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Showbiz Tonight
Michael Jackson Movie Outrage; Targeting Oprah; The Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week; Liza Minnelli`s Sex Lawsuit
Aired October 23, 2009 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Michael Jackson movie outrage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP STAR: I want to take them to places that they`ve never been before.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: An explosive new debate about whether "This is It" misleads the public by keeping out scenes showing Michael in bad shape. Plus, was Michael`s death announced to his concert team while the cameras were rolling?
Targeting Oprah. One of the trainers from "The Biggest Loser" slams Oprah. Why Jillian Michaels says Oprah Winfrey is utterly misguided and shockingly misinformed - her words. Tonight, Oprah under attack.
And, it`s time for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to name the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Hulk Hogan for his suicide confession? Rihanna for her racy new picture? Or Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene for being Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene?
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.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
And the madness over the new Michael Jackson movie is building big- time.
HAMMER: Definitely is, Brooke. Tonight, there is downright outrage over Michael`s movie. It hasn`t even opened up yet. "This is It" is the brand new film. It`s made from footage of Michaels final rehearsals preparing as he was for a series of 50 concerts in London.
As we know he died before those final rehearsals. Well, tonight, new word from Jackson`s relatives they are not going to see the film. But why not? Fans from as many as 10 countries are rallying together to slam the film makers behind "This is It" accusing them of hiding the truth about Michael`s failing health and cashing in on his death.
We can tell you without a doubt, these outrageous Michael Jackson claims made for big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
M. JACKSON: Stop right there.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER (voice-over): It`s, perhaps, the last look we`ll get of the King of Pop doing what he did best. This brand-new footage from the upcoming documentary "This is It," shows a dynamic Michael Jackson rehearsing for his comeback concerts in the days before his death.
(MUSIC)
It`s clear that seeing Michael Jackson singing and dancing one more time will be irresistible for fans still mourning his loss. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you some of Michael Jackson`s fans and even members of his family are either hesitant or downright furious about "This is It" and may not see it.
Jackson`s mother, Katherine Jackson tells "Access Hollywood" it`s just too soon for her to see her son on the big screen.
KATHERINE JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S MOTHER: I don`t think I can bear to look at it right now. But eventually, in time, I will watch it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you guys going to go watch the movie as a whole family?
HAMMER: And in this new video from TMZ, Jackson`s sister La Toya said the pretty much same thing.
LA TOYA JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S SISTER: We`re not seeing it. My mother - we`re not seeing it.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Even with the lack of support Jackson`s family is offering for "This is It," his heirs stand to benefit the most from the family. Jackson`s estate got a chunk of the reported $60 million Sony paid for the rights to the rehearsal footage that makes up the movie.
And 90 percent of all the film`s revenue reportedly goes to his heirs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s the mass Michael.
HAMMER: Plus, as part of their deal, Sony assured Jackson`s family that "This is It" will not show Jackson in a negative light. That means don`t expect to see any signs of the insomnia and heavy sedative use that caused Jackson`s death.
And you won`t see footage of the moment where the cast and crew found out Jackson had died. And because of those omissions -
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Some fans don`t care for this movie. An online campaign against "This is It," called "This is not It" fans are bashing the movie saying its makers routinely ignored Jackson`s drug and health problems.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": They`re really upset that they think the people who probably should have been in the position to help Michael are the ones that are going to make money off of this movie.
HAMMER: The film`s director, Kenny Ortega, was asked about the controversy on the "Today" show.
KENNY ORTEGA, DIRECTOR, "THIS IS IT": Let me just say that it`s funny that anyone would say anything negative has been excluded when no one`s seen the film so they don`t know what`s in the film or not.
HAMMER: And Ortega tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT why he thinks Michael, himself, would have been fine with people seeing him preparing for his comeback.
ORTEGA: He had big reasons behind, you know, wanting to go on stage again. Those reasons are in the film. And I do think Michael would have wanted his fans to know what those were.
HAMMER: Even if Michael`s mom, sister and some Web savvy critics won`t be seeing the film when it opens Tuesday, looks like plenty of people will. More than 1,600 show times reportedly have already sold out since advanced tickets went on sale for the movie`s two-week run.
SERAFIN: There are fans, people who loved Michael Jackson their whole life, who really are just horrified by all of the stuff that we have been hearing in the past few months about his drug use, about his problems.
And a lot of people do want to just go to the movies and see Michael in a positive light and see him the way they remember him.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold for applause. Fade out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes. So is this film really trying to cover up the tragic truth about Jackson`s life just days before his death?
