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Showbiz Tonight
When Divorces Go Bad; Madonna Responds; "So Sorry"; Rx for Rehab; Hulk`s Daughter, a Pop Star
Aired October 19, 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, CNN CO-HOST: A scathing letter from Madonna about criticism of her adoption. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CO-HOST: And why Sharon Osborne wants to reverse the surgery that helped her lose more than 100 pounds.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, star splits. The already nasty Paul McCartney- Heather Mills divorce takes an even more shocking turn. Tonight, the almost unbelievable allegations about what the former Beatle may have done to his wife.
And, we`ve got to ask, why have so many of Hollywood`s other big divorces gotten so ugly?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with dirty laundry, dirty deeds.
Danny Bonaduce`s very public battle with alcoholism. The loved "Patridge Family" star, warts and all, caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANNY BONADUCE, STAR: When I see it, I`m embarrassed. And I think, what`s wrong with that guy? And he should be ashamed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, why is Danny Bonaduce letting cameras capture his downward spiral, his drug and alcohol problems, his stormy marriage? Danny Bonaduce in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi, there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And Paul McCartney won`t let it be. He`s fighting back.
HAMMER: That`s right. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is all over the world tracking down the latest shocking developments in the Paul McCartney- Heather Mills divorce drama.
We can tell you this, the new and stunning revolutions have turned what was already a hard day`s night into a hard day`s nightmare for the former Beatle. We can also tell you that this very nasty fight is only going to get worse.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas has been working the story all day. She`s in Hollywood with the very latest -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. It is a divorce that keeps getting crazier. British tabloids are going nuts with what they call released court papers that allegedly accuse Paul McCartney of some unreasonable behavior during their marriage.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
VARGAS (voice-over): As the old Beatle`s song says, there is plenty of cussing and fighting in the split between former Beatle Paul McCartney and Heather Mills.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that the divorce battle for Paul`s estimated $1.6 billion fortune has just reached new heights or a new low, depending how you look at it.
Lured allegations of violence and mistreatment that are being splashed on tabloids and newspapers all over the world. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes from London to New York to Hollywood to bring you the latest.
In London`s CNN`s Becky Anderson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT these new allegations have made for juicy reading in Sir Paul`s native England.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Charges of mistreatment have made initially in documents published by the tabloid, "Daily Mail" and the "Evening Standard," which describes them as extracts from court documents.
VARGAS: Heather Mills` spokesman was quick to respond.
PHIL HALL, SPOKESMAN FOR HEATHER MILLS: It`s a highly controversial divorce proceedings. And Heather, well, I spoke to her this morning and she was shocked it was out there, first and foremost.
VARGAS: Curiously, no one on Heather Mills` team is denying that the reports and the wild charges in them were really from Heather`s court documents.
In a written statement, his attorney says, quote, "Our client would very much like to respond in public and in detail to the allegations made recently against him by his wife and published in the press, but he recognizes, on advice, that the only correct forum for his response to the allegations made against him is in the current divorce proceedings. Our client will be defending these allegations vigorously and appropriately."
In other words, see you in court.
B. ANDERSON: One lawyer told me, this is a shot across the bowels, basically saying, as far as Heather Mills is concerned, this is a small amount of damage I`m doing to you now. I can do much worse than this.
VARGAS: Even with that, the latest lured headlines, the McCartney- Mills marriage had already turned bitter in the press, and most of that bitterness is directed at Mills.
On the streets of London, where Sir Paul is more revered than the queen or even James Bond, there does not appear to be a lot of Heather fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think most people will support him instead of her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re suspicious of her motives, but nobody knows the facts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think people are more outraged at what she said to this icon.
VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, no matter where you are talking London or Hollywood, divorces often get nasty.
The just announced split between country singer Sara Evans and her estranged husband is peppered with charges of porn use and adultery, which he denies.
The Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards divorce include charges of porn use and drugs, which he denied before the couple reached a settlement.
And then there`s the David Hasselhoff divorce, a monumental hassle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says you broke her nose.
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: The only person who broke my wife`s nose was a plastic surgeon, darling.
VARGAS: We lost count of all the claims Hasselhoff and Pamela Bach threw back and forth in their now completed divorce.
RAOUL FELDER, CELEBRITY DIVORCE ATTORNEY: High profile divorces get nasty, but there`s a lot to get nasty about. There`s usually lots of money involved.
VARGAS: New York City Divorce Attorney Raoul Felder tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that going negative in a divorce can have a good and bad side.
FELDER: There`s two schools of thought about going negative. One is that the other guy will settle quickly. The other school of thought is the other guy`s going to get mad and now really fight.
VARGAS: As far as the Mills-McCartney split, Felder tells us that divorce is simply different across the pond. So there`s no surprise that`s getting nasty.
FELDER: In Britain you can`t just say we didn`t get along, or in California, irreconcilable differences leading to an irremediable breakdown. You have to allege some kind of fault, and you have to be able to back it up.
