. Linda Hogan dares to suggest she`s suffering more. Carolina, I mean, talk about outrageous.
BERMUDEZ: How dare she. And you know what? If I was John`s mother, I would be just as upset as she was. For her to come out and say that she`s suffering, what does the family of John - what is John`s family doing? They`re absolutely suffering. They can`t even speak to their son. And I think that the Hogans would be singing a different tune if this would have been Nick at the hospital right now.
HAMMER: Ashleigh, I mean this just takes the cake for me. How about you?
BANFIELD: It does. We all have to step back a little bit though and realize this was meant to be a private conversation between mother and son. And who knows? Maybe she was trying to ease her son`s discomfort. Everybody has the right to do that. If your kid is in jail, you have the right to make them feel better.
HAMMER: Sure.
BANFIELD: If it were a public announcement, the outrage without question would be warranted. It`s also what they said. They didn`t say it for public consumption, though.
HAMMER: No. I guess you`re right, but again, now that we have it, now that it is being publicly consumed, the stark contrast to how they appeared in court and the things that they were saying in court, it is just, you know, too massive to overlook.
Looking ahead now to when Nick gets out of jail, as John Graziano lies in that hospital bed, the Graziano family is outraged, understandably, that Nick may do a reality show. Carolina, here`s the thing that first popped into my mind just a few seconds here. But who would be stupid enough to even put a show like that on the air?
BERMUDEZ: Oh, I think he would be. I think he would absolutely think that he has the right to go out there and show people who he really is. Well, here`s the worst part about this - is that we`ve already seen your reality, buddy.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: Nobody wants to see any more of this.
HAMMER: It doesn`t get any worse than this. Got to wrap it there. Carolina Bermudez, Ashleigh Banfield, thank you both.
Well, Hulk Hogan`s dramatic and shocking jailhouse chat with his son caught on tape. Tonight, I`ve got other star stuff also caught on tape that`s going to blow your mind.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: It does not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on her "media, leave me alone" tour, I kept thinking, well then, you leave us alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I get so tired of Heather Mills` whining, Britney`s boo-hoo. Then you had Ellen losing it over her dog. All those total freak-out. You have got to stick around for my showbiz special report, the best crying ever caught on tape.
Also, are Denise Richards or Lindsay Lohan`s mom, Dina, total disasters? I don`t get it. These two are out with their brand-new reality shows. Tonight, people everywhere are asking, what the heck are they thinking? That is coming up.
And tonight, I get Sarah Jessica Parker to open up about those startling rumors about fighting among all the "Sex and the City" stars. She is setting the record straight once and for all. It`s "Sex and the City" week right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The movie opens on Friday. You don`t want to miss this coming up.
But first, we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Can you believe it? Oprah Winfrey`s ratings are down. So the question is - "Oprah Winfrey: Is she still one of your favorite things?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Got more to say? E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back. Do not go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIN DAVIS, ACTRESS: Well?
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: We decided to get married.
CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS: And I`m deaf.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Sarah Jessica Parker is back as Carrie Bradshaw in one of the most anticipated movies of the year, "Sex and the City." And right now, I am kicking off "Sex and the City" week all this week only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And all this week, I have got revealing one-on-one interviews with all of the "Sex and the City" stars. Tonight, it is my blockbuster chat with Sarah Jessica Parker. Parker, of course, one of the producers on the film as well. I`ve got to say, she was just beaming when I spoke with her about it. I even asked her about a possible sequel and to have her set the record straight on all those rumors about the cast fighting with each other. But first, I wanted to know, how did it actually feel to finally see this film come together?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PARKER: I feel extraordinarily privileged. I`ve spent the last two years cobbling this movie back together, putting the pieces back together. It was an unusual experience the first time around and it`s a once-in-a- lifetime kind of professional experience. And one really shouldn`t be greedy enough to ask for it twice.
And I have to say that this last six, eight months was better than those seven years. And I think it`s because we all recognize how lucky and unique those seven years were and that this is a story that you don`t just get to tell twice. And it has been, I must say, worth every obstacle and dead end and fit and start every moment that was seemingly impossible. It has been a dream. It has been really just hard to articulate.
