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Showbiz Tonight
Pamela Anderson`s Shocking Announcement About Her Future; Supermodel Heidi Klum Speaks Out on Eating Disorders
Aired July 18, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: Pamela Anderson`s shocking announcement about her future. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
JASON CARROLL, HOST: And supermodel Heidi Klum speaks out on eating disorders. I`m Jason Carroll in for A.J. Hammer. T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Christie Brinkley`s marriage meltdown. For the first time, the teenager who claims she was the mistress of the supermodel`s husband is telling her story.
DIANA BIANCHI, MISTRESS OF PETER COOK: It just, you know, escalated into something that I didn`t really expect.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the young girl reveals how Brinkley`s husband allegedly seduced her and what happened next. Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, is the girl really a victim in this mess?
Oprah Winfrey, taking on those rumors that she might be gay. Tonight, Oprah opens up like never before about her personal relationship with Gayle King. But why, after all these years is Oprah finally revealing whether they are more than just friends? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
CARROLL: Hello, I`m Jason Carroll in New York filling in for A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: It`s nice to have you, Jason.
CARROLL: Thank you.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight`s startling new developments in the Christie Brinkley marriage meltdown, and they come from the teenager who claims she was having an affair with Brinkley`s husband. The young woman who says she was the other woman has come out of the shadows. And, listen up now, for the interview that`s making headlines around the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BIANCHI: I wasn`t thinking straight. I think I just got flattered and caught up in things.
ANDERSON (voice over): What 19-year-old Diana Bianchi is caught up in is arguably one of the biggest scandals of the year. In an interview with New York City station WNYW, she is speaking for the first time about the year-long affair she claims she had with Peter Cook, the husband of supermodel Christie Brinkley.
BIANCHI: He never promised that he would leave her. I never asked him to leave her for me. I never was in it for that. I didn`t have any kind of intentions like that.
ANDERSON: Whatever Bianchi`s intentions, that alleged affair with Cook, who is old enough to be her father, may have broken up Brinkley`s 10- year-old storybook marriage. And it`s putting Bianchi right in the middle of an explosive, summer sex scandal.
BIANCHI: I just regret a lot. I didn`t -- I didn`t want this to happen at all.
ANDERSON: This unbelievable story began in Southampton, Long Island, an exclusive beach enclave 90 miles outside of New York City. Brinkley and Cook were the town`s golden couple.
R. COURI HAY, HAMPTONS MAGAZINE: In Southampton, Long Island, one of the richest communities in the world, you`ve got two sets of people. You can break it down to the haves and the have nots. Diana Bianchi`s family is a working family. So, in many ways, they are the middle class, or the have nots. Peter Cook represents the world of big bucks.
ANDERSON: Bianchi says she first met Cook, who is now 47, two years ago in the summer of 2004 at the toy store where she worked. She was 17 at the time. The following spring, when she was 18, she says Cook offered her a job at his architecture firm.
BIANCHI: He asked me to come and work for him. And I didn`t think twice about it. He said he would double my salary basically.
ANDERSON: Soon after, she says, Cook began hitting on her.
BIANCHI: He`d make advances verbally toward me first. And then, I guess, it just escalated into something that I didn`t really expect. I knew he was married. I knew -- I mean there were pictures of his family in his office everywhere. I never expected that he would take it to a different level, even though I had people in my ear telling me different. But it`s like -- I don`t know. I guess I just have -- I always -- I`m a little too trusting sometimes.
ANDERSON: On T.V. and in print, Bianchi seems eager to talk, that is, until you ask her when she began accepting Cook`s advances. See what happened when WNYW`s Rosanna Scotto tried to ask that very question.
ROSANNA SCOTTO, WNYW ANCHOR: What was it that made you go from working for him to having a relationship?
JOSEPH TACOPINA, BIANCHI`S ATTORNEY: Rosanna, I think I`m going to -- if you don`t mind -- I`m going to grab that one.
ANDERSON: Her attorney, Joseph Tacopina, quickly jumped in to defend his client, a girl, he told me right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, he sees as a victim.
(On camera): Does she have no responsibility here?
TACOPINA: Oh, it`s not about responsibility. She is a victim here, Brooke. The law recognizes a distinct difference between an employee- employer relationship. He had a position of authority over her. And he used that position to get sexual favors, to get into a relationship with her. And he then caused her to be financially dependent on him. He encouraged her to move out, he bought her a car, he helped make her payments in her apartment.
ANDERSON: Bianchi says she ended the alleged affair this past April. Although she says Cook still tried to contact her afterwards. And now that Bianchi has gone public with these allegations, she sparked a public debate between those who agree that Bianchi, an aspiring singer, is a victim --
HAY: Diana Bianchi is the victim here. Peter Cook used power, fame, money, the allure of glamour and excitement, the promise of a showbiz career to entice Diana Bianchi into his bed.
ANDERSON: And those like "The View`s" Elizabeth Hasselbeck, who believe Bianchi knew what she was doing.
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, THE VIEW: I see a little prostitute, is what I see. She should know well enough that sleeping with a married man is a form of prostitution.
