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Showbiz Tonight
SHOWBIZ Star Power: The Amazing Things Hollywood`s Biggest Stars Have Said and Done
Aired December 23, 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: Now, on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done. It`s the headline-making SHOWBIZ special event. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most controversial celebrity in 2008. Who are the final contenders? And will you agree with our pick?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to name the most controversial celebrity in 2008.
Tonight, the best freakouts ever caught on camera. Bill O`Reilly going ballistic, Heather Mills totally losing it, and the YouTube divorce lady exploding. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the craziest, the most outrageous, the best celebrity freakouts ever.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT also reveals the women over 40 who made the biggest headlines in 2008. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report. A special edition of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show, SHOWBIZ Star Power, starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most controversial celebrity of 2008.
So who`s it going to be? Well, for the last two years, it`s been Britney Spears. But this year, she`s got plenty of tough competition. Among the questions we asked before deciding, which celebrity generated the most outrage? Who sparked a visceral reaction every time you heard their name? Who generated the most continuous interest throughout the year? So who will we name the most controversial celebrity of 2008? That answer in just a moment. But first, the final contenders.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): The Hogans have made the cut. They are among the final contenders to be SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year.
JASON KENNEDY, CORRESPONDENT, "E! NEWS": I think the Hogan family definitely sparked the most continued shock and outrage. You never knew what they were going to do next.
HAMMER: 2008 was a rough year for this gang.
PIAZZA: You`ve got Nick Hogan almost killing one of his best friends in a car accident, going to prison.
HAMMER: The drama continues between Linda and The Hulk who are still tangled in a messy divorce.
LINDA HOGAN, EX-WIFE OF HULK HOGAN: In case you can`t tell, I`ve had it, OK? I`m spent.
HULK HOGAN, WRESTLER AND REALITY SHOW STAR: I`ve got it. I`ve got it.
HAMMER: Then, there`s Linda`s dramatic 911 call about her hubby -
L. HOGAN: He`s been ordered away because he`s threatened my life before and I don`t want him around. I`m shaking and trembling. I`m following him until he leaves.
HAMMER: Then, Linda started dating a 19-year-old who went to school with her kids. But if we`re talking drama, we`ve got to talk about these guys.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ranks the ladies of "The View" as final contenders for the most controversial celebrity of the year.
KENNEDY: I think the ladies of "The View" - people had the most visceral reaction. Either you love them or you hate them.
HAMMER: During the political season, these ladies were at each other`s throats.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Those people gave him that money. Those are taxpayers who gave him that money.
HAMMER: Joy, Elisabeth, Whoopi, Sherri and sometimes even Barbara got into it. Ah, the fireworks.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": OK, then. Are you looking into Joe Biden`s supposed Botox shots in his forehead?
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: The bickering paid off for "The View" with record ratings.
The next contender to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year - Miley Cyrus. Disney star Miley Cyrus is a teen phenomenon with her hit show, "Hannah Montana," and squeaky clean image - almost.
When "Vanity Fair" came out with racy photos of Miley Cyrus looking tres Lolita, people were outraged.
PIAZZA: Disney was upset, how dare she? She`s tarnishing her young girl image. And Miley had to apologize for it.
HAMMER: Well, you won`t hear any apologies coming from the next major contender to be "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s" most controversial celebrity of the year - Sarah Palin, vice presidential candidate and lightning rod for controversy.
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It`s funny that a comment like that was kind of made to - I don`t know - you know.
HAMMER: Sarah Palin`s bumbling interview on CBS with Katie Couric got America talking and debating about this politician turned mega-celebrity.
PIAZZA: She crossed the boundaries of politics and the pop culture. I mean, the influence she had on both of them was so big.
HAMMER: With her you betchas and her snazzy $150,000 wardrobe, plus, her penchant for moose shooting, loving and hating Sarah Palin became a national past time.
TINA FEY, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): Alaska and Russia are only separated by a narrow maritime border.
HAMMER: When Tina Fey started spoofing her on "SNL," ratings went through the roof. If Sarah Palin is the mother of controversy, well then, we`d like to introduce you to the daughter of all that is controversial, Britney Spears.
KENNEDY: I think Britney`s actions definitely had the most lasting impact in 2008. Things she did a year ago, she`s still paying the price for right now.
HAMMER: Who can forget last year`s controversy?
BRITNEY SPEARS, ACTRESS: Where is your driver when you need them?
