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Showbiz Tonight
D.J. Fired for Threats to Rival`s Child; Many Seek Spiritual Guidance from Oprah; Victim of Internet Sex Predator Shares Tale
Aired May 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: Big new developments about the popular radio deejay who threatened to molest a rival`s 4-year-old. I`m A.J. Hammer New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a teenage girl who was the victim of an Internet sex predator. She`s here to tell her shocking story.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Divine Miss O. Tonight has Oprah Winfrey become a religious leader? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals how a startling number of people are now turning to the daytime diva for spiritual guidance.
TYRA BANKS, SUPERMODEL: She`s our Mother Teresa.
HAMMER: But should one person really have so much power? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the worshiping of Winfrey.
Plus, chasing Angelina. Come along for the wildest ride ever, as the paparazzi hunt down one of Hollywood`s hottest stars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 405 is right here, the 10 is going to be here. She`s right here on the 10.
HAMMER: But has this out of control, over the top pursuit of the perfect picture become too dangerous? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you along on the breathless Angelina Jolie star search.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi, there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City. There is a major new development tonight in a story that made us just sick to our stomachs when we first broke it last night here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
The story of a major New York deejay who went on the air day after day and threatened to commit disgusting sexual acts on a 4-year-old girl who happened to be the daughter of his on-air rival.
Listen to what he said. It is truly unbelievable.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
D.J. STAR, DEEJAY: Where does that kid go to school? I got 500 bucks for that information.
HAMMER: It gets worse, much worse. And most of what Star said we can`t even play for you. He continued to rant about his rival`s young child, or seed, as he kept referring to the little girl.
STAR: Yes, I disrespected your seed. If you didn`t hear me, I said I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed.
HAMMER: That`s a reference to R&B singer R. Kelly, who`s accused of urinating on an underage girl in a widely seen sex video.
Most shocking of all, Star seemed to delight in his sick and racist comments about his rival`s young daughter and his wife, who`s part Asian.
STAR: Yes, I`ll come for your kids. I will come for your kids. I finally got information on his slant-eyed whore wife.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: He crossed the line and just kept on going. Well, now the disk jockey who goes by D.J. Star -- his real name is Troi Torain -- is facing criminal charges for all the sick things that he said.
Today New York City officials charged him with harassment and endangering the welfare of a child. The police began a hate crime investigation right after his remarks were played at a news conference with the wife of his rival. And you could really see the pain on her face as she listened to the recording of Star`s comments about her little girl.
Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAR: Yes, I disrespected your seed. If you didn`t hear me I said I would like to do an R. Kelly on your seed, on your little baby girl. I would like to tinkle on her.
GIA CASEY, WIFE OF STAR`S RADIO RIVAL: When a man says that he would like to tinkle in the mouth of your little girl, and ejaculate on her face, that will make any mother extremely frightened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Imagine being a mother and listening to that about your own child.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tried to contact Star`s attorney today. So far we haven`t heard back. Star has issued an apology claiming the other deejay threatened Star first. Like that matters.
By the way, besides being arrested, D.J. Star has also been fired. Adios.
ANDERSON: OK. Here`s something we want you to think about now. Do you believe in God? Or maybe we should say do you believe in Oprah? We`re not kidding about this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you that tonight the cult of Oprah has become like a religion.
More and more people are saying they`d rather worship about the house of Oprah than listen to their own priests, rabbis or even pastors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: The Divine Miss O.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Hey, see you later.
ANDERSON: With what`s said to be nearly a billion and half in the bank and a TV audience of 49 million a week, Oprah Winfrey literally has the power to change the world. She also has a purpose.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": A lot of people are looking at Oprah as the new moral leader of the millennium.
ANDERSON: There you have it. Oprah, many people are declaring, is the moral voice of the millennium.
BANKS: She`s our Mother Teresa. She really is. Except she`s not working barefoot. She has on some stilettos to work it out.
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: She is one of those people who has changed the world.
ANDERSON: From her perch in Chicago Oprah tackles the big stuff and takes her audience on a moral journey with her.
WINFREY: I really feel duped.
ANDERSON: Oprah publicly going after author James Frey for lying in "A Million Little Pieces", a book Miss O. turned into a best-seller.
OGUNNAIKE: In this day and age, everyone`s all about sensationalism and sex sells, and sex sells. I would argue that Oprah has found a way to makes spirituality sexy.
KIM WAYANS, ACTRESS: It really is spiritual food that you take away from her show. To me, that`s church.
