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Showbiz Tonight
Aruba Suspect Hires Casey Anthony`s Attorney; Interview With Actor Mehcad Brooks; Interview With Author Jackie Collins; J. Crew`s Fashion Revival; "Twilight: Breaking Dawn" First Look; Charlie Sheen Roast
Aired September 14, 2011 - 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: More big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "SHOWBIZ Justice" -- tonight, a Casey Anthony shocker. The lawyer who helped get Casey acquitted is taking on another explosive case, the guy being held in Aruba in the disappearance of a young American woman. Tonight: Does hiring Casey`s star lawyer spark even more suspicion that this is a case of murder?
Jackie Collins making news on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, the queen of romance on Clint Eastwood`s stunning new gay marriage rant, on the star who reveals he was sure Charlie Sheen was going to die. Jackie Collins right here in a headline-making "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
Scarlett`s nude photo outrage, the unbelievable new reports about leaked naked photos of Scarlett Johansson. Is Scarlett really calling in the FBI?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight. This is a story from the "SHOWBIZ Justice" files that I find quite frankly simply mind-boggling, the brand-new bizarre connection between the Casey Anthony case and the case of the missing woman in Aruba that has been compared to the Natalee Holloway story.
So listen to this. We got the news today that Casey Anthony`s lawyer -- you know, Jose Baez, the guy who helped Casey get off on murder charges -- he is now the guy coming to the defense of the main suspect in that missing woman`s disappearance.
And while a lot of people, including myself, were just shaking their heads and saying today, Are you kidding me, well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to reveal that this could all turn into another Baez bonanza.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Do you have a mission impossible? Well, forget these guys. And this guy, too. Attorney Jose Baez, the guy who helped Casey Anthony beat a murder rap against darn near impossible odds...
JOSE BAEZ, CASEY ANTHONY`S ATTORNEY: They gave you two weeks of testimony that was completely irrelevant.
HAMMER: ... has chosen to accept a new impossible mission, defending another shady suspect in another major case. He has been hired by Gary Giordano, the main suspect in the disappearance of 35-year-old Maryland woman Robyn Gardner in Aruba.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, TRUTV`S "IN SESSION": Make no mistake about it. If you are in trouble and you need an attorney, if you are guilty and you want to go home, you hire Jose Baez.
HAMMER: The case of Robyn Gardner has become a media obsessions. There`s been no sign of her since she went missing August 2nd in Aruba, where she and Giordano were traveling.
HOSTIN: Giordano`s currently in jail. He`s been in jail, in an Aruban jail for quite some time. He hasn`t been charged yet. Apparently, he says she disappeared while they were snorkeling.
HAMMER: But despite his claims of innocence, Giordano has emerged as top suspect in the case.
HOSTIN: He`s the last person to be seen with her, and he is the person that admittedly took her snorkeling at a place no one goes snorkeling at in Aruba. So if you look at all those facts, I mean, he`d be my number one suspects.
HAMMER: So things don`t look good for Giordano. Paging Mr. Baez! Back in July, the entire country gasped in shock at Baez`s last miracle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not guilty.
HAMMER: Convincing a jury to find Casey Anthony not guilty of murdering her daughter, Caylee.
BARBARA WALTERS, ABC NEWS: Did you realize the kind of impact this would have on your life?
HAMMER: Soon after Casey`s surprise acquittal, Jose sat down with ABC`s Barbara Walters and revealed that after his shocking victory, he had an inkling he was about to go big-time.
BAEZ: I had a moment where I thought to myself my life may start to change.
HAMMER: Boy, was he right.
HOSTIN: Jose Baez is the new Johnnie Cochran.
HAMMER: While Jose Baez takes on his next post-Casey Anthony challenge, Casey`s parents are taking on a challenge, too, sharing brand- new details with the world about their infamously troubled daughter.
CINDY ANTHONY, CASEY`S MOTHER: I just screamed at her. I said, What the hell are you talking about? I said, What do you mean you haven`t seen Caylee?
HAMMER: In a no-holds-barred interview on "Dr. Phil," Casey`s mother Cindy revealed the explosive reaction she had when she first learned that little Caylee had been missing for a month and Casey didn`t tell anyone.
CINDY ANTHONY: I wanted to go choke her or hit her, and I just went over there and I just punched the bed as hard as I could to get my anger out.
HAMMER: And the even more shocking part...
CINDY ANTHONY: I`m not making excuses for her.
PHIL MCGRAW, HOST, "DR. PHIL": I think you are.
HAMMER: ... Cindy continues to make excuses for her daughter`s outrageous behavior. About that rowdy "hard body" (SIC) contest Casey entered while her daughter was missing?
CINDY ANTHONY: One of the girls that was supposed to be up there dancing did not show up. So they asked Casey to fill in.
HAMMER: About that shovel that prosecutors suggested Casey may have used to bury Caylee.
CINDY ANTHONY: I think she did what she said she did with it, and you might laugh at this, but she needed to cut a piece of bamboo.
HAMMER: And about Casey`s overall strange behavior.
