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Showbiz Tonight
More of Al Reynolds Interview; Should Star Sell Their Baby Photos?; Eva Longoria`s Extra Padding; Christopher Ciccone Spills the Beans About Madonna; Are Brangelina Model Parents?
Aired July 16, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: Star Jones` ex speaks out, but is anyone buying what Al Reynolds is selling? And is it right for stars to sell their baby photos for millions? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Brangelina outrage in France. Angry protestors surround the hospital where Angelina Jolie gave birth to twins. But why are they so absolutely furious? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the inside story of the Brangelina hospital drama with Brad, Angelina and the twins caught in the middle.
Tonight, Madonna`s brother tells all to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. More of my no-holds-barred interview with Madonna`s brother about his tell-all book about his uber-famous sister and the tough questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): There are a lot of people who say, Christopher, that you have betrayed your sister, Madonna. How do you respond to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Tonight, Madonna`s brother`s surprising answer and his controversial take on Madonna`s marriage to Guy Ritchie and all the A-Rod rumors. Tonight, Madonna`s brother, Christopher Ciccone, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, tiny "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria gained a tiny bit of weight and everyone gets all bent out of shape. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the real reasons behind Eva`s change and why moms everywhere might be outraged over the explanation.
(MUSIC)
Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, broadcasting tonight from Hollywood. And tonight, the overwhelming reaction to big exclusive. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to bring you the unbelievable confessions of Star Jones` ex-husband in a self-produced interview that he has now release to the world on YouTube. That is coming up.
But first, the Brangelina hospital fury. Tonight, the outrage, the protests outside the hospital where Angelina Jolie just gave birth to twins. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that demonstrators are furious and they`re furious about what`s been going on at the hospital where Brad Pitt and Angelina just welcomed their newborn. But why are they so angry? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the latest developments making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Lovely Mediterranean beaches, picturesque views and breathtaking villas. In Nice, France, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have picked a lovely place to give birth to the most famous newborn twins on the planet.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": The south of France seems like a good place to be born.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this star couple is finding out that not everything is nice in Nice. With chants of "we want justice," protests erupted right outside the hospital where Jolie was staying, as we see in this video by "X17 Online." The protestors say local officials are giving more attention to the Brangelina babies than the recent stabbing of a young North African immigrant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): He is dying and others are in the midst of celebrating with Brad Pitt - Brad Pitt`s kids?
ANDERSON: And on the hospital steps where just hours earlier paparazzi were camped out to get the latest news of the new Brangelina babies, police had to stand to keep away the angry group.
JENN BROWN, HOST, "E! NEWS NOW": They`re out there with pictures. They`re picketing, taking advantage of the paparazzi and the media and the news that are out there and created quite a scene.
ANDERSON: The mayor of Nice certainly has been giving a lot of attention to Jolie, Pitt and their newborn twins. Soon after Jolie gave birth, the mayor held an impromptu media event right outside the hospital.
CHRISTIAN ESTROSI, MAYOR OF NICE: I congratulate the happy parents, the most famous couple in the world who have chosen our city for this happy event.
ANDERSON: Jenn Brown of "E!" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monsieur Mayor did everything but give the newborns the keys to the city.
BROWN: He`s holding up the birth certificate that he signed with Brad Pitt for one of the twins and kind of welcoming the twins into the city and kind of adopting them, if you will, as new residents of Nice.
ANDERSON: Of course, Brad and Angelina tend to kick up a fuss wherever they decide to go to have babies. When the couple traveled to the African nation of Namibia to give birth to their last daughter Shiloh, local officials swarmed all over them just like they did in Nice.
BROWN: Why not take advantage of having two of the most famous celebrities in the world pretty much coming into Nice and choosing to live there and have their babies?
ANDERSON: but as local officials used the Brangelina spotlight to highlight their city, these protestors are using that spotlight to call attention to their own less glamorous lives.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Jolie`s doctor has said she`s going to remain in the hospital for a few days, take some rest and recovery and relaxation. She and Pitt have rented an 800-acre villa near Nice. Wow.
