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Showbiz Tonight
Sarah Palin Strikes Back; Chastity Bono`s Sex Change Shocker; New Madonna Adoption News; President George H.W. Bush Parachute Jump; Carrie Prejean`s First Interview Since Getting Fired
Aired June 12, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, GUEST HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Sarah strikes back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK), FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Letterman now says, "Hey, I wasn`t talking about her 14-year-old." David, my 14-year-old was there with me at the game.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Tonight Sarah Palin`s explosive, very first interview about her feud with David Letterman. Her angry caught-on-camera attack on Dave for making sexual jokes about her teenage daughter. Did Palin really suggest Dave could be a danger to her young daughter? Tonight, Palin`s angry message to Letterman - back off, pal.
Tonight, a sex change shocker. Why Cher`s daughter has decided to become a man, from Chastity Bono to Chaz Bono. Tonight, why the woman who was once America`s precious little girl is becoming a man.
Tonight, brand new Madonna adoption news, a major ruling in Malawi over Madonna`s controversial adoption. Will Madonna get her baby? Or will she go home empty-handed?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m Ashleigh Banfield in New York City. A.J. Hammer has the night off tonight. And wait until you hear the amazing story behind the decision by Cher`s daughter, Chastity, to become a man. That`s coming up.
But first, tonight, Sarah strikes back. Sarah Palin today made it perfectly clear she thinks David Letterman`s sexual joke about her daughter is absolutely outrageous, out of line, and inexcusable. In a startling TV interview, first thing this morning on the "Today" show, a furious Palin pulled no punches. And what Palin said is making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It`s Sarah Palin`s brand-new campaign and it`s not against Barack Obama. It`s against David Letterman.
S. PALIN: This so-called humor - I don`t find it humorous.
BANFIELD: Still steaming over a recent joke Letterman made about her daughter, a fired-up Palin went on the "Today" show and mixed it up with Matt Lauer, Tom Cruise style.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Matt, you`re glib.
S. PALIN: Yes. I would say that you and anybody else are extremely naive.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": It seems like Sarah Palin doesn`t want to drop this issue with David Letterman.
BANFIELD: The joke heard around the world came on Monday`s "Late Show" when Letterman made fun of the Palins` recent trip to New York Yankees game.
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.
BANFIELD: Now, the whole controversy has turned into a big debate over which daughter Dave was joking about. Palin said Letterman targeted her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, who was at the game with her. Letterman says he was referring to 18-year-old Bristol who had a baby earlier this year.
LETTERMAN: I would never, never think that it was funny to use a 14-year- old girl as a joke like this, for god`s sakes.
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: Since David Letterman`s not here, let me just say that he did not mention Willow by name and he then went on to say he was not referring to your 14-year-old daughter.
BANFIELD: On the "Today" show, Palin scoffed at Letterman`s excuse and zinged Lauer in the process.
S. PALIN: Matt, I would say that you and anybody else are extremely naive to believe that very convenient excuse of David Letterman the other day.
It took him a couple of days for him to think of that excuse that, "Oh no, he wasn`t talking about my daughter who was there with me at the game, the 14-year-old. He was talking about some other daughter. Well, I think that`s a weak excuse. And you know, regardless, it was a degrading comment about a young woman.
BANFIELD: Palin also defended her harsh response to Letterman`s invitation to make peace on his show. Palin`s spokeswoman flat-out turned Letterman down adding quote, "Plus it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman." When Matt Lauer asked Palin about that, she didn`t back down.
LAUER: Are you suggesting that David Letterman can`t be trusted around a 14-year-old girl?
S. PALIN: Take it however you want to take it. It is a comment that came from the heart.
LAUER: Is that not perhaps in bad taste also, governor, if you`re suggesting that that a 62-year-old man couldn`t be trusted -
S. PALIN: No, it`s not in bad taste. It`s not in bad taste. Hey, maybe he couldn`t be trusted because Willow`s had enough of his type of comments. And maybe Willow would want to react to him in a way that maybe would catch him off guard. That`s one way to interpret such a comment.
BANFIELD: Palin also took her anti-Letterman campaign to CNN`s "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer.
S. PALIN: David Letterman`s sexist, perverted joke about a 14-year-old girl.
SERAFIN: She seems to now have taken the phrase "knocked up" and turned it into statutory rape.
BANFIELD: "In Touch Weekly" editor and former political spokesperson Kim Serafin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Palin has been using provocative language in her public Letterman smackdown.
SERAFIN: She kind of made this into a much bigger issue about young girls everywhere, trying to make this into a much bigger social issue than just kind of a little joke that was said about someone in her family on a late night talk show.
LETTERMAN: I`m Dave Letterman making friends wherever I go.
BANFIELD: The night before Palin`s media blitz, Letterman joked about the whole flap.
