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Showbiz Tonight
The Silence Over Suri: Why no Baby Photos Yet?; Former Business Associate Suing Michael Jackson; The Beer Guzzling Bear in the Buick; The Shocking Emmy Nominations; Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban Wedding Items For Sale
Aired July 06, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Star Jones` new gig. We`re going to tell you who just hired the fired "View" co-host. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Plus, Sheryl Crow speaks out about her painful split with Lance Armstrong, and her battle with breast cancer. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Desperately Seeking Suri." Tonight, the mystery behind Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` baby. She was born months ago, and everyone`s asking, where are the pictures? Is the little girl OK? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the tough questions and investigates the silence over Suri.
Also, "Michael`s Manic Messages." Tonight, Michael Jackson`s startling phone calls that could cost him millions. Plus, the shocking connections to Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, and even the War in Iraq. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Michael Jackson tale of the tape thriller.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: And I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Were we are looking a little different tonight while the set you`re used to seeing getting a makeover. So we`ve got a mysterious question a lot of people are starting to ask: Where in the world is Tom Cruise`s baby? It`s been more than two months since Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes announced to the world that they had a baby girl and named her Suri.
ANDERSON: And A.J., it happened just as Cruise was criss-crossing the planet to promote his new movie, "Mission: Impossible III." But since then, barely a peep. No pictures, no new information, nothing. Nada. So where is Suri Cruise? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for answers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Nowadays we see more of Gwyneth Paltrow carrying a baby, than carrying a hit movie. If you care, we`ve even seen Isaac Hayes` new baby. Oh, and don`t forget those expensive pics of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie`s new kid. But amid all of these celebrity baby sightings, there is one glaring omission.
KATIE CAPERTON, "OK!" MAGAZINE: Where in the world is Suri?
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking the same question. After almost three months, we have yet to see any photos of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes` new baby, Suri. In fact, this is the closest we`ve come. Courtesy of Tom Cruise`s appearance on "The Ellen Show" soon afternoon Suri was born where he created a make believe picture of Suri.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: She has Kate`s lips.
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: Big lips.
And the first ever picture of Suri, ladies and gentlemen. There she is.
ANDERSON: But after all this time, people are seriously starting to wonder when we are going to see one of the famous mystery babys in the world.
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": Usually you get to see photos of babies and I guess it`s because there`s so many babies being born now we`ve seen obviously lots of photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina`s baby and Brooke Shields` baby who was born on the same day as Tom Cruise`s. So, I guess everyone`s sort of waiting to see photos of baby Suri.
CAPERTON: I think they just loves being out in the public eye so much, but Tom Cruise has been around for quit some time and he keeps his family very, very private, in terms of his kids and his relationships, he`s not a very public man in that sense.
ANDERSON: That is, unless he has a movie to promote. Show business tonight can tell you this spring, soon after Suri was born, Cruise and Katie Holmes were literally all over the place promoting his new movie "Mission: Impossible III." They showed up in Aberdeen, Washington. Promoting "MI3" in Mexico, the proud pop couldn`t stop talking about Suri.
CRUISE: Suri`s doing beautifully. Thank you for asking.
ANDERSON: And promoting "MI3" in Rome, Cruise couldn`t wait to go home to Suri.
CRUISE: I`ll be here for a few hours, I`m going back on an airplane, and I`m going to go home to Kate and Suri.
ANDERSON: But then "MI3" opened, and since then, we have yet to see Tom and Katie bring Suri from his home in Beverly Hills. It`s part of the game in Hollywood. Many big stars like Cruise lift the veil off their private lives ever so much to drum up interest in their latest project only to close it once they no longer have anything to promote.
GOSTIN: Everyone in Hollywood does that, because why talk about your private life if you don`t have to, if you don`t have anything to promote, if you`re not going to make any money out of it, basically.
ANDERSON: So, Tom and Katie want baby Suri to remain a mystery for now. But rather than ask why, another good question is to ask, why do we care?
CAPERTON: People love seeing celebrities with their babies. Lots of times we see celebrates walking on the red carpet, we see them glamorous, that kind of makes them a little more real to us when we can see them, you know, kind of struggling with, you know, the baby bottle and the stroller and it kind of makes us feel like they`re normal people, they`re just like us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Little Suri may indeed remain a mystery for a while longer. Tom Cruise`s people tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that they have no plans regarding any pictures of Suri. So for now, it looks like Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt has the celebrity baby spotlight all to herself.
