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Showbiz Tonight
Kate`s Revenge; Chris Brown Bombshells; Rich Women Over 40; Michael Jackson Death Investigation; Farrah Fawsett`s Son in Reality Show?; Putpocketing Instead of Pickpocketing
Aired August 26, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Kate`s revenge. Kate Gosselin`s most revealing confessions yet. Does she think Jon`s a bad father? Why police were called to her home. And is Kate ready to date?
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: Don`t you want companionship?
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR: I`m lonely but I`m very busy.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the great Kate debate. Are Kate`s revelations bad for her kids?
Chris Brown bombshells. Brand-new, explosive details about Brown`s history of domestic violence just as he`s sentenced for beating Rihanna. Did Rihanna hit Chris? And why he has to stay away from Rihanna for five years.
Plus, they`re rich, they`re famous and they are over 40. It`s a "SHOWBIZ Special Report", Hollywood`s richest women over 40.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And tonight, it`s Kate`s revenge. "Jon & Kate" star Kate Gosselin opens up in her most revealing interview since her dramatic split from Jon. And I`ve got to tell you, for all the talking she`s done, this is the first time the walls are really tumbling down and we are getting brand-new insight into her fury, her heartache and her hopes for the future.
As if that`s not enough, she`s also firing back at Jon on all cylinders and there is no question Kate`s explosive new smackdown, it is making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOSSELIN: For the sake of my children, I only speak positive.
HAMMER (voice-over): On "LARRY KING LIVE," Kate Gosselin had not a bad word to say about her earring-wearing, globe-trotting 20-something-dating ex, Jon Gosselin.
GOSSELIN: It`s about choosing to see the positive and working with the negative.
HAMMER: But in the new issue of "People" magazine with the headline," Kate Strikes Back," it`s a different story. About her ex, Kate says it seems like, quote, "Aliens have taken him away." She adds, "Sometimes I feel like it`s a 15-year-old I`m getting divorced from."
JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Now in the "People" interview, she`s finally let her guard down and she`s ready to say, Jon has screwed up and I`m any with Jon.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you in two months of headlines, talk show interviews and awkward co-parenting scenes on their TV show where they take turns being at home with the kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Daddy knows everything about it.
GOSSELIN: It`s a clover flower. He`s not here.
HAMMER: The private pain of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is now on full public display. In Kate`s most revealing interviews yet.
PIAZZA: And that`s what made her seem real in this interview is that she`s pissed and she`s showing it.
HAMMER: In an interview with Larry King, Kate says her eight kids are doing OK considering.
GOSSELIN: They`re working through it the same that Jon and I are. They`re doing remarkably well.
HAMMER: And she sets the record straight about that whole flap when the cops were called to the house in a dispute over who was watching the kids.
GOSSELIN: It actually was not this huge fight. It was just a thing where I wanted to be there with the kids and -- as opposed to a babysitter. And he wasn`t fond of that idea, and I left peaceably knowing that it`s true, it was his day to be there.
HAMMER: Plus, Kate complimented Jon`s parenting kills -- sort of.
KING: Is he a good father?
GOSSELIN: He is.
KING: Why the pause?
GOSSELIN: His decisions right now are not ones that I would necessarily make, but down deep in his heart, I know that he is.
PIAZZA: Obviously in that pause, you could tell that she just wanted to shake her head and be like, oh, hell, no, he is not.
HAMMER: But in "People" magazine, Kate doesn`t hold back. She goes after Jon`s very public carousing after their split.
PIAZZA: Jon really has been acting like a 15-year-old post-pubescent boy. He`s running around, hooking up with girls in their early 20s.
HAMMER: About her ex`s behavior, Kate tells "People," quote, "I`m just very disappointed. It has caused so much stress. I am so emotionally spent and he is so emotionally unavailable and I worry. How in the world are my kids going to turn out."
PIAZZA: It was a really moving moment in the interview where she says, I`m worried about the relationship choices my daughters are going to make when they grow up. She just kind of showed the cracks in her armor for the first time and I think America really appreciates that.
HAMMER: So the big question, when are we going to see Kate in the tabloids with a new boyfriend? Sorry, boys, she tells Larry King, she is not looking.
KING: Would you date?
GOSSELIN: No, too busy, sorry.
KING: Don`t you want companionship?
GOSSELIN: I`m lonely but I`m very busy. And actually I`m all right.
PIAZZA: She came across as woman with real issues and real pain that`s been hurt and that is just trying to put her life back together and go on living like the rest of us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, Kate`s interviews have a lot of people now feeling a bit more sympathetic towards her and others -- well, they still have plenty of bones to pick with both her and Jon.
Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`ve got "The Great Kate Debate."
Tonight, the Michael Jackson blame game. There is brand-new evidence in the Michael Jackson homicide investigation showing that Jackson`s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, wasn`t the only one supplying the king of pop with drugs.
