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Showbiz Tonight
"The View" Co-Host Has Stalker Scare; Child Welfare Investigates Britney Spears; Gossip Column Scandal Sparks Tabloid War; Author Shares Tips on Having it All
Aired April 12, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: The story behind Britney`s baby accident. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And why a former federal prosecutor is patrolling the Internet for sex fiends. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s only hour-long entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, target: Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Is someone after her baby? A stalker scare for the co-host of "The View," and Barbara Walters gets involved.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": You have our admiration, our affection and our total support.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Thank you.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the inside story on the calls, the threats and the danger.
And imagine, a John Lennon seance, trying to collect with the late Beatle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As I`m here now, I`ve got the sense of John.
HAMMER: From the Dakota to Strawberry Fields, to India, no scripts and no gimmick. Connecting with Lennon in the afterlife on surreality TV. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, should they "Let it Be"?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And A.J., what a frightening story. Here we go again talking about celebrities being stalked. And of all people, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, one of the hosts of "The View."
HAMMER: And the really, really nice one, too. This really is scary. Somebody is making chilling phone calls talking about her baby, her husband and so much more. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been working every angle of this story today. Let`s get right to it.
Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is in Hollywood with the very latest -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A.J., it`s enough to make any parent sick. Someone, and right now no one seems to know who, is waging a telephone smear campaign against Elisabeth and Tim Hasselbeck regarding their baby daughter.
We don`t know how long this has been going on, but today on "The View," Elisabeth confronted the mystery troublemaker head on with a little help from her friends.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALTERS: Because you viewers are, in a sense, part of our family, we want to share something with you.
VARGAS (voice-over): What Barbara Walters shared with the people watching "The View" was nothing short of shocking.
WALTERS: In recent weeks, Elisabeth and her husband Tim have been stalked and harassed by an individual or individuals who seem to want to do them harm.
VARGAS: A private horror made public. "View" co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck and her husband, Tim, a backup quarterback for the New York Giants, are the targets of a sick telephone smear campaign about them and their 1-year-old daughter, Grace Elisabeth.
"New York Daily News" columnist Lloyd Grove broke the story. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Hasselbeck`s harasser phoned Lloyd`s offices at the "Daily News" on Monday and talked to one of Lloyd`s colleagues.
LLOYD GROVE, COLUMNIST, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": She talked to a woman who refused to identify herself, who spoke with what sounded like a southern twang, who claimed to be a friend of the family, and who made some rather vile and false allegations concerning the Hasselbecks.
VARGAS: Get this: not only is the caller making wild charges about the Hasselbecks to the media, Hasselbeck`s harasser has also been placing calls to New York City`s Administration for Children`s Services.
Lloyd Grove says after the caller phoned him, he contacted ABC, which syndicates "The View." He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he got an immediate response.
GROVE: I got a call shortly thereafter from Barbara Walters, sort of walking me through what has been going on, which is that for the past of couple weeks, somewhere anonymous person or persons has been tormenting the Hasselbecks, Elisabeth and her husband, New York Giants quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, and making allegations to child protective services, saying they`re abusing in some way their child.
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT doing some digging on this story. We contacted New York City`s Administration for Children`s Services. An official told us the ACS never comments on individual cases, but added that two thirds of the reports they get on their state hotline are completely unfounded and made up.
That`s exactly how the Hasselbecks are describing their stalker`s wild claims. In a tough-talking statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, they say, quote, "This is a malicious attempt to harass our family. These allegations have been fully reviewed by child protective authorities and medical professionals and found to be absolutely false. This matter has been turned over to the district attorney`s office for prosecution of the individuals responsible for the false accusations."
HASSELBECK: These false allegations and accusations have been -- have been disturbing, but we are more happy now that this situation is on its way to being completely resolved. So we`re thankful for that.
VARGAS: One question is far from resolved. Just who would make these sick claims against Hasselbeck? "Daily News" columnist Lloyd Grove tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Barbara Walters has some theories.
GROVE: Barbara, in my column this morning, speculated that maybe it`s someone who doesn`t agree with Elisabeth`s Hasselbeck`s conservative politics, because she is the designated conservative on "The View" panel. Or maybe it`s someone who is crazy, or maybe it`s someone who wants the baby. Those are three possibilities, or maybe there are many other possibilities. We just don`t know.
VARGAS: But one thing Barbara is making clear, by making her own calls to the media and expressing her support for Elisabeth on air, Walters is embracing her "View" co-host with an almost a motherly compassion.
WALTERS: And for all of us here, Elisabeth, I think you know that you have or love, and our respect. We couldn`t care about you or Tim more than we do. You have our admiration, our affection, and our total support.
HASSELBECK: Thank you. That means a lot.
GROVE: I think Barbara feels very protective about Elisabeth. She`s kind of like "The View`s" mother superior, and she`s been trying to be very emotionally supportive and let Elisabeth know that they stand behind her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: As we just said, another unknown is whether the calls are being made by one or more people, although the call received at "The New York Daily News" was apparently from a woman. And the investigation into this case continues.