HAMMER: She sure does. Well, we don`t know where Suri Cruise is, but the guys who created "South Park" say they know where her dad Tom has been hiding -- in the closet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, Tom Cruise won`t come out of the closet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tom Cruise locked himself in my closet and he won`t come out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, this episode of the Comedy Central series, called "Trapped in the Closet," which rips into Scientology and implies that Tom Cruise is gay, was nominated for a "Best Animated Program" Emmy today. Can`t really imagine Tom Cruise is all that thrilled with that. In fact, when it came time for this show to rerun, Cruise reportedly put pressure on the network to pull it. Now, he denies that, but it never did rerun. Now, coming up at 14 past the hour, we`re going to have the surprising stories of how some of last year`s big Emmy winners didn`t get nominated this year, and it`s shocking.
And there`s another shocking thing going on. Michael Jackson on trial. Well, maybe it`s not that shocking, something we are getting used to. But this one could cost him millions. There`s a California jury that`s been hearing frantic and at times desperate sounding phone messages from the pop singer on the answering machine of a former business associate, who is suing Michael. Now stay with me, because this is one wacky story. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP STAR: "Marc, I really need you to get from (INAUDIBLE), $7 million for me as soon as possible.seven, seven and a half.as an advance. Can you please try and get that for me? There`s something here I really want.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joining me tonight, Jane Velez-Mitchell who has covered Michael Jackson for many years. She`s also filling in for Nancy Grace this week, right here on "CNN Headline Prime."
Jane, it`s a pleasure to welcome you here.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: I love to be here, A.J.
HAMMER: Michael Jackson being sued for nearly 4 million bucks for a variety of reasons, projects that he got involved with that may not have come to fruition, various loans, even a charity record that hasn`t gotten off the ground. This is a way we`re not used to hearing Michael Jackson. It`s very candid because it`s an answering machine message. He sounds real desperate here.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Desperate, absolutely desperate. And what occurs to me is why would a man who is so savvy, supposedly, leave a series of phone messages on an associate`s machine that potentially implicate him if he doesn`t plan on paying this man, which is what Marc Shaffle says ultimately happened. So this is not very good for Michael Jackson.
HAMMER: Is it sure doesn`t sound good for his credibility overall. You know, this is a guy that we, as you say, are used to hearing being so calculated or in control of things.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, you think if you`re owed $3.8 million, it`s easy. Here`s the contract, here are the canceled checks, but it doesn`t work that why with Michael Jackson. This is a man who talks about money and calls them french fries. This is a guy who says when he wants a lot of money, "super size it." This is a guy who wants money delivered in a bag that wreaks of fries, so you don`t get the general accounting that you would get with an average guy.
HAMMER: And this is why I used the word wacky earlier. And some of the content is unbelievable. There`s one particular call that involves Marlon Brando. Take a listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JACKSON: Marc, this is Michael Jackson. Please, please, please give me the highest offer you can on the Marlon Brando deal. They`re faxing me every day. They want to know what we have for them."
HAMMER: What the heck is that all about?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Two larger than life figures obsessed with each other. These are extraordinarily talented men, they were both very, very close right up until Marlon Brando`s death. Now, the thing is that Michael Jackson wanted to do many things with Marlon Brando. They just couldn`t figure out what exactly they wanted to do. A DVD with acting classes with Marlon Brando teaches. A Q&A session involving the two of them on Marlon Brando`s Tahitian island. It went on and on, it`s kind of like a cocktail party in L.A. where everybody`s coming up with ideas, except when it happens to be Michael Jackson, millions of dollars are spent on these ideas, which is one of the reasons why he was living $30 million, reportedly, per year beyond his income.
HAMMER: That`s unbelievable. Real quickly, tell me what the message is, there`s one that relates to Elizabeth Taylor and the War in Iraq.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, here`s what happened. He did this album "What More can I Give," right. And what more can you give, Michael, give us the song, already. We`ve been waiting since 2001. It was suppose to be for the 9/11 tragedy, then years pass, well, let`s make it about the Iraq war, then we had another crisis, the Katrina crisis, so he keeps leaping from crisis to crisis but we never get the song and meanwhile, 30 superstars at least have been involved in putting this song together and millions of dollars spent.
HAMMER: And we remember talking about it on this program that it was happening, that it was coming and we haven`t seen it yet.
Jane Velez-Mitchell, thanks for join us and filling us in. This is just fascinating stuff. And you can catch Jane filling in for Nancy Grace right here on "CNN Headline Prime" this week.