ANDERSON: All this as Christie Brinkley`s one time storybook marriage dissolves into an ugly and sordid mess.
HAY: It`s sleazy. It`s messy. Christie Brinkley, the all American girl, supermodel, regularly voted one of the most beautiful women in the world, 500 magazine covers. And what? The husband is fooling around with a teenager? This is going to turn out to be a nasty divorce.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been trying to get in touch with Peter Cook for a statement. But, as of show time, we have not heard anything back. As for Christie Brinkley, she is now separated from Peter Cook, and her spokesman, Elliot Mintz, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Brinkley is just preoccupied with protecting her and Cook`s two children, 8-year-old daughter Sailor and 10-year-old son Jack.
I spoke with Diana Bianchi`s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who told me they aren`t ruling out a lawsuit against Peter Cook. Joining me now from Los Angeles is well-known lawyer, feminist and activist, Gloria Allred. Gloria, good to see you.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: You, too.
ANDERSON: OK, it`s one thing, Gloria. If Cook had tried to seduce Diana repeatedly and she said, no, no, no repeatedly, stop, that could clearly be seen as sexual harassment. But that`s not what is said to have happened. She was reportedly a willing participant. She says she even accepted gifts. How could that possibly be sexual harassment?
ALLRED: The real question is, is the conduct that is now being objected to -- was that conduct unwelcome when it occurred, or was it welcome? If it was unwelcome, in the workplace -- and he had power over her in the employment relationship -- then it could be sexual harassment. But if it was welcome, in other words, she had no objection to it, then it is not sexual harassment. So we`ll have to see what the facts really are.
ANDERSON: And then there is also, could she have feared that -- could she have feared for her job maybe?
ALLRED: Well, it may be. And it may be, because we don`t know all the facts, it may be that ultimately there was some kind of adverse employment action against her if she objected to the conduct. And if she did object, and then he fired her, or he demoted her or took away something like the salary that she was making, for example, if she didn`t want to continue, then that could be retaliation, that could be an adverse employment action, and it could be that her rights would begin at that point.
ANDERSON: Okay. Well, say she does say that, and it ends up in court. She feared for her financial situation. Say she says that. Then he could say, no, she wasn`t living in fear. She accepted these gifts. She was willing. How can it be proven, Gloria, if it`s a he said-she said type of thing?
ALLRED: Well, in many cases -- and our law firm probably handles more sexual harassment cases for individuals than any other private law firm in the country -- in most cases it is a factual determination. It often is a he said-she said. But sometimes there are e-mails. Sometimes there are notes written to each other. Sometimes there are gifts.
And in this case, for example, she alleges that he gave her jewelry, that, in addition to her $50 an hour salary, that he paid her rent. And it may be that there are words and actions aside from the two of them that will help to prove the case one way or the other. We`ll have to wait and see.
But the one clear victim in all of this, of course, is Christie Brinkley...
ANDERSON: Of course.
ALLRED: ... because she was betrayed by her husband, and that is really, really sad.
ANDERSON: Yeah, that`s never a good thing, and never easy to watch something like that happen. Now, when it happened, Gloria, he was more -- when it allegedly happened, he was more than 25 years older than her. What if he had been just six or seven years older? Could the age disparity be a factor if it does in fact go to court as a sexual harassment case?
ALLRED: I don`t think that the age difference -- and I think it is substantial here. It`s almost cliche, the older man playing around on his wife, trying to go with a new, younger woman. I don`t think the age factor is what is so important here as what exactly happened in the workplace. And I am concerned, originally there was one report that her attorney -- Diana`s attorney said that it was consensual and now he`s saying it may be sexual harassment -- really can`t have it both ways. So we`ll have to see what the facts really are.
But it is really sad that a young woman, who probably was na
ANDERSON: It is very, very sad. And as you say, we will have to wait and see. Gloria Allred, thanks for joining us with your insight. We really appreciate it.
ALLRED: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Okay. Now we want to hear from you about this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Brinkley marriage mess -- is her husband`s alleged teen mistress a victim? Go to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail right there. Showbiztonight@cnn.com.
CARROLL: And big news tonight about one celebrity marriage and a divorce. First the marriage -- Pamela Anderson`s on-again, off-again relationship with Kid Rock is reportedly on again -- and they are getting married. On her Web site, Anderson writes that she`s in love, happy, has seen the light, and is finally ready to get remarried.
She writes that, it has been a whirlwind and that her kids with Tommy Lee, quote, love their dad, they love their new step dad, who they have known for years. Time will pass. Wounds will heal. Some people may never grow up. Actions speak louder than words. Watch, she never mentions Kid Rock specifically, but "People Magazine" reports that he is indeed the guy she is marrying.
Meanwhile, another celebrity couple are calling it quits. Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro are, quote, amicably separating. According to her publicist, the couple documented their wedding in 2003 on M.T.V.`s "Till Death Do Us Part," Carmen and Dave. The publicist isn`t elaborating on the reason for the wakeup -- breakup.
ANDERSON: Friendly reminder now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on seven nights a week. We are bringing T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekend. Be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific.