ANDERSON: OK. Tonight, there is overwhelming reaction to the story that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first broke exclusively. Star Jones` soon-to-be ex-husband Al Reynolds in his first on-camera interview speaking out for the first time since his marriage to Star Jones ended in a big fireball of controversy. Reynolds is setting the record straight about his sexuality and his heavily sponsored wedding to star. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the first to air Reynolds` startling interview.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Russell Wetanson from "PopSquire.com." From New York, Marvette Britto, celebrity publicist and president of the Britto Agency.
Russell, Marvette, Al released a self-produced video on YouTube to set the record straight about so many claims about his relationship with Star, including speculation that he`s gay. Watch what he said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AL REYNOLDS, STAR JONES` SOON-TO-BE EX-HUSBAND: I am not a homosexual. But the thing is, it`s really weird to me and it really is kind of upsetting to me that that`s where people would go as it relates to my sexuality, because this has affected my professional life. This has affected my personal life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I feel for him that it`s affected him so much. But, Russell, it has been four months since he and Star called it quits. Was this really a burning question on people`s minds - is Al Reynolds gay?
RUSSELL WETANSON, "POPSQUIRE.COM": Well, I`d like to think of Al Reynolds as blog bait, that is bait for the blogs. Ever since he started dating Star Jones and was married to her and now the divorce, he has been fodder for the blogs, making jokes about him, lots of speculation about his sexuality and other things. So does America really care? I`m not sure they care about Al Reynolds by himself. And in fact, if you look at the YouTube videos, just looking at them earlier today, there are three videos. One is dedicated clearly to Star Jones and his relationship with her. That is getting about three times more views than the other two.
So to me, people are more concerned about Star Jones than they are about him. What`s interesting is America might want to be concerned about the issues that he raises. There are two main issues he raises. One is really about gay rights and the other is about financial security which is the subject of his book. He spends a lot of time saying he needs to set the record, quote, unquote, "straight," to make sure people don`t think he`s gay because it`s damaged him in his life. And his evidence of that - he says he understands because he dresses nicely. He`s from the south. He grew up dressing nicely to go to church. That kind of statement might be affecting some Americans.
ANDERSON: You`re right. It has clearly bothered him and, as he said, it has impacted him deeply. And of course, there was certainly no shortage of intense media interest in their lavish wedding, which I mentioned. In fact, Star stirred up quite a bit of controversy when she was on "The View" soliciting sponsors for the wedding, endorsement deals and those sorts of things. Al addressed that in his self-produced video as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS: I wasn`t aware of all the endorsement stuff. I have to be honest with you. A lot of this when I came into it, I just thought maybe that`s how it was for celebrities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Russell, I`m going to quickly go back to you on that. Do you buy that, that he didn`t really know he had all those sponsors for his big day?
WETANSON: Absolutely not. Anyone who watched "The View" knew that he had sponsors. And Star was not shy about it. She talked about it on "The View." It was the subject of a lot of talk, a lot of controversy. What he may not have realized is that it was out of the norm. He was probably new to celebrity life and thought this is how people get married and the way it works.
So he may have been ignorant of that, but he certainly could not have been ignorant to the fact that there were endorsements especially because in his videos he describes his relationship with Star as one of like high school sweethearts where they would sit the phone for hours at a time. They really had good communication skills.
ANDERSON: Yes. So obviously, she had most likely informed him of what was happening. And while he may be trying to shed his old image as her husband, a big surprise in this self-produced interview about something he has not been able to let go of. It`s something that he addressed. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REYNOLDS: Divorce isn`t anything that I`m very used to. So there are days where I`m like, wow, I still wear my ring. It hasn`t settled in yet. I still love her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Still wearing his ring. Marvette, do you think he`s trying to rekindle something with Star, or do you think he`s trying to rekindle maybe the media`s interest in Al Reynolds?
MARVETTE BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: Well, I think that perception travels halfway around the world before reality even gets out of bed. The most important thing here is to just - you know, they really need to focus and keep this matter private. Whether or not he`s trying to rekindle with the brand or with Star or not is probably at the center of all of this.
But I think most importantly, he should focus on recapturing his life. If he says that he had all these wonderful things going on for him, I think really that should be his, you know, point of focus at this point.
WETANSON: But he has a book to sell.
ANDERSON: Marvette, very quick - Yes, Marvette, I want to take that to you. He does say he`s going to write a financial how-to book. Ten seconds - do you think there`s anything wrong with him trying to capitalize on his relationship with Star and do something like this? He is a businessman.