VARGAS: The sad thing is, when they announced their split, both Paul and Heather said they wanted to make everything amicable for the sake of their three-year-old daughter, Beatrice. It`s obvious that`s not how it`s going to be.
Further proof that celebrity divorces, while not always this titillating, are almost always a little sad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (on camera): The story has some twists and turns every day and, of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be following them every step of the way -- A.J.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Thanks Sibila. Sorry for interrupting. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas is in Hollywood. We appreciate that.
Another interesting little wrinkle in this McCartney split. English law absolutely forbids the publishing of private details in divorce cases, which furthers the mystery over how and why those alleged details of the McCartney-Mills divorce actually wound up in the papers.
And, of course, the McCartney-Mills divorce drama, not the only incredibly personal and heart-wrenching celebrity split, as we`ve mentioned.
So here`s what we want to know. What happens when so much dirty laundry becomes public?
Joining us tonight from Hollywood, Investigative Journalist Pat Lalama; and also a Hollywood veteran, Celebrity Publicist Howard Bragman. I welcome you both.
All right, Pat, let`s figure this out here. As I mentioned, these details, particularly in the case of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, are absolutely confidential. They are not supposed to get out there. They were leaked out. And this kind of stuff doesn`t leak out by accident. So what the heck is going on?
PAT LALAMA, INESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: You`re absolutely right. And, you know, we have our own laws here about family law issues. The ones in England are far tougher, and the penalties are far greater.
Now, what I find very interesting, A.J., is that this information was leaked right before a preplanned BBC interview, where Heather was going to talk about counseling people who were victims of the London bombing. And so it`s a little bit fishy.
You know, I don`t believe that her law firm had anything to do with it. Obviously, you know that her lawyer represented Princess Diana. His lawyer represented Prince Charles.
I believe that somewhere in the camp, in Heather`s camp, whether she has any knowledge or not, had something to do with it. But it`s only going to hurt her in the long run.
Let me just tell you a really -- a quick caveat. Princess Diana actually ended up getting more with these same lawyers by agreeing to a gag order and by not revealing a lot of these things. So whatever they are doing, whatever Heather`s camp may be doing, is not wise.
HAMMER: Well, the stuff is out there.
And Howard, now that it is, and these are horrible allegations we are talking about.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PR: Right.
HAMMER: Who actually comes out looking worse, Paul or Heather? Even if the allegations aren`t true?
BRAGMAN: I think Paul is a rock star, literally and figuratively, and I think it`s really hard for Heather to do him damage.
As we heard from the people on the streets of London, this guy is an icon and people love him. And she`s the only one who`s going to look sort of sleazy for leaking those things. And I think she`s really hurting her case with the public, and in the court of law and in the court of public opinion.
HAMMER: Well, as you mentioned, Paul certainly is a rock star in all senses of that word.
So, Pat, let`s talk about another case. Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, because of course, they had their divorce details play out in the press, including allegations she was making of prostitutes and violence. Charlie has, of course, denied all that. But when this sort of stuff happens, doesn`t it kind of make everybody look bad?
LALAMA: It`s really ugly. It`s not taking the high road. Look, I mean, if these allegations are true and they are in court documents, they deserve to be is there. But remember, this stuff is supposed to be private. You can`t blame the accuser for putting what he or she feels are legitimate matters within a court document.
But in the case of Charlie and Denise, what really got to me was the fact these horrid allegations were made about, you know, his dalliances. But then all of a sudden in the end she said, oh, you know, we are friends and everything`s great and I signed on the bottom line. And that really looks sleazy. I mean, it`s either one way or it`s the other.
But in Hollywood, as you know, money talks, publicity talks. And people are fickle and they will change their horror stories, you know, as the sun comes up and down.
HAMMER: Sure.
And of course, Howard, everyone wants the public on their side, but in the end, especially when it comes to divorce court, does the court of public opinion even really influence how the cases are actually settled? Or is it just what people are thinking and what their mindset is?
BRAGMAN: No, it`s a huge factor. There`s people that don`t want to get humiliated. The last thing Charlie Sheen wanted to go to was a long drawn out divorce where they bring up some of these old charges that have been made against him. And it was very wise of him to settle quickly and shut everybody up.
So I think the court of public opinion is an important thing. Nobody wants to be humiliated. And the other point I want to add is, I always feel bad because these are real People. And even though in the case of the McCartneys, their child is young. She`s only 3 years old. She doesn`t know what`s going on. She will at some point, and there`s other children. There`s family. And it`s really hard for everyone to go through this kind of time.
HAMMER: Yes. The dirty laundry should stay in the laundry room.
Howard Bragman, Pat Lalama, I thank you both for joining us tonight.
BRAGMAN: Thanks, A.J.
LALAMA: Thank you, A.J.
ANDERSON: Last night we asked you what you think about all these juicy and sometimes graphic details about celeb relationships. Star Splits: Should they keep their dirty laundry to themselves?
