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Showbiz Tonight
Madonna and Child; `Grey`s` On-Set Scuffle; Hasselbeck rips `Law & Order`
Aired October 25, 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 stunning apology from the star of "Grey`s Anatomy."
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CO-HOST: And why "The View`s" Elizabeth Hasselbeck is upset at "Law & Order."
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Madonna speaks out. Madonna goes on "Oprah" for her first interview about her adoption mess. And, look out, she is blaming the media.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADONNA, ADOPTED ORPHAN: I feel like the media is doing a great disservice to all the orphans of Africa period.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Madonna sets the record straight about what really happened. Did she get advice from Brad and Angelina? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, with Madonna unplugged. An explosive debate over whether she did the right thing.
Rush Limbaugh`s startling attack on Michael J. Fox, and the controversy explodes. Limbaugh accuses Fox of exaggerating his Parkinson`s disease in political ads.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH: Either he didn`t take his medication or he`s acting. One of the two.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, did Rush rush to judgment? And what does Michael J. Fox think? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the remarkable showdown over the talk titan and the TV star.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And Madonna is silent no more.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Madonna is finally speaking out about her controversial adoption of a child in Africa, and she is telling all to Oprah. Of course, when you tell Oprah, you tell the world.
ANDERSON: It was no holds barred, A.J., as Oprah faced off with Madonna and asked the questions to get the answers everybody wanted to know. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is your eyes and ears for the great Madonna/Oprah tell all.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MADONNA: I`m disappointed.
ANDERSON (voice-over): With those two words, "I`m disappointed," the world today finally heard from Madonna about the worldwide controversy over her adoption of a child in Africa.
Madonna went on "Oprah," saying she is used to criticism, but wasn`t expecting it over this.
MADONNA: More than anything -- I mean, for me, I understand gossip and telling negative stories to sell newspapers. And I feel like the media is doing a great disservice to all the orphans of Africa period, not just Malawi.
ANDERSON: In a satellite interview from her London estate, Madonna says she didn`t even know her adoption was front-page news until she landed in London. She and her husband, Guy Ritchie, had spent eight days in Africa donating money to orphan care centers, promising as much as $3 million and tracking down the father of their 13-month-old adoptive son, David.
MADONNA: I didn`t realize that the adoption was causing any controversy until I came back. And, you know, there was a million film crews in the airport and press camped outside my door.
ANDERSON: Whether Madonna realized it or not, the global media and many adoption specialists have been all over this story from day one, accusing Madonna of using fame and fortune to buy a child and bend Malawi rules, even violating the law.
JANICE GOLDWATER, FOUNDER, ADOPTIONS TOGETHER: The way it was portrayed was that she picked out a child from a lineup of children, and this was a child with a living relative.
ANDERSON: That living relative is David`s biological father, Yohame Banda. Banda, a poor, illiterate farmer, left his son at an orphanage soon after the boy`s mother died during childbirth.
J.D. HEYMAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: It`s been a very confusing and complicated time for both Madonna and the biological father of her adoptive son, David.
ANDERSON: David`s dad said at first he didn`t know who Madonna was and just wanted the best for his son.
YOHAME BANDA, FATHER OF ADOPTED SON (through translator): I don`t know who she is. All I know is that she will give my son a good life.
ANDERSON: But then in an interview in his native language, he said he didn`t mean to give his son away for good. He just wanted the boy cared for and then returned.
BANDA (through translator): Had they told us that Madonna wanted to adopt my son, we would not have agreed to let him go forever.
ANDERSON: And now another about face. In an interview posted on "Time" magazine`s Web site, Banda says he will not contest the adoption. Madonna says he was behind the adoption from the beginning. She says all this confusion was caused by the media who, in her words, terrorized him.
NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK" MAGAZINE: I`m sure the world press were just beating on his door and, you know, asking him questions, asking questions, and twisting things around. And, you know, every seasoned celebrity complains about that. Can you imagine someone who`s never dealt with the press?
ANDERSON: Madonna tells Oprah that she knew it was OK to proceed with the adoption because, from her perspective, there was no one looking after David`s welfare.
MADONNA: Here`s what I knew -- that David had been living in this orphanage since he was two weeks old, that he had survived malaria and tuberculosis, and that no one from his extended family had visited him since the time he arrived.