CINDY ANTHONY: People don`t know she had a grand mal seizure after she came home for the very first time.
HAMMER: This morning on the "Today" show, Dr. Phil shared his own assessment of Cindy.
MCGRAW: Well, I think it`s denial of the highest order.
HAMMER: But while Casey Anthony`s parents` mission is to try perhaps in vain to make sense of what their troubled daughter did, Jose Baez is onto his next mission. And there`s no telling whose mission is more impossible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So here`s what I want to know and it`s our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint." Does Gary Giordano`s hiring of Casey`s star lawyer spark even more suspicion?
With me right now in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, the host, of course, of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" right here on HLN. Also with me in New York, Lauren Lake, a criminal defense attorney and TV host.
So of course, Giordano has not yet been charged with anything. He`s still being held by Aruban authorities as a suspect in the disappearance of 35-year-old Robyn Gardner. And now he`s gone and hired Jose Baez to join his defense team. Even though Casey Anthony was acquitted, of course, we all know a lot of people still believe that Baez helped Casey get away with murder.
So Jane, to our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint," does hiring Baez actually raise suspicions even more that Giordano did something wrong here?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, HLN`S "ISSUES": Well, I think hiring Jose Baez is double-edged sword because as you said, he is associated very closely in people`s minds with the most hated person in America, Casey Anthony. But by the same token, he`s the guy who got Casey Anthony off. And it was considered an open-and-shut case. When the prosecution walked in there, they were sure that she was going to go away if forever and possibly get death.
So he`s a brilliant attorney. We have to hand him that. And he has become one of those attorneys when you are in deep doo-doo, really deep doo-doo, he`s on speed dial.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Yes, exactly. Right at the top there. And you make a great point. I mean, calling it a double-edged sword is exactly right because on the one hand, you`re thinking, Oh, wow, he has a lot to hide or protect or fix or whatever. But he`s a good attorney, he`s a good attorney.
Lauren, what`s your take on our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint"? Does hiring him raise more suspicion? Is it more good than bad for Giordano?
LAUREN LAKE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND TV HOST: I think it`s almost ironic, in a sense, that as the public jumps to conclusions and forms opinions, this person wants an attorney that does just the opposite, meaning this is an attorney that`s going to keep an open mind. And it`s not just Jose. He`s got a team of people who believe in our system and say you are innocent until proven guilty under the law. And so in that way, he`s a good man to hire.
HAMMER: So maybe it was a smart move after all.
LAKE: Absolutely!
HAMMER: And look, I`d have to imagine Giordano is asking Baez for some serious advice right now because of this brand-new surveillance tape that has just aired of him and the missing woman, Robyn. Look at this. ABC just aired this footage of Gary and Robyn. This was the day before she disappeared. Video of Gary the following day apparently looking for Robyn around the hotel was aired, as well. And there`s some experts saying today, you know, you look at this, the guy didn`t look all that frantic.
Jane, what do you make of this? Do you think this caught-on-tape evidence could prove to be sort of a smoking gun that prosecutors could use?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think it`s actually almost irrelevant because he claims that she drowned while snorkeling, that she drifted off to sea. So why the heck is he looking for her at a hotel, at a restaurant or anywhere on land? He should be up to his neck in water or under water looking for her.
HAMMER: So then maybe it`s not irrelevant.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, yes, I...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Maybe they can say, Well, what`s he doing looking around the hotel?
(CROSSTALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: How do we know that he`s looking for her? It`s video. I don`t know that there`s any audio. So for all I know, he`s looking for a missing flip-flop at that point.
HAMMER: So they just might kind of laugh it off. Obviously, a lot of people have been comparing this case to the Natalee Holloway case. Natalee, of course, vanished back in 2006. She was on a high school graduation trip to Aruba. The suspect in her case, Joran Van Der Sloot. He was the last person to see her alive, and he is now sitting in a Peruvian jail charged with another murder. He was never charged in Natalee`s disappearance.
Now, today we learned Natalee`s dad has just filed a petition to declare his daughter dead. ABC News spokes with Natalee`s mother, Beth. She told them that she does not intend to go along with this. Lauren, what do you think is going on here?
LAKE: You know, absent (ph) some type of insurance policy where something would pay out in terms of the father being a beneficiary, it may just be for closure. It may just be every time we talk about Aruba, the first thing we think about is Natalee Holloway. And at some point, maybe this father just wants to say, You know what? I am OK. I`ve come to the conclusion and the belief that my daughter is gone, and I just want it to be written that way.
Now, I don`t think Beth is going to go for that. I do believe that this mother is -- she`s just not going to follow along with it. And unfortunately, as a mother, I don`t know if I could, either.
HAMMER: I feel for them, especially now with what`s going on with the Robyn Gardner case, as well, because, obviously, it`s dredging up a whole bunch of stuff for them...
LAKE: Can of worms.
HAMMER: ... and I think they would like to see it all go away, at least as far as the media`s concerned.
All right, Lauren, Jane, great to see you both. Thank you both so much.
LAKE: Thank you.