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT named Britney the most controversial celebrity of the year in 2006 and 2007. But will she make the cut this year?
KENNEDY: She`s under that court-ordered conservatorship. She`s still sharing custody of her kids. You probably saw recently in that MTV documentary, she sometimes feels like a caged animal, a prisoner.
HAMMER: Britney, for the record, gave a glimpse into her troubled life.
SPEARS: It`s bad. I`m sad.
PIAZZA: It does look like things are going really good for her in 2009. And I have to say, if Britney Spears can make a comeback like this, I have hope for our country and for the world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right, so there you have it, the final contenders to be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2008. So what did we decide? We`re going to tell you right now. May I have a drum roll, please? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is naming Sarah Palin as the most controversial celebrity of 2008. And the crowd goes wild. But did we get it right?
Well, right now from Hollywood is Carlos Diaz, who`s a correspondent for "Extra," and from New York, it`s Dawn Yanek who is an editor-at-large for "Life and Style Weekly."
All right. Carlos, I`m watching you. You`re rubbing your hands. You`re getting excited to react. Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, as you just heard, has named Sarah Palin the most controversial celebrity of the year. In your mind, Carlos, did we get it right?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I think you did. You didn`t mention Madonna at all in that piece. I mean, come on. She broke up with Guy Ritchie. She got with A-Rod. She tried to convince him to go to Kabbalah - the whole thing.
But here`s the thing. Yes, you got it right with Sarah Palin. I`ll give you the one reason why it`s right. We keep forgetting before September 1st, no one knew who Sarah Palin was. She did all that stuff in two months, September and October and the first week of November. That`s it. And it`s a lasting impression for an entire year. She wins.
HAMMER: Yes. That is quite an accomplishment. And we do give Madonna an honorary mention when we whittle down all the votes and everybody from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT participated, didn`t make the cut. Dawn, what do you think? Sarah Palin, most controversial of the year?
DAWN YANEK, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": Absolutely, A.J. I think you guys absolutely chose correctly. There is no middle ground when it comes to Sarah Palin. Either you love her or you hate her. The fascination, the interest around her has just been absolutely massive. It`s not dying down any time soon.
TV shows want her. They want her to make special personal appearances at different events. I mean, it`s absolutely crazy.
HAMMER: Britney Spears earned the title twice. You know, we may see Sarah Palin back in this discussion another time.
Now, we have some other work to get to, some other ground to cover besides naming the most controversial celebrity. We`ve got to talk about who should be named the most controversial celebrity trio of the year.
Think about it, tuff trio of Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie versus the trio of Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear and Denise Richards. Both trios have divorced. They`ve aired their dirty laundry and they kept making headlines all year long. Carlos, who`s the one (UNINTELLIGIBLE) or both?
DIAZ: Well, you know, early on in the year, you`d have to go Sheen, Richards and Locklear because you also have Richie Sambora ducking his head in that situation. You know, when you have Denise Richards and her show on "E!" and this and that.
But late in the year, it was a late surge by Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and most specifically, Jennifer Aniston calling Angelina Jolie un-cool. That gives them the title.
HAMMER: Dawn Yanek, do you agree?
YANEK: I do agree. The Charlie Sheen-Denise Richards episode was, of course, completely scandalous. But people just seem to care more about the Brangelina trio. And when you have Jennifer Aniston making these interesting comments, you don`t know what to think. Do you side with her? Do you question why she`s saying all these things?
And you know what? Look, Brad and Angelina have done some wonderful work around the world with their humanitarian efforts but people have a very strong opinion still about how that relationship started. And that interest isn`t dying down anytime soon.
HAMMER: No. I don`t think it is. All right. Let`s talk about what should be named the most controversial talk show of the year. Now, both "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The View" were making big headline this is year, mostly thanks to the election. Carlos, who gets the trophy for the most controversial talk show and why?
DIAZ: I give it to "The View" and I`ll tell you why, because "The View" influenced Oprah. Oprah went to a Friday format where she had her friends on and made it look like "The View." So you have to give it to "The View" because every time you turn on that show, somebody was yelling at somebody about something and it was mostly political. And so I give them the kudos and the award for the most controversial group of the year.
HAMMER: All right. Very quickly - a family affair on our next category, the most controversial family of the year. How do we not do these two families? The Hogans versus the Lohans, both dysfunctional, plenty of drama, legal and otherwise all around. Carlos, who gets the prize?