LETTERMAN: Earlier in the week I made some jokes that upset Sarah Palin. I think everything`s fine now. I think everything`s going to be great because she called today and invited to take me hunting.
BANFIELD: Letterman may be joking about the hunting thing, but it`s clear that the self-described hunter has Letterman squarely in her sights.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So, did Sarah Palin do the right thing by coming out swinging today?
Joining me tonight in New York, CNN`s legal analyst Lisa Bloom. And also in New York tonight, Midwin Charles who is an attorney at the Midwin Charles and Associates Law Firm.
In New York, well, Sarah Palin is making it very clear, girls, she is not going to roll over. She is on the offense. Lisa Bloom, right move?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It doesn`t make any sense to me how she could think that her daughter Willow is the target of the joke instead of Bristol who was the one who was pregnant and who put herself out there as the national spokesperson against teen pregnancy.
And by the way, when you put yourself out there as a national spokesperson, you`re going to take some hits. People are going to make jokes about you and I think Momma Palin and Bristol Palin have to understand that.
BANFIELD: Yes, especially when you`re 18 and doing that. Midwin, what do you think? Palin on the offense against Letterman - is that a good thing to do?
MIDWIN CHARLES, ATTORNEY, MIDWIN CHARLES AND ASSOCIATES: I think it is a good thing to do. Look, Palin is interested in extending her 15 seconds of fame as long as possible. And so, of course, she`s going to do that.
But on a serious tip, I totally disagree with Letterman`s joke. I thought it was wholly inappropriate. Any time you start making jokes like that about young girls whether they`re 14 or 18, I think it`s disastrous. Young girls today are already over-sexualized.
BANFIELD: Well, the before appearing today on the "Today" show and CNN`s "The Situation Room," Sarah Palin responded to Letterman`s invitation to appear on his show and through her spokesperson said this, "The Palins have no intention of providing a ratings boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show. Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman."
Ouch. On the "Today" show this morning, Matt Lauer challenged Sarah Palin on just exactly what she meant by keeping her 14-year-old daughter away from David Letterman. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: I`d like you to explain what that meant. Are you suggesting that David Letterman can`t be trusted around a 14-year-old girl?
S. PALIN: Hey, take it however you want to take it. It is a comment that came from the heart that Willow, no doubt, would want to stay away from David Letterman after he made such a comment. And you can interpret that however you want to interpret it.
LAUER: Well, is that not perhaps in bad taste also, governor, if you`re suggesting that a 62-year-old man couldn`t be trusted -
S. PALIN: No, it`s not in bad taste. It`s not in bad taste. Hey, maybe he couldn`t be trusted because Willow`s had enough of this type of comments. And maybe Willow would want to react to him in a way that maybe would catch him off guard. That`s one way to interpret such a comment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, there you have it, Matt challenging her over what she said about Letterman. Lisa Bloom, how do you think Sarah Palin handled herself here?
BLOOM: Very poorly. You know, she`s the one who is bringing Willow into this national conversation. People don`t know Willow. They don`t know much about her. They know about Bristol because she`s the one who put herself out there.
And you know, Midwin, I would generally agree with you that a candidate`s kid should be off limits. But when they anoint themselves and they take the role of national spokesperson against teen pregnancy as she has underwritten by the Candie`s Foundation, I think all bets are off. She`s a legal adult. She`s assumed that position. People can make comments about her.
BANFIELD: What do you think of that, Midwin?
CHARLES: That is if he was talking about the 18-year-old daughter, Lisa.
BLOOM: Of course, he was talking about her.
CHARLES: I think if he were talking about the 14-year-old, that`s absolutely ridiculous. At 14, she`s a girl. She`s a child -
BLOOM: It doesn`t make any sense that a joke about pregnancy would be about Willow.
CHARLES: She should be off limits.
BANFIELD: Well, some people are saying that Sarah Palin should have just responded to Letterman`s jokes by maybe just saying something like this, "I won`t dignify this with a comment."
CHARLES: She could have done that. You know, she could have done that. But she doesn`t seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to some of these comments.
BANFIELD: Well, I was just saying that she was absolutely - she had every right to be completely outraged. These are her girls. Lisa, granted that David Letterman said the jokes were directed at the 18-year-old Bristol and not the 14-year-old, but does it really matter?
BLOOM: Well, you know what? As a mother, I understand Sarah Palin. If somebody made a comment about one of my kids, I`d have that momma bear reaction, too, and I wouldn`t like it.
But she`s a public figure. She`s got to think through what she says before she takes the airwaves and attacks him for something that he clearly did not mean. He was clearly talking about Bristol. And now, she`s just dragging this out. I mean, I really think she looks bad in all this.
BANFIELD: What do you think, Midwin?