ANDERSON: She`s not alone. The idea of Oprah as a religion is gaining steam. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you college professors have written dissertations on it, authors have even written whole books on this.
And check out this poll done in November by the religious web site, BeliefNet.com. A third of those asked, one out of three, say Oprah has had a more profound impact on their spiritual lives than even their priests, their rabbi or their pastors.
Here`s Reverend Run, part of the rap group Run DMC.
REV. RUN, RAP ARTIST: She possesses that moral image for us all to see.
ANDERSON: Barbara Walters has even heard about Oprah, the moral monitor. She asked her about this morning on "The View."
BARBARA WALTER, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": You are now considered a guru?
WINFREY: No, I`m not. I really am just doing the best I can. I feel like I am a woman in progress.
ANDERSON: A woman in progress. A woman with a message, a message of charity. Forbes.com tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Oprah is the most generous celebrity, doling out $52 million to charities last year alone.
NATE BERKUS, "OPRAH" DESIGNER EXPERT: She`s really taught me that living consciously is the most important thing.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Oprah`s design expert last night. He was just one of the special guests out to celebrate Oprah`s Legends Ball, an event honoring influential African-American women.
WINFREY: This was a labor of love. That`s all it was.
ANDERSON: Oprah spent a year putting the whole thing together.
WINFREY: The most fun I`ve ever had in my entire life.
ANDERSON: Oprah is not ordained. She doesn`t preach in the traditional sense, and she doesn`t go overboard on religion.
WINFREY: I say give the people the roses while they live. Don`t waste it on the casket.
ANDERSON: Still, she spreads the word, a word of generosity, gratitude and forgiveness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: O, if you run for president, I`m voting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That event, "Oprah Winfrey`s Legends Ball", will air Monday night on ABC. The special was taped over the course of three days at Oprah`s California home. It shows Oprah`s personal footage of the 25 women she honors and respects.
HAMMER: So is Oprah really the guru of a new world religion? Joining us tonight from Chicago, Marcia Nelson. She`s the author of "The Gospel of Oprah". And in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Cathleen Falsani, who is the religion writer for the "Chicago Sun-Times" and author of "The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People."
Ladies, thanks for being with us tonight.
CATHLEEN FALSANI, RELIGION WRITER, "CHICAGO SUN-TIMES": Nice to be with you.
HAMMER: So let`s get into this, Cathleen. We just heard something that is absolutely remarkable. A stunning statistic of that poll at BeliefNet.com that found that one in three people actually say that Oprah has got more spiritual influence on them than their clergy people do. It`s amazing to me. What should we take away from that?
FALSANI: Well, I think it says a couple of things. I think that some of it is a commentary, perhaps, on our clergy. I know I talked to a few priests who were a little disgruntled when they heard that. But also thinking, "Well, what are they not getting from me that they are getting from Oprah?"
I think it also reflects something that we`ve seen statistically happening in the last 30 years, and that is more and more people now say that they have no religious affiliation or that they`re non-religious or that they`re just spiritual and not religious. And they`re looking for what they need spiritually outside of any kind of traditional institution.
HAMMER: Marcia, do you think that`s it? People just seeking for another spiritual outlet?
MARCIA Z. NELSON, AUTHOR, "THE GOSPEL OF OPRAH": I think it depends on how you want to emphasize or understand religion. I mean, there`s religion that`s about what we should believe, and then there`s religion that emphasizes how we should act or how we should live. And Oprah is religious in the second sense. She`s -- she`s always been about how we should live.
HAMMER: And is that basically what inspired you to write "The Gospel According to Oprah"? I mean, that`s an unbelievable undertaking to me that it`s actually deserving of a book of that title.
NELSON: "The Gospel According to Oprah" is actually part of a series of books that look at religion in popular culture. Popular culture is one of the ways that we -- that we speak about things that are important to us. There are messages on TV, in movies and in our music.
HAMMER: I am one of these people who sees what Oprah does and truly believe -- believe that she is just trying to do good and as much good as possible, as she says, while she is on this earth.
But Cathleen, I have to ask you, what do you think is really going on here? Is it possibly a conscious effort by Oprah to instill her personal way of life and her spiritual beliefs on the public?
FALSANI: Well, I don`t know her personally. I wish I did. I`d love to have one of the conversations like I did with the folks in my book with her and sit down and say how did you get to be where you are and what`s ticking with you spiritually?
But what I`ve gathered as a viewer, like so many of us, is that there seems to have been this evolution in time with her spiritually. I would say that there was a period where she seemed like more of a seeker. She was trying to figure it out. She was trying to figure out her own stuff. And that maybe now in the last few years she`s found what she`s looking for.