DIAZ: After listening to your piece, I`ve got to go with the Hogans, because you`re right. They did so many dysfunctional things from, you know, jail time to mom dating young kids and the whole thing - it gets kind of crazy there. So I go with the Hogans. But I would like to see a cage match. I would like to see a cage match - a cage match fight between the Lohans and the Hogans.
HAMMER: And maybe Nick can film that for his real-ality show. Carlos Diaz, Dawn Yanek, I thank you both.
Well, coming up on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the best celebrity freakouts ever caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIAZ: We`ll do it live! We`ll do it live! And coming up next on "Inside Edition" -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: From Bill O`Reilly going completely ballistic to Heather Mills losing it to Paula Abdul throwing a total fit, these are the most outrageous freakouts ever, still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, we are revealing our picks for the women over 40 who made the biggest headlines in 2008. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is teaming up with "More" magazine to name the women over 40 who were the biggest newsmakers in 2008 and you have got to see who made the cut. It`s a revealing SHOWBIZ special report, coming up.
And is Nicole Kidman really quitting acting? She gives me the scoop just ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. SHOWBIZ Star Power continues in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done. Tonight, the best freakouts ever.
Now, is it me or does Hollywood seem to have some serious anger management issues? You know, the YouTube divorce lady made all kinds of headlines for her online rants. And now it seems that freakouts are coming out of the woodwork, from Bill O`Reilly`s on-camera temper tantrum to Paula Abdul`s straight-up meltdown, I`ll admit, we just can`t get enough of them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL O`REILLY, FORMER HOST, "INSIDE EDITION": We`ll do it live. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) it.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CO-HOST (voice over): Perhaps it was a moment of weakness.
PAULA ABDUL, POP STAR: I can`t do this.
ANDERSON: Or a passionate plea.
TRICIA WALSH-SMITH, YOUTUBE DIVORCE LADY: I am being thrown out on the street having done nothing.
ANDERSON: Or maybe just a hard day`s night.
HEATHER MILLS, EX-WIFE OF PAUL MCCARTNEY: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
ANDERSON: Whatever the reason, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that uncensored and unleashed moments of pure rage are really fun to watch.
WALSH-SMITH: Shame on you!
ANDERSON: So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the best freak-outs you`ve ever seen. But what is it that makes on-camera outrage so awesome?
BEX SCHWARTZ, COMEDIAN: It`s unbelievably entertaining to watch these outrage videos because it`s great to see people completely lose control and it becomes very cathartic.
ANDERSON: "Cathartic" doesn`t even begin to describe the anger factor in a 20-year-old clip of Bill O`Reilly that surfaced on YouTube.
O`REILLY: I don`t know what that means to play us out. What does that mean?
That`s a much younger O`Reilly completely flipping out over a screwy script while hosting the entertainment show, "Inside Edition."
O`REILLY: And we will leave you with a - I can`t do it. We`ll do it live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) it.
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": I don`t think people are surprised that Bill O`Reilly is a hothead. That`s not exactly breaking news. But what`s interesting is that it`s surfacing. That means someone went and found this and made sure other people saw it.
O`REILLY: Do it live! I can go write it and we`ll do it live. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) thing sucks!
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": If you watch, he loses it and wraps up and says, "We`ll do it live. We`ll do it live. And coming up next on `Inside Edition`" - In 30 seconds, he goes from like crazy to boom. He`s like he`s all contained all of a sudden.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live. We`ll do it live. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) it.
WALSH-SMITH: How dare you.
ANDERSON: No scripts needed for the woman simply known as YouTube divorce lady. Playwright Tricia Walsh-Smith became the most famous desperate housewife ever when she put her outrage online.
WALSH-SMITH: I am speaking my truth!
ANDERSON: Smith spouted her truth, dishing the ugly details of her divorce of Broadway mogul Philip Smith.
WALSH-SMITH: I`m the biggest, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) idiot in the world.
CONOR KNIGHTON, HOST, "INFOMANIA": Basically, Tricia was going through a divorce with her husband who is 25 years older than she is. And so, obviously, when you`re trying to stick it to a 74-year-old man, you make a YouTube video.
WALSH-SMITH: The only cruel behavior I`ve ever done to that man is make him have skim milk in his cappuccino and I did sneak wheat grass once into his freshly-made vegetable juice.
