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Showbiz Tonight
`It Girl` Smackdown; Interview With Hayden Panettiere; Marilyn Monroe Wannabes; The Way They Were; The Dark Side of Comedy; Interview With Paula Abdul
Aired July 02, 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: "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere opens up like never before about the tabloids and pressure to stay thin in Hollywood.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And "Sex and the City" star Kristin Davis doesn`t hold back at all about the paparazzi.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: A special edition of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Hollywood "It Girl" smackdown. Can the new-ish kids on the block knock the queens of Hollywood out of their top slots?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To be an "It Girl" you have to be somebody that women want to be like and men want to be with.
HAMMER: Miley versus Britney, Rihanna takes on Janet.
It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT no-holds-barred, bare-knuckle "It Girl" championship fight.
The dark side of comedy. Why is it that so much of the comedy that makes us laugh is rooted in pain, depression, unhappy childhood, even mental illness?
DR. DREW PINSKY, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: The funniest people in the world tend to be some of the most unhappy.
HAMMER: It`s a revealing and disturbing look at what happens when the laughter stops.
Plus, the way they were.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Jackson, when he was at his most popular, was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
HAMMER: Remember when Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Whitney Houston were on top because of their music? What in the world happened?
Let`s moonwalk down memory lane.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ investigates the way they were.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you from Hollywood.
And tonight, a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Life in the spotlight never is easy -- the ups and downs, the nonstop media scrutiny. I`ve got to tell you, though, I do not envy these stars with tabloids, the cameras in their face, ready to pounce on their every move.
Well, coming up, how Hollywood`s biggest stars manage fame and their romantic relationships without cracking under the pressure. The secrets to love and fame.
ANDERSON: But first tonight, it`s a Hollywood "It Girl" smackdown. A new generation of young women are going head-to-head with the A-listers who dominated the fame game first. But here`s what I want to know, will stars like Britney and Angelina successfully defend their titles, or will the "It Girls" in training prevail?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the "It Girl" smackdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): In hot, young Hollywood, there always seems to be a pretty new face or an up-and-coming talent poised to become the latest "It Girl." But for all their hype, can this new generation of stars really unseat the old guard of tried-and-true favorites?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope so. I`m going to try my best.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is rating the contenders in a Hollywood "It Girl" smackdown.
Kicking off the competition is a mega match-up between Britney Spears and Miley Cyrus. It`s the original pop star tease versus Disney`s squeaky clean singing sensation.
KRISTIN DOS SANTOS, J! ONLINE COLUMNIST: I think that everyone is saying that Miley is the new Britney. She started out so young, she`s so big, everyone knows her.
ANDERSON: But there`s one major difference...
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER (singing): I`m not that innocent
ANDERSON: One has bounced back from the brink of self-destruction, while the other has stayed on the straight and narrow, avoiding drugs and all the drama.
MILEY CYRUS, ACTRESS: There`s nothing to quit if you never get started. So I think this -- you know, surround yourself with good people that can keep you away from that.
DAPHNE BROGDON, TV HOST AND STANDUP COMIC: Miley Cyrus is the "It Girl." Her star`s on the rise. She hasn`t crashed and burned like Britney has.
ANDERSON: It looks like Miley scores the knockout blow.
Next up, it`s a below-the-belt battle between action hero/sex kitten Angelina Jolie, who kicked some major butt in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," with Megan Fox following suit in "Transformers."
MEGAN FOX, ACTRESS: It was phenomenal. It just blue me away.
ANDERSON: And with their bee-stung lips and tattoo fetish, these lookalikes could be sisters. But that`s where the similarities end.
BROGDON: In the Angelina Jolie/Megan Fox match-up, it`s no contest. It has to go to Angelina Jolie. Now, Megan Fox is a stunningly beautiful girl. But number one, who`s she`s hanging out with? Brian Austin Green of "90210." Not exactly Brad Pitt.
ANDERSON: There is one move Megan could take from Angie`s repertoire to up her "It Girl" quotient.
DOS SANTOS: Two words for Megan Fox: African baby. Until you get one of those, you`re really not going to be any match for Angelina.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: What we need to be reminded of is to know what is possible and what -- what are the beautiful things that can be formed through our diversity.