CHARLES: I think the thing with Sarah Palin is she has - she`s so difficult in articulating what it is that she`s trying to say. For example, when she sidestepped Matt Lauer`s question, it was clear that her statement meant that David Letterman perhaps had a thing for 14-year-olds. The problem is she`s not able to clearly articulate what her concerns are when these statements are made. And like Lisa said, to a certain extent, she ought to keep her mouth shut.
BANFIELD: I think she`s going to have a whole bunch of time to continue articulating. What do you think?
BLOOM: I don`t think she`s going away.
CHARLES: She`s always interesting to watch.
BANFIELD: 15 seconds. 15 seconds -
(CROSS TALK)
BANFIELD: Lisa Bloom, Midwin Charles, this is not the end of the conversation. We`ll certainly talk to you guys again. Thank you both.
And now, we want to hear from you, everybody. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Palin Versus Letterman: Whose side are you on? Sarah Palin`s or David Letterman`s?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, don`t you just love the "Sonny and Cher Show," especially when they brought out their precious little girl, Chastity, at the end of every show? Tonight a jaw-dropper. Cher`s daughter becomes a man. Chastity Bono is now Chaz Bono. It is the sex change shocker you`re not going to believe.
And big breaking Madonna adoption news. A Malawian court rules on Madonna`s adoption fight. But will she come home with a brand-new daughter, or will she leave Malawi empty-handed?
And take a look at this. It`s former President George H.W. Bush jumping out of a plane for his 85th birthday. And HLN`s Robin Meade of "Morning Express" is right there with him. And she`s right here with the exclusive. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: Mel Gibson and his estranged wife file to keep divorce details confidential. George Clooney stopped by police in Italy so they could take photos with him.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Take a look at that. HLN`s "Morning Express" anchor Robin Meade comes in for a safe landing this afternoon after parachuting along with former President George Herbert Walker Bush on his 85th birthday.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Ashleigh Banfield in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
Tonight, HLN`s Robin Meade has the story to tell for the rest of her life. Robin, the anchor of "Morning Express" here on HLN skydived today for her very first time and with former President Bush, no less.
Robin and the elder Bush went skydiving with the Army`s Golden Knights parachute team near the Bushes` family summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. And the fabulous and fearless Robin Meade joins us from Kennebunkport.
Holy cow! Hey, Robin. Congratulations. What was that like? How on earth did you do it? How scared were you?
ROBIN MEADE, ANCHOR, "MORNING EXPRESS": Ashleigh, I wasn`t afraid up until that point, until the moment they said it`s time to go and we`re in the plane and the door is open and I`m hooked to a guy who was my tandem partner, because all morning, I interviewed him beforehand. So I was thinking about the interview.
Then, in the plane, you know, I`m still thinking about the video that we`re shooting. So it was all about the job, right? But then, when they said it`s time to go, I cannot lie that my knees started to tremble and the door opened and basically - there`s no turning back then, right? It`s time to go.
BANFIELD: No.
MEADE: The first five seconds falling out -
BANFIELD: You`re gone.
MEADE: Yes, exactly. The first five seconds, you know, you really feel like you`re falling now. You`re free-falling. You accelerate to 120 miles per hour during that jump.
And then, you start to feel like you`re flying. I`ll tell you what. The 85-year-old former president showed me up.
BANFIELD: Not bad, hey?
MEADE: Granted it is his seventh time - yes, it is his seventh time jumping and it is my first. But here is his reaction as soon as he landed. We were live on TV and so I ran over and asked him how he felt. So here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEADE (on camera): Well, Mr. Bush, what do you think?
GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I liked it. I liked it. Glad to do it again.
MEADE: Wow.
G. BUSH: How about you?
MEADE: Well, that was something else. Mrs. Bush, this is my first time jumping. What do you have to say about him?
BARBARA BUSH, WIFE OF GEORGE H.W. BUSH: I thought that he was great, this old hand. But you came in like a lady.
MEADE: No skidding across, on my knees. I came in like a lady she said. OK. So is Barbara going to let you do this again?
G. BUSH: Not until my 90th birthday.
MEADE: Yes?
B. BUSH: Why not?
MEADE: And Barbara, are we going to see you do this?
B. BUSH: Never.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MEADE: So basically, she said, "Nope, never." And you know what? President Bush 43 and Jeb Bush - they didn`t show any inclination that they were going to jump either -
BANFIELD: The family show -
MEADE: In the aftermath. Ashleigh -
BANFIELD: We`re looking at this video of you, Robin, inside the plane with President Bush as you were flying towards the jump point. And I can only imagine what you were talking about the two of you. Was he nervous at all?
MEADE: Not one bit. He has complete faith in the Army`s Golden Knights. This is the Army`s, you know, premiere parachuting team. Some of them have done something like 3,700 jumps. So it`s old hat to them, second-nature to them, still all about business.
