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Showbiz Tonight
Can Britney Bounce Back?; Courteney Cox Opens Up
Aired August 14, 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: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes rush to the scene of a car accident. And an absolutely stunning movie star-music star split.
I`m A. J. Hammer in New York.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney`s bizarre behavior. The startling video that is now spreading around the world.
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: I feel like I`ve been missing out.
KEVIN FEDERLINE, DANCER: Missing out on what?
SPEARS: On life.
HAMMER: Tonight, what`s going on with Britney Spears? From mommy mess-ups, to strange marriage matters, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, is her career kaput, or can Brit bounce back and do it again?
And coming out about not coming out. Tonight, why so many Hollywood stars are feeling the pressure to reveal their sexuality. Are they straight or not?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why celebrities are finding they`ve just got to say, "I`m not gay," or the other way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A. J. Hammer in New York, with the video that has now become a sensation around the world. It`s a Britney Spears video.
It`s not a Britney Spears music video, however. It`s a shocking home video that we can hardly believe ourselves the first time we saw it and showed it to you. But now it`s raising the question: Can Britney Spears ever make a comeback?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER (voice over): It used to be that a new Britney Spears video had everybody talking. But this new Britney Spears has people laughing.
SPEARS: Why are you looking through the peephole?
HAMMER: This at-home video clip of Britney Spears relaxing with then boyfriend, now husband, Kevin Federline, has become an Internet sensation around the world. It`s been viewed on YouTube.com almost half a million times by Web servers who can`t stop marveling at the one-time pop princess`s feelings on life...
SPEARS: I feel like I`ve been missing out on life.
HAMMER: ... propriety, and the pursuit of alcohol.
SPEARS: Why don`t we go watch that movie and just drink at home?
HAMMER: And while some are taking this latest Britney sighting in stride...
KATE CAPERTON, "OK!" MAGAZINE: It really is not going to hurt her image at all. Her fans know that Britney Spears is just a pretty, you know, down to earth, simple, low-key girl. And this is exactly what she`s doing in the video. She is hanging out, having some snacks, having fun. This really isn`t going to hurt her career at all.
HAMMER: Others got a look at Britney`s whacked-out theories on time travel.
SPEARS: Have you ever seen "Back to the Future"? Is that possible to time travel space?
FEDERLINE: No.
SPEARS: Yes, it is.
HAMMER: And they are taking their shots at her.
ROBERT KELLY, HBO`S "TOURGASM": You know she just went out and bought a DeLorean, too. She`s put -- she`s put -- she put a Jack LaLanne juicer on the back of it. She is sticking cabbage in it right now.
It don`t work. Honey, it don`t work!
Dude -- dude, you got to put lettuce in. I`ve seen them use lettuce, dude.
Are you sure? Yes.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is wondering, after months of tabloid coverage of her marriage to Kevin Federline, her missteps with her baby, and now this clip, are people now laughing with Britney or at her?
KELLY: How about music videos? Can we try that again? Maybe we can get back to the old singing routine?
HAMMER: Back when Britney was doing the old singing routine, beginning with, "Hit Me Baby One More Time," Britney quickly became an iconic superstar. She sold more than 76 million records worldwide.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I lived for Britney Spears.
HAMMER: She did it all, from commercials, to perfume, and even kissing Madonna.
KELLY: She made out with Madonna. You know, you have to be big to make out with Madonna. All right? Not only do you have to be a woman, but you have to be big.
She was the biggest thing for a minute. I mean, she was it. She was the next Madonna for a second. And then, you know...
HAMMER: What happened next was a string of incidents that the tabloids could not get enough of. From her quickie marriage and split from a friend, Jason Alexander, to her courtship and marriage to back-up dancer Kevin Federline, which she chronicled on a cringe-inducing reality show, "Chaotic"...
SPEARS: Can you handle my truth?
HAMMER: ... and driving mishaps with her son, Sean Preston, made her a bit of a tabloid joke.
KELLY: Anything with a baby. You know, it ruined Michael Jackson and it ruined Britney. OK? You can`t have kids. And if you do have kids, adopt them, like Brad and Angelina.
HAMMER: It`s gotten to the point that she isn`t even the most distinguished alumnus of the old Disney "Mickey Mouse Club Show."
SPEARS: Britney.
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER: Justin.
CHRISTINA AGUILERA, SINGER: Christina.
HAMMER: Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera are riding the music charts, but some say don`t count Britney out.
CAPERTON: You`re going to keep an eye on her. She is really going to come into her own in the next few years.
She has gone back into the studio right now. She`s recording another album. So she certainly has plans after her next child to get back on the road, keep touring, put another album out. So I think we`re just going to have to wait and see what, you know, this next album produces to see what kind of star she is going to become.
HAMMER: And no matter what you have to say about her video on YouTube, we`re still talking about it.
KELLY: Whatever person did that, took that little video dumb clip, it worked, because we`re talking about her. We`re not talking about anybody else today. We`re not talking about U2, we`re not talking about The Stones. We`re talking about Britney Spears.