Joining me tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor with "In Touch Weekly." Also tonight from Hollywood, Tanika Ray, who is an entertainment journalist.
Let`s start off with this brand-new controversy today over the Web site called "ThisIsNotIt.com." Now, these fans are saying the people behind the movie, "This is It" cut out any negative footage of Michael looking unhealthy.
The movie is not in theaters yet. Few people have actually seen the whole thing. But let`s say for a moment the filmmakers did only use footage of Michael that made him look good, that showed him in the most positive light.
Carolina, is there anything wrong with that?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I don`t believe so, A.J. I think they`re maintaining his integrity as an artist. And that`s probably what he would have wanted them to see.
Just because they`re not including the negative footage, that doesn`t make it any less valuable. He was a legend in his own right. And I think he died doing what he loved doing, and that was performing.
And unfortunately, this is the last documentation that we have of it. And I know there are a lot of people who really want to see this film.
HAMMER: And it`s interesting, you used the word "documentation." But this certainly is not being built as a documentary about Michael`s death or a documentary about his final days. It is just showing the rehearsal process and giving people this last taste of what was to be expected at the London shows.
The film`s director is Kenny Ortega. And he`s been speaking out about the film. He`s addressing claims that all the negative footage of Michael has been excluded. And here`s what he told the "Today" show about that. Watch this.
ORTEGA: Let me just that it`s funny that anyone would say anything negative has been excluded when no one`s seen the film so they don`t know what`s in the film or not. It`s candid. It`s honest. It`s raw. It`s real. You know, the cameras were turned on, you know, just a few times. And that`s the footage that exists in this film.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, with all due respect to Kenny Ortega, the cameras were turned on more than just a few times. The movie was after all made from 80 hours of footage - 80 hours, more than a few times certainly. Maybe he misspoke.
But Tanika, what do you think? Do the filmmakers have any obligation to show the bad as well as good?
TANIKA RAY, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: You know, I don`t think so. They have theatrical creative license to do whatever they want. And basically, you can`t make everybody happy.
If they did a documentary on the negative stuff, there would have been a legion of fans outraged by that. So I`m going to look at it as paying homage to Michael Jackson and his beautiful, amazing, creative life that we all loved so much that is in the pit of our stomach.
We all want to see what he was going to do in London for those 50 shows and now, we`re going to get a chance to kind of get a glimpse of it. And I think that`s to be celebrated. So I think, also, to the point before about why the family`s not going to see it - I think it`s just too fresh.
You know, they`re going to see their family member that is doing what he loves, yes. But I think it`s going to bring up a lot of emotions. And I think that`s why they`re staying away.
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: For the most part, I think they`re going to sell all those tickets out in two weeks. And we`re all going to love it.
HAMMER: Of course. I think as far as the outrage is concerned, I do understand it because so many fans are just still so angry over the fact that Michael died ...
RAY: Yes.
HAMMER: ... over how irresponsible his death was and the people around him were being. Now, this I find fascinating. According to "Entertainment Weekly," cameras were, in fact, rolling when Michael`s concert crew got the announcement that Michael had died. I mean, that, I can only imagine how powerful that would have been to have seen.
Now, they didn`t include that in the movie. So Carolina, I`m thinking that the critics maybe should give the filmmakers some credit here. Because I think that shows that they weren`t necessarily out to simply exploit Michael`s death and make it sensational.
BERMUDEZ: Absolutely. Because if they were, they would say, "Oh, man. This is the clincher. People are going to come just to see this part right here." I do believe that they are taking a chance here with putting it out there and letting people see these last moments. It`s going to be hard for people to see Michael Jackson as he was anyway.
I mean, that could be looked at as negative. But the fact they left that personal side out - because these are people who worked closely with Michael Jackson over a period of time. I mean, I really do think that they`re looking after his best interests here.
HAMMER: I want to play some more because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did get a hold of another brand-new look at the film today. Watch this extraordinary footage of Michael doing "Human Nature" in rehearsals. Check this out.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Very quickly, Tanika. I mean, I see that and I think people are now just going to be even more curious about what`s on those other 78 hours?
RAY: Absolutely. You know, it brings a little tear to my eye because that`s the Michael we all loved. I have very good friends that danced with Michael over the years. And they say nothing about kind, beautiful things about a man who gave so much in his humanitarian efforts.
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: All he wanted to do was to touch everybody and to make everybody love each other. And I think this movie is going to help do that for him.