So he was completely trusting in them. When we were looking out the windows, he was looking for their summer home. He was looking for the Bush summer home, seeing if he could spot it. He wanted to show me his boat. We were having a hard time seeing through the clouds. Everything cleared. And at the last moment, we were able to say, yes, the jump is a go, because he weather was questionable.
You look around me right here and it`s gorgeous now. But it was questionable if we were going to be able to pull it off. You know, in earlier in the day, I had a sit-down interview with him. And I asked him why - you`re 85, why jump? And he had an answer for me.
BANFIELD: And didn`t he just say, "Because I can? Because it`s exciting?" You are officially my new hero, Robin Meade. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us about your big day. Love it.
Everybody make sure to watch Robin every weekday morning on "Morning Express" right here on HLN.
The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have been burning up with people calling in about Sarah Palin`s fury with David Letterman over a sexual joke that was targeting her daughter. Can somebody get our "Showbiz on Call" operators some coffee, please? They`ve been up all night.
We`ve got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Phil in Virginia who says Sarah Palin needs to loosen up. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
PHIL, CALLER FROM VIRGINIA: Even though I am Republican, I believe Sarah Palin is taking this much too seriously. This is a joke. This is what he does for a living. I watch him all the time. He`s funny. And this just shows that evidently she has no sense of humor at all.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Thank you, Bill. We also heard from Tim calling into "Showbiz on Call" from California who thinks Letterman should back off the kids. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TIM, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: I don`t care if it`s a 14-year-old or an 18- year-old. They`re still teenagers and they`re still kids. They`re a candidate`s children. They`re off limits.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Thank you, Tim. Call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else that`s on your mind. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines, always open. Call us at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; that`s 1-888-728-2899. Leave us a voicemail and we`ll play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz on Call" are also now online at our homepage CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
You know, I`ve got to tell you I used to love - love Sonny and Cher - that show especially when they brought out their precious little girl at the end, Chastity. And I know I`m not alone. Well, tonight Cher`s daughter is becoming a man. Why Chastity Bono is now becoming Chaz Bono. It is the sex change shocker that will leave your head spinning.
And the fired Miss California speaks out in her first interview since Donald Trump gave her the boot. Carrie Prejean fires back with her side of the story. Did she get fired over the gay marriage controversy or those topless photos?
BANFIELD: And get a load of this. Break out your umbrellas and put the kids in the car, because the blackbird bomber is coming for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s the blackbird bomber terrorizing pedestrians, at least entertaining passersby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: When blackbirds attack. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: Daniel Baldwin voted off NBC`s "I`m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here." "The Hills" star, Heidi Montag, to pose for "Playboy" magazine.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
M.C. HAMMER, RAP ARTIST: What`s going on? This is M.C. Hammer. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, I`m on your Facebook - on the Facebook page.
And I just did an interview with A.J. Hammer. You know, my distant cousin, my brother from another mother. We both hammer time, so we just did the interview. Check it out, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. And M.C. Hammer is going down.
And oh, by the way, I`ve got a Facebook page too. But we`ll talk about that later. The show A & E "Hammer Time" Sunday nights at 10:00 p.m. But right now, we are all on Facebook, baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: M.C. Hammer giving a little shoutout to fans on brand-new SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. There is tons of stuff just like that already up. You can write us and watch exclusive, behind-the-scenes video you won`t see anywhere else.
So how do you become a fan, you ask? Good thing. You head over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. And you look for the Facebook logo.
Welcome back to the show, everyone. I`m Ashleigh Banfield. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
Tonight, Susan Lucci, "The Cougar." Lucci`s beloved character on "All My Children," the infamous Erica Kane, is on the prowl to become TV`s ultimate cougar. Kane`s been through 10 husbands in her 40 years on the show. But can she find love with a much younger man?
Lucci, along with her on-camera love interest, Cameron Mathison told the ladies at "The View" this morning that she is all for the older woman- younger man combo. But she is not so sure about being called a cougar. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": When you read that Erica Kane was going to have a love affair with a much younger, gorgeous man, what was your thought?
SUSAN LUCCI, ACTRESS: Oh, it`s a terrible idea. I couldn`t possibly do this. I`m 37, 38, so I just - I just wanted to be sure that, you know -
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You look 37.
LUCCI: Oh, thank you -
BEHAR: You do.
LUCCI: I will tell you that Erica Kane, and for myself, I hate labels. I think labels limit people. They limit the way we perceive each other. I`d like to see labels go away and everybody look at each other as an individual. That would be, you know, the best of all possible worlds. But for me "cougar" has a connotation of a Mrs. Robinson.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": This could potentially be the 11th marriage, right?
(CROSS TALK)
LUCCI: You know, at the very beginning, I don`t know -
SHEPHERD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with a younger man.
