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Showbiz Tonight
Octonurses` Explosive Allegations; "Dancing" Stalking Scare; Great Debate on Valerie Bertinelli`s New Body
Aired March 26, 2009 - 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: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a SHOWBIZ showdown between the octomom and the attorney for the nurses she fired.
Tonight, the nurses` explosive allegations. Is the octuplet mother neglecting her babies? Were the octomom`s kids exposed to a potentially deadly disease? Tonight, the octomom responds and goes head to head with the attorney for the nurses in the showdown you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
The frightening "Dancing" stalking scare. Tonight the disturbing arrest of an armed man obsessed with "Dancing With The Stars" contestant Shawn Johnson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ: They say that Shawn fears for her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, why was the former Olympic gold medalist targeted? And the chilling details of what police found on the alleged stalker.
The great debate over Valerie Bertinelli`s brand-new, slamming bikini body. She`s fit. She`s fabulous. She`s nearly 50. But will Valerie inspire women everywhere or just make them feel guilty?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood and the octomom showdown you have got to see is coming up.
HAMMER: But first, tonight, the "Dancing With The Stars" stalking scare. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT learned dramatic and chilling new details today about the man police say had his sights set on "Dancing With The Stars" contestant and Olympic-winning gold medalist Shawn Johnson.
ANDERSON: A.J., what we learned today is absolutely frightening. Police say this guy had a loaded gun. This afternoon, he was formally charged with stalking Johnson. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the latest developments making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Teen gold medalist Shawn Johnson fox trotted on "Dancing With The Stars" Tuesday night as if she didn`t have a care in the world.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have not seen people glide on the floor like you did tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was your best dance so far.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, behind Johnson`s beaming smile was sheer terror. Hours before she took the stage, an alleged stalker, who was reportedly obsessed with the 17-year-old Olympian, was arrested for allegedly trying to break on to the "Dancing With The Stars" set to meet her. The teen`s parents are horrified.
LEVIN: They say that Shawn fears for her life and thought that she might be kidnapped or hurt by this guy.
ANDERSON: TMZ has obtained these photos of the suspect, 34-year-old Robert O`Ryan. Police say on Monday afternoon, he jumped a fence here at CBS Studios where "Dancing With The Stars" is staged.
LEVIN: One of the security guards walks up to him and says, "You`re not supposed to be here. Do you have ID?" Shows the security guard a concealed weapons permit.
ANDERSON: That`s when the LAPD got called in. Cops say when they got there and searched O`Ryan`s car, they found a loaded handgun, a loaded shotgun, and other scary items.
LEVIN: Duct tape and love letters to Shawn Johnson and maps of her house in his car. And it looks eerily like - almost like a kidnapping type thing.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has seen the restraining order application that Johnson`s parents filed in L.A. court and we can tell you it`s chilling stuff.
LEVIN: Through some kind of ESP, he felt they were destined to be together.
ANDERSON: In the papers, Johnson`s mother says O`Ryan packed up all his belongings and drove from his home in Florida to California to be with Johnson. The mother says O`Ryan, quote, "believes that Johnson speaks with him personally through the television set and through ESP and that they will have a child together. He stated he would be with her no matter what."
LEVIN: He has been charged now with one count of felony stalking and two counts of carrying a concealed firearm in his vehicle.
ANDERSON: Now, Johnson and her parents aren`t taking any chances. The court granted them a restraining order against O`Ryan. Johnson`s parents had also requested protection for Johnson`s "Dancing with the Stars" partner, Mark Ballas, but he wasn`t included in Wednesday`s order. TMZ`s Harvey Levin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Johnson has stepped up her personal security.
LEVIN: She now has bodyguards, understandably, because even though he`s in jail right now, this is something that shakes you to the core.
ANDERSON: So for now, it looks like Johnson will continue on "Dancing with the Stars." A teenager trying to dance to victory while fearing for her life.
LEVIN: It`s a really an uneasy feeling for anybody who has an alleged stalker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, about the stalking investigation, Johnson`s publicist tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "We are confident that it will be handled appropriately by all involved."
HAMMER: Tonight, it`s target octomom. Octuplet mom Nadya Suleman came out swinging today against brand-new, jaw-dropping claims by the free nursing group she fired and kicked out of her house.
And you have got to hear some of these claims. The nurses claim the octomom neglected her own children and was more interested in appearing on the TV cameras that were there, that some of the octomom`s nannies may have tuberculosis and outrageous claims having to do with a Jacuzzi. Huh?