ANDERSON: With her copycat down for the count, humanitarian globetrotter Angelina Jolie emerges as the clear winner in this sexy showdown.
Round three of our Hollywood "It Girl" smackdown features a hot mess match- up between two no-holds-barred rocker girls -- the always unpredictable Courtney Love...
COURTNEY LOVE, SINGER: Huh?
ANDERSON: ... finds a fierce competitor in Amy Winehouse.
AMY WINEHOUSE, SINGER: Yes, I guess so. Whatever.
ANDERSON: Whether it`s Courtney blogging on MySpace about her botched plastic surgery, or Amy allegedly doing drugs on videotape, there`s always something about these two tortured musicians that has us saying, oh, no, no, no.
BROGDON: In that smackdown, I totally give to it Amy Winehouse. Her troubles with drugs and her husband, you know, if you`re 22, 20, you know, people kind of expect it. But when you`re a middle-aged woman, you have a teenage daughter, if you`ve got the "ick" factor, you`re not the "It Girl."
ANDERSON: And the "It Girl" title goes to Amy Winehouse, whether she wants it or not.
WINEHOUSE: I don`t really care enough about what people think of me to conform to anything.
ANDERSON: In what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT could call Hollywood`s own battle of the bulges, round four is old-school "Baywatch" babe Pam Anderson versus the voluptuous socialite Kim Kardashian.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pam Anderson has a very big, big, big advantage over Kim Kardashian. She obviously is well endowed with a scripted television career, which I`m sure is what everyone was thinking of.
ANDERSON: Our thoughts exactly. And the beautiful bombshells have more than curves in common. Both have had sex tape scandals and now E! reality shows.
KIM KARDASHIAN, ACTRESS: One of the reasons I was so excited to do a reality show was there`s so many stereotypes of what Hollywood kids are like.
I don`t want to stay in a piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED) hotel. Like, everything that you booked me in Miami has been the worst hotel ever.
ANDERSON: Thank goodness Kim laid those tired, old cliches to rest. But Pam still wins the "It Girl" breast -- I mean best in show.
And now the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT grand throwdown between trend-setting R&B divas. Are we still living in Janet Jackson`s "Rhythm Nation" or are we standing under Rihanna`s "Umbrella, Ella, Ella?"
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to go with Janet Jackson. I mean, she has got the "Jackson" name going for her. Rihanna doesn`t even have a last name.
ANDERSON: But being cutting edge is an important trait in an "It Girl," and Barbados-born Rihanna definitely works that angle to her advantage.
RIHANNA, SINGER: I just felt a little rebellious. I wanted to do what I wanted to do. Do something different, do something a little more daring and risky.
ANDERSON: Ms. Jackson could have been a contender. But the "It Girl" crown in this final round has to go to Rihanna.
And now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the secret "it" factor to becoming an "It Girl."
BROGDON: To be an "It Girl," you have to be somebody that women want to be like and men want to be with. And when that starts to diminish, that`s when you need to go and find another profession.
ANDERSON: So, Ladies and Gentlemen, there you have it. The reigning "It Girl" champs better stay on their toes, because at least some of their challengers are gaining ground, and Hollywood may not be big enough for them all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, Hollywood has made room for Hayden Panettiere. Actually, she`s the one who`s taken Hollywood by storm.
The "Heroes" star opened up to me about what it`s really like to be a Hollywood "It Girl," what she thinks about the tabloids, the pressure to stay thin. I`ve got to tell you, it was refreshing to hear honest, no- holds-barred answers about what it`s like to be a hot, young Hollywood star.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You`ve faced some challenges now that you are in the limelight. And I know that tabloids come out with a lot of stories about you, probably very few, if any, are true.
Do you mind it? Do you read them just for fun?
HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: You know, I think I try to avoid it. I think that`s the best way to kind of keep your head on straight in this business, is not to read the blogs on the Internet, not to look at any of the rag mags just because it can make you feel really bad.
And for somebody to sit on the other side of a computer or somebody who`s typing up a magazine to constantly critique me and say, "Oh, she looks fat in that dress," "Oh, she looks too thin, too thick, too tall, too short," it`s amazing to me. It`s amazing that people feel they have the right to judge you like that and write these stories and not even really ask you. And if they do, it`s like, write the story and then say, "But she denies it," at the end.