HAMMER: Yes. I think great closure for Michael. Well deserved. I for one am looking forward to it. Carolina Bermudez, Tanika Ray, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Oprah Winfrey is under fire. One of the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" is using some pretty strong words to describe Oprah`s weight battle. How about "misguided" and "misinformed?" So why is this trainer slamming Oprah? I`ll tell you.
Also, an explosive brand-new development in the $100 million sexual harassment suit against Liza Minnelli. What we found out today what Liza is being ordered to do.
And it`s that time again. Time for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to name the most provocative celebrity of the week. Plenty of candidates this week. Will it be Hulk Hogan for his confessions that he contemplated suicide? Rihanna for her racy new photo? Or Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene? You`ve got to stay tuned to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to find out. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: U.S. formally asks for director Roman Polanski`s extradition. Daniel Craig confirms next "Bond" film will start filming end of next year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? The White House has just released this, the official photo of the first family. Wow, look at the Obamas looking so great, I`ve got to say. And an interesting factoid here. The photographer, famed Annie Leibovitz took the shot.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. Hey, A.J., we never, ever flub our lines here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Oh, no, Brooke. We are trained entertainment news professionals.
ANDERSON: Yes, but did you see this? It has been a week full of downright embarrassing moments for some news anchors on live TV. From a major mix-up involving two civil rights leaders to a newscaster who looked like he could have been swallowed up by a killer seagull.
It`s been so bad that I`m suggesting a new warning. Caution, being on TV could be hazardous to your career. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on why it`s been a bad week for bloopers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What do a pigeon, a giant seagull, a fan falling off a cab, an anchor making a gesture for crazy, and Al Jesse, Jesse Al, Al Jesse, have to do with one another? It`s the weekend bloopers and what a week it was.
This Australian anchor got caught making the internationally known gesture for crazy coming out of a taped sound bite with a senator.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I`m talking about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ANCHOR: Some more (UNINTELLIGIBLE) camera.
MOOS: It was so quick you might think you`re crazy. The anchor later apologized to the senator who laughed it off saying, "Maybe I am crazy." Here`s what happens when you get your reverends mixed up.
CONTESSA BREWER, MSNBC ANCHOR: Joining me now to talk about this and the nation`s real problem of joblessness, the Rev. Al Sharpton. What`s your reaction to hearing someone say, when it comes to income inequality, all`s well? The rising tide floats all the boats?
REV. JESSE JACKSON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I`m Rev. Jesse Jackson.
BREWER: Right. You know, I`m so sorry. The script in front of me said Rev. Al Sharpton. I`m looking at your face. I know who you are, Rev. Jackson. We all do. I`m sorry.
MOOS (on camera): Good recovery. Blame it on the teleprompter. Here`s a little refresher. Rev. Al Sharpton. Rev. Jesse Jackson.
(voice-over): This Australian 9 news anchor has a lot of gull.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE NEWS ANCHOR: I hope someone burdened with information will help solve -
MOOS: The seagull sauntered past the camera shooting the skyline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE NEWS ANCHOR: I knew it happened because I could see in the monitor at the back of the studio, this gigantic thing walking behind me. I thought, that`s the bird -
MOOS: It was this bird that took on the Eagles at Sunday`s televised game between Philadelphia and the Oakland Raiders. A pigeon hung out on the field and even joined the Raiders` kickoff coverage. Talk about a wing formation.
The Raiders and the pigeon beat Philadelphia. The baseball fans celebrated the Phillies getting into the World Series by dropping the F bomb.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MOOS: And falling off a taxi. This guy didn`t over-tip. He tipped over.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yikes. I am glad this week is over so there is no chance of me ending up on that list. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines will not stop ringing. A lot of people still calling in about Chris Brown and Rihanna.
ANDERSON: They are sure are, A.J. They`re together again, at least in the headlines. Chris is doing a fan appreciation tour and Rihanna has a new single and a racy photo to go along with it. So is it time to forgive Chris for brutally beating Rihanna?
We`ve got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Renae in Iowa.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
RENAE: I don`t think it`s time to forgive Chris Brown. You wouldn`t forgive somebody out on the street that beats his wife (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So why should we forgive Chris Brown so easily? He needs to grow up, do a whole lot more penance than he`s done and then maybe the forgiveness would start.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Renae.
HAMMER: Sydney calling in to "Showbiz on Call" from Illinois has a different take on the whole situation.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SYDNEY, CALLER FROM ILLINOIS: Of course, it`s time to forgive Chris Brown. Of course, we`re going to be disappointed in the actions he took that night. But we can`t brand him the rest of his life as a woman abuser.