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Leslie Marshall who is the radio talk show host of "The Leslie Marshall Show." In Chicago tonight is Attorney Tamara Holder.
So what a huge falling out. Doesn`t really get bigger than this. The nursing group, Angels in Waiting, of course was brought on to help the octomom for free. And they claim that out of the 108 hours they were there, the octomom spent only eight hours with her babies.
Now, of course, Nadya`s out blogging in her brand-new "Radar Online" video blog and today she posted an entry that said this was just nonsense. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADYA SULEMAN, OCTUPLET MOTHER: Honestly, that`s a joke. All of that is beyond catastrophied (ph). I was in there as much as I could until I felt completely rejected by them and almost, I felt like so like a stranger in my own home. And they were constantly interrogating me and just waiting, the Angels waiting for me to make a mistake. Well, they were there maybe less than half of what they claimed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So really, what we have here is the octomom`s word against the nurses` word. Leslie, off to you first. Given that each side really has an agenda here, how are we supposed to know who to believe?
LESLIE MARSHALL, RADIO HOST, "THE LESLIE MARSHALL SHOW": I`m catastrophized (ph). But anyway, obviously, babies out of a neonatal unit need a Jacuzzi. I mean, let`s be honest, A.J. I think it`s obvious who to believe here. We have social workers. We have nurses who have been trained and who are licensed. We have an attorney with a reputation, somebody I greatly admire, Attorney Gloria Allred. We have a group of individuals saying that the best interest of the children was not being met.
There were security issues. There were risks regarding germs and cleanliness. These kids are medically fragile. That`s why they were in a neonatal care unit, an ICU unit. Babies come home right away with their mommies otherwise.
And then we have Nadya Suleman who`s shopping, et cetera. I think it`s clear who to believe. I do believe a group of individuals who seem to care about the best interests of the children over Nadya`s claims.
HAMMER: Well, there were plenty of claims. The nurses launched into other outrageous claims. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Angels in Waiting was holding a news conference in Los Angeles late on Wednesday. And they claimed that the octomom wasn`t doing enough to protect her 14 kids. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA WEST-CONFORTI, ANGELS IN WAITING: Then she said that she could not afford security. The irony of this statement was that Nadya could not afford a security guard. However, she had a large Jacuzzi being installed in her master bedroom and a brand-new expensive dishwasher being currently installed into her kitchen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. So there`s the Jacuzzi claim and the octomom claims that that Jacuzzi was donated by her friends. But Tamara, to you for this, that said, you know, given the craziness surrounding the octomom - we`re talking about the crowds, the paparazzi, should we really be concerned that these kids could truly be in danger?
TAMARA HOLDER, ATTORNEY: Of course. I mean, well, first of all, I want my friends to send me a Jacuzzi. But, yes. I mean, the important thing is the best interest of the child and the safety of the children. Why isn`t her attorney marching into court and getting orders of protection against anybody who is a threat to these children whether it`s the paparazzi, whether it`s Angels in Waiting, or anybody else?
And the other thing is we need police protection. Her attorney needs to go to the chief of police and ask him to protect this entire area, barricade whatever it is. This is a public safety risk and those children and the entire family needs to be protected.
HAMMER: Yes. I`m right there with you. And you know, have 14 kids and maybe your friends will send you a Jacuzzi. In what may have been the most shocking claim of all, the nurses say the octomom`s nannies tested positive for tuberculosis.
Now, octomom said they did test positive but the chest x-rays showed that they were in the clear. Leslie, here`s the thing that I`m thinking. Is it not time for somebody to just get in there, who has no personal stake in this whatsoever, and figure out what is really going on, particularly before the other four octuplets come home?
MARSHALL: A.J., you and I are thinking the same. Great minds think alike, right? We do. I think if there are claims made to the statement these have to be checked out. Everybody seems to have an interest at this point.
And certainly, once again, the best interests the children. We need medical professionals in there who have no, like you said, personal vested interest, no stake in this, just the results to share with the public, and quite frankly, determine whether Nadya`s a fit parent or not looking at these children and if there are any security or medical risks to this.
HAMMER: And I agree with Gloria Allred. She`s been saying all along there needs to be transparency with all of this. We`ll end it there. Leslie Marshall, Tamara Holder, thank you very much.
And coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the octomom`s showdown. Tonight, the lawyer for the fired nurses who I mentioned, Gloria Allred, right here taking on the octomom. It is a no-holds-barred, point-by-point, allegation-by-allegation smackdown you will not want to miss. It is coming up.
So Brooke, there is also a huge debate going on over Valerie Bertinelli`s brand-new slamming bikini body.