So, touche, Britney. You did it. Good for you.
SPEARS: Huh?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: We can tell you, the best we can find out, that that bizarre Britney video is actually an outtake from her no-longer-on-the-air reality show "Chaotic," that I mentioned. Right now, Britney, of course, pregnant with her second child, who is due this fall.
Now we`ve got to hear from you on this. We`re turning it over for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day" to you on the question: Britney Spears: can she ever make a comeback? What do you think?
Let us know at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or send us more of your thoughts through e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
All right. So, when we found out this shocking Hollywood split happened today, the entire SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff gasped. In fact, so loudly, the whole Nancy Grace staff called down to us to make sure we were OK.
Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson separating after nearly six years of marriage. Kate, of course, is Goldie Hawn`s daughter. Chris, the lead singer of the Black Crowes.
They got married on New Year`s Eve back in 2000. They also have a 2- year-old son.
"People" magazine says that last year, Hudson said she didn`t believe monogamy was realistic and if Robinson felt the need to sleep around, she didn`t want to know about it. But Hudson`s rep gave us no reason for the split. This is definitely one of those Hollywood marriages we really thought had a good chance of making it.
And as if that wasn`t surprising enough, then imagine our shock when we heard today that Courteney Cox has confessed that she and her husband David Arquette are going to therapy to make sure their marriage doesn`t fall apart.
Cox opens up about her marriage in an interview in the new issue of "LIFE" magazine.
With me tonight in New York to tell us all about what the former "Friends" star had to say, "LIFE" articles editor, Susan Pocharski.
Thank you for being with me, Susan.
SUSAN POCHARSKI, ARTICLES EDITOR, "LIFE" MAGAZINE: Thank you.
HAMMER: So I want to read what she told you guys about going into therapy with her husband. Among what she said, "We got into these fights two nights in a row over stupid stuff, but I could see how relationships break up if you don`t go." To therapy, she means by that. "What are we doing?"
So they go into therapy, couple, which -- couples therapy, which makes me have to ask the question, are they in trouble here?
POCHARSKI: I don`t think so. I think, if anything, they are just being really proactive and trying to head anything off at the pass that -- that might be a problem.
They have "a deal`s a deal" engraved on their wedding bands. And I think that they are living up to that.
I mean, basically, she said that they realize they have different fighting styles. She likes to fight in public and just get it out in the open. He is a little more sensitive. He kind of pulls back, wants to be more private.
So they decided that they needed to go into therapy and figure out, OK, how do we work on our problems that suits both of us...
HAMMER: Right.
POCHARSKI: ... and, as a couple, how do we come out of it on top? And that`s what they are doing. And I actually give them a lot of credit.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s a nice proactive, preemptive move. And, you know, not to be a cynic, but they did put it on their wedding bands and they didn`t tattoo it onto their butts or anything like that. But it was actually Courteney Cox`s dear friend Laura Dern who actually pushed her into doing this, isn`t it?
POCHARSKI: Well, actually, Laura pushed Courteney into going into therapy for herself.
HAMMER: Oh, OK.
POCHARSKI: Not just the couple`s therapy. Courteney realized that she is in her early 40s and that she has a lot of stuff she needed to work on. She wasn`t really necessarily happy in her life. She was really living at a frenetic pace she wasn`t enjoying. So that was more about Courteney taking care of Courteney.
HAMMER: And she talks more about that. And she told you guys, "I`m a great caretaker, but one thing I`m not good at is taking care of myself. My goal for this part of my life is to be nurturing to myself."
You know, she helped David Arquette go through his drug abuse, which was very public.
POCHARSKI: Right.
HAMMER: She helped her best friend Jennifer Aniston from "Friends" go through a slightly public break-up with Brad Pitt. She`s had a lot to deal with.
POCHARSKI: Right. She has always been kind of an ubermom. Even on the show that was her character. In real life, she lived up to that as well, but she never took care of herself. And she realized that if she was going to be there for other people, she actually needed to be there for herself first, and that`s what she is doing.
HAMMER: And she is going -- she`s getting set to be in her very first sitcom since "Friends," a show called "Dirt." Ironically, she plays a tabloid magazine editor. And, of course, being best friends with Jennifer Aniston, she had to bet there through Jennifer, and Jennifer being the target of the paparazzi constantly.
POCHARSKI: Yes.
HAMMER: What did she have to say about watching Jennifer go through that?
POCHARSKI: Well, I think it was really hard for her to watch her best friend just be the subject of this relentless tabloid coverage. And Courteney got a little of it herself. When she was pregnant, she said she couldn`t go anywhere without the tabloid press following her.
So it`s a little bit of payback time. I mean, now she gets to play the editrix (ph) of a tabloid magazine and really, you know, show them what it`s -- what it`s like.
HAMMER: I`m guessing she is going to have a lot of fun with that role.
POCHARSKI: I would think so.
HAMMER: Good to hear that she and her husband are keeping it together, at least for now. It says on their wedding bands that they have to.
Susan Pocharski, thanks for joining us from "LIFE" magazine.