Tonight, at least seven doctors, including Dr. Murray and Jackson`s long- time dermatologist, Arnold Klein, are now under investigation. Are they all to blame?
Also new tonight, what about Michael Jackson`s role? How much was his superstar status to blame for his rampant drug use and sudden death?
We have the shocking insight into the dysfunctional relationship between celebrity patient and doctor.
Joining me tonight in New York is Jami Floyd who`s an anchor for "In Session." Tonight in Hollywood it`s Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for Extra. A whopping seven doctors, guy, being investigated for meds they prescribed to Michael Jackson. And I`ve got to tell you, the list of sedatives and anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds found in Jackson`s home is really shocking.
Jackson`s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, of course, we`ve been talking about him. He`s the main doc in the hot seat here. But Jami, let me start with you. What could happen to these other doctors if investigators can prove that they prescribed unnecessary meds to Jackson?
JAMI FLOYD, ANCHOR, IN SESSION: Well, first of all, there are laws against prescribing unnecessary medications. That`s the first and most basic kind of crime that can be alleged. And there are also violations of the health code, even if you don`t get to the criminal law.
And then of course, there`s the possibility of being roped in to some sort of manslaughter or possibly even -- I think it`s a long shot, but people are talking about possibly even second-degree murder charges. So it`s looking pretty bad for a whole bunch of doctors, although the real focus has been and continues to be on Murray, who everybody calls Michael Jackson`s personal physician.
I think of him as the doctor who worked for AEG. But either way, yes, he`s the guy who`s really in big trouble.
HAMMER: Yes. He was on AEG`s payroll, to be sure.
FLOYD: Yes.
HAMMER: You know, it`s really interesting, since Michael died, a lot of people, I think, particularly diehard fans, have been in denial about any kind of a drug problem that he had. It`s pretty obvious he had a real problem with prescription meds. Frankly, it seems like these doctors really did enable him.
In fact, Dr. Drew Pinsky tells CNN`s Anderson Cooper that this is actually more of a problem in Hollywood than people realize.
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DREW PINSKY, "CELEBRITY REHAB": This happens all the time that people have a lot of money and a lot of power. They feel the need to have special care. They don`t accept the standard of care. They find physicians that collude with them, people who like to bask in the glory of celebrity, for instance. And thereby they end up getting substandard care rather than what is the best care, which is standard care.
This is a classic example that where there`s an adulteration of the patient/doctor relationship, where money and power has gotten in the way of it and affected someone`s judgment and here now the outcome is a dead patient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Carlos, when you hear this kind of explanation, at the bottom of all of this, is it possible that Michael Jackson is really the one to blame?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Of course. And we`ve been saying all summer long that doctors need to start saying no to celebrities. Well, that would imply that celebrities are the ones asking.
I mean, A.J., you and I know -- we both know that there are not doctors walking around Santa Monica Boulevard going, hey, I`ve got some Diprivan, you want some Diprivan? I got some Diprivan. You know what I mean?
The celebrity has got to be the one who asks for it. So yes, the celebrity is the one to blame initially. And then the doctor is the one to blame for saying yes.
FLOYD: Yes.
HAMMER: Well, it certainly seems like an easy trap for some doctors to fall into, if not only the money, it really is this brush with fame. And then you look at somebody like Michael Jackson, the biggest star in the world, you can almost understand how somebody could slip.
But CNN`s Anderson Cooper actually spoke with one anesthesiologist who turned down Jackson`s request to be his doctor. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAYSON HYMES, ANESTHESIOLOGIST: A number of years back I was called to see if I would be interested in working with this gentleman`s pain problems. I had known one or more of the physicians involved in his care. And I decided that it was probably not in my best interest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And he went on to say that he`s seen a lot of his colleagues fall into this really slippery slope with celebrities.
Jami, do you think that is part of what happened here.
FLOYD: Yes.
HAMMER: . with suspect number one, Dr. Murray?
FLOYD: Yes. Look, I think there`s so much blame to go around here. And I think -- look, I think Murray is presumed innocent, right, until proven guilty, as are any of these other doctors who are suspects at this point or persons of interest, really.
And certainly the celebrity and Michael Jackson isn`t the first. There`s Anna Nicole Smith, we could talk about Heath Ledger. We could talk about - - we could probably go back to Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, right?
And we know that prescription drug abuse and overdose is the fastest growing form of drug abuse and addiction in this country. It`s not just celebrities. This is a problem across the board. But I think that we have to be honest about the problem and if anything can come out of this, A.J., maybe an honest conversation about this problem.
HAMMER: Yes.
FLOYD: Is the one good thing that can happen.
HAMMER: Yes. I think a lot of people are being schooled in an area they never were before.
FLOYD: Right.
HAMMER: Jami Floyd and Carlos Diaz, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
Well, a lot of you were furious that Chris Brown didn`t get any jail time for beating Rihanna to a pulp. Tonight, brand-new outrage over details of Chris Brown`s abusive past. You have got to hear this. We`ve got details on Brown`s history of domestic violence and it involves Rihanna.