BRITTO: He is a businessman, but really, truly, if it`s all about love, he should really go back to the private life that he held. I mean, to me, this is a matter of a public, you know, display of a very private matter. So I think if he really loves Star the way that he says he does, you know, she`s restoring her life and really focusing on her life.
ANDERSON: And maybe ...
BRITTO: I think he should do the same.
ANDERSON: Maybe he can do the same. We wish them all the best. Marvette Britto, Russell Wetanson, thank you both.
And there is somebody else who`s speaking out in a big way. Madonna`s brother has written his tell-all book and I have some tough questions for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): There are a lot of people who say, Christopher, that you have betrayed your sister Madonna. How do you respond to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
I`ll have Madonna`s brother`s surprising answer to that question, plus his take on the Madonna-A-Rod rumors. That`s coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, I cannot believe how much people are freaking out over the fact that Eva Longoria gained just a tiny bit of weight. Straight ahead, the real reason for Eva`s new look and I`ve got a feeling it`s going to make moms everywhere really angry.
And who doesn`t like to see baby pictures? We all do, right? But in Hollywood, it`s also a big business. It got me thinking, is there anything wrong with stars selling their baby photos? That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And we do want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Celebrity Baby Photos: Is it wrong to sell them?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: OK, my friends are gone. Ready to fix you dinner. What the hell are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD ACTRESS: Hey, Mommy, we`re playing fashion model.
LONGORIA: Look at this mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Eva Longoria in "Desperate Housewives." Yes, looking frumpy, a busy mother of two. And now, outrage over why Eva`s spokesperson says she gained weight.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, the heated reaction to Eva Longoria`s weight gain and new look. The tabloids have been going absolutely crazy over a few photos. Those photos have shown Longoria sporting a bit of a tummy and get a load of that new do. Yes, Eva cut off her long hair and has a bob haircut.
Joining me tonight from New York is Emme, model and founder of Emmestyle.com. And in Hollywood, "E! News" correspondent, Ashlan Gorse.
OK. So I, of course, think Eva looks fantastic. Everyone is talking about the fact she`s put on a couple of pounds. Maybe she needed to.
EMME, MODEL AND FOUNDER OF EMMESTYLE.COM: Hello.
ANDERSON: Because - hello. She looks and weighs what most women in America would die to weigh and look like. Yet, Eva Longoria`s publicist, Liza Anderson, felt compelled to release a statement saying, quote, "For the upcoming season of `Desperate Housewives,` Gabrielle on the show has gained weight and cut her hair. She is now a worn out mother with two kids. Eva has enjoyed a more relaxed environment and will even be wearing butt pads and stomach pads."
Emme, do statements like that just reinforce the stereotype that women can`t be beautiful and successful mothers at the same time.
EMME: Yes, it does. And I do believe that if they`re going to, Brooke, overdo it with her because Eva is so gorgeous and everyone knows that she`s tiny and they`re putting butt pads and everything, I think it`s going to have a very negative bounce back from it. I do.
ANDERSON: I do, too.
EMME: I really do.
ANDERSON: I hate that stereotype that moms have to be frumpy and they`re something less ...
EMME: No way!
ANDERSON: ... than what they were before. If anything, it`s quite the opposite. They are mothers - that`s an honor. Ashlan, do you find it ridiculous that the Longoria camp felt compelled to put out an official statement to explain why she`s gained a couple of pounds?
ASHLAN GORSE, CORRESPONDENT, "E! NEWS": I think there`s a lot of celebrities in Hollywood that could stand to eat a sandwich or two. So I think she looks great. A lot of these pictures were taken when she was on vacation with her husband, and she`s probably relaxing and hanging out. I think this is totally a preventative strike by her camp to try to avoid all the rumors about her being pregnant or her and Tony in a fight and she`s eating herself sad.
EMME: Oh, please.
GORSE: I mean this is just what happens when this, you know, - this was just a way of them kind of being like, this is why - don`t worry about it. But I think it actually kind of backfired and is calling more attention to it now.
ANDERSON: Yes, I agree with you. And of course, we know it`s not unusual for actors to change their appearances for roles they`re playing. But Emme, this statement from Eva`s camp seems almost apologetic that she might not look ...
EMME: Perfect?