CARROLL: A tabloid is apologizing to Britney Spears. We`ll tell you why the "National Enquirer" is saying sorry. Coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, Oprah Winfrey speaks out about those rumors that she might be gay. We`ll look into why Oprah is opening up now about her relationship with Gayle King. Coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m appalled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only that.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... with you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it`s so bizarre. The fundamental basis of Christianity is love your neighbor as yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Morgan Spurlock tackles the tough issues, including atheism and Christianity in his documentary series, "30 Days." Morgan Spurlock is here to tell us what he found out coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
First, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz" -- which of these Britney Spears songs was not on her 1999 debut "Baby One More Time?" Was it a, "Sometimes," b, "E-Mail My Heart," c, "You Drive Me Crazy," or d, "Lucky." We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CARROLL: So, again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz" -- Which of these Britney Spears songs was not on her 1999 debut "Baby One More Time." Was it "Sometimes," "E-Mail My Heart," "You Drive Me Crazy," or "Lucky." The answer is d, "Lucky."
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
OK, it`s time now for a story that made all of us around here say, "that`s ridiculous!" A fisherman in Maine snagged a lobster that looked like it`s half cooked. One side of the lobster is a normal color. The other is orange. Take a look at that. Now this type of lobster is extremely rare. Only one in 50 to 100 million lobsters have two colors like this. It is currently in an aquarium and people all over the world are e-mailing about it. Now Jason, it was interesting. It`s amazing. It`s perfectly symmetrical, the two sides.
CARROLL: I saw that there. I`m glad that the lobster ended up in an aquarium and not on someone`s plate.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
CARROLL: Yeah.
ANDERSON: I love lobster. So who knows what I would have done with it. No, I would have donated it to the aquarium. OK, but a lobster that looks like it`s half-cooked, we say, "that`s ridiculous!"
CARROLL: Absolutely. Thanks very much Brooke.
The "National Enquirer" has apologized to Britney Spears for reporting she was ready to divorce Kevin Federline. A series of stories in the tabloid`s British edition were attributed to unnamed friends of the couple. Spears filed a libel action against the publisher, and the settlement called for the Enquirer to publish an apology but didn`t make the tabloid pay any damages. Spears` lawyer says the Enquirer won`t have to publish the apology in the U.S. version of the newspaper.
ANDERSON: So, you think you`ve got talent? Well, you better ask Piers Morgan, the so-called mean judge on NBC`s hit summer show, "America`s Got Talent" -- the Simon Cowell, if you will. As a matter of fact, Simon is producing the show. But before coming to the states and making people cry here on T.V., he hobnobbed Piers with some heavy hitters in the U.K. Princess D was his friend, so is Paul McCartney. Piers introduced Paul to Heather Mills.
Piers joins me now from Hollywood. Piers, welcome. Good to see you.
PIERS MORGAN, CO-HOST, AMERICA`S GOT TALENT: Thank you very much. Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. So much to talk about with you, but first let`s talk about this T.V. show doing really well. Did you come in knowing that you wanted to be the so-called mean judge? I think you`re very pragmatic on the show. I think you`ve got some sense.
MORGAN: I don`t think I`m -- I`m not as mean as Simon. That really is shocking. I say that I can`t believe how mean he is. I`m the sort of Simon light. You know, I do try and see the best in people.
ANDERSON: The Simon light. I love that. Well you`re friends with Simon Cowell. Now, is what we see on the show what we get with Simon Cowell in real life? What we see on Idol, is that like Simon?
MORGAN: He`s just a pussycat at home honestly. No, I`ve been a friend of Simon`s for 20 years. And he`s blunt. He`s to the point. He`s honest. People keep saying to me, where do you Brits come from so mean. And I say, look, Simon has this big factory in London. And he tries to fill these shows with American judges. But American people are generally nicer than Brits.
So when it comes to that weird judge on the right, he has to be really beastly about everybody. Simon just rings the factory in London and says, get me another mean Brit, and fly him here now. So here I am.
ANDERSON: Here you are. And you`re doing a great job, especially the dynamic you have with both Brandy and David Hasselhoff. I want to ask you about Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. You`ve known them for a long time. You actually introduced them.
MORGAN: Yeah, I think I might be -- I might be to blame for this. It`s all a bit worrying. I was...
ANDERSON: Are you still playing cupid there? We all know they are getting a divorce.
MORGAN: Yeah. I was the editor of a London tabloid called "The Daily Mirror" for about 10 years. And we run an award show every year. And Paul came one year. I`ve known Paul a long time. And he sat next to me, and Heather Mills made this speech on stage. And he said to me -- it`s actually on video footage. He sort of bangs me like this and said, who`s that girl? She is really good, really inspiring. And I said, that`s Heather Mills. And I explained the story.
And they met up afterwards. Paul, Heather. Heather, Paul. And the next thing I knew they were going out, and then engaged and then married. So he rang me last week, he said, thanks, pal, you just cost me a quarter of a billion bucks.
ANDERSON: Oh, no.
MORGAN: No, that`s a joke.
ANDERSON: Well, do you sympathize at all with Heather Mills and her claims that living in the public eye was part of the demise of their relationship? It was really hard.