I don`t know how she would express that in religious terms or even if she would, but she seems to be much more grounded. And as she does with anything she finds, seemingly, that she enjoys or really cherishes, whether it`s a pair of fuzzy slippers or a spiritual path, I think she -- she feels compelled to share it with people. That`s part of her message.
HAMMER: And Cathleen, it`s interesting, because now people are tossing names around and titles around like guru. In fact, when she was on "The View" today and she was asked how did she feel about being called a spiritual guru, she said basically that she would hope that when she leaves the earth that she would have left a mark that would have been something meaningful in other people`s lives.
So even if people are putting that title on her, it seems that she doesn`t really want it. And of course, titles like that will come with that kind of power.
FALSANI: Right. I think we often put -- apply labels to people, and most of the time they`re ill fitting. And I would imagine, not knowing her, as I said, but my impression of her is that she would want to kind of toss on her Jimmy Choos if somebody said that she was a guru or, God forbid, Mother Teresa.
HAMMER: Yes.
FALSANI: You know, she`s a good woman who seems to really want to give back to the world, that she feels a sense of responsibility for the blessings that she has, a sense of generosity and thankfulness. And that`s how she lives by sort of paying it forward.
HAMMER: She does.
FALSANI: All of that to me is an intrinsically spiritual message.
HAMMER: She spreads it around. Well, thank you, Cathleen Falsani.
FALSANI: Sure.
HAMMER: Marcia Nelson, we appreciate your joining us tonight.
NELSON: My pleasure.
Now we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We`ve got to ask, Oprah Winfrey, do you look to her for spiritual guidance? Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: Coming up, a teenage girl who was a victim of an Internet sex predator. She will join us. She`s going to share her shocking story of survival. That`s next.
HAMMER: Also, something else that might make you really angry: O.J. Simpson, trying to make a buck off that famous white Ford Bronco he made the getaway in. We`re going to tell you what he`s doing with it.
Plus, a car chase of a different sort.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 405 is right here. The 10 is going to be right here. And she`s like right here on the 10.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Chasing Angelina. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you for a once in a lifetime wild ride, and it is wild. Come along as paparazzi hunt down one of the hottest couples in Hollywood, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, of course.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move. Fade up music. Brooke standing by in L.A. Ready A.J. Push A.J. Dissolve, mic cue.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for our Friday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Time now for another story today that made us say, "That`s ridiculous" when we ran across it today. O.J. Simpson with a new candid camera show on pay-per-view. It`s called "Juiced". You`re not going to believe one of the pranks.
You remember that truck? We got this video from "Inside Edition." Simpson pretends that he`s trying to sell that infamous white Ford Bronco to a used car lot, posting that it, quote, "helped me get away."
"Juiced" is on pay-per-view, and this month that`s where you`ll find it. An uncensored version available on DVD soon. We have to say, and look at that that`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: Here`s something else that gets us outraged, disgusting, sick, Internet sex predators. This terrible problem has been getting a lot of attention lately. Just today Congress was mulling over whether or not to keep kids in school and libraries off web sites like MySpace and Friendster.
Katie Tarbox experienced the horror of an online predator some 10 years ago. Her case made history, when she became the first unnamed minor to test a law targeting Internet predators.
Katie wrote about her experience in a book titled, "A Girl`s Life Online", and Katie is not a teenager any more. She`s all grown up. She`s joining me now from Washington, D.C. Katie, thanks for being here.
KATHERINE TARBOX, AUTHOR, "A GIRL`S LIFE ONLINE": Thank you.
ANDERSON: OK. Your story, Katie, was 10 years ago. You were 13 years old. You met someone online. She said he was 23. His name was Mark. But, Katie, when you agreed to meet him you found out that he wasn`t who he said he was. He wasn`t named Mark. He was 41 years old.
What was the experience like when you laid eyes on him and you knew that he had lied to you, that you`d been misled this entire time?
TARBOX: I was just completely in shock. I think over the Internet we allow ourselves to just fantasize a little bit about who the person is on the other end, and when you`re not confronted with the immediacy of realty, you allow yourself to think of them as you want.
And I was totally shocked when I saw this person and realized, "Oh, my gosh, this is an adult I`ve been communicating with for six months." And felt naive and also felt that I couldn`t turn back once I had met him.
ANDERSON: Oh, so you didn`t feel like you could run. You met him in a hotel room. What ultimately happened?
TARBOX: I ultimately was molested by him. And he -- I confront -- I told the police. He was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison and became one of the first cases in the country to be tried under the decency act.