ANDERSON: ... what she perceives to be perfect. Yes, that`s the wrong message, isn`t it?
EMME: I think it is. Because if we`re going to have the hyper-focus on Eva, what about us? What about the rest of the nation who really, you know - you couldn`t fit yourself into a package like Eva Longoria. So I think it sends the wrong message that even with this tiny little bump - she`s on vacation for goodness sake. Why all the focus? Really?
I mean, to think that someone`s assigned to your tummy - and I just think we need to try and draw the line. We need to either not buy into it or we need to say, "This is not the way that women should be under the telescope.
ANDERSON: No, and maybe, you know, she`s had some really good pasta over there in Italy. You know -
EMME: We all would.
ANDERSON: You know, stop focusing on this sort of thing. And Ashlan, you mentioned that, of course, there`s been speculation for weeks now that Eva Longoria might be expecting a baby with her husband, Tony Parker. Why do you think that her publicist - that her camp feels the need to put those rumors to rest rather than just ignore that sort of thing?
GORSE: You know, it does create a firestorm and I don`t think celebrities have really figured out a way to extinguish the pregnancy firestorm that happens around celebrities, and especially when they`re zooming in on people`s bumps. Maybe she just had a glass of water just sitting on her stomach.
EMME: She`s on vacation.
GORSE: Fine. Exactly. So we may have a little itty-bitty bump from - you know, even a bad posture can make you look pregnant. So I mean it really is a big firestorm because we are all obsessed with, "Are they pregnant or are they not? What are they doing next with their lives?" Because we put them on such a great pedestal and we expect them to be perfect. And when they`re not perfect, people kind of like knocking them and like putting them down, which isn`t the best way to be. But that`s just kind of what happens when you`re a celebrity, whether you like it or not.
EMME: Hot.
ANDERSON: Maybe one day, stars will, you know, own up to what are perceived to be flaws in their opinion and just say, "You know what? I`m human, just like everybody else."
EMME: And that would make them like us. Wouldn`t that be nice?
ANDERSON: Emme, Ashlan Gorse - that`s right. It would be a positive thing for them.
EMME: It will help the rest of the nation.
ANDERSON: Thank you both so much. Good talking with you.
All right. Moving to this. Now, we`ve all heard the rumors about Madonna and Guy Ritchie`s marriage being on the rocks. But I actually talked to Madonna`s brother and got his take on it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER CICCONE, MADONNA`S BROTHER: It would be difficult for anyone to be married to Madonna. I believe they love each other. I believe that they married because they love each other.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wait until you hear the rest of his answer. I`ve got more of my very revealing interview with Madonna`s brother, straight ahead.
Plus, who doesn`t like to see baby pictures? But in Hollywood, it`s also a big business. It got me thinking, is there anything wrong with stars selling their baby photos? That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And I`ve got a Lindsay update for you. A judge wanted to hear how Lindsay Lohan is doing after her arrest on DUI charges last year, so is she back on track? I`m going to fill you in next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And hey, be sure to check out the free ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast. It`s really entertaining. You can find it on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or download it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. We`re back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson and here are some more stories that are new right now. Kiefer Sutherland says the DUI that sent him to jail was in his own words, "a dumb mistake." Sutherland says he`s just glad that his 48 days behind bars didn`t affect filming of his show "24." He says he`s grateful he was able to go back to work because that`s a safe place for him.
Lindsay Lohan`s attorney says she`s also back on track, this after she pleaded guilty last year to drunk driving. Lohan`s attorney gave a status report to the judge on Lindsay`s sentence for misdemeanor, DUI and cocaine charges. The attorney said she`s completely on track with everything. The judge ordered another progress report for January.
And I`m excited about this - Michael J. Fox coming back to TV. He`ll do a four-episode guest spot on the Dennis Leary series, "Rescue Me." Fox quit acting full time in 2000 because of his symptoms from Parkinson`s disease. Since then, he has taken smaller roles including several episodes of "Boston Legal" two years ago.
ANDERSON: OK. So we all like to see baby pictures, right? I know I do. But in Hollywood, it`s also a big business. It got me thinking, is there anything wrong with stars selling their baby photos? That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(voice over): There are a lot of people who say, Christopher, that you have betrayed your sister, Madonna. How do you respond to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Madonna`s brother writes a tell-all and I ask him the tough questions. Does he think he betrayed his sister and what`s his take on the Madonna-A- Rod rumors? That`s coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And what do you think? Are Brad and Angelina role models as parents? We asked for your thoughts and I was pretty surprised by what some of you had to say. That`s still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You don`t want to miss that.