We got an overwhelming number of responses. 93 percent of you say yes, 7 percent of you say no. Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight Send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts later on in the show.
And don`t forget SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only this is the only entertainment news show that let`s you express your opinion on video. So, just look into your video camera or your webcam, and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. Really easy, head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, and you can learn how to do it. All you`ve got to do is click, attach and send. Remember, your videos have got to be 30 seconds or less. And then just watch for your video e-mails only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, the father of the baby Madonna is adopting comes to her defense in a very, very big way. Plus, the scathing statement from Madonna, herself, about all the criticism.
Plus, Sharon Osborne underwent weight loss surgery that helped her lose more than 100 pounds. So why does she want to reverse that surgery now?
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sweating bullets. I don`t know what to do. There`s a stocked mini bar in my room with a full bottle of Absolute. And please, God, I don`t think I`m going to make it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: His downward spiral with drugs, alcohol and rage all captured by the cameras. So the question is, why the heck is Danny Bonaduce coming back for more? A second season of his reality show is about to begin, and Danny Bonaduce is here. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson, in Hollywood.
Well, it`s time for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous." OK, call it bowling for Jesus. A man in Michigan has made rosary out of bowling balls. The guy set up the 700-pound rosary in his front yard -- front yard -- using 59 bowling balls and 20 cans of spray paint. The rosary is 70 feet long and is held in place with metal stakes. It`s pretty striking, so to speak, but a rosary made out of bowling balls, now that`s ridiculous.
HAMMER: Anna Nicole Smith`s son Daniel has finally been buried, five and a half weeks after he died. There was a funeral today for him in the Bahamas. Daniel Smith died on September 10 while he was visiting his mother in the hospital, of course, just days after she gave birth to a daughter.
A pathologist, hired by Anna Nicole, blamed the death on a combination of antidepressants and methadone.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Madonna has a message to all the critics giving her grief for adopting an orphan boy from the African country of Malawi. Get off my back!
In an exclusive with "People" magazine, the singer says parts of her life and career may warrant comment or criticism, but in this matter it`s uncalled for.
Joining me in Hollywood, "People" magazine`s Julie Jordan.
Julie, good to see you again.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi, there. First, I want to take a look, Julie, at what Madonna told "People" magazine, and it is this, quote, "I expect to be given a hard time about many of the things I do. I know they are provocative, and I prepare myself, but I did not expect the media, the government or any human rights organizations to take a stand against me trying to save a child`s life."
Julie, she`s got a point there. Is she being unfairly criticized for trying to give this child from Malawi a better life?
JORDAN: Well, celebrities receive preferential treatment. We all know that. So, of course, they could have sped things up. But she`s still having to play by the rules. She`s abiding by the laws. And adoption isn`t something that she`s taken very lightly. She`s really excited about bringing this little boy into her life. And I got to say, it`s hard to fault someone who is trying to give a child a better life.
ANDERSON: It is hard to fault someone. And it`s not just Madonna defending her actions. You got to hear what the father of the orphan boy, David, had to say. His words, just as strong, Julie. Here they are:
"Where were these people when David was struggling in the orphanage? These so-called human rights groups should leave my baby alone. As a father, I have OKed this. I have no problem. The village has no problem. Who are they to cause trouble? Please let them stop."
It sounds like he`s begging, stop the criticism. So why the continued criticism? I mean, Madonna can certainly give this child a life that`s better than what he could have expected under the circumstances.
JORDAN: Sure. Well, it`s Madonna. You know, you can`t forget that. Controversy tends to follow her. And when there`s no chaos, people like to create it. So even in a situation like this when she`s doing a good thing, people look for that. They want excitement. They want drama.
If anything, you know, she`s just embracing the fact that again she`s bringing this child a better life. I don`t think many people out there are going to say he would have had a better life in the orphanage. Maybe this will spotlight international adoptions, you know, and you can go in that direction, where families who want children now realize this is a possibility.
But it`s just something that she`s -- you know, she`s working with, she`s figuring it out. Ultimately, it`s about the happiness of this child and being a part of her family now.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. This is a child whose mother died, his father had to place him in the orphanage simply for survival purposes. Madonna has promised to provide the child with a good life, bring him back to visit Malawi. She`s even pledged $3 million for other orphanages there.
But some have criticized that this could be close to buying a baby, selling babies. Why are so many people continually going after her? They won`t stop, it seems.
JORDAN: I know. Well, celebrities in general, of course, we like to kind of get inside out, figure out what`s making them tick. And with Madonna, she`s no exception. So now, you know, you just have to focus on the fact that she said she`s wanted more children. To bring this boy into her life was a very big decision for her. But again, it`s Madonna. People are going to find fault with pretty much anything she does one way or the other. So it`s just -- you have to focus on the positive. And I think she`s going to be able to get through this. And in the end, it`s just going to be a really good thing that she had an opportunity to create such a good life for this little boy.