BEHAR: Maybe you just woke up with her daughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: And just to be clear, Erica Kane`s young lover is her daughter`s ex-husband and her ex-fiance`s stepson. Are you following that? (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Former Miss California Carrie Prejean in her first TV interview since she was fired by Donald Trump. She is furious and fighting back.
A sex change shocker. Sonny and Cher`s precious little girl is becoming a man. Why Chastity Bono is becoming Chaz Bono.
And big Madonna adoption news. Did a Malawian court grant Madonna`s wish to adopt a little girl? The decision is in. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: Madame Tussauds to open $55 million wax museum in Hollywood on August 1st. Michael Douglas gets American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Chastity Bono`s new life as a man. Cher`s precious little girl getting a sex change. Will Chaz become an icon for the transgender community?
Madonna`s big adoption news. Will the superstar finally adopt a little girl from Malawi? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in Africa with the breaking developments.
Plus, Miss California`s explosive reaction to getting fired by Donald Trump. It is the fired-up brand new TV interview giving her side of this story. So was it really all about gay marriage?
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`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Ashleigh Banfield in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off tonight.
Tonight, beauty battles back. Brand new tonight, the newly dethroned Miss California, Carrie Prejean, came out swinging today in her first TV interview after being unceremoniously dumped by Donald Trump. She`s claiming she was fired because of her views on gay marriage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARRIE PREJEAN, FORMER MISS CALIFORNIA USA 2009: This is about me stating my beliefs about same sex marriage. And that`s the reason why we`re here today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Also brand new tonight, the unbelievable E-mail exchange between Carrie Prejean and her now ex-boss Keith Lewis, the head of the Miss California pageant. We`ve got them.
Joining me tonight in New York, Lisa Bloom who is a CNN legal analyst. And also from New York, Midwin Charles, who is an attorney for the law firm Midwin Charles and Associates.
OK, folks, in a brand-new interview on the "Today" show this morning with Matt Lauer, Carrie Prejean claims the reason she was fired had nothing to do with not living up to her contract or those topless photos. She insists it had everything to do with her public opposition to gay marriage and her ex-boss Keith`s hidden agenda. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREJEAN: This is about me stating my beliefs about same sex marriage. And that`s the reason why we`re here today. Keith Lewis - he has his own hidden agenda. He has his own personal agenda. He obviously doesn`t agree with the beliefs that I have. Therefore, I am here today dethroned as Miss California because of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, you tell it, girl. Lisa, are you buying what she`s claiming today?
BLOOM: Well, it just doesn`t make a lot of sense because Donald Trump defended her views on gay marriage or at least defended her right to say them. He even defended those topless photos saying he believed her that the wind just blew her top open.
What he doesn`t defend and what the Miss California organization apparently would not stand for was her not showing up to events that she was supposed to appear at as Miss California. So it just doesn`t comport with the facts and the way that this all went down in the time line, unfortunately.
BANFIELD: And Donald Trump was making it clear that when he fired her, it was because she was bailing on those appearances that she was supposed to make.
And in her brand-new interview on the "Today" show this morning - and remember, this is her first TV interview since being fired. Carrie Prejean disputes that it had anything to do with the appearances. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREJEAN: I maybe did two appearances that Mr. Lewis had asked me to do. He said, "Carrie, your job is to compete and win Miss USA. Do not worry about appearances." I took it upon my own self and I called hospitals and I, you know, the Special Olympics. And they said, "We`d love to have you."
LAUER: So what you`re saying to me, Carrie - you`re saying this is a bit of a set-up in your opinion -
PREJEAN: It is a set-up.
LAUER: That you weren`t asked to do anything prior to the Miss USA competition ...
PREJEAN: It is a set-up.
LAUER: But after your comments ...
PREJEAN: It is a set-up.
LAUER: ... about same sex marriage on that competition -
PREJEAN: All of a sudden I`m missing appearances.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, Midwin, does it look like the writing was on the wall? Kind of looks like neither side was making any effort, any good faith effort, anyway, to communicate face to face.
CHARLES: I don`t know. I mean, it`s one thing to say that she was fired simply because this one man from the Miss California organization had it out for her because he has his own personal agenda. And it`s another to say that she wasn`t showing up.
Look, the facts are, whether she showed up or not - it`s very, very simple and easy to prove. Either she was there or she wasn`t.
BANFIELD: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained some copies of E-mails between Carrie and her ex-boss, Keith. And they were sent to us by the Miss California USA pageant.
In one E-mail dated May 29th, Carrie gets into a war of words with her boss, Keith, about appearing at a Special Olympics event that she says she set up herself. She wrote this, quote, "Stop speaking for me. I have my own voice. What are you going to do? Fire me for volunteering for the Special Olympics? Ha ha ha. You`re crazy. No, I am doing this appearance." Midwin -
CHARLES: Wow.