But first, you can stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news and you can do it with our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. It comes to you daily. Just head over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to sign up, click on the "sign up for the newsletter" link at the bottom of the page. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming back right after this. Stay put.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, star babies for sale? Millions at stake in the star baby photo wars, but is it wrong to put babies on the auction block? A heated showbiz debate is ahead.
And wait until you hear what I asked Madonna`s brother, Christopher Ciccone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): There are a lot of people who say, Christopher, that you have betrayed your sister, Madonna. How do you respond to that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Madonna`s brother tells all, but is he betraying his famous sister? And does he think his sister`s marriage is really in trouble? I asked him the tough questions in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, the outrage over stars selling pictures of their babies for millions of dollars. We`re all waiting to see how much the pictures of Angelina Jolie`s newborn twins will go for. And hey, Jessica Alba and Cash Warren have become the latest to cash in. "OK" magazine today revealed for the very first time the photos of Alba`s beautiful baby girl, Honor Marie, who was born just over a month ago. "OK" magazine reportedly paid $1.5 million but "OK" said they never comment on what they might have paid for specific baby pictures.
All of these sales of star baby photo, causing a huge controversy as critics complain that stars should not be cashing in in this way. In just a moment, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a heated debate. But first, here`s CNN`s Randi Kaye for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: $11 million - it`s got a nice ring to it. So here`s the question - would you sell pictures of your newborn for that kind of money?
New parents Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are reportedly considering it. They`ve been down this road before. They were reportedly paid more than $4 million for pictures of their first child, Shiloh. One of the glossies negotiating with the couple this time around is "OK" magazine.
ROB SHUTER, "OK" MAGAZINE: "OK" magazine want these babies so, so much because our readers want to see these babies. The reason readers want to see these babies is they love celebrities. Our readers adore celebrities and they like to see celebrities at their most real, their most intimate moments.
KAYE: "OK" is emerging as a major player in the baby pic business. And it`s no mystery why it pay top dollar for the snapshots.
SHUTER: In the past, "OK" has worked with Jamie Lynn Spears. We`re the only magazine to ever shoot Jamie Lynn and her baby.
KAYE: Legally, this is all OK. But even if the money goes to charity, as Jolie and Pitt are reportedly planning, on a moral level, is it right?
BRUCE WEINSTEIN, ETHICS COLUMNIST, "BUSINESSWEEK.COM": It`s unethical for celebrities or for anyone to sell photographs of their children, even for a worthy cause. Because children should not be used merely as a means to an end and children cannot provide an informed consent to this practice. So they may grow up feeling reasonably that their rights have been violated.
KAYE (on camera): They may be smiling to the camera, but not everyone ends up happy. Singer Christina Aguilera was rumored to axed her publicist because newsstand sales of the issue featuring her son, Max, fell short of expectations. And some reports say Aguilera was livid over the fact that the photographs of Anna Nicole Smith`s daughter fetched more than the ones of her child.
WEINSTEIN: In some sense, this is contributing to the degradation of our culture. And at the very least, it`s contributing to the degradation of the rights of children who don`t really have a voice.
KAYE: The children don`t, but millions of fans do, and that`s why fortunes will continue to be paid for a rarified glimpsed into the private lives of celebrities.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Randi Kaye for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. OK, so is it ever OK for celebrities to sell their baby photos for millions of dollars to magazines?
With me tonight in New York, Bruce Weinstein, ethics columnist for "BusinessWeek.com" who you just saw in Randi Kaye`s piece. And also tonight in New York, Maggie Gallant, founder of Spotlight Communications. Welcome, Bruce. Welcome, Maggie.
Hey, Bruce, anything wrong with selling the baby photos even if the money goes to charity?
WEINSTEIN: It`s still wrong, Brooke, because evil must not be done so that good may come of it. We`re forgetting about one very important group of people in this entire debate which is the children themselves. And it`s not hard to imagine that the children of celebrities might grow up to be offended and to feel that their rights have been violated by having their pictures sold to the highest bidder.