ANDERSON: Star Jones, from you`re fired, to you`re hired. The former "View" co-host has a new gig, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will tell you who`s put her on the payroll, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Sheryl Crow opens up about her painful breakup with champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong and her battle with breast cancer. That`s still to come. We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep driving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s happening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know. They suspected him to be a government spies. Get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out, get out! Go!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The dramatic attack on a CNN reporter caught on tape. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the stunning video of what happened to one of our very own while covering the devastation in Darfur.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. If something looks different, you`re right. Our set is getting a makeover, so we`re just hanging out here, getting comfortable.
And it`s time now for a story that made us say "That`s Ridiculous!" it`s the beer guzzling bear in the Buick. I want you to take a look at this cub hanging out behind the wheel of a 1964 Skylark in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Now, the bear jump in, he started chowing down on a barbecue chicken and jalapeno pizza, then he got thirsty, and what basically goes better with pizza than beer? So the bear drank some beer that he swiped from a cooler in the yar (SIC), he even downed some Jack Daniels. Sounds like a good Saturday night to me. A beary weird story indeed and that`s why we say "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Oh, that bear may need some headache medicine after that.
OK, well, some fans think the nominations for the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are downright ridiculous. They came out today, and boy, there are a bunch of shockers. Let`s just say it wasn`t a good morning to be living on ABC`s Wisteria Lane.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It was the snub heard around Hollywood.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s going on?
ANDERSON: "Desperate Housewives" which just last year was and Emmy darling didn`t get a single nomination for any of its leading ladies in its second year. Ouch!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trust me, no one things we`re are safe.
ANDERSON: Also, "Lost" was lost. Last year the hit ABC show won best drama. This year in the major categories, nothing. Nada.
CHRIS TOHMASOFF, "TV GUIDE": So many mysteries on the show itself, maybe this is a mystery they`ll deal with on the show. Whatever happened to the Emmy nomination?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where you been?
ANDERSON: OK, here`s another head scratcher, Edie Falco and James Gandolfini, nominated just about every year for "The Soprano`s" but for this past and often criticized season, not a single nod.
TOMASOFF: James Gandolfini and Edie Falco not getting acting nominations for "The Soprano`s" is -- well, at least to me, the most shocking thing, especially Edie Falco. Kind of thought they`d already inscribed her name on the statue, why even have a contest?
ANDERSON: Another name you won`t see, Hugh Laurie. He got snubbed for his role one the critically acclaimed and ratings powerhouse, "House."
THOMASOFF: I had actually gone out and bet the house on Hugh Laurie not only getting nominated, but winning, the children are homeless now.
ANDERSON: OK, enough about who didn`t get nominated. Let`s tell who you did. Fox`s drama "24" pulled in 12 nominations including one for outstanding drama series.
THOMASOFF: "24" is sort of the, in a way, the Susan Lucci of the Emmies, you know, it continually gets nominated, you know, doesn`t usually win. But I think it is great.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nothing you could say could top that.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m pregnant. I win.
ANDERSON: "Gray`s Anatomy" was a close second with 11 nominations. "Will and Grace," 10. "Lead actress in a comedy" category also came with some surprises. Four of the five women nominated are no longer on TV. Only Julia Louis-Dreyfus will be back next season on her show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine." It`s her first big hit since "Seinfeld" and when I caught up with her, she was thrilled.
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, ACTRESS: I`m really just lucky. Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This happened pretty much the way she.
ANDERSON: "Law & Order, SBU`s" Christopher Meloni got a nod in the "best actor in a drama" category. Our A.J. Hammer caught up with him soon after and Meloni told him about the call he got from co-Star and new mommy Mariska Hargitay.
CHRISTOPHER MELONI, ACTOR: She said to enjoy it. You know, it`s just nice to hear her voice and, she`s very happy about her baby.
ANDERSON: Charlie Sheen has got to be feeling good about his nomination for "Two and a Half Men" after a rough year with his very public and messy divorce battle with Denise Richards. We caught up with his co- Star Jon Cryer who tells us he caught a call from Sheen almost right away.
JON CRYER, ACTOR: Well, it`s been a really rough year for him and it was great to hear him so happy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now, missing from the "best actor in a comedy series," "My Name is Earl`s" Jason Lee, a lot of competion in that category, so I guess someone had to get left out. But A.J., I do want add, Jamie Presley from the show, was nominated in a supporting category, so "My Name is Earl" did receive some well-deserve attention.
HAMMER: Not a total loss there. There certainly is lots of competion, there were lots of surprises that even baffled a lot of the TV experts. So, let`s find out why. One such TV expert joining me from Hollywood, tonight. Tom O`Neil from TheEnvelope.com, we also have joining me here in New York "People" magazine`s Peter Castro.