SCHWARTZ: She sneaked wheat grass into his green smoothie drink, which is like - I don`t even know why you`re telling me this. But I`m fascinated. And in the midst of all this crazy and divorced - like, tarot cards. You know, nothing says "stable" like someone who is flipping on tarot cards at the drop of the hat.
WALSH-SMITH: I did my cards today. Guess what I pulled? Tarot!
ANDERSON: It takes more than a psychic reading to predict the unpredictable freakouts of Paula Abdul.
ABDUL: I`m just trying to tell you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story!
ANDERSON: Paula was absolutely outraged on her reality show, "Hey, Paula" when she found out she lost a big gig on the Bratz movie.
SCHWARTZ: She poured her blood and sweat and tears into the Bratz movie. And then, one of her assistants has to audacity to try to tell her to calm down. And she just breaks down because she`s trying to tell a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story.
ABDUL: You guys, please. I`m trying to tell you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story.
SCHWARTZ: It`s really intense. It`s like the Paula Abdul meltdown that you sort of always think is on the brink of happening during "American Idol" but never quite gets there. And then, boom, there it is.
KNIGHTON: I think what people find funny though is that she`s crying about the Bratz movie. That`s sort of like, "I didn`t get set designer on the "Garbage Pail Kids."
ANDERSON: Paula has gotten a lot of flak for her bizarre antics, but at least, hasn`t had worse press than Heather Mills.
HEATHER MILLS, PAUL MCCARTNEY`S EX-WIFE: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
ANDERSON: Just before her divorce from Paul McCartney and winning $50 million in the divorce settlement, Mills went on a worldwide media tour because she was outraged by, well, the media.
KNIGHTON: There`s a point where she claims that she`s been treated worse than murderers and pedophiles, at which point all of the murderers and pedophiles all over the world were like, "No, no, no leave us out of this. You`re on your own."
MILLS: I`ve had worst press than a pedophile or a murder.
SCHWARTZ: Pedophiles aren`t allowed on "Dancing With The Stars," and murderers aren`t normally given billions of dollars just because they had sex with Paul McCartney and had a baby.
MILLS: I am trying and I`m being pushed to the edge.
ANDERSON: In the end Bill, Trisha, Paula and Heather have all overcome their moments of public rage. Luckily for us, they`re phenomenal freakouts will never get old, especially if they were all caught on tape.
O`REILLY: Do it live!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It makes me smile every time. That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson reporting.
Well, coming up, we are revealing our picks for the women over 40 who made the biggest headlines in 2008. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT teams up with "More" magazine to name the women over 40 who are the biggest newsmakers in 2008. You have got to see who made the cut. It`s a revealing SHOWBIZ special report and it is coming up.
HAMMER: We will also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAYDEN PANETTIERE: I did it all. I have the same feelings as any other girl.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere opens up about the tabloids and the pressure to stay thin in Hollywood. That is still ahead.
Also is Nicole Kidman really quitting acting? You`ll find out when she gives me the scoop just ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, continues coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome to a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done.
Well, Hayden Panettiere has already gained some serious star power in Hollywood. And you know, she`s just 19 years old. Hayden stars on "Heroes," which is one of the most popular shows on TV. She`s an animal activist and she`s the face of the Neutrogena skin care line.
But what is it like to be so young and yet such a huge star and role model? Well, tonight, Hayden reveals all to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson on everything, from handling the tabloids to the pressure to stay thin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You`ve faced some challenges now that you are in the limelight. 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: 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 in the Internet and not to look at any of the rag mags just because it can make you feel really bad. For somebody to sit on the other side of a computer or somebody who is typing up a magazine to constantly critique me and say, "Oh, she looks fat in that dress or 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 say, "But she denies it," at the end. 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.
ANDERSON: No matter how thick your skin is, it`s got to be tough.
PANETTIERE: But some of the stories they`ve come up with are really funny. Really funny. 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 Rockland 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, coming up on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re going to show you why women over 40 rule in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT teams up with "More" magazine to name the women over 40 who were the biggest newsmakers in `08. You`ve got to see who made the cut. A revealing SHOWBIZ special report still to come.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): Headlines were screaming, "Nicole Kidman is leaving acting. She`s quitting the business." You have set the record straight for me -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Is Nicole Kidman really quitting? Well, she gives me the scoop, and that is just ahead in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And Beyonce is not one, but two, yes, two, superstars rolled into one. Tonight, Beyonce is opening up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her alter ego and let me tell you, this alter ego is really helping her with both her career and personal life. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power, the women over 40 who are the biggest newsmakers in 2008. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT teams up with "More" magazine to pick the most fabulous, the most successful, the most beautiful women over 40 who are making headlines everywhere.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): Headlines were screaming, "Nicole Kidman is leaving acting. She`s quitting the business." You have set the record straight -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Is Nicole Kidman quitting acting? Well, I`m going one on one with Nicole. Is she really leaving Hollywood for good?