ANDERSON: Madonna also told Oprah that David had severe pneumonia, could hardly breathe when she arrived at the orphanage, and she took him to a hospital where he was put on a bronchial dilator. Madonna says he`s still taking antibiotics, but is doing much better.
Brian Gottluck writes a blog about Madonna. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the pop star just can`t escape controversy, no matter what she does.
BRIAN GOTTLUCK, MADONNA BLOGGER: She is fodder, I mean, perfect fodder, I mean this past summer with her disco crucifix on her chore. She is a lightning rod for controversy. And I think, even if she had good intentions on going to Malawi and raising money and awareness down there, of course there is going to be some sort of picking apart of what she did and overanalyzing her intentions.
ANDERSON: But as far as this adoption goes, Madonna says her intentions were to give a child a chance at a better life. She says this time her critics have her all wrong.
MADONNA: Shame on you for discouraging other people from wanting to do the same thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Typically, parents who adopt Malawian kids are expected to stay in the country for 18 months for an evaluation period. Madonna says a judge granted her an interim custody. A social worker in London will be checking on David for the next year and a half before she can officially adopt him.
HAMMER: Well, now that we have heard Madonna`s side of the story, did she do the right thing?
Joining me now from Philadelphia, Marc Lamont Hill, who is a professor at Temple University. Here in New York, Joshua Forman, a family attorney.
I appreciate you both being with us tonight.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: All right, so Marc, we heard Madonna on "Oprah" today, saying that she basically saved this child from death. He would have been dead by the age of five in all likelihood. So do you think she really did anything wrong here?
MARC LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the issue here, A.J., is that there weren`t two choices that she had to choose from. It`s not as if this child would either live in squalor or go and live with Madonna.
Madonna also had the option of donating money so that the father could raise his own child. And that`s an option that never was explored. It seems to me that this is part of a larger issue of Africa becoming a fad, and celebrity activism becoming a fad. Africa is the new thing to do for many Hollywood types.
HAMMER: Say, Marc, I got to tell you, I think that`s a pretty cynical view. I think just because you`re a celebrity doesn`t mean you can`t necessarily go out and adopt a child in a nontraditional way.
Joshua, what do you make of it?
JOSHUA FORMAN, FAMILY ATTORNEY: I couldn`t disagree with Marc more. Madonna was trying to do something for this child. This child was in an orphanage. His father -- not abandoned him, but his father couldn`t care for him, and Madonna came in and said, I want to adopt a child. I`m going to adopt an African child, to try to bring some news media to look at the plight of people, you know, children in orphanages in Africa and maybe some other people will do this as well so this child does not have to live in an orphanage anymore.
And that -- what Marc is saying, wasn`t an option, she wanted to adopt a child. She wanted to...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Right, and she...
FORMAN: ... take a child, bring the child into her home and treat as if it`s her own.
HILL: Absolutely. But why not adopt a child who doesn`t have parents? If you have a child who has a parent and the only reason that father isn`t with his son is because he doesn`t have the money, why not reunite them? Why not use that money to connect them, as opposed to taking him away from his father?
HAMMER: All that being said, Marc, the child is going to have a better life certainly. And I can`t imagine you find fault with that.
HILL: Well, A.J., I would have a better life if Madonna took care of me and so would you. That`s not the issue. You know, by that logic, any famous person could go into any neighborhood, any poor area and cherry pick a child out of their house...
(CROSSTALK)
FORMAN: The child was in the orphanage.
HILL: Right. And you could reunite that child with his father and adopt a child who didn`t have, who wasn`t in an orphanage...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: As we know, that`s not in fact what happened. So I guess we have to deal with what has happened.
And Joshua, Madonna has, as we heard on "Oprah" today, blamed the media for all of the controversy that has erupted. In fact, she was shocked to find out that it was even taking place. She wasn`t aware of it until she returned home to London.
Madonna, as we said in our piece, is a lightning rod for this kind of a thing. If it was another celebrity, say a Julia Roberts, say somebody a little less polarizing, do you think all of this criticism would be floating around?
FORMAN: I don`t think this criticism would be floating around at all if it was another celebrity. I think people are polarizing on Madonna. Everything Madonna does is thrown into the media, and I don`t think she did anything wrong.