So it`s wrong to treat people merely as a means to an end, and that`s why it is unethical for celebrities to sell these photos or to give them away. And it`s also wrong, by the way, for the public to aid and abet this practice by buying them to begin with.
ANDERSON: So you take issue with many things, but one being that the babies aren`t old enough, obviously, to give their consent.
Maggie, do you agree with Bruce? Is it never OK to sell your photos even if that money achieves something desirable, such as donations to a charity?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: I respectfully disagree. These pictures are going to get taken and the parents are making the decisions for themselves and for their family what works best for them. Whether to take money potentially for that child - we don`t know where that money is going to go - or it goes to a charity, or to put it out there for free.
Because once you get that first photo out there, it minimizes the craziness of the paparazzi to get that first shot because that first shot is already out there. This way, these celebrities are telling their story in the way that they want to tell it and the magazine gets serious bragging rights.
ANDERSON: Well, I want to talk about that - Go ahead, Bruce. You want to add something there?
WEINSTEIN: A parent`s first responsibility is to protect the welfare of the child and not to engage in anything for financial gain or to protect their own interests. Look, it`s understandable why they would, as Maggie just said, want to protect their physical integrity from the paparazzi.
But there are other ways of doing it without selling out your children. You can make use of the criminal justice system. You can hire bodyguards. You can get the Corleone family involved. There`s lots of ways - well, maybe the last one wouldn`t be ethical or a legal thing to do.
ANDERSON: That wouldn`t be the ethical, moral way to do it. And Bruce, they do have bodyguards and they`re still plagued by the paparazzi. And I do want to take a look again at the cover of this week`s "OK" magazine.
As we mentioned, Jessica Alba and husband Cash Warren reportedly got paid $1.5 million for the photos of their new baby. "OK" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they don`t comment on those details, of course. But Bruce, why is it not a good thing, say, if stars do this, preemptively issue that first photo to keep the paparazzi at bay. Because they are fearful many times of those aggressive photographers.
WEINSTEIN: Completely understandable that the fear is there and the paparazzi should be ashamed of themselves. And I have to tell you that there is one other ethical issue that no one is even talking about, which is whether it`s OK to even display these images of children as happening here while we`re talking about it, because we`re committing the crime, if you will, ethically, at least, that we`re taking issue with. And it`s the same whether you (UNINTELLIGIBLE) earlier this year.
ANDERSON: Well, Bruce -
WEINSTEIN: So that`s another issue as far as I know.
ANDERSON: I think it is necessary to illustrate what we are discussing. But I completely understand your point. Fair enough.
Maggie, releasing those photos so that the paparazzi don`t fight it out to get that first picture. Bruce says you don`t need to sell out your children, but this is for physical protection.
GALLANT: Early on, yes, and very often, it is. They know that the public wants to see these pictures. And rather than have some shocked picture as they`re coming out of a hospital trying to protect their baby with a blanket over - or whatever they`re doing to try to shield that child, they`re putting it in a protective environment. They`re deciding how they want to be presented.
And you know, to point that it was brought up before about the degradation of our society, one of the things that these pictures are showing a happy family life. I think that`s really exciting for the public to see versus these pictures of, you know, being arrested.
(CROSS TALK)
They are happy mothers.
ANDERSON: They are proud parents, you`re right. Sometimes, it does seem to get out of control, and it does get very obsessive. So you both made great points. We do have to end it there for now. Bruce Weinstein, Maggie Gallant, thank you both. We appreciate it.
And we have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Celebrity Baby Photos: Is it wrong to sell them?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
All right. Guys, I cannot believe that Madonna`s brother is spilling his sister`s secrets. I spoke to Christopher Ciccone and he isn`t holding back about his life with Madonna or about reports that her marriage her marriage to Guy Ritchie is in trouble.
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CICCONE: It would be very difficult for anyone to be married to Madonna. I believe they love each other. I believe that they married because they love each other.
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ANDERSON: But will Madonna and Guy Ritchie stay together? Hear Madonna`s brother`s surprising opinion about that, next in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also twin babies make six for the Brangelina bunch. But do you think they are role model parents? We asked; you voted. Coming up, the shocking results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll.