HAMMER: And you can`t ask for more than that and that`s what I`m hearing from everybody. And really such a high level of appreciation, which is something that I think gets lost, particularly when the media wants to make drama. They want to act like there`s stuff going on that may or may not be going on because they`ve got to sell a story.
PARKER: I guess so. And what`s so delightful to say and obviously so contrary to that particular story is it just doesn`t define what this time has been for us. It just doesn`t speak to the kind of work that we`ve been able to do and the kind of people we`ve been able to surround ourselves and the kind of love and affection that we feel for each other.
And I think it`s perhaps most important that we know it. But secondly the people that really were devout know the kind of dedication we feel toward each other but also these characters. And nothing would get in the way of that. I can`t say enough how it`s lightning in a bottle just in terms of how it feels to be a part of it. So to get to revisit it, to have it be anything else, would be a waste of everyone`s time and talents.
HAMMER: Well, I think we as fans and viewers actually got a sense of what that feeling was like when we saw you all together on "Oprah" because the energy was - I hate using this word - palpable, but it was. And I have to say, and you may or may not be aware of this - we`re talking a little bit about the perceived drama around this whole project.
We`re sitting there, watching the TV wondering, are they going to sit near each other? Why are they putting Chris in the middle? This is what was going on after. When you hear that, does it make you mad?
PARKER: I am - I find it slightly - it`s not that I`m mad. I expect better from people, you know. I think it`s really beneath me to keep defending myself. You know, I have a 35-year career. I have an impeccable character. I pride myself in my work ethic and the way I treat people. And I think Kim would say the same and Cynthia would say the same.
And I love Kim and I wanted her to be in this movie. We couldn`t have done it without her. We couldn`t have done it without Kristin. And we couldn`t have done it with Cynthia, nor could we have done it without Chris. You know, this is a story that people like to tell about women. Why? I don`t know. Is it that interesting? Probably not.
So once again, I just have to say it doesn`t define the experience, like nobody can take the experience away. And it`s far more interesting for me to talk about my affection for this cast than to start to deny of sad, old beaten tales.
HAMMER: Is it the end of "Sex and the City"? What does your gut tell you?
PARKER: My gut tells me it`s up to you and your colleagues and the critics and the people who show up. You know, the future is dictated, really not by us at this point. And I think Michael, Patrick and I have been so focused on getting this movie up on the big screen that we haven`t thought about the future.
I mean doing this was more than we could have asked for. So anything beyond that is really kind of out of our hands, in a perfectly wonderful way at this point.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Got to love Sarah Jessica Parker. I am just getting started on our very special "Sex and the City" week. Everybody`s excited about it. You`ve got to tune in all week long. My revealing interviews you`re not going to see anywhere else.
On Wednesday, Cynthia Nixon on a very private battle with breast cancer. Thursday, the lovely Kristin Davis` outrage with the tabloids. And on Friday, Kim Cattrall, I`m dating a younger man, both in the film and in real life. You won`t want to miss any of these right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
All right. So what is up with Denise Richards and Lindsay Lohan`s mom, Dina? Their brand-new reality shows just premiered. You`ve got to see this. If they think these shows are going to help their images, they are dead wrong. It`s Denise versus Dina, who is the bigger disaster? We`ll get into that coming up.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: It does not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on her "media, leave me alone" tour, I kept thinking, well, you leave us alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, boo-hoo, Heather Mills. Come on. I don`t feel bad for her for one moment. And you`ve got to see the other stars who are shedding tears. We have Britney`s bawling. We had Ellen losing it over her dog. And of course Paula Abdul`s total freak-out. You`ve got to stick around for our showbiz special report, the best crying ever caught on tape.
And "Indiana Jones," a huge opening weekend. But tonight, one country - yes, an entire country - is really ticked at Indy. They may boycott the film, but what for? Well, it`s got me saying, are you kidding me? And that is coming up.
HAMMER: But first, you can always watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. We`re posting new stuff for you to check all the time on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Among the videos playing right now, "Are Lindsay Lohan`s Parents Addicted to Fame?"