Has he beaten her before? Did Rihanna actually hit Chris? Tonight, the outrageous new bombshells in the Chris Brown/Rihanna saga.
And is Farrah Fawcett`s son Redmond getting his own reality show? You`re not going to believe the new TV deal Ryan O`Neal reportedly just made for his jailed son. We have got the details.
And have you ever heard of reverse pick-pocketing? Well, I want you to open up your purses because the put-pocket is on the prowl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This guy used to be a pickpocket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I`m a put-pocket. This means I`m putting money back into people`s pockets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, I`ve got the absolutely fascinating story behind this former pickpocket who wants to give you money.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now the SHOWBIZ "News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Best-selling author Dominick Dunne loses battle with cancer at 83. Georgia judge says Miley Cyrus stalker is a threat to society.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, rich, famous and over 40. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" magazine have teamed up to reveal the top Hollywood women over 40 who are just rolling in the big bucks. But wait, there`s more. Not only do we have what they make, but we`ve got some juicy details about of how these ladies spend it. It`s a "SHOWBIZ Special Report."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Madonna sings about material things in her 1984 hit song and Oprah Winfrey shares the wealth on her talk show. They`re Hollywood`s most successful women who are over 40 and rich, rich, rich.
SUSAN SWIMMER, MORE MAGAZINE: These women make a lot of money and they spend a lot of money. They`re very generous. They`re giving with their friends and family. They`re clearly making their money and enjoying it at the same time.
HAMMER: You can say that again. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" magazine have teamed up to reveal the top women over 40 in Hollywood who haul in the big bucks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "Friends with Money")
FRANCES MCDORMAND, ACTRESS: Give the money to Olivia.
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: Jane?
MCDORMAND: You`re working as a maid. You need money.
ANISTON: No, I don`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She may have starred in the movie "Friends with Money" as a woman who struggles to make money, but in real life, Jennifer Aniston is far from struggling. In fact, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal to you that the "Friends" star is worth $110 million.
SWIMMER: She`s made a lot of money over the years. Jen Aniston reportedly got $8 million for "Marley & Me" and she will still get $8 million a year for "Friends" in residuals.
HAMMER: Since starring on that hit TV show, Jennifer doesn`t spare any expense when it comes to keeping that famous Rachel hairdo looking its best. "More" magazine`s Susan Swimmer.
SWIMMER: Long known for that gorgeous mane of hair. Spends money on it. Her long-time hairstylist Chris McMillan travels with her. It`s been reported that she flew him to Europe for a week to do press "Marley & Me" for about $10,000 a day.
HAMMER: Madonna`s no stranger to the lux life. She`s worth an astounding $475 million. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Madonna likes to live grand.
SWIMMER: Madonna bought a townhouse in New York, ritzy upper east side of Manhattan. But not just an ordinary townhouse. Madonna bought a massive double-wide townhouse with 13 bedrooms and a 3,000 square feet garden. Huge.
HAMMER: Huge indeed. And according to "More" magazine, that`s just the tap of the iceberg.
SWIMMER: Reportedly, she spends $10,000 a month on specially blessed Kabala beverages. No ordinary tap water for her.
HAMMER: Cheers, Madonna. And cheers to the biggest money-maker on this list. The billionaire queen of talk.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: With a few of my favorite things.
HAMMER: Is worth $2.7 billion.
SWIMMER: Oprah has amassed an enormous real estate empire. $8 million worth of property in Hawaii. She has 136-acre ranch in Indiana. And she has an enormous, gigantic mansion in Mendocino, California.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Oprah is all about paying it forward.
SWIMMER: It`s been estimated that she gives approximately $50 million away in charity every year.
HAMMER: And she`s not the only one spreading the wealth. More proof that Oprah and this illustrious group of uber-rich females over 40 are as good as gold.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" magazine`s complete list of women over 40 who are rich, rich, rich is -- at number 10, Judge Judy Shiendlin worth 95 million bucks. Number nine, Jen Aniston with $110 million. Number eight, Jennifer Lopez, also worth $110 million. Number seven, Julia Roberts at $140 million. Number six, Mariah Carey, $225 million. Number five, Celine Dion with 250 million bucks.
Number four Nicole Kidman, $272 million. Number three we saw Madonna with $475. At number two Martha Stewart, $638 million and of course the number one woman in Hollywood who is worth an astounding $2.8 billion, Oprah Winfrey.
To check out the complete list, you can pick up a copy of the fantastic "More" magazine. It is on newsstands everywhere.
Well, our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are as full as Oprah`s bank account. People still debating whether the model in this "Glamour" magazine photo is plus-size. We got a call into "Showbiz On Call" from Debra who says, "She`ll show you plus-size."