This special edition of TV`s most provocative entertainment news show, SHOWBIZ Star Power, continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Now the superstar women over 40 who made big headlines in 2008. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has teamed up with the fabulous "More" magazine. This is absolutely fascinating, from divorce and scandal, to politics and style, they are the women over 40 who are rocking Hollywood headlines. Here comes SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over) History making -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alaska`s governor, Sarah Palin, selection earns a first for women on the GOP side.
ANDERSON: Divorce-making -
HAMMER (voice over): When the day began, we heard the end was near for Madonna and Guy Ritchie.
ANDERSON: They are the over 40 and fabulous women who rocked the world in 2008 with earth-shattering headlines.
LESLEY JANE SEYMOUR, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "MORE" MAGAZINE: This has been an incredible year for women over 40 breaking through all kinds of glass ceilings.
ANDERSON: You can say that again. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is teaming up with "More" magazine to name the women over 40 who made the biggest headlines. Let`s hear it for our first headline-maker, newly-single super woman, Madonna.
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, "VH1 NEWS": She`s like a freak of nature, that woman.
ANDERSON: A freak of nature because she has such a buff bod at the age of 50, touring the world and still making some outrageous headlines, like this one -
HAMMER (voice over): Madonna is taking serious flak in the press now that the soon-to-be ex-wife of baseball star, Alex Rodriguez, is accusing the Material Girl of being the material other woman.
ANDERSON: And this one -
HAMMER: We started hearing the end was near for Madonna and Guy Ritchie.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": We have some breaking news for you. We`ve just learned that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are getting a divorce.
ANDERSON: But don`t cry for Madonna just yet.
SNOWDEN: I hesitate to say poor Madonna because, come on, she`s Madonna after all. She`s going through a divorce.
SEYMOUR: Madonna is the ultimate, you know, age-by-age-by-age chameleon. At 70, she`s going to come out there in the damn fishnet. You know, divorce is the beginning of a new chapter. It`s not the end.
ANDERSON: Divorce definitely did not mean it`s over for Christie Brinkley and her headline-making split and nasty court battle with now ex-husband, Peter Cook.
SEYMOUR: She`s going through this horrific time with her husband and the affair that he had with a woman that was a fraction of her age, she not only held herself with dignity, but she looked like a fox still. So more power to her for that.
She never looked better. She was going through the worst time of her life and yet the way she carried herself and the way she sort of, you know, - she looked like she was on a shoot the whole time.
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says, more power to our next headline-maker over 40 who endured not-so-nice headlines, too - France`s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A 15-year-old nude art photo of former model Carla Bruni circulated just as the French president and his new wife began their state visit to Britain.
ANDERSON: Did we mention her scandalous past?
MOOS: She`s been romantically linked in the past to men ranging from Mick Jagger to Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: Yes, this first lady has had to endure some tough headlines. But the singer and former model has also sparked a few fashion trends.
MOOS: She came, she saw, she curtsied and rarely does a curtsy look quite so chic.
ANDERSON: And now ballet flats are back in style, thanks to this first lady.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" magazine can also tell you that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has company in the United States with the soon-to-be first lady, Michelle Obama.
SNOWDEN: My hero - Michelle Obama is amazing.
SEYMOUR: She is it. Women want to follow her.
ANDERSON: And they have been following Michelle Obama`s every move, from what she says -
M. OBAMA: I have to be greeted properly - fist bump, please.
ANDERSON: To how she dresses -
SNOWDEN: Can we talk about her body? Like, not everyone can wear those fabulous sheath dresses and not have any bulges.
ANDERSON: Even "The View`s" Joy Behar couldn`t help but notice.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You have a flair for it, too. And they compare you to Jackie Kennedy.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" can also tell you that Obama was not the only woman making headlines in politics. Hello, Sarah Palin!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has his running mate.
ANDERSON: A historic moment that also sparked a fashion frenzy.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The new fashion craze, the latest style hit, means a two-month wait if you live in the U.S.