HAMMER: Marc, what about you? I hear what you`re saying, and I`m trying to understand your point on all of this. Were it another celebrity -- is it who we`re talking about here? Is it the fact that we`re talking about Madonna? Or is it just what has transpired here?
HILL: Well, I don`t think it`s either or, A.J. I think it`s both end. Of course, if Julia Roberts or someone else were to go into Africa and adopt a child, they would get a much less critical eye from the public media.
But at the same time, if Julia Roberts were to do the very same things that Madonna did, in terms of circumventing certain rules. You have a father who suddenly says that he doesn`t believe, that he didn`t understand the process fully. when you have these things happen, any celebrity would come under scrutiny, and they should.
HAMMER: Marc, to that point about the father, the father -- you know, Madonna said quite clearly today, I looked into this man`s eyes. He knew exactly what was going on. Now that she`s said that, what do you make of it?
HILL: I don`t believe Madonna it. I don`t think that Madonna is lying, but I think often times people have a willful ignorance to certain things that are going on. This man couldn`t read or write, nor was he a speaker of English. It`s quite easy to understand how someone could misunderstand what`s going on.
FORMAN: But in Malawi there was a court proceeding. Madonna was at a court proceeding, in a courtroom, with an official translator, with this man, explaining everything that happened. And the news media took what he said without official translators and blew it up.
HAMMER: Gentlemen, we have to end it there. I do appreciate you both sounding off on it tonight.
Marc Lamont Hill and Joshua Forman, I appreciate you joining us tonight.
FORMAN: Thank you.
HILL: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And we`ve got another heated debate coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. There is even more fallout tonight from what Rush Limbaugh said about Michael J. Fox on his radio show.
The conservative talk show host said that in political television ads about stem cell research, Fox seemed to be exaggerating the symptoms of his Parkinson`s disease.
This has caused outrage across the country, but some conservatives are actually coming to Limbaugh`s defense.
We`re going to hear both sides of this heated debate, coming up at 31 past the hour, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And now we want to hear from you. What do you think about it? It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Rush Limbaugh on Michael J. Fox. Did Limbaugh cross the line? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. There`s the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Don`t forget, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So, just look into your video camera or webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s really easy to do. 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 it. Remember, they have to be 30 seconds or less. Keep them short and sweet and then watch for your video e-mails right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, there has been a startling apology from a cast member of "Grey`s Anatomy." We`re going to tell you why Isaiah Washington is eating a bit of humble pie. That`s coming up.
Plus, Hollywood`s best mom. From Reese Witherspoon to Demi Moore, we`re going to take a look at how the best moms in Hollywood balance their careers and motherhood, coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON CLINTON, NANNY: Sara, if you are watching, I do want you to know that, through all of this, I still love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sara Evans` former nanny, making a very personal appeal. Why she is demanding an apology and exactly what she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively about Sara`s claims that she slept with her husband. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "that`s ridiculous!" Now, if you think things get a little nasty on our Senate floor here in these United States, I want you to take a look at this little piece of video from Taiwan`s parliament. You see, a lawmaker who`s trying to stop a debate on a controversial arms bill, put on a little show. He donned a mask and he started spraying gas into the air from an aerosol can and then he pulled out a stun gun. Well, that set off a warning alarm. Some legislators were laughing, others were, of course, running for the exits. It makes the good, old-fashioned filibuster look kind of boring, doesn`t it?
So we say a lawmaker going berserk in parliament, now "that`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Tonight, we have an extraordinary apology to tell you about from the star of the number one show on television, "Grey`s Anatomy." Isaiah Washington says he is sorry for what he said during a behind the scenes scuffle with co-star Patrick Dempsey. Washington tells "People" magazine, "I sincerely regret my actions and the unfortunate use of words during the recent incident on set."
Washington and Dempsey, who both play surgeons on "Grey`s Anatomy," got into a debate over whether to start shooting a scene without their co- star, T.R. Knight, who was running late. When Dempsey insisted on waiting for T.R., Isaiah allegedly fired back with a homophobic slur. When word got out about the fight, T.R. Knight shocked everybody by publicly coming out of the closet and revealing that he is in fact gay.
With me tonight in Hollywood is "People" magazine`s Julie Jordan to straighten it all out for us.
Hi Julie.
JULIE JORDAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Hi Brooke.
