Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Mel`s Dramatic Apology; 25 Years of MTV
Aired August 01, 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: Dramatic new developments in the Mel Gibson controversy.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another Mel Gibson shocker. Gibson admits he made anti-Semitic remarks.
Tonight, his dramatic apology and how he`s even asking Jewish leaders for help. Will he be forgiven? Can his career survive? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with another chapter in the Mel-o-drama.
Snakes on a plane. OK. Try to follow along.
See, there are these snakes and they get on a plane. The movie isn`t even out yet, but the buzz is huge on this one. And the back story is hard to believe.
Tonight, the inside story on why one of the silliest sounding movies of the summer could end up being one of the biggest blockbusters.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And A.J., could the Mel Gibson story get any more dramatic?
HAMMER: Brooke, the word again is, wow! What a day it`s been.
Today Mel Gibson released an apology. It`s amazing. In it, he admits that he made anti-Semitic remarks after his drunk driving arrest and he pleads with the Jewish community to be forgiven.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is all over Mel`s meltdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): In the "Lethal Weapon" movies, Mel Gibson`s character wasn`t particularly good at defusing bombs. But Mel is trying to defuse the scandal over the explosive anti-Semitic comments he made during a drunken driving arrest. Those comments continue to affect his reputation in Hollywood among the Jewish community and with "The View`s" Barbara Walters.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I don`t think I want to see any more Mel Gibson movies.
HAMMER: Mel Gibson is coming out with his strongest apology yet, extending a big olive branch to a Jewish community that has had its issues with him over the years. Gibson has already apologized for comments he made during his arrest last week without specifically mentioning the anti- Semitic rant. But in a brand new statement, Gibson is coming clean.
He says, "There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has these photos from "In Touch" magazine of Mel Gibson living it up at a Malibu restaurant hours before he was pulled over. According to the arresting deputy`s handwritten report obtained by TMZ.com, an allegedly drunken Gibson reportedly said, "F`ing Jews. The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world." Then he allegedly asked the deputy, "Are you a Jew?"
Now, Gibson is trying to repair the damage, announcing that he`s entered an ongoing recovery program.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: He`s saying, look, I have a problem. I have a problem with alcoholism. There is obviously something deeply seated in me that I need to work on.
HAMMER: Here`s some more of Gibson`s statement. Gibson says, "The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is god`s child. And if I wish to honor my god, I have to honor his children."
"But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith. I`m not just asking for forgiveness, I would like to take it one step further and meet with leaders in the Jewish community with whom I can have a one-on-one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing."
Celebrity publicist Marvet Britto tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Gibson`s overture to the Jewish community is a great way to help clean up this mess.
MARVET BRITTO, CELEBRITY PUBLICIST: I think that it was perfect of him to go to them and ask for their forgiveness, which is essentially what he did in such a clever way.
ABRAHAM FOXMAN, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: We`re going to take him at his word and accept the fact that this is a sincere apology.
HAMMER: Minutes after Gibson released his statement, Anti-Defamation leader Abraham Forman told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "If Gibson`s serious, Gibson will get what he`s asking for."
FOXMAN: If he really means what that statement says, that`s a true apology. And when he`s ready, we`re ready to meet with him.
HAMMER: This has turned into a huge headache for the Los Angeles County Sheriff`s Department as well. A department watchdog group is looking into accusations that authorities tried to cover up Gibson`s inflammatory comments in the initial reports detailing Gibson`s arrest.
MICHAEL GENNACO, OFFICE OF INDEPENDENT REVIEW: Reports are modified all the time. Was the modification of this report done in a way so that the disclosure of information to the public would somehow be altered? And I don`t have the answer to that question.
HAMMER: And the sheriff`s deputy who arrested Gibson, who, by the way, is Jewish, is telling reporters that he didn`t take Gibson`s remarks seriously and he definitely didn`t want to hurt Gibson`s reputation.
JAMES MEE, L.A. COUNTY SHERIFF`S DEPUTY: I guess I need to know Gibson`s layer (ph), but not by -- not because I want to be. And I don`t want the celebrity.
HAMMER: But some are saying Gibson`s career could take a hit. ABC has already pulled the plug on a Holocaust miniseries it was planning with Gibson`s Icon Productions, which also produced Gibson`s controversial "Passion of the Christ."
In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, ABC says, "Given that it`s been nearly two years and we have yet to see the first draft of a script, we`ve decide to no longer pursue this project with Icon."
Some Hollywood experts say the going could get rough for Gibson.
MICHAEL SPEIER, "VARIETY" MAGAZINE: They might say, "I think he needs to be ostracized from the community because he really does believe this."
HAMMER: And what about Gibson`s next movie?
"Apocalypto," a completely subtitled adventure that takes place in the 15th century Mayan village, was already a tough sell. But Gibson`s publicist tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Disney still plans to release the movie on December 8th.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Now, there are people taking Mel Gibson`s side, and there are many who are not. Joining me now, Catholic League president Bill Donohue and syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington.