But you try your best, you don`t read it. You surround yourself with people who love you, who care about you, who tell you good things about yourself. And it`s tough. It`s tough.
ANDERSON: No matter how thick your skin is, it`s got to be tough.
PANETTIERE: But some of the stories that they`ve come up with are really funny. Really funny.
And people may watch me on TV. People may see me walking down the street and have paparazzi and the glamorous life. But I`m absolutely as normal as they come.
I have every insecurity that any teenage girl has. You know, I went through it all.
I went through high school. I hung out with friends. I`m from Rock (ph) County, New York, which is outside of the city, outside of any sort of scene. And, you know, I did it all. I have the same feelings as any other girl. It`s completely normal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You know, I think Hayden has this whole Hollywood thing really under control. And she says that her mom has been her greatest strength in her rise to fame.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, Marilyn Monroe obviously one of the most famous stars ever, right?
ANDERSON: She really was. You know, so many people wanted to be just like her.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, I can tell you that Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and other young stars are just obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. But is this a dangerous path to head down?
Tonight, it`s a revealing look at the Marilyn wannabes.
ANDERSON: I think Robin Williams, Rosie O`Donnell, Jim Carrey are very funny and talented, some of the funniest out there. But tonight, I`m uncovering some of their deepest, darkest secrets, their troubled past behind the laughs.
It`s the dark side of comedy coming up next.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Jackson when he was at his most popular was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The way they were. I remember Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Whitney Houston when they were on top of their game because of their music. So what in the world happened?
Well, let`s moonwalk down memory lane, shall we? SHOWBIZ investigates the way they were.
This special of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, showbiz investigates the fame game coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARILYN MONROE, ACTRESS (singing): A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl`s best friend
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Everyone rembers this classic Marilyn Monroe scene from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," but who could forget the tragic way her life ended? So why are Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, even reality star Kim Kardashian, obsessed with becoming the next Marilyn Monroe?
Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and I can tell you right now there`s an obsession going on with Marilyn Monroe. Despite her tragic life, her shocking death, young stars like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan are really trying hard to be the next Marilyn.
But hold on, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, are they nuts?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): Hollywood is just full of wannabes. And more than ever, stars still want to be just like icon Marilyn Monroe.
Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is getting to the bottom of this obsession, and the first wannabe star, Paris Hilton.
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: That`s hot.
ANDERSON: Then there`s reality star Kim Kardashian.
KARDASHIAN: And I`m not going if I`m not having a suite at the Setai.
ANDERSON: We couldn`t possibly forget once upon a time Disney princess Lindsay Lohan.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I just moved here from Africa.
ANDERSON: And forever immortalized as the biggest wannabe Marilyn Monroe, the late Anna Nicole Smith.
ANNA NICOLE SMITH, ACTRESS: I would so much love to hang out with you.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask this burning question: Why would anyone want to emulate Marilyn Monroe? Did everyone forget her life had anything but a happy Hollywood ending?
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": She had this horrible childhood, a lifelong addiction to drugs and bad relationships, and she said herself that she was depressed for the majority of her life and eventually ended up dying.
JENNY SLATE, COMEDIAN: She wasn`t really praised at all for her acting abilities.
GABE LIEDMAN, COMEDIAN: Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes. Well, who said anything about acting ability?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you these stars aren`t known for their acting skills either -- well, except for Lindsay Lohan, who once had a career. But there are some striking similarities between these wannabes and Marilyn Monroe. And for some, it has something to do with a sex tape.
And, yes, Marilyn reportedly had one, too. Here, the ladies of "The View."
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": There`s a sex tape out -- not out. Some guy`s got it. He paid a lot of money for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: $1.5 million.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Paris has her own sex tape, too. So, yes, there`s a ton of similarities there.
ANDERSON: Ah, yes, Paris Hilton and Marilyn do have something in common there. The hotel heiress who`s famous for nothing told the U.K. "Sunday Times," "I think every decade has an iconic blonde like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana, and right now, I`m that icon."
Paris, are you kidding me?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sadly, I don`t think that Paris was kidding.
ANDERSON: And then there`s reality star Kim Kardashian...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s so annoying.