ANDERSON: Okay, "People" magazine got the exclusive statement, this statement of regret, of apology from Isaiah through ABC and the studios behind "Grey`s Anatomy."
They`re doing some major damage control here, aren`t they?
JORDAN: Well, I think it is important for them to take a stand against any misconception that might be out there. They wanted to acknowledge that the fight occurred. They wanted to acknowledge that words were said that shouldn`t have been said. But ultimately they want everyone to know that they are pretty much a family. Families fight. They make up. And they move on. And this is exactly what`s happening here.
ANDERSON: Well, soon after the incident happened, there were reports that ABC was actually going to fire Isaiah Washington and that they were shopping around for somebody to replace him. Names like Eric LaSalle have been floating around from "E.R." What are they telling "People" magazine specifically about that, about the rumors of a possible replacement?
JORDAN: That there`s no truth to the rumors whatsoever. We spoke to the creator of the show who said, you know, it`s kind of offensive actually because that would be like replacing a member of your family.
You know, ultimately, this is a diverse cast, and of course there are chemistries that work well. You can`t just replace one race with another. It`s about these individual actors, it`s about what`s working really well with everyone on the show. And that`s what we want to see continue on.
ANDERSON: Yes, the creator of the show, Shonda Rimes, also said, you know, the idea that one black man was interchangeable with another seemed disturbing to me.
What`s interesting to me, Julie, is that she is bringing up race when nobody was really talking about race in the beginning. Do you think that`s strange at all?
JORDAN: I don`t think it`s strange. I think, again, just because people have seen this cast and they have touted this cast as being so diverse, because, of course, "E.R." was so popular and Eriq LaSalle was so popular on "E.R.," you know, there is a natural assumption, or at least in the press, that, you know, OK let`s just replace one for another. That will continue, the chemistry that works so well.
She just wanted to make the point that that`s not the case. You know, these are individual actors. This chemistry that we love to see every week is because of these specific actors and because they work really well together. They can`t be replaced and they are definitely not interchangeable by race.
ANDERSON: And I`m sure Shonda wants the only feuds between the actors to be scripted going forward.
"Grey`s Anatomy" is the number one show on television, as I mentioned. A colossal hit for ABC. In the end, isn`t any publicity good publicity? This isn`t going to hurt the show at all, is it?
JORDAN: No. And I mean, is anyone not going to watch or tune in each week because off set they are becoming even more passionate? No. We love watching. It`s a huge draw. We love watching all the drama that`s on set and off set. So, if anything, it just lends to the intrigue.
ANDERSON: OK, spoiler alert here. It seems that ABC is ready to put this behind them, of course. They are even willing to let go of some future plot details which they haven`t been doing in the past. But Julie, what are they telling us about that?
JORDAN: Well, again, just so they can show that they are really ready to move on, we`ve got word that there is going to be a big wedding between two main characters. That sounds very exciting. That`s all they`ll tell us, but definitely going to tune in to see who that is.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, hopefully the doctors at Seattle Grace have made peace and will keep the peace from here on out.
Julie Jordan, thanks so much. Good to see you.
JORDAN: Let`s hope. Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And you can read more about the "Grey`s Anatomy" on-set feud in upcoming issue of "People" magazine on newsstands this Friday.
HAMMER: Well, NBC`s "Law & Order" loves stories from the headlines, but now "The View" Co-Host Elizabeth Hasselbeck is ripping into "Law & Order." She is absolutely furious over a recent episode of "Law & Order: SVU," in which a woman named Elizabeth Hassenback is raped and killed.
Well, that hit a little bit too close to home for her, as you might well imagine. So Elizabeth, who admitted she didn`t watch that particular episode, called one of the show`s executive producers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He was defensive right from the jump. And I told him, look, someone, I want to let you know that -- I want to let you know that I think it is socially irresponsible and gruesomely suggestive to do this in today`s day and age. And he said, well, you can just chalk it up.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": And you said, you know, I`m at home...
(CROSSTALK)
HASSELBECK: I have a family -- it`s suggestive and, I think, irresponsible. And I said, I know what you guys did. I mean, that`s essentially my name. And he said, well, you can just chalk that up to coincidence. He said, you know what? I don`t have to deal with you. Good-bye, lady! And hung up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. NBC says that all of their characters` names have to be cleared through their legal department, and that "Law & Order" producers love "The View."