Nice to see you both.
BILL DONOHUE, CATHOLIC LEAGUE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED COLUMNIST: Thank you.
HAMMER: So, Arianna, not only don`t you accept Mel Gibson`s apology, you really think an example should be made out of this guy and basically he should be hung out to dry, isn`t that right?
HUFFINGTON: I actually just posted a new blog on "The Huffington Post" in which I say that his second apology is either the fastest, most dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus since Saul became Paul, and if it is true, great. And, if it is not, then it is the product of some fantastic PR genius, and I would like his phone number and name.
So we`re going to see, obviously, if this is a real redemption and a real apology. I`ll welcome Mel Gibson back to the world of the sane. And if it is not, I`m sure life will offer him other opportunities to show what he really believes.
So stay tuned.
HAMMER: Yes, a lot of people are saying time will tell.
Bill, you`re on his side, though.
DONOHUE: Well, of course I`m on his side, and so are most people on his side. First of all, he`s a great guy. He made a terrible mistake. It was inexcusable. It was anti-Semitic.
He has made a complete apology. It`s the most role model contrition I`ve ever seen in my entire life.
So now the real issue becomes the people like Arianna, who it`s never going to be enough for them. What does she expect, a phone call from Mel Gibson?
She is the same person who reached out to President Clinton when he had his little trampy affair with Monica Lewinsky, but, oh, my god, with Mel Gibson? What do we have a little different standard here, Arianna? You`re the real issue here.
HAMMER: Hold on a second, Bill, because I don`t -- while you may have your differences with Arianna, not necessarily fair to just pick on here. There are those who feel that simply an apology, you know, that`s just words. Time will heal and we need to see actions to see if those words are in fact the truth or, like Arianna said, some kind of PR spin.
Isn`t that fair to say?
DONOHUE: I`ve been talking to a number of Jewish leaders today, and they have already accepted it. As a matter of fact, Arianna is the only person I know who hasn`t.
HUFFINGTON: Well, you know what, Bill? First of all, I don`t know what you are talking about. You haven`t read my post.
I`m not saying I`m not accepting it. I made it very clear at the beginning of the show that if these are really his words and really what he believes, of course everybody will accept it. But time will tell whether they are or not his real words.
But the key thing here is that all this would not have happened if it had not been for Ari Emanuel, a partner at the Endeavor Agency on Sunday blogging on "The Huffington Post" and asking the Hollywood community to stand up for what is the truth and for what is right, and to put that above the bottom line and above Mel Gibson`s celebrity.
And then other Hollywood leaders followed. And that is really what I said in my first blog. This is the time, a time of tremendous conflict and tension in the Middle East, where a statement like that cannot just go unaccounted for and cannot go without somebody taking responsibility for it.
HAMMER: Bill, what about that? Because the timing here is pretty awful. And, you know, there should be accountability and not simply apologies.
DONOHUE: Well, I don`t know exactly what you want in terms of accountability. What do you want, community service, a little sensitivity training exercise, one of those dopey little things?
The fact of the matter is, he has made the most complete, unqualified, unconditional apology I have ever read in my entire life. And I want to know this: If Hollywood is so concerned about anti-Semitism, and it should be, why not have the same concern about anti-Catholicism, of which Hollywood wreaks of?
HUFFINGTON: But, you know what? This is really irrelevant. We`re talking about a specific instance. We are not talking about everything.
And what is interesting about Bill Donohue is that he accepted Mel Gibson`s first apology, which not even Mel Gibson is accepting. He was perfectly content. He put out a statement this morning with the first apology.
So this is really the difference between those of us like myself, like most Jewish leaders, who are willing to accept the second apology, provided this is real redemption, and somebody like Bill Donohue just accepted anything.
DONOHUE: "Provided." Always the condition, isn`t it? "Provided."
HUFFINGTON: Of course.
HAMMER: All right. Hold on a second here. I do want to read something from your post today, Arianna, because you were having at it.
Gibson reportedly said that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. Now, Arianna, on your blog, you said that that kind of thinking makes Mel Gibson psychological soul mates with the leader of Hezbollah. That`s a bit extreme to most people.
HUFFINGTON: Psychological soul mates, absolutely. Anybody who actually believes that Jews are responsible for all the wars has the same kind of mindset that has led to the anti-Semitism throughout the ages, that has led to the extermination of millions of Jews. No question about it. That`s the kind of mindset that has to be zero tolerance for, not just in the Hollywood community, but across the land.
HAMMER: An apology, Bill, good enough to heal words like that?
DONOHUE: Well, if it`s good enough for almost everybody -- and, you know, quite frankly, to put Mel Gibson, when he was loaded, in the same category with Hezbollah is a despicable, obscene analogy. Maybe you`ve never been drunk, Arianna. Guess what? I have, and so have most Americans, and we say stupid things.