ANDERSON: A.J., I think she looks great.
HAMMER: Yes, it`s a little wild. Here`s the great debate. Valerie looks fabulous. She`s nearly 50. But will her awesome new figure inspire women everywhere or just make them feel guilty? Coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, a brand-new Rihanna controversy just weeks after she was allegedly beaten up by her boyfriend Chris Brown. Why would she get a gun tattooed on her body?
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tim Edwards says alcohol and drug abuse left him strung out and homeless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But tonight this guy is tearing up the Internet. The fired up debate over "PimpThisBum.com." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
ANDERSON: And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Doctor says surgery on Lance Armstrong`s collarbone a success. Lindsay Lohan`s new movie, "Labor Pains," will be released straight to basic cable.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? Matt Lauer back on the "Today" show this morning after his run-in with a deer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANN CURRY, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: You know what? We here at the "Today" show - we decided we`re your friends and colleagues. We refuse to make any fun of you. We decided - we made a pact. Everybody in the studio has decided we are not -
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST: That`s really nice.
CURRY: And you can see down in the control room.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Matt`s co-anchor, Ann Curry, and the "Today" show crew having a whole lot of fun with his return. Plenty of kidding around this morning.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. And it`s a good thing that Matt has a good sense of humor about his accident. It was pretty nasty. He went flying when the deer jumped out in front of him while he was riding his bike. He had to have shoulder surgery, hence the cast.
Even his fierce rivals "Good Morning America" stopped by to wish him well on his return. They brought him a "Matt Crossing" sign. And even Matt`s "Nightly News" buddy Brian Williams had a little fun with him, too.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN WILLIAMS, ANCHOR, "NIGHTLY NEWS": I cannot imagine how scary that must have been. They say these things are so - they`re in urban areas. That`s what it`s come to. They`ve taken over a lot of urban areas. This is a scourge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, A.J., he`s not popping out of the bushes like a deer, but impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is popping up on the radio. You remember this guy. He was facing some serious allegations of trying to sell President Obama`s Senate seat, then went on that coast-to-coast media tour to say that he was innocent.
Well, Blago`s got a radio hosting gig, a one-shot deal for now, but how did he do? Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Imagine being asked -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: WLS News time, 7:04.
MOOS: ... to host - clear your throat - a radio talk show for the very first time.
ANNOUNCER: Governor Rod Blagojevich filling in for Don Wade and Roma on the Big 89.
MOOS: It was enough to make Blagojevich twitch with nervous energy as he prepared to go on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You ready?
FMR. GOV. ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D-IL): Good morning. This is former Governor Rod Blagojevich. How are you?
MOOS: The "former" part of governor seemed to stick in his throat, not once but twice.
BLAGOJEVICH: Hi. This is -- former Governor Rod Blagojevich.
MOOS: Like any radio rookie, he was a little hesitant.
BLAGOJEVICH: We`re turning it over to the commercials.
MOOS: The studio sidekicks got their kicks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are those head phones going to mess up your hair? That`s my concern.
BLAGOJEVICH: I brought my brush.
MOOS: Blagojevich chatted with guests like comedian and CNN contributor D.L. Hughley.
BLAGOJEVICH: Yes, I`m writing a book. I`m on page three.
D.L. HUGHLEY, COMEDIAN: You`re probably four pages further than George Bush is.
MOOS: They kept coming back from break with Blagojevich`s favorite singer.
BLAGOJEVICH: If you just tuned in this is not Elvis. This is Rod Blagojevich.
MOOS: Lyrics apropos for a guy accused of pay-for-play.
ELVIS PRESLEY, SINGER (sung): Not a whole lot of money -
BLAGOJEVICH: Hi. This is Rod Blagojevich.
MOOS: There were a few slow moments. At one point, a microphone picked up snoring. As for the high points, perhaps it was the interview with the guy who plays Blago in a musical called "Rod Blagojevich, Superstar."
JOEY BLAND, ACTOR (singing): Oh, you must pay to play --
MOOS: The actor in his wig and the former governor posed.
BLAND: I feel like Laurence Olivier meeting Hamlet.
MOOS: Sen. Roland Burris, appointed by Blagojevich, is portrayed in the musical -
BLAND: Don`t be so scared now, Burris -
MOOS: The real Blago`s radio show performance got good reviews.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re doing great.
BLAGOJEVICH: You think so?