POCHARSKI: Thank you.
HAMMER: I appreciate it.
And "LIFE" magazine`s interview with Courteney Cox can be found in the current issue. There it is right now, and it is on newsstands at this moment.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes rush to the scene of a car accident. I`ll explain what happened coming up in a bit.
And, which celebrity did some trash talking while picking up trash? That celebrity that you can`t quite see right there. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT follows the star who got punished and had to pick up rubbish. That`s coming up next.
Plus, we have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you are gay, the right way to handle it is to always be honest. You shouldn`t avoid it. There is no upside to avoiding it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming out about not coming out. Tonight, why so many Hollywood stars are feeling the pressure to reveal their sexuality. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why celebs are finding they`ve just got to say, "I`m not gay," or the other way.
But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
What was the lass name of the unwitting TV star played by Jim Carrey back in 1998 in the movie, "The Truman Show"? Was it Burbank, Harold, Winston or Capote?
We`re coming right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz."
What was the last name of the unwitting star played by Jim Carrey back in 1998 in the film, "The Truman Show"? Was it Burbank, Harold, Winston or Capote? The answer is, A, Burbank.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is on.
I`m A. J. Hammer.
It`s time now for a little story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!" Someone who really has a need for speed. Listen to this.
An Arizona woman has racked up 70 speeding tickets in the last five months. She is 32 years old, she`s a mortgage broker, and she says she is always running late for client meetings. But get this, she threw out all the tickets because she thought nothing to happen to her.
The woman could face $11,000 in fines and lose her license. We`re definitely not going to take out a mortgage from this lady. We`re just going to put the brakes on this led-footed financier and say, "That`s ridiculous!"
Here`s something else you don`t see every day, singing star Boy George picking up trash and talking trash today in New York City. Yes, without the makeup. There he is.
George yelled at reporters to go home, saying he just wanted to do the job in peace. There was little peace from the very minute he walked through the city gate to start his day. A crush of reporters and photographers shouted his name there, battling to get the shot of the singer just trying to do his community service, cleaning up the streets.
All the extra attention seemed to rattle the former Culture Club front man. And he made sure to show and tell us exactly how he felt about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOY GEORGE, SINGER: It`s supposed to be community service, and you`re just making it a nightmare. It just means that it`s (ph) the media and not for me."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can see Boy George sweeping the dirt right at the reporters. He takes his swipes now, but he`s going to have to put on that orange vest and pick up trash for the rest of the week. The community service all part of a sentence for falsely reporting a burglary at his New York City home. The police who got there found cocaine instead.
Well, if there is anyone who knows about drugs and the law, it`s got to be Tommy Chong, half of Cheech and Chong, world famous comedy duo and stoner and pot head icons.
Tommy Chong joining me in New York right now, and he`s out with a new book called "The I Chong: Meditations From the Joint." The book all about the nine months Chong spent in federal prison for selling drug paraphernalia.
Tommy, a pleasure to welcome you to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
TOMMY CHONG, AUTHOR, "MEDITATIONS FROM THE JOINT": Hey, it`s a good day to be here.
HAMMER: You`re chuckling along while you`re watching that footage of Boy George. Personally, I think, look, he got busted. He was trying to do his community service. And they`re making a spectacle out of him.
CHONG: Well, you know why he`s mad, don`t you? The outfit he has to wear.
HAMMER: Yes. He wasn`t happy about the fashion statement he had to make.
CHONG: Oh, no. And he couldn`t wear his makeup. You know, the guy - - they were really rough on him, take away the man`s makeup.
HAMMER: Well, I`m guessing you would have been happier to have perhaps put on an orange vest and sweep the streets, as opposed to what you went through.
CHONG: I swept up when I was in jail.
HAMMER: Well, that was part of the deal, but it was nine months, not five days.
CHONG: Yes. That`s right.
HAMMER: And for people who are not aware, you spent nine months in a federal prison. You were busted essentially for conspiring to sell drug paraphernalia. Your company sells bongs, and they were sold across...
CHONG: It was actually my son`s company.
HAMMER: Your son`s company, with your name on it. And they went across state lines.
I heard about this bust and the fact that you were sentenced to nine months in prison for this. And I`m thinking, reading this, man, this guy`s got to be public enemy number one. And it all started when the DEA armed agents showed up at your house at 5:30 in the morning.
Take me back to that morning.
CHONG: They showed up, banging on the door real loud, and my wife woke me up. Or I was kind of awake. And I went downstairs, just my little Jockey shorts on. And I could see through the window -- I could see these guys milling around, you know, with visors and guns and flak jackets and, you know, boots. But they looked, you know, like trick or treaters.
HAMMER: Yes.
CHONG: You know? I felt like going...
HAMMER: I mean, you`ve got to be thinking, "They are not here for me."
CHONG: No.
HAMMER: "There is something else going on."
CHONG: Maybe some Enron executive had gotten loose and was running wild in the neighborhood.
HAMMER: Of course.
CHONG: You know? So I went to open the door, you know, and give them an apple or something, but they -- they busted in.