Brooke, it`s really hard to believe that there could be someone out there that is so evil.
ANDERSON: That`s right, and just how frightening this is for Elisabeth and her family, I can`t imagine. We can only hope it`s resolved very soon. Sibila Vargas, thanks very much.
HAMMER: So what`s going on with Britney Spears` baby, Sean Preston? Well, first we heard that the 6-month-old had bruised his head after falling from a high chair earlier this month. Six days later, Britney and Kevin, her husband, brought him to the hospital so doctors could have a closer look at his head.
Well, after the visit, child welfare officials showed up at Brit`s house, and joining me now in Miami, Judge Alex Ferrer. You know him from his courtroom TV show, "Judge Alex."
Your Honor, it`s nice to see you.
JUDGE ALEX FERRER, HOST, "JUDGE ALEX": Thanks for the invite. It`s nice to see you, too.
HAMMER: So they take the kid to the hospital six days after he apparently had bruised his head after this fall, and then the cops and child services show up at the house. How normal is this?
FERRER: I don`t think it`s unusual at all. You know, departments of children and families and HRS (ph) throughout the country have been taking a lot of heat over recent years for not stepping in to protect children quick enough, so there are a lot of mandatory reporting statutes out there, and California has one.
So if they receive a complaint from a reporting agency, like a hospital or an individual doctor, they have to go out and investigate it. And apparently, it appears that what triggered it was their visit to the hospital, triggered a report to the DCF.
HAMMER: So it`s almost like an automatic trigger after the hospital visit and a child showing up with a bruise. And I`m guessing when the child welfare services showed up with the cops, it came as somewhat of a surprise to Kevin and Britney, probably not expecting them to come by?
FERRER: I would suspect that anybody would be surprised to look outside and see a police officers and the Department of Children and Family official at their home, but that is also routine. They generally go with a police officer to make sure there`s no problem.
Now, the law requires a doctor or nurse to mandatory report if they have a reasonable suspicion of child abuse, but there`s no real explanation for why they -- they did report it. They could have just decided, you know, what, they didn`t come to the hospital for six days, and they have thought that was neglect and reported it. But I understand they did call the doctor right away and had the baby checked out right when it happened.
HAMMER: So from what you`re saying, Judge, it does all sound like all of this you was pretty routine. She was actually cleared in the end. The baby, Sean Preston, is fine, and it doesn`t seem -- and correct me if I`m wrong, but it doesn`t seem like she`s getting any special treatment here because she`s a huge star.
FERRER: No, in fact the information that I read is that they weren`t even home. It was a nanny who was taking the child out of a high chair, and supposedly there was a defect in the high chair, and the child fell down and hit her (sic) head, and they had a doctor check him out.
So even if there was some kind of neglect, if the facts are as stated, they weren`t even the ones who were neglectful or abusive.
HAMMER: Now, it`s not the first time that Britney and Kevin are seeing these authorities showing up at their house. We all remember back in February, she was caught; she was photographed, driving with Sean Preston in her lap, no baby seat, in between her and the steering wheel.
FERRER: That`s right.
HAMMER: Do you think -- do you think that the fact that this was already on record with child services out in California is perhaps why they showed up again? She kind of has a record with them?
FERRER: It could very well be. There`s nothing in the statute that says they have to do a home visit. They could call by telephone. They could do their investigation any way they want once they receive a complaint.
They might have been moved to come by the house because of the preexisting incident. That could be true.
HAMMER: As we said, most importantly, Sean Preston is doing fine, and Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, completely clear. Everything`s cool with them. Judge Alex Ferrer, thanks for joining us from Miami tonight.
FERRER: Thanks again.
ANDERSON: Britney`s every move, what`s up with Tom and Katie? The gossip mags and their readers eat it up. But why? Up next, someone we guarantee who can answer the question, because she controls what you read.
And we`ll also have this for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, COMEDIAN: The ability to parent has nothing to do with your sexual orientation, at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rosie O`Donnell unplugged. The former talk show host opens up to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about life as a gay parent, why it`s difficult and why it`s her greatest joy.
ANDERSON: And imagine a John Lennon seance. Psychics across the globe trying to contact the late Beatle and get this: they want people to pay to watch. We`re not kidding. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, should they just "Let it Be"?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. Gossip wars coming up soon on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Preset seven and dissolve go.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you`re watching TV`s only hour-long entertainment news show.
Well, there are fashion emergencies, medical emergencies. And then there are some emergencies that you just got to handle yourself. In fact, A.J., this one made SHOWBIZ TONIGHT say, "That`s ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Ridiculous indeed. Actual 911 calls that don`t exactly cry out for emergency attention. Jay Leno featured this call in a "Tonight Show" segment called "Dealing with the Public." Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nine-one-one, what`s your emergency?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to get to the airport, catch a plane, and they don`t have the cab coming. I called the cab at twenty minutes to eight, no cab, and I have to get there now. What do I do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am, why are you calling 911?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m -- it`s an emergency.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am, this is for police department and fire department emergencies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, call the police and tell them I need a ride to the airport.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am, you`re tying up an emergency service line.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, you know, there are different definitions of the word "emergency." They clarified, of course, police and fire emergency.