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DEBRA, CALLER: I challenge "Glamour" magazine. I am about 5`6", 5`7", about 230 pounds and I am a plus-size woman and I would pose nude for their magazine and show the world what a nude, overweight woman looks like.
(END CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you so much, Debra. We also heard from Vicki. Vicki called in from Florida to "Showbiz On Call" to say, plus-size is different for models.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
VICKI, CALLER: What people aren`t getting is that she is a plus-size model to the model world. The model world is a 0, a 1, a 2, possibly. So to be a 12, that is a plus-size in the model world.
(END CLIP)
HAMMER: Excellent point. Thanks so much, Vicki. Call us at "Showbiz On Call." Let us know what you think about this or anything else. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are open all the time. And this is the number. 1-888-SBT-BUZZ, 1-888-728-2899. That`s where you can leave us a voice mail so we can play some of your calls here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, Kate Gosselin is just pouring her heart out in some brand-new interviews. But I have to wonder, is all this talk possibly a bad thing?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOSSELIN: My main concern is my kids. And I don`t want them to see or hear anything on TV that I didn`t discuss with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with "The Great Kate Debate," why won`t quick Kate quit her reality show when she`s in the middle of a divorce? Could Kate`s brand-new revelations actually hurt her kids?
Also Liam Neeson`s first television interview about how he and her sons are coping since losing his beloved wife Natasha Richardson.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for SHOWBIZ "News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom and they`re making news right now.
TEXT: Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood to co-host the Country Music Assoc. Awards. Neil Patrick Harris to serve as guest judge on "American Idol."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer with some more stories that are making news right now.
Tonight, Hollywood remembers Ted Kennedy. The 77-year-old lion of the Senate died early this morning after a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. And in a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Kennedy family friend Alec Baldwin had this to say.
"Edward Kennedy`s life embodied everything that I believe defines what it means to be an American. His love of family, kindness for his friends and service to his country will be missed."
Well, in his very first formal TV interview since the passing of his wife, Natasha Richardson, Liam Neeson also remembered the life of Ted Kennedy. In a brand-new interview this morning on "Good Morning America," Liam talked about how Kennedy helped him cope with Natasha`s death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIAM NEESON, ACTOR, HUSBAND OF NATASHA RICHARDSON: He wrote my family a very, very beautiful, touching condolence letter when Natasha died earlier this year. He was a special man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Natasha died from a tragic head injury on a ski slope in March. Liam also talked about how he and his sons had been doing and how the outpouring of support helps him make a very big decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEESON: We`re doing good, Diane. To be honest, we`re taking each day as it comes. I`m still getting extraordinary condolence letters from American people that`s deeply, deeply touching. And that`s partly the reason why I`ve recently become an American citizen.
I`ve been living here for 20 years and America`s been very, very good to me. I`m still a part Irishman, of course. But I`ve become an American citizen. And I`m very proud of that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Liam`s new film is called "Five Minutes of Heaven." It is in limited release in theaters right now.
Well, there is a big debate happening tonight on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page over whether Michael Jackson himself might be to blame for his own death.
Lacie L. says not entirely. Here`s what she writes. "Yes, he was an addict, but then again, the doctors and everyone around him never should have allowed him to have those types of drugs. Everyone is at fault here."
But Josie L. thinks, it is his fault, writing, "He knew that what he was taking was dangerous, just as well as all of the addicts out there do."
Remember, you can sign up for our Facebook and Twitter pages at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
Now to "SHOWBIZ Lineup," this is what we`ve got coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "The Great Kate Gosselin Debate." Kate telling all about her divorce. So I have to ask, are these new revelations a bad thing for her kids?
Chris Brown bombshells. His domestic abuse past with Rihanna revealed. Did Rihanna hit Chris?
Also is Redmond O`Neal getting his own rehab reality show? Could it be?
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It is time now for the SHOWBIZ "News Ticker," these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Classic TV show "Soul Train" headed to the big screen. Bob Dylan to release Christmas album for charity, "Christmas in the Heart" on Oct. 13.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOSSELIN: My main concern is my kids. And I don`t want them to see or hear anything on TV that I didn`t discuss with them.
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "The Great Kate Debate. Kate Gosselin talks about whether Jon is a good dad, whether she`s lonely without Jon. But hang on a second. Is all this talking bad for the kids?
Brand-new Chris Brown bombshells. The beating he just got sentenced for wasn`t the first time things got violent between him and Rihanna. The explosive new details.
And war of words. Ben Stiller and Ryan Seacrest duke it out, but why, oh, why? You do not want to miss this hilarious scene.
Plus more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, we`ve got "The Great Kate Debate." Reality TV star Kate Gosselin lashing out at her critics, her husband and his wild new life. Her most revealing confessions yet.