ANDERSON: ... who`s got a sex tape of her own. And she is told CNN`s Larry King she just had to do "Playboy" after Hugh Hefner told her this Marilyn Monroe story...
KARDASHIAN: He told me that idol Marilyn Monroe was on his first cover. It was really inspirational to me.
ANDERSON: Yes, Kim. Being inspired is one thing, being misinformed another, because Marilyn never actually posed for the magazine.
PIAZZA: The photos of Marilyn that appeared in "Playboy" had actually been taken by another photographer before she was famous, and she finally consented to allow them to be printed. But it wasn`t Marilyn`s decision.
ANDERSON: Oh decision-smidgens. I guess Kim didn`t let the facts get in the way of a good story there. And that seems to be the running theme in this Monroe wannabe story.
And next up, Lindsay Lohan. She`s been arrested twice for DUI, spent some time in rehab, and is struggling to get her career back on track as a result of all of her problems.
LIEDMAN: She kind of, like, took a drunk right and -- you know, it`s not cute. She ran into something.
SLATE: Not cute.
ANDERSON: But how`s this for a cute idea? Recreating Marilyn Monroe`s final photo shoot called "The Last Sitting"? Yes.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": Lindsay Lohan recently did a spread in, what was it, "New York Magazine," when she was -- I mean, she looked just like her. She did all the interpretations. She was -- I mean, right there. Everyone`s obsessed with her.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is calling this obsession downright dangerous.
SLATE: What I don`t understand is if you`re trying to prove, I`m back, why recreate literally the last thing that somebody did before they, like, died?
LIEDMAN: Died tragically.
SLATE: Before they...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lindsay didn`t seem to understand any of the tragic parallels about that. She seemed to just think she was doing a lighthearted, pretty and also naked photo shoot.
ANDERSON: And the saddest part to this wannabe Marilyn Monroe story is perhaps the most tragic one of them all, the late Anna Nicole Smith.
SMITH: She`s been my idol for many, many years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anna Nicole Smith pretty much spent her life trying to emulate Marilyn.
ANDERSON: She certainly did. She was "Playboy`s" 1993 Playmate of the Year.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She spent her life trying to not only look like her, but act like her and emulate her in her relationships, in her lifestyle. And it ended pretty much the same way for Anna Nicole.
ANDERSON: And when you consider how tragic Anna Nicole Smith`s life was, it really leaves you wondering why the rest of these wannabes don`t quit while they`re still ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yes, Marilyn was such an icon. But today`s young stars really have to be careful.
All right, A.J. It seems like just yesterday that Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, even Britney Spears were ahead of everybody else. They were on top of the charts and on top of the world.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s so true, Brooke. I mean, think about it. It`s just amazing, almost difficult to believe what`s happened to all these stars that you mentioned.
So I just have to find out, why did these stars hop on the "Train Wreck Express?" Well, SHOWBIZ investigates the way they were. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: You know, I think stars like Robin Williams, Rosie O`Donnell, Jim Carrey are totally hysterical. But tonight, I can tell you that they share a deep, dark secret -- devastating depression. The dark side of comedy is straight ahead.
HAMMER: And I`ve got to tell you, I just love all the ladies from "Sex and the City." I can only imagine just how hard it is for them constantly having the paparazzi in their face. I mean, it seems like it`s all the time.
Well, tonight, you`ve just got to hear Kristin Davis from "Sex and the City" opening up like never before about fame.
You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
I`m A.J. Hammer.
Now, "Sex and the City" star Kristin Davis, who plays Charlotte, tells me her secret for not letting the paparazzi, the tabloids, get to her. And she really thanks us for pointing out how things have gotten totally out of control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTIN DAVIS, ACTRESS: I know you know this. You guys talk about it on your show, thank goodness. But, you know, to a certain extent, I`ve tuned it out.
I feel like it`s a lot of wasted energy on kind of a toxic issue. And I understand that people need to sell magazines, and I understand that just saying that everything`s great doesn`t necessarily sell magazines. I totally get all of that.
But the level of nuttiness that is printed, sometimes you just can`t even - - I don`t even look at it and I don`t read it. I feel like the idea that people would think that we were actually complaining about our jobs and what we`re paid -- which we`re tremendously overpaid in a world where people are living on, like, nothing, like one cent a day. You know, I`ve been to these places, I`ve met these people. And to think that we would actually sit and have the gall to be whining is kind of crazy.