HAMMER: We move on now to Scarlett`s nude photo outrage. You got to see this. There are unbelievable new reports about leaked naked photos of Scarlett Johansson. Is Scarjo really calling in the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Tonight, the woman who literally wrote the book on star scandals, Jackie Collins. What does Jackie think of Taylor Armstrong`s husband`s suicide? Jackie`s right here for a headline-making "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
A-Rod and Cammy D (ph) -- are they really done? Tonight, brand-new reports that Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz have, in fact, broken up. So here`s our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint." Is this really a surprise? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and viewers.
It`s time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. So another love bites the dust. It looks like Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez and Cameron Diaz have split up. These are the reports. They`ve been dating for about a year now. Say it isn`t so. I mean, this is even after Cameron fed A-Rod popcorn in front of a hundred million people who were watching the Super Bowl. You remember that? Well, their love struck out. But should we really be surprised?
With me in New York, I am so pleased to have Mehcad Brooks. You just saw him wrap up the season finally of "Necessary Roughness" on USA network tonight. You also know him from "True Blood," of course.
And I`m thinking you might be able to relate to this, in a way, Mehcad. At least because of your character, you might have some insight for us. Your character on "Necessary Roughness" is a big egotistical football player, T.K., the king of seduction. So I`m thinking you might have something to say about the breakup of Cameron and A-Rod. What do you say?
MEHCAD BROOKS, USA`S "UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS": I wish them both the best. You know, relationships in Hollywood are hard.
HAMMER: Tough!
BROOKS: Yes. And athletes play the field in many ways. And you know, it`s just tough. I just wish Cameron the best, and I think she should call me.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: There you go. OK. All right. So you`re not so -- you`re really not torn up over all this!
BROOKS: Most men probably aren`t disappointed, you know, by this news, actually.
HAMMER: Yes. But when you look at the two of them, I mean, she`s a superstar in film and he`s a superstar of sports. It has to be unimaginably impossible.
BROOKS: You know, I mean, just with the schedules, just traveling, just with what they do at the top level of both their games, I mean, I would imagine it`s really, really difficult, you know? It`s difficult for normal people.
HAMMER: That`s true. Now, listen, being out there in Hollywood, you see some pretty strange behavior, so I need to get your take...
BROOKS: Yes, you do.
HAMMER: ... on what I consider a rather insensitive and strange situation that is making news today. "Jersey Shore" star Mike "The Situation" Sorentino (ph) reportedly parks his fancy red Ferrari diagonally, blocking a handicapped parking spot. And then what happens? A disabled person pulls up and is forced to park elsewhere because of the Sitch`s bad parking job.
I`m guessing you see this sort of egotistical behavior in Hollywood from time to time. But is a guy like the Situation -- I mean, do you hear this and think, Oh, he`s just so out of touch?
BROOKS: You know, I think that he parked it in a handicapped spot, and I think that`s probably the right place for him to park something.
(LAUGHTER)
BROOKS: I don`t know.
HAMMER: You want to leave it at that?
BROOKS: Let`s just leave it at that.
HAMMER: OK. That`s fair.
BROOKS: I don`t know the guy. I just know that, you know, hey...
HAMMER: That`s perfect. There might be something...
BROOKS: Yes.
HAMMER: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: I don`t want people writing you any nasty letters.
BROOKS: No, no, which they shouldn`t.
HAMMER: Let me get your take on another...
BROOKS: Because I didn`t mean it that way.
HAMMER: Here`s another story. A crazed fan reportedly broke into the lovely Pam Anderson`s home, stayed at her house for a few days. Pam didn`t even know that the guy was there. The story is obviously pretty scary. I have to imagine you have had some pretty obsessed fans. I mean, on "True Blood," you were an absolute sensation. Your new show, "Necessary Roughness," has gotten you a lot of attention, as well. How scary has it gotten for you?
BROOKS: It hasn`t really gotten scary-scary in a long time. I had a stalker for a little while, which...
HAMMER: Did you have to do anything legally about that?
BROOKS: Yes.
HAMMER: That`s rough (INAUDIBLE)
BROOKS: Actually, I was on "Desperate Housewives," and ABC handled it very well.
HAMMER: Well, all right.
BROOKS: They tackled him in my front yard.
HAMMER: OK.
BROOKS: And -- but recently, I`ve had women come up to me in New York and ask me to bite them on the neck.
HAMMER: Perfect!
BROOKS: And after I bite them...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: We`ll leave it at that because that`s perfect!
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Mehcad, great to have you here. I really appreciate it -- the star of USA`s "Necessary Roughness." Thanks for the interview.
BROOKS: Thanks.
HAMMER: All right, as we move on tonight, Michael Jackson`s music earns millions for his family, how Michael`s estate went from deep debt to big bucks.
Also, Maria Shriver`s big return to TV and a brand-new Madonna controversy. No, she`s not hating on hydrangeas this time. It`s reportedly actual people. That`s all in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Madonna wannabe left alone? Madonna`s firing back at reports she ordered volunteers at the Toronto Film Festival to avert her eyes as she walked by. According to "The Toronto Globe and Mail," Madge (ph) demanded the festival`s unpaid helpers do an about-face in her presence.