ANDERSON: And of course the headlines that Sarah made for better or for worse about that $150,000 wardrobe that she wore on the campaign trail.
HAMMER: It`s Sarah Palin`s $150,000 headache.
ANDERSON: And the hilarious impersonations of Palin by Tina Fey on "Saturday Night Live."
TINA FEY, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): Also, too, you see, I think a little differently from an insider.
SNOWDEN: Sarah Palin is not finished making headlines, rest assured. I don`t think we`ve seen the last of her.
ANDERSON: We can`t argue with that logic. So here`s to another banner year of women over 40 making headlines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, more women over 40 who are making big headlines, Mia Farrow, Cynthia Nixon, Hillary Clinton, Dame Helen Mirren and Cindy McCain.
Well, Nicole Kidman is another over 40 celebrity making big headlines. Her career and her personal life are on track. So why were people saying that Nicole Kidman was ready to quit acting for good? I sat down with Nicole and I asked her to set the record straight. She told me the controversy started with a comment that she made at a press conference. Watch this.
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KIDMAN: I`m at a place in my life where I`m very at peace with where I am. And if I wasn`t to make another film, I wouldn`t be devastated.
HAMMER: So not so much a conscious thing like you`re leaving the business.
KIDMAN: No. I`m never someone to make broad statements anyway. I sort of just do my thing quietly, come and go quietly, live in Tennessee quietly. I`m trying to just, you know, operate under the radar.
HAMMER: Have you ever had sort of a fantasy job in mind if you didn`t do what you did, if you were actually to take a break from acting? Is there something that you ever could have seen yourself doing?
KIDMAN: I think when you`re born with something in you, it`s almost wrong to say, "I would never do it again." In what capacity would I do it? I don`t know. Does it have to be on the world stage? No. It can be in small ways. It can be writing. It can be working with kids in terms of a theater group - all of those things.
I think your creativity runs through you and morphs into different places and different stages in your life. So that`s probably - I wouldn`t say that I`m not going to acknowledge, you know, that I`ve been given this gift to be able to act, and so I would use that. But I just don`t know how big or how small that will happen. At the same time, if I have more kids, that`s beautiful and I would love to be able to get lost in that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Such a lovely lady. Well, Jennifer Lopez has a couple of kids of her own. I cannot believe how J-Lo, one of the biggest stars out there has changed. The transformation of Jennifer Lopez, from fly girl to tabloid target to superstar mom of twins, Jennifer Lopez has reinvented herself time and time again. But how does she do it? That`s coming up.
And this, too -
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BEYONCE KNOWLES, ACTRESS/SINGER: One of the ways I`ve been able to keep my life real and pure is to kind of develop this character that I use on the stage.
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Beyonce is not one, but two superstars rolled into one. Tonight, Beyonce opening up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her alter ego. And let me tell you, this alter ego is really helping her with both her career and her personal life. That is coming up.
And I don`t know how supermodel Heidi Klum does it - her marriage to Seal, three kids, "Project Runway," work on the catwalk. Does Heidi realize how big a star she really is? That is coming up on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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(MUSIC VIDEO OF "JENNY FROM THE BLOCK")
HAMMER: I can hardly believe the transformation of Jennifer Lopez. This video barely scratches the surface of her amazing rise to superstar.
Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, we`re revealing the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done.
And Jennifer Lopez has done plenty. J-Lo is one of Hollywood`s highest paid actresses. She`s sold 48 million albums worldwide. How did Jenny from the block in the Bronx become one of Hollywood`s biggest superstars and how have all of her high-profile relationships helped her become such an icon?
Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson with the amazing transformation of Jennifer Lopez.
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ANDERSON (voice over) Jennifer Lopez isn`t a manufactured star. She worked her way to the forefront of Hollywood`s A-list by starting out in the background. And it all began here as a background fly girl on the TV show "In Living Color" back in 1990.
DAVID CAPLAN, "PEOPLE.COM": That really launched her career. People noticed that she was great dancer. She had a lot of charisma.
ANDERSON: Charisma, she honed, growing up in the tough city streets of the Bronx. That charisma and drive would carry this fly girl through her past to the top but first it meant paying dues. Like in superstar Janet Jackson`s 1993 music video for "That`s The Way Love Goes." That`s Jennifer there dancing her little heart out. But it was here, this part, landing the starring role as murdered Tejano superstar Selena, where people took notice.