ANDERSON: Wow. And when this happened to you, Katie, there was no MySpace. There weren`t as many chat rooms out there. But we`re hearing stories every day, it seems, of kids being sexually molested, kids being stalked due to results of online action.
Talk to us, give us some insight as to why kids do this even when they know it`s very dangerous.
TARBOX: Well, the first thing is that kids at that age think they`re immune. It`s never going to happen to them.
And in addition, we`ve kind of been sending kids mixed signals about meeting people offline. You see these Match.com commercials, and you get this idea that, you know, a very positive experience can come about meeting someone off the Internet.
They are not thinking of it as they`re going to meet, you know, somebody that could rape or kill them but, you know, somebody that could be a great connection to have. And they`re willing to take that risk without fully thinking through the consequences.
ANDERSON: And you know, just this week, Katie, "Dateline" has been airing specials of undercover investigations of Internet predators.
TARBOX: Yes.
ANDERSON: And we`ve seen examples of where the predators know these investigations are going on, yet they still pursue the children. As a victim yourself, does it surprise you to see the predators do this, even when they know there is a real possibility they could get caught?
TARBOX: No. It doesn`t. For so long we haven`t really been sentencing this crime. And if they do it`s just a small slap on the wrist. So the consequences for them are not that great either.
And I think what`s been so great about those "Dateline" exposes is showing that these pedophiles are not -- they`re from any walk of life, from the lawyer to the banker to the rabbi to the Boy Scout leader. So I think we need to be thinking about these victims as they can be from any walk of life as well as the predators.
ANDERSON: Katie, we are glad to see that you have overcome your experience.
TARBOX: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And we hope that this will bring attention to this matter and help educate parents and kids of the dangers. Katie Tarbox, thanks for joining us. We appreciate it.
TARBOX: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You can get Katie`s book, "A Girl`s Life Online". It`s in stores.
HAMMER: "Poseidon" star Richard Dreyfuss rips into the Bush administration about the war in Iraq, wiretapping and a lot more. And he also sets the record straight: does he want the president to be impeached?
Plus, we`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of the guys were doing the stake-out at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt`s house in Malibu. And apparently, Jolie is on the move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Jolie, as in Angelina. Hop in and ride shotgun, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to take you for a wild ride as the paparazzi hunt their prey, coming up.
HAMMER: And according to Ellen, she`s got the very first pictures of Tom Cruise`s new baby. We`re going to let you decide though. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re back right after this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dissolve. Stand by, break master. "Picks and Pans" coming up, roll break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: The weekend finally here. That means it`s time now to check out the "SHOWBIZ Guide." Tonight in "People`s Picks and Pans, New Movies", we`re talking about "Poseidon", which stars Kurt Russell; "Just My Luck" with Lindsay Lohan; and an inspirational film for the weekend, "Goal! The Dream Begins".
"People" magazine film critic Leah Rozen joins me here in New York.
Let`s get to the big one. It was a classic. They spent $150 million to remake it. Was it worth the time and was it worth the money?
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: It`s OK summer popcorn film. This new "Poseidon", the special effects are terrific. The special effects make you go. And what I like best about the movie, it is a very trim 99 minutes. So often when they make these spectacles they overinflate them. This one just gets moving.
What you`re missing are big stars. The fun of the disaster films of the 1970 to the original was watching big stars like Gene Hackman demean themselves. In this one, you have pretty much a no-name cast.
HAMMER: Well, Kurt Russell and Richard Dreyfuss.
ROZEN: And Kurt Russell is the best thing in the movie. But there`s nothing to match that fabulous shot from the first one of Shelly Winters` rather large, underwear-clad rump being shoved up an escape shaft. You know? I miss that shot.
HAMMER: All that being said. As you mention, the special effects -- I did see that film -- they are fairly extraordinary and ground breaking. And for that alone and the fact that it`s not a three-hour movie, it`s probably worthwhile.
ROZEN: Yes, it`s an average summer popcorn thing, and the special effects are good.
HAMMER: Well, let`s move on to "Just My Luck". Now Lindsay Lohan is the star of this film. She says this is more of an adult role for her. Did she make that transition?
ROZEN: How old is she to call something adult? I found this film laborious. I mean, it was painful to sit through. It was just that sense, you know, please, I`m begging the pardon of all 19- to 21-year-old girls that you just felt like you were stuck in a room of chattering 19- to 21- year-old girls who would not shut up and were discussing nothing substantive.