ANDERSON: Someone has dethroned the king as the highest paid dead celebrity, and we`re going to tell you who is making more money than Elvis himself. Next, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Plus, Hollywood`s best moms, from Reese Witherspoon to Demi Moore, we are taking a look at how the best moms in Hollywood are able to balance their careers and motherhood. That`s coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO HOST: This is really shameless, folks. This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn`t take his medication or he is acting...one of the two.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael J. Fox, the debate heats up. Limbaugh`s outrageous statements that Fox is exaggerating symptoms of his Parkinson`s disease for politics. We`re going to hear both sides, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, beauty junkies. A disturbing look at American`s $15 billion obsession with cosmetic surgery. Is Hollywood sending a bad message to men and women everywhere?
Plus, stars who are revolting against plastic surgery. That`s tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, maybe you can`t take it with you, but you certainly done have to be alive to rake in the cash. Forbes is now out with its annual list of the top-earning dead celebrities-- I love this stuff. Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, number one on the list. His widow, Courtney Love, sold a 25 percent stake in his band`s catalog to a New York music publishing company for a reported $50 million.
Well, that pushed Elvis into the number two spot. Presley`s estate earned $42 million in 2005.
In at number three, Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon, $35 million take there.
In fourth place, with $24 million, John Lennon, followed by Albert Einstein. Wow, $20 million for Albert!
ANDERSON: Hollywood`s best moms, from Reese Witherspoon to Demi Moore. We`re taking a look at how the best moms in Hollywood balance their careers and motherhood, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, Rush Limbaugh versus Michael J. Fox, the debate heats up. Limbaugh`s outrageous statements that Fox is exaggerating symptoms of his Parkinson`s disease for politics. Both sides of that argument, coming up.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON CLINTON, NANNY: Sara, if you are watching, I do want you to know that, through all of this, I still love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sara Evans` former nanny makes a personal appeal. Why she is demanding an apology and what she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively about Sara`s claim she slept with her husband.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
OK, A.J., you`re not going to believe this: Paris Hilton gets into a nightclub brawl.
HAMMER: I can`t imagine.
ANDERSON: You can`t imagine. Well, Paris says that Shanna Moakler, the gal from "Meet the Barkers," and more recently from "Dancing With the Stars" - Paris said Shanna landed a punch on her jaw. But Shanna has a different version of what happened. The fur was flying; both are alleging battery, and that`s coming up.
HAMMER: Sure no matter happened, neither of them deserved it. Right.
Also - and get used to this, because I`m going to say it everyday - the Anna Nicole Smith is getting even weirder. Yes, there are pictures that "People" magazine has secured of Anna Nicole Smith and Howard K. Stern, her partner - alleged father of the baby, claimed father of the baby - at their - at their ceremony, where they got committed.
ANDERSON: (INAUDIBLE), very convoluted, yes.
HAMMER: We`ve got those pictures, your first look in just a moment.
ANDERSON: My jaw hit the ground when I saw those pictures. And yours will, too.
But first, a special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Special Report," as we take along for a wild right in a night with the paparazzi. Hollywood`s biggest stars are fighting back against the paparazzi like never before. Just the other day, pop singer Avril Lavigne publicly apologized for spitting at the paparazzi in a confrontation outside of a popular Hollywood nightclub.
No one knows what it`s like to experience the thrill of the chase more than E.L. Woody, the so-called king of the paparazzi, who`s been doing this for some 30 years now. Woody let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT into his world, and we stayed up all night to find out what it`s like.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
E.L. WOODY, PHOTOGRAPHER: (INAUDIBLE) is that there`s a Rolls Royce right here. Let me see who`s here.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s just another night for Hollywood`s most famous paparazzi, E.L. Woody. By the end of the night, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT rode along, he`ll have captured shots of Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan and Ashlee Simpson. We`ll show you that played out in a moment.
But first, who is E.L. Woody? He let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT into his world.
WOODY: I had predicted that there would be no wedding. Me being in the right place at the right time, I get the night they broke up.
ANDERSON: We`re inside Woody`s home office in Hollywood, and the shots he`s pointing to have all shown up in hundreds of magazines across the globe.
WOODY: Here`s a good one: Demi`s sexy, wild night with Bill Clinton. This is Kiefer with a stripper. I got that up on the Sunset Strip. Here`s the Britney wedding.