ANDERSON: It`s not a cab emergency. And I`ve been stood up by a cab before, A.J. Have you? You just have to figure it out. Call another cab, get a ride with the friend, hop on the train.
HAMMER: There are other ways of getting to the airport. That poor, poor woman. And I can`t believe you`ve ever been stood up for anything, Brooke.
All right. Well, let`s move on.
The "Page Six" gossip column scandal has other newspapers checking things twice and making some major changes.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that "The New York Times" is axing its "Boldface Names". That`s a daily gossip section in the "Times" metro section. It`s a less dicey offering than the tabloid dish of "The Post" and "The Daily News." "The Times" is also moving columnist Campbell Robertson to its theater desk.
ANDERSON: And the "Page Six" scandal has sparked gossip wars, A.J. "The Post`s" rival, "The Daily News," is seizing the opportunity here, recognizing its enemy`s weak spot and pouncing. "Page Six" of the "Post" is page one for "The Daily News."
Here`s CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For one New York tabloid, the celebrity gossip scandal surrounding the "New York Post," is like a dream come true. The papers are archenemies.
WILLIAM SHERMAN, REPORTER, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": There certainly is a rivalry. I mean, I`m not denying it.
CHO: "New York Daily News" reporter William Sherman broke the "Page Six" scandal in the paper Friday. It has been on page one ever since. The "New York Post" has virtually ignored it: only one mention on Friday. The editor of the "Post" says "The Daily News`" shrinking circulation is driving its coverage, an assertion the "News" doesn`t buy.
SHERMAN: Really, I`m not surprised that the "Post" is not extensively covering it. I mean, it`s their paper.
CHO: And their reporter. Jared Paul Stern, who freelanced for the legendary column, is accused of demanding more than $220,000 from billionaire Ron Burkle in exchange for keeping less than flattering things about him from appearing in "Page Six."
Stern called it a setup. The FBI recorded meetings between Stern and Burkle, and excerpts have appeared in papers, including "The Daily News".
GROVE: What about Antonio Banderas?
CHO: "Daily News" gossip columnist Lloyd Grove says there is a line between news and gossip, and this story is definitely news.
GROVE: You`re not going anywhere else with this, are you?
CHO: Grove`s column, called "Lowdown", is in direct competition with "Page Six."
(on camera) You want to get it before the post, but how badly? I mean, you know...
GROVE: Very badly. It`s a competitive business we`re in.
CHO (voice-over): Grove says the idea of accepting payments from sources is something new to him. He admits "Page Six" may be getting more ink these days.
(on camera) Don`t they say there`s no such thing as bad publicity as long as they spell your name right?
GROVE: That`s -- that`s what some people say. I think there probably is such a thing as bad publicity.
CHO (voice-over): Over on the "News" side, William Sherman says he`ll continue to work feverishly on what is, for now, his paper`s top story.
SHERMAN: I cover this like any other story. This is a news story. For me it has nothing to do with whether we`re the "New York Post" or any other company or any other individual. It`s a news story.
CHO: One that likely won`t be going away any time soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And that was CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, our next guest certainly knows more than a thing or two about gossip, because she`s in charge of running "Star" magazine. It`s one of the most popular celebrity magazines in the nation, and along with juggling deadlines, Bonnie Fuller is also juggling a big family and those big to-do lists that come with the territory of being a working mom.
But instead of stressing out about that to-do list, Fuller has embraced it. She`s even written a book on the subject, called "The Joys of Much Too Much."
Bonnie Fuller joining us here in New York City. It`s nice to see you.
BONNIE FULLER, AUTHOR, "THE JOYS OF MUCH TOO MUCH": It`s great to see you.
HAMMER: You look very festive. We`re just talking about the big scandal with the "New York Post" and all that is going on there. This has been a part of your world for a long time. So I`m curious, your perspective on why we are just so obsessed, why we as a society have an insatiable appetite for gossip.
FULLER: We can`t help it. Our societies have been fascinated since the dawn of time, since the time of the pharaohs. People were wondering what the pharaoh`s wife was wearing and what was going on between the two of them.
HAMMER: Well, did they have gossip tablets back then, I guess?
FULLER: They probably did. And we don`t have royalty here. Hollywood is our royalty. And how can you not be fascinated by the people who are so beautiful, so famous, who are having affairs with other beautiful, famous and very rich people?
HAMMER: And we`re not just interested in those famous Hollywood people, but what seems more and more a part of the obsession with gossip is about celebrities` kids. We`re waiting on Tom and Katie to have a baby. Brad and Angelina Jolie. I`m sure "Star" magazine wants to get the very first pictures of all of that.