It`s essentially a little romantic comedy. She`s a woman who always has good luck. She kisses this guy, Chris Pine, and suddenly he has all the good luck, she has all the bad luck. Can she get her good luck back? Don`t care.
HAMMER: All right. We`ll put a big "X" next to that one.
ROZEN: Better luck next time to Ms. Lohan.
HAMMER: All right. Very quickly now, "Goal! The Dream Begins". I`m inspired by just the title alone.
ROZEN: This is an -- sort of athletic inspiration movie about soccer. Kid from L.A., immigrant Mexican kid starts playing soccer for a British team. You`ve got the sports movie crossed with this quirky little British character comedy. It`s one of those movies that`s kind of better than you expected it to be.
HAMMER: Good to hear. All right. So we have two up, one down.
ROZEN: Yes.
HAMMER: Leah Rozen, thanks as always for joining us.
ROZEN: Welcome.
HAMMER: And as always, for more picks and pans, your copy of "People" magazine can be found on your newsmagazine now.
ANDERSON: If you hire a celebrity to plug your product you think he or she would at least know the name of it, right? Well, not if Paris Hilton is on your payroll.
Plus, we`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 405 is right here. The 10 is going to be right here. And she`s like right here on the 10.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chasing Angelina. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you for a once in a lifetime wild ride. Come along as the paparazzi hunt down one of the hottest couples in Hollywood, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.
ANDERSON: Also, "Poseidon" star Richard Dreyfuss rips into the president and sets the record straight. Does he want Bush to be booted out of office?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back. Stay with us.
(NEWSBREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for our Friday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Welcome to the weekend. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour.
HAMMER: Provocative? Those are the words coming from Richard Dreyfuss tonight. He, of course, stars in the movie "Poseidon", which is opening this weekend. But he has some very key and terse things to say about our president, about our current administration and the state of things in our world in general.
He also needs to set the record straight. Does he want to see President Bush impeached? My exclusive one-on-one with him is coming up with him in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: Very -- very candid interview. Looking forward to that, A.J.
HAMMER: But first tonight, the paparazzi on the prowl. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT taking you along for the ride. Star photos are going for an unreal amount of money, so it brings on a high stakes game of cat and mouse, especially when the house mouse happens to be an A-lister like Angelina Jolie.
This is CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of the guys were doing the stake out at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt`s house in Malibu. Apparently, Jolie is on the move.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The hunt is on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to get on the 405 South. Are you still south, BCH?
PHILLIPS: The prey, red hot act actress, Angelina Jolie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Copy that.
PHILLIPS: Ben (ph), a 26-year-old photographer, works for one of the biggest paparazzi agencies in Hollywood, Bower Griffin (ph). He`s asked us not to use his last name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing, there`s absolutely nothing. I`m coming behind you. No cops anywhere.
The 405 is right here. The 10 is going to be right here. She`s like right here on the 10 going this way.
I`m trying to catch up as fast as I can, Ralph (ph). Give me your location. You guys west channel yet? Copy that.
PHILLIPS: Ben is coordinating with two other paparazzi from his agency, hot on Angelina`s tail. He finally catches up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There she is. There she is.
PHILLIPS: But he`s on the wrong side of the freeway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s the other competition right there. Copy that. I just saw you guys go by. This is funny.
PHILLIPS: Paparazzi aren`t the only ones desperately seeking Angelina.
BONNIE FULLER, "STAR" MAGAZINE: She`s not fitting into her clothes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not fitting into her clothes.
FULLER: That happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her body. She hates -- you know, hormones raging. She`s very uncomfortable.
PHILLIPS: "Star" magazine`s Bonnie Fuller is chasing down any salacious tidbits on the actress, her Hollywood hunk boyfriend and the girl next door he left behind.
FULLER: I like this, Jennifer turning to hypnosis therapy to get over Brad? That`s fabulous.
I mean, how can you not be nosy about people that are fascinating to look at as a Jen, a Brad and an Angelina? How can you not?
PHILLIPS: Over at "People" magazine, managing editor Larry Hackett is salivating over a scoop Jolie`s camp is promising.
LARRY HACKETT, MANAGING EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: I got the call in the morning that something was going to be discussed, and then I got the call about what was being discussed. I was thrilled.
PHILLIPS: And Mark Lasante (ph), the blogger behind the Internet gossip site Defamer.com, is snarking about official word that Angelina is pregnant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once you get a publicist`s real name on something, it then becomes reality and we can all rejoice and start knitting the baby booties.
PHILLIPS: The Brangelina saga is just one of the real-life soaps feeding the public`s growing obsession with celebrities.