We have to give him the time to grow and show us that he can change. Of course, he`s still young. So it`s time to forgive and forget and let him move on and make better decisions in life.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Sidney.
ANDERSON: We got a call from Robin in Minnesota who says Rihanna has no obligation to be a role model.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
ROBIN, CALLER FROM MINNESOTA: I don`t think anybody should be expecting Rihanna should speak out. She has no reason to speak out. She doesn`t have any obligation to speak out. She was a victim of a crime. We should just leave her alone.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We appreciate your call, Robin. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines always open.
HAMMER: Call us at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ. The number is 1-888-728-2899. That`s where you can leave us a voicemail so we can play your calls on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Your calls to "Showbiz on Call" also now online right there on our home page. Just set your web browsing device to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Oprah Winfrey under fire from a fitness guru. One of the trainers from "The Biggest Loser" using some pretty harsh words to describe Oprah - "misguided," "misinformed." So why is this trainer reading Oprah the riot act?
Also, it`s that time again. Time for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to name the most provocative celebrity of the week. Plenty of great candidates this week, too. Will it be Hulk Hogan for his confessions that he contemplated suicide? Perhaps Rihanna for her racy new photo? Or Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene? You`ve got to stick around to find out who gets it.
Also, a close call for actor Dennis Quaid caught on tape. Why Dennis and a cop had a little chat after Dennis may have had a few drinks too many. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It is time to now to roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Taylor Swift`s "Fearless" number one on Billboard country chart; shows sell out in minutes. Comedian Soupy Sales dies at age 83.
HAMMER: Tonight, the unbelievable story of HLN`s very own Jane Velez- Mitchell. Of course, you can see Jane every night hosting "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on HLN.
She is a big-time TV star now but her life was not always so glamorous. Tonight, Jane is sharing her own very private battle with addiction. She reveals her powerful story in this fantastic brand-new book called "I Want: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life."
When I sat down with Jane to talk about her book, I had to ask her when she hit rock bottom and realized she need help getting sober.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": And I was a blackout drinker. I was really lucky I never even got a DUI. But I would black out literally and not remember what happened. And that is so totally frightening, and that is a hallmark of addiction. Hallmark of alcoholism when you don`t remember what happened after you had a couple drinks.
It was a life or death thing for me. It`s the most important thing. My sobriety has to come before everything else because without that I don`t have any of this.
HAMMER (on camera): You also talk about very openly how after you were able to confront and deal with your alcoholism, you came out as a lesbian and you were in a love relationship and - which is - it was such a nice thing to read about and hear about.
And you said this, "I got honest about my alcoholism and then I got honest about my sexual orientation." It sounds like for you, or perhaps for anyone, it had to happen in that order.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I had nothing to hide behind once I got sober. Because when I have uncomfortable feelings, I would drink them down. And when I got sober, I had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
And to me, I feel I`m a living, breathing example of how sexual orientation is not a choice because I really chose to be heterosexual and I tried very hard. I was married. I had boyfriends who I`m still very close with and friendly with, but there was a missing component.
So as hard as I tried to live a heterosexual lifestyle, ultimately, when I got sober and I didn`t have any way to drown my feelings, I had to acknowledge to myself that I am gay.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can read all of Jane`s incredible story in her book. It`s such a great read, "I want: My Journey From Addiction and Overconsumption to a Simpler, Honest Life" is available right now.
ANDERSON: And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Oprah Winfrey is under attack over her weight. One of the trainers from "The Biggest Loser" is using some pretty harsh words to describe Oprah - "misguided," "misinformed." So why is this trainer slamming Oprah?
Also, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Hulk Hogan, Rihanna, or how about Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene? Stay tuned to find out.
And check this out. If a regular whopper isn`t whopping enough for you, behold the seven-patty whopper. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Pearl Jam and REM join campaign to close Guantanamo Bay. Ashlee Simpson-Wentz to be written out of new "Melrose Place."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Oprah under attack. Tonight, a big-time star lashing out at Oprah over her weight. She calls Oprah "misguided", even "misinformed." But why?
Liza Minnelli sex suit. A dramatic development in the $100 million sexual harassment lawsuit against Liza Minnelli. What she`s being ordered to do ASAP.
And Hulk Hogan admits to nearly killing himself. Rihanna`s shocking song and nearly nude photo. And Richard Balloon Dad Heene. Who will name as the most provocative celebrity of the week?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s first most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
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.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. Tonight, Liza`s sex lawsuit. It is just one of three stories making for big news breaking.