CAPLAN: When everyone saw this film, they were like, whoa. Not only is this girl a great dancer, we saw it from the fly girl days, a great singer, performer but she can act.
ANDERSON: A bona fide Hollywood triple thread in the making. She could dance, sing and act. And she also had one more thing that people noticed in Hollywood, a full figured body that she was proud of.
CAPLAN: She was sort of bucking the trend of what was considered beautiful at that time in Hollywood. She was not some rail thin blond girl. She was curvy. She had a great figure and a lot of people found that refreshing, not just Hollywood but the audiences who went to go her movies.
ANDERSON: The roles kept coming in. "Anaconda" with actor Jon Voight -
LOPEZ: I just want to talk to you.
ANDERSON: "U-Turn" with Sean Penn -
LOPEZ: I thought you were a phoenix.
ANDERSON: Big box office movies but not what critics liked. It was her role in the George Clooney film "Out of Sight" that got her the critical acclaim she needed to make that big step for transforming into a major Hollywood star.
LOPEZ: Let`s get out of here.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: Yes.
CAPLAN: People were like, wow, this girl can really act.
ANDERSON: Her film career was now on the rise and also taking off, her music career. The girl who traveled from the Bronx to music auditions in New York City on the number 6 subway train paid tribute to her past releasing the first album "On The 6" in 1999. She was singing about love and Lopez was loving the spotlight.
LOPEZ: I can`t even describe the way I feel right now. And I keep thinking my whole family is in there. The album is finished. The single is doing good. I`m on cloud nine right now.
ANDERSON: Lopez may have had her head in the clouds that night but her focus on transforming into a superstar was crystal clear. And it wasn`t just the work on screen or in the music studio that was transforming Lopez into a superstar either. She was also a smart business woman.
CAPLAN: There`s a clothing collection. There`s fragrance. Because she shows she has all these fans and they all want a piece of Jennifer.
ANDERSON: And the piece her fans wanted most was that of her personal life. And it was her link to rap music mogul Sean P. Diddy Combs that created the first media frenzy.
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Jennifer Lopez`s hook-up with P. Diddy is actually quite interesting because they have that similarity in both of them being very smart business people. He also came from humble roots as she did and has become mega business person besides the mega star.
ANDERSON: Business smarts and the two seemed to embrace all that attention they received as a famous Hollywood couple.
SEAN P. DIDDY COMBS, MUSIC MOGUL: We`re here to celebrate. We`re here to just have a good time.
CAPLAN: She really embraced to a certain degree the public fascination with her romantic life. She took to the red carpet at tons of events with Diddy. She`s always very gracious. She did interviews. She spoke about the relationship.
ANDERSON: But the relationship hit the skids. Lopez and Combs were at a New York City nightclub when gun fire erupted between Combs` entourage and another group. Combs and Lopez raced out of the club with their entourage but were stopped by the police blocks away. A stolen gun was found in the front seat of their car. The story made headlines but not the good kind for a girl who was trying to transform herself into a major Hollywood force.
CAPLAN: That really showed that Jennifer was getting herself mixed up in a guy who may be was not the best for her career.
ANDERSON: Lopez and Combs broke up. J. Lo laid low and took a couple of years to work on her music and film careers. When she came back, her second album "J. Lo" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. And in that same week, her movie, "The Wedding Planner," hit number one at the box office making her the first actress and singer to have a film and an album at number one in the same week.
Jennifer`s transformation into a superstar hit high speed. J. Lo was transforming into a major Hollywood force. And it was her next high profile relationship with Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck with the potential to transform her into a Hollywood icon. It was the Hollywood relationship of the ages, the Liz Taylor-Richard Burton romance of our time.
KURIANSKY: The union with Ben Affleck basically put Jennifer Lopez on the map by becoming a name like that. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck started the union of names in big lights, the Bennifer.
CAPLAN: Jennifer and Ben had this really storybook-type of romance that was great fodder for the tabloids.
ANDERSON: It`s true. There was her exquisite pink diamond engagement ring and the much-hyped "Dateline" interview about the love and the upcoming grand wedding. Ben even starred in Lopez` video for her song "Jenny From the Block," a case of art imitating their real lives. But J. Lo defended it at every turn.
LOPEZ: We are not trying to do anything except be two people in love. I mean, we`re not trying to do anything. We are just being ourselves.