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, I told you about this showbiz special report I`ve got coming your way, the best crying ever. You definitely want to stick around for that.
But right now, Madonna is opening up for the very first time about her crying. Now, I have never seen Madonna as a softy. But when she was recording her new album "Hard Candy, one of the superstar producers she was working with, Ferrell Williams, really got to her. Now, listen to what she tells "Nightline`s" Cynthia McFadden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADONNA, POP STAR: He actually made me cry, if you want to know the truth.
CYNTHIA MCFADDEN, "NIGHTLINE": Ferrell did?
MADONNA: I`ve never told that to anybody. There, out. Headlines.
MCFADDEN: Boo-hoo cry or just like little tears.
MADONNA: No. Well, you know when you get angry with someone and like, you start spitting snot?
MCFADDEN: Oh, the ugly cry.
MADONNA: That was not ugly.
MCFADDEN: Oh, not the ugly cry.
MADONNA: No. You know what? I think I was in a sensitive mood. I was singing in the studio and I didn`t understand the rhythm he wanted me to sing it and he was giving me a hard time. And I was sort of taken aback by the way he was talking to me, so I walked out and started saying, "You know what? We need to talk."
So we went upstairs and I`m like, "You can`t talk to me that way." And then I just burst into tears. And he was like, "Oh, my god. Madonna has a heart." And I was like, "What?" And I started crying even more. And then we had it out and now I love him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Happy ending. I`ve got to say, Madonna crying, pretty big deal. But I don`t think it is one of the biggest celebrity breakdowns ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: It does not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on her "media, leave me alone" tour, I kept thinking, well then you leave us alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I got so sick of Heather Mills` whining. And of course, we had Britney`s bawling, Ellen losing it over her dog, and of course, Paula Abdul`s total freak-out. You have got to stick around for my showbiz special report, the best crying ever.
All right. I`ve got to tell you, Denise Richards and Lindsay Lohan`s mom, Dina, not feeling any sympathy for them right about now. They go into these brand-new reality shows to help repair their image. Now, everybody`s asking, what the heck is wrong with them? That is next.
And a country - yes, a country planning a boycott of the new "Indiana Jones" movie, are you kidding me? It`s the truth and it`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are coming straight back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a big dose of reality for Denise and Dina. Denise Richards and Dina Lohan hit the airwaves in their new reality show. They said they want people to know who they really are. But is that plan going to backfire? Are Denise and Dina a double disaster? We have the fired-up debate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: It does not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on her "media, leave me alone" tour, I kept thinking, well then you leave us alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Remember Heather Mills` weepy television tour? Well, that is just the beginning. We have the best, the most over-the-top stories of stars and their tears. Break out the Kleenex, it`s a showbiz special report, the crying game.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, a reality show smackdown - Denise Richards versus Dina Lohan. Two new shows, one big disaster? Well, both Dina and Denise insisted they wanted to use their shows to set the record straight about how they really are.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, after the debut of their shows, their big plans may have backfired. Denise Richards`s show called "It`s Complicated" makes Denise look like a woman on the prowl for a new man, even showing her pre-date bathroom rituals, complete with a tanning specialist.
OK. Dina Lohan`s show, "Living Lohan," shows her on the Internet looking at an alleged sex tape of Lindsay Lohan as Dina`s 14-year-old daughter looks on. Dina, why didn`t you throw her out of the room? What were you thinking?
In New York tonight, host of TV`s "Hollywood Heat," Ashleigh Banfield. Also joining us in New York, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," Carolina Bermudez. And also entertainment columnist for "The Village Voice," Michael Musto.
Hi, gang. Let`s start off with the Lohan show, shall we? I`ve got to tell you, it was full of mind-blowing contradictions throughout the entire thing. My head was spinning as this entire program rolled on. "Living Lohan" has Dina, on the one hand, insisting that she doesn`t care where the tabloids write about her family. On the other hand, she reveals that the very first thing she does in the day - she reads through the tabloids. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DINA LOHAN, MOTHER OF LINDSAY LOHAN: As sad as it is, every morning, I have to get the papers, run in the house, have my cup of coffee and read the tabloids.