HUFFINGTON: It`s very interesting what we say when we are drunk, and this is not the first time that Mel Gibson has made remarks which have been very questionable and which were incredibly hurtful to the Jewish community.
So, let`s see what happens.
DONOHUE: No, it`s really the movie -- it`s the movie that people didn`t like. And I will defend this movie. And it`s not anti-Semitic. And that`s what the propaganda machine wants to do, is to try and discredit the movie. They won`t succeed.
HUFFINGTON: This has nothing to do with the movie. We`ve moved on beyond the movie. This is about Mel Gibson making anti-Semitic remarks during a time of extreme tension in the Middle East, when everything we say has to be really very carefully thought out.
HAMMER: And that is where we will end it. Thank you very much.
Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, nationally syndicated columnist Arianna Huffington, I appreciate you being with us here to talk this out a bit.
HUFFINGTON: Thank you.
DONOHUE: Thank you.
HAMMER: More to come on the Gibson mel-o-drama in just a bit. Coming up later in the show, we`re going to look into whether there actually could have been a cover-up.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Mel Gibson controversy: Will you still go to see his movies?
Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail to that address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Even more new dramatic developments in the Mel Gibson drama. Coming up, the latest in the investigation, whether there might have been a cover-up as well.
We`re also going to have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN LENNON, SINGER: I was followed in my car and my phone was tapped. I think they wanted me to know to scare me. And I was scared, paranoid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A gripping new documentary takes a look at how the American government monitored John Lennon and tried to deport him.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look at U.S. versus John Lennon in the "Showbiz Showcase."
HAMMER: Plus, you`ve heard the buzz by now. "Snakes on a Plane," just fun to say. We`re going to have the inside story on how one of the silliest sounding movies of the summer could actually end up being its biggest blockbuster.
"Snakes on a Plane," that`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And it`s time now for a story that just made us say, "That`s ridiculous!."
Listen to this. A waitress at a bar in Ohio asked for a customer`s I.D. So the woman handed over the I.D., which happened to be the waitress` own driver`s license. It had been stolen a few weeks earlier.
So a police captain who was asked about it said he can`t even calculate the odds of that actually happening. The woman who had the stolen I.D., she was arrested and charged with identity theft and receiving stolen property.
"That`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: What are the chances?
All right. We`re going to go back in time now. We`ve got a big birthday to celebrate.
Believe it or not, 25 years ago today, the face of pop culture changed forever. August 1, 1981, MTV music television hit the air waves, complete with plenty of high hair and high collars. I`m going to speak with one of MTV`s original VJs in just a minute, but, first, a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON (voice over): The channel that told us that "Video Killed the Radio Star"...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Boxers or brief?
ANDERSON: ... that brought politics back to the campuses, and gave us reality TV before reality TV was everywhere.
The rebellious music channel that many of us grew up with turns 25 today.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER: MTV was birthed in `81, right? And so was I. Coincidence? I think not.
ANDERSON: Not that it`s ready to grow up.
BRIAN GRADEN, MTV PRESIDENT OF ENTERTAINMENT: I think we -- as a culture, we never want to grow up. And so the fact that we`re turning 25, maybe that`s how old we want to be. Maybe that`s part of it.
ANDERSON: Older and facing more competition to stay in the center of pop culture.
TOM LOWRY, "BUSINESS WEEK": Basically. when they started out they were competing against, you know, other TV channels, or maybe the radio. Today, you know, they`re competing against the person that has their own kind of Web site and can create something that`s unique and fun and catches a lot of buzz on the Internet. You know, sites like MySpace and YouTube that basically pop up overnight and has huge communities.
ANDERSON: Now that cable is old school, the battle for young viewers has moved on to the Web and into your cell phone.
GRADEN: It`s different for every platform, and what`s working on MTV the channel is very different than what works on MTV overdrive or on a telephone.
ANDERSON: And while Graden admits that keeping up with new forms of technology and entertainment will be challenging, he thinks there will be some constant.
GRADEN: The only thing I think will be constant is that the real world will still be with 27 (ph) keys and that Madonna will still be having top-10 hits.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Nina Blackwood was at the heart of MTV right from the beginning. She was one of the channel`s five original VJs. And Nina Blackwood joins me now here in Hollywood.
Good to see you, Nina.
NINA BLACKWOOD, FMR. MTV VJ: Nice to be here.
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about this, 25 years ago, August 1, 1981. That was a huge, monumental day, but not everybody could see it. Cable companies weren`t carrying it.
What was that like?
BLACKWOOD: That`s right, actually. You have to keep in mind that MTV actually grew at about the same time that cable TV did.
So even us, at MTV, we were based in New York City and Manhattan wasn`t even hooked up for cable yet. So MTV had to rent buses, take us all -- schlep us all over to New Jersey, and there we watched it in some funky club, and we watched the launch.
ANDERSON: I`m sure it was very exciting.
BLACKWOOD: It was, yes.