MORGAN: I like Heather. She is a feisty, strong-willed, independent woman. But I do think if you marry a Beatle, you`ve got to expect that you`re going to get media attention. And I just think you`ve got to be realistic about it. Paul is always going to be followed by the media. He`s one of the most famous guys in the world. So she can hardly pretend that when she married him, she didn`t realize he was famous.
ANDERSON: And that he didn`t receive as much attention as he does. I know Piers...
MORGAN: Well, I mean, come on, he`s a Beatle, isn`t he?
ANDERSON: That`s right. He is a Beatle. Now Piers, you were also friends with Princess Diana. Last week, an Italian magazine printed a photo of her in her dying minutes. And this really caused an uproar. Now, you were a major newspaper editor. You were offered those photos, but you refused to print them. Do you think they should have been printed now?
MORGAN: No. I think it`s a step too far. And I speak as somebody who published many controversial things in the 10 years I was in newspapers. But you`ve got to have a limit, you know? And I know Prince William well, and Harry. And I`m sure it`s desperately hurtful to them. I remembered editing the paper on the night that Diana died. I remember those photographs arriving in the Daily Mirror newsroom, and having to make a decision about whether we published or not. And I looked at those pictures and I thought, you know something? There will never be a right time to publish these. Diana who was the center of media firestorm her entire life, I felt, in that moment of her death, was entitled to privacy.
ANDERSON: Wasn`t a decision for you at all. It was pretty obvious. Okay. Piers Morgan, thanks so much for being here and for sharing all of this with us. Best of luck with the reality show.
MORGAN: Thank you. Tune in.
ANDERSON: Oh, we will. "America`s Got Talent" airs Wednesdays and Thursdays on NBC.
CARROLL: OK, we want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right. We`re bringing T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. So be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, that`s 8:00 Pacific.
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell sounds off about who she thinks should replace Star Jones Reynolds on "The View." We`re going to tell you who it is, coming up.
CARROLL: Plus Oprah Winfrey speaks out about those rumors that she might be gay. We`ll look into why Oprah is opening up now about her relationship with Gayle King. Coming up, we will also have this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I could deport the Gonzalez`s tomorrow, I would have to. That`s the way the law is written.
ANDERSON: "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock takes on the immigration issue in his documentary series "30 Days." Morgan Spurlock will tell us what he learned ahead in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Stay tuned.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow the metro sexual is out and the manly man is in. Move over G.Q. Make ways for guys like Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin James and the King of Queens. How men are reclaiming their manhood. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
CARROLL: Tonight, American Idol finalist Kelly Pickler is earning kudos from soon-to-be View co-host Rosie O`Donnell. Pickler filled in yesterday as a guest co-host sitting in at the table with the ladies of "The View." The North Carolina native was fresh, fun, and seemed to fit right in. Rosie O`Donnell made special mention of Pickler on her blog yesterday writing, that kid today on The View -- perfection. Triple love her. Rosie takes her seat at "The View`s" table September 5th.
ANDERSON: Oprah Winfrey speaks out about those rumors that she might be gay. We`re going to look into why is Oprah opening up about her relationship with Gayle King.
CARROLL: Well Heidi Klum takes of her clothes and takes on the modeling industry. Coming up, Klum speaks out about eating disorder and the pressure to be thin.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m appalled.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not only that.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... with you guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it`s so bizarre. The fundamental basis of Christianity is love your neighbor as yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Morgan Spurlock tackles the tough issues, including atheism and Christianity, in his documentary series "30 Days." He joins us, coming up.
RICHELLE CAREY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everybody. I`m Richelle Carey with your "HEADLINE PRIME" news break. The State Department is telling Americans trapped in Lebanon help is on the way. The U.S. Navy is sending nine ships. The government has chartered a second commercial ship to evacuate some of the 25,000 Americans there. Also, Israel`s army tells the AP that tanks have entered a Gaza refugee camp. Meanwhile, the White House says it is too soon for a ceasefire, saying a truce now would leave Hezbollah armed to the teeth.
The summer heat wave played havoc today with one of the country`s busiest airports. Power was knocked out at some terminals in New York`s La Guardia Airport causing travel delays.
And a doctor and two nurses are accused of murdering four patients stranded at New Orleans Medical Center during -- after, rather, Hurricane Katrina. Prosecutors say they killed the patients with lethal doses of morphine and a sedative. The hospital was surrounded by floodwaters and without power for days after that storm. That is the news for now. Thanks for watching. I`m Richelle Carey.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson.
CARROLL: And I`m Jason Carroll in for A.J. Hammer. This is T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show.
ANDERSON: That`s right. And Jason, coming up, supermodel Heidi Klum is opening up about eating disorders and the tremendous pressure to be thin in the modeling industry. She reveals why she thinks she has never succumbed to an eating disorder. Her candid comments coming up.
CARROLL: Sounds interesting. We`re also going to have Morgan Spurlock. You remember him. He`s the guy who created that critically acclaimed "Super Size Me."
ANDERSON: "Super Size Me."
CARROLL: Of course, of course. Well, he`s got a new T.V. series that`s out, where they explore some of the most provocative issues like abortion, religion. He takes people from opposing points of view. He puts them all together to live. So it`s going to be interesting to see what happens when both sides meet.