UNIDENTIFIED SON OF DINA LOHAN: Why do you read like the tabloids and stuff?
D. LOHAN: Why do I - I read them because I -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s interesting.
D. LOHAN (voice over): The tabloids have gone so far. I have to stay on it because they can destroy my child`s career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, man! It`s important business. Carolina, let`s begin with you. Do you buy that? Is Dina Lohan doing this to protect her child or maybe just a little bit self-absorbed?
BERMUDEZ: I think so, A.J. You got it right on. Self-absorbed is the word. But we`re also forgetting something else, dysfunctional. You saw her son come up to her and say, "Why do you spend so much time on this? Why do you Google yourself all the time?" It`s because she gets some type of validation from these Web sites or magazines, and unfortunately, it does affect her children.
HAMMER: Michael Musto, I know you didn`t spend the holiday weekend Googling yourself. I know what you were doing watching this. It`s just amazing to me. Yes, so she`s reading through the tabloids to really help her kids` careers.
MICHAEL MUSTO, COLUMNIST, "THE VILLAGE VOICE": I was watching with one hand, googling with the other. But in any case, knowing Dina, I really think that she would only sue a tabloid if they didn`t mention her, OK? That`s why she`s scanning. That`s rough, I know. But I think her worst nightmare would be if she found an article on monster mothers and she wasn`t mentioned.
HAMMER: That` would probably be right. And I think what happened here is just mild compared to what happens a little later on the show when Dina finds a story about a sex tape that allegedly shows Lindsay with her ex- boyfriend, Calum(ph). As Dina`s watching this alleged sex tape, her 14- year-old daughter Ali walks into the room and looks on, too. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. LOHAN: Calum? Calum will not do that. And look how blurred out it is. That`s not - That`s nuts. It`s not Lindsay.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoa. Is that Lindsay?
D. LOHAN: We have to check.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK, this just blows my mind a little bit. You know, most moms caught in a situation like that would freak out if their 14-year-old walked in. They would say like, "Get out of the room! Don`t look at this!" Ashleigh, Dina is just sitting there with Ali and they`re analyzing the tape. Amazing.
BANFIELD: Yes, disturbing. I was very disturbed by that. Not only by the fact that she was supposedly looking at what could have potentially been her daughter in a sex act and not moving on but then, when Ali walks in the room, she doesn`t do anything to cover that up. And I`ve got to say, A.J., this may be borderline a custody issue. She said on the show she has sole custody of her kids. I think her husband could make a pretty good case of her not protecting her kids against child pornography in the house and in fact, sort of celebrating it in a bizarre way. This is not a good thing for her.
HAMMER: Or, Michael Musto, was it perhaps more insight as to why she got that Woman of the Year award a couple of months ago?
MUSTO: That was in like five (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Long Island or something. It doesn`t really count any more than the prize I just won in the Cracker Jack box.
HAMMER: Well, debuting on E! right before the Lohan show, you had Denise Richards in her new reality show called "It`s Complicated." Now, I spent quite a bit of time with Denise and she told me why she did the show. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENISE RICHARDS, ACTRESS: I think people have a different perception of who I really am. This is an opportunity for people to have people see who I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I was paying close attention and what we saw is and I made my list here - Denise lives in a house overrun by dogs, cats and pigs. And she`s just a regular girl with regular problems like trying to get her pig pregnant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARDS: Hi, I was calling about the piggies. I`m looking for a male stud.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m sorry, a male what?
RICHARDS: Stud. I have a female I`m trying to breed.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t have any for sale at the moment.
RICHARDS: Do you sell the sperm?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Carolina, now you get that she just lives this normal life. And I`m just curious, when`s the last time you tried to get your pig pregnant?
BERMUDEZ: If this is normal, I just want to be weird forever. This girl - she fits every single stereotype within that half hour that she wanted to dispel. She is very self-absorbed. I mean I always get spray tanned before I go out on a date. I`m always looking for a stud to knock up my yorkie.
I mean, come on. What are the problems you have in your life? You`re dealing with a divorce. That`s an awful situation. Why would you do this to yourself and your children?