ANDERSON: Julie Jordan, as always, thanks so much for your insight. Great to have you with us.
JORDAN: Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And to read more about Madonna`s adoption controversy, just pick up a copy of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands tomorrow.
HAMMER: Now, a very candid chat with the legendary Norman Lear. Lear created some of the most popular and most controversial comedies of all time. I`m talking about "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "One Day at a Time." These are shows that dealt with tough issues at the time and today, like race, abortion and religion.
Well, I asked Norman why his shows still hold up after so many years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CILP)
HAMMER: I`ll be flipping through the channels, and I`ll come across "All in the Family," or I`ll come across "The Jeffersons," and I always stop and watch. And I know that you`ve also built a whole new generation of fans who love your shows. They have endured -- sure, some of it may seem and feel a little dated. That`s the nature of time passing. But it has held up. Why is that?
NORMAN LEAR, PRODUCER: I think largely because the way restoration comedy has held up, the way those characters, written in other centuries, larger than life characters that held up, George Jefferson, Archie Bunker, everybody that surrounded them. They are just brilliantly played by brilliant actors and larger than life. And they transcend generations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Norman still really into TV, and he`s also really into music. In fact, his record company was behind the multi-Grammy-winning, huge selling, "Genius Loves Company." That was Ray Charles` last album before he died.
Well now, Norman`s got another brand new Ray Charles CD out. This is it. It`s called "Ray Sings, Basie swings." It features a rare recording of Ray singing with the Count Basie Orchestra.
So, I asked Norman why the music of Ray Charles is so appealing for all types of music fans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m curious why you think it is that Ray Charles endures the way he has and really transcends time and generations?
LEAR: I think it`s because -- well, first of all, a gift from God is that voice, but then the passion and the soul -- he was all about his music, and he was all about communicating with you, with me, with everybody. And I think that you listen to him and that`s what you feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Norman also told me that a couple of his current favorite television shows are "South Park" and "Family Guy," and that`s for their biting satire. And get this, I actually asked Norman if he might ever do another television series. His reply was a very cryptic, I wouldn`t be surprised. So stay tuned for that.
ANDERSON: All right. A newspaper is apologizing to Vince Vaughn, but will it be enough to keep them out of court? We are going to tell you why the "New York Post" is very, very sorry, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, who would have thought Hulk Hogan`s daughter on her way to becoming one of the biggest pop stars on the scene. But what does dad think about Brooke`s sexy photo shoots? We`ve got the pictures, and they are both here. That`s coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sweating bullets. I don`t know what to do. There`s a stocked mini bar in my room with a full bottle of Absolute. And please, God, I don`t think I`m going to make it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Danny Bonaduce`s problems with alcohol, rage, a stormy marriage, all captured by the cameras for a reality show that he says he can`t even watch. So why is he doing a second season? Danny Bonaduce is here, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Just a few days after Vince Vaught threatened to sue the "New York Post," the newspaper is apologizing for running a story that said he and Jennifer Aniston broke up, and that he was kissing a mystery blonde at a charity event in London. The Post picked up the story from a British tabloid, and is blaming them for getting the story wrong.
Today, the Post ran an apology, saying, quote, "We`re advised Vaughn was merely greeting a friend at the event and not kissing her `passionately.` Any suggestion that the actor was being unfaithful to Aniston is totally false."
HAMMER: Well, Sharon Osborne actually wants to reverse her weight loss surgery, even after it helped her lose more than 100 pounds. We`re going to tell you why, coming up.
ANDERSON: Plus, Danny Bonaduce`s problems with alcohol, rage a stormy marriage, all captured by the cameras for a reality show that he says he can`t even watch. So why is he doing a second season? Danny Bonaduce is here, coming up.
We will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don`t like your chest hanging out like that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROOKE HOGAN: Mom, your chest hangs out more than mine.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yours is more noticeable than mine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m telling you to go change the dress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Saying that the dress was a problem, how does Brooke Hogan`s dad feel about a provocative new photo shoots, now that she`s becoming a major pop star? Hulk and Brooke Hogan, both here, and they`re coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
A.J., Danny Bonaduce, the beloved star from the TV show, "The Patridge Family," is once again letting TV viewers into his life and home. No holds barred access to see everything. His rages, his stormy marriage, the demons he battles. Coming up, Danny Bonaduce on "Breaking Bonaduce" and his very public battle with alcoholism.
HAMMER: Yes, I`ve always appreciated Danny`s candor. And sometimes it hasn`t been pretty, but at least he`s always honest.
ANDERSON: He`s so honest.
HAMMER: Yes, he really is.
On to another woman who`s always been very honest and open about things, Sharon Osborne. She took drastic measures to shed over 100 pounds seven years ago. These are measures she plans to reverse, even though she continues to battle with her weight. You`ll find out exactly what Sharon`s doing. And that is just ahead.
But first tonight, "Prescription for Rehab." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s special weeklong series about celebrities battling painful addictions to drugs and alcohol.