ANDERSON: But something happened. And whether it was all the tabloid talk or not, all that publicity took a heavy toll on their relationship.
CAPLAN: There were helicopters hovering over the site where they were supposed to get married. And Ben and Jennifer decided no, let call the wedding off. There`s just too much interest here.
ANDERSON: Lopez was the big star she set out to transform herself into. But it was evident that her personal life had suffered as a result. But Dr. Judy Kuriansky tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she thinks Lopez learned something from her Bennifer experience, something she has applied in her eventual marriage to another Latino star singer, Marc Anthony.
KURIANSKY: From a psychological point of view, what I think happened with Ben Affleck is that that was like a big fantasy. And that kind of attraction with Ben Affleck that Jennifer Lopez had symbolizes what we call the exotic is erotic. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck couldn`t have been more different in every way and I think she realized that exotic is erotic didn`t work and that what mostly worked for her was that birds of a feather fly together.
ANDERSON: So it`s no surprise to Dr. Judy that Jennifer Lopez has kept pretty quiet about her marriage to Marc because maybe, just maybe, Jennifer Lopez has found the right balance to transforming into that superstar and keeping her personal life personal.
KURIANSKY: When you find who you are, and you act out in your life and in your career, and in your marriage, what is really comfortable for you and what feels right, then everything shines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well J-Lo knows when you are a big star, it makes it that much harder to have a successful relationship. Lance Bass definitely agrees with that. Tonight, the former `N Sync singer is speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about his relationships. Lance, who you also saw, on "Dancing With The Stars," says hooking up in Hollywood as a famous celebrity is definitely not an easy thing to do.
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LANCE BASS, FORMER `N SYNC MEMBER: I have dated, you know, several people that couldn`t really deal with that element of it. And you can`t teach - you can`t teach your partner how to deal with fame and reading things about you and a lot of false things. It`s really hard.
So, some times people say, oh it`s easy to date in the business because at least they get it and they understand where you are coming from. But then there is just more attention on you and people just want to tear you down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Beyonce has tried to keep her marriage Jay-Z private. Her onstage alter ego - well, she is definitely not afraid to put that out there.
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KNOWLES: One of the ways I have been able to keep my life real and pure is to kind of develop this character that I use on the stage.
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HAMMER: Beyonce is opening up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about Sasha Fierce, and that is coming up.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power. Now, all this hour, we`ve taking a look at the amazing things Hollywood`s biggest stars have said and done. And let me tell you, Beyonce has done a lot as two stars rolled into one.
Beyonce has this alter ego thing going on. Off stage, she is, of course, Beyonce. On stage, she is Sasha Fierce, her aggressive outspoken personality.
So when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson went one-on-one with Beyonce, Brooke just had to ask, how does Beyonce keep this double star thing from causing double trouble.
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ANDERSON: We know that in your music, you have your alter ego, Sasha Fierce. Beyonce, do you have an alter ego in real life, too?
KNOWLES: I keep my alter ego on the stage. And one of the - one of the ways I have been able to keep my life real and pure is to kind of develop this character that I use on the stage. And when I`m off stage I`m back to reality. And I think it`s really helped me, you see a lot of celebrities they take that off the stage.
It`s really hard to stay down to earth when everyone is shoving all these designer dresses and telling you everything is great. And it`s - it`s helped me, differentiate the difference between me and my on stage persona.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, while Beyonce juggles her dual personalities, her career, her marriage to Jay-Z, superstar model Heidi Klum is doing plenty of juggling of her own. She rocks the fashion shows, "Project Runway" on TV of course, and her family life. Husband Seal and Heidi juggle three kids.
So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson had to ask Heidi does she realize the star power she has?
ANDERSON: Is it surreal to you ever how much you have achieved, how successful and powerful you have become?
HEIDI KLUM, SUPERMODEL: I love what I do. And I love that, you know, I have so many different hats on. I think that just women in general - I think we are good at that. Juggling the family and business and, you know, doing all of those things. I thrive of that. I do love that. I love doing all different things.
And I`m very creative. I always think of new idea. I really want to make them reality. I don`t want them to just be dreams. I kind of go after my dreams and I fight for them. And I just love it.
But I don`t really look back too much at what I did. I look more into the future and what I still want to do. And I have fun with that. I love that.
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HAMMER: Well, superstar ladies really keeping busy.
And that is it for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ Star Power. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
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