BANFIELD: Is this getting a little too dirty? Do you think the Miss California pageant should even be making public E-mails like this that were supposedly written in private?
CHARLES: I don`t know. I think it`s very much inappropriate for them to make that public. But whoa! Wow, that crown she`s wearing is just a little bit too heavy. It`s really gotten to her head. Oh my!
BANFIELD: Well, for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, we`ve been asking on air and online, "Miss California Fired: Did Donald Trump do the right thing?" And look at the results - a whopping 72 percent said yes. The Trumpster did the right thing. Well, only 28 percent are saying no. So Lisa, surprised?
BLOOM: No, I`m not at all surprised. Ashleigh, who amongst us could talk to our boss that way in an E-mail and not get fired? I mean, guess what? The rules apply to her just like they apply to all of the rest of us. And P.S., the new Miss California has also said publicly that she thinks marriage is between that man and a woman and she hasn`t been fired.
So I think, Carrie, unfortunately, did this to herself. She brought this on herself and she only has herself to blame.
BANFIELD: Midwin, 10 seconds. Did you ever talk to a boss like that?
CHARLES: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Unless it was a job I was on my way out of.
BANFIELD: I love you girls. Lisa Bloom, Midwin Charles, thanks so much. Excellent as usual.
Making news right now, Madonna`s adoption ruling, a big victory for Madonna tonight in her bid to adopt a 3-year-old girl from the African nation of Malawi.
Just today, in a stunning turn-around, the highest court there reversed the ruling of a three-judge panel back in April. That panel devastated Madonna by rejecting her request to adopt little Mercy James.
And now, it is a whole new day for Madonna and her growing family. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in Africa with the latest reaction to the brand new Madonna adoption ruling.
And joining me tonight from Nairobi, Kenya is CNN`s David McKenzie.
David, thank you for joining us. What an amazing turn of events. When that three-judge panel rejected Madonna`s application at first, it really looked like all hope was lost. So did the new verdict come in as quite a surprise in Malawi?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT, NAIROBI, KENYA: I think it came in, actually, to a surprise to a lot of people, yes. There`s a high court completely overturned that earlier decision that came three months ago in Malawi when Madonna was actually in Malawi.
She was there with some of her family, was expecting a quick resolution to this. But that court rejected her request to adopt the 3- year-old Malawian orphan, Mercy James. Now, three months today, here we are. The high court has said that she can, in fact, adopt the child and basically overturning every aspect of that previous court ruling. So yes, a lot of surprise in Malawi, but they have the final say in some ways on this.
BANFIELD: Well, the lower court that initially gave that rejection said that she didn`t meet the residency requirement. So does this new decision mean that Madonna`s going to spend a lot more time over there in Malawi?
MCKENZIE: I don`t think so, Ashleigh. What this means is basically they rejected the findings of that previous court ruling. The previous court said that she has to spend a lot of time as all other parents who want to adopt children in Malawi would have to spend.
But this new court ruling questioned the issue of raising the question of residency, saying Madonna has spent a lot of money in the country, that she has a charitable foundation in the country, and that she has shown through that commitment, a commitment to the children of Malawi as a whole so she should be allowed to take a child away.
So no, I don`t expect her to be spending a whole lot of time in Lilongwe or Blantyre in Malawi. But certainly, she has spent some time there in the past. But the next time she comes, I suspect, will be to get the child and take her back to the States.
BANFIELD: Ah, that`s what I want to know. I don`t have a lot of time, so make it quick. When are we expected to see little Mercy James coming home with her?
MCKENZIE: We don`t know for sure, Ashleigh. But we do know that the lawyer of Madonna in Malawi is going to get a passport for the child. And they`ll have to make the final legal requirements. And then, I`m sure Madonna will come in quite swiftly. It could be weeks. It could be months.
There is one issue that might throw his fanny in works. The father of the child complained. Kambewa, who says he`s the father, came a few months ago. If he complains now, it might yet again delay this case.
But right now, today, in Malawi, it seems like young Mercy James will be on her way to the States pretty soon with the global megastar. Ashleigh?
BANFIELD: Well, we`ll continue to watch for developments. David McKenzie in Nairobi, thank you.
And Madonna released this statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She said, quote, "I am extremely grateful for the supreme court`s ruling on my application to adopt Mercy James. I am ecstatic. My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."
Madonna gains another daughter and Cher will soon have a son. Chastity Bono`s sex change shocker. Cher`s precious little girl getting a sex change. Why now? And will she become a transgender icon?
Danny DeVito drunk on live TV again? Wait until you hear what he said and his outrageous reasons for it all.