TED CASABLANCA, E! ENTERTAINMENT GOSSIP COLUMNIST: The personal lives of Hollywood celebrities these days, it really is the best reality TV show out there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not a fascination. It`s long, long since passed fascination. We are celebrity drenched and obsessed.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I wouldn`t be attracted to a man who would cheat on his wife.
PHILLIPS: So obsessed that you can hardly change the channel without landing on one of the many entertainment TV shows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris Hilton...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tanya Harding...
PHILLIPS: And the number of star-studded magazines has exploded. There are at least six celebrity weeklies on the newsstands now, with a combined circulation of more than 8 1/2 million. And while traditional newsmagazines are losing readers, the circulation of celebrity magazines is soaring.
PETER CASTRO: That`s when I realized this is a whole different game, and it`s a really ruthless one.
PHILLIPS: Add to that mix, a new media outlet, Internet gossip blogs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Things happen faster. A piece of gossip gets out into the world and within literally hours it`s every where.
PHILLIPS: One leading gossip blog, Gawker.com, even includes a map pinpointing New York celebrity sightings. The sight, called Gawker Stalker, has angered a number of celebrities and their flacks. Is celebrity coverage spinning out of control?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve never had so much media it seems to be desirous of printing or covering every possible aspect of so-called celebrities` lives. I think the world`s gone a little crazy.
PHILLIPS: The HBO cult hit "Entourage" is capitalizing on the public`s fascination with celebrities` innermost lives. The TV comedy features an aspiring young actor and the pack of friends and Hollywood power players surrounding him.
DOUG ELLIN, CREATOR, "ENTOURAGE": The paparazzi are out tonight, Heidi. Check out the (expletive deleted) on the girl from "Extra".
Everything about all the characters on the show is sort of taken from somewhere in real life. So almost none of it is pure fiction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to hug it out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s hug it out, bitch. Let`s hug it out.
ELLIN: They are based on a lot of different people.
PHILLIPS: People like publicists and power brokers hired to control one of the most precious commodities in Hollywood, access to the stars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To have to be protective because everyone is out to exploit the stars they represent. So they`ll catch it from their clients, but they`ll also catch it from the media.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And real footage of Angelina Jolie in her car being chased down by the paparazzi at the beginning of the piece. Imagine that being your life every single day.
Well, that was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You can catch more of Kyra`s special, "CNN PRESENTS: CHASING ANGELINA, PAPARAZZI AND OBSESSION". The paparazzi sets its sights on Angelina Jolie, and you are along for the ride. Catch it on Saturday and Sunday night at 8 Eastern on CNN.
ANDERSON: Every celebrity magazine editor, every entertainment new show producer has been hoping, praying, probably even offering up their first born, although I hope not, to get their first hands on the very first picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` new baby, Suri. We got to admit, we wouldn`t mind having them either.
But it looked like Ellen beat everybody to the punch, when Tom Cruise stopped by her show today. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: Which one does Suri look most like of all these babies here? Come on, they change every day. People would never recognize it.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Well, let`s see.
DEGENERES: Any of them?
CRUISE: Well, sometimes a little like that.
DEGENERES: Yes?
CRUISE: You know, the eyes. But more hair.
DEGENERES: That one has side burns. Oh, a mustache.
CRUISE: She has Kate`s lips.
DEGENERES: Big lips.
Ah. That`s Suri. And the first-ever picture of Suri, ladies and gentlemen. There she is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That`s a lot of hair. And that Ellen is really sneaky, isn`t she? Well, she didn`t send Tom home empty handed. She gave Katie and him a custom built pink-airplane carriage. Check it out.
OK. Paris Hilton leaves a bunch of computer geeks scratching their heads. We`re going to explain what Paris did that had everybody saying, "huh?" Coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHARD DREYFUSS, ACTOR: I think that the press in America has completely given up its function.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Richard Dreyfuss goes off on the press, the wiretapping scandal, and the government. He also sets the record straight on what he thinks about impeaching President Bush. My revealing and candid interview with Richard Dreyfuss, coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, brand new adventures for Dirty Harry, the X-Men, and Spider-Man. We`ll take you to heaven on earth for video gamers, with a first look at what`s on the horizon. Stay with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dissolve. Stand by everybody. A.J. will be moving, and roll the break master.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music. Standing by Brooke, ready A.J. Push. Dissolve. Mic cue.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It is time now for another story today that made us say, "That`s ridiculous." Can we throw up that picture of Paris Hilton here?