But as I said, I find it toxic. So I choose not to read.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Which seems very wise.
OK, A.J., who can forget when Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Britney Spears were at the height of their fame? I mean, nobody could top them.
HAMMER: No, Brooke, that is so true. But as they say, how times have changed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Jackson when he was at his most popular was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. So what in the world happened? Well, tonight, I`m investigating the way they were.
ANDERSON: All right. Here`s something I just don`t get.
You`ve got stars like Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Rosie O`Donnell, so funny. So I don`t understand their shocking secret -- devastating depression. You don`t want to miss this, my revealing look at the dark side of comedy.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, I can tell you that, yes, there are actually Hollywood relationships that do work, despite the paparazzi and the nonstop pressure. And I am getting some of Hollywood`s biggest female stars to reveal their blockbuster secrets of how they make their romances last.
So much more of this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
I`m A.J. Hammer, in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ investigates the way they were.
Twenty-five years after "Thriller," Michael Jackson has certainly gone through some tough times in his personal life. But, you know, he`s not the only huge star who`s gone from pop phenomenon to phenomenal train wreck.
Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, we`re talking about massive pop stars who have all gone from the stars America loved to the train wrecks we just couldn`t stop watching. So tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a look back to remember the way they were.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBRA STREISAND, SINGER (singing): Memories...
HAMMER (voice over): Ah, the memories. Remember Michael Jackson`s moonwalk? How about Whitney`s heavenly voice and Britney`s brilliant pop sounds?
It`s like Barbra Streisand sang in "The Way We Were." Memories of the greatest entertainers of the world still live in the corners of our minds.
They are the biggest stars the world has ever seen. Their careers have become prisoners to their personal demons. Rehab, trials and addiction have put a different spin on their lives. And none of it good.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the golden era of these supersized stars will never be tarnished.
MICHAEL JACKSON, SINGER: I am totally innocent of any wrongdoing.
HAMMER: It has been a tough couple of years for Michael Jackson, from being accused of child molestation in 1993, dangling a baby from a window in 2002, to facing more child molestation charges in 2005. Everyone watched as the King of Pop became the king of bizarre.
But remember when we just couldn`t get enough of Michael? Before he was the center of controversy, Michael Jackson was the undisputed King of Pop.
ALEX WAGNER, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Michael Jackson when he was at his most popular was less an artist and more sort of a worldwide phenomenon.
I think Michael was the first in the -- you know, true pop king. This is someone that has sold a total of three billion albums worldwide. So it`s basically everybody and their mother in every country in the world was listening to him.
HAMMER: And of course, there was "Thriller," still touted by "Billboard" magazine as the single biggest-selling album of all time. With Michael, it wasn`t just the music.
WAGNER: He had dance moves. I mean, nobody had a floor show like Michael Jackson.
HAMMER: Oh, boy, Britney Spears. Between the pantiless partying, the head-shaving, the rehab and the custody battles, it`s easy to forget Britney was once a super star. No matter how crazy people think Britney might be, you can`t deny that for more than a decade, she has been a pop phenomenon. Eighty-three million albums sold worldwide, a super star by the age of 19.
WAGNER: Britney, you know, back in the day was someone that we loved watching grow up. She was young. She was kind of this teenybopper, the pigtails.
HAMMER: "Hit Me Baby One More Time" made her a sensation. And oops, the hits kept coming again and again. She told CNN in 1999 the success even caught her by surprise.
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: I was just wanting my song to be in the top 40.
WAGNER: Britney is someone whose personal crises may have eclipsed her musical career, but fundamentally has a team around her that understands music and pop hooks (ph) in a way that will never escape her, I think.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: Crack is whack.
HAMMER: A moment in pop culture history, Whitney Houston being interviewed by Primetime Live`s Diane Sawyer about her reported drug use. Just one example of Whitney`s bumpy ride in the spotlight.
HOUSTON: Damn, damn! Lord, I just want to be a real person!
HAMMER: Substance abuse, rehab, divorce all turned the American sweetheart into tabloid fodder. Some blame her ex-husband, bad boy Bobby Brown, co- star in the reality show "Being Bobby Brown."