As soon as I opened the door, they said, "This is a raid." And they came in and they started, you know, taking my computers and going from room to room with the guns, you know, like -- like it was a dangerous -- like I was a dangerous criminal.
HAMMER: Yes. Well...
CHONG: Then they kept saying, "You`re not under arrest. You`re not under arrest. And you don`t need a lawyer. You`re not under arrest."
So, finally, then they finally told me what it was all about. And so I...
HAMMER: Cutting to the chase, nine months in prison, as a result of all of that.
CHONG: Yes, sentenced to -- sentenced on 9/11.
HAMMER: Right. And -- which brings me to the point, this was happening in a post-9/11 world. On the surface it looks like a bust for not selling drugs, but drug paraphernalia.
CHONG: Yes.
HAMMER: The federal government would argue, well, they`re cracking down even on marijuana sales because drug money was going to terrorists.
CHONG: Yes. Yes. And there`s weapons of mass destruction. They`re over there somewhere.
HAMMER: Yes. But what do you make of that argument?
CHONG: Come on. It was ridiculous. Totally ridiculous. You know?
When you think about the drug business, when the Taliban was in Afghanistan it was zero. America comes in, takes over. Now there`s something like a $40 billion drug trade going on in Afghanistan now, right now as we sit here. So I think more than anything, America, you know, and especially the DEA, I think they are more involved in the drug trade than the Taliban.
HAMMER: A heavy statement indeed.
CHONG: Yes.
HAMMER: Can you believe, though, you know, this is something that you have been an iconic figure for, for legalizing pot, among other things, for decades now. Did you think back in the 1970s that we would be here in 2006 still debating whether or not it should be legal?
CHONG: Well, Lenny Bruce, when he got busted back in the 50s, he said pot will be legal in the 60s because so many lawyers smoke it, so many law students smoke it. That was back in the `50s.
HAMMER: And it didn`t quite turn out that way.
CHONG: No. And then when Nixon got in power, he had a commission. He had ordered a commission of prominent people to investigate whether or not pot should be legal. Well, what he was trying to do is, why it should be illegal.
Well, the commission came back, the one that he commissioned came back with a recommendation that it should be legal. And he just -- that`s when he said, no, I disagree with that, and then he formed the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency.
HAMMER: And here we are in 2006.
CHONG: And it keeps on going.
HAMMER: And it keeps on going.
CHONG: But I think what should happen...
HAMMER: Quickly. I`ve got to wrap it up.
CHONG: OK. What they should do is just do like what they do with the gays in military, don`t ask, don`t tell.
HAMMER: Don`t ask, don`t tell. Good enough.
Tommy Chong said so.
Thank you for joining us, Tommy. I appreciate you being here.
CHONG: That was quick.
HAMMER: The book is called "Meditations From the Joint." There it is. And you will find it in stores now.
So the question is, will Fox foxtrot? Will Mario mambo? And will Jerry jive? These are all very important questions.
If you are fans of "Dancing With the Stars," it`s a crazy mix of celebs they have put together for this season. We`re talking about Vivica A. Fox; "Saved By the Bell`s" A. C. Slater, Mario Lopez; and talk show ringmeister himself -- or ringmaster, Jerry Springer. Other stars getting set to samba, country star Sara Evans, former football great Emmitt Smith, and "LA Law" star Harry Hamlin. Everybody is going to put on their dancing shoes when the third season of the ABC show kicks off September 12th.
New development tonight in the Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards divorce battle. Is it still even a battle? That`s coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn`t define them, but it does help shape them. And if you`re a fan of someone, you want to know everything about them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming out about not coming out. Tonight, why so many Hollywood stars are feeling the pressure to reveal their sexuality, one way or the other.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why celebs are finding they`ve just got to say, "I`m not gay," or the other way.
And, are dangerous criminals getting ideas from TV? Why some in law enforcement are blaming popular TV shows like "CSI" for a rise in violent crime.
We`re going to look at that shocking suggestion still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Whether you love or hate snakes, you`ve just got to love the title of Samuel L. Jackson`s new movie, "Snakes on a Plane." I mean, pretty much no doubt what you`re going to get for your 10 bucks at the movie theater. "Snakes on a Plane" one of the most buzzed about flicks of the summer.
Now, besides a whole bunch of these slithery serpents, Jackson tells me that you need some other stuff in a movie like this to get audiences to come on out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: There is no way this movie is going to fly without you seeing, you know, some naked people in a bathroom, you know, having sex, because, you know, there are certain things that have to happen in certain genres of film. So you`ve got to have some nudity. You`ve got to have -- you`ve got to have some people getting bit really good in some really strange places.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a whole new take on the Mile High Club. "Snakes on a Plane" is coming out this weekend. I`m going to have more of my chat with Sam Jackson tomorrow, including how he went ballistic when they wanted to change the name of the movie.
Well, just days after Robin Williams announced that he`s seeking treatment for alcoholism, we`ve got your very first look at his upcoming political satire. It`s a "Showbiz Showcase" coming up next.