Has this obsession with celebrities` kids been around for such a long time, as well, or is it really much more heightened now for some reason?
FULLER: Definitely. There`s always been an obsession with celebrities` kids. And again going back to royalty. I mean, remember when Princess Diana was awaiting the birth of Prince William? That was the most anticipated baby of that century. Now we`re in a new century. And I`d say the Brangelina and Tomkat babies are the babies of the century.
HAMMER: It does seem to me like it`s so much more. It seems like it`s much, much more. And speaking of which, you are covering Hollywood working moms as a working mom yourself. As I mentioned, you have four kids, and you`ve written this book called "The Joys of Much Too Much".
Now, it`s all about people, you know, telling people they can take on as much as they want, and that`s OK. But for a lot of people when they hear "much too much," the word "joy" is not up there with it. It doesn`t seem like something that`s enjoyable.
FULLER: That`s why I want women to change their perspective on their lives. They have wonderful lives. The fact that we have an opportunity to have a career, to have love in our lives, to have kids, to make that choice. Women have -- I mean, we`re one of the few generations of women that`s been able to have all these things.
And so I say to women, look at the positives of that, feel entitled to make your dreams happen, all your dreams.
HAMMER: But when you`re talking about taking on much too much, sometimes for some women or some men, whoever it may be, it means taking on many jobs because they have to. So what about the people who, by necessity, have to take everything on? It doesn`t seem to me like it would be a joyful experience.
FULLER: You know, no matter what people are earning, they often -- they very much, most of them enjoy what they do. And, you know, most -- most Americans do have to work. Most women have to work. We need two incomes to support our families.
And so in my book, I give you lots of shortcuts, I tell you how to focus on what`s really important to you, so that you`re not wasting time and stressing and feeling guilty over the things you can`t do.
HAMMER: It does seem like it would come down quite a bit to priorities and the choices that you make. And even though you say we should take it all on, you do talk about in your book the sacrifices that you have to make. So give me an example of some of the things you`ve had to give up that you`re going to get to later in life so you can take on everything else right now.
FULLER: Well, I`ve definitely given up, hey manicures every week, gardening which I love, chatting with my girl friends. But you know what? There`s unconventional ways that you can fit things in. For instance, I mean, I`ve been seen carrying groceries into the finest restaurants in New York, because that`s the only time I had to shop.
HAMMER: You`re economizing your time. I don`t believe it for a minute, but OK.
FULLER: No, it`s true.
HAMMER: I`ll accept it. Well, thank you very much for joining us, Bonnie Fuller.
The book is "The Joys of Much Too Much". And you can pick up your copy of the book in stores now.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Family and career: can women have it all? Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, send us an e-mail: ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, teen queen Lindsay Lohan in wax. Now, I don`t think it looks at all like her. We`re going to let you judge for yourself in a bit.
ANDERSON: And crossing over to contact John Lennon. The mad seance from L.A. to Liverpool. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sits down with the man who says he`s already made contact with Lennon and he`ll do it again, for a price, of course.
HAMMER: Plus Rosie O`Donnell on life as a gay parent. The former talk show host tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what finally made her go public with her sexuality. And one of her biggest obstacles was closest to home. That`s coming up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not going to believe who has a new wax figure in Madame Tussaud`s. We`ll tell you after the break. Roll the break, take one.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, if you`re like many people out there, you just hate buying a car, the haggling, the shady salesman. Well, there`s a car dealer in Vegas who says buying a car from him is actually fun. Meet Chop and his wacky cast of characters. That will be tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: What`s it going to take for me to put you in this car today?
OK. So just a short time ago we spotted Lindsay Lohan right here in New York City, hanging out in Times Square.
ANDERSON: Did you talk to her? What was she doing?
HAMMER: It was not possible. Actually we did talk to her, but she just didn`t respond. Of course, the teen star, the big party girl image, in this case seemed a little stiff.
I want you to look at this video we have here of a wax Lindsay. This is a wax Lindsay. That`s right, not the real deal, it`s wax, her very own wax figure now on display at Madame Tussaud`s in New York City.
Now, if that`s not enough for you, if you go down to check out this little carbon copy of Lindsay, you`re going to be able to take your picture with her and have it sent to your cell phone.
I mentioned this before. I don`t think it really looks like her.
ANDERSON: Well, you know some of the wax figures don`t look that much like them, but they do have them there. And it`s interesting that it`s an interactive display, because they have a number of those there now, with Teri Hatcher, the "American Idol" judges. You can make J. Lo`s wax figure blush. You can ride alongside Lance Armstrong. Madame Tussaud`s has a lot to offer these days right?
HAMMER: Right. Maybe you can go out and party with the Lindsay figure.
Well, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, reaching beyond to summon John Lennon, the psychic connection to the late Beatle and how you can experience it.
Plus confronted by her own son.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: "Some people think it`s sad that there`s two mommies."
And I said, "I know."
And he said, "I think I`m one of those people."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell, the tough love of being a gay parent. She admits there may be something her kids don`t have, but she tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about what they do have.