MOOS: You`d probably fumble with your headset, too, if you had that hair to protect. Late night just hasn`t been the same without those (UNINTELLIGIBLE) hair jokes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hey, who knows? Maybe he`ll get a regular gig, "Blago`s Top 40" perhaps? That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. I`ve got a little idea here. If the whole radio thing doesn`t work out for Blagojevich, I think we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT have a little gig for him.
ANDERSON: Oh. What do have you in mind, A.J.?
HAMMER: I`m thinking he can be one of our Showbiz on Call phone operators. We are still getting a ton of calls about the octomom and we need help. People are fired up on both sides of this, Brooke.
ANDERSON: They sure are, A.J. We`ve got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Tanya in South Carolina.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TANYA, CALLER FROM SOUTH CAROLINA: I think that is ridiculous. Everyone keeps harassing this woman. When a woman, after she has a baby, does not want to be bothered by her husband, let alone 50 million people on her front lawn. And the police and local authorities are the ones who need to protect those babies, not putting it all on her when she`s a citizen.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thanks, Tanya. And we also heard from Jessica calling into "Showbiz on Call" from Georgia.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JESSICA, CALLER FROM GEORGIA: She needs to stay out of the stores and stay home with her babies. She needs to bond with her children. And I think that she just really needs to go home and do what a mother is supposed to do.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Jessica. Remember, you, too, can call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else for that matter.
ANDERSON: The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open around the clock. Give us a ring -1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, Brooke, we have got an octomom showdown.
ANDERSON: We do, A.J. The lawyer for the nurses the octuplet mom fired is right here and she is taking on Nadya Suleman.
HAMMER: And you know it`s going to be explosive, Brooke. The nurses say the octomom is neglecting her kids, even possibly exposing them to deadly disease. That is coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also tonight, the great Valerie Bertinelli weight debate. I think she looks amazing with her new bikini bod and she`s nearly 50. But will Valerie inspire women or will her fabulous figure make them feel guilty about themselves?
HAMMER: And this is totally ridiculous. Why President Obama is now caught up in the Jeremy Piven mercury poisoning sushi scandal. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: The casting of the exes! Nicole Kidman signs onto new Woody Allen film. Tom Cruise may join Cameron Diaz in a new romantic comedy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson with some more stories that are making news right now.
HAMMER: Well, tonight on to our start. Jeremy Piven is dragging president Obama into his battle over sushi sickness which he claims forced him to abruptly bail on a Broadway show that he was starring in and that`s pretty ridiculous.
Piven was starring in "Speed-the-Plow." But he walked out on the show after his doctor told him he had mercury poison and he got it from eating too much sushi. Well, the producers of the show were furious and the case is going to arbitration in early June.
If that`s not weird enough, you`ve got to listen to a brand-new statement by Piven`s representative who said, quote, "Mr. Piven is looking forward to testifying in arbitration along with his doctors so that the truth comes out about the very serious health risks caused by mercury exposure, which the Obama administration has recently described as the world`s gravest chemical problem."
ANDERSON: And tonight, Jennifer Hudson reveals what she would have done if she didn`t become a Grammy-winning singer, and Oscar-winning actress.
On today`s "Ellen," Jennifer says if she didn`t ink a record deal, she would have inked people. And you`ve also got to see this - Ellen DeGeneres taking credit for Hudson`s success. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": I feel responsible for your career in a way.
JENNIFER HUDSON, SINGER: You are.
DEGENERES: Yes.
HUDSON: You are.
DEGENERES: You are.
HUDSON: Now, what happened when I got eliminated though?
DEGENERES: No, no. I thought this was a better road. What if she goes now and then continues on -
HUDSON: You`re right.
DEGENERES: What a bigger success story that you didn`t even win and look what you`ve accomplished.
HUDSON: Wow. Thank you.
DEGENERES: So you always knew you were going to do this. But was there a backup plan? Did you have something else that you wanted to do?
HUDSON: Well, see, when I was 17 years old, I worked at Burger King and I found that I was making more money singing one show - $75 at the time I thought was a lot of money. So I decided to quit this Burger King. I`m going to make my living using my talents and gifts.
DEGENERES: Right.
HUDSON: My first option was to be, you know, what I am now, a singer. And my next choice was to be a tattoo artist because I also draw so (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
DEGENERES: Really, you think you could poke needles and ink into people`s skin?
HUDSON: Yes. You`re not poking it into mine, though.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ellen also surprised Jennifer with an engagement gift - a bicycle built for two.
And now the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The octomom`s showdown. The attorney for the nurses Nadya Suleman fired takes on the octomom. It is the fired-up interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And is Valerie Bertinelli`s brand-new slamming beach body inspiring women, or is it making them feel guilty about themselves? It`s the great Bertinelli body debate.
