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Showbiz Tonight
Jon Gosselin Fired; Furor Over Roman Polanski`s Arrest; Crazy Over the Kardashians; Sarah Palin`s New Venture; Outrage Over an Obama Facebook Poll
Aired September 29, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, big news breaking. A Jon and Kate shocker. Jon Gosselin fired today from "Jon & Kate Plus 8." Tonight, the great mystery. Was Jon fired because of his partying and apparent womanizing? And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, should the whole show be cancelled?
The outrage over Roman. Legendary director Roman Polanski fights back after his arrest. But can he ever be forgiven for having sex with a minor? Tonight, big stars speak out and say, "Leave Roman alone."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We hope today, this latest order will be dropped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, the explosive great debate. Should Roman Polanski be forgiven?
Plus, crazy over the Kardashians. Khloe Kardashian marries a big NBA star. The big bucks battle over their wedding pictures. The obsession with the other Kardashians. Tonight, the big Kardashian case of being famous for nothing.
TV`s first most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And tonight, Jon Gosselin, you`re fired, really. You`re fired from your own show. Jon Gosselin was fired today from "Jon & Kate Plus 8" after months of nonstop reports of partying, womanizing and basically, not acting like the kind of guy you`d want to leave your kids` Boy Scout troop. Why now?
And will Kate go on? And what about their eight kids? All burning questions that led to big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Hey, Jon, don`t let the door hit you on the way out. Jon Gosselin canned. Today, it`s a brand-new bombshell announcement in what was a summer of Jon and Kate bombshells.
First, the Gosselins announced their divorce in a dramatic episode of "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": Kate and I have decided to separate.
HAMMER: Then, Jon`s reported womanizing escapades are plastered on magazines around the world. But wait, there`s more. Then women start coming out of the woodwork claiming Jon is a major player.
KATE MAJOR, FORMER TABLOID REPORTER: It`s a shame that he`s a liar.
HAMMER: And today, TLC announces we won`t be seeing much of Jon Gosselin anymore. TLC announced today as of November, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" will be reinvented to become "Kate Plus 8." Bye, John.
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KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I think this is a pretty big shock in a lot of ways because people really grew to love this family as "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
HAMMER: TLC says, hey, they are just evolving with the family. In a statement today to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they say, "Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family. The family has evolved and we are attempting to evolve with it; we feel that Kate`s journey really resonates with our viewers."
But will people miss their incessant bickering and their constant drama? If the ratings are any indication, the answer seems to be "yes." In June, at the height of their drama, when Jon and Kate announced they were getting divorce, almost 11 million people tuned in.
But as Jon and Kate settled into their separate lives and drama died down, viewers tuned out big-time. By September, ratings dropped 84 percent to just 1.7 million viewers.
SERAFIN: It`s interesting also in their statement from TLC, they say they are working on a Kate project for 2010. So perhaps she`s trying to kind of streamline this into a bigger career as a talking head or as a talk show personality.
HAMMER: Kate`s been flying solo for a while now. There`s the teary media blitz in August when she gave interviews like this one on NBC`s "Today" show.
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s OK.
HAMMER: Then, there are reports that she shot a talk show pilot with celebrity chef, Paula Dean. And we can`t forget about her gig as a guest co-host on ABC`s "The View."
K. GOSSELIN: When I don`t have custody, I`m in hiding.
HAMMER: Joy Behar, "View" co-host and newest member of the HLN family told me she was OK.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She was OK. She was particularly good when she was talking about herself. You know, the her-stuff.
SERAFIN: What`s interesting is that her appearance on "The View" really didn`t generate a lot of cheers from a lot of critics. However, the fact is, people do seem to identify with her. I think she does have a fan base.
HAMMER: And as for her spurned ex-lover, TLC says Jon won`t be totally out of the picture. He`ll pop in now and then to hang with the kids or pick a fight. So is he going to do with his career? Aside from what appears to be his main gig as international man of mystery and father of eight, Jon`s not ruling out a new reality show with Michael Lohan called "Divorced Dad Club."
He tells ABC in a special called "Family Secrets," it`s up in the air.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you going to do that show?
J. GOSSELIN: I don`t know. I mean, the contracts and all this stuff. I mean, that`s why I have a legal team. That`s why I have management. They`ll have to work it out.
HAMMER: But TLC may have other plans for Jon. In their statement, they stressed Jon still works for them saying, quote, "TLC will continue its exclusive relationship with Jon Gosselin and he will continue to appear on the show on a less regular basis."