Nice to see you both. Let`s get into this. Peter, as we just heard, "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," which basically dominated the Emmies last year, both completely shut out. I was totally shocked by "Lost," it is one of my favorite television. I know you were shocked by it as well.
PETER CASTRO, "PEOPLE": I was really shocked. I mean, it made a lot of sense to me, actually, that "Desperate Housewives" was shut out because I think they had a very off year. But "Lost" is a show that I thought gained momentum, the writing got better. And it just makes no sense. How does a show get that bad in a year? It`s just not possible. I mean, maybe it is, but I`m in complete disbelief.
HAMMER: Yeah, it`s a fluke there. Because it definitely is one of the finest pieces of television on right now.
CASTRO: And I think the thing going on here, maybe Tom could add to this, is that the you know, the academy wanted to be cool and they want to really shake things up and that`s great, because, you know, there were problems before, but I wonder if they`re overdoing it.
HAMMER: Working a little too hard. Tom, that worked against them, didn`t it?
TOM O`NEIL, THE ENVELOPE.COM: No, no. What this is all about is the new judging system they have this year. For the first time ever, the nominees were not chosen by a popular ballot, it was whittled down to the top 10 finalists for "best series" and top 15 for "lead actor and actress," then they all had to submit a sample episode to judging panels. I can tell you that "Desperate Housewives" picked terribly. Mark Cherry believes that you should submit comedic episodes for comedy categories. Wrong!
HAMMER: Not true.
O`NEIL: Not true. And in the case of "Lost," this one of those quirks, this is a serialized show. So, the judges sitting on this panel will go, huh? What`s with the guys in the woods and the ghosts with the hats? They don`t get it.
HAMMER: Well Tom, explain to me what happened with "The Soprano`s," because Edie Falco and James Gandolfini gave been nominated basically all the time since that show has been around, and this is their final season, they`re about to get into their final episodes starting in January. What the heck happened here? Who needs to be whacked?
O`NEIL: I know. I was dumbfounded by this one because their episodes were superb. Gandolfini chose the one where he corners his son, A.J. outside the police station after he tried to kill his Uncle Junior and Falco submitted the episode were she is beside Tony`s bedside, crying, confessing how much she loves her mobster husband, even though they have this bizarre life. I was -- I have no explanation for that one.
HAMMER: Yeah, I mean, it`s interesting because those are two -- no matter what you thought of the season so far, two outstanding episodes and fine acting, you know, roles for each of them in both of those episodes.
Peter, let`s talk about the outstanding "lead actress in the drama" category, because we have Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer," Geena Davis, "Commander in Chief," Mariska Hargitay for "Law & Order, SBU," Francis Conroy "Six Feet Under," Allison Janney for "The West Wing." If you`re paying attention, three out of five of those shows are no longer on the air. Is that the secret ingredient to getting nominated?
CASTRO: Well, sometimes I think they are consolation prizes. I mean, I think the most baffling head scratcher on that is Geena Davis. I mean, you know, fine actress, but does she really deserve to be nominated in this category? I don`t think so. And I think this is Hollywood`s way of saying, you know, great job, you know, let`s throw you a bone.
HAMMER: Tom, I`m winding it down here, tell me real quickly did Julia Louis-Dreyfus break the "Seinfeld" curse? She`s the first one to get a hit on the air and she got the nomination today.
O`NEIL: Yeah, I really think she did. And I think the reason is, is that she`s the logical spin-off from that show. She`s kind of a Mary Tyler Moore-type category. She`s every woman on one hand, but yet she`s smart and glamorous.
HAMMER: Tom O`Neil, Peter Castro, thank you for joining us tonight here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And you can find out who the big winners will be on the 58th Annual Primetime Emmys August 27th on NBC.
ANDERSON: So tell us what you think about it. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Primetime Emmy Nominations: Was your favorite show snubbed? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, send us e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Well, we all know that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban already got married, but you can still be a part of their wedding. I`m going to tell you how coming up next.
ANDERSON: And Star Jones goes from you`re fired to you`re hired. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you who just put the canned "View" co-host on their payroll. Star`s new gig coming up.
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dive! Go! Go! Drive quickly! Dive, drive!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The dramatic attack on a CNN reporter, caught on tape. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the stunning video of what happened to one of our very own while covering the devastation in Darfur.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow, stars overcoming scandals. From the Kate Moss cocaine scandal to Hugh Grant being caught with his pants down with a prostitute, some big stars have overcome some big publicity disasters. We`re going to take a look at how they do it tomorrow.