BOBBY BROWN, SINGER: I`ve been to jail before. That`s America.
HOUSTON: (INAUDIBLE)!
HAMMER: But we remember the times before her life spun out of control, when everybody wanted to dance with somebody named Whitney.
HOUSTON (singing): Oh, I want to dance with somebody...
WAGNER: Whitney came onto the scene and was an angel.
HOUSTON (singing): And I will always love you...
HAMMER: That song from Whitney`s film "The Bodyguard" marked her pinnacle. She`s still the only artist in history to have seven consecutive number one hits. She holds the title of being the first female artist to enter the billboard 200 at number one. "The Bodyguard" soundtrack in the top 10 biggest selling albums of all time.
WAGNER: If you look at the early tapes of Whitney Houston, there`s something there, something just glowing. And this poise and this dignity. And you know, there really actually isn`t even anyone like her now.
HAMMER: And if they had a chance to do it all again, tell me, could they? Would they?
WAGNER: They all have something fundamentally that none of us have. And I think, you know, the American public wants that again. So they just need to realize that for themselves.
HOUSTON: It makes you feel kind of old, huh? But I`m not done yet, believe me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Whitney Houston is definitely not done. She has put her rocky past behind her. And ever since she reunited with record mogul Clive Davis, Houston`s second act is looking better than ever.
ANDERSON: Yes it is.
OK. Comedian Kathy Griffin has t`d off so many stars over the years, it`s hard to keep track. But it`s no joke that she`s this close to the A-list with her reality show, "My Life on the D List." No matter where she falls in the fame food chain, Kathy is still totally irreverent, and she gave me an earful about celebrity reality shows she loves to hate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: OK, that is -- how do you ask someone to choose? It`s like which child do you love the most? You can`t. You have to love them equally.
I will say that what kills me about shows like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," is on "My Life on the D List," we, I don`t know, go perform in Iraq, perform in a maximum security prison. You know, I mean, everything.
And yet, on "The Kardashians," a whole episode is Kim gets her nails done. So I do, I have a little bitterness. And I`m pretty sure everyone is doing it better than I am and easier than I am.
But I do enjoy those shows. And I love every second of Denise Richards` "It`s Super Simple," as I call it, or "Living Lohan," or "How to Rent a Babysitter Online After Three Months."
I love those shows. And I`m fascinated by any Lohan, by the way. You can`t go wrong -- and I know Michael has been in this very chair. Any Lohan, to me, can be in the act at any time.
ANDERSON: It doesn`t matter?
GRIFFIN: No. I like Lindsay. I`ve met her. She`s very sweet, very talented. And, you know, she`s in a little trouble kind of consistently. But I`m super obsessed with the little one being a hip-hop star.
ANDERSON: Yes. And they`re unpredictable, the Lohans.
GRIFFIN: Well, they apparentlqly don`t know they`re white. So first of all, that`s an issue. But really, any Lohan is fine with me. They`re all good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: She is just so wild. And Kathy has also shamelessly recorded a CD for the sole purpose of winning a Grammy Award. She wants to win so it can keep her Emmy Award for "My Life on the D List" company.
A.J., Kathy seems like such a grounded, happy person.
HAMMER: Yes, she smiles a lot. She always seems to be having a good time.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HAMMER: Not, of course, always the case when it comes to the people who make us laugh, however.
ANDERSON: That`s right. There is definitely a dark side of comedy. We`ve seen this time and again. So I wanted to know, why do so many funny stars have a history of really deep depression?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the dark side of comedy coming up.
Also this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEANN RIMES, SINGER: We laugh a lot. He`s hysterical, and he keeps me on my toes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s not just LeAnn Rimes and her husband. Believe it or not, there are relationships in Hollywood that work. These stars have managed to find a way to steer clear of the pitfalls so many famous couples run into.
So, how do they make it work? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And Paula Abdul unplugged. From "American Idol" to her reality show, all eyes are on Paula Abdul.
Paula really opened up to me about how she deals with being under such intense scrutiny. That is coming up next on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, this special edition, SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, "The Dark Side of Comedy." It`s not all laughs in the comedy world. In fact, some of the funniest people, like Robin Williams and Jim Carrey, have struggled with troubled pasts, and they are just two examples of many comics whose real-life stories are no laughing matter.