Today`s announcement raises so many brand-new questions about the future of Jon Gosselin`s career as reality show king and whether the reinvented "Kate Plus 8" will be as successful without Jon there to generate drama.
SERAFIN: I think people will give this show a chance. Will it ever get to those 10 million viewership numbers again? Probably not.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So is Jon Gosselin in deep trouble here? Well, joining me tonight from Hollywood is Kim Serafin - there she is again. She is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" which is on newsstands right now. Also from Hollywood, Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist with "5DollarPrep.com."
So there you have it - TLC giving Jon the big old boot. Hyla, I`ve got to tell you I am not surprised that this came down like this. What about you?
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, "5DOLLARPREP.COM": No, the show needs a shakeup, absolutely. When you lose that much of your viewership, you have to do something. But I don`t necessarily think the show`s in trouble. I mean, you have two parents raising eight kids. How do you top that? How do you bring in bigger ratings? A single mom raising eight kids. I think the show has potential to go back up again.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, I think that is certainly something a lot of people can relate to more than all of the drama that came from all the tabloid headlines. What do you think, Kim? Were you at all surprised by this? I mean, Kate rhymes with eight better than Jon does, so it seems like the right thing for TLC to do.
SERAFIN: That`s true. Why didn`t they just do that from the beginning? Yes, I was surprised although you look at the way the ratings have dropped, an 84 percent drop in ratings. I mean, that`s huge. People were not tuning in to this show.
People didn`t really care so much about the kids cooking with Emeril or playing with the American chopper guys. They cared about that conflict between Jon and Kate whether it was building up to this divorce announcement. People wanted to see that friction. They didn`t care about them separately.
They didn`t really care so much about Kate doing a movie on the lawn for the kids. They wanted to see those fireworks. So again, I think people will tune in initially, but I just don`t see it ever being as huge as the "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
HAMMER: Yes. I`m with you on that. And this news has certainly struck a chord with a lot of people. I`ve got to tell you as soon as we posted the news about Jon being fired from the show - we put it on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. It was like a firestorm. The response was instant. It was unbelievable.
Let me read a few. Belle S. writing this, "I feel this is a great move. The show was supposed to be a family show all about raising eight small children. Jon`s actions since their separation has certainly taken away from any family values being seen with a new blonde almost every week. This can`t be healthy for the show`s values and certainly not for those poor children."
Thank you, Belle. Hyla, what do you think? Did Jon`s wild behavior and the fact he was hanging out with several different women since he and Kate split really detract from the image he had on the show to the point that people couldn`t separate the two?
HYLA: Absolutely. I mean, those 10 million viewers - I think it was an unrealistic number to maintain throughout the course of the show. It`s still one of the highest-rated shows for TLC, so they can keep it there and take him away a little bit and still keep that hard-core audience. That`s what they have to cater to and I think that`s what they are trying to do.
The Jon Gosselin spin-off show is coming in some form or fashion. TLC said, "Hey, we still have the rights to you, buddy. Don`t go anywhere to fast."
HAMMER: Yes.
HYLA: He`ll be fine. They`re going to bank on him as well.
HAMMER: Yes. I bet there`s some betting pools going on in Vegas right now about how soon until Jon pos up on his own reality show, because, you know, it`s inevitable. I think that`s safe to say.
We got a lot of comments, by the way, saying right on to TLC for firing Jon, but also a lot of them that were targeted at Kate as well.
This is Wanda S. writing on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook wall, "They need to cancel to cancel her completely and immediately (I presume she means the show). She needs to focus on her eight kids, not the cash cow."
People are outraged that TLC is continuing with the show at all, Kim. Are they right? Do you think that maybe this is the signal that it`s time that Kate gets the boot as well and just call it quits?
SERAFIN: Well, it doesn`t sound like they are going to call it quits. As they say in their statement, they are also working on a Kate project for 2010. You would have to imagine this might be that kind of "View" type of show that she`s reportedly been interested in.
The fact is, people will care about Jon and Kate for sure, but this is their cash cow. But this is also how they make a living. This is how they pay for their kids. This is how they pay for that beautiful house they live in. This is how they pay for everything.
So I think, you know, to criticize it as just a cash cow is kind of silly because this is their job. They both admitted that. They can`t stop doing this because this is how they make money.
HAMMER: Yes. There are plenty of jobs out there for people. I mean, maybe the economy is a little rough but there are ways to make money. People do it every day with big families. People do it every day, Kim.