But her camp has just shot back, slamming anyone who claims she was being a diva. Neither Madonna nor her security ever gave instructions to the volunteers to turn away from Madonna. In fact, she was so impressed with the volunteers that she publicly thanked them from the stage for their hard work before the premiere of her film last night, which earned a standing ovation. Madonna`s in Toronto promoting the new film, "WE," which she directed.
Michael earns millions for his family. The executors of Michael Jackson`s estate have apparently managed his money so successfully, that now they want to set up a $30 million trust fund to benefit Katherine Jackson and Michael`s three kids. TMZ reports Michael`s estate is asking the court for permission to set up the trust. The estate reportedly earned more than $310 million since 2010.
Maria Shriver is the news again, as a journalist. The former first lady of California is going from making news during her split from Arnold Schwarzenegger this summer to reporting it. According to People.com, Shriver is getting back to her original career as a reporter and has already contributed a handful of articles to "Los Angeles" magazine.
Her latest interview, with Blanche Fitzwallace Annenberg (ph), will be in the October issue of the magazine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Good for her! All right, coming up tonight, Charlie Sheen`s "Two and a Half Men" co-star has got a brand-new, chilling revelation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) .
JON CRYER, ``TWO AND A HALF MEN``: Mostly I was worried that Charlie was going to die. That was the big fear for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Why Jon Cryer was so concerned that something terrible was going to happen to Charlie.
Next "SHOWBIZ Trending" -- a girl allegedly forced to fight another girl by her mom. This is caught on tape. And that`s not the most sickening part of the story. One of the girls` moms jumped into the fight.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views. And this is the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: "SHOWBIZ trending tonight. It is the outrageously disturbing video that is making people everywhere cringe. Caught on tape, a mom allegedly encouraging 12-year-old girls, one of whom is her daughter, to beat each other to a pulp. Cops say the mother wanted to settle a score over her daughter`s cyber-bullying, and now that bright idea has led to the mom`s arrest.
This is insane to me. It`s really unimaginable. The Long Island, New York, woman describes her daughter as a sweetheart who was repeatedly bullied on FaceBook. Obviously, that`s no good. So what did the mom do? She reportedly walked her kid to the schoolyard to chaperone the fistfight. She allegedly did it to, quote, "make sure no weapons were used."
At one point, cops say the mom, who`s 32, jumped into the fight and kicked the 12-year-old girl in the head.
Mother and attorney Lauren Lake joining me right now. And Lauren, I don`t know which part of this story is more despicable than the other. The mom is out on bail right now. But what do you think should happen to this woman for basically making her daughter fight? I can`t even fathom this.
LAKE: We can`t fathom it. It definitely is nothing that you would ever think a mother could do. But at the same time, her daughter doesn`t need to be taken away. She needs some type of parenting courses, anger management courses, and she needs to learn what her resources are should this happen to her daughter again.
HAMMER: So she`s in the right place at the moment.
LAKE: Well, the defense attorney -- I mean, you know, she hit the girl. So she`s got to pay the price.
HAMMER: The woman actually had the nerve to tell TV cameras that she felt a fistfight was actually the solution to her daughter`s cyber-bullying problem. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, they make me sound like an animal. It`s my daughter that`s getting bullied. So you know what you would do for your own kids. They called her names and they threatened her. They called her vulgar things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And she`s so sure of herself there! I can`t imagine, but are there possibly other mothers out there who would have done exactly the same thing? I mean, you`re a mom. Can you even imagine, fathom, if you will?
LAKE: Now I`ll put my defense hat on, A.J.
HAMMER: OK.
LAKE: Remember back in the day when you got bullied at school and they said the only way to get a bully to back down is fight him. Get him back. Don`t let him get the best of you. And in that way, that may have been her thinking.
HAMMER: She needs to be deprogrammed from that kind of thinking.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: All right, Lauren Lake. Thanks so much.
LAKE: All right.
HAMMER: We go now to the SHOWBIZ line-up. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Scarlett`s nude photo outrage. these are unbelievable new reports about leaked naked photos of the lovely Scarlett Johansson. So is Scarlett really calling in the FBI? Well, the great Jackie Collins is right here for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview. It`s Jackie on Clint Eastwood`s stunning new gay marriage rant and Jon Cryer`s stunning revelation that he was convinced co-star Charlie Sheen was going to die. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) as long as we both show up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you see this tonight, your very first look at the second to last "Twilight" movie.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views. Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Scarlett`s nude photo shocker, the explosive brand-new report of naked photos of Scarlett Johansson leaked onto the Internet. So is Scarjo really calling in the FBI?
A legend is in the SHOWBIZ house tonight. Real Hollywood countess Jackie Collins, her candid insider`s view of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" suicide drama. Plus, Jackie on Clint Eastwood`s explosive gay marriage rant. And does Jackie think Charlie Sheen can make a comeback?