Plus, look out, above the absolutely wild new spectator sport in San Francisco.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS (voice-over): It`s the blackbird bomber terrorizing pedestrians, at least entertaining passersby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Ouch! It is a frightening fowl that is freaking people out, next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: "Jon & Kate Plus 8" helps TLC soar to 9th most popular network up from number 25 spot. Mel Gibson`s girlfriend releases first song from upcoming album.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Ashleigh Banfield in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off tonight.
Tonight, a sex change shocker. We have brand-new developments as Chastity Bono, the beloved daughter of superstars Sonny and Cher, has just revealed that he is in the beginning stages of a sex change from female to male. Here`s CNN`s Kara Finnstrom for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHASTITY BONO, DAUGHTER OF SONNY AND CHER BONO: Good night, everybody. God bless you.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the daughter of Sonny and Cher, Chastity Bono has been in the spotlight since she was a little girl on her parents` show. Thursday, the 40-year-old announced a new name, Chaz, and a transition to a new life as a man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Publicist Howard Bragman released this statement, "Chaz after many years of consideration has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz` hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue just as his coming out did nearly 20 years ago."
FINNSTROM: When Chastity Bono came out as a lesbian, she took on the role of advocate for gay and lesbian issues.
C. BONO: There`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I like that.
(APPLAUSE)
FINNSTROM: Speaking in public and appearing on reality TV shows like "The Celebrity Fit Club." Back then Bono talked about the troubles she faced finding her own identity.
BONO: It`s been hard to have the parents that I have who have been so successful. And I`ve worked really hard to, you know, carve out my own identity and something separate from them.
FINNSTROM: Now, other activists say Bono`s very public gender change may help others in the transgender community find their identity.
MARA KEISLING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE TRANSGENDER EQUALITY: We understand that the world is not as safe for transgender people physically as it is for other people. People aren`t always as kind to transgender people as they are to other people. And any time a high profile person is very public about this, it`s really wonderful. It`s a really wonderful sign for people who are still trying to figure out how to do it themselves.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BANFIELD: That was CNN`s Kara Finnstrom for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So just how difficult will this transition be for Chaz and for the entire family, including that uber-famous mother, Cher?
Joining me tonight in New York, Katrina Szish who is a celebrity journalist. And also tonight in New York, Ben Widdicombe who is a celebrity editor for "StyleList.com."
All right, you two, Chaz Bono grew up in the public eye as Chastity Bono, the beloved daughter of Sonny and Cher. We knew her as that sweet little girl in those beautiful frilly dresses at the end of "The Sonny and Cher Show."
Take a look at this - how she has changed over the years. And that transition continues as Chaz fully becomes a man. Ben, are people shocked by this? Because we remember Chaz as that iconic precious little girl on "The Sonny and Cher Show."
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY EDITOR, "STYLELIST.COM": Oh, I think people are and certainly, a very unusual decisions to transition this way when you are such a public figure. The only other person in his situation I can think of is Alexis Arquette who is also (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She`s also a very famous travel writer. But certainly, in Hollywood terms, I think Chaz really is a groundbreaker and a trailblazer.
BANFIELD: Well, the amount of support for Chaz Bono is overwhelming from activist groups like GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to Chaz` own stepmother, Mary Bono.
You know, everybody`s applauding at this decision. Katrina, how important is it, though, for Cher to come out and strongly support Chaz?
KATRINA SZISH, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: It`s very important for Cher to come out and support her now son. But I think that what Cher is doing - she`s been really an advocate for Chastity while she was a lesbian. And I think she`s really waiting for the right time to come out and really support this decision.
Right now, this is what Chaz is doing. Chaz is 40 years old. This is really his decision to change his life. I think she`s stepping back a little bit and letting this be his decision. And I`m sure we`ll be hearing from her very soon and I`m sure it`ll be complete support.
BANFIELD: Ben, what do you think? Should Cher step back or step forward?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, interestingly, Chaz wrote in what at that time was her coming out memoir that when she told her mother at the time that she was a lesbian, Cher did not respond positively. And actually, then Chastity wrote that she went ballistic for a couple of days, which is bizarre when you think without the gays, Cher would be still ironing her hair and wearing mini skirts.
BANFIELD: Good point.
WIDDICOMBE: But you know, it has to be said that Cher is now a major supporter of the LGBT community. So I think that we can assume she`ll be on board.
BANFIELD: And you know, as you mentioned, Chaz struggled to come out as gay 20 years ago and ended up actually telling "LARRY KING LIVE" back in `98 that it was a very liberating experience. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": What prompted your coming out? Was there an event?
BONO: I think there was a few things. I had - I got outed in the tabloids. And I lived in the closet for so many years in fear for so long, and I just got sick of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, Katrina, Chaz is not alone in being confused about sexuality. Do you think that Chaz will inspire others in this very same situation?
SZISH: Absolutely. I think the fact that someone who already is under such a microscope being the child of such famous celebrities, I mean, he`s under so much scrutiny and always has been.