SERAFIN: But they can spend time with their kids this way.
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing - Kate is not oblivious to what`s going on. She`s not totally in the dark when it comes to comments like the one I just read to you from our viewer, Wanda.
In fact, when she co-hosted "The View," Kate addressed the fact that people do think she should stop doing the show for the sake of the kids. So watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: So many people are so funny and they say, "Just stop. Just pull out."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Could you?
K. GOSSELIN: No. I could stop and I`d still have all the flak and the lack of paycheck. Let`s face it. I have to support my children.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re a single mom.
K. GOSSELIN: I`m a single mom now more than ever. I need to be out there working hard.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Hyla. Break it down for me. Do you think, right now, Kate is out there celebrating tonight? I mean, look at this. She gets rid of Jon from the marriage. She gets rid of Jon from the show. And most importantly, she gets to keep her paycheck and stay on TV.
HYLA: Careful what you wish for. It all depends. If these pans out for her, the numbers stay steady or go up, then this was the right move and she can celebrate. But if the show ends up going downhill without Jon, her relationships are going downhill without Jon, might not have been a good move.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s a good point. Hyla, Kim Serafin, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
All right. Now, over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jon Fired From `Jon & Kate`: Should the show be cancelled?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Also, big news breaking - outrage over Roman Polanski, the legendary director fighting back over his arrest. Big stars are speaking out saying leave him alone. But is Hollywood out of touch? Should Polanski be forgiven for having sex with a minor? This is the great SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate.
And why do so many people go so crazy over the Kardashians? I, for one, don`t get it. Khloe K. marries a big NBA star and there`s a huge big- bucks battle over their photos. Can someone please explain the obsession with the Kardashians? Anyone? Bueller(ph), why are they famous for nothing?
And did you see this? The itsy-bitsy spider who crawled up the pope`s arm.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As the pope spoke in the medieval Prague castle, the spider kept reappearing, going down the pontiff`s arm and then back up again.
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HAMMER: Hey, you can`t make this stuff up, right? The pope versus the spider, caught on tape. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Pam Anderson denies she is broke and claims she doesn`t owe contractors $1 million. Miley Cyrus will appear in "Sex and the City 2" movie.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
All right. Did you see this? First, it was Obama versus the fly. And now, the pope versus the spider. Yes, a spider actually hitched a ride on the pope while he was giving a speech in the Czech Republic. It was all caught on tape, and now the story is being spun all over the Internet.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Substitute "pope" for "water spout," then you`ll pretty have the picture.
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Only in this case, no rains washed him out. As the pope spoke in a medieval Prague castle, the spider kept reappearing -
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Going down the pontiff`s arm.
(MUSIC)
And then back up again. Who could pay attention to the pope`s words? When the spider`s dimensions were so mesmerizing, whether you call it itsy- bitsy or eensy-weensy or intsy-wintsy, when it finally crawled on the pontiff`s face, heading for his ear, he swatted at it, but the camera cut away and missed the swat.
It`s probably a good thing for the pope`s image not to have pulled an Obama. Of course, the spider that made a papal visit was endlessly revisited on YouTube, with folks adding music from "Jaws" or some misspelled commentary gave way to "Arachnopopeia."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight legs, two fangs, and an attitude.
MOOS: Not since an arachnid stole the show, waiting for the space shuttle "Atlantis" to launch two years ago has a spider caused such a stir.
(on camera): And this just in - we kid you not. The Vatican has actually issued an itsy-bitsy statement on the spider.
(voice-over): In the words of Fr. Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson, "The pope had no problem that the spider wanted to take a walk on him." Actually, it even walked out with him. Whether you find spiders scary or cute, at least the pontiff didn`t spout this.
BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I got the sucker.
MOOS: Amen.
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HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, that wasn`t the last of the not-so-itsy-bitsy spider. The spider later seen hanging from a web as the pope left the medieval castle. That`s right. We`ve got it all right here for you.
All right. A ton of calls have been coming into "Showbiz on Call" all about director Roman Polanski being arrested and possibly being shipped back to the U.S. to face a sentencing hearing for having sex with a 13- year-old girl, a hearing that he skipped out on 30 years ago.
We got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Dan in Arizona who thinks this is all a waste of time.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DAN, CALLER FROM ARIZONA: To heck with the escaped felon garbage. That`s just witch hunt by the State of California and the Feds. It`s just a witch hunt saying, "Oh, this guy got through our fingers. We`re going to make a good example of him."