And have you ever heard the phrase, "no one was left unscathed"? Tonight, the presidential candidates are the target of a hilarious parody that may just have all of them ducking for cover. That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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CICCONE: We`re talking about the most famous woman in the world, and I was around for - from the very beginning.
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ANDERSON: Madonna`s brother was there from the very beginning and now he`s telling all in a shocking new book.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, my explosive one-on-one interview with Madonna`s brother. Christopher Ciccone was Madonna`s right hand for years, working with her on tours, movies and even as her interior decorator for her homes around the world.
But according to Christopher, that all fell apart when Madonna accused him of addiction and when Madonna`s husband, Guy Ritchie, entered the picture. These are just a few and there are so many shocking details about Madonna in Christopher`s brand-new book "Life With My Sister, Madonna." I just had to ask, did he commit the ultimate act of betrayal by writing this book?
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CICCONE: I don`t think there`s any element of betrayal here at all. It only, I believe, enhances her as a person. I am not knocking her off her pedestal. I`m gently helping her down and back to earth with the rest of us, you know?
ANDERSON (on camera): Just as in the book, you accuse Madonna of certain things. You realize that people are going to say, "Oh, he`s just trying to profit off his sister." How do you respond to that?
CICCONE: I respond to that by saying, I`m profiting on my own experience and my own history and my own work history with her.
ANDERSON: In your book, and we spoke briefly about this, you write that one of the biggest fights you had with Madonna is when you wrote up a contract for her for your design work, and then she accused you of having a drug problem. Later, you did some rehabilitation. Christopher, did you have a drug problem?
CICCONE: No. My addiction wasn`t to drugs. My addiction was to my sister, and that life. And when that life ended, I was kind of left out there hanging, didn`t really have a family anymore. I wasn`t close to my own family at that time. I was gay and, you know, we sort of make our own families.
And when all that ended, I was very much alone and it was a scary place. Drugs were an easy thing to do socially at the time. It was easier for her at that point to see me as an addict or an alcoholic, to explain the differences that we were having. It`s as simple as that.
ANDERSON: I can`t help but notice in reading the book, Christopher, that a lot of your problems began soon after she married Guy Ritchie more than seven years ago. You flat-out write in your book that you dislike Guy. Why?
CICCONE: What I dislike about Guy is his lack of respect for me. And it shows itself clearly in the way that he treated me, the constantly, constantly confronting me, whether she was there or not. The way that he treated me when I was designing her house in Beverly Hills, that first house they lived in together, afraid that I was going to design it very gay. I had designed eight of her houses already. I had no idea what he meant by that. But he insisted on drawing attention to that.
And then the wedding and the behavior of his friends towards me and the ease with which they discussed, you know, their gay jokes, which were - you know, one or two is fine. It`s cool. I`m not that sensitive. But after four days of constant stupid jokes about guy being gay, and it was too much.
ANDERSON: Both of them are long-time followers of Kabbalah. And you write in the book that Kabbalah is holding their marriage together. What do you mean by that?
CICCONE: I mean that because of the natural friction between two creative and ambitious people, there has to be some kind of - something in between it to lubricate and allow them to work together. And I have studied Kabbalah myself and I know - I`m very well aware of its possibilities and I know that it can offer people who may or may not be having trouble in their marriage a way to help things work out.
ANDERSON: OK. Also as part of Madonna`s marriage drama, you know there has been talk that she had a so-called affair of the heart with baseball star, Alex Rodriguez. She has vehemently denied it. Her name, though, now attached to A-Rod`s divorce. Do you think she`s getting a raw deal?
CICCONE: I believe that A-Rod was interested in Kabbalah. And if that`s the case, the logical person to go to would be Madonna. She knows quite a bit about it, as does Guy. And rather than - you know, and someone in his position isn`t going to go to the Kabbalah Center and start reading a book. I mean, why not go to someone like her if you have interest and find out what it`s about? On the other hand, you know, he`s a handsome guy. Why the hell not?
ANDERSON: In the end, Christopher, what do you hope to accomplish by releasing this book?
CICONNE: I hope to accomplish what I have accomplished and that is to write a really good story and one that is readable by anybody, not just by her fans.
ANDERSON: Do you miss Madonna? Do you miss having a relationship with her and her family?
CICCONE: I do. There are aspects that I miss. I don`t miss everything. You know, I miss the great moments, the tour moments. I`ve missed working together with her on that level, creatively. The in-between stuff - not so much.