HAMMER: Liza Minnelli is ordered to court to testify in a sexual harassment case against her. The 61-year-old star being accused of forcing her ex-driver to have sex with her. But that`s not all because Liza is suing him right back.
Breaking tonight, Oprah gets slammed by a big-time celebrity trainer from "The Biggest Loser." Tonight why Jillian Michaels says Oprah is, these are her words, "utterly misguided and shockingly misinformed." Our Facebook fans fired up over this one today.
And close call for Dennis Quaid. A cop saves Dennis from himself by ordering Dennis out of his car after the star appears to have one too many drinks. Did Dennis Quaid get special treatment?
With us tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." In Hollywood tonight, Pat Lalama who is an investigative journalist. I`ve got to begin with the Liza Minnelli sex scandal.
Liza has been ordered to a New York court to testify in her former chauffer sexual harassment lawsuit against her. Now, the ex-driver is alleging he was forced to have sex with Liza. Pat Lalama, are you buying this?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, you know, look at this iconic and talented figure. She is that - we can`t deny it. But Liza, herself, says she comes from genetic dysfunction. She`s had a lot of problems. Her ex-husband said she used to beat the living daylights out of him.
She`s admitted she had all kinds of alcohol issues. I don`t know if any of that has anything to do with this. But the fact is, this guy, whether you buy it or not, should have his day in court and she should have to answer the questions in a deposition.
HAMMER: All right. Well, Liza is not taking this lying down, so to speak. She is countersuing her ex-chauffer. I just thought of that. At a $250,000 countersuit that Liza is filing, claiming that this guy threatened her after she cut his - are you ready for how much this guy made - $238,000 a year to drive her around.
Carolina, it sounds fishy to me. We`ve heard of this before. Are you buying this? Or do you think Liza is yet another celebrity dragged into the mud because of her celebrity?
BERMUDEZ: I do think this is another celebrity case where somebody needs some money. It`s a recession, A.J. People are looking for (UNINTELLIGIBLE) however they can to get their money right now.
I`m thinking - wait, did I make a wrong career choice - $238,000 to drive Liza Minnelli around? Unless he was bound and she had to hop on him somehow, I don`t believe this story at all.
HAMMER: I`m sure it`s a fabulous, fabulous job to have. I want to move on to the brand-new Oprah slam tonight. In the new November issue of "Health" magazine, Jillian Michaels, who, of course, one of the trainers on the hit show, "The Biggest Loser" - we know who she is.
She actually slams Oprah Winfrey. She gave this interview to the magazine. And in the interview, Jillian`s asked who she would like to take under her wing and train. Listen to what Jillian says, "If there`s someone I think is utterly misguided it would be Oprah Winfrey. She says she had a thyroid problem and ate soy. I`m like, how? Where`s Dr. Oz? She`s just so misinformed, it`s shocking to me, on a daily basis. Soy is terrible for you if you have a thyroid issue."
Oprah has certainly been burned by bad information in the past. Now, Jillian is saying what other people have said for years, that perhaps Oprah needs to stop preaching about things she, herself, is not an expert on. Pat, do you think Jillian has a point here?
LALAMA: Jillian is a very healthy woman and by that, I mean, she has a very healthy ego. And this is what happens when fame and fortune, when it`s bestowed upon you, her sense of self-righteousness is very big.
However, she may have a little more information in this field than Oprah. And I don`t understand why no one`s allowed to attack the sacred anointed Oprah Winfrey.
HAMMER: Oh, no, no, Pat. Don`t do it.
BERMUDEZ: It`s Oprah.
HAMMER: No, You can`t do it.
LALAMA: Sorry, oh my god.
HAMMER: But the truth is, and I sort of understand her point. When you look at the massive reach that Oprah Winfrey has, if she`s setting a bad example to people by her actions, that can be detrimental to people`s health, I think is what Jillian is saying here.
And of course, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook fans fired up about this all day long. People have been writing in. Crystal B. is writing this on our Facebook wall, "Hey, as long as Oprah isn`t going around judging others on their weight, Jillian should just mind her own business. If Oprah is healthy and not asking Jillian`s opinion, then who cares what Jillian thinks of Oprah`s weight."
Brooke Anderson, let me bring you in on this to get your take. We talk about Oprah all the time. What did you read here? Is Jillian judging Oprah or, perhaps, well, she`s just trying to make sure people have the right information?
ANDERSON: You know, I`m a fan of "The Biggest Loser." Personally, A.J., I really think trainers Jillian and Bob sincerely want to help people improve their health and happiness. I do not think she was just judging Oprah for the sake of judging her.