ANDERSON: Yes it will. He`s a very talented filmmaker. All right, Jason. Moving on now, it`s the most powerful friendship with the most powerful woman. Opera Winfrey and best friend Gayle King have had an undeniable bond for 30 years. But it`s that close, intimate friendship that`s fueled a decades-old rumor -- is Oprah gay?
In Oprah`s own magazine, "O", Oprah and Gayle finally set the record straight saying, flat out, that they`re not gay. But Oprah says, quote, I understand why people think we`re gay. There isn`t a definition in our culture for this kind of bond between women. So I get why people have to label it -- how can you be this close without it being sexual? How else can you explain a level of intimacy where someone always loves you, always respects you, always admires you?
OK, joining me now in New York is Lola Ogunnaike, entertainment writer for the "New York Times." Lola, can`t two girls just be friends anymore?
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER, NEW YORK TIMES: Yes, they can. But, when you`re Oprah, everyone is so interested in what`s going on in your life. And people are obsessed with every facet of her life.
ANDERSON: Well, this isn`t new. This isn`t some bombshell. These rumors have been floating around for a long time.
OGUNNAIKE: Forever.
ANDERSON: Why now? Why are they saying, hey, here`s the deal?
OGUNNAIKE: let`s face it. Oprah is no dummy. She knows that she has to sell a magazine. And what do we care more about than their friendship and whether or not she`s gay. It`s making headlines. We`re talking about it. Everyone`s talking about it. And she`s got this new friendship issue and frankly, she`s trying to get it to move off of shelves. And if she answers this decade-long rumor, it works.
ANDERSON: Selling magazines, you think that`s the impetus for this?
OGUNNAIKE: I think so. I think she`s like, look, people want to know about it. We`ll address it. Everyone is talking about it. It`s the big buzz. And it is not like this is a new rumor, like you were just saying.
ANDERSON: No.
OGUNNAIKE: But, if she addresses it now, it becomes talk, it becomes new buzzy, buzzy conversation...
ANDERSON: That`s right.
OGUNNAIKE: ... and helps sell magazines.
ANDERSON: And here we are talking about it.
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly.
ANDERSON: Well we know...
OGUNNAIKE: I bought the magazine.
ANDERSON: Oh you did. Well, there you go. That`s probably what she wanted. Well we know that Oprah has been with Stedman Graham for years.
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly.
ANDERSON: But they are not married. Do you think that fuels these rumors?
OGUNNAIKE: I think that may have had something to do with it. The fact that Oprah`s not married, the fact that Gayle was married, is divorced, and hasn`t been in a public, significant relationship, it just has people speculating, what is up with these two friends?
If both of them were married, I don`t think anyone would be giving their relationship a second thought. But because they are not married, people are intently focused on what is going on between the two of them? This can`t just be a pure friendship.
ANDERSON: And Gayle has said, hey, if we were gay, we would tell you because there is nothing wrong with it.
OGUNNAIKE: Well, you know one thing about Oprah Winfrey, she is going to tell you everything about her life. She has talked about her molestation. She`s talked about being in really abusive relationships. She has talked about everything. And I think if Oprah was gay, especially now in our culture, people are so accepting. You`ve got Rosie O`Donnell. You`ve got Ellen DeGeneres. People, I think, would be -- I think if she was gay, she`d talk about it.
ANDERSON: Gayle has really been advancing her career in recent years. Do you think this has something to do with that? Do you think maybe, in addition to trying to sell magazines, it was I want to set the record straight?
OGUNNAIKE: I think that Gayle was sort of like, look, Oprah and I are best friends. We have this amazing magazine that we want to get in people`s hands. They wanted to talk about their friendship, and you can`t help but address that. That`s not something you can avoid when you`re talking about the two of them. And I think that Gayle was very smart about it. She was sort of like, look, we`re friends. This is the real deal here. If we were gay, we would tell you. We`re not. So let`s move on, hopefully.
ANDERSON: Just lay it all out there.
OGUNNAIKE: Yeah. Lay it all out there.
ANDERSON: Well, the bond is undeniably close. They say they`ve talked on the phone four times a day for 30 years.
OGUNNAIKE: Brooke, you have a girlfriend that you talk to all the time, don`t you?
ANDERSON: I do.
OGUNNAIKE: I talk to some of my friends all the time. Some of them are my gay friends...
ANDERSON: Four times a day!
OGUNNAIKE: ... but four times a day? Yes. Because, in the morning, it`s like what am I going to wear. In the afternoon, I just ate this awful hamburger, I feel so guilty. In the evening -- you recap the day. You talk to your friends. Girlfriends gab all the time. This is nothing new.
ANDERSON: Right.
OGUNNAIKE: It just happens to be that it`s Oprah and Gayle.
ANDERSON: And Oprah doesn`t have to worry about any sort of phone bill.
OGUNNAIKE: No. Exactly.
ANDERSON: In the end, people do care about Oprah. And when she speaks, people do listen.
OGUNNAIKE: Exactly. Hey, if Oprah called me four times a day, I would answer all of her calls.
ANDERSON: You would listen and chat.