HAMMER: I just don`t get it. One of the many reasons though that Denise said she wanted to do the show was to get away from being called a husband- stealer and a gold-digger and for people to realize she`s just a normal girl. Well, take a look at what constitutes normal for her following this blind date she had with a regular guy. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARDS: I can`t help that I`m attracted to (EXPLETIVE DELETED), not sexy guys who think (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I`m sorry. I can`t help it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Denise has a reputation already for liking wild guys. So Ashleigh, when she says something like that, is this going to help her image change at all?
BANFIELD: You know, I`m going to bring you back to the custody issue again, because there was a judge who decided that her two young girls could appropriately be featured in this program. And I think if Charlie were to take some of the aired episodes back to this judge, that might change, although a lot of it is already in the can. One thing it will affect, ratings and renewal. We will see what the people who watch it have to say, whether they turn it off or if more tune in. That`s really what it comes down to.
HAMMER: Well, you know, in all fairness also, we`re just judging these two shows, "Living Lohan" and "It`s Complicated" by one single episode apiece. You know the old expression, you only get one chance to make a first impression? So Carolina, you know, mission not accomplished as far as changing images for me in either case. Who looked worse to you?
BERMUDEZ: I got to go with the momma-ger, Dina Lohan. I don`t think she`s going to receive any kind of parenting awards any time soon. It was really disturbing to watch. It is train wreck TV at its finest, but I`ve got to give it to Dina.
HAMMER: Quick vote, Michael Musto?
MUSTO: I agree. Denise, on her show, the pig is the smartest one in the room. But still, Denise doesn`t have a career to ruin at this point. Dina should know better. She already pushed one daughter to the precipice. Now, she`s doing it again. Nothing can be gained from this, except for good copy. So, actually I say, keep it coming.
HAMMER: Got to end it there. Ashleigh Banfield, Carolina Bermudez, Michael Musto, I thank you all.
Well, talk about train wreck TV, you remember when Heather Mills went on her weeping tour?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: It does not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on her "media, leave me alone" tour, I kept thinking, well then, you leave us alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And Ms Mills is just the beginning. So break out your Kleenex, because coming up, the weepiest, the whiniest, the most over-the-top tearful stories ever caught on tape. Wait till you see this showbiz special report, the celebrity crying game.
Also the new "Indiana Jones" movie a huge hit all over the world, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" made $311 million over the weekend but one country, an entire country, is calling for a boycott of the movie. Wait until you hear why. It`s a story that definitely had me saying, are you kidding me? That is coming up.
Plus Hollywood rocked by the death of a legend, actor and director Sydney Pollack has died. Coming up, his extraordinary career and a message from his "Michael Clayton" co-star, George Clooney. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, a showbiz special report, the best crying ever.
You remember Ellen DeGeneres breaking down over a dog, right? Or what about Heather Mills whimpering all over British TV? You know, we are seeing more and more stars crying on TV than ever before. So what`s the deal? Are things really that bad in Hollywood or are the stars just overreacting? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson has a showbiz special report, tears in tinseltown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Crying - everyone does it. "I Love Lucy," especially when she did it. Babies do it too. Even guilt-stricken televangelists cry.
JIMMY SWAGGART, TELEVANGELIST: I have sinned against you, my Lord.
ANDERSON: But when some the biggest stars in Hollywood turn on the water works, it becomes a watershed moment. These days, it seems like anything and everything has Tinseltown melting down. It`s been one blubbering mess.
PAULA ABDUL, ACTRESS: I get screwed over so much and I work so hard.
ANDERSON: After another.
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": And I feel totally responsible for it and I am so sorry.
ANDERSON: So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, what is with all the welling and why can`t we stop watching these weepy train wrecks?
COOPER LAWRENCE, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: If people cry on camera one of two things happens; either you watch and you got silly sympathetic or feel awful for them. And then there`s Heather Mills.
ANDERSON: Ah, Heather Mills.
HEATHER MILLS, EX-WIFE OF PAUL MCCARTNEY: Rubbish. I can sell my story right now. I`m trying to protect Paul and our daughter.