ANDERSON: And did you know that you were signing on to something really huge? I know Martha Quinn, who was also one of the original VJs, said she immediately quit her job changing toilet paper at the NYU dorms when she got this gig.
BLACKWOOD: Oh. That`s not what she was doing. I think she exaggerated.
ANDERSON: She`s a jokester.
BLACKWOOD: Yes. Yes.
Well, I was already working on some video projects, television pilots, so to speak, in Los Angeles. So I kind of thought that videos would catch on for a little while. But, a 24-hour music channel, it was anybody...
ANDERSON: It was a risk.
BLACKWOOD: Yes, anybody`s guess. And, you know, how long it was going to be on the air, at the time, even, like three years in, we still don`t know, even though it was making, you know, a lot of headway in the record industry and all that, making a lot of input with people all around the country.
ANDERSON: Right.
BLACKWOOD: But -- so, you know, it was a gamble.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s talk about one of the video that became a worldwide phenomenon, Michael Jackson`s "Thriller."
BLACKWOOD: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: To this day, still to this day the most expensive music video ever made, $1.1 million. I mean, there were MTV parties celebrating this music video.
What was that day like?
BLACKWOOD: Oh, I remember that well. And the weeks leading up to it, how many times we said, "Don`t forget the world premiere of `Thriller.`" And I was thinking about that earlier today.
It`s like, you know, you wouldn`t really have an event of that scope these days. Everybody would, like, set their clocks for, like 8:00.
ANDERSON: Right.
BLACKWOOD: It`s going to be a world premiere -- especially not videos. But, you know, it was a huge event. And actually, the hype, you know, we weren`t disappointed. The hype kind of matched what we actually saw. It was like, wow, never saw that before. That`s really cool -- a mini movie.
ANDERSON: Talk about hype, Live Aid. You said one of your best memories was watching Mick Jagger and Tina Turner.
BLACKWOOD: Yes. Yes. I mean, the whole event was wonderful, and I was very happy to be part of such a historic event.
And, of course, Bob Geldof pulled off something that -- you know, who could pull that off?
ANDERSON: He certainly did.
BLACKWOOD: You know, it was amazing.
But, yes, I`m a fan of The Stones. And I love Tina Turner. And Mick has always said that he copped a lot of his moves from Tina.
ANDERSON: Wow, giving her a little bit of credit. Listen to that.
BLACKWOOD: Yes. So both those two strutting together was quite something. That was -- that was cool.
ANDERSON: Well, 25 years later, MTV still going strong, although with a lot of reality TV these days.
BLACKWOOD: Yes.
ANDERSON: But Nina, we`re going to have to leave it there. Great to see you. Nice to meet you, Nina Blackwood.
BLACKWOOD: And nice to meet you, too.
ANDERSON: Of course.
BLACKWOOD: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And actress -- moving now to actress Christina Ricci. She opens up about anorexia and what made her know that she had a problem. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, the shocking developments keep on coming in the Mel Gibson drama. Coming up, we`re going to take a look at what the sheriff`s department has to say now and what it all means in the investigation.
ANDERSON: Plus, holy Hollywood, Batman. We have breaking news for you. A new Joker has been cast for the sequel to "Batman Begins." We`re going to tell you who it is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: There is a new Joker in town. Today we learned Heath Ledger will play the Joker in the sequel to "Batman Begins." The sequel is called "The Dark Knight," and Christopher Bale will reprise his role as Batman. Christopher Nolan, who directed "Batman Begins," will return for the sequel.
Ledger was nominated, of course, for an Oscar this year for his role in "Brokeback Mountain." In playing the Joker, Ledger takes on the role that Jack Nicholson played so memorably in 1989.
"The Dark Knight" is estimated to start in early 2007.
HAMMER: Hints about the new and final "Harry Potter" book from the author herself. Plus, two other major writers weigh in on Harry`s fate. That`s coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know all those securities scenarios we ran? Well, I`m smack in the middle of one we didn`t think of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You`ve all heard this buzz by now, "Snakes on a Plane." We have the inside story on how one of the silliest sounding movies of the summer could end up being its biggest blockbuster.
That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, it just keeps on coming, dramatic new developments in the Mel Gibson drama. And coming up, we`re going to take a look at what the sheriff`s department had to say today, and we`re going to tell you what it all means in the investigation.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, if you ever thought Big Brother wasn`t watching, they`ve been watching for decades. Years and years ago, when the Vietnam was going on, John Lennon spoke out strongly in protest of the war. Well, the government was keeping tabs on John Lennon. All of that has been documented. In fact, there`s a brand new documentary. We have your first look. It is a fascinating story. That`s coming up in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: All right, A.J.
Also, Harry Potter author J.K Rowling is hard at work on the seventh book in the series. Now in the past, she has said that a main character is going to die. Could it be Harry? Well, Rowling is dropping some hints, and we`re going to have her words, coming up.
HAMMER: Let Harry live.