HAMMER: And safety on the cyber-playground, how one site brought in the feds to kick out the fiends. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the crackdown on computer criminals. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts with your "Headline Prime" newsbreak.
For the first time we`re hearing what exactly happened inside one of the planes that was hijacked on 9/11. Prosecutors played the dramatic cockpit recordings from Flight 93 when they rested their case in the sentencing face of al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. Now jurors must decide whether Moussaoui should face the death penalty. An overcrowded courtroom listened to the chilling voices of the hijackers taking control of the plane.
Heavy rain is pounding the West Coast, causing several Northern California mudslides. Six inches of rainfall yesterday and there are flood watches in effect for certain parts of the San Francisco area.
Michael Brown may be returning to New Orleans. St. Bernard Parish is actually considering hiring the heavily criticized ex-FEMA director to help coordinate its reconstruction. Hurricane Katrina killed 129 people and destroyed some 26,000 homes in the parish.
One of the Pointer Sisters has died. The family says June Pointer, the youngest member of the popular `70s and `80s group died after suffering from cancer. That is the news for now. I`m Thomas Roberts.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You`re watching TV`s only hour-long entertainment news show.
A.J., Rosie O`Donnell is known for speaking her mind, she has got a popular blog, an advocate for gay couples` rights, coming up, Rosie opens up to us about being a gay parents, how it`s challenging and why it`s so, so rewarding.
HAMMER: A lot more to that story than people realize. A really interesting interview with her on the way.
Also the popular social networking Web site MySpace.com has been in the news an awful lot lately, because it`s a popular site for visits from child predators who are there stalking their prey. Finally MySpace doing something about it. We`ll fill you in on what coming up in just a few minutes.
But first tonight, this may be kind of hard to believe, but there is actually a pay-per-view television show putting together a worldwide mass seance looking to contact the legendary John Lennon. Now these are the same guys who a few years ago tried to contact Princess Diana.
This one`s called "The Spirit Of John Lennon." I sat down with executive producer Paul Sharratt and psychic medium Joe Power, who says he`s been contacted by Lennon before and he`s hoping he`ll come through again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So when you say he comes through, you said he spoke to you. Is he going to sing a song for you? What happens?
JOE POWER, PSYCHIC: Sean`s an entertainment guy, so maybe he sings a song, yeah. (inaudible) He gives me impressions, he`ll give me information about him, information that`s not known to the public, because I mean, you know, that`s the type of thing that John will pass over to me.
HAMMER: Now, I think it`s interesting, Paul, you`re the producer of this whole thing, but you`re a skeptic, you don`t necessarily believe that this stuff really goes on.
PAUL SHARRATT, "THE SPIRIT OF JOHN LENNON": Yeah this is my second venture. "The Spirit of Diana" was our first show. I went into that sort of a complete skeptic, I came out with some doubt in my mind, because there were things that happened during "The Spirit of Diana," and I must say the same thing is happening in this case, and Joe knows I`m a skeptic and he appreciates the fact that people are entitled to believe or not believe, but things already that Joe has whilst in Liverpool have given me thought. So maybe we don`t know what the future will hold.
HAMMER: Well, you know, it`s no shock to you guys that there are a lot of people not real happy about the fact you`re doing this. John and Yoko were into seances themselves, they had them here in New York City, at the Dakota but they`re saying now, or at least Yoko`s spokesperson is saying that this is tacky and exploitive.
And I want to read to you something that he said. This is Yoko Ono`s spokesman, he calls this, quote, "another example of the misuse of John`s affirmation of life as opposed to the preoccupation of his death. He still speaks to those who choose to listen to his recordings. That was the medium he chose to speak with up. A pay-per-view seance was never his style."
What do you say to that?
POWER: I have nothing to say over the pay-per-view. I`m just the medium that`s involved with picking up John Lennon. As far as I`m concerned, John Lennon was a very spiritual person, very respected person in my hometown, in Liverpool, there was a lot of respect for John Lennon right the way through the whales (ph). Now, if John wishes to come through and speak to me, John Lennon was brutally murdered, never got a chance to say good-bye to people right away across the world. If John wants to come through with his own free will, why can he not speak to the world?
HAMMER: Now, if John comes through and says I don`t like this whole thing you have got to shut it down, what do you do, Paul?
SHARRATT: I`d say we shut it down. I really do. We just feel both Diana and John Lennon were both spiritual people. We know they were spiritual. They believed, they were believers. So if they believed, maybe they very much want to come through and say something.
HAMMER: When you hear Yoko saying through her spokesperson that she doesn`t like this is happening, did you ever consider maybe not doing it because of that?
SHARRATT: In a word -- no.
HAMMER: OK. Got to ask.
SHARRATT: Have to be honest. The secret of this, with this and with Diana, that it is genuine. This is 100 percent genuine product. The public will see what happens.
HAMMER: And as you said, he may show up and maybe nothing is going to happen.