Well, the girl doesn`t want to press charges. Therefore, there are no more charges. Therefore, it`s ridiculous and makes us all look like fools and wasting tax dollars again.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I appreciate your call, Dan. We also heard from Mike calling in to "Showbiz on Call" from California. Mike thinks that Roman should definitely be held responsible for what he did.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MIKE, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: I think Roman Polanski should come back. What he did was terrible. And I don`t think it`s right that people should just be let go because they ran away and now, they`ve got away with it. He should come back and face the music. He should have done it years ago and it would have been over with.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Mike. You can 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 are always open. This is the number - 1-888- SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
And tonight, there`s big news breaking about Roman Polanski`s arrest. I can tell you big stars are speaking out and defending him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBRA WINGER, ACTRESS: We came to honor Roman Polanski as a great artist. But under these sudden and arcane circumstances, we can only think of him today as a human being, uncertain of the year ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I don`t know. A lot of people are saying that Hollywood is out of touch here. I mean, Roman had sex with a 13-year-old girl. Why are so many stars rushing to support him? It`s the great SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate.
Also making news right now, Sarah Palin`s brand new attempt to make oodles and oodles of money and she`s going rogue to do it. I`ll tell you al about Palin`s new venture. You have got to hear this.
And Adam Lambert - do you remember him? He was the runner-up on this season`s "American Idol." Well, tonight I can tell you Adam is beating out Madonna, even beating out the Beatles. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Malaysia bans Sacha Baron Cohen`s "Bruno" due to gay sex scenes. Britney Spears` brand-new, racy single, "3," out, on greatest hits album.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, Carrie Prejean, calendar girl. You remember Carrie, right? She was the former Miss California who got caught up in that whole Miss USA same-sex marriage question scandal.
Well, I can tell you that Carrie is in the brand-new great American conservative women calendar. She`s Miss October. Ann Coulter and columnist, Michelle Malkin, are also in this calendar.
Now, in the calendar, Carrie is wearing, well, a whole lot more than she was during this whole black spider girl Halloween costume showoff that she did.
Also making news right now, Barbra Streisand`s brand-new revelations about overcoming her stage fright. appearing in public. Now, it`s no secret that Barbra has been afraid of performing in front of people for most of her career. Now, I think that`s so surprising, right?
I mean, considering all the concerts and movies she`s done. Well, Babs is out with a new CD. And just this morning on the "Today" show, she opened up about why she decided to come out of retirement and get back on the stage.
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BARBRA STREISAND, SINGER AND ACTRESS: We were skiing and we were at Donna Karan`s house, my friend. And Liza Minnelli got up to sing. And I thought, how could she do that - get up in a living room and sing?
Really, this was very conscious and very challenging. I thought, why can`t I do that? And so, I really set about, not trying to sing in a living room because that I don`t think I ever could do. But it started me thinking that I should go back to performing on the stage again.
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HAMMER: Yes. I just think that`s remarkable. Barbra Streisand`s brand- new album is called "Love is the Answer." It is out today.
Well, as soon as I posted the news today on our Facebook page that Jon Gosselin has been fired from "Jon & Kate Plus 8," our wall lit up. Look at all the posts that keep coming in nonstop.
And while a lot of you are saying this was a good move, I do want to share a couple of other posts with you. Tina C. writing, "Stupid. How many people get divorced in this country? Well, maybe it would have been good to see a couple work through that."
Lee K. adds, "They should can the whole show. The only people that watch this show are those who rubberneck at car wrecks and this is a train wreck."
I`d like you to sign up to be a fan of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page. And you can also follow us on Twitter. We`ll send out breaking entertainment news alerts as soon as they happen. Do it at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Roman Polanski strikes back. Tonight, big stars are speaking out. They are defending him. Should Roman be forgiven for having sex with a 13 year old girl? It`s the great debate.
Also, Khloe Kardashian gets married and there`s a huge big bucks fight over the pictures. So why do so many people go nuts for the Kardashians? Aren`t they famous for nothing?
And Sarah Palin`s brand-new venture. She could make tons and tons of money off of this. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - here come more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Claire Danes marries Hugh Dancy in France. They met while filming "Evening." Michelle Obama to kick off 40th season of "Sesame Street" with gardening segment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINGER: We came to honor Roman Polanski as a great artist. But under these sudden and arcane circumstances, we can only think of him today as a human being uncertain of the year ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Roman Polanski strikes back. Hollywood`s biggest stars speaking out defending the legendary director. Should Roman be forgiven for having sex with a 13-year-old girl? Tonight, the great debate.