And is Madonna heading to Africa to adopt another baby? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Hollywood Reporter": "24" co-creator shopping miniseries about the Kennedys. Rip Torn applying for alcohol ed classes to avoid drunk driving charge.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: Angels in Waiting is alleging they spent 108 hours in the nursery, but they were only there for eight. Honestly, that`s a joke. All of that is beyond catastrophized(ph).
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a SHOWBIZ showdown between the octomom and the attorney for the nurses she fired. The nurses` explosive new allegations of neglect. Tonight, octomom fires back and goes head-to-head with the attorney for the nurses in a showdown you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
The great debate over Valerie Bertinelli`s brand-new slamming bikini body. She`s fit. She`s fabulous. She`s nearly 50. But will Valerie inspire women everywhere or just make them feel guilty?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And tonight, it is the octomom showdown you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Get ready for the most outrageous chapter yet in this never-ending octodrama.
HAMMER: Brooke, in a brand-new video just out today, octomom Nadya Suleman is firing back at the nursing group she kicked out of her house for making some shocking allegations against her. And we have the nurses` attorney, Gloria Allred, all ready to answer the octomom point by outrageous point.
And among the shocking allegations, nurses from Angels in Waiting are claiming octomom neglected her babies. According to them, mommy just wasn`t around that much. They also claim that octomom may have exposed her kids to tuberculosis and one of the nannies octomom hired even had a terrible cough.
Now the octomom showdown, claim by claim, with the attorney for Angels in Waiting, Gloria Allred, who is with us tonight from Hollywood. Always good to see you, Gloria.
Let`s get right to it and let`s begin with octomom Nadya Suleman`s explosive charge. We`re calling this claim number one, that the nurses from Angels in Waiting were unprofessional.
In her new diary which is posted RadarOnline.com today, Suleman even mentions your name, Gloria. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: To Gloria, that I personally believe if she really knew the - or really experienced what I experienced and she knew how unprofessional and unethical those nurses were and are, she would never have chosen to support them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Gloria, she says that you wouldn`t have done this at all. What do you have to say to that?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Well, I think I know the Angels in Waiting nurses and nanny and educational consultant a lot better than Nadya does. And I have observed them. I have been very involved with their work while they were in her home.
I`ve spoken to them many times on a daily basis and to help them get support and resolve some of the issues that were there because her attorney, Nadya`s attorney, would not allow me to speak directly to Nadya. And her attorney also would not allow for a meeting, which I asked for about five or six days running either in person or on the phone with Nadya and the nurses to work these things out.
They are of the highest quality, the Angels in Waiting nurses. They are extremely professional. And I`m sorry that Nadya has taken this tactic of trying to attack them. She, of course, doesn`t give her basis for saying that.
Also in this "Radar Online" interview today done by her, A.J., the reporter or whoever was posing the questions to her, misstated much of what we said at the news conference we held yesterday and that we put out in a written press release. So she was actually being fed, you know, a number of questions that - involving statements we never said.
HAMMER: Some factual inaccuracies there.
ALLRED: Yes.
HAMMER: I`ll let you address a couple of them if they`re a part of our list here. Among the claims in the new video diary posted on "Radar Online," Nadya shoots down claim number two made by the nurses that she didn`t spend time with her babies as much as she should have. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: Honestly, that`s a joke. All of that is beyond catastrophied(ph). I was in there as much as I could until I felt completely rejected by them and almost I felt so like a stranger in my own home. And they were constantly interrogating me and waiting, just waiting. The angels waiting for me to make a mistake, right. Well, they were in there maybe less than half of what they claimed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. She refutes it, Gloria. Have at it.
ALLRED: Well, you know, they were keeping the documentation. I don`t think Nadya was. Because they are registered nurses. They have charts. They have written down who fed the babies and when mom came in, you know, what she did, how often she was there, you know, taking care of the babies.
This is what they do as registered nurses. And they kept careful track of the time she was in the nursery. And, unfortunately, the eight hours of the more than 100 hours they were there from March 17th to March 22nd. You know, she was rarely there except to feed the babies when the cameras were rolling, and just, you know, a little bit when the cameras were not rolling.
They urged her to come in, bathe the babies, change the babies, hold the babies, love the babies, feed the babies and she didn`t. She was just basically missing action. A lot of times, she was out of the home. We know she was shopping for clothing or other things. And she needed to be with her babies when they came home from the hospital because otherwise she has no meaningful involvement with them, A.J.