ANDERSON: OK, so if you weren`t lucky enough to score an invite to the Nicole Kidman-Keith Urban wedding, you can still own a piece of it. The "New York Post" says that a bunch of stuff from the event, which went down, down under, in Australia, on June 25, is being auctioned off on eBay. What`s up for sale? Supposedly, a menu, a tiffany clock, a gift to guests, even some of the wedding cake. Starting bid, about $5,000 for everything. Now we couldn`t find those things, but we did find the wedding program. It`s got prayers, vows, and the list of bridesmaids.
HAMMER: Sheryl Crow opens up about her painful breakup with champion bicyclist Lance Armstrong and her battle with breast cancer.
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep driving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s happening?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know. They suspected him to be a government spies. Get out of here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out, get out! Go!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The dramatic attack on a CNN reporter caught on tape. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the stunning video of what happened to one of our very own while covering the devastation in Darfur.
HAMMER: And rolling the dice on their lives. Coming up in just a bit, we`ve got a revealing look at online gamblers who just can`t stop. They`re addicted and they`re paying a very high price. You`re watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and we are coming right back for a Thursday night.
(NEWSBREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
We are looking a little different tonight. The set that you are used to seeing each and every night is getting a bit of a makeover.
ANDERSON: You look pretty comfy there, A.J. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
A.J., Sheryl Crow is really opening up about her break-up from Lance Armstrong. Also her battle with breast cancer, and why she says she turned down Lance`s offer to be by her side to support her through the illness and through the treatment. What she says, coming up.
HAMMER: That`s quite a story.
Also coming up, it`s been just over a week since Star Jones` stunning allegations that she was fired from "The View." Star`s already got a new gig. What is she doing? We`re going to tell you, and we`ll show you a little sneak peek.
Plus last night we asked for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day" if you think Star is a victim in all of this. It`s actually fascinating how the vote went. We`re going to reveal exactly how it went coming up in just a bit as well.
But first tonight, danger in Darfur. Caught on tape: a dramatic podcast creating a lot of buzz on the Internet right now. Now you remember the video of an attack on CNN`s Nic Robertson and a United Nations envoy in a Sudanese refugee camp. Well, this very tape is a behind-the-scenes look at what happened as they pled for their lives. It is amazing footage.
Here`s CNN`s Nic Robertson for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SCREAMING)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You OK?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What`s the matter?
(SCREAMING)
ROBERTSON: What`s happening?
(INAUDIBLE), what`s happening? Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop.
What`s happening? What`s happening? What`s happening? What`s happening?
Shut the door! Shut the door!
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: Drive. Go, go, go. Let`s go. Let`s go. Drive!
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: Drive! Drive! Let`s go. Drive! Drive! Drive!
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: Wait! Wait! Wait. Wait.
Shut the door. Shut the door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t. I can`t get to the door.
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: I don`t know. The U.N. (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: Drive! Go, go, go, go, drive. Drive.
I don`t really know what`s happening. (INAUDIBLE) shouldn`t be in here if you knew what`s happening (ph). What`s happening? What? (AUDIO GAP)
Let me go. Just drive! Just drive! Just drive! Drive! Drive! Drive! Drive! Just drive! Just get out of here. Keep driving. Just drive.
What`s happening?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know. They suspected him to be a government spy.
ROBERTSON: OK.
Get out! Get out! Get out! Go! We`ve got to get out - we`ve get out of this house (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Who`s in the car?
ROBERTSON: I don`t know.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Just keep going. Go, go, go. (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was scary.
ROBERTSON: Yes. They`re running after us, so we do have to keep going.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve got to keep going.
ROBERTSON: Keep driving.
(INAUDIBLE). Are you ready - are you ready to do this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: I`ll do it (ph). (INAUDIBLE). OK.
Well, I don`t know exactly what happened then, but there seemed to be - I don`t know exactly what happened. I don`t know what happened. But the - I don`t know exactly. I don`t know if (INAUDIBLE).
OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
That was intense. That was very intense.
ROBERTSON: You are very lucky, my friend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: I think you escaped with your life today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
ROBERTSON: They wanted your life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(CROSSTALK)
ROBERTSON: I`m not sure why we were - why we were attacked. But anyway, glad to be out of there.
Well, it`s about 6:15 in the morning. Neil (ph) only finished editing the package less than an hour ago. And right now he`s feeding into Atlanta. I`ve managed to get about three, four hours sleep while Neil was editing. Now I`ll sit up and watch the package feed in. And in about two hours` time, we`ll have to get up, get on the road and do all of this again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Stunning. That was CNN`s Nic Robertson for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
You can see all Nic Robertson`s Darfur story and more of CNN`s new, original video and audio podcasts by going to cnn.com/podcast. You can also check them out on the CNN Podcast page on Apple`s iTunes.