The mom of eight is pouring her heart out in two revealing new interviews. Kate sets the record straight on why, in the middle of her personal firestorm, she will not quit "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
Plus Kate`s dramatic relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband Jon, does she really think Jon was abducted by aliens? And what about those eight little kids? Now Kate says she`s trying to protect them, but is she doing more harm to her kids by continuing to speak out.
With me now in New York, Cooper Lawrence. She`s a psychologist and author of "The Cult of Celebrity." Also in New York tonight, it is Ben Widdicombe. He is the celebrity editor for Stylist.com.
I want to begin with Kate`s brand-new revelations to CNN`s Larry King. Her ugly divorce battle is now part of her reality show. Obviously, we know it`s making all kinds of headlines. But Kate says the exact details of what is really behind the split will always remain in what she calls the vault. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: What happened?
GOSSELIN: I -- I don`t know.
KING: Did he -- did he make this decision?
GOSSELIN: You know, it`s just an issue that we discussed amongst ourselves. I don`t feel like that is something that we need to discuss in details of.
KING: Yes, but when you get so famous, you and him and the kids and then you leave out those details, don`t you disappoint the audience that`s come to expect more?
GOSSELIN: My main concern is my kids. And I don`t want them to see or hear anything on TV that I didn`t discuss with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, so it makes sense to me, but she keeps saying, I want to do what`s best for the kids.
Cooper, are you with me? If she really wants to protect the kids, shouldn`t she just zip it and stop doing these interviews?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGIST & AUTHOR OF "THE CULT OF CELEBRITY": She should stop doing the show a while back. What`s best for the kids is not being followed around by cameras 24/7. But let`s not forget, A.J., this isn`t a woman that can go cut an album or go do a film. This is what she does. She goes on television. She talks about herself. She`s not a celebrity. She`s just a reality star who`s looking for some more time.
HAMMER: There has got to be another job that she can do somewhere on this planet. Now Kate is also talking about what she thinks about Jon`s parenting skills and his new life. But as you`ll see -- and I found this really interesting -- it did take her a moment to find the right words. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Is he a good father?
GOSSELIN: He is.
KING: Why the pause?
GOSSELIN: His decisions right now are not ones that I would necessarily make. But down deep in his heart, I know that he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, she was choosing those words carefully. Ben, are you with me that perhaps she is doing more harm than good by putting these things out there in interviews? These are things, obviously, that her kids are probably going to hear about someday.
BEN WIDDICOMBIE, CELEBRITY EDITOR, STYLIST.COM: Well, I think to some extent she`s damned if she speaks up and damned if she doesn`t, because she ahs made a decision to be a public person. She makes her income out of letting the cameras into her life. So the people who watch the show are going to expect her to say something.
But we have this very painful situation that her kids are going to be able to examine the public record at some point. They`re going to have to ask themselves, do we believe their father`s denial that he didn`t cheat on Kate?
And looking at the tapes, do they think that maybe Kate`s behavior drove him away? So the kids are going to have to make up their own minds about that. I thought Kate handled that difficult question rather well. But you know, she made the decision to go public so the kids are going to have to deal with that.
HAMMER: Yes, it`s a strange thing to me. And I can`t figure out what to do with it. It just seems like she should stop doing interviews altogether. Obviously, she has obligations to her show and to publicize her show and Cooper, as you said, she just kind of likes to talk, doesn`t she?
LAWRENCE: Yes, she does. I mean this reminds me of Heather Mills, the "leave me alone" tour. You know? It`s like, you know, no, you leave us alone. If you don`t want any publicity anymore, stop going on Larry King and the "Today" show and talking to "People" magazine. Just go be with your children if you`re so worried about them.
HAMMER: Well, we`re watching her there on Larry King and she seemed very calm and cool and collected, rather stoic. But it`s a different thing in print because she did speak with "People" magazine. And Kate really opened up.
This is an intimate side of Kate, I got to tell you, I can`t remember really reading or hearing about since all this drama started to unfold. I want you to listen to how Kate describes her husband.
"I didn`t know he had it in him to act like this. I can`t figure it out. Call me crazy, but deep down I still have this hope that one morning the phone will ring and it will be him, back to normal, just saying, hey, how are you? Or even, okay, that was really weird; aliens overtook me, but now I`m back."
And I think that Kate there really sounds like so many women who have been through tough splits in their lives. And through that, I feel like we`re getting to see a much more relatable, maybe even a more sympathetic Kate.
Cooper, set me straight here. Am I being sucked in by this?
LAWRENCE: Well, she is doing what a lot of women do where they forget their role in why they`re getting divorce. I mean I watch the show. She was not very nice to her husband. She was borderline emotionally abusive. She treated him terribly. So if he walked away, she had something to do with it. This didn`t happen in a vacuum.
HAMMER: OK, so I`m not nuts to think that it`s a little more sympathetic what we`re seeing here.
LAWRENCE: No, I think she`s trying hard to come across sympathetic because he`s out there being very immature so it`s easy to gain sympathy now.