Tonight, Whitney Houston, after 14 years of one of the most talked about rocky rollercoaster marriages ever, she has finally filed for divorce from Bobby Brown. And that`s just the first step the former superstar is taking to reclaim her career and bounce back from drug abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): With her divorce to Bobby Brown in the works, it looks like Whitney Houston is finally trying to get ahead with her life and put the past behind her.
MARVET BRITTO, THE BRITTO AGENCY: I think right now Whitney`s main focus should be Whitney. Whitney being healthy, Whitney being focused on Whitney`s, you know, triumphant return.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, after years of rumored drug and alcohol abuse, getting Whitney back on track could be difficult.
MICHAEL LEVIN, LEVINE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: And it`s hard to change. It`s a long walk up a steep mountain once you`ve fallen as low as she has.
HAMMER: In the 1980s and early 90s, Whitney Houston was on top of the world. With blinding beauty and millions of album sales, she was America`s sweetheart.
But her good girl image took a hit after her marriage to bad boy Bobby Brown in 1992. Her behavior, once so polished and perfect, became erratic. It seemed to everyone like Whitney was sliding into dependency.
In January of 2000, a pot bust in Hawaii. In March, Whitney misses her cues and gets booted from performing at the Oscars. Then, one year later, Whitney, looking positively skeletal at a tribute concert for Michael Jackson. "People" magazine`s Peter Castro says, that was the turning point.
PETER CASTRO, MANAGING EDITOR, "PEOPLE" EN ESPANOL: It was like, if there was any doubt before that Whitney Houston was having problems with substances, look no further. This is the ultimate proof.
HAMMER: Whitney even admitted to using drugs in the now infamous interview with Diane Sawyer. She stopped short when it came to crack.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: First of all, let`s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let`s get that straight. OK? I don`t do crack. I don`t do that. Crack is whack.
HAMMER: And while that interview may have raised eyebrows, image experts say after several public slipups, a few stints in rehab and years away from the spotlight, Whitney has no other choice but to get back out there and come clean.
BRITTO: An addiction is a difficult thing to address.
HAMMER: Mariah Carey hired Marvet Britto to repair her image after a very public breakdown.
Marvet tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Whitney needs to do interviews again and face her fans.
BRITTO: She`s been gone for a long time and a lot of this has really, you know, affected her standing, if you will. Whenever she made public appearances, and things went a little less, I think she does owe the public an explanation.
HAMMER: Celebrity Publicist Michael Levine agrees. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, before Whitney can make a comeback, she needs to take personal responsibility for her actions.
MICHAEL LEVINE, LEVINE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: You`ve got to get out and declare that I have had a problem, I am doing everything possible to restore my life and my career.
HAMMER: That`s the way redemption goes in show business. Just look at Robin Williams and Robert Downey, Jr. Both actors struggled with substance abuse.
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: You fall down, you get back up again and get back in the race.
HAMMER: Both men openly and successfully got their addictions under control in rehab and are now working successfully in Hollywood.
BRITTO: Well, America is very forgiving because, you know, at some point each of us has a family member that`s struggling with some sort of addiction.
HAMMER: Kate Moss is one of the most photographed women in the world. But her career could have come to a screeching halt when this picture was splashed across the front page of Britain`s "Daily Mirror." It allegedly shows the super model snorting a white powder. It cost Kate her endorsements and forced a public apology and a reported stint in rehab.
One year later, though, Kate`s earning an estimated $17 million. That`s three time what she was making before the scandal.
LEVINE: You have to act quickly. Now in the case of Whitney Houston, she didn`t act quickly. She was very slow to come to any kind of contrition, humility, a personal responsibility. So that`s going to play against her.
HAMMER: It may play against her, but it certainly won`t break her. Whitney`s got a long road ahead of her. But those in the know tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s on the way with her positive outlook and reconnecting with the right people, including her mentor, the legendary record producer Clive Davis.
BRITTO: We don`t want her to be, you know, another tragedy. But when we saw her emerge with Clive, we felt really, really happy about the fact that she was making and taking steps in the right direction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (on camera): And Clive Davis does tell us that he and Whitney are hard at work on a comeback album. He says they have started to pick out songs. No word yet, however, on when it might be released.
ANDERSON: Someone who is no strange to her battling addiction is Danny Bonaduce, who has gone from former child star of "The Partridge Family," to reality TV star, with his VH1 show, "Breaking Bonaduce."
The next season is about to begin, and we`re getting an inside look at his rocky marriage, his family and the demons and his drug and alcohol addictions.
Danny Bonaduce is with us tonight in Hollywood.
Danny, great to see you again.
DANNY BONADUCE, ACTOR: Hi. Nice to be here. Thanks for having me back.
ANDERSON: All right, first season we saw you just raging on steroids. We saw your stormy marriage, you and your wife at each other`s throats. We saw you going through so much.
BONADUCE: Right.