OGUNNAIKE: Yes.
ANDERSON: As would I. OK, Lola Ogannaike of the New York Times. Thanks so much.
OGUNNAIKE: Thank you.
CARROLL: Supermodel Heidi Klum is speaking out about eating disorders and the pressure to be thin. In the August issue of "Jane Magazine," she says the modeling industry wants everyone to have a certain body type, and that`s how, when she started. She says, quote, they are like, oh, my God, you`re too fat, you have to lose weight. And I`m like, I`m 18, I`m a bit chunky. Still, what do you want me to do?
Klum says despite the pressure, she avoided an eating disorder, because she is not the type of person to say how high when someone says jump. The "Jane Magazine" issue is a partnership with Clothes Off Our Back, a charity that sells outfits donated from celebrities. Other stars who pose naked for the magazine include Denise Richard and actress Sanaa Lathan. For more, pick up the August issue of "Jane Magazine" on newsstands nationwide July 25th
ANDERSON: Scarlett Johansson is the latest Hollywood A-lister to speak out about everyone`s fascination with celebrity. In her new movie "Scoop," directed by Woody Allen, "scoop," Johansson plays a journalism student who is out to get the biggest scoop ever about a rash of murders. But in real life Scarlet has become the target of so much recent tabloid fodder. When she sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma, Scarlett made no bones about where she stands on those celebrity Web sites like gawker.com and the constant media fascination with actresses and their struggles with weight and body image.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNY D`ATTOMA, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: Now you play a journalist. Have you ever wanted to be one? Did you ever aspire?
SCARLETT JOHANSSON, ACTRESS: I`ve never aspired to be a journalist. I will say that`s one thing that`s never interested me.
D`ATTOMA: No? Meanwhile, you make so much ink, as we say, right?
JOHANSSON: I suppose so. Probably too much ink.
D`ATTOMA: Well, it`s interesting you bring that up. I went to Google your name, and I get a gawker come up. Have you heard of gawker.com.
JOHANSSON: I have, yes.
D`ATTOMA: How do you feel about that when, you know, now you`re being traced in the city, like, she was here, and she was there? Does that bother you?
JOHANSSON: Yeah. I mean, it`s very bizarre. I think that -- I think it`s strange that people are -- that people spend time on the Internet looking things up like that. I would -- I mean I don`t know. To me I`m -- I could care less where somebody does their, like, shops for toilet paper. I mean, yeah, stars are just like us, they shop for toilet paper. What can you do?
D`ATTOMA: It`s got to be hard to just be a movie star today, because it feels like the intrusion has gotten to the point of no return.
JOHANSSON: Well, I mean, it`s kind of --
D`ATTOMA: Let me give you an example. Keira Knightley is on the red carpet for her premiere. And everyone`s saying oh, she is too thin. She was on the red carpet. And she had to come on the defense saying, no, I`m not too thin. No, I don`t have an eating disorder.
JOHANSSON: Well, I mean whatever. It`s like, what can you do? Like, you`re, I mean -- it`s difficult to say because, on one hand, you have somebody, you know, like yourself from the media saying, what do you think of this? At the same time you feed into it because this is what the media reports.
D`ATTOMA: Right.
JOHANSSON: I`m sure on, you know, the same show that this person is asking me how do you deal with it, they are also reporting on Keira Knightley`s supposed eating disorder or whatever. And you can`t play both sides of the game. It doesn`t work like that.
D`ATTOMA: Do you think that there is that price for fame? I mean you are going to be -- people want to know what Scarlett is doing.
JOHANSSON: Hopefully they are more interested in what film I`m making than who I`m dating or where I buy my groceries. But I guess it`s -- I never bought into that. I think that there is an easy way to live your life. I mean, I try not to be -- to put myself out there in situations where I know I`m going to be followed or attacked or whatever. It just doesn`t interest me. And, you know I find it quite disturbing to be followed. It`s, like, kind of insane.
So I try to stay under the radar as much as possible. I mean, I`m still just 21. If I want to go out, I`m going to go out.
D`ATTOMA: But there is a way to do it without attracting so much attention.
JOHANSSON: Yeah, I think that there is a way to live. I hope so. Otherwise, that would be disappointing, if you didn`t invite something and it was like knocking at your door, that would be, you know -- that would be injust.
ANDERSON: "Scoop" opens in theaters everywhere July 28th.
CARROLL: Coming up, Julia Roberts, Robert Redford and Oprah Winfrey are teeming up for a new movie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look in tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase."
ANDERSON: And something is not right with this picture. Take a look. A 5-year-old boy pulled over by the cops. We`ll tell you about his wild ride in tonight`s "that`s ridiculous!"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I could deport the Gonzalez`s tomorrow, I would have to. That`s the way the law is written.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: "Super Size Me" director Morgan Spurlock takes on the hot- button issue in his documentary series, "30 days." Oscar nominee, Morgan Spurlock, will tell us what he learned ahead. It`s the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: And now a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT birthday shout out. This is where we give fans a chance to wish their favorite stars a happy birthday. Tonight, we`re going to send out to Ryan Cabrera. He`s celebrating his 24th today.