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ANDERSON: Madonna and Guy Ritchie so far haven`t commented on Christopher`s book or the claims in it. "Life With My Sister, Madonna" is on sale now. If you want to see my entire interview with Christopher Ciccone, head over to our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or you can always see the very latest video from our show and you can do that anytime you want.
Tonight, did you see this? The comedy team at "JibJab.com" has done it again. It`s a hilarious political parody set to Bob Dylan`s "The Times, They Are A-Changin`." Jib Jab`s message to both Democrats and Republicans, no one is off limits. Watch this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come gather around get Condi`s scooter and robe. It`s time to get packing, we must hit the road. But there`s war and recession and bad mortgage loans and our legacy needs saving. So forget he`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) who`s liberally prone. It`s time for some campaigning
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Old party friends, time say au revoir. We failed to extinguish Barack`s rising star
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You were so close my darling, alas, no cigar.
CHORUS: And now, their tune is changing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ll be backing for you, Texas ain`t all that far.
CHORUS: It`s time for some campaigning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gather, conservatives, lend me a hand unless you want this liberal wuss in command I spent years in a rat hole in North Vietnam.
CHORUS: Now, the jihad needs containing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So forget my skin cancer and swollen left gland.
CHORUS: For it`s time for some campaigning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gosh, I`m so tired of divisive exchange, and I`ve got one or two things to say about change. Like the change we must change to the change we hold dear. I really like change and I made myself clear
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE AND MALE: Oh, he`ll talk about change until you`re deaf in the ear.
CHORUS: Oh, it`s time for some campaigning.
CHORUS: Citizens gather from both far and near. For a ritual we practice every four years. When we promise you anything you want to hear to win the crown we`re chasing. We spend billions of dollars to make our point clear to get you to step up and cast your vote here. Then we spin you around and poke you in the rear. Oh, it`s time for some campaigning. Yes, it`s time for some campaigning
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ANDERSON: I hope those politicians have a sense of humor. For more, check out JibJab.com.
You know, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are juggling a lot more now. Their new twin babies bring the Brangelina bunch to six kids. But do you consider Brad and Angelina role model parents? The surprising results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll, your E-mails, next here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, the surprising reaction from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers about what they think of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The birth of their twins now brings the Brangelina bunch total to six kids. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked if you think this superstar couple are also superstar parents? That`s been our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Brad and Angelina: Do you consider them role model parents?"
Take a look at the response. Your response 34 percent of you say yes. Only 66 percent of you say no. Say what?
With me in New York is supermodel Emme of Emmestyle.com and in Hollywood, "E! News" correspondent, Ashlan Gorse.
Emme, I`ll begin with you. Are you surprised that only a third of our viewers find Brad and Angelina to be role model parents?
EMME: Well, it`s interesting that both Brad and Angelina are so involved with their kids that you think that the viewers would feel that that was a really good thing. I do feel that it`s not a surprising on the other hand because stability and having one home, the traditional family, is definitely not where they`re coming from. But is that wrong? I don`t think so. I think you need to have -
ANDERSON: They take a modern approach to parenting. They`re definitely not old fashion. We do know that they take them all over the world.
Speaking of that, instead of leaving them at home or having one central home, Leslie from Pennsylvania writes, "How can they be role model parents when they yank their kids from one movie set to the next and pass them off to nannies."
Ashlan, does jet-setting with the kids in tow make Brangelina a bad parent?
GORSE: You know, the good thing you have to remember about Brad and Angelina as Emme said, they aren`t normal people. They aren`t normal parents. But they always try to be with their kids. Yes, the kids are jet-setting all over the world, but they`re with their parents. It`s not like they`re just sitting at home with nannies at home and never see their parents for months at a time. So I think you really have to give them credit for having six kids now and being as involved and active in their lives as possible.
ANDERSON: They are very active, are very involved and a lot of the viewers said that they, in a way, do provide a lot of stability for those kids.
Ten seconds, Emme, does that make them good role model parents, even if it`s not traditional?
EMME: I think they`re good parents. And I think that showing your dedication with the kinds of lives that they have is one to be commended for.
ANDERSON: Emme and Ashlan Gorse, we`ll leave it there for now. Thank you both.
And that is a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Take care.
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