Paris, Paris, Paris. You`ve really done it this time. "Simple Life" star Paris Hilton was at the annual E-3 video game convention in L.A. That`s what you`re seeing here in this picture. She was there to plug her new video game. Paris has a video game.
But I`m thinking that maybe all the lights and sounds that were going on there at this particular convention may have perplexed poor Paris, because she shrieked that she`s very excited for her game "Diamond Quest." That`s what she called it. The problem is, that`s not the name of the game. It`s called "Jewel Jam."
Forgetting your own game, Paris, now that`s ridiculous and may I say, so not hot.
ANDERSON: And so not even close to the real name of the game.
HAMMER: No.
ANDERSON: What she said.
HAMMER: No.
ANDERSON: And if you`re curious what it is, apparently, it`s a simple puzzle game that you can download to your cell phone.
HAMMER: Can`t wait to do that.
Well, let`s move on now. The wiretapping scandal in Washington is making big headlines these days. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is getting perhaps as much attention for his comments on the Bush administration as he is for his new movie.
Dreyfuss stars in the remake of the 1972 classic "Poseidon" alongside Emmy Rossum, Kurt Russell and Josh Lucas, who join forces after they are upended. The ship actually turns over because of this giant rogue wave.
Well, Dreyfuss is making waves of a different kind. He`s been speaking out about the Bush administration, but there`s been a little bit of confusion on exactly what the actor said. There are some reports saying that he`s calling for the impeachment of President Bush. So I asked him to set the record straight.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DREYFUSS: Actually, I`m not calling for the impeachment of President Bush, and that was everything that`s wrong with the media.
What I called for was a debate about the appropriateness of the Senate beginning hearings on impeachment charges.
HAMMER: This is an important clarification. OK.
DREYFUSS: ... without the checks and balances of this system because unless we issue some kind of cultural minority report on the past eight years, we will hand off, endorse, to every future presidency, whether they`re liberal or conservative, a swollen executive power, which is not something I want to give to my kids.
We are now, without any question, endorsing torture, wiretapping against specific federal law, misreporting weapons of mass destruction, et cetera, reporting to the Congress.
And unless we say in one version or another, even if you lose an impeachment process, that there is an institution, PTA, churches whatever, that says, no, then we`re saying yes. And that means that President Hillary or President Condoleezza will get that executive and nobody ever, ever turns power away.
HAMMER: Neil Young has released an entire album calling for the impeachment of President Bush. Pearl jam has also released protest songs. And the backlash hasn`t cometh. Why do you think it is has now become more acceptable for people to speak out publicly, without fear of reprisals if you will?
DREYFUSS: Well, it`s very interesting. It`s because people are looking back on the last few years and realizing how much we were -- how much we reacted to fear.
When the towers came down and we were so terrified, and I was and we all were, we needed someone to say, "All right, this is what we do."
And we went down a road of certain actions that we look back on and say, we`re in worse -- we`re in a worse situation. We didn`t do the right things. We got there by the wrong methods. And people are getting ruthful.
You gave a powerful speech. One thing you talked about is how the mainstream media is vital issues today, especially the war in Iraq and you`re not so thrilled with how that`s going.
I said that I was going ask how many members of the press club thought of themselves as the heir of Edward R. Murrow`s legacy. And then I said that I decided not to ask, because I would have lost my sense of humor.
Because I think that the press in America has completely given up its function as speaking truth to power. I think that the lack of constancy in any issue in lifetime of media, you know, just the simple lack of asking a question again for clarity`s sake and not accepting a spin-room`s version, is a plague. It`s like a virus.
Where is, "No excuse me, Mr. President, we`d like further clarification on that. We don`t work for you. You work for us. Remember that?"
I`m a Frank Capra guy. I`m a Frank Capra American. I believe in "Mr. Smith goes to Washington". I think that -- I think that in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", which is a film that every one of my generation saw, at the end of that movie he turns to Senator Payne and he says, "This must be one of those lost causes, isn`t it, Mr. Payne? You remember lost causes. You said they were the only ones worth fighting for."
And I looked at the pres club and I said, we all think that we are Jimmy Stewart, but I would submit that many of us have become Senator Payne, a guy with great intentions who has become so ambitious he`s lost his way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Smart, smart man, so many important things to say. Dreyfuss also told me he`s planning to debate the impeachment issue with conservative talk show host Michael Medved and broadcast it on C-SPAN, which I think would be a brilliant idea.
You can see Richard Dreyfuss in the new movie, "Poseidon". It hits theaters today.