I think she wanted to get the facts out there. And sure, she does not mince words. And sometimes her approach is off-putting to some, but she gets results. And the truth hurts sometimes.
HAMMER: Yes. It does. Listen to what Jackie A. writes on our Facebook wall, "People only focus on Oprah`s weight because she makes it an issue and she tries to promote certain diets. And Jillian is setting her and her fans straight."
Just when I thought no one would dare take the name of Oprah in vain, people are calling her out. So Pat, you see it`s happening. Don`t you think Jackie here makes a great point?
Oprah does talk about her weight pretty regularly on the show. Shouldn`t she expect - you know what? She may miss the mark once in a while. And if she does, she could get slammed for it.
LALAMA: I think what`s important here is facts. I mean, she is so, so revered. And women and men take what she says to heart. So she`s misinformed about a health issue. That`s a very important thing that needs to be corrected. I think, with Jillian, it`s her tone.
I think that`s what really sets people off is that it`s quite acerbic and sort of a tough-love approach. And I think people a little aghast at that. But if it`s wrong - if the information is wrong, Oprah needs to know it.
HAMMER: Tough love gets results, though, Pat. We can`t deny that.
Let us move on now to Dennis Quaid`s close call with the cops. Now, this happened early Thursday morning. Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, walked out of a restaurant in L.A. They had a couple of friends with them. And Dennis got into the driver`s seat of his car. At that moment, a cop car shows up. Here`s what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You the man, Dennis. Walk this way, Dennis. Walk this way.
DENNIS QUAID, ACTOR: Thanks (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I know we don`t want to drive. I`m going to pull over right here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step out of the car. Step out of the car. (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
QUAID: Right, what do you want to do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Step out of the car.
QUAID: Can we go into the restaurant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. A pretty close call for Dennis Quaid there, you know, if indeed, he had been drinking. I think, you know, a whole lot of different things got saved there. Carolina, do you think his star power had anything to do with the fact that that cop saved him from himself?
BERMUDEZ: Absolutely. That cop was a guardian angel in so many ways, not only to Dennis Quaid but potentially to others, too. I mean, this happens all the time in West Hollywood, A.J. We hear it all the time.
Even back in the day when Steve-O was caught with a pipe of marijuana in front of West Hollywood police officers and they never did anything to arrest him. I mean, this is something that happens in Hollywood all the time. Celebrities get away with everything. If that were you or I, we would have been charged with a DUI. They would have thrown in the slammer right away.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: He got a break.
HAMMER: Yes. And fortunately, though, as you said, he wasn`t allowed to drive. And maybe this is the time where actually that`s OK. Carolina Bermudez, Pat Lalama, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
All right. I`d really like to know what you think about this brand new attack on Oprah about her weight. And what about Oprah`s weight loss advice when she has all these different people coming on her show?
That is the subject of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Oprah Winfrey: Do you trust her weight loss advice?" Here is where you vote, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also E-mail us more of your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: We`re all excited around here because it`s Friday and that also means it`s time to pick the most provocative celebrity of the week.
Hulk Hogan almost committing suicide. Rihanna`s shocking nearly nude photo. Richard Balloon Boy Dad Heene. The most outrageous, the most controversial. Who will be the most provocative celebrity of the week?
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was petrified. I was like, this can`t - this is not happening to me. This can`t be happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is so unbelievable. A big-time rock star opens up about his shocking breast cancer diagnosis and the incredible reason why he kept it a reason for so long.
And take a look at this whopping whopper. It`s not seven - count them - seven patties. Hey, with thing, you definitely won`t be asking, "Where`s the beef?" This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Miley Cyrus denies reports that claim she has swine flu. Rihanna to perform at American Music Awards on November 22nd.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is naming the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Hulk Hogan who tragically revealed in his brand-new book he considered suicide after his split with Linda Hogan?
Then there`s Rihanna`s provocative new photo released with her brand new single "Russian Roulette. Was this the smartest move to make considering this is her first song since the Chris Brown beating?
Or is the most provocative celebrity of the week the Balloon Dad, Richard Heene, who allegedly put his kids at risk for a shot at fame?
Joining me tonight in New York, Megan Alexander, who is a correspondent for "Inside Edition." And in Hollywood, Tanika Ray, who is an entertainment journalist.
All right, ladies. There are some pretty darn big contenders this week.