She`s not going to be able to bond with her babies and her babies with her. She`s the mom. The nurses are not babysitters. They`re there to support her, guide her, help her in any way, teach her how to parent her babies, her premature babies.
And unfortunately, they couldn`t do that if she was literally not in the house.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s move on to claim number three. The octomom`s response to the incredible claim by the nurses that some of the nannies that the octomom hired tested positive for tuberculosis. Let`s watch the octomom on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: There was two individuals who, because they`ve had vaccinations as children, it shows positive. My mom said the same thing. So their chest x-ray is clear and that`s all that matters. There was a nanny with a cough. It didn`t mean she had TB. I wasn`t comfortable with anyone even having a cold, so she was asked to leave.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Gloria. Back to you on this. Octomom claiming there was no danger. Is that how you see it?
ALLRED: No, of course. We see it as a real risk and, you know, we didn`t say that she hired them or didn`t hire them. Again, that wouldn`t be accurate. What we said is these nannies, a lot of them, a number of them - 15 of them appeared for training in the home - in her home, training by Kaiser Permanente and our nurses and our representatives were present.
So they were able to observe what happened. And, yes. One nanny who appeared had a very deep cough. They were also told that there were positive test results for some other nannies for TB and that they really need to have a chest x-ray to confirm whether they had TB. We don`t know if they did or not.
But the point is this, that any nannies who might have tested positive, whether or not subsequently their chest x-rays were clear, they shouldn`t have been in the home, anywhere near those babies, anywhere near those six other children, anywhere near the nurses, the nannies, you know, parents, grandparents - anybody else in that home, because tuberculosis, A.J. is airborne and that is not a risk anybody should be taking.
HAMMER: No. Absolutely not. I have one more claim I want to get to quickly, Gloria. Octomom also answered a claim that she had enough money for a Jacuzzi but not enough to pay for security for her home. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: I didn`t buy a Jacuzzi. It was donated by friends. And in regards to a security team, I actually have a friend who is working on security who is also donating.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So are you working on security?
SULEMAN: Oh, yes. That takes precedence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Gloria, I only have 10 seconds for your answer, but are you satisfied by that explanation?
ALLRED: Working on security? There have been reports of three intruders there. One of our nannies actually was asked by Nadya to call 911 because Nadya didn`t want to have yet another call from her to 911 about a potential intruder in the backyard. She needed to get security immediately and that is an investment in her children and her children`s safety, her babies` safety. And that`s not something that should be put off.
HAMMER: All right. I`ll leave it at that. Gloria, we always appreciate you being with us. Thanks so much.
ALLRED: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., I am in awe of Valerie Bertinelli`s rocking new bikini body.
HAMMER: Who isn`t, Brooke? But can you believe that her smoking figure is actually causing a brand-new controversy? We`re going to get into this tonight. The great bikini debate. Is Valerie`s body empowering women, or is it going to make them feel guilty about themselves?
ANDERSON: Also, Rihanna is sporting a shocking new gun tattoo - this less than two months after the alleged beating that left her bloodied and bruised. Tonight, we will show you her new ink that`s making a lot of people`s heads spin.
And this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tim Edwards says alcohol and drug abuse left him strung out and homeless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But now, he is an Internet sensation, thanks to an outrageous Web site called "Pimp This Bum." Find out why it`s not only making him a star, but making the company behind the site rich. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
ANDERSON: And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "CSI" star Marg Helgenberger files for divorce from fellow actor Alan Rosenberg. Oscars bumped from February to March because of 2010 Winter Olympics.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, Bertinelli`s bod. There has been an unbelievable reaction to Valerie Bertinelli showing off her brand-new hot bikini body on the cover of the new issue of "People" magazine. And tonight, her stunning, 49-pound weight loss is setting off a weighty debate. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know, is Bertinelli`s new body inspiring women everywhere or is it making women feel guilty about their own weight?
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Jessica Weiner, self-esteem expert and author of "Life Doesn`t Begin Five Pounds From Now." And joining me tonight from New York, Cooper Lawrence who`s a psychologist and author of this fascinating new book, "The Cult Of Celebrity."
Jessica, Cooper, always a pleasure to have you ladies here. And you know, there is no doubt that we do applaud Valerie Bertinelli for taking charge of her life, slimming down from 172 pounds to 123, which is considered healthy for her height.
But Jessica, what about that question? Is this an inspiration or is it going to make women who haven`t been that successful with weight loss feel even more guilty? I`ve got to ask.