HAMMER: Right. And here`s another example I want to read to you where Kate sounds completely heartbroken when she describes her private moments at home without Jon. Listen to what she tells "People."
"I do not like the feeling of being alone. The worst time of day is when the kids are in bed, that was when Jon and I would discuss stuff, talk about the future. That`s what I miss, having someone on my team, someone understanding me."
Now, Ben, there are a lot of people out there saying, you know what, she brought this on herself, as Cooper just mentioned. She maybe is forgetting her own role in this. But what do you think? Should we have some sympathy for her here?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, there`s no question that Kate started off the situation as the villain of the piece. But she is becoming more sympathetic. And anyone who`s ever had their heart broken is going to identify with those feelings of, "I just wish I could turn back the clock. I just wish he`d call and say I was taken over by aliens." You know, I just want the old him back.
So I think she is becoming more sympathetic. But we`re not hearing any introspection from her, we`re not hearing her say, you know what, I treated him badly, maybe I share the blame. So I think she has to get to that next step for her rehabilitation to be complete.
HAMMER: And what`s the real truth here, though, Ben? Because you`ve been watching this along with us throughout this whole ordeal. She has become a very media-savvy person. Not only through doing her reality show, but through all of the ensuing drama. So can we really believe what we`re seeing here?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, that`s an excellent question because what I think is happening is that she`s getting excellent PR advice. And maybe in the show before this blew up we saw the real her and now we`re seeing the "People" magazine cover story which doesn`t just happened. You know her PR person put that in place. So I think now we`re seeing a more managed persona and she`s trying to win the sympathy of the audience.
HAMMER: But it really is interesting seeing the comparison between her on "Larry King" and her speaking, and perhaps a little more openly in "People" magazine where she is pouring her heart out. On "Larry King," she was very stoic and really, you know, as I said, finding her words very carefully.
Cooper, which Kate do you think people will buy -- the one that they read or the one that they see on TV speaking so straightly?
LAWRENCE: I mean, people are much more influenced by what they see on TV than they are by what they read. That`s for sure. Which is why she was so stoic and poised and PR`d, you know? But I think we`re seeing a glimpse of who she is.
I think the bigger picture here is that both of them are at fault for this marriage breaking up. And like Ben was saying, until she`s willing to fess up to that, we`re not really going to have any resolution either way.
HAMMER: What do you think, Ben? Which one are people going to buy? Because clearly she is trying to win the public over and certainly change some minds here.
WIDDICOMBE: I think people want to believe that Kate`s a better person. I think people enjoy watching the show. So I think she could be successful. I`m not sure it`s going to be the real her. But I think people might be willing to buy the new nicer Kate.
HAMMER: We will wait and see. Cooper Lawrence, Ben Widdicombe, thanks, as always, guys. I appreciate it.
LAWRENCE: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, we have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this. Please sound off on Jon and Kate drama, should they stop talking about their problems?
Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. If you have more to say, by all means, send us an e-mail. This is the address, showbiztonight@CNN.com.
Well, tonight, there are brand-new bombshells I`ve got to tell you about in the Chris Brown/Rihanna drama. We just learned that the beating that Chris Brown was just sentenced for, that wasn`t the first time things got physical between the two of them. And did Rihanna actually hit Chris as well?
Also is Redmond O`Neal, of all people, getting his own reality show from jail? Well, we`ve got some brand-new information about Farrah`s son and his possible new career.
Also, Ben Stiller and Ryan Seacrest duke it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN STILLER, COMEDIAN: Like I`ll come on "Idol" next season and do a bit.
RYAN SEACREST, HOST: Yes, why don`t you come on "Idol" because that will help me? You showing up on "American Idol" again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is only the beginning of Ben and Ryan`s hilarious fight. But what is the real story behind their war of words? You won`t want to miss that.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now the SHOWBIZ "News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
GRAPHICS: A&E moving forward with docu-series following Michael Jackson`s brothers.
GRAPHICS: Beyonce to accept Billboard`s Woman of the Year Award in October.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, a huge Rihanna/Chris Brown bombshell. Just-revealed documents show that the pair had an even more violent relationship than we knew about. In fact, there were two blowouts even before that fateful attack that left Rihanna battered and bruised.
Now according to a probation report, the first incident went down in Europe late last year when Rihanna slapped Chris and he shoved her back. The second happened in Barbados in January of this year when Rihanna and Chris had a violent argument while they were driving. It`s a fight that ended with Chris Brown breaking the windows of the vehicle.
And this brand-new information is revealed just as Chris Brown starts his five-year probation sentence for beating up Rihanna the night before the Grammys. So knowing what we now know, was his punishment too soft?
Joining me tonight from New York is Jami Floyd who`s an anchor for "In Session." Tonight in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, who`s a correspondent for "Extra."
So we knew going into Chris Brown`s sentencing, he was going to get five years of probation and he was going to get 1,400 hours of community service.