ANDERSON: Singer Sheryl Crow is opening up about her breakup from Lance Armstrong, and about finding out she had cancer just weeks later. In an interview in the August issue of "Vanity Fair," Crow says she still loves Armstrong and thinks about him everyday. She doesn`t say specifically why they split, but she says the breakup was devastating for both of them, and that they still love each other.
Shortly after Crow and Armstrong cut off their - called off their wedding back in February, Crow found out she had breast cancer. And given Armstrong`s history with the disease, she said - quote - "It was difficult, you know. I know he wanted to be there. I would have loved for him to have swept in and carried me through." But she said, ultimately, she realized she had to turn to the people who would be there for her unconditionally: her family.
Crow underwent radiation therapy and surgery, and has been given a clean bill of health. She will have follow-up testing every six months for the next three years.
Armstrong was also interviewed for the article. He said the break-up was stressful for him, but that he stands by the fact that he has never loved a woman like he loves Crow.
You can read more in the August issue of "Vanity Fair." It`s on newsstands nationwide July 11.
HAMMER: Country music superstar couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are back on tour with a stop in New Orleans for a concert to help Hurricane Katrina victims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
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HAMMER: McGraw and Hill had to cancel two concerts last week after McGraw got bronchitis. But last night`s show went off without a hitch. McGraw is from Louisiana; Hill`s from Mississippi. And they`ve both been on the frontlines of helping Katrina victims in the Gulf Coast.
The New Orleans show was a benefit concert for their foundation, Neighbor`s Keeper. The couple has criticized the government`s response to Katrina, and they started the foundation to help on their own. They say that last night`s show was just another step in that direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAITH HILL, SINGER: It was not on the - the schedule. And we had a - a day off. And we - and - just trying to - just like everybody else, trying to figure out a way we can directly help. And I mean, directly help someone. If it starts with one family, then another family. Just to rebuild the Gulf coast.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I give them a lot of credit for all the hard work they`re doing.
McGraw and Hill lowered ticket prices to last night`s show to as low as $20. And half of the floor seats went to first responders. Ticket for an upcoming show in Atlanta are as high as $87.
ANDERSON: Now we want to remind that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on seven nights a week. That`s right; we`re bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekend. Be sure to tune in, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
HAMMER: "The American Idol" concert tour has started, but one of the star attractions missed the first show. Can you believe it? We`re going to tell you who and why coming up next.
ANDERSON: Plus, Star Jones Reynolds gets a new gig on TV. We`ll tell you who has hired Star coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
"DAVE," ONLINE GAMBLING ADDICT: I was dropping money left and right, left and right. And I think in the matter of three months, I maxed out both those credit cards. $16,000, $17,000 in a matter of months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Online gambling means you can essentially have a casino in your living room. And for some people, it`s a dangerous addiction.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates online gambling coming up.
ANDERSON: But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz": Which 2001 movie earned more during its first week on DVD than during its first week in theaters? "Planet of the Apes"; "Swordfish"; "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"; or "Monsters, Inc." Think about it.
We`ll be right back.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Camera 3. Stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. Open 7, dissolve L.A., go.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charlie (ph).
So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz": Which 2001 movie earned more during its first week on DVD than during its first week in theaters? A, "Planet of the Apes"; B, "Swordfish"; C, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"; or D, "Monsters, Inc."
If you said A, you got it correct. "Planets of the Apes," starring Mark Wahlberg as Captain Leo Davidson and directed by Tim Burton, is the answer.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
Look around. We are looking a little bit different because the set that you`re used to seeing every night is getting a little bit of a makeover. We`re hanging out here for the time being.
And it is time now for yet another story that just made us say "That`s Ridiculous!"
What do you think you get when you cross a need for speed with a love of manicured lawns?
(LAWNMOWER ENGINE)
HAMMER: That would be it: the world`s fastest lawnmower driver. His name? Bob Cleveland. He set the record at the Barnivale Salt Flats in Utah, which you`re seeing right here. That`s where car drivers set land-speed records. Now Bob got this beast up to 80 miles an hour. But in all fairness, that record was easy to set because it hadn`t officially existed before.
And Brooke, that guys is really hauling grass out there, isn`t he?
ANDERSON: Hauling some grass, yes he is. I`m relieved to see that he had a helmet on, A.J. I just hope he had a seat belt on. I - I - I can`t believe he`s 80 miles an hour. That`s crazy.