Tonight Jackie Collins right here in a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fetus isn`t compatible with your body. (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s crushing you from the inside out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait`ll you see this, a SHOWBIZ first look at the next to last "Twilight" movie, "Breaking Dawn" Part One.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And we`ve got big news breaking today. Scarlett Johansson`s nude photos flap. Yes, TMZ is reporting today that Scarjo actually contacted the FBI to see just who hacked into her cell phone and stole some sexy nude photos of her that appear to have been posted on line.
Also making some big, late-breaking news today, jaw-dropping revelations about Charlie Sheen`s very public breakdown. Does this guy still think he`s winning?
And tonight, have I got a treat for you. Here to weigh in on all these juicy celebrity stories, the countess of celebrity scandal, the great Jackie Collins. She, of course, the international best-selling author of countless books on Hollywood, intrigue, scandal. And she`s got this fantastic, brand-spanking-new book just out. It is called "The Goddess of Vengeance."
Jackie, it is always a pleasure to welcome you to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
JACKIE COLLINS, AUTHOR, "GODDESS OF VENGEANCE": It is so good to see you, A.J.
HAMMER: We have to talk about this whole nudge photo flap around Scarlett Johansson.
COLLINS: I know!
HAMMER: We will. We`re going to get to that in just a second, but there`s so much more to get to.
COLLINS: OK.
HAMMER: First let`s talk about some big revelations today about Charlie Sheen. Now, Charlie seemed to, you know, kind of go off the deep end earlier this year. He was fired, of course, from "Two and a Half Men." Charlie`s former co-star, Jon Cryer, told Ellen DeGeneres on her show today he actually feared for Charlie`s life. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON CRYER, "TWO AND A HALF MEN": Mostly, I was worried that Charlie was going to die. That was the big fear for me. And that that did not occur, I`m thrilled about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, I think we`re all thrilled about that, but I think we all feared for Charlie`s life for a while there at least. But now it kind of seems like maybe he`s on the rebound. What`s your take, though, Jackie? Has he kind of burned too many bridges to sustain another Hollywood go- round?
COLLINS: You know, in Hollywood, you can never burn too many bridges. It`s the bottom line, and it`s the money. And I think they`re crazy, killing him off on the show because they should have just, you know, popped him off into rehab or something on the show.
HAMMER: Right.
COLLINS: And then they could always have brought him back because he seems totally normal now, and we were all scared that he was going to die because he was so out of it, you know?
HAMMER: But he`s done this before! He`s done...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: ... tiger blood and that whole thing going on.
HAMMER: Yes, that was a little extreme.
COLLINS: He`s a great -- he`s a fabulous actor, you know? That show was really fabulous because of him, and also because of the rest of the cast. They were really good.
HAMMER: Yes. I actually think Ashton Kutcher`s going to do a great job. It`s sort of a wait and see right now, but...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... had to bring somebody in, Ashton`s got my vote.
COLLINS: And he`s very attractive, good actor.
HAMMER: Well, listen, another big story that is breaking today, we have to talk about "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" because, really, you wrote the original book on Hollywood housewives, and now it`s become this national obsession. Things have obviously gotten very dark since the suicide of Russell Armstrong. Bravo made sure to address the suicide in their season premiere. Some people say that Bravo is actually exploiting a tragedy by even continuing on with the show. What do you think about that?
COLLINS: Well, I think a lot of people don`t want to see the Beverly Hills housewives anymore. They want to see the other ones. The others are great, you know, the New Jersey ones, the New York ones. I mean, I think they`re fun. I think there`s a kind of taint over the Beverly Hills ones now. And you know, they don`t even live in Beverly Hills anyway. As a person who lives there, I go, Who are these women?
HAMMER: Right. You`re a big part of the social scene about the important social scene out there.
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: ... because I wrote "Hollywood Wives." And "Hollywood Wives" are the wives of the directors, the movie stars. They have, you know, some kind of cachet.
HAMMER: They should be sending you a check, a little royalty check...
COLLINS: Yes, a little royalty check.
HAMMER: ... for the idea.
COLLINS: Maybe I should do the real Hollywood wives.
HAMMER: Well, here`s my question, though. Because you wrote the "Hollywood Wives," do you think that what we see on these reality shows, the reality of the housewives, whether it`s Beverly Hills or any of them, is actually stranger than fiction?
COLLINS: Oh, it is stranger than fiction. I mean, If I wrote some of the things that we see in the newspapers every day or that we watch on television, I would be laughed off the page!
HAMMER: Yes, we wouldn`t buy the books!
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: It`s just too crazy, you know? I write crazy villains and crazy people, but I base them on people that I know, a mix-up, and then I tone them down. I mean, Lucky Santangelo (ph) is not a real woman. She could be Angelina Jolie, though, because she`s beautiful, smart, has great kids, a great heart, you know? I love writing characters in Hollywood. And to watch these women, you can pick out the characters that you want to write about.
HAMMER: You certainly have a smorgasbord of inspiration to feast on out -- living out there.
COLLINS: I do.