But Carlos, let me start with you, these previous domestic disputes with Rihanna really come as a huge surprise, don`t they?
DIAZ: Oh, yes. I mean, well, the thing is, too, when you rent a Range Rover, don`t you think to yourself, this is a rental, maybe I shouldn`t burst out the windows on this thing because I`m upset. You know? But you know that`s the thing, too. I mean it`s never the first time -- in all honesty, it gets serious -- it`s never the first time when you have a big blow-up. It`s usually the second or third time when it gets really heated. And that`s exactly what happened in this case.
HAMMER: And I do realize that these newly revealed incidents were never reported to the police. But Jami, let me ask you, now that we know that he does have this history of domestic violence with Rihanna, does his sentence kind of seem a little light?
FLOYD: No, it doesn`t, A.J., because we know now and it seems like a big surprise to us now. But it`s not a big surprise to the court. This is in the court record which is why it`s coming out now. He had to admit to all of this and this is prior felony behavior as part of the plea deal.
Look, we talked about this once before, A.J., a five-year probationary sentence is a big deal for a kid who clearly has a propensity to violence. If he screws up in any way, if he goes anywhere near Rihanna in the course of this five years, what happens? He goes to jail.
HAMMER: Yes.
FLOYD: If I`m his lawyer, I don`t like this deal. I don`t like it because I don`t think he can abide by it.
DIAZ: And that`s the most ironic thing. Isn`t it ironic now that Rihanna has the power now?
FLOYD: She does.
DIAZ: Because for the next five years, she can get him thrown in jail with one phone call.
FLOYD: Exactly right.
DIAZ: If she flirts with him, he`s going to jail. And I love it. I mean Chris Brown is going to be calling Mark Gergos at 2:00 a.m. going, now if I go over there right now.
FLOYD: That`s right.
DIAZ: . how many months are we looking at?
(CROSSTALK)
DIAZ: I mean is it a year or two?
FLOYD: That`s right. We`re looking.
DIAZ: I mean, is it worth it? You know?
FLOYD: We`re looking at full imposition of the sentence if he violates. And that`s why I always have to say to my clients, listen man, you`ve got to understand. If she calls you up, it`s not OK for you to go over there. It is not OK if she wants to see you. It is not OK.
And that`s what these guys never understand and the relationship -- I hate to say it, I know it`s politically incorrect -- but it`s symbiotic. The relationship is symbiotic. She smacks him, he hits her back. It`s symbiotic. And I am -- I don`t want to predict that they`re going to fail at this. But domestic violence is a cyclical thing.
The boy needs help. He says he`s going to get it. I want to believe him. But you know I`ve represented a lot of these kids and they often end up back in trouble because it is a cyclical, symbiotic problem. He grew up in a family where there was domestic violence. He needs help. He needs treatment.
Hard labor isn`t enough. He needs help. He needs treatment. He needs to be taught that this is not the way you handle your relationships.
HAMMER: Yes, and it`s really interesting the hard labor, the probation, that`s all hard enough, but knowing what we know of Chris and his relationship with Rihanna, the hardest part is going to be not being with Rihanna.
FLOYD: Right.
HAMMER: OK, let`s move on, I have another topic that I`ve got to deal with right now, it`s making big news. Farrah Fawcett`s troubled son, Redmond O`Neal, reportedly getting his own reality show.
Now this show is supposed to chronicle Redmond`s struggles with addiction. Think of all that Redmond has been through in the past year. He lost his mother, he has been in jail, he has been in rehab.
Carlos, it just doesn`t seem like a good idea to me that Redmond do a reality show.
DIAZ: A.J., I love you, brother, but I disagree with you on this one. I think it`s a great idea, and I`ll tell you why, because nothing else has worked with this guy. I mean nothing else has worked. Let`s try this. I mean if his parents aren`t going to be good parents, if his parents aren`t going to reel him in, then maybe America can be his parents.
HAMMER: Carlos, does he need more fame? No. We see how fame just screws people up. I mean I just think it`s a terrible idea.
DIAZ: It`s his parents` fame. It`s not his fame. It`s his parents`. Real quick, I was at the funeral. And at the funeral, everyone was saying, we`ve all got to watch out for Redmond. Now we all can watch out for Redmond on TV.
HAMMER: Ooh. It kind of creeps me out, I got to tell you right now.
Jami Floyd, Carlos Diaz, thanks, guys.
All right. As we move on, tonight, Ben Stiller needs followers. In an absolutely hilarious new video, Ben comes up with the great idea on how to get more Twitter followers. Enter Ryan Seacrest. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STILLER: Ryan.
SEACREST: What`s up, bro?
STILLER: How`s it going, man?
SEACREST: Hey, it`s great. Good to see you.
STILLER: Hey, thank you for coming over.
SEACREST: It`s my pleasure. I`m excited to be here and hear about this movie idea.
STILLER: Oh yes.