NANCY, ROSE AND LINDSAY: Hi, I`m Nancy, Rose and Lindsay. And we`re from Houston, Texas. And we want to wish Ryan Cabrera a happy birthday. And we love his music.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Thanks Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Okay. It`s time now for another story that made all of us say, "that`s ridiculous!" Take a look at this. A 5-year-old Michigan boy grabbed his grandmother`s car keys, got behind the wheel of her Cadillac Escalade, and started that puppy up. He cranked up the music, stood on the seat so he could see over the steering wheel, and off he went.
He hit the open road, making it several blocks before an off-duty deputy pulled him over. Now, nobody was hurt, fortunately Jason. He wasn`t hurt. He was very lucky. Nobody else was hurt either. And he`s not expected to face any charges. But how de get up in that Cadillac Escalade? He probably needed a ladder.
CARROLL: I don`t know. He`s very lucky. He`s obviously watching too much NASCAR or something. What sort of punishment is that guy going to get, you know?
ANDERSON: Probably, hopefully a spanking so that he will remember not to do that again in the future. Okay Jason, we think a 5-year-old behind the wheel, now "that`s ridiculous!"
CARROLL: Certainly is. You got that right.
OK, would you ever want to swap lives with someone else? But what if that person`s values were completely opposite of your own. That`s the premise of the show, "30 days." You may remember the show`s creator, Morgan Spurlock, from the Oscar-nominated documentary "Super Size Me," where he ate only fast food three times a day for an entire month.
Morgan Spurlock is with us tonight here in New York. Thanks for joining us. Now, you tackle a number of controversial issues --
MORGAN SPURLOCK, CREATOR "30 DAYS": Yeah.
CARROLL: Abortion, immigration, religion. But I want to talk first about the immigration episode. I found that particularly interesting. Here you`ve got a man who is really opposed to illegal immigration. You have him move in with a family. And some of the members of that family are undocumented here in the United States.
SPURLOCK: Absolutely.
CARROLL: Want to take a look at the clip so we can just get an idea of what happened when the two sides meet.
SPURLOCK: Yeah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re not criminals, you know. Like you know, if I was -- I`m doing fine in school. And I`m, you know, a great asset to this country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By we`re a nation of laws. It`s very important that we abide by our laws. We can`t have another amnesty. Our government is too irresponsible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just hope he just questions what he really believes in, like really gets to see what we go through through our eyes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I could deport the Gonzalez`s tomorrow, I would have to. That`s the way the law is written.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: Now, what`s interesting about that is, he came to this country as an immigrant legally.
SPURLOCK: Legally. He`s a legal Cuban immigrant who is a minuteman. He patrols the border, you know, with all the other minutemen, down in Mexico and Arizona. And he is completely against illegal immigration.
CARROLL: Did the two sides ever come to some sort of an agreement there?
SPURLOCK: Well, I mean I think that each side starts to kind of understand where the other one is coming from. I think that let`s agree to disagree is a common mantra within "30 Days." But I think that what you do start to see is a lot of tolerance, a lot of understanding. And you see a foundation being built for more dialogue.
CARROLL: That`s interesting. Also another hot-button topic, the issue of abortion.
SPURLOCK: Yeah.
CARROLL: You take a woman who supports the right to have an abortion. In fact, she had an abortion herself at one point in her life.
SPURLOCK: Yes.
CARROLL: You have her move into a maternity home where everyone there is opposed to abortion.
SPURLOCK: Correct.
CARROLL: And I`m wondering, at the end of that episode, do we find that that woman had any regrets at all to signing on to this?
SPURLOCK: Well, I think by the end, you know, she starts to kind of see where the other side is coming from. She sees their arguments. And, once again, some common ground starts to be found between them. But, did she change her mind? You will have to tune in to see.
CARROLL: Here`s something else I found interesting. You personally got involved in one of these episodes.
SPURLOCK: I did.
CARROLL: You put yourself in county jail.
SPURLOCK: For 30 days.
CARROLL: For 30 days. And I`m told that the inmates were not aware that you were a filmmaker there, even though there was a camera there, they weren`t aware that the camera was actually on you.
SPURLOCK: Yeah, no. We came in. Like, I was processed and booked with five other guys. And the camera followed them as well throughout the entire month that I was there. And it was just like I was one of everybody else in the population who just happened to be making the most of a bad situation.
CARROLL: OK. I believe we have a clip of that. So maybe we should take a look at that and see how that went for you.
SPURLOCK: Sure.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. It`s like the first day of school, you got to eat by yourself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The true sign of a criminal is how they eat. We always eat like somebody`s going to take something from us.
ANNOUNCER: Three hours or more every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: You looked a little worried there.
SPURLOCK: Well, I was getting ready to go into solitary confinement right there. I spent 72 hours in solitary. And you talk about going a little crazy, that`s -- and for me, it`s like, I was there for three days. Imagine people who spend six months in solitary.
CARROLL: What was your most frightening moment being in that jail under those conditions?
SPURLOCK: I think for me it`s the moment when you first get in, and you`re walked into the day room. And, here you are, surrounded by the inmates. And you have to find a place to stay. And, when you`re there the first night and the cell doors slam and you realize, for the first time, wow, I really am in jail, I`m locked up and I`m not getting out. I`m going to be here for a while.