ANDERSON: Heather came out swinging on the British morning show "GMTV," but suddenly was reduced to this.
MILLS: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or murderer.
MICHAEL YO: When I saw Heather Mills crying, I was like, seriously you had just been married to Paul McCartney just for four years and you`re complaining about how the media is attacking you? Come on you are a grown adult.
LAWRENCE: It did not ring true. I mean every time I saw her on the media- leave-me-alone tour. I kept thinking, well then, you leave us alone.
MILLS: I am trying and I`m being pushed to the edge.
ANDERSON: Ah, OK. Then there is Ellen DeGeneres and her dog-day dilemma.
DEGENERES: But today is a hard day for me to hit back.
ANDERSON: It was definitely a hard day for Ellen when she admitted to violating a dog adoption agreement by giving her adopted dog, Iggy, to another family.
DEGENERES: When things are going so terribly wrong right now.
YO: When she came out and sat on the couch, grabbed a little tissue and started crying, I was like, oh my god something must have happened to somebody very, very close to her. I hope it wasn`t her best friend. I hope it wasn`t her family.
DEGENERES: It`s not their fault. It`s my fault.
YO: This is all about a dog. No way.
LAWRENCE: I don`t think she did this to manipulate her audience. I think she genuinely was feeling like that.
DEGENERES: What a great show we have today.
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: You have to realize that we`re people.
ANDERSON: On NBC`s "Dateline," Britney Spears wept over being a paparazzi target.
B. SPEARS: I would like for them to leave me alone.
CROCKER: Leave Britney alone!
ANDERSON: Actor and YouTube phenomenon, Chris Crocker, made an Internet plea heard around the world to leave Britney alone. And it got everybody talking.
CROCKER: She`s a human!
ANDERSON: Leave Britney Spears alone made him the man of the hour, or at least 15 minutes.
YO: Leave Britney alone! He gets so much exposure, this Chris Crocker guy. People have got to remember, he is an actor. Does he care about Britney Spears?
CROCKER: Because all you people want is more, more, more, more, more! Leave her alone!
ANDERSON: Crocker cried his way to fame and so did one unforgettably sullen little girl.
(MUSIC)
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the crying girl on "American Idol" saw something in finalist Sanjay Malakar that most people couldn`t see - talent.
YO: You have a girl crying, crying over Sanjaya, a person that can`t sing, a person that has no talent and you are crying over him. Are you serious? This is pathetic.
ANDERSON: Ah, but Michael, you haven`t seen anything yet. It was a sad reality when, in a split second, Paula Abdul, straight up, broke down on her reality show "Hey Paula."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Paula was all fun and games until she got a heart stopping text message that shook her to the core.
ABDUL: I`m in there, asked to executive produce, choreograph, design the clothing and dolls for the Bratz movie. What am I supposed to do?
ANDERSON: Poor Paula, what will you do? Oh, that`s right, you have that other job. So why the long face?
ABDUL: I can`t go through this.
YO: I mean, Paula Abdul that show was a train wreck. Nobody likes it. And probably, the main reason she was crying - it wasn`t about the movie deal. It wasn`t about her agent. She probably saw some advanced copies of the show.
LAWRENCE: She is kind of rich that Paula, and her life seems pretty good. She gets very little sympathy from me. I think Paula Abdul has a very nice life.
ABDUL: Dad, please. I`m trying to tell Daddy a story!
ANDERSON: Oh, how we love a good cry on TV. But why can`t we stop watching?
LAWRENCE: When stars cry, we love it because it`s a little peek behind the curtain. We get to see them be very real and very vulnerable.
ANDERSON: So when Hollywood cries, well, you just can`t help but cry about it.
YO: I`m so sad!
LAWRENCE: Why do people cry on camera? Oh. Go to break.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right. I`m going to put these away now. No more tears for Heather Mills, at least for now. You know, she`s been pretty quiet since she was awarded almost $50 million in her divorce settlement from Sir Paul McCartney.
Well, tonight, a Hollywood legend who made us cry, who made us laugh and was one of the greatest directors of our time is being remembered from coast to coast and around the world. Sydney Pollack died of cancer Monday at the age of 73.