You know, isn`t it strange? Everybody knows about everything.
ANDERSON: Here`s a secret: Woody says many of these photos are planned. He says the paparazzi is called when a star wants to get some publicity.
WOODY: That`s what we do; sit here until the phone rings, and then run, fast as we can, where we`re going, at a legal speed.
ANDERSON: He got a call that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes would be at Los Angeles hot spot The Ivy. Here`s the shot he caught. He claims it was all staged.
WOODY: When`s the big day, Tom?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
WOODY: Your publicist called us.
ANDERSON: But it`s the exclusive photos, the one no one else has, that make the most money. And Woody has got many. He calls himself "the king of the paparazzi."
WOODY: Well, it`s a performance sport. You either get the photos or you don`t. If you get them, then you`re the top guy.
ANDERSON: To be the top guy, you need to know what club is hot what night of the week. And that`s constantly changing. It`s 11 p.m., and it`s time to cruise. And he`s taking SHOWBIZ TONIGHT along.
WOODY: We`re going to take a cruise of the whole sunset strip. You really have to be economical in how you use your time in this business. The real secret is to go out for 20 minutes and get the right picture, an exclusive photograph of a desirable star doing something that will sell.
ANDERSON: Woody`s gotten some of his best shots on the Sunset Strip.
WOODY: Fire, water and actors (ph) was just like fire, water and everybody else. You just never know what you`re going to get.
I got Mick Jagger coming out of the Body Shop strip club right here one night. That made me some money. Here comes the Roxy and the Rainbow Room. That`s where I got the picture of Christina Aguilera in the little - the little sexy outfit, the lingerie with the whip was right there.
I have people everywhere that call and give me tips. You know, this is a business of information.
ANDERSON: Woody has had the same phone number for 15 years. He says everybody knows it, and everybody calls it.
(PHONE RINGING)
ANDERSON: Woody gets a call. We don`t know from whom.
WOODY: What`s going on? Hello? I`m heading up to Hollywood Boulevard. Why don`t you guys come up there?
ANDERSON: It`s midnight, and now we`re heading to L.A. hotspot Moot. It`s new, and Woody says it probably won`t be hot for long.
WOODY: We`re going right down the middle of the Walk of Fame.
ANDERSON: Woody sees someone from the club.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s up, man? How are you?
WOODY: What you doing? How you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good.
WOODY: What`s going on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How`d that work out the other night for you?
WOODY: Which one?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris.
WOODY: Oh, I - you know, like always.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes?
WOODY: Yes. Paris is great.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good (ph).
WOODY: Anybody here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah.
WOODY: I`m ready.
Everybody wins when we get a picture: the store they`re shopping in; the club they`re partying in; the celebrity; the project they`re working on; and we get a couple of bucks, too. It works great for everybody.
If they`re in line, they`re not important.
ANDERSON: Woody meets one of his photographers. After 30 years in the business, he has a handful of employees.
WOODY: This is Henry (ph). He`s my videographer. He`s the guy that Tommy Lee threw down and broke his pelvis in four places. As you can see, he`s still out here shooting. The bravest guy you`ll ever see.
ANDERSON: Here`s the vide shot that night. It`s a dangerous business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Tommy!
(CROSSTALK)
WOODY: Tommy came out and just attacked him. He never said a word to him. He just came out and found the smallest guy in the crowd and threw him down and broke his pelvis - one of 20 different photographers out there. But he was the smallest one in the whole crowd.
ANDERSON: But those famous images don`t come easily.
WOODY: A lot of this business is just standing around being bored.
ANDERSON: But here comes a car.
WOODY: Let me what`s going on here now.
ANDERSON: It`s Kirsten Dunst.
WOODY: There`s not a star in the world that wants to get out of the car and not be recognized by the crowd. Even though they`re not going to pose - let`s see what we got.
ANDERSON: Here`s a secret: Woody says the shot is not worth anything unless there is another celebrity in the picture.
WOODY: If this was here and Brad, however, I`d be right at the front.
ANDERSON: The paparazzi swarms the club tonight. But so do fans, waiting to get their shot.
WOODY: So who are you guys looking for? Who do you think`s going to be here?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Lohan, Jessica Simpson.