POWER: I`m confident John will not only come through, I`m hoping that we catch him on film.
HAMMER: Now, wait a second. First of all, why are you confident that he`s going to come through? What leads you to believe that this will happen?
POWER: Because I just .
HAMMER: It`s like saying, well, he happens to be waiting by the phone when you happen to call?
POWER: I`m just quite confident that John will show up. He wants to come through. Before I do any reading for anyone, I always ask permission of the person to make sure that they want to come through. If they do not wish to come through, I will not go ahead with it.
HAMMER: And you said you want to catch him on film? What are you going to see on film?
POWER: This might be the big night. We may see his spirit or we could actually catch him close as an entity.
HAMMER: Something no doubt you have faced as a psychic. There are a lot of people who say the whole idea of psychics, a bunch of nonsense, what do you say to those people?
POWER: Well, everyone has their own opinion. If they have no knowledge of an afterlife or the experience, that is just one person`s experience, they have no knowledge of it. That`s just an opinion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I don`t know. Paul admitted that this is entertainment, and that he sees the show as a tribute to Lennon. "The Spirit Of Lennon" will air pay-per-view on April 24th. Judge for yourself.
ANDERSON: I`m kind of skeptical, but that`s just me.
OK. Time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines." For that we go to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas. She is joining us here in Hollywood. Hey, Sibila.
VARGAS: Hey, Brooke. Prince Harry is now officially a member of the British army. Harry graduated from Britain`s elite military academy today, as his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II looked on. The 21-year-old son of Prince Charles is now eligible to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, and he says he`s determined to take a place on the frontline if he`s called.
Well, Jessica Simpson is being sued over $100 million over what she has been wearing and what she hasn`t. The Tag Clothing Company in California is suing her for breach of contract saying she didn`t promote a clothing line she developed with them by not wearing or being photographed in the clothing and even naming another brand of jeans as her favorite. Simpson`s lawyers say she denies that and will fight the lawsuit.
Muhammad Ali has sold off most of the rights to his name and image. An entertainment and licensing firmed called CKX is paying $50 million for an 80 percent interest of his name and likeness. Now, CKX, also owns the rights to Elvis Presley`s name and image. And those are tonight`s hot headlines and it gives a new meaning to the whole question, what`s in a name Brooke?
ANDERSON: Fifty million dollars apparently. Not too shabby, Sibila Vargas.
VARGAS: Not too shabby.
HAMMER: Well, if you don`t have a profile on MySpace yet, chances are someone you know does, and the site is now taking a pretty tough stance to make its cyber playground a safe one. CNN`s Boston bureau chief Dan Lothian is joining us from Boston with more. Dan, it sounds like MySpace is stepping up?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They really are, and the reason is there`s so much concern out there, in particular, parents, they`re concerned because they really want to protect their kids from predators in cyberspace.
Now, as you mentioned, MySpace.com, which has nearly 70 million members, is trying to keep its cyber playground safe.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (voice-over): Fourteen year old Stacy Yanofsky mother pulled the plug on the popular social networking site, MySpace.com. Even though nothing bad had happened to her.
STACY YANOFSKY, FORMER MYSPACE MEMBER: I really didn`t think about the dangers of posting something on-line.
CINDY YANOFSKY, PARENT: That`s the fear of every parent, they`ll get in trouble because they`re so innocent.
LOTHIAN: Photos, sometime provocative, and personal details are often shared on the site and others like it. Now in the wake of assault and rape allegations across the country stemming from meetings in MySpace, and amid growing concerns that some teen sites are becoming a playground for predators, MySpace has hired a former federal prosecutor turned Internet safety expert to keep a tight grip on security. It has also posted this public service announcement banner on its site.
It warns - "One in five kids online is sexually solicited. Online predators know what they`re doing. Do you? Don`t believe the type."
That is part of a campaign created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Ad Council.
ERNIE ALLEN, NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: What we were seeking to do was, one to inform parents and urge them, challenge them to get more involved in their kids` lives. And secondly to say to kids, when you`re on-line, you`re in public, you need to be careful.
LOTHIAN: To help crack down on criminal activity MySpace says it has also created a team assigned to work with law enforcement. There`s an 800 hotline for investigators and a handbook to help guide police through the network, but still parents and educators who blocked access to the site on school computers worried criminals are slipping through and preying on minors. Child safety advocates say a lot more can be done.
ALLEN: We think these providers, MySpace and the other social networking companies, need to do more to ensure that young kids are kept off of the sites and that those people who are misusing their service for unlawful purposes are identified the and prosecuted.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LOTHIAN (on camera): Now everyone agrees that there is no way to make these sites 100 percent safe but MySpace says education is key, that parents should treat the cyberworld much like they treat the real world, teaching their kids not to talk to strangers, not to reveal any private information. A.J.?
HAMMER: Yeah. The parents absolutely need to be involved. CNN`s Dan Lothian in Boston for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much.