RAY: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: So Megan, what do you think should be named the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT most provocative celebrity of the week?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": You know, Brooke Rihanna`s cover screamed the word "provocative." And I`m actually deeply puzzled by it. If that photo of a real life Rihanna, bruised and bloodied by Chris Brown, wasn`t still fresh in my mind, I might say, "Oh, this is just art."
But you know what? That photo is too fresh. I deeply question her entourage and the people around her, why they felt she should be in such an overtly sexual and physical photo.
ANDERSON: Yes.
ALEXANDER: If you listen to the lyrics of that new single, "Russian Roulette," Brooke, I`m telling you, it`s a scared little girl who is crying for help and is still in a very dark place.
ANDERSON: The photo and the lyrics are deeply disturbing to me. I agree with you, Megan. And Rihanna has totally vexed some of her fans after releasing this photo for her new single "Russian Roulette." As Megan said, a lot of people are saying she should get the title of most provocative celebrity of the week. Tanika, do you agree with her?
RAY: Yes. I do think it`s very provocative. But I think you have two options: you either go with it or you try to completely erase the last image that people have in their minds and go sort of the Poly Anna route. And I think she has decided to go with it.
It`s definitely provocative. The song is definitely no joke. They talk about guns in the song. It`s not for little kids. You know, she once said that her idol was Grace Jones and maybe that`s the direction she`s going in. Maybe soon -
ANDERSON: I don`t know. I don`t know if I agree with it. Yes. No doubt she`s going with it. That`s for sure. Megan, you do have to admit, though, besides Rihanna, Richard Heene, the controversial Balloon Boy dad is a pretty good pick this week. He`s been painted as a fame-monger who will use his kids to get anything.
ALEXANDER: Yes, I think it`s pretty scary when it shows you what somebody would do to get on television, especially when kids are involved. We`re all pretty upset to see the way the little boys have been reacting.
Brooke, I hope that this is, indeed, showing the public that reality television is a lot more scripted than we think. And maybe the casting process will be affected by this real-life scenario of somebody that wanted so badly to get on TV.
You know, maybe we`ll be changing and having a little bit better guidelines on how we set up these shows. It`s because people are so hungry to get on TV. I think we need to take a closer look at the whole issue here.
RAY: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: I agree. This guy makes my skin crawl if, in fact, he did use his kids in that way to gain fame. And before we do reveal the winner of the most provocative celebrity of the week, I want to show you a few write- in nominees from our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook wall.
Christina R. "Writes Rihanna for sure. It`s sad and shocking." Lorrie J. writes, "Roman Polanski - how does he have enough nerve to ask for bail when he`s been running from his crimes for over 30 years." Tina E. writes, "Chris Brown. Enough is enough."
A couple of wild cards in there. Tanika Do you have a wildcard?
RAY: I do. I think it`s pretty hilarious this group of young girls that have been robbing Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. They`re like a little group of cheerleaders that are going out when Paris and Lindsay, I guess, are partying and robbing them blind. That I think definitely was a movie a couple of years back. But I`m sure it will be a movie of the week in the future. That is my favorite wildcard.
ANDERSON: They`re being called the burglar bunch, not a very bright group of people. And number of them - the suspects have already been arrested. That`s a good pick. And I`ve got to tell you, there really was a fired-up debate in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom about all of this.
But the moment is here. Who is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week? The nominees again? Hulk Hogan, Rihanna, and Richard Heene. And the winner is, in a very close vote, Richard Heene. You got it. Oh, no.
(CROSS TALK)
Still, so many people disgusted by Heene`s behavior. Tanika, you`ve got to admit, Heene is one heck of a provocative man.
RAY: He just grosses me out, you know. What happened to the days when young consenting adults just didn`t wear panties to become famous? Now, we have co-conspirators who are six years old. It`s just - enough is enough.
Enough with the reality shows and just making any old person that makes headlines a star. It just needs to change. And I think this will hopefully get there. We`ll get a little bit closer to that, fingers crossed.
ANDERSON: Maybe so, yes. Selina G., one of our friends at home, was all fired up about this. She couldn`t agree more that Heene was the most provocative celebrity of the week, writing, "It`s Heene. I remember because Joy Behar said it rhymes with "weiney." He`s a big doody head as Joy would say. LOL." Megan, do you agree with Selina that doody head qualifies him for the title this week?
ALEXANDER: You know, Brooke, I want to laugh because it`s so ridiculous that Richard Heene has been the talk of the town for so long, because it`s so scary what he`s doing.
ANDERSON: Yes.
ALEXANDER: But just to take it a little more serious, I mean, these three people that have been nominated for provocative celebrity - they`ve got some serious issues going on. There are some serious problems with all three of them.