HAMMER: Here`s the thing I don`t understand though: it`s the Salt Flats. There`s no grass. So without the blades down, is it really fair - I don`t know. I don`t know.
ANDERSON: You`re right, it is not really a fair record. There`s nothing to mow on the Salt Flats.
OK, a lawnmower driver setting a record for going 80 miles an hour? We say "That`s Ridiculous!"
OK, now it used to be that if you wanted to gamble, you went to a casino or the horse track. The Internet has changed all of that. Online gambling is a $12 billion industry and growing fast. Now you can gamble in your living room. And it`s proving to be very dangerous for some people.
Here`s CNN`s Dan Lothian for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A casino as close as your fridge. And for a woman we`ll call Mary, the convenience is irresistible.
"MARY," ONLINE GAMBLING ADDICT: I moved the casino right into my living room. It was, you know - that was (INAUDIBLE) anything else, without anybody knowing or caring or about me getting into the car and traveling.
LOTHIAN: It also entices a man we`ll call Dave.
"DAVE": Sometimes I said, I`m only - I`m only going to play for an hour. And then next you know, 10 years later, I was still at the computer.
LOTHIAN: Mary and Dave asked us to conceal their identities, as they struggle to recover from the pain and debt of their online gambling addictions.
(on camera): Both starting betting in their teens. It was innocent enough at first. Sometimes they would win money.
Then a few years ago, they were introduced to online gambling. It was exciting, easy, anonymous. It would also become addictive.
(voice-over): Dave got two credit cards to keep him in the game. His favorite: poker.
"DAVE": I was dropping money left and right, left and right. And I think in the matter of three months, I maxed out both those credit cards. $16,000, $17,000 in a matter of months.
LOTHIAN: Alone at her computer, Mary played poker and other games, too, losing way more than she was winning. After falling more than $200,000 into debt, she became desperate.
"MARY": Helping my mother to have her bank account should not have included me taking money out of it.
LOTHIAN: It got worse.
"MARY": After my father died, my mother had signed their summer cottage over to me. And I just immediately took out a mortgage to get myself out of debt.
LOTHIAN: Unable to stop playing these games on their own, Mary and Dave are now members of Gamblers Anonymous, trying to follow a 12-step program similar to AA.
Dot Duda heads a gambling prevention and recovery center at a Massachusetts hospital. She`s recently seen the number of online addiction cases go up.
DOT DUDA, MOUNT AUBURN HOSPITAL: I think we attack all gambling pretty much the same. But online, we`re a lot more aggressive because there is that - it`s easy access, and we know that they can relapse very quickly.
LOTHIAN: While experts work to change a gambler`s behavior and emotional state, they concede there is no magic bullet.
KEITH WHYTE, DIR., NATL. COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING: Frankly, you know, for people even in recovery, you`re always almost one click away from getting back gambling (ph).
LOTHIAN: An industry representative says reputable online casinos try to help players apply the brakes.
JOE KELLY, CATANIA CONSULTING GROUP: If the gambler does something that is unusual; that is, uses different credit cards to stop making out credit limits, that person will probably be contacted by the online operators.
LOTHIAN: Dave and Mary say it was friends and family who encouraged them to get help. Despite several false starts, both are now in recovery.
"DAVE": I know there`s a clich' that it`s one day at a time. It really is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Dan Lothian for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, a lot of people out there have been saying that Star Jones Reynolds took a gamble with her career after getting on Barbara Walters` bad side. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Star`s got a new gig.
Star, as you probably have heard, caused quite a bit of controversy last week when she surprised her co-hosts on "The View," saying she was leaving the show and telling "People" magazine she felt like she was fired. Then, she actually was fired the next day because of the firestorm.
Well, Star has already got a new job, hosting HGTV`s "House Hunters: New York City Week." It`s a show that`s going to follow buyers in the New York City area as they search for a home.
But Star, you just might want to think about getting a new copywriter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAR JONES REYNOLDS, TV HOST: Hi, I`m Star Jones Reynolds. Join me for the views, the reviews and the real estate news in the Big Apple.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, kind of like pouring salt into a wound. Views, reviews, when you`re just canned from a show called "The View"? Mother Barbara may not like that one.
"House Hunters" with Star Jones is going to kick off on July 10. And "The View" has been very busy checking out all the different guest hosts. It may be Brandy - she`s been stopping by. And coming up is "American Idol" winner Katharine McPhee.