Crazy over the Kardashians. The brand-new battle today over the pictures of Khloe Kardashian marrying a big NBA star. But why? What`s up with Kardashian-mania?
And the shocking Facebook threat suggesting that President Obama`s life could be in jeopardy.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s first most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, the brand-new worldwide outrage over Roman Polanski`s arrest in Switzerland. And why are so many Hollywood stars rushing to support a man who pled guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl over 30 years ago?
Well, here`s the big news breaking. Tonight, legendary director Roman Polanski filed legal papers today to be released from a jail in Switzerland. He was arrested on Saturday under an extradition request from the United States.
More big news breaking tonight as some of Hollywood`s biggest stars organize a huge petition to set him free. But big backlash today as they were accused of being out of touch.
And it`s the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT great debate - should Roman Polanski be forgiven for having sex with a minor? Well, wait until you hear the results of our poll on that very question, the results just came in late today.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood is Carlos Diaz, who is a correspondent for "Extra." Also joining me tonight in Hollywood, Robin Sax who is a former L.A. County sex crimes district attorney.
So if you want to get right to the heart of this, you`ve got to hear about this blog. It`s spreading like wildfire today. As we know, Polanski was heading to a Zurich film festival to get a lifetime achievement award when he was arrested.
I want you to listen to what the Rev. Thomas Reese wrote in his blog, "Imagine if the Knights of Columbus decided to give an award to a pedophile priest who had fled the country to avoid prison. The outcry would be universal. Victim groups would demand that the award be withdrawn and that the organization apologize. But why is there not similar outrage directed at the film industry for giving an award to Roman Polanski, who not only confessed to statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl, but fled the country prior to sentencing?"
Carlos Diaz, off to you first. Fair to compare Roman Polanski to a pedophile priest?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Any time you use the word "pedophile," anything after "pedophile" doesn`t really matter. What you say is that - you say "pedophile gardener" or a "pedophile carpenter" - pedophile is bad enough.
But I think it`s wrong because of the fact that pedophile is one of the worst things you can be, if not the worst thing you can be - a priest that exemplifies the truest form of innocence that you can try to attain. So those two juxtapositions, just opposing each other, that`s where you have, you know, it being a bad thing. Should he be compared to a pedophile priest? Being a pedophile in general is bad enough on its own.
HAMMER: I hear what you`re saying about that. And Robin, I want to get your take, though, on it, at least, the analogy. I think it`s a pretty fair analogy for this reverend to be making in this blog about Roman Polanski.
ROBIN SAX, FORMER L.A. COUNTY SEX CRIMES DISTRICT ATTORNEY: Absolutely. I absolutely agree. Roman Polanski - if it wasn`t Roman Polanski. If it was a priest or was a gardener or was a teacher or was anyone else, there would be a huge outrage. Not even just about the award - that`s one component. But it`s about absconding and evading justice.
And then having the entertainment business come together and rally around and support that? You would never see that in any other kind of case.
HAMMER: Well, and to play into that, part of the reverend`s argument, I think, is that so many people in Hollywood, according to him, seem to have their heads up their you-know-whats, you know.
And just today, some of Hollywood`s biggest stars and directors circulated this petition that is demanding Polanski be freed from custody.
Let me read a couple of the names that fall on this petition - Woody Allen, Darren Aronofsky, Martin Scorsese. Oscar winner Tilda Swinton is on this thing. And over at the Zurich film festival, which is, of course, where Polanski was supposed to be honored today, you have actress Debra Winger speaking out on behalf of a five-member film festival jury. Take a look at what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINGER: We came to honor Roman Polanski as a great artist but under these sudden and arcane circumstances, we can only think of him today as a human being, uncertain of the year ahead.
We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade old case that is all but dead except for a minor technicality. We stand by and await his release and his next masterwork.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Three decades old, yet he still had sex with a 13-year-old. Carlos, a lot of people will say hearing that and seeing the petition that`s out there, the whole outcry to free Polanski shows that too many in Hollywood are out of touch. What do you think?
DIAZ: I think it`s a simple of having a coworker. If you had a co-worker at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT or HEADLINE NEWS that you knew well and you found out some deep, dark secret about him, hopefully, after knowing him for decades, you might still want to defend that person as making a mistake three decades ago.
I do not think and I`m in no way saying what he did was right. What he did was a terrible, terrible thing. First off, by the way, I might not want Woody Allen on that list. That might be one thing I might want to say - yes, exactly.