HAMMER: I want to talk about another Hollywood drama that`s going on because, certainly, you see quite a bit of the plastic surgery out there. This has been playing out before our eyes. Did Lindsay Lohan`s 17-year-old kid, Ali -- kid sister, Ali, actually get plastic surgery? I mean, look at the difference here, Jackie, in those photos that we`re showing. Now, Ali`s mom, Dina Lohan, defended her daughter on the "Wendy Williams Show." Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it plastic surgery?
DINA LOHAN, ALI`S MOTHER: Absolutely not. She`s 17. I don`t really believe in plastic surgery for young girls. Some do. I don`t. They actually said she had an eyebrow lift. I don`t even know what that is. But -- no, and then botox and she had wrinkles? I mean, she`s 17 years old. What 17-year-old has wrinkles?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, let`s face it. I mean, look at this picture again. She looks dramatically different. But Ali has said she didn`t have plastic surgery. Her mom is saying she didn`t have plastic surgery. I have to sort of defer to them on that. I can`t pass a judgment. But what do you think?
COLLINS: I think she looks better in the before picture, but I think she`s look more or less the same. It doesn`t look like plastic surgery to me. You see some women in Hollywood and you go, Oh! What did they do?
HAMMER: Right.
COLLINS: And some men, too, because men are very big into it. Yes.
HAMMER: Yes.
COLLINS: There`s one in particular...
HAMMER: But 17-year-olds you want to believe, even in Hollywood.
COLLINS: Exactly. And I don`t think she...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: I don`t think it happened, no. I don`t think so.
HAMMER: Good. And quite frankly, I think maybe she would be candid and open about it.
COLLINS: She`s prettier in the first photo.
HAMMER: She seems pretty real. Also, that`s a much -- that`s a younger photo of her.
COLLINS: Yes.
HAMMER: All right, there is another hot topic today, and really, it`s pervasive throughout society, but it of course overlaps to Hollywood, and that`s gay marriage. What super-conservative Clint Eastwood is saying about it has a lot of people surprised today. Listen to what he says. He gave a brand-new interview to "GQ" magazine that was revealed today. And Clint is saying, "These people who are making big about gay marriage, I don`t give a bleep about who wants to get married to anybody else. Why not? Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want."
Good for you, Clint!
COLLINS: Yes.
HAMMER: Jackie, does it boggle your mind that here we are, it is 2011, and this is still a huge issue? Do you get it?
COLLINS: I don`t get it because it shouldn`t be a huge issue. What should be a huge issue is people getting thrown out of their homes when the bank has all that money sitting there, and people like that, you know? But I think that gay marriage, if people want to get married -- mind you, what`s going to happen when gay divorce comes along? It`s going to be trouble!
HAMMER: Well, and it`s inevitable it`s going to happen.
COLLINS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: All right, let`s go to some lighter fare right now.
COLLINS: OK.
HAMMER: CNN`s Anderson Cooper.
COLLINS: Love him!
HAMMER: He`s got a brand-new show called "Anderson."
COLLINS: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: Fantastic show. And he`s digging deep. You know, actually, sometimes, he does some pretty tough stories. Sometimes he lives out his dream, like in this, where, as you see, he is getting a spray tan with Snooki. Now, you know, normally, Snooki not the kind of celebrity that you write about. She obviously has become a sensation. She obviously is big enough to have Anderson getting a spray tan.
COLLINS: Oh, my God!
HAMMER: And he told me on the show yesterday he`s never gotten a spray tan in his life. He didn`t know that they painted muscles on people.
COLLINS: Oh!
HAMMER: But what do you -- all right, I know you want to watch Anderson`s body, Jackie, but for the moment, what do you make of this Snooki? Do we just need to accept that the Snooki is the new celebrity? Can you accept it?
COLLINS: I guess that we have to accept it. You know, you have to accept reality television. It`s like Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon. They had a great show 10 years ago. And now it`s all...
HAMMER: They were bona fide stars, of course.
COLLINS: Yes, of course. But everybody thinks that they`re the -- you know, the Andy Warhol, 15 minutes of fame deal is going on. I cannot believe that Anderson took off his clothes. I mean, that is crazy!
HAMMER: Well, you know, syndicated TV is a whole new ball game. All right, Jackie, hang around because we do have to talk about these scandalous alleged photos of Scarlett Johansson that we`re looking at right now that seem to have been stolen from her phone. So don`t go anywhere. We will get into that coming up next.
COLLINS: I want to get into that.
HAMMER: It`s so great having you here.
But right now, we have to tell you that coming up is a SHOWBIZ first look at the next to last "Twilight" moving. It`s called "Breaking Dawn Part 1."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As long as we both shall live.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow! That just looks amazing. You have got to see this!
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views. It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, we are talking about Scarlett Johansson`s nude photo flap. Now, TMZ is reporting today that Scarlett has contacted the FBI because, apparently, some nude photos were stolen from her phone when it was hacked. And today, these picture were all over the Internet.
The one and only international best-selling author Jackie Collins is back with me now. You must pick up a copy of her new book, "Goddess of Vengeance." It is absolutely terrific. There`s the cover right there.