From "Tootsie" to "Out of Africa," from "The Way We Were" to "They Shoot Horses, Don`t They?" Pollack directed and also acted in some of the most memorable movies of our time. Here`s CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: I couldn`t get through to him.
SYDNEY POLLACK, ACTOR: You scared him to death. Come on.
CLOONEY: Male as a bull.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Sydney Pollack`s ability to go toe-to-toe with stars on camera as with George Clooney in last year`s "Michael Clayton" was matched by his talent at guiding them from the director`s chair. Pollack met Robert Redford in the early `60s and wound up directing him in seven films, most notably in 1985`s "Out of Africa."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Good morning.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Have you had trouble?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I don`t know. Have you?
WYNTER: the lush drama brought Pollack Oscars for best director and best picture. He also steered Paul Newman to an Oscar nomination for "Absence of Malice," sent Tom Cruise sprinting through the streets of Memphis in "The Firm".
POLLACK: I can`t help but get affected by this place, too. It`s still looking a pretty grand place.
WYNTER: Even when Pollack`s films weren`t hits, they often broke new ground. His 2005 thriller, "The Interpreter" was the first film ever permitted to shoot inside United Nations Headquarters in New York.
POLLACK: You`re a tomato. A tomato doesn`t have logic. A tomato can`t move.
WYNTER: His most famous double-duty may have been "Tootsie" babbling with Dustin Hoffman, both as director and the title character`s exasperated agent. The gender-bending comedy earned ten Oscar nominations, including one for Pollack. As a director, producer and actor, Pollack enjoyed both critical and commercial success over a distinguished five-decade career.
POLLACK: My biggest achievement? Surviving, I would say.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
That was Kareen Wynter for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And we reached out to Pollack`s "Michael Clayton" co-star George Clooney. And in a statement, Clooney told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Sydney mad the world a little better, movies a little better and even dinner a little better, a tip of the hat to a class act. He`ll be missed terribly.
Well, the new "Indiana Jones" movie is a bona fide blockbuster. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" made, get this, $311 million over the long weekend, a huge hit all over the world. But there`s one country that`s actually calling for a boycott of the movie. Wait until you hear why. This is a story that made me say, are you kidding me? It`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIA LABEOUF, ACTOR: What is he going to do now?
KAREN ALLEN, ACTRESS: I don`t think he plans that far ahead.
HARRISON FORD, ACTOR: I`d cover my ears if I were you!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" ruled the box office, bringing in $311 million worldwide. But tonight, not everybody is cheering for Indy. Tonight, the "Indiana Jones" communist controversy. You have got to hear this one.
Seems the plot of Indy has Russia`s communist party seeing red. Are you kidding me? Yes. Party leaders want an all-out ban of the film over the portrayal of Soviet KGB agents. Get this, they think the fictional sci-fi adventure flick distorts history. We are going to Moscow right now with CNN`s senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN`S SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The story line is drawing criticism in Russia. The country`s communist call it a little more than crude, anti-Soviet propaganda.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through a translator): Look, they`re sniping the Soviet soldiers in the face. These films just propagate idealization of the west because all of our guys are dying at the film, which can`t be possible because back then, we were much better prepared.
CHANCE: The film has clearly touched a nerve in a country rediscovering its Soviet past. Only a few weeks ago, tanks and missiles were paraded through Red Square in a show of military might not seen since the Soviet collapse. So it comes at a time of renewed national pride and communists say it could give Russian youth a distorted view.
(on camera): Well, the controversy doesn`t seem to have had a negative impact on ticket sales. In fact, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" has opened in more than 800 theaters across Russia, more than any other Hollywood blockbuster. It seems the concerns of the communist party, once all powerful here, are no longer shared by most Russians.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we don`t accept it. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is nothing insulting. We enjoyed it.
CHANCE: And in this new era, most Russians appear glad to have "Indiana Jones" swashbuckling across their screens once again even if he is thwarting the communists of Russia`s past.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s senior international correspondent Matthew Chance for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next.
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