But the fact of the matter is, Hollywood - these people aren`t out of touch. They are just defending their friend.
HAMMER: Yes. And I hear that as well, but then, when you really stop to think about it, they are defending their friend against what crime that he committed, having sex with a 13 year old.
DIAZ: That`s right. Good point.
HAMMER: Late today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT also received this statement from film giant, Harvey Weinstein. Harvey is saying, and this is his quote, "We are calling every filmmaker we can to help fix this terrible situation."
Robin is it just wrong to show such forgiveness to a man who had sex with a 13 year old, no matter how much time has passed or how legendary a filmmaker he is?
SAX: Well, you can forgive anybody you want, but it`s a lot better to forgive them once they have actually accepted responsibility.
The fact that these directors and these people coming together and rallying around him and using the power of the media, which should be here to support victims should be here to hope that people come forward, instead are using that power to rally and defend someone who committed a crime, who admitted to committing the crime and also got a benefit of a fantastic deal that he should be jumping up and down and taking right now.
HAMMER: Yes. And everybody`s talking about this. We`re getting a really good sense here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT of exactly how you, the viewers, are feeling about this.
Late this afternoon we received this - the final results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll which had an unusually large response. We asked this on air and online in the question of the day - "Roman Polanski Arrested: Should he be forgiven for having sex with a minor?"
And as you see - look at that, only 23 percent said yes; 77 percent said no, he should not be forgiven.
Carlos, do you get why so many people are unwilling to forgive Polanski even though so many are willing to put this behind them including the victim?
DIAZ: I completely agree with that poll. That poll is - I completely agree with it. He should be behind bars for what he did. But on Robin`s point about the media being involved in this, the media got involved back in 2003.
Larry King put the victim on his show and the victim in this case, who is now into her 40s, said that she doesn`t think and didn`t think at the time, that Roman Polanski should spend any time behind bars. She didn`t seem maladjusted by the encounter.
And I know people are going to say, well, you know, "How can you? You`re not a psychiatrist." All I`m saying to you is, she has come forward on several different occasions and says that she forgives him for what happened on that one particular night.
HAMMER: And now, she also says she wants this to just go away because every time it comes back in the news, there`s a lot of attention thrust on her family. And you know, she`s living quietly without this now and so you can sort of understand where she`s coming from as far as all the attention to her family is concerned.
The debate is playing out at "Showbiz on Call," so many calls coming in on both sides of the debate. Let me play Crystal for you, calling in from Texas, who says Polanski should be freed. Roll that.
CRYSTAL, CALLER FROM TEXAS: If that man has served time, whether it`s in prison or in a mental institution, regardless of it, he since served his time. It`s done. It`s over with.
I understand there`s no statute of limitations on this, but he has served his time. It`s done and over with. Let it alone. Leave him alone. He done served his time.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Crystal, I appreciate your call. I`m not sure, you know, Robin, we`re hearing this from a lot of people. But does our caller have it right or is she way off?
SAX: That`s actually incorrect. He only served 42 days in jail and pled to a crime that had a range of 16 months or three years in the state prison. And it was up to the court and up to everybody else at the time, to decide what amount he was going to get.
And once the day of sentencing came, which would have been the day he would have found out what his sentence was and then would have had to turn himself in, that`s when he absconded. So he hasn`t paid the time.
HAMMER: Yes. I think it is very important, because this is something we`ll be debating this for days. A lot of people are talking this around the water cooler. It`s important to know all the facts in the case. Carlos Diaz, Robin Sax, I do appreciate your insight tonight. Thanks so much.
So tonight, Sarah Palin is hoping to get really, really rich by going rogue. The startling news revealed today about the former governor of Alaska`s next great venture. Could this be just the ticket for her to become the top of the next Republican presidential ticket?
All right, you know me. I love the stars. I even love star weddings. But can somebody please explain to me what is the deal with the Kardashian wedding frenzy? Khloe Kardashian marries a big NBA star. Now, there`s a big money bidding war over their wedding pictures. But why? I don`t get it. Tonight, the bizarre fascination with the family famous for nothing.