Also tonight, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes go out for a little drive. They end up on the side of the road. And they were very helpful. What happened? We`ve got that still to come.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you are gay, the right way to handle it is to always be honest. You shouldn`t avoid it. There is no upside to avoiding it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, we`re going to tell you why so many Hollywood stars are feeling the pressure to reveal their sexuality one way or the other.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why celebs are finding out they`ve just got to say, "I`m not gay," or perhaps it`s the other way.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I am A.J. Hammer in New York. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s fair to say Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes don`t get an awful lot of good publicity, at least not of late. Is there marriage a sham? Is there really a baby Suri? When are we going to see the pictures? What`s up with scientology?
Well tonight, we have some good - good press coverage for them, because they did a good deed: they helped out a distressed couple in need. We`re going to explain exactly what happened on an L.A. freeway coming up in just a few moments.
Also tonight, the "CSI" effect. You know, the crimes that are detailed on television shows are so exact, so precise, you have to believe there have to be some criminals out there sitting around watching TV and getting some pretty great ideas. Are they? What`s the story with that? The "CSI" effect still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we hear so many denials from publicists and stars, it kind of makes our head spin some days. Things like, No they`re not dating. And, No, they`re not splitting up. And lately, one of the most common denials we`ve been hearing: No, I`m not gay.
So here`s what we wanted to know: why do so many Hollywood stars these days feel that they had to tell the world that they are not gay? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): It was the denial heard around the world. For years, rumors had swirled around Oprah Winfrey that her relationship with Stedham Graham was a cover; that Oprah was really gay, and her love was Gayle King. They were rumors so persistent Oprah felt compelled to dispute them in her very own magazine, saying - 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, admires you?"
PEREZ HILTON, PEREZ HILTON.COM: I choose to believe Oprah. But then at the time, there is that old saying: where there`s smoke, there`s a fire. And if a rumor sticks around someone long enough, it just makes you think - hmm, maybe there`s some truth to this.
HAMMER: But the CEO of gay "Here!" Network tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, rumors can be just that - rumors.
PAUL COLICHMAN, FOUNDER, CEO OF "HERE!" NETWORK: Rumors. Just because there are rumors that people are gay doesn`t necessarily mean that they actually are gay.
HILTON: Fans want to know everything about a celebrity, whether what brand of cereal they`re eating, the latest car they bought, who they`re dating. And if they`re not open about who they`re dating, then that creates even more intrigue.
HAMMER: Just ask Brandon Routh, the star of "Superman Returns." Sure, he can dodge speeding bullets, but he found himself also dodging rumors about his sexuality. And when Brandon sat down with CNN`s Larry King, he felt compelled to tackle the rumors head on.
BRANDON ROUTH, ACTOR: I`m very confident in - in who I am and my - you know, my relationship with my lovely girlfriend.
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, ACTOR: Nobody`s business but ours.
HAMMER: Playing a gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain" sparked all kinds of questions about Jake Gyllenhaal`s sexuality. Gyllenhaal wasted no time denying the rumors, but went out of his way to say he wouldn`t be afraid of being attracted to a man if it happened to him.
COLICHMAN: If you are not gay, yes, there is a right way to deny it, and I think Jake handled it about as well as anybody could, given such a - kind of an - a personal, invasive question.
HAMMER: But what about stars like Rosie O`Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres, who not only come out of the closet, but wear it like a badge of honor.
HILTON: It doesn`t define them, but it does help shape them. And if you`re a fan of someone, you want to know everything about them.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: And fan base means everything to stars. Just ask former NSYNC band member Lance Bass, who came out in an exclusive interview with "People" magazine. Bass says he struggled with coming out because of his bandmates.
COLICHMAN: If you are gay, the right way to handle it is to always be honest. You shouldn`t avoid it. There`s no upside to avoiding it.
HAMMER: And for stars like Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Jake Gyllenhaal and Brandon Routh, there may be no downside to denying it.
COLICHMAN: If you`re not gay, it`s only appropriate that you deny that you`re gay if people are rude enough to ask you the question.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, there is certainly no doubt that stars like Oprah and Brandon Routh are going to be answering those questions for years to come.
Well, in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "Man of the Year," starring Robin Williams, Christopher Walken and Laura Linney. What if one of America`s funniest comedians became president? Well, that`s actually what happens when a talk show host makes a surprising run for the Oval Office.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Politicians are a lot like diapers. They should be changed frequently, and for the same reason.
ANNOUNCER: Tom Dobbs was the biggest name in fake news.
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, ACTOR: More and more people are watching your show than Jon Stewart, Bill Maher for news. How crazy is that?
ANNOUNCER: .until the day he decided to stop going for laughs.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe you should run for president.
ANNOUNCER: .and go for votes instead.
WILLIAMS: Tomorrow, I will officially announce my candidacy for president.
Brace yourself, people. It`s now time for the campaign.
ANNOUNCER: From Barry Levinson, the director of "Rain Man," "Wag the Dog" and "Good Morning, Vietnam."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s in the debate?