But first tonight, our continuing coverage of the shocking controversy surrounding Mel Gibson`s arrest. Now today, we heard from the actor himself. He put out a statement basically apologizing for his anti-Semitic remarks. He had owned up to the remarks, and he went as far as to ask Jewish leaders for help. We also heard from the sheriff`s department about how they handled the case.
Joining me now from Glendale, California, Harvey Levin, the managing editor of the Web site that broke this whole big mess, the entertainment- news site TMZ.com.
Nice to see you, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: So as we all know by now, Mel Gibson arrested for suspicion of DUI. The investigation is now being launched into whether or not the arresting officer was told to sanitize his report, basically to remove the anti-Semitic statements that Gibson had made. And there`s a big question as to whether Gibson was given special treatment.
Let`s take a listen now to exactly what the attorney responsible for looking into the allegations of wrongdoing by the L.A. Sheriff`s Office said. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL GENNACO, ATTY., INVESTIGATING L.A. SHERIFF`S DEPT.: The question is whether there was an original intent or discussion about leaving out important information from the report. And the answer is, based on the information we have collected to date, and after - after spending all day, or a large part of the day yesterday at the Lost Hills Station, my information to date indicates that was not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So Harvey, according to the sheriff`s attorney, no discussion about leaving information out of the report.
You`ve been into this.
LEVIN: Well.
HAMMER.thing. What do you make of it?
LEVIN: He continued on, though, to say - he acknowledged something that the sheriff has not acknowledging, which is there was indeed a supplemental report that was written here, that the initial report that the deputy wrote was modified. That they had one report, and then a supplemental report that had all of this other information. And he said he was looking into why that supplemental report - or what the purpose of that was. Even though he said it was going to go to the district attorney, the question is, Why did it get taken out of the original report, and was it done to keep it from the public? And was that in policy with the department?
HAMMER: OK. That`s right. So the attorney basically went on and responded to the question of whether or not the deputy`s report had actually been changed.
Let`s listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENNACO: One, reports are modified all the time. It`s a sergeant`s responsibility to ensure, in reviewing a report, that all of the essential elements are included in the report. The report was modified as far as a format. The substantive information in the report, that was in the original report and that you probably have all viewed - it`s out in the public realm - and by the way, the department is looking into that unauthorized disclosure. But I can confirm that that substantive information is the same information that was being prepared for review of the district attorney.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Harvey. The reports are modified all the time. This one had been modified, but essentially the substantive information in the report was exactly what it originally was.
Do you - do you actually think that`s the case?
LEVIN: Well, I mean, he`s kind of - he`s - he`s being a little bit evasive here, because he was pressed by reporters and finally acknowledged - he said, Look, OK, there was a supplemental report that did have all of the bad information in it. And he said that stuff was indeed going to go to the district attorney. But what the - he`s looking into now is, Did the sheriff create that supplemental report in order not to have to tell the public and the media, This is what Mel Gibson did. And that`s what he`s looking into, and whether that`s appropriate or not.
So that`s the core of what we`re getting at here. Why did the department basically lie to us on Friday, and say this whole thing was without incident, when there was a big ol` incident, which included Mel Gibson trying to escape?
HAMMER: Harvey, this is just a big old mess, isn`t it?
LEVIN: Well, it is a big mess. And it`s interesting the way Gibson has dealt with it now by acknowledging - I thought his letter today was really interesting, that he said he`s not anti-Semitic. He went on to say, however, he`s trying to figure out where those vulgar remarks came from in himself. And he`s asking the Jewish community to reach out and help him.
Well, we just published, A.J. an article, because we got a letter from a very prominent rabbi in town - his name is David Baren (ph). He runs - he runs a temple called the Temple for the Arts, which has a lot of industry people. And the rabbi is inviting Mel Gibson to be the keynote speaker for the Yom Kippur services, which is the Jewish day of atonement.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Wait a second. Hold on a second, Harvey. Did I hear you correctly? Mel Gibson.
LEVIN: We just published it.
HAMMER: Mel Gibson, who just today said, Yes, I made these anti- Semitic remarks that I had been alleged to have made - I actually made them - he will be speaking on the holiest of holy days in the Jewish calendar?
LEVIN: The day of atonement, the day of forgiveness. And the rabbi has extended an invitation to Mel Gibson. We contacted Mel Gibson`s rep, and we`re waiting to hear back on whether Gibson`s going to accept the offer or not.
HAMMER: So is the tide turning that quickly? I mean, did it - did - is that all it took, was the - was just this apology?
You know, I was talking earlier on the program with somebody who said, Yes, that - that`s great. He was - it was a heartfelt apology. He actually meant when he said. And I`m sitting here thinking, Well, those are words of course. They`re in major PR spin control right now. Let`s see how time takes us through this.
LEVIN: Can you imagine Mel Gibson with a yarmulke on October 1 in front of this Jewish congregation? I mean, you couldn`t write in this in a movie, A.J.
HAMMER: Here is a guy who is reported to have said, "Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world," Harvey.
LEVIN: I know.
HAMMER: This is a.