ANDERSON: Why would you want to let the cameras in a second time?
BONADUCE: Because it was a reality show and that`s what I was doing when they got there. Sometimes I feel like I`m the only host of a reality show who bothered to look up the word reality. It means non-deceptive. I didn`t hide anything. It seems like people are kind of upset because I did my job too well.
ANDERSON: You can tell, it`s very obvious that you`re very honest, you`re very real in this reality show. You don`t even watch it yourself, you told me.
BONADUCE: No. I would never watch it.
ANDERSON: Do you worry how it might affect your kids?
BONADUCE: Yes, sure. But I worry about how everything might affect my kids. You know, I just watched the roll into this segment, and there`s every celebrity in the world in and out of rehab. And I mean, hopefully I won`t be too much more of an embarrassment than all fathers are an embarrassment to their children.
ANDERSON: Do you talk to them about addiction or are they too young? Because I`m sure they`ve seen...
(CROSSTALK)
BONADUCE: My daughter knows absolutely everything I have ever done. My son is too young to understand, but my daughter -- you know, I didn`t just decide to expose all my secrets to a TV camera. I just don`t have any secrets. I`m one of the few guys I know with no skeletons in his closet. I heard today that Mark Foley is saying he doesn`t remember the text of a sexual nature because he was heavily medicated. I used that excuse five years ago. You know, I just, I don`t keep any secrets.
ANDERSON: You`re clean and sober now for, what, seven months?
BONADUCE: I think seven months now.
ANDERSON: Congratulations on that.
BONADUCE: Thanks.
ANDERSON: That`s a big step.
And we`ve all been watching recently Mel Gibson battling -- he`s had such a nightmare with his own problems. He went into a treatment program. What`s your take on how he`s been handling it?
BONADUCE: Oh, I think he`s been handling it like a pro. But, you know, I`m just a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) celebrity with bad habits. Mel is an empire, and he`s got an empire of people working and telling him what to do and what to say.
It`s hard for me to make a call on Mel Gibson. For one thing, I don`t know what he meant in his heart. People say, well, if he didn`t think it somewhere, he wouldn`t have said it just because he wasn`t drunk. That`s totally not true. I said all sorts of stuff I didn`t mean when I was totally drunk. I think I had a physical relationship with a toaster once and I`m positive I didn`t love it.
ANDERSON: I doubt you did.
BONADUCE: And so -- hey, I`m just glad it wasn`t the blender.
ANDERSON: God, that`s got to be scary.
BONADUCE: But, you know, who knows what Mel actually meant and who knows what he actually feels now because he`s just got a machine working for him trying to recover from it.
ANDERSON: Well, he and Robin Williams, both trying to get through their battle privately.
You have battled this very publicly. Do you think it comes with the territory that when you are a big star, when something like this happens, inevitably there`s going to be people who are interested in it.
BONADUCE: Well, not only that, as far as I`m concerned, I`m real militant about this. They have no right to privacy. I bought their privacy for $9 when I went to their last movie. They owe me, you know. And I believe that to be true. I mean, the day you catch me out in public with a hat and glasses, you know, will be the day I die. That`s cheating. I didn`t try and become famous so I could hide. And if I do something really good -- I mean, I`ve been given a lot of awards for raising money for charity in public. Then I went into rehab and I got a lot of press for that too. It comes with the territory. And in my opinion, celebrities sell their right to privacy.
ANDERSON: So the attention never bothers you when the least expect it.
BONADUCE: The attention only bothers me when I don`t get it.
ANDERSON: Very opposite from what you hear some celebrities say.
Well, how are you now? Can you take one drink? Or is that...
BONADUCE: Oh, God no. I mean, I could.
(CROSSTALK)
BONADUCE: Yes, probably. I mean, it doesn`t really work automatically. You and I could wrap up this show and grab a cocktail like civilized people and I`d go home and life would be fine. The next day I`d think, well, I`ll have two, and within three months to a year, I`d be in jail somewhere. That`s just the way it goes. So no, in the long run, I can`t have just one drink.
ANDERSON: Very quickly, will there be a season three after this one?
BONADUCE: Absolutely not.
ANDERSON: OK.
BONADUCE: But there may be something of a different nature. 3 Ball Productions, the company that made it, has already bought one of my new shows, but it would have to change. I life altering ending comes up on Bonaduce 2.
ANDERSON: Oh, wow. Well, best of luck with your sobriety...
BONADUCE: Thanks.
ANDERSON: ... and with your family and everything going forward.
Danny Bonaduce, great to see you again.
BONADUCE: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: And you can catch "Breaking Bonaduce," when it premieres on VH1 Sunday, October 22nd.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on our online question of the day. What do you think about all these juicy and sometimes graphic details about celebrity divorces and breakups? Star Splits is the question. Should they keep their dirty laundry to themselves?
Continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll be reading some of your e-mails later in the show. And remember SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion on video. All we want you to do is look right into your video camera, your webcam, you`ve done it before, send us a piece of your mind with video e-mail. It`s very simple. Just go to the Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight. There are the details on how to do it. All you have to do is click, attach and send. Keep the video less than 30 seconds and watch for your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: A goose who falls in love with a donkey. Need we say more? That`s ridiculous and that`s next.
HAMMER: Plus, Sharon Osborne`s startling decision, the drastic move Ozzy Osborne`s wife is making in her struggle to stay thin. We`ve got that coming up next.
We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don`t like your chest hanging out like that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROOKE HOGAN: Mom, your chest hangs out more than mine.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Brooke, I`m telling you to go change the dress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hulk mania is still running wild, maybe a bit too wild. Coming up, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and his daughter, Brooke. Now he`s wrestling with her decision to pose for some very sexy photos.
(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 another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous."
No, you don`t honk yet, Duckie, wait. Okay?
I want you to listen to this at this animal attraction story. It`s quite fascinating. Apparently there`s this goose -- he`s a male goose named Hannibal. And apparently this male goose named Hannibal, too aggressive to be kept with his geese buddies in Germany, so he was put in a cage with some donkeys. And this is where the story gets kind of weird.
Hannibal, the goose, fell in love with a donkey named Heidi. Hannibal the goose, Heidi the donkey. And I`m talking close. Eating together, sleeping together. And apparently if another male donkey takes a look at his gal, Hannibal starts honking -- that`s your queue, Duckie -- And apparently other donkeys get attacked if the other donkeys are checking out his donkey. It`s very strange, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hannibal gets jealous. I think it`s kind of cute. You know, they say opposites attract. But it`s not one-sided affection, A.J. Apparently Heidi, the donkey, follows little Hannibal around all day long and rebukes the efforts of any other donkey. He doesn`t want their affection whatsoever.
HAMMER: That`s fantastic.
Hey, talk about a pain in the you know what, that`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: Yes, it is.
All right. Sharon Osborne is making a drastic move to battle an eating disorder. She`s actually reversing the surgery that helped her lose 125 pounds.
In a revealing interview in "People" magazine, Sharon, the wife of hard rocker Ozzy, says she`s taking out the gastric band that limits what she eats that she put in in 1999. She`s ditching it for psychotherapy.
Sharon says, "I keep trying to eat more and more. I`m a pig. I have to figure out why I do what I do to myself. I think I have some sort of self-destruction button." Sharon admits that she ignored her children who wanted her to get rid of the gastric band, but now that they are out of the house and it`s quiet, she`s up for the idea.
"My kids, their whole life have seen me struggle with weight. They say now you need to spend time on your head."
Read more of Sharon Osborne`s revealing interview in this week`s issue of "People," on newsstands Friday.
HAMMER: Well, just like the Osborne family, the Hogan family have opened up their lives and their homes to reality TV cameras. "Hogan Knows Best" is about to begin it`s third season on VH1. All about, of course, wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, his wife and his two kids.
Well now, Hulk was determined to make his daughter, Brooke, a pop star. It Looks like he`s done it. But Hulk, what are you going to do when Brooke strips off her clothes for a sexy FHM magazine photo shoot? Will Hulk mania run wild, bother?
Here with me in New York, Hulk Hogan and his daughter, Brooke. That was terrible, wasn`t it.
HULK HOGAN, WRESTLING LEGEND: You just had to go there, didn`t you?
HAMMER: I`m sorry. It was awful.
Let`s start off with that, Hulk, because the last time you were on the program, Brooke, you were 17 years old. Dad was notoriously overprotective of you. You know, very, very much sort of looking at everything you were doing and who you were dating. So now you got the magazine, the FHM cover, and a very sexy -- I`ve certainly seen racier photos in FHM, but it`s pretty sexy. What do you make of this, Hulk?
H. HOGAN: Well, we had to make a decision, to be competitive or not be in the game. And we had a chance to do the magazine with creative control. So, you know, my daughter, Brooke, and my wife, Linda, you know, they scheduled the photo shoot. And it was a coincidence that I was out of town doing the Monday night RAW.
HAMMER: Yes, I`m sure.
H. HOGAN: Wrestling event. And, you know, I was a little worried, but when the magazine came out, there was no lingerie, no over the top shots. I think it`s a good move.
HAMMER: So you`re OK with it.
H. HOGAN: I am.
HAMMER: You were a little uncomfortable with the idea of it, but it was a business decision.
H. HOGAN: Right. Well, a lot of things have changed with my daughter, Brooke, and myself. I mean, she`s 18 now. I`m a pretty good faker. You know, I`ve been a good faker for many years in the ring. And so I figured I`d bluff the boys and kind of like fake them out. And it`s to the point where she`s 18. We`ve guided her and it`s up to her to make the right choices. So even with her personal life, she`s an adult now. So I really have backed off, but I will protect her if necessary.
HAMMER: So Dad is starting to let go a little bit. That`s a good thing.