WILLIAMS: Do you want to know my history, basically? I did inhale, because I thought, What the hell? It`s lit, it`s in my hand, I`ll inhale it.
When I was a young boy, I used to look at pictures of naked ladies.
I just farted a little while back there. Is there anything you wanted to ask?
ANNOUNCER: He`s not a puppet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I support hydrogen cars.
WILLIAMS: That`s weird, because you`re backed by oil companies.
And if you`re representing special interest groups, maybe we should be like NASCAR with little patches on the back - "Enron: We Take Your Money and Run."
WALKEN: Smack down!
ANNOUNCER: He`s not politically correct.
WILLIAMS: Four million illegal aliens are crossing the border with bedroom sets and night tables.
ANNOUNCER: He`s a one-man party.
WILLIAMS: You don`t like that amendment?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody who`s ever been married knows it`s always the same set (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He sounds different. Don`t know what to do with him.
ANNOUNCER: But what started as a joke.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you given any thought to what the makeup of your Cabinet might be?
WILLIAMS: Well, I`ve always been a big fan of hardwoods like teak or mahogany.
ANNOUNCER: .is about to end up in the Oval Office.
UNIDENTIED MALE: At 1:23 East Coast time, the free world will now be led by a comedian.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woops.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re going to president of the United States.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) there are roughly seven to 8,000 slots to be filled.
WILLIAMS: Just off the top of my head, I was thinking, Bruce Springsteen, secretary of state.
(LAUGHTER)
WILLIAMS: Joke. Little one. Little joke.
ANNOUNCER: From Universal Pictures and Morgan Creek Productions.
WILLIAMS: (INAUDIBLE) We`re going Greek bowling (ph).
Follow me, men.
ANNOUNCER: Robin Williams.
WILLIAMS: I`m out of ammo.
(SHOTS FIRED)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has been shot. He`s dead. Let`s go round them up.
ANNOUNCER: Christopher Walken.
WALKEN: (INAUDIBLE)
ANNOUNCER: And Laura Linney.
WILLIAMS: Did you vote for me?
LAURA LINNEY, ACTRESS: No.
ANNOUNCER: This fall.
WILLIAMS: The future begins now!
ANNOUNCER: .it`s definitely not.
WILLIAMS: I did not have sex with that woman.
ANNOUNCER: .politics as usual.
WILLIAMS: I wanted to.
ANNOUNCER: "Man of the Year."
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Looks like another hit for Robin Williams. "Man of the Year" hitting theaters on October 13.
Well, on the heels of his outrageous candid video of Britney Spears that`s been circulating on the Internet, and we`ve been showing you on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we wanted to know in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day" this: "Britney Spears: Can she ever make a comeback?" Let us know what you think by voting online at cnn.com/showbiztonight. If you have more to say, I encourage you: write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. That is our e- mail address. And we`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
Well, by now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT also hit the streets to hear what people are saying about our "Question of the Day." Here is some "SHOWBIZ Street Talk."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Britney Spears can make a comeback. She`s a successful artist and she`s good at what she does. And the controversy always - always helps bring people back. So she`s make it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now, I think it`s kind of unlikely that anybody`s going to keep supporting her after she`s done so many stupid things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sure, I think Britney Spears can make a comeback. Because really, any publicity is good publicity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And Britney, one more time: time travel, not possible.
Well, we want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now be seen seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show has arrived on your weekends. So join us, won`t you? For SHOWBIZ TONIGHT not only Monday through Friday, but Saturday and Sunday as well, at 11 p.m. Eastern. That, of course, is 8 Pacific.
Are you ready for Tom Cruise coming to the rescue? Well coming up, we`re going to tell you how Tom Cruise and his better half, Katie Holmes, came to the aid of some shaken car-accident victims.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARRY FISHER, DIRECTOR, LOS ANGELES CO. CRIME LAB: This stuff is really cool. You know, people are absolutely fascinated about using science to solve crimes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We`re going to get into why some investigators are blaming popular television shows like "CSI" for a rise in crime. The question is: are criminals watching and taking notes? We`re going to find out whether these shows are helping the bad guys get away with murder.
Also ahead, a surprising resolution to the Charlie Sheen-Denise Richards divorce battle. Is it possible - could their troubles be over? All the details are coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, most moviegoers were choosing comedy over the weekend. Here`s a look at the box office:
Will Ferrell`s race - race-car comedy "Talladega Nights" topped the box office. It`s the second straight weekend in a row where it was No. 1. It brought in more than $90 million since it opened a week ago.
Walt Disney`s new dance film "Step Up" opened at No. 4 - No. 2 rather, further proving that lighter themes were the hot ticket.
Some heavier themes were in the top 5, however. Arriving in theaters just before the fifth anniversary of the deadliest attacks on U.S. soil, Oliver Stone`s 9/11 epic "World Trade Center," in at No. 3.
Last week`s No. 2, the animated film "Barnyard: The Original Party Animals," it was fourth on the list.