LEVIN: I know. I mean, I - this - this letter, you got - you go to look. I mean, this is incredible. It`s incredible. This is Hollywood, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes, it`s Hollywood. And - and in Hollywood, it`s not very unusual for the cops to be friends with the celebrities. And in fact, we know that`s the case in point for Mel Gibson. He has been chummy with the Malibu police department, and there`s nothing wrong with that.
But of course, then it is easy for us to look at this and say, Maybe he did get some special treatment. We know that he shot that PSA for the Malibu Police Department. We showed that on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT last night.
In your heart of hearts, Harvey, do - do you think, you know, basically he was getting this special treatment, and they were cutting him a break here?
LEVIN: Well, the deputy didn`t cut - really, the deputy really did not cut him any kind of a break in this case. The only issue is, Once it was all said and done, did the department try and keep all this horrible conduct from the media by creating these reports? And that`s really the question.
Now ultimately, it would have gone to the DA. But then the - the sheriff could say to Mel Gibson, Hey, you know, we weren`t the ones who exposed this; it was the DA who did it. And that`s the question; is that the MO of the sheriff`s department? We`re trying to figure out why on Earth were they going to these lengths not to get this out in public?
HAMMER: Why on Earth indeed?
Harvey Levin from TMZ.com, thanks for joining us.
LEVIN: Bye, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, this has been the focus of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking: "Mel Gibson Controversy: Will you still go see his movies?" Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Your e-mails tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Christina Ricci speaking out about her battle with anorexia in the September issue of "W" magazine. The actress talks about her struggle with body image in this issue. She says, "I was 12 or 13. I was in puberty. It was a horrible time. I saw a television movie, and I was like, Somehow, what Tracey Gold is doing right now is something I`d like to do. So obviously, there was something wrong with me."
Ricci is referring to "Growing Pains" star Tracey Gold and her battle with an eating disorder.
Read more of Christina Ricci`s interview in "W," which hits newsstands everywhere August 18.
HAMMER: In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," an inside look at how the United States government kept tabs on John Lennon as he was living in New York and protesting the Vietnam War. This is a documentary called "U.S. Vs. John Lennon." And here is your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve been in trouble all your life. Why is that?
JOHN LENNON, SINGER: I`m just one of those faces, you know? People never liked me face.
(SINGING)
RICHARD NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If we concede, generations to come will say of us now living that we mastered our moment.
(SINGING)
LENNON: You have to be more politically aware in a day and age like this. It`s impossible to close your eyes to it.
(SINGING)
NIXON: As South Vietnamese forces become stronger, the ray of American withdrawal can become greater.
(SINGING)
LENNON: Peace in your mind, peace in the world. They`re selling it like soap: peace or war. That`s the two products.
GERALDO RIVERA, JOURNALIST: There was a theory that John could imperil the political existence of Richard Nixon.
YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON`S WIFE: John was daring to speak out.
LENNON: We came here to say to all of you, Apathy isn`t it, and that we can do something.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His activities were being monitored.
LENNON: I was followed in the car, and my phone was tapped. Actually, they wanted me to know, to scare me. And I was scared, paranoid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Immigration and Naturalization Service began deportation proceedings.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you stop speaking out against the war?
LENNON: No, nothing will stop me. I`ll always say what I feel.
(SINGING)
LENNON: Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. And I`m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Their distortion of the Constitution was the greatest disloyalty to this country.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lennon represented life, and Mr. Nixon and Mr. Bush represent death.
(SINGING)
ONO: His message is still alive.
(SINGING)
LENNON: Our job now is to tell them that there is still hope. We must get them excited about what we can do again.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon."
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon" is going to open in New York and Los Angeles on September 15.
ANDERSON: Ever just feel like disappearing? Well, you might be able to get your wish. Coming up, will becoming - being invisible become a reality, or is that idea just plain ridiculous?
Plus, we`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: You know all those security scenarios we ran? Well, I`m smack in the middle of one we didn`t think of.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is one of the most buzzed-about movies of the summer. But it almost lost its star. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets the slithery story behind "Snakes on a Plane." That`s next.
ANDERSON: And Harry Potter`s secrets: J.K. Rowling talks about the last book in the series. Will she kill off Harry? Some clues next.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Music under. Stay by to your break, Master. And roll your break, effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Camera 3. Fade up music under. Stand by, A.J. Open his mic and dissolve 2. Go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is on.
And it`s time now for another little story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
A scientist in Scotland thinks we`ve actually a realistic chance of making ourselves invisible in the future for real. He`s basing his theory partly on the Invisible Woman, one of the Fantastic Four comic book characters. Something about curving space and bending light. I don`t know. Well, whether or not this invisibility thing has a ghost of a chance of happening, why in the world would we want to make Jessica Alba disappear, Brooke?
ANDERSON: I don`t think we would. She`s a nice gal. I don`t think we would.
You know, H.G. Wells` "Invisible Man" did it. Harry Potter did it with his magical cloak. Anything`s possible, I guess.