BROOKE HOGAN, HULK HOGAN`S DAUGHTER: Just a little bit. You know, I mean, he says he`s like getting a little bit less overprotective, but it`s hard to go from being super overprotective to nothing at all.
HAMMER: Of course. I`m curious because you, of course, grew up in the business and you grew up with a famous dad. And that can be really, really tough on some kids. We`ve seen all kinds of troubles and we`ve seen the way that kids of stars, or famous kids have become themselves. And I`ve even heard where you before have said, you can see where kids get jaded when they are around celebrities as they are growing up.
B. HOGAN: Right.
HAMMER: Why do you think that?
B. HOGAN: I think that, you know, when you don`t have that strong family bond as most of these kids in the entertainment business don`t, it`s really easy to fall apart, especially when you are young and you grow up and without your parents` guidance.
It`s definitely -- you know, I mean, the cameras around my family even put tension on our family. Thank God we are tight enough to hold it together, but I mean, you know, if they are a child star, I mean, I can see where they get messed up. Thank God that hasn`t happened to me. I think I`ve kind of passed that little glitch.
HAMMER: Yes, and he`s kept you grounded, certainly. I mean, you obviously have a great set of values.
But I`m curious what`s happening now because the dynamic is changing. Brooke is now very much a star in her own right. The single is doing great. The album is about to drop. And that was the purpose, as you said before, of one of the reasons you wanted to get the reality show on.
So now, you know, and certainly paparazzi has been around you before and press has been around you before, but now it could get tough. There could be the chases by the paparazzi. There could be negative press. How are you going to react to that?
H. HOGAN: It`s even bigger than that because our son, my 16-year-old Nick, he drives a Viper for Dodge. He`s a professional driver. So, we`re going in all kinds of directions. But with Brooke, I mean, the magazines, the interviews, the myspace. You know, she`s like a wide open target now. The song is doing great, "About Us." Like you said, the album comes out on the 24th.
But it`s a situation of you just have to have a check and balance system. Sometimes there are calculated risks, but you have to stay out there. You have to push forward. You have to do the shows, your appearances, and you have to have eyes on the back of your head. So whenever you step out in front of the public, there`s a cost of doing business, a downside.
HAMMER: There`s a cost, but it`s a scarier cost than it`s ever been.
H. HOGAN: Yes.
HAMMER: That`s actually something we talked with you about before. Lionel Ritchie sat exactly where you are sitting right now, telling me that he is scared for his daughter. He is afraid she`s going to get hurt. I mean, I imagine as a parent and as the parent of a famous young woman, you have to be feeling some of that.
Are you scared at all? Do you concern yourself with that or do you just go out and do your thing and you can`t let fear overtake you?
B. HOGAN: I`m not really worried about messing up or tripping along the way because my parents have put a very -- you know, my head -- they have screwed my head on straight. You know, my whole life, they`ve always been on me about what I`m doing. They were always checking in with me, making sure I`m doing the right thing.
HAMMER: But what about the actual chase of the paparazzi and that element of it, because as we`ve seen with other stars, it can get downright scary.
B. HOGAN: You know what, the good thing, like I was saying, is that I`ve grown up in this business so I have seen it happen to my dad. I see how he handles it. And, you know, if you are new to it, it`s shocking. But, you know, I mean, it`s like I handle it with my dad, I can handle it myself.
H. HOGAN: Well, I mean, you know, Brooke has been around it ever since she was a baby, so I mean, if she walks out of the studio and she gets in her car and she`s driving away and they just pursue her, there`s no reason to hit the gas pedal and try to outrun them. I mean, there`s certain ways to handle situations and you know, cooler heads prevail in a situation.
HAMMER: Well you seem like a proud papa and you should be. And Hulk and Brooke, it`s always good to see you guys. I really appreciate you stopping by.
B. HOGAN: Thank you for having us.
H. HOGAN: Thank you. Watch us Sunday.
HAMMER: Absolutely.
The new album, by the way, is called "Undiscovered." It`s going to be hitting stores on Tuesday. And now I can tell you that you can catch the new season of "Hogan knows Best," when it airs Sunday night on VH1.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about nasty celebrity divorces and breakups. Star Splits: Should they keep their dirty laundry to themselves?
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. There`s the address. We`re going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. Just look into your video camera or webcam, send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s really easy. Just head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, and you can learn how to do it. All you have to do is click, attach and send. Remember, your videos have got to be 30 seconds or less. And then all you have to do is watch for your video e-mails only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: The weekend almost here. Let`s see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday.
They are identical twins. They were brought up in a strict Jehovah`s Witness in Montana. They`re trying to become singing stars. And oh, did I mention that they`re gay?
A lot of stuff to chat about with Jacob and Joshua Miller of "Nemesis Rising," tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, the topic that we are always on top of here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the obsession with weight and our body image. That`s tomorrow.
And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN`s "HEADLINE NEWS." Keep it right here.
END