ANDERSON: Yes, they do. We`re going to leave it there. We`ll talk next week. I`m sure we`ll have a lot more provocative celebrities to talk about.
RAY: Not about Heene. No more Heene.
ANDERSON: Megan Alexander, Tanika Ray, thanks. No more Heene.
HAMMER: Moving on now, tonight, one of the biggest rock stars out there reveals he hid his breast cancer because he was too embarrassed about it. Peter Criss, the original drummer in KISS had a lump in his breast back in December of `07.
Then he got the bad news that the lump was cancerous. Well, Criss did not tell anyone except his wife because he thought he would be made fun of in the press as the manly rocker ending up with breast cancer.
Listen to what Criss tells CNN`s senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen about when the doctor broke the shocking news to him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETER CRISS, ORIGINAL DRUMMER, KISS: I was petrified. I was like, this is not happening to me. This can`t be happening to me. I went through total shock. I thought, it just don`t happen to men.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, fortunately, Criss is now cancer free. He has a message for all men out there. Breast cancer is not just a women`s disease. So if you feel something, don`t be embarrassed to check it out. Good advice.
ANDERSON: Moving on to a whopper of a story. Take a look at this monster burger. It`s seven patties thick. You will not be asking where`s the beef if you eat this thing. But you may be asking for the antacid. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Bon Jovi will hit 30 countries on its world tour, kicking off this February. Patrick Swayze`s widow will speak for the first time since his death at California conference, Tuesday.
ANDERSON: It`s time now for "Making It Work. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT getting the secrets from stars on how they make their relationships work.
Tonight, Elisabeth Hasselbeck. "The View" co-host just returned to work after having her third child with her husband Tim Hasselbeck. So when A.J. stopped by the set, Elizabeth told him one of the keys to handling everything is to keep the lines of communication open.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Just good team work and honesty. You know, if one of us is clearly not up for a feeding at night or just needs some time to look at the other person, even just taking - I said to him the other day - I said, "You know what? We can just take a walk around the block, you and me, just talk."
And it was nice. And I think being honest about the little things on what you need and what you can`t do has helped us tremendously. You are - you know, you`re kind of maxed out with a third. And I can`t imagine any more than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes. Three is a lot. But they seem to be handling it very well. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, the monster burger. Did you see this? Move over Godzilla, there is another massive beast that is striking fear in the hearts and bellies of people all over Japan.
It`s a seven-patty whopper at Burger King. Seven patties. Look at this thing. Nobody is saying, "Where`s the beef?" here. This gut buster weighs, are you ready - more than one and a half pounds.
And of course, you can have it loaded up with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. This outrageous burger was born after Microsoft decided to team up with Burger King to celebrate the launch of the Windows 7 operating system. Totally logical.
OK. Well, anyway, only a few were brave enough or crazy enough, I should say, to take on whopper-zilla including CNN correspondent Kyung Lah. And you`ve got to check out the guy who wasn`t up for the challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know if I could keep all that down, so I went with the double whopper.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: My turn. In case you`re wondering, 2,120 calories, a whole day`s calorie intake.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know what? That`s just gross.
ANDERSON: Making news right now, new developments in the Jon and Kate money battle. Late today, Jon`s lawyer, Mark Heller, told "People" magazine that Jon is in, quote, complete compliance with the court order requiring him to return $180,000 that he took out of a joint bank account." But as of show time today, Kate`s people told us they have not received all the money.
And I am smacking my head and saying "oi vey" over this one. Jon Gosselin is heading back to temple. Last week, Jon stopped by a family values event at a New York City synagogue to ask for advice on how to handle his kids during his divorce. Now, on November 1st, at another New York City synagogue, Jon will be one of the headliners in a debate about fame. Is it a blessing or is it a curse?
HAMMER: Brooke, I`m thinking that, you know, if he stays off TV, that would be a mitzvah. I`m just saying.
On Thursday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Moments ago, on this piece of paper, I was handed the final results - "Chris Brown Announces His New Tour: Are you ready to forgive him beating Rihanna?"
Well, thankfully, only 18 percent of you said yes; 82 percent of you said no.
The E-mails include one from Tashiana in Ohio writing, "I feel it is time to move on already! Chris Brown has received his sentence and is serving his time."
Barbara from Arizona is saying, "If Chris Brown would keep his mouth shut, people might think he should be forgiven. But Chris constantly opens up his mouth and shows how stupid and cocky he still is."
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN.
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