JESSICA WEINER, SELF-ESTEEM EXPERT: Well, you know, Brooke, typically on this show I`m pretty critical of celebrities who use public weight loss and all the money and fame associated with it to re-launch their careers. But I am going to change my tune a little bit right now when it comes to Valerie because I saw that picture and I`ve been tracking and following her story over the past year.
And I actually think this is going to offer inspiration to a lot of women out there. And here`s why. You can just tell with Valerie and all of her interviews and all of her expressions that she`s had in the public media that this is a lifestyle change that actually really clicked for her.
She`s kept the weight off for over a year. She looks realistically healthy. She doesn`t look -
ANDERSON: Yes.
WEINER: The picture is slamming. She doesn`t look emaciated. She doesn`t look abnormal for her age. I actually think women should look at this as a cue to what they can achieve whether or not they`re getting paid for it. I think she`s more inspirational than she is unrealistic.
ANDERSON: Yes, and it was not a rapid, irresponsible weight loss as you say. She`s kept it off for about a year. It was a really long process. Cooper, what do you think? Inspirational or could it discourage?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGIST: I think it depends on the celebrity. You know, when we look at our celebrities, we grade them based on would we be friends with them? There are certain celebrities that you look at, like Angelina Jolie and think, "I have nothing in common with her. If I`m friends with her she`s going to steal my husband."
Valerie Bertinelli isn`t like that. She`s one of those women that you look at and think, "If I met her we`d be friends. So she`s kind of like in my social circle. So if she did it I can do it." And also, as Laurie(sic) was saying, she came at it in a realistic way. She didn`t drop it in two weeks.
ANDERSON: Yes, exactly.
LAWRENCE: I think she`s inspiring because of the way she did it and because when we do social comparisons, she is somebody we could be friends with and, you know, did it just the way we would.
ANDERSON: Yes. Very relatable. And to that end, she`s being realistic here. She admitted to "People" magazine that she knows keeping that weight off forever won`t be easy saying, quote, "I`m just one jalapeno popper away from being 40 pounds heavier again."
Jessica, I bet that is something that, you know, a lot of people who lose and gain and lose and gain can identify with.
WEINER: Well, Valerie is speaking like a chronic dieter which I hear from her story she has been in the past. And absolutely, it`s that kind of expression that I`m talking about that makes her relatable and honest.
And it is true. Listen, when you do extreme measures, all of these Hollywood starlets that we follow in and out of this program, whether they`re dropping 15 pounds in two days or they`re getting this tucked and nipped and whatever. It`s all extreme and it`s all unrealistic.
Valerie is just like many women out there trying to lose weight, trying to do it one step at a time. It`s taken her a long time. She`s kept it off beautifully. And I think, look, no matter whether she did it on Jenny Craig or she does it on her own, anybody out there, any woman out there who`s looking for inspiration, I think, can find it here.
I`m really looking for the day, Brooke, where one day, women`s weight is not national news, though. That`s the day I`m working for, because I`d rather focus on Valerie`s next project than what she weighs on the scale.
ANDERSON: It will happen, Jessica. I know it will. We can be optimistic. And I do want to say this. Valerie is just the latest in a long line of celebrities like Kirstie Alley, like Marie Osmond who did sign up to represent weight loss programs to drop the pounds in the public eye. You know, they had the personal trainers, all other kinds of help. Cooper, do they have an unfair advantage?
LAWRENCE: It`s easy to say, of course, they do. They got paid to lose the weight. They have the personal trainers. But then, look at Oprah. Oprah has access to -- she`s got a personal chef, a personal trainer. Oprah has anything she wants.
Yet not only is she not losing weight, but she`s gaining weight. Rosie O`Donnell - there are enough people out there that you can give the example on the other side that they have access to anybody they want. Yet, they haven`t lost weight. So I think - let`s not be to harsh on poor Valerie Bertinelli.
ANDERSON: Yes. Exactly. And her message truly is if you want it, you really, really do have to work at it. She looks smoking hot. I`m going to end it right there. Jessica Weiner, Cooper Lawrence, thank you both. Good to see you.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Valerie Bertinelli: Does her 49-pound weight loss inspire you?" Keep voting CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Well, Tonight, it`s a brand-new plan that`s either inspirational or totally offensive. Did you see this? A Texas company has come up with an outrageous idea to use a homeless man as a living, breathing billboard for its Web site called "PimpThisBum.com." Now, the plan is making big bang for the site`s owners and the homeless guy has become a star just like that.