ANDERSON: OK. We told you earlier about how Paris Hilton messed up the title of her video game. It happened at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, E-3, but to video game fans, it`s probably better described as "heaven." It`s wrapping up in Los Angeles.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been there all week, and we got a first look at all the new games and systems you`ll probably be waiting in line for this holiday season.
Now you may not know this, but the video game industry is now more profitable than Hollywood. Yes, more profitable than Hollywood. And in the best tradition of the "if you can`t beat them, join them" philosophy, Hollywood is making its presence known at E-3.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): For gamers, this is the place to be. The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E-3, is where developers show off what they`ve been working on and what you`ll be playing in the next year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at what I`m doing.
ANDERSON: And right now insiders are getting their first look at the highly anticipated Sony PlayStation 3.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This controller has six degrees of freedom.
ANDERSON: Here`s why gamers have been salivating. It`s got a wireless controller that responds to movement, stunning graphics, blue grade DVD player and a 60 gig hard drive. The ultra-hot PlayStation 3 hits stores mid November, just in time for the holidays, of course.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s see if our executive team here can make a comeback.
ANDERSON: Nintendo 3 is another hotly anticipated machine. It also features and innovative controller, and that`s got gamers like pro skater Tony Hawk excited about the possibilities.
TONY HAWK, PRO SKATER: With the controllers that are motion sensitive, it just feels like you`re more in the game. I feel like we`re on the top echelon of what is possible with these consoles.
ANDERSON: With all the new tech, old favorites like "Call of Duty" and "Madden" are going to a whole new level, while Microsoft`s online gaming network is going Hollywood with Xbox Live`s Game with Fame.
JENNY MCCARTHY, COMEDIAN: It`s a chance to play with me. And it`s about the only chance you`ll ever get.
ANDERSON: According to E-3 organizers the gaming industry brings in around $18 billion a year. That`s more than the Hollywood box office. And that`s why summer blockbusters like "Superman Returns" and "The Da Vinci Code" have games ready to go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, buddy. I`m talking to you.
ANDERSON: And why Hollywood heavyweights like Clint Eastwood are also getting in on the action.
CLINT EASTWOOD, ACTOR: This is a story I would have done if I was 40 years old and doing "Dirty Harry`s".
ANDERSON: That`s right, punk. "Dirty Harry" is going digital with am all new story with the same old Clint.
EASTWOOD: I think this is much better way to revisit the character of Dirty Harry.
ANDERSON: But looking ahead, the X-Men and Spider-Man are also leaping into all new adventures, much to the amazement of their creator, Stan Lee.
STAN LEE, CREATOR, "X-MEN": When I see the artwork and the story lines and the complexity of these video games, I really marvel at them. They are wonderful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And gaming is getting pretty darn expensive. When the top of the line version of the PlayStation 3 is released this November, the top price will be -- get ready for this -- $599, $1 short of $600. You might want to start saving now.
HAMMER: So last night, we asked you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We were asking, "American Idol" shocker: should Chris Daughtry have been voted off? Pretty one-sided here, with 16 percent of you saying yes. The majority of you, 84 percent, said no, he should not have been voted off.
A lot of e-mails on the subject, too. Here are a few of them.
We heard from John from Pennsylvania writes, "This is so bogus. Chris deserved to win or at least make it to the next round. I will never watch `American Idol` again."
We also heard from Tasha in Georgia, who writes, "I think that Chris`s fans got complacent. They thought that he was safe and left the voting to everyone else and it backfired."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. Well, apparently, it`s say something with a hat day. It`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: It is time for the "Entertainment Weekly" must list. Here are five things "EW" says you have to check out this week.
First, he`s getting raked over the coals, but go see for yourself what all the hubbub around "Mission: Impossible III" is about, starring, of course, Tom Cruise.
Next, "EW" says to check out Bruce Springsteen`s new album, "We Shall Overcome." It`s a joyful tribute to folk pioneer Pete Seger.
Then, pick up a copy of the book, "Bust" by Ken Bruen (ph) and Jason Starr. They bring together a fearsome mix of vile characters on the streets of New York City.
"EW" also says Americans should see the movie, "United 93." it tells what happened on the ill-fated flight the morning of 9/11.
And finally, check out NBC`s beloved medical comedy, "scrubs," season three, now on DVD.
For more on the must list, pick up your copy of "Entertainment Weekly". It`s on newsstands now.
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you tonight to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oprah Winfrey: do you look to her for spiritual guidance? Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or write us at ShowbizTonight@CNNcom. Your e-mails coming up on Monday.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Have a totally festive weekend. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks for watching, everybody. Stay tuned for more from CNN Headline News.
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