So if TMZ is correct, this is a big problem if these photos were actually stolen from Scarlett`s hacked cell phone. But here`s the deal. I want to share with you now what we call the SHOWBIZ golden rule. If you are a celebrity and you take nude photos of yourself or make videos, it will get out there!
Why, Jackie? Oh, why do people not realize that? I never understand it. I`ve been reporting this year after year after year.
COLLINS: It is totally crazy, isn`t it? I mean, would you take a nude photo of yourself on your cell phone?
HAMMER: Absolutely not!
COLLINS: Yes. Exactly.
HAMMER: I wouldn`t take it even if I wasn`t on television.
COLLINS: You have a beautiful actress and she`s going to take her cell phone, which could get into anybody`s hands...
HAMMER: Yes.
COLLINS: I mean, in technology today, anybody can hack into anything. So she probably got her phone hacked into, I would imagine.
HAMMER: That`s what they`re swaying and that`s why the FBI has been brought in because ordinarily, just nude photos getting out on the Internet doesn`t bring in the FBI.
COLLINS: But you know, take it on your camera, on a digital cameras.
HAMMER: No! Don`t!
COLLINS: Print it out...
HAMMER: No!
COLLINS: ... and keep it for yourself.
HAMMER: Jackie, no, no, no! Don`t take them at all!
COLLINS: I agree with you.
HAMMER: That`s the thing. And...
(CROSSTALK)
COLLINS: And don`t make a sex tape.
HAMMER: Celebrities want to be just like everybody else and be able to do what everybody else does, but you cannot do that.
COLLINS: No, you cannot.
HAMMER: It will get -- because even if you print it out, it`s going to wind up in a drawer. The guy working in your house is going to...
COLLINS: Well, that`s the whole point.
HAMMER: Right.
COLLINS: And the whole point is, why do they make sex tapes? I mean, why? Because that is definitely going to get out.
HAMMER: Well, unless it`s to start a career, like some have been accused of in the past.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Then they probably should. Here`s the thing. And look, obviously, it`s a huge privacy issue for Scarlett if photos got out and she didn`t intend or want them to get out. But I`m also thinking here is a beautiful woman.
COLLINS: Right.
HAMMER: Separate from the privacy issue, is it actually such a big deal? Is it even really a scandal if nude photos of this gorgeous actress are floating out there? Will it in any way hurt her?
COLLINS: No. It`s giving her a lot of publicity. And maybe, you know, who knows. Has she done a movie lately?
HAMMER: Well, no. She`s certainly still a working actress and a revered actress. But I don`t know -- I don`t know that she needs people out there talking about her. I just don`t see anybody, Oh, we can`t hire that actress because...
COLLINS: Exactly.
HAMMER: ... there were nude photos of her out there.
COLLINS: Yes. So what this is about, it`s just that she feels her privacy has been invaded, and that`s not good.
HAMMER: No, that`s no good at all. And here`s the other thing. You know, Scarlett herself is not getting out there and saying, Oh, yes, those are pictures of me. I`m kind of thinking, Well, what`s the big deal? Maybe she should.
COLLINS: Well, the same thing happened to Blake Lively (ph) recently, right, a few weeks ago?
HAMMER: Right.
COLLINS: Yes. And she denied it was her. But it looked like her.
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t really see a point in Scarlett hiding from it, I guess. It`s a personal choice. Again, I wouldn`t tell her what to do. But I mean, she`s spectacularly gorgeous and I think she should be proud.
COLLINS: Exactly. I think it`ll be good for her career.
HAMMER: Well, Jackie, congratulations on your new book.
COLLINS: Thank you.
HAMMER: And thank you. It`s always terrific having you here. Please come back soon.
COLLINS: Always great to be here, A.J. Thank you.
HAMMER: All right.
Tonight, the "SHOWBIZ Fashion Frenzy." Now, all this week, we are covering the biggest fashion news coming out of New York`s spring fashion week, which is going on right now. And I know people love to buzz about Europe`s designers, but tonight we are going all American. You know, brands like J. Crew are seriously hot right now. Here`s CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May I have your attention, please?
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Meet America`s merchant prince.
MICKEY DREXLER, CEO, J. CREW: If anyone can just bring in best- sellers...
CHO: He`s Mickey Drexler, CEO of J. Crew. When he speaks ...
DREXLER: Things that are new. Any trend.
CHO: ... the racks come rolling in.
DREXLER: Show me. Bring them in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The green is doing half of the sales of the (INAUDIBLE). This is the number one style.
CHO: Why the intercom?
DREXLER: Why the intercom? This is why you don`t see any walls here because I think most organizations are fortress-oriented.
CHO: Not at J. Crew, where Drexler`s mantra is, No profit, no fun. Once a catalog company for college kids a decade ago, J. Crew was in a slump. That`s until Drexler came aboard nine years ago, picked up after being abruptly fired from The Gap.
(on camera): Who was your biggest competitor?
DREXLER: You know, I could say anyone with a sewing machine.
CHO (voice-over): He`s been credited with inventing casual Fridays by changing the way Americans dress, elevating J. Crew to affordable luxury.