Tonight, we`re investigating the dark side of comedy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, COMEDIAN: Oh, no, say it ain`t so, Joe.
ANDERSON: Robin Williams, Roseanne Barr, Jim Carrey, they are all talented comedians linked by much more than laughs. They have also battled depression.
PINSKY: The funniest people in the world tend to be some of the most unhappy.
ANDERSON: Dr. Drew Pinsky is an addiction specialist who conducted the first-ever study of celebrities and mental illness.
PINSKY: We`re happy to be around them. We like what they do for us. We feed them, to a certain extent. But the reality is that pseudo intimacy we establish with a comedian as an audience is really not enough to feed their emptiness and to make them healthy.
JOHN HENSON, COMEDIAN: I think there is a dark side of comedy.
ANDERSON: Comedian John Henson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT his 20 years as a comic opened his eyes to a surprising reality.
HENSON: Stand-ups tend to bathe themselves in that attention. When you`re on the road, sometimes you`re alone 22, 23 hours a day. Then you`re in front of 500, 1,000, 2,500 people that night, all laughing and the center of attention for an hour, and then back into sort of a world of isolation. It`s a strange lifestyle.
ANDERSON: The life of a comedian has extreme highs and lows. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, do the laughs actually hide a more serious problem?
PINSKY: I think about comedy more as the treatment rather than the mask for these people. They`re trying to regulate a deep sense of pain, and this is how they go into the world and get fed. It actually is a solution to their problem.
JIM CARREY, COMEDIAN: Bingo Yahtzee! Is that your final answer? Our survey says, God! Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!
ANDERSON: "Bruce Almighty" is just one of dozens of films filled with Jim Carrey`s God-given gift for comedy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jim Carrey`s the kind of guy who could have been a silent film star. His physicality is second to none.
ANDERSON: Carrey`s secret to comedy success points directly to his dark childhood. Carrey told "60 Minutes," "I had a sick mom, man. I wanted to make her feel better. I used to do impressions of praying mantises and weird things. I`d bounce off the walls and throw myself down the stairs to make her feel better."
HENSON: Jim has talked about his depression at length, and I think that`s another case of somebody who uses comedy to both come to terms with his own feelings and possibly even keep the world at arm`s reach.
ANDERSON: Carrey is just one of many comedians opening up about mental illness.
Comedian Howie Mandel is very open about his obsessive compulsive disorder. He doesn`t shake hands and he washes his hands compulsively. The host of the hit show "Deal or No Deal" is in therapy and he says he`s talking about it because raising awareness helps others get help, too.
Mandel spoke with CNN`s Larry King.
HOWIE MANDEL, COMEDIAN: I think that mental health is just coping skills. I think if we`re healthy mentally, we`re going to be healthy physically.
HENSON: At it`s purest form, comedy is about opening up your head and letting people into it and letting people see the spooky places that most people hide away. And I think when people connect to that, you have something truly special.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Comedian and controversial TV personality Rosie O`Donnell has also spoken publicly about her battle with depression. She says therapy and a strong relationship have helped her cope.
HAMMER: Well, you know, we always seem to be talking about shocking star break-ups and split-ups. But you know, there are Hollywood couples that do work. Really, there are. In fact, tonight, I`m getting some of Hollywood`s biggest leading ladies to really open up about their romances.
From Beyonce, to Catherine Zeta-Jones, the biggest stars are spilling their explosive secrets only to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about how they are making their relationships work.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): As the story goes, Michael Douglas took one look at the beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones in "Zorro" and decided one day she would be his wife. Over eight years of marriage and two children later, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Catherine is definitely making it work with Michael. She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Brooke Anderson that respect and fun are the winning combination.
CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, ACTRESS: We like each other a lot, obviously. That`s always a start, right?
But, I mean, we`re kind to each other. We never take each other for granted, and we`re kind and nice and respectful to each other. And we have fun. And I think that`s the bottom line, just keep having fun.
HAMMER: Of course, Catherine Zeta-Jones isn`t the only Hollywood actress making her marriage work with a famous husband and keeping it fun.
Take Kelly Preston and John Travolta. These two make it look so easy. Kelly and John have been married for -- are you ready for this -- over 17 years. A miracle by Hollywood standards, especially for a high-profile couple.