Plus, the shocking Facebook threat suggesting that President Obama`s life could be in danger. The unbelievable coast-to-coast investigation that`s got Facebook fans on a high alert. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Private memorial service for Patrick Swayze planned for Sunday at Sony Studios. Crystal boots Michael Jackson planned to wear on tour auctioned for more than $14,000. Jackson`s boots sold at AIDS auction chaired by his sister, Janet.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Two big stories breaking today. We now know the cause of DJ AM`s sudden and tragic death. The medical examiner of New York City confirmed today that DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein died of an accidental overdose of drugs. The famed club DJ who dated Mandy Moore and Nicole Richie was found dead on August 28.
Also breaking today, Mel`s startling plea. Mel Gibson reportedly asking a judge to wipe his record clean of the 2006 drunk driving arrest that spawned his infamous anti-Semitic rant.
Well, TMZ reports Mel`s lawyer got the ball rolling today saying the actor has kept his nose clean during his three-year probation and deserves to have the nasty incident erased.
Mel apologized and begged for forgiveness for his rants where he went off on a cop after he was stopped for speeding and said the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, the Kardashian craziness. I`ve got to ask - what the heck is going on here? An all-out war erupted today over the wedding pictures of reality show star Khloe Kardashian and NBA star Lamar Odom. Why in the world would those pictures be worth up to $500,000?
And while I`m at it, what is the deal with the obsession with the Kardashians. Khloe, Kim, Kourtney - are they the ultimate example of being famous for nothing?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Kim Serafin who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." Also in Hollywood, it`s Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com."
And I brought you both here tonight, to help me understand the whole Kardashian craziness. You have Khloe Kardashian getting married to Lamar Odom in this lavish, star-studded wedding after knowing each other for, you know, a month. We`re going to see this wedding, thankfully, on the Kardashian family reality show on "E!" "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."
And the paparazzi seem to follow Khloe, Kim, Kourtney everywhere they go. Hyla, please, give me some assistance here. Are the Kardashians just the perfect example of being famous for really doing nothing?
HYLA: First, I want to say congratulations to the newlyweds. These are my girls. I love the Kardashians. Second of all, they are famous for being really, really good at self-promoting themselves and marketing, and not to mention being sexy, OK?
For anyone who says they don`t have talent, they don`t know what they are talking about. That`s their talent and they`re really, really good at it. Most celebrities in Hollywood would die to be as skilled as they are at self-promoting. Good for them.
HAMMER: Yes. But Hyla, I`m hearing you say that and I`m thinking, well, that`s a really diplomatic way of saying they are basically famous for no real reason that one should be famous. Kim, can you help me out here?
SERAFIN: Well, Hyla is right. I mean, they`re sexy. They`re beautiful - that helps. They have the Bruce Jenner connection, so they have the sports connection. There`s even that the O.J. connection back in their family.
They have a reality show and they are good at promoting themselves. But they are also willing to kind of put it all out there. They`re willing to let us, the viewers, in on the detailed and very intimate parts of their life and that`s what makes them so fascinating.
HAMMER: OK.
SERAFIN: These days when celebrities are doing that when TMZ comes along, they`re just opening themselves up and willing to put themselves out there and let us all in so we feel like we`re part of the Kardashian clan as well.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: I just want to point out - say that again, Hyla?
HYLA: I said, Brad Pitt - he wasn`t famous at one point, same thing with Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks. You know, this show made them famous and this is why they are famous. Don`t take that away. Watch "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."
HAMMER: Yes. It`s very confusing to me. And of course, Kim, you referencing their late father who was a part of the whole O.J. trial back in the `90s.
Now, we should give credit to the Kardashians, I suppose, for what you`re saying that this moneymaking machine. Khloe is selling these wedding photos that could get up to $500,000 for it. Sister Kim - she gets paid to just show up on any red carpet. And Kourtney, the big sister, making money off of her unexpected pregnancy.
So Hyla, I supposed they really are just laughing all the way to the bank, aren`t they?
HYLA: Exactly. You know, it`s no surprise that the day of the wedding, all of a sudden, news hits the blogs that Kim and Reggie Bush are back together again. This is very calculated. The drama with the pictures, I`m sure, is very calculated. And I`m not going to hold them accountable or hold anything against them for trying to make a buck and make it in Hollywood.
HAMMER: All right. Then, let me just say, good for them. Let`s move on. Another big story breaking today, Sarah Palin goes rogue. We learned today Sarah Palin`s memoir being rushed into bookstores on November 17th. The title of the book is "Going Rogue: An American Life."
Kim, they`ve already preprinted over 1 million copies for release. This is just going to make Palin superrich, just what she`s always wanted, it seems.