(on camera): I mean, they really are the iconic American brand, aren`t they?
CINDI LEIVE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "GLAMOUR": J. Crew has made itself into something magical. I mean, I know women who could afford anything in the world, and they will literally go through the J. Crew catalog and just order those outfits right off the page.
JENNA LYONS, PRESIDENT, J. CREW: He wanted to talk about Italian cashmere. He wanted to talk about our Italian shoes. He wanted to talk about quality. We hadn`t been having those conversations.
CHO (voice-over): It worked. Under Drexler, J. Crew`s sales have tripled to $1.8 billion, with the first family`s seal of approval
JAY LENO, HOST, "TONIGHT": I want to ask you about your wardrobe. I`m guessing about 60 grand?
(LAUGHTER)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: Actually, this is a J. Crew ensemble.
LENO: Really? Wow!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
CHO (on camera): You call her an act of God.
DREXLER: Yes. You know, look, you can`t argue with that kind of publicity.
CHO (voice-over): The secret, a big splash of color, J. Crew`s signature.
DREXLER: When you buy something like this, you`re competing with 50 other retailers, and half of them have it on sale.
CHO (on camera): So that`s why you`ve got this?
DREXLER: We`ve got this. Look, color is a competitive advantage for us.
CHO (voice-over): He created Crew Cuts for kids, bridal, jewelry. And everywhere, there`s sparkle, 233 stores nationwide. They`re in Canada and have their sights set on China, too. This season, for the first time, J. Crew presented its latest collection under the fashion tents. Six-foot- tall Jenna Lyons is the resident cool girl, J. Crew`s president.
LYONS: I sort of joke that I`m like the road signs. I`m, like, Don`t do that. Let`s do more of that. Stay over here. No, stop. And you know, it`s maybe just a little bit of that that sort of keeps everything coming out the tunnel at the other end.
CHO: Kooky color combos, a touch of the unexpected.
LYONS: I wore these. I loved them. And here they are, back again. But, like, then you have to wear this with a sequined skirt. You know, it`s not about this with, like, you know, a kilt.
CHO: Drexler`s philosophy is quite simple and all-American, just like J. Crew.
DREXLER: Do it, do it right, pay close attention to the product, and over time, you will win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Oh, I do have to admit, I vaguely remember the day of that J. Crew catalog, but I swear, I never bought a barn jacket. Never had one. You have got to watch Alina Cho`s spectacular, not to be missed special, "Fashion Backstage Pass." It`s this Saturday, 2:30 Eastern on CNN.
Well, coming up next, it`s a SHOWBIZ first look you`ve got to see, the dramatic next to last chapter in the "Twilight" series, "Breaking Dawn Part 1."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fetus isn`t compatible with your body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) growing. It`s crushing you from the inside out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is amazing.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views. Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I saw her not too long ago, and she`s, like, so over people telling her she`s too skinny. She`s out there living it to the best of her abilities. And you know, guess what? There`s no such thing as perfect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: All right, now, you have got to see, a SHOWBIZ first look at the epic next chapter in the blockbuster "Twilight" saga, "Breaking Dawn." Now, this is the first installment of the two-part saga finale. I got to tell you, from the looks of this, Twi-hards will not be disappointed. Here`s your SHOWBIZ first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) take you...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For better or for worse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To love.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To Cherish. As long as we both shall live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how I`ll remember you (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Last night was the best night of my existence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s impossible. No!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fetus isn`t compatible with your body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s strong and fast-growing. It`s crushing you from the inside out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your heart will give out before you can deliver.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You did this!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t see Bella`s (ph) future anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t know what they`ve bred. We have to protect the tribe before it`s too late.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re the enemy now. Sam (ph) won`t hesitate. You will be slaughtered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m the one who will lose you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to accept what it is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve given me no choice!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get ready. They`re coming for Bella.
HAMMER: Cool. "Breaking Dawn Part 1" opens November 18th.
All right, could it be? Is Charlie Sheen taking on his father`s iconic role in "Apocalypse Now"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I was going to the worst place in the world, cable, channel 745. I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, sort of. This is being called Sheenpocalypse Now." You have got to watch this. It`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? "Apocalypse Now" Charlie Sheen style. Now, this is all part of Charlie`s big Comedy Central roast that`s airing next week. I think this is actually pretty brilliant. You`ve got to see Charlie spoofing his own dad, Martin Sheen, and the role that made "Apocalypse Now" a classic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SHEEN: I was going to the worst place in the world, cable, channel 745. I think. I don`t even really know what Comedy Central is, with HD and everything. They were going to give me a roast for this, and I`ve never even watched their (EXPLETIVE DELETED) channel.
MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR: Charlie, get inside and wash your face! It`s past your bedtime.
CHARLIE SHEEN: Dad!
MARTIN SHEEN: Now!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Perfect! Nice going, Charlie. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively Monday to Friday at 11:00 Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
And stay right here for "Dr. Drew" coming up next. Tonight, the mother of triplets found dead. Did her husband kill her? That starts right now on HLN.
END