So I asked Kelly Preston about her secrets for success in love.
KELLY PRESTON, ACTRESS: We`ve really got a lot -- a very solid core. And we keep it fun. We have date nights, and, you know, you`ve just got to -- the two of you have got to check in regularly and keep it creative.
HAMMER: Nicole Kidman and country music singer Keith Urban have had to do more than keep it creative after a bumpy first year following their marriage in June 2006. Keith battled alcohol addiction and checked into rehab. But they`ve hung in there and Kidman coyly tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the two of them follow one very simple philosophy.
NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: Be kind to each other. Yes, be kind. I mean, it`s your best friend, you know? So, yes, we`re very protective and kind to each other.
HAMMER: The best friends idea has done another country star a wealth of good in her love life. LeAnn Rimes is only in her 20s, but has already been married to husband Dean Sheremet for over six years. She tells me whether they`re at home or on the road, balance and laughter keep their marriage on the go.
RIMES: We work together, but our lives don`t depend on it. I adore him and we laugh a lot. He`s hysterical, and he keeps me on my toes. And I think we`re a good balance. Where we both leave off, the other one picks up.
HAMMER: Another music maven who keeps work and play separate in her relationship is Ms. Beyonce Knowles. The multiple Grammy winner swears it`s deja vu between her and new husband Jay-Z. But Beyonce revealed to me her secret to making a relationship work, and that`s to keep it secret.
BEYONCE KNOWLES, SINGER: Mystery is important, because I never spoke about certain things, or people don`t really ask about certain things. And I still feel like I have a life and I have something that`s for me.
HAMMER: So, whether it`s balance, privacy or secrets behind closed doors, these leading women can teach us all a lesson in making it work in Hollywood and beyond.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, coming up, it`s Paula Abdul unplugged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL: I am under scrutiny a lot. I mean -- but it comes with the territory.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From "American Idol" to her reality show, it`s all eyes on Paula Abdul. And Paula really opened up to me about how she deals with being under scrutiny.
That is coming up next in this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
Now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time. Just download our podcast which is totally free. And you`ll find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast at CNN.com/showbiztonight, or do a search for it on iTunes.
We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ investigates the fame game.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, from "American Idol" to her reality show, Paula Abdul always seems to be under a microscope, whether it`s about her sometimes wacky comments to contestants, or perhaps trading barbs with Simon Cowell. You know, the blogs and the message boards, they always seem to light up when it comes to picking on Paula. Her fans really scrutinize her every little move.
Well, I can happily report to you that Ms. Paula Abdul takes all the scrutiny in stride, telling me exactly how she plays the fame game and what she`s taught all those "American Idol" contestants about the game along the way.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ABDUL: I am under scrutiny a lot. I mean -- but it comes with the territory. I am kind of used to it.
You are never fully used to it. But I have become accustomed to it. And it`s crazy. It`s different.
Every -- you know, there are tons of blogs. "I like when you wear your hair like this. I hate it when you wear it like that. I like what she wore. I don`t like what she wore."
I mean, it`s like, whatever. "Paula, she clapped like this tonight. Oh, I saw her and she was clapping like this tonight."
It`s crazy.
HAMMER: Well, how does it not get on your nerves? I mean, every detail like that is under so much scrutiny, or you`re like -- as you say, it comes with the territory? It is what it is and it kind of rolls off?
ABDUL: You know what? I`ve learned to kind of roll with the punches here and let it just roll off my shoulders. And I kind of teach the contestants to do the same thing.
You know, you can`t let -- you can`t read the good, you can`t read the bad. You have to just believe in yourself and stay true to who you are. And know that when you hit that center spot on that stage every night to just, you know, make magic happen.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That`s right, Paula.
And it`s good to hear that Paula Abdul`s imparting her many years of wisdom about the fame game and remembering it is all about making magic on the stage, Brooke.
And I`ve got to tell you, after all the years of watching her on "Idol" and everybody picking on her, I think she kind of gets a raw deal. I think she has got a big heart and a big smile and really means well.
ANDERSON: Yes, she is very sweet, and it`s great to see her career on the upswing again.
HAMMER: Absolutely.
Well, that is it for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11s -- 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
The latest from CNN Headline News is next.
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