SERAFIN: Well, yes. And you mentioned that they are apparently printing 1.5 million copies, same as Ted Kennedy`s autobiography that was released posthumously. You know, so here we have Sarah Palin, who nobody heard of until about a year ago, going up against, you know, Ted Kennedy coming from a political dynasty.
Look, the fact is people have been writing Sarah Palin`s political obituary basically since the day that John McCain appointed her as his running mate. And the fact is she keeps coming back. People are fascinated with her.
HAMMER: Yes.
SERAFIN: Even if you hate her, even if you love her, the fact is Republicans would love to have her at their fundraisers. Talk show hosts would love to interview her. Because no matter where she goes, people are interested and she makes news. And she`s going to be around for a long time. Whether she`ll ever be president, that`s up for debate, but she will be around.
HAMMER: But how long she`ll be around is up for debate, too. This morning on "The View," the ladies, including guest co-host Gloria Estefan suggested the book`s release date may be moved up so people can interest in it before Palin disappears. I thought this was an interesting take.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": To finish her book in time. This keeps her name out there, you know, because she resigned as a governor, so now she`s -
GLORIA ESTEFAN, GUEST CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She finished it quickly, that book.
SHEPHERD: Yes.
ESTEFAN: Apparently, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that quick. You think maybe she`s trying to beat some other book coming out? Like somebody else?
BEHAR: Of course. It`s 400 pages or something, they said. I didn`t know she had that much to say.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Very quickly, Hyla. Do you think people are going to have that much interest in what Palin has to say?
HYLA: 100 percent. Political aspirations - I can`t speak on that. But in terms of Hollywood, she`s a homerun. Give her a talk show, she could rival Oprah Winfrey, I guarantee you.
HAMMER: All right. Hyla, Kim Serafin, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
Moving on right now, Adam Lambert, bigger than Madonna? It`s actually true. This is unbelievable. The "American Idol" runner-up`s debut is not out for two whole months, and he is already outselling Madonna.
Here`s the deal. Right now, presales on "Amazon.com" have been beating Madonna, the Beatles and Barbra Streisand for the number one spot. Could Adam be the next Jennifer Hudson or maybe Chris Daughtry? It looks like he`s well on his way. Lambert`s loyal fans are going to be able to get their hands on the highly-anticipated new CD on November 24th.
Well, tonight we have the disturbing Facebook threat that`s targeting the president`s life. This is unbelievable. We`ve got the details and the outrage over the shocking threat. Plus, the message Secret Service has for Facebook fans. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Two and a Half Men" star Jon Cryer and wife adopt a baby girl, Daisy. Real life "Lucy," inspiration for the Beatles` "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," dies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, SHOWBIZ Obama Watch, the frightening Facebook threat targeting President Obama.
So somebody actually posted a poll on Facebook asking should Obama be killed? This is unbelievable. Here were the disturbing choices in the poll - "yes," "maybe," "if he cuts my health care" and "no."
The Secret Service swooped down on Facebook and they pulled the plug on this outrageous and criminal poll. Yes, criminal. It is against federal law to threaten the president on Facebook or anywhere.
And tonight the Secret Service is not messing around. There is a major investigation to find the people behind the shocking poll. And if they are busted, they could be in some serious hot water.
Tonight, Michelle Obama`s shocking diet secrets - pie and French fries. Well, not exactly. The first lady reveals in an interview with "Prevention" magazine today that she loves French fries and burgers, but her big weakness - it`s pies.
Michelle admits it`s really tough to say no when you can have anything you want day or night at the White House. Michelle tells "Prevention," quote, "If you like pie, it will be there always at every meal. So for me, it`s about setting up new boundaries. I had some challenges with that, but I`m balancing out."
But what Michelle says really balances things out is what she calls her inner jock. She is up at 4:30 every morning to workout. The payoff, Michelle says, at 45, she is now in the best shape of her life.
And she says she`s got her family to thank for that, "I`ve had more time to work out as my kids have gotten older. There was a period, actually right before the campaign started up, that I was really in tip-top shape. I was really there. And then, my husband ran for president."
So on Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Just moments ago, we got the final results. I have them right here - "Roman Polanski Arrested: Should he be forgiven for having sex with a minor?" Only 23 percent of you said yes; 77 percent of you said no.
Some of the E-mails included this from Pat in Indiana writing, "Roman Polanski should not be forgiven. He is a child molester, no ifs, ands or buts. He should serve time."
Don from Tennessee, "He should be sent away for at least 40 years, both for his crime and the arrogance he has shown."
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s -11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN.
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