And last night, we were asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," one in which you thought about this: "Star Jones Reynolds: Did she end up looking like a victim?" Well, not according to you, with 18 percent of you saying yes; 82 percent of you saying no.
Among the e-mails we got, one from Aminet - I`m sorry - Aminata from Washington. Aminata wrote, "Star is not a victim. This is a business, and she was on contract. If they don`t renew it, she should move on with her life."
We also heard from Mia in Ohio. Mia writes, "Star was a victim. I admire and respect those who have the confidence to speak up and out."
ANDERSON: It is time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
An Emmy-winning, longtime star of "As the World Turns" has died. Benjamin Hendrickson played Police Chief Howe Munson on the soap opera for 21 years. He reportedly shot himself in the head in an apparent suicide. Friends say he was depressed since his mother died from cancer in 2003. Benjamin Hendrickson was 55 years old. So sad.
The "American Idol"`s concert tour started last night in New Hampshire, but "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee wasn`t on stage. McPhee has bronchitis and laryngitis and will miss at least the first few shows. In a statement, McPhee says she was disappointed she couldn`t perform, but she needs to follow her doctor`s orders of total voice rest.
"24" and "Grey`s Anatomy" are among the top nominees for the Emmy Awards. "24" picked up 12 nominations. "Grey`s Anatomy" got 11. They`ll be competing for best drama series with "House," "The Sopranos" and "The West Wing." And for best comedy series, "Arrested Development," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Office," "Scrubs," and "Two and a Half Men" Two of last year`s winners, "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" didn`t get nominated for best series this year. The Emmys air August 27 with Conan O`Brien hosting.
And those are tonight`s headlines. And they lead us again to tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Primetime Emmy Nominations: Was your favorite show snubbed?" Keep voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at this address: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: And a moment ago, I mentioned that among those trying out on "The View," "American Idol"`s Katharine McPhee, who of course was the runner-up, not the winner.
But let`s move on, shall we? To a happy topic. Happy birthday, bikini. Believe it or not, the bikini turning 60. But not to worry gentlemen, she has no thoughts of retirement. The bikini, in fact, looking better than ever. And it even has a new book out. "The Bikini Book" features big-screen bikini babes. And who better to bring them to you than SHOWBIZ TONIGHT?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bond. James Bond.
HAMMER (voice-over): We all know the belly-button-baring bikini goes best with Bond. In 1962`s "Dr. No," people couldn`t help but say "yes" to the bikini-clad Ursula Andress.
URSULA ANDRESS, ACTRESS: What are you doing here? Looking for shells?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I`m just looking.
HAMMER: That iconic Bond-girl-bikini scene was reinvented 40 years later by the stunning Halle Berry in "Die Another Day."
PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: Magnificent view.
HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
HAMMER: "The Bikini Book" is now helping to celebrate these bikini moments with 400 pages of itsy bitsy teeny weeny fun.
While the bikini was invented in 1946, it would be another 15 years before we would see a bikini in a Hollywood movie. But there is no shortage of them today.
Jessica Beal in "Summer Catch" is high on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT list of favorite bikini showstoppers. Also up there is the bodacious Phoebe Cates in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
JESSICA BEAL, ACTRESS: He`s no high school boy.
HAMMER: In "Charlie`s Angels," the bikini shot is worth a thousand words.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: "Varsity Blues" take on a bikini is always a tasty treat.
JAMES VAN DER BEEK, ACTOR: I usually fall for the whipped-cream bikini every time.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT votes that "Dukes of Hazzard"`s Jessica Simpson as our favorite bikini babe. We`ll let the video speak for itself.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So happy birthday to the bikini turning 60 this week. "The Bikini Book" in stores now.
ANDERSON: All right. We want to remind you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week - a friendly reminder. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekend. Be sure to tune in, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
Hang tight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
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ANDERSON: And now a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Birthday Shoutout." Now this is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight we`re sending one out to President George W. Bush, who`s celebrating his 60th birthday today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, I`m Eddie Johnson (ph), and this is my wife, Kathy (ph). We`re from Mount Pleasant, Texas, and the home of the president. And saying that, we`d like to say happy birthday, President Bush.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s time to see now what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Here`s your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And tomorrow, stars overcoming scandals. From the Kate Moss cocaine scandal to Hugh Grant being caught with his pants down with a prostitute, some big stars have overcome some big publicity disasters. We`ll look into how they do it tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Robert Downey Jr. knows a thing or two about bad press and how to bounce back from it. We`re going to talk to him about that and about playing a drug addict in his new movie "A Scanner Darkly." That`s tomorrow, when Robert Downey Jr. joins us in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
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