HAMMER: It`d be kind of nice though, if you could pull it off. Who among us hasn`t thought about making ourselves invisible?
ANDERSON: It`d be nice. It`d be dangerous, though, for some with the wrong intention.
HAMMER: Yes, I - I think you`re right.
And so for the meantime, we say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: "That`s Ridiculous!"
HAMMER: So Samuel L. Jackson`s new movie "Snakes on a Plane" - give you one guess as to what that`s about - it`s already getting huge buzz. I mean, over-the-top, unprecedented buzz. And it doesn`t even hit theaters for another few weeks. "Snakes on a Plane" - I got to tell you, if that`s not a great name for a movie, I don`t really know what is.
Join in with me now and say it, "Snakes on a Plane."
WHITNEY PASTOREK, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": "Snakes on a Plane."
HAMMER: Whitney Pastorek is a correspondent from "Entertainment Weekly."
Help - help me understand all this, because Whitney the buzz is huge. Nobody`s even seen this thing yet.
PASTOREK: Sure.
HAMMER: What`s the deal?
PASTOREK: Well, I - I think you just hit on it exactly right there. It`s "Snakes on a Plane."
HAMMER: "Snakes on a Plane."
PASTOREK: Or if you`re Sam Jackson, it`s "Snakes on a Bleepin Plane."
HAMMER: Yes.
PASTOREK: And the minute that that name got leaked - and it was Samuel L. Jackson who leaked it.
HAMMER: No, if you`re - if you`re Samuel L. Jackson, it`s "Snakes on a Bleepin Plane!"
PASTOREK: No, "Snakes on a BleepinBleep Plane."
HAMMER: Yes. Just (INAUDIBLE)
PASTOREK: Yes. The minute he leaked it, the Internet went crazy. And that`s what is happening with all branches of entertainment nowadays. Something gets out there, the bloggers seize hold of it, and it just explodes. So.
HAMMER: And it unravels from there.
Well let`s take a look at specifically of what we`re speaking of here. "Snakes a Plane," a little of the trailer. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JACKSON: You know all those security scenarios we ran? Well I`m smack in the middle of one we didn`t think of.
(SCREAMING)
JACKSON: (INAUDIBLE), and you live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: At the risk of repeating myself, the title of this film is "Snakes on a Plane." And the title is basically why Samuel L. Jackson signed on to it in the first place, not necessarily cause it was a good script.
PASTOREK: No, I`m sure. He told his people, Look, I don`t necessarily have to do serious things all the time. He likes old-school horror. He likes action films. And he was a big fan of the directory, Ronny Yu, the original director. He said, I want to do some kung fu, and I want to fight some snakes. So let`s go.
HAMMER: So when he saw that title, "Snakes on a Plane," he said, I`m onboard.
The ironic thing is, he shows up on set to shoot the movie to learn that the title has now been changed.
PASTOREK: Yes.
HAMMER: The title is all of a sudden, "Pacific Air 121."
PASTOREK: Which to me is like the worst miniseries that I never wanted to see on Lifetime on something, you know?
HAMMER: Well, and his reaction to it was a lot stronger than yours. In fact, I`d - I`d like to - I`d like to read what he said. Because he was afraid that - the studio was afraid, rather, that "Snakes on a Plane" gives away too much of what the movie is about.
PASTOREK: Sure.
HAMMER: So his reaction to that, basically - quote - "Are you (effing) out of your minds? That`s exactly what you want to do. How else are you going to get people into the movie? Nobody wants to see `Pacific Air 121.` That`s like saying, `Boat to Heaven.`"
He goes on to say, Whitney: "If you`re coming to see this movie, you`re going to see a plane full of deadly-ass snakes. That`s what it should be called: "Deadly-Ass Snakes on a Plane."
PASTOREK: "Deadly-Ass Snakes on a Plane."
(LAUGHTER)
PASTOREK: I mean, I want to see it even more, now, just hearing you read that.
HAMMER: And for some reason they decided just to stick with, "Snakes on a Plane," not "Deadly-Ass Snakes on a Plane."
PASTOREK: At that point - well, "Deadly-Ass Snakes on a Plane" - you know, a little - you don`t want to take the kids to that, you know?
But I think it had already captured so much of the Internet`s attention, and it was free marketing, left and right. So when he came out so in favor of this, they recognized that the Internet was helping them instead of hurting them. People had put up parodies; they had - you know, "Snakes on a Train"; "Snakes on a Boat"; "Snakes on Cocaine." You name it, they had made the short film.
HAMMER: And let`s be clear: you`re not taking the kids to see this in any event, because originally, it had a PG-13 rating.
PASTOREK: Sure.
HAMMER: Sam Jackson shows up and says, What are you kidding me? This thing needs some profanity.
PASTOREK: Exactly.
HAMMER: It needs some things that would bump it up an `R` rating.
PASTOREK: Some deadly-ass snakes.