CARROLL: Also, very quickly, tell us about the episode that deals with the atheist. You`ve got an atheist who moves in with...
SPURLOCK: A Christian family in Texas.
CARROLL: ... a Christian family in Texas.
SPURLOCK: Yeah, you know, this is -- the issue of Christianity is something that continues to pop up and the role that Christianity plays in our lives in America, in the politics. And so to have an atheist move in, I think we tackled a lot of the questions that people have about where do we stand as a Christian nation? Are we a Christian nation? And that`s what she goes to find out.
CARROLL: All right. Morgan Spurlock, want to thank you very much for that. Looks like great T.V.
SPURLOCK: Thank you.
CARROLL: "30 Days" Season 2 premieres July 26th on FX.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "Showbiz Showcase," "Charlotte`s Web," starring Dakota Fanning heads back to the big screen more than 30 years after the original film stole our heart. This time around, it`s packed with celebrity voices. Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, and Robert Redford help bring this classic story to life. Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Each of us is placed on this earth for one special purpose.
I`m sorry Fern, but the pig has to go.
No, it`s not fair. Can`t help being born small.
What if yours was to save another?
You have lots of friends here. Just be yourself.
Is anybody here?
Salutations, Wilbur.
I can`t se you.
Up here, in the corner.
Oh, Spider.
For your information, pig, the rat rules.
Wilbur. Everybody, Wilbur. I`m next.
I`m next.
I`m next.
I`m next too.
Did you get it?
Yep. Bull`s eye.
My name is Charlotte. Charlotte A. Cavatica.
Great name.
Mr. Zuckerman!
Wow.
Charlotte`s Web.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And Charlotte`s Web hits theaters this Christmas.
CARROLL: Now let`s get tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Janet Jackson is asking for a little help from her fans, at least the more artistically inclined ones. The singer is letting fans come up with an album cover for her upcoming release, 20 years old. Starting Tuesday, fans can download images of Jackson through Yahoo Music to use for their designs. Four finalists will have their designs appear on select copies of the CD.
John Cusack is obtaining a restraining order against a woman he claims is stalking him. The 31-year-old woman is required to stay at least 500 feet from Cusack as well as his home, his workplace, his car, his offices. The actor says the woman has thrown letters over his fence in bags with rocks and screwdrivers inside. He says she`s made unannounced visits to his co-workers and has threatened to harm herself unless he phones her.
The Christie Brinkley marriage mess -- her husband`s alleged teenage mistress is speaking out. 19-year-old Diana Bianchi says Brinkley`s husband, Peter Cook, seduced her while she was working for his architecture firm. Bianchi says she never expected the affair to escalate to that level. Nor did she ask Cook to leave his wife for her.
And those are tonight`s hot headlines.
ANDERSON: And that leads us again to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Brinkley marriage mess -- is her husband`s alleged teen mistress a victim? Keep voting, CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
CARROLL: And we want to mind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. That`s right. We`re bringing T.V.`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. So be sure to tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest" is collecting box office gold, becoming the year`s top grossing film. Last night we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man`s Chest" -- is it the best movie of the summer? Fifty-four percent of you say, yes, it is. Forty-six percent of you say, no. Here`s some of the e-mails that we got from you.
Jennifer from Alabama writes it`s the best summer movie, because you have action, comedy and romance, what more could you want? And Stephanie from Mississippi writes I truly believe that Pirates was as good as the first and, unlike other movies so far this summer, left me wanting to watch it again.
ANDERSON: I wonder if she has seen Superman Returns?
OK, it is time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. For that, let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Charlie.
Tomorrow, the metro sexual is out, the manly man is in. Move over G.Q. and make way for guys like Kiefer Sutherland and the King of Queens, like Kevin James. How men are reclaiming their manhood. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, Cuba Gooding Junior, the Oscar winner is out with a new movie "Shadow Boxer." Gooding plays a contract killer in business with his stepmother. We sit down with Cuba tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson.
CARROLL: And I`m Jason Carroll in for A.J. Hammer. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN "HEADLINE NEWS."
ANDERSON: Good night.
RICHELLE CAREY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I`m Richelle Carey. Here`s your "HEADLINE PRIME" news break. The U.S. says it expects to get more than 2,400 Americans out of Lebanon by Thursday. Many are expected to leave aboard two chartered ships with U.S., British, Spanish and Italian warships providing security.
Also, Israel`s army tells the Associated Press its tanks have entered a Gaza refugee camp.
A U.N. report says more than 14,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq over the first half of this year. And it says the trend is on the upswing. More than 5,800 deaths and 5,700 injuries were reported this May and June alone.
The House has rejected a proposed constitutional ban on gay marriage. The amendment was defeated 236 to 187, but still gained more support than its last vote in 2004. It`s part of what the Republican majority calls an American values agenda the House is considering this week.
And tropical storm Beryl is forming in the Atlantic off the North Carolina coast. It`s top winds are at 40 miles per hour.
That is the news for now. I`m Richelle Carey.
END