ANDERSON: Still ahead, Rosie O`Donnell talks about coming out of the closet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, ENTERTAINER: I told my sister, when I was 18. I think I`m gay, she`s like, you sure? I`m like, yeah, she`s like, how do you know? I`m like, I have a crush on Kristin Lucci (ph) in college (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rosie`s riveting interview with Paul Zahn. She opens you about being gay in Hollywood and the challenges it presented both professionally and personally. Keep it here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only hour-long entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
OK. Over the years, we have come to know Rosie O`Donnell in many roles. She has been called the "Queen of Nice," but lately, it`s more like she`s the "Queen of Opinions." with a very active blog and as an advocate for gay couples` rights, Rosie isn`t shy about speaking her mind, as you`ll see in this special sit down interview with CNN`s Paula Zahn, for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA ZAHN, CNN HOST (voice-over): Rosie O`Donnell, talk show host --
TOM HANKS, ACTOR: There`s no crying in baseball.
O`DONNELL: Why don`t you leave her alone, Jimmy?
ZAHN: Actress.
O`DONNELL: Size 11, 12. I stretched them into a 15/16.
ZAHN: Comedienne.
O`DONNELL: But the tag says 11/12 and that`s what`s important, damn it.
ZAHN: For years she was the "Queen of Nice," a nickname she says never quite fit. But the last few years have brought many changes for Rosie, a woman who came into our living rooms every morning like a friend has become a stay-at-home mom. I had a rare opportunity to catch up with Rosie. We talked about her family, her childhood, and the moment she realized she was gay.
O`DONNELL: I didn`t have a family to come out to. My mother died when I was 10, my father was not really present we raised ourselves essential. You know, I told my sister when I was 18. I said, I think I`m gay. She said, really? I`m like, yeah. She`s like, how do you know? I`m like, I have a crush on Christinluchiincollege (ph). She`s like, I guess that means you are, I`m like, yeah. Let`s go to Friendly`s.
ZAHN: While Rosie says her sexuality wasn`t that big of a deal, in the early `90s it was a very big deal to be out in Hollywood.
O`DONNELL: This was before Ellen, you have to remember there, this was even before Melissa was out. K.D. was sort of the first one of our friends. Because we were all friends. We were all little young lesbians together in Hollywood. We used to have parties and we all knew each other and it was fun to remember. I remember K.D. came out, it was the big thing and everybody was like, what`s going to happen, and we`d call each other and then Melissa came out.
Ellen and I, I remember talking with, well, they`re rock stars, it`s different. I wasn`t really willing to come out and say I was gay until I was with the person I knew I was going to be with forever.
ZAHN: And Rosie finally met that person in Kelly Carpenter. But while Rosie`s siblings were accepting of them, Rosie`s biggest challenge was winning over Kelly`s conservative family. Kelly`s mother was particularly tough.
O`DONNELL: When I met Kelly`s parents they were very anti-gay, very born-again Christian southerners. And she told me there was no way they would ever come to our house if they knew that we were a couple.
ZAHN: Never accept you.
O`DONNELL: Never is what she said to me. But I have to say, when you think of where they started to where they are, it gives me hope for anyone. It`s totally changed and altered their worldview and opened them up in a way they never expected.
ZAHN: Rosie still wasn`t publicly out. She and Kelly, though, were in a committed relationship and living as a family. Rosie had already adopted a son, Parker, before meeting Kelly. And then the couple adopted two more children, Chelsea and Blake, and were also foster-parenting a five-year-old girl in Florida where they were living. Rosie finally came out as a gay parent in March of 2002.
O`DONNELL: As you know, I`m a foster parent here in the State of Florida.
ZAHN: She was motivated when the ACLU brought suit against the State of Florida for preventing homosexuals from adopting foster children. She was now an advocate, and also a target, accused of having concealed her sexuality.
O`DONNELL: I felt sort of out, believe it or not, I thought everyone knew, too. When I would say I was in love with Tom Cruise, people would say that was all an act. That wasn`t an act. I never said I wanted to have sex with him. I said I wanted him to come over and mow my lawn in a t-shirt and jeans and bring me lemonade.
ZAHN (on camera): But you also didn`t say you had the hots for Angelina Jolie.
O`DONNELL: No. But I think if you watched the show, you could tell. You`re right and I think that`s a fair argument. When people would say that to me I always would say, the Tom Cruise was not a lie, but there was another part of the story that was left unsaid.
And I don`t really function in a level of sexuality of sex. In general, gay or straight, kind of on the surface, I think that it`s very internal for me. It`s something that, you know, I don`t -- I don`t see somebody and think, oh, look, it doesn`t go there for me.
ZAHN (voice-over): A very private matter that was now being played out in public.
O`DONNELL: I didn`t think at the time it was that huge. Since coming out, I think it was huger than I realized.
ZAHN (on camera): So you never made a calculation that if I come out, this is going to hurt my livelihood.