Here`s CNN`s Ed Lavandera for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tim Edwards says alcohol and drug abuse left him strung out and homeless. For the last five years, he`s been a fixture on Houston`s street corners begging for money, a life Edwards describes as dehumanizing and empty.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the hardest part?
TIM EDWARDS, "PIMPTHISBUM.COM": It`s very mentally unstimulating.
LAVANDERA: Two months ago, father and son marketing entrepreneurs Sean and Kevin Dolan walked into Edwards` life. They came on with a video camera and a plan to test out an Internet advertising strategy using homeless people to create a viral buzz for their Web site.
So the Dolans offered Tim Edwards $100 a day to advertise "PimpThisBum.com" and he accepted.
SEAN DOLAN, "PIMPTHISBUM.COM": We had to make it kind of edgy to get that exposure.
LAVANDERA: This marketing experiment has turned into a mission to help one homeless person at a time. As Web traffic jumped, the Dolans set up a donation section. Edwards gets all the money. People can buy him a cheeseburger or pay for him to get laser hair removal among other things.
Some homeless advocates worry Edwards is being exploited. But Edwards says becoming an internet sensation is a gift.
EDWARDS: I`m drinking myself to death under a bridge. I`m watching my friends die left and right. So what do I got to lose? So to everybody who thinks that I`m being exploited, I ask you to think again. Look at that, baby. I haven`t seen this in years. You actually got skin under here.
LAVANDERA: The makeover of Tim Edwards on the verge of his 38th birthday is in full swing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re in business (INAUDIBLE).
LAVANDERA: $50,000 in donations, but most importantly this drug and alcohol treatment facility in Washington State is treating Edwards for free. He hosts nightly Web chats with hundreds of followers. That`s where we caught up with him.
Tim, thanks so much for doing this. Right now, you`re dressed like you`re on your way to a job interview.
EDWARDS: That`s right. Cutting off the hair, the beard and everything was a symbolic act of change, I guess - embracing the change and moving on to a new stage in my life.
LAVANDERA: When Edwards leaves the rehab center, he says he`ll try to find a job and home. Big steps toward feeling human again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What an unbelievable story. That was CNN`s Ed Lavandera for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Rihanna resurfaces two months after allegedly being beaten up and she resurfaces with a shocking new gun tattoo. Tonight, we`re going to show you the new ink that`s bound to make a lot of people`s head spin. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Dan Seals of `70s pop group England Dan and John Ford Coley dies of cancer. Miley Cyrus to perform at Country Music Awards next Sunday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Rihanna is sporting some shocking new ink almost two months after allegedly being beaten up by her boyfriend Chris Brown.
Take a look at this, Rihanna has a tattoo of a gun under her arm. Now, according to the tattoo artist who posted the pictures on his MySpace page, Rihanna wanted to put the gun on her shoulder, but she changed her mind.
The art writes, quote, "I really wanted to put it here, on her shoulder. She loved them but Covergirl wouldn`t have like it much and they pay the bills."
Chris Brown is facing two felonies after allegedly beating up Rihanna on February 8th.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the brand-new controversy over reports that Madonna is about to adopt another African child. She`s reportedly heading to Malawi. But critics say Madonna should not be allowed to adopt again because of her roller coaster love life of the past few months.
She got divorced, has been linked to Alex Rodriguez and reportedly had a red-hot hookup with a 23-year-old model.
Madonna got some people angry before when she adopted her son David in 2006. She was accused of using her celebrity status to cut corners on adoption rules. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out Madonna`s rep, but she had no comment about the adoption.
HAMMER: Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, which was - "Octomom`s Life: Has It Become the Most Absurd Reality Show Ever?" And look at those results - 95 percent of you say yes, five percent no. The vote totally lopsided here.
And the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines, Brooke, have been ringing off the hook.
ANDERSON: They certainly have, A.J. We`re getting all kind of octo- outraged calls like this one from Carol in Arizona.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
QUESTION: I`m calling in support of the octomom. I don`t blame her for knocking those Angels in Waiting out of her home. I`m sure they were trying to take over. And they`re not free service. They set up a Web site to collect a whole bunch of money themselves. Now, octomom deserves be in her home with her own private duty nurse and be allowed to take care of her children.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you for that, Carol. Katherine also called into "Showbiz on Call" from Wisconsin.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KATHERINE, CALLER FROM WISCONSIN: I believe that the octomom is totally narcissistic, irresponsible, and is definitely feeding off the public for her and her children. It is appalling that she uses her kids as pawns.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you for that, Katherine. Remember, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave a voicemail. We`ll play some of your calls here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN.
END