SEACREST: So it`s like you and me and this bro comedy?
STILLER: Yes, yes. It`s total bro-man. It`s you and me. It`s a really, really funny idea, but I`ll tell you that in a second. Hey, you`re on Twitter, right?
SEACREST: Oh yes, yes. It`s so fun. Are you on?
STILLER: Yes. I just got on. It`s so much fun.
SEACREST: It`s so cool. It`s like all I do is put on Twitter.
STILLER: Exactly. You`ve got, like, what, like a million followers or something?
SEACREST: Gees, like 1.9, 2 million?
STILLER: Wow. Yes. That`s amazing. That`s incredible.
SEACREST: Yes.
STILLER: Hey, do you think maybe sometime you could -- you know, give me a little shoutout, like, hey, check out Ben? Red Hour Ben.
SEACREST: So you could get more followers?
STILLER: No, no, just -- no, whatever, just for fun, you know, so we could have a little.
SEACREST: Yes. Yes, we could work something out, if you want.
STILLER: OK. Cool. Great, work something out?
SEACREST: Yes.
STILLER: Like -- oh you mean, how about.
SEACREST: Yes.
STILLER: Definitely. Definitely. I could like -- I`ll come on "Idol" next season and do a bit.
SEACREST: Hey, why don`t you come on "Idol," because that will help me, you showing up on "American Idol" again.
STILLER: Yes. OK, well, so what do you -- what do you want? Money? Wow. OK. What about just doing it for fun? I mean just, you know.
SEACREST: Yes, man, I get up every day in my life at 3:00 in the morning fun. You think I take all these jobs and tweet every second of my life for fun? I don`t even talk to anybody that has less than 900,000 followers.
Call Al Yankovic.
STILLER: Wow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Fantastic. You can follow Ben on Twitter. As he mentioned that Red Hour Ben I`ll help you benefit. Red Hour by the name -- by the way, is the name of Ben Stiller`s production company.
I`ve got to ask, are we in the bizarre-o world? Because why else would pickpockets be sneaking money into people`s pockets? What`s next? Bank robbers depositing money into ATMs? Huh?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: This guy used to be a pickpocket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I`m a put-pocket. This means I`m putting money back into people`s pockets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, it called put-pocketing and it`s a very cool story.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ "News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
GRAPHICS: Susan Sarandon to play Shia Lebeouf`s mom in "Wall Street 2."
GRAPHICS: "Project Runway" has highest premiere ever on Lifetime Network.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Did you see this? A bunch of former pickpocketers are actually sneaking money into pockets rather than out. Yes, you heard me right here. We have this absolutely fascinating story behind this new trend. It`s called put- pocketing. Wait until you see CNN`s own Jeanne Moos getting in on the action.
Here`s Jeanne for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): Question, what do you call the opposite of a pickpocket?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy on the right distracts her. Then the guy on the left slips his hand into her bag and snags her wallet, right there.
MOOS: This guy used to be a pickpocket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now I`m a put-pocket. It means I`m putting money back into people`s pocket.
MOOS: No, it`s not charity, it`s marketing. A British broadband company called Talk Talk hired 20 former pickpockets and magicians to roam around London. Their goal? To slip notes ranging from 5 to 20 pounds into pockets and purses.
(On camera): A 20-pound note, the equivalent of $32.
(Voice-over): Along with the money comes a card saying, "Another brighter idea from Talk Talk."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The police are OK with it. There`s nothing criminal about it whatsoever.
MOOS: Sort of like that old Burger King commercial, come to life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I reached into my pocket and found this extra money.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) pickpocket.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, excuse me. Hands on your crown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Easy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey.
MOOS: So far, nothing like that has happened in London. And nothing like this either.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, hey, don`t you dare put your (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Stay out of my pocket, man.
MOOS: Not a single put-pocketer has been smacked by someone mistaking him for a pickpocketer. Check out Chris Fitch`s technique practiced on a reporter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just pretended I was overtaking you. Distract you over here with a paper.
MOOS: Put-pocketer say it`s far easier than pickpocketing. Easy enough for a total novice? I found dropping a dollar bill into an open bag was easy enough. But most of my victims did detect my presence, have turned around or searched their bag.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You knew something happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everyone knows something happened.
MOOS: I got away with it six times and got nabbed twice.
(On camera): Caught. But I`m giving you money, I`m not taking it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s OK. It`s OK. Thank you.
MOOS (voice-over): He even gave back the dollar.
(On camera): I`m sorry. Excuse me.
(Voice-over): For a second, I thought I got over on this guy, but he`s a security officer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was looking through the glass.
MOOS (on camera): You caught me in the glass?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t run it right here.
MOOS (voice-over): People next to glass houses shouldn`t throw money.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Here`s hoping you get your pocket put. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
You can always watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT us on the 11s -- 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. And in the morning at 11:00 Eastern.
END