And I think the fact that he is really being very strong and making this very public transition, you know, really well-known to everybody, I think it will give people kind of a little bit more support thinking, "Hey, you know what? I can do this. If he can do this, I can do this. And I`m going to do it in the privacy of my own life." And here`s someone doing it in the spotlight.
BANFIELD: Right. Ben, what do you think? A leader in the making?
WIDDICOMBE: Oh, absolutely. I think she has been a leader already. And she`s been on that show, as we saw earlier, "The Celebrity Fit Club." She`s a well-known activist in California. And I think she`ll continue with that role.
BANFIELD: All right. Well, Katrina Szish and Ben Widdicombe, thank you very much for your insights tonight.
And tonight, Danny DeVito drunk on live TV again? Did you see this? You remember the last time he was admittedly out of it during an appearance on "The View." He chalked it up to a night of Limoncello shots with George Clooney.
This time, no Clooney alibi, just loony behavior during a live interview in Philadelphia. Oh, did I forget to mention that it was 8:00 in the morning? Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know I love you, right?
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: Yes, I love you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to wear my extra-high shoes because you`re the only man I can look down to ...
DEVITO: Well, that`s good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: At three feet tall -
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, here`s the thing.
DEVITO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the access.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, wow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Naughty -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Whoa! This time, Danny says it was his behavior on fake beer, a prop from his show, "It`s Always Sunny in Philadelphia." And the whole drunk thing, he says, it was all just a big act. OK.
Well, heads up tonight, the low down on a blackbird swoop. It`s a swoop down. The wild bird attacks on a busy San Francisco street.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS (voice-over): It`s the blackbird bomber terrorizing pedestrians, at least entertaining passersby.
BANFIELD: Yikes. Find out why the fuming fowl even has its own fan club.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: New Kids on the Block sues to stop another group from using their band name. Shania Twain thanks fans for support since split from her husband last year.)
Time now for "Making It Work" where we reveal the secrets of how stars make their relationships work. Tonight, Will Smith. Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith have been married for almost 12 years. They`re raising three children. And their youngest two, Jayden and Willow, are actors, too. That is one busy family.
And when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Will, we just had to ask, how does he make it all work?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: We home school so our children sort of move with us. We`re relocating to China for three months for a while. Jayden and Jackie Chan are shooting "The Karate Kid." We`re remaking that. So, you know, our family sort of picks up and goes where work calls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BANFIELD: Well, that "Karate Kid" remake is reportedly due out next year. And Jada returns to TV with a new series called "Hawthorne" on TNT. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BANFIELD: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Ashleigh Banfield. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
A blackbird named Swoops has San Francisco pedestrians practicing duck and cover. But in a weird twist, the bird has also developed a cult following. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): Keep your eye on the birdie. Seriously, keep your eye on the birdie and cover your head.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. There we go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There we go.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS: It`s the blackbird bomber terrorizing pedestrians or at least entertaining passersby in San Francisco`s financial district.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Apparently, he seems to really like bald men, I`ve heard. So he just took a little bit of my hair.
MOOS: Not since (UNINTELLIGIBLE) of San Francisco had this much of a treat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is perfect lunch theater -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Watching innocent people getting pecked on the head.
MOOS: The bird even has a blog called "Attack Bird Chronicles" which has christened him "Swoops." Everyone seems to assume he`s a male protecting a nest of chicks you can hear peeping in this tree.
Swoops seems to lie in wait. He`s been attacking passersby for the past few weeks. Those who have been pecked by him say it doesn`t really hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I guess this is how Alfred Hitchcock did something.
MOOS: Actually, "The Birds" filmed only 40 miles or so north of here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Birds are not aggressive creatures, Miss. They bring beauty into the world.
MOOS: Yes. Tell that to the woman who is having her cell phone call interrupted.
(on camera): So why would a bird be carrying out unprovoked attacks on pedestrians? Is this a bird who`s suffering from PMS or something? Hormone levels?
GLENN PHILLIPS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK CITY AUDUBON SOCIETY: Sure, birds can really have their hormone levels get really high now. And so they get very aggressive to protect their nest.
MOOS (voice-over): Swoops has the girls swooning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He wins the award for best dad of the year.
MOOS: A street musician paid homage with this entitled, "Ornithology."
(MUSIC)
And what is Swoops favored type to attack?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did think it was dark-haired people, but after seeing him attack you -
MOOS: That would be our producer, Augie Martin(ph). One guy was attacked, even flipped a bird at the bird. So if you`re going to San Francisco, be sure to hold an umbrella over your hair. And don`t believe your bird- brained friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get in there. You`re clear. He`s good. He`s not coming. He`s not coming.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BANFIELD: And that was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, everyone. I`m Ashleigh Banfield in New York. Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN. Thanks for watching, everybody.
END