HAMMER: That`s what happened - that`s what happened, isn`t it?
PASTOREK: Exactly. They turned it around; they re - did some reshoots. They bumped up the violence; they bumped up the sex. They made it into something that I think now is not going to be just shlacky, but cringe-worthy. And the buzz coming out of ComicCon, where they showed a 10- minute clip in San Diego last weekend, was that it - the shocks and the snakes coming right at you and - I don`t know that it`s going to be my cup of tea, but I`m going to go.
HAMMER: And - and - they`re - the - the real crazy thing to me is the unprecedented impact that the blogs and the Internet have had on this.
PASTOREK: Yes.
HAMMER: Actually, suggestions from fans of this movie they`ve never seen altered the script.
PASTOREK: It`s true. The - the big sort of tagline that people are using, I`ve had it with these bleepin` snakes on these bleepin` plane, is something that the bloggers encouraged.
(LAUGHTER)
PASTOREK: .and that Sam Jackson said, You know what? Let`s just throw that in there.
HAMMER: That`s unbelievable.
PASTOREK: Let`s do it.
HAMMER: It`s going to be interesting to see if anybody actually shows up to see it, or if it was just a lot fun on the Internet.
PASTOREK: Yes.
HAMMER: Whitney Pastorek from "Entertainment Weekly," I appreciate you being with us.
PASTOREK: No problem. Thank you.
HAMMER: "Snakes on a Plane," just fun to say. And you can see it in theaters on August 18. And you can read all about Sam Jackson`s adventures in the movie in this week`s issue of "Entertainment Weekly," which is on newsstands now.
ANDERSON: One of the biggest questions out there: What`s going to happen to Harry Potter? J.K. Rowling is hard at work on her seventh and supposedly last book in the series. But will she kill off Harry himself? In New York, at a charity reading along with horror master Stephen King and "The World According to Garp" author John Irving, Rowling dropped some hints of what might happen to the young wizard.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.K. ROWLING, AUTHOR, "HARRY POTTER": To an extent, the pressure is off I suppose, because it`s the last book. So I - I feel quite liberated. I can just resolve the story now and it`s - it`s fun. It`s fun in a way that it hasn`t been before.
It is different to an extent. But the essential plot is what I always planned. We`re working towards the end I planned from the beginning. But a couple of characters I expected to survive have died, and one character got a reprieve. So - yes, there have been some fairly major changes, I suppose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: By the way, King and Irving don`t want to see Harry go. Irving says - quote - "My fingers are crossed for Harry." As are mine.
HAMMER: Time now to get into tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Tommy Lee was happy to get a lift, but not everybody is happy that he got the lift. Los Angeles authorities have actually filed charges against the helicopter pilot who landed on a public street to take the rocker to a concert. Now the pilot with reckless flying when he landed in Hollywood to take the Motley Crue drummer to a Nine Inch Nails show last month.
Looks like Cher is putting a bunch of her stuff up for auction. We are talking about some of her Bob Mackie gowns, some of her jewelry, even her Hummer. Why is she doing all that? Well apparently, she`s redecorating her home, and she`s going with a new style from Morocco and Tibet. The October auction may actually bring in up to $1 million, with a cut of it going to charity.
And we need to stop the presses: word is, Paris Hilton back together with her boyfriend, for now anyway. The hotel heiress tells "People" magazine that she and Stavros Niarchos are in love. Can you hear the birds chirping away? By the way, the pair were in St. Tropez partying it up with Sean "Diddy" Combs on his yacht.
And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Tuesday night coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. Stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. And dissolve L.A. Go.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Charlie (ph).
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, Mel Gibson admitted today he made anti-Semitic remarks. It was still just an allegation yesterday when we asked you our "Question of the Day": "Mel Gibson Controversy: Will his alleged anti-Semitic rant ruin his career?" Only 28 percent of you say, Yes, it will ruin his career; 72 percent of you say, No, it won`t.
Boy did we get a lot of fired-up e-mails on this one. Take a listen:
Michelle from Colorado thinks he can bounce back, "As long as Mel truly repents and makes amends with the Jewish community, he will gain back many of his fans."
But Harvey from Florida says, No way: "He`s an alcoholic, and his father is a Holocaust denier. The fruit doesn`t fall far from the tree. Goodbye Mr. Gibson!"
We do appreciate your e-mails.
HAMMER: We do indeed.
Time to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. For that, we unravel the "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And coming up tomorrow, are you just sick and tired of seeing celebrities on the cover of you favorite fashion magazines? Do you think they just stick to the soundstage and stay off the runway? Coming up tomorrow, celebrity fatigue. Are supermodels ready to make a super comeback?
Also tomorrow, if you thought "The Da Vinci Code" was controversial, check this out: I`ll be speaking with a woman who actually claims to be a descendent, from a blood line, that traces back to Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Is she living "The Da Vinci Code"? We`re going to get into that tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night, everybody. Glenn Beck is next. Stay tuned, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