And the No. 5 spot went to the horror flick "Pulse." That opened with under $9 million in ticket sales.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A.J. is at desk with (ph) tracking in the next segment. Master, stand by to your break. You can roll it, and George (ph), effect black.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go Camera 3. Fade up music under. Stand by, A.J. Pre-set 2, open his mike, dissolve Camera 2, go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
It seems that Lindsay Lohan`s manager mom Dina is gearing up to host her very own TV talk show. That is not the ridiculous part of this story. According to "Star" magazine, Mamma Lohan says she`s got such a gift for talking to people, that Lindsay`s friends call her "the white Oprah Winfrey." You heard me correct.
No network has picked up the show yet. But Lohan`s mom reportedly says she is ready to go. Dina Lohan, as "the white Oprah Winfrey" - now "That`s Ridiculous!"
It`s time now to get into tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Tom Cruise to the rescue on the freeway! Joining me with the latest, Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment Web site TMZ.com. Harvey is in Glendale, California, tonight.
Hello, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s get into this.
Tom and Katie to the rescue? I love this story. As the story goes, Tom and Katie - they`re on their way home from watching their buddy David Beckham play in a soccer game - a couple, stranded on the L.A. freeway, who had just apparently been in a car accident, and they of all people stop to comfort them.
What happened here?
LEVIN: Well, you kind of have it.
The - they were apparently in some kind of a car accident. We actually checked with the California Highway Patrol today, thinking that maybe this was some kind of a serious accident. It wasn`t. I mean, no ambulance called. They were basically on the freeway with a fender bender, and they decided to stop. And suddenly, we`re talking about it on CNN.
HAMMER: Call me a cynic - are they looking for an opportunity here for good press? Or are they just being good people? I mean, I don`t want to think that they actually said, Here`s an opportunity. But they haven`t been getting a lot of positive press lately.
LEVIN: Well, you know, I guess the cynical Harvey Levin is kind of thinking that - you know, the - the same thing. But I.
HAMMER: Yes.
LEVIN: I have to tell you something - I mean, this is great. I checked, and back in the mid 90s, there`s this great article about Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. They were on their yacht, and they saw another yacht catch fire. So the way this is written, Tom immediately jumped to action and sent his yacht staff over to help the other people.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Real-life action hero and his yacht staff, Tom Cruise.
Let`s move on then, shall we? Our next "Hot Headline" tonight - and I got to tell you, I`m very dismayed by this whole thing, Harvey. Kate Hudson`s rep has told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that, yes, after six years of marriage, this couple, Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson from the Black Crowes splitting up.
What do you know about this?
LEVIN: Well, you know, there have been some rumors from time to time about this, and they had said it wasn`t true. I mean, obviously, they have a baby and they talked about how happy they were after having the baby. There is no word yet on exactly why this happened. They haven`t filed papers yet, but they have separated.
HAMMER: Hard to be surprised by it though, because Kate Hudson recently quoted as saying - "I don`t believe monogamy is realistic." You caught that quote along the way, I`m sure.
LEVIN: Oh, yes. Yes. I mean, there have been signs here that there were some issues. But again, issues that - you know, typically what happens - it`s kind of like the Carmen - Carmen Electra-Dave Navarro split - that deny, deny, deny, deny, and then they split. And that seems to be kind of what happened here.
HAMMER: We thought this was one was going to work, Harvey.
LEVIN: I know.
HAMMER: I got to say, I shed a tear earlier today.
LEVIN: Made me a little sad.
HAMMER: Well, maybe I didn`t go that far.
All right. Here`s a story I didn`t think I`d be talking about at all ever: Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards amicably resolved all of their issues. They will not be headed to court.
Harvey, please explain to me what this is about.
LEVIN: Not so. That`s the report that was issued today.
What I`m told is that the report is wrong, that there have been interim issues that have been settled. But there are some - still some big financial issues that are outstanding that have not been resolved. And a lot of this has to do with the fact that "Two and a Half Men" is a wildly successful show. It is going into syndication, and there is tons of money to be made on that. The question is how that money is divided.
HAMMER: So are you saying that somebody along the process here is trying to hold things up until those money things get figured out?
LEVIN: Well, they have an interim solution to how they`re dealing with the money until they deal with the big issue. But we`re talking about a huge amount of money, A.J, with "Two and a Half Men." And that hasn`t been resolved yet.
HAMMER: These guys are not getting back together.
LEVIN: No.
HAMMER: No. OK.
Those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines." Thank you for joining us, Harvey Levin, from TMZ.com.
LEVIN: Bye, A.J.
HAMMER: So "CSI" and other crime shows have become wildly popular: crime and justice, the most popular genre on television. But there are some law enforcement officials who are concerned that criminals are watching and learning a thing or two.
Here comes CNN`s Ted Rowlands for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What am I smelling?
Bleach?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this episode of "CSI" the killer uses bleach to cover up a double murder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s no footprints; there`s no handprints.
ROWLANDS: In Austintown, Ohio, a real life-killer does the same thing, uses bleach to clean up after murdering a 43-year-old woman and her 70-year-old mother. It turns out, according to court documents, the alleged Ohio killer liked to watch "CSI" possibly learning that bleach gets rid of DNA by watching TV.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The killer poured bleach down all the drains.
UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Well, it`s sucking all the life out of DNA.
CAPT. RAY PEAVY, LOS ANGELES CO. SHERIFF`S DEPT: It`s showing the crooks how not to get caught.
ROWLANDS: Captain Ray Peavy runs one of the homicide units in Los Angeles County. He says "CSI " and other shows make it more difficult to nab criminals because, after watching these shows and seeing the incredible science investigators are using, criminals are cleaning up.
PEAVY: Things like cigarette butts, blood, semen, hairs, all those things that used to be left -- you know, I won`t say regularly but they weren`t certainly not cleaned up after them -- those things are no longer being left at crime scenes.
FISHER: So we`ll take a look in here in our identification or fingerprint section.
ROWLANDS: This is the Los Angeles County crime lab, a real CSI unit, where they do a lot of the same stuff you see on TV: analyzing bullet fragments, blood, fingerprints and just about anything else they can find at a crime scene.
FISHER: This stuff is really cool. People are absolutely fascinated about using science to solve crimes.
ROWLANDS: Barry Fisher, a criminalist in this lab for 30 years, thinks shows like "CSI" may teach criminals a thing or two, but he says it won`t do them any good.
FISHER: It is categorically impossible to remove all of the evidence that somebody`s going to leave at a crime scene. They may try but it`s - you`re not going to succeed in covering it all up.
ROWLANDS (on camera): Shows like "CSI" are not only being blamed for educating criminals, but also for tainting juries. Prosecutors from around the country say they are losing cases because some jurors show up wanting to see overwhelming physical evidence, just like they see on TV.
(voice-over): Larry Pozner, a criminal defense lawyer in Denver, says jurors` expectations have changed.
LARRY POZNER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: The result of the "CSI" effect is that jurors want more evidence. When they don`t get it, they become very suspicious.
ROWLANDS: Can a TV show really have this much affect on the criminal justice system?
Elizabeth Devine is a co-executive producer for "CSI: Miami." She used to be a criminalist in the LA crime lab. She rejects the notion that shows like hers have changed criminals or jurors.
ELIZABETH DEVINE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CSI: MIAMI": It underestimates a little bit the intelligence of our audience and the American people if they are -- or if people are believing that they can`t tell the difference between a television drama and reality.
ROWLANDS: As for that real life Ohio double-homicide case, in true Hollywood fashion, the cops found their main suspect hiding in this house: 26-year-old Germaine McKinney, the one police say learned from "CSI" how to cover his tracks, was arrested after allegedly trying to use one of the victim`s credit cards. McKinney put up a fight, but just like most "CSI" episodes, in the end, the alleged killer is taken away in handcuffs.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Ted Rowlands for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
McKinney was indicted on nine charges, including aggravated murder in connection with the two killings. He`s pleaded not guilty, and he is in custody in Ohio, awaiting trial later on this year.
Well, last night we asked you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking: "War on Terror: Do you worry Hollywood plots give terrorists ideas?"
Here`s how it went: 41 percent of you say, yes, you do worry Hollywood plots give terrorists idea, with 59 percent of you saying, No, you don`t.
We got a bunch of e-mails, too, including one from Ronny in Texas. Ronny writes, "All terrorists have to do is watch the national news, and it will tell them absolutely everything."
We also heard from Kathy in Montana. She writes, "Where do you think Hollywood and writers get their ideas from? Terrorists! Not the other way around."
Well, the baseball field made famous by Kevin Costner`s "Field of Dreams" came alive once again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you build it, they will come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Field of Dreams" was part of the Netflix Rolling Road Show. This is where fans can see hit films in the places they made famous. Pretty neat idea. Costner starred in the film, of course, about an Iowa farmer who receives a visit from the spirits of baseball`s past.
Now you`re used to seeing Costner on screen. But fans at this screening got to see a whole different side of him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He`s not kidding around there. Costner and his band played for more than an hour as a part of the event. He and his band got the crowd going with some original rock and pop music. First he thanks the people for setting the stage for a contemporary film classic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: "Field of Dreams" really speaks a lot about what America is, as James Earl Jones said, what - what it once could be again. And I want to thank Dyersville for - for the signs when I came in here. It made my wife and I very happy.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hard to believe it`s been 17 years. Field of - "Field of Dreams" was originally released back in 1989.
A reminder now that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is not a part of your weekends. So joins us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday through Friday and Saturday and Sunday, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go 3. Music under. Stand by, A.J. Open his mike, dissolve 2, Go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Here now, your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
Well tomorrow, Charlie Sheen, Collin Farrell - certainly two of Hollywood`s baddest bad boys. Still, they`re wildly popular in their careers and in romance. But what is it about them that keeps women flocking to them? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT examines the question why women love bad boys.
Also tomorrow, just when you started to believe a Hollywood marriage could actually make it, these guys - Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson - announce their separation. Why can`t even the seemingly stable stars stay together? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates tomorrow.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Glenn Beck, coming up next after the very latest from CNN Headline News.
END