O`DONNELL: No, in fact when I took the job in 1995 with Warner Brothers for the talk show, I remember before I took it, I sat down with all the businessmen suits, asked for a meeting of everyone, and I said to their faces, everyone in this room, I want you to know that I`m gay, I am always going to be gay, it`s not going to change. I`m not going to become un-gay, I can`t imagine every saying it publicly, I don`t feel the need to, but if it were to come out, I need to know you would be all right with that and be supportive of me because I will never deny it. And they all said, no, that`s fine, and thank you for telling us.
If you want to find out how to adopt, tomorrow is the day to watch the show.
ZAHN: What is the worst form of discrimination you suffered from once you came out of the closet?
O`DONNELL: The worst was not being allowed to adopt the foster child that we raised in Florida. We were told by our lawyer that we would have to perjure ourselves, have to lie and sign a form in the State of Florida, a form that says you are not now and have never been a homosexual in order to adopt a child, even a foster child that you raised. We were told that we were not allowed to adopt this child without .
ZAHN: Lying about your identity.
O`DONNELL: . becoming a felon. Exactly.
ZAHN (voice-over): Realizing they couldn`t adopt that foster child the couple was devastated. They wanted more children, but this time they chose instead for Kelly to give birth, using donor sperm. Vivian was born late in 2002. Rosie was out, she was proud and she was a gay mother of four.
O`DONNELL: To say it comes without problems is a lie, but to say parenting for heterosexual families comes without problems is an illusion, too.
ZAHN (on camera): But you have to acknowledge, Rosie, that there are people who are fearful that gay parents are imposing their sexuality on their children?
O`DONNELL: Yes, and if you look at studies, every study that`s ever been done shows there`s no greater percentage of gay children that come out of gay families. So although I know it`s frightening for some people, the ability to parent has nothing to do with your sexual orientation at all. And any way, your sex life with your husband has nothing with your ability to parent your children, and I will say that it brings different challenges to the lives of children who are raised by gay parents, but it also brings tremendous opportunity to learn about acceptance and tolerance and bigotry.
ZAHN (voice-over): Even so, everyday life brings with is it some very tough questions from her kids, this one from eldest son Parker.
O`DONNELL: He came over and said, you know, mom, some people think it`s bad there`s two mommies.
I said, I know. He said, I think I`m one of those people. He was five years old.
ZAHN (on camera): And you said.
O`DONNELL: I said really? Why do you think that?
He goes, because I think it`s good to have a mom and a dad. I said it is good, a mom and dad is a great family, but in this family you have a mommy who wants another mommy, so in order for you to have a daddy, you would not to have me as a mommy. And he sat and he thought -- took about a minute, he looked up and said, well, I guess I`ll just keep you then. I said, all right.
There is that moment that you feel there is something that this child is not having because of me. My common theme with our kids is half empty/half full. You can for the rest of your life be missing what you think is in that glass, or for the rest of your life enjoy for the rest of your life what is in there. It`s your choice and so it works with our family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Paula Zahn for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And tomorrow night, we`ll have part two of Paula`s interview with Rosie O`Donnell. Among other things, O`Donnell will discuss her documentary "All Aboard! Rosie`s Family Cruise," airing this month on HBO.
HAMMER: Early in the show I spoke with Bonnie Fuller, who`s written a new book called "The Joys of Too Much" and it`s all about how women can have a great career, perfect guy and everything else they have ever wanted.
This leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT QUESTION OF THE DAY. We`ve been asking "Family and career, can women have it all?"
You can continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
You can also write to us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Let`s crank up the "Showbiz Marquee."
Coming up tomorrow, the shocking truth of what really goes on in high school. The secrets of a teenage diary -- the ups, the downs, smoking, drinking, sex. The special bonds between girls who started sharing their experiences -- the notebook girls, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, if you`re like many people out there, you just hate buying a car. The haggling, the shady salesmen. Well, there`s a car dealer in Vegas who says buying a car from him is actually fun! His name is just fun. It`s Chop. We`ve got him and his wacky cast of characters joining us tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night, everyone. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
ROBERTS: Hi, everybody. I`m Thomas Roberts. This is your "Headline Prime" newsbreak. The man suspected of shooting an African American activist outside Cincinnati city hall today has been arrested. Police believe the two men had an ongoing feud. The victim is listed in critical condition.
Virtually everyone living in Massachusetts now has guaranteed healthcare. Governor Mitt Romney signed the first of its kind bill into law today. Supporters say it should be a model for the rest of the country.
All right. So it turns out a Missouri couple that allegedly claimed to needed money for their newborn sextuplets doesn`t really even have kids. They admit they just needed money to pay off bills. Officials say they plan to press charges.
And if you thought fast-food chains were getting rid of those artery clogging trans fat, they are and other times they aren`t. Even though the chains have to label trans fat content on their Web sites, a new study shows individual restaurants use different amounts. The companies say it`s for local taste preference but critics say it`s about money, frying oil high in trans fats, costs less.
That is the news for now. Thanks for joining us. I`m Thomas Roberts.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