WOODY: Another car approaches. It`s Ashlee Simpson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you so much. I sing all your songs.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look up! Look up!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ashlee!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello (INAUDIBLE)
WOODY: Maybe that`s more than we need now. It`s starting now.
ANDERSON: It`s after 12, and the action has begun.
WOODY: Oh, here we go.
ANDERSON: Here comes Lindsay Lohan. She`s no stranger to the paparazzi. She poses for the photographers.
WOODY: That was Lindsay Lohan, the troublemaker of the week.
ANDERSON: But Kirsten, Lindsay and Ashlee don`t make a good night.
WOODY: They`re all absolutely worthless photos, every single one of them. Had one of them shown up with a guy, it might have been worthwhile. But, you know, a photo of a star alone`s worth 10 bucks, tops.
ANDERSON: But the night`s not over.
(POLICE SIRENS)
ANDERSON: There still could be some action ahead.
WOODY: Hey, we`re on Hollywood Boulevard, folks. There`s the red lights flashing. Something`s going on. If we`re in luck, it`s a movie star being arrested somewhere.
ANDERSON: We`ll find out in the morning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: You might even call E.L. Woody a bit of a celebrity himself. While we were out riding with him, many people stopped in their cars and waved, recognizing the man who calls himself "king of the paparazzi." Woody also played himself on an episode of "Entourage."
HAMMER: Such a strange job.
Time now for tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Make that tonight`s hot baby headlines. There was word earlier that Madonna was with child - an adopted child. But Madonna`s rep says that the pop superstar has not adopted one child, as a rumor has it, but rather a whole country of children in Malawi. Madonna is in the African nation to build an orphanage and a child-care center. It`s geared toward helping children who lost parents to the AIDS epidemic.
And if you suspected that Tori Spelling was pregnant, you are correct. The actress and her actor husband Dean McDermott are expecting in early spring. The pair married in Fiji in May, after meeting on the set of a movie. This is going to be Spelling`s first child. McDermott has two children from a previous marriage.
And it`s a girl for Maggie Gyllenhaal. She and her fianc', Peter Sarsgaard, welcome baby Ramona right here in New York City. Although Ramona`s timing yesterday may have been a little bit surprising: the little bundle of joy reportedly arrived two weeks early. Mom, dad and baby are all healthy and are all happy.
And those are tonight`s happy baby headlines.
ANDERSON: A good surprise.
The magic spell Harry Potter has cast over fans everywhere almost backfired in one Georgia county. A suburban mom in Gwinnett County told the board of education she wants J.K. Rowling`s popular books banned from schools. She says the series is "an evil attempt to indoctrinate children in the Wicca religion." Wicca is a neo-Pagan earth-centered religion sometimes misunderstood as witchcraft. An attorney for the board of education says if schools were to remove all books that made references to witches, "Macbeth" and "Cinderella" would have to go, too. The attorney says Harry Potter present universal themes of friendship and overcoming adversity.
HAMMER: It is time now for tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." We`ve got a little feeling of d'j... vu, though I know that we haven`t shown you this one before.
Denzel Washington travels back in time to investigate a horrific murder. But he swears he has been down this thrilling path before.
Here`s your first look at "D'j... Vu."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: It`s a phenomenon known as d'j... vu. It`s a phenomenon known as d'j... vu. You arrive at a place you`ve never been. But it feels familiar. But it feels familiar. You look into the face of a stranger, and you feel like you`ve known her all your life.
DENZEL WASHINGTON, ACTOR: Have we met?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
ANNOUNCER: D'j... vu is believed by many to believe a trick of the mind. But the truth is far more extraordinary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What if you were to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you knew they`d never believe you?
WASHINGTON: I`d try.
VAL KILMER, ACTOR: I`ve been put in a charge of a newly formed investigative unit, and I want you on the team. (INAUDIBLE), we`ve got some unique time constraints.
ANNOUNCER: He has been shown a secret.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a brand-new program. We look anywhere four days in the past.
ANNOUNCER.the government doesn`t want you to know.
WASHINGTON: This is not surveillance? This is the actual past?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. They found a way to fold space back onto itself.
Remember the blackout we had a few years back?
WASHINGTON: Half the Northeast - you`re saying you guys?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty million homes? Not bad.
WASHINGTON: Wow.
ANNOUNCER: This Thanksgiving, the key to stopping the disaster.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think you know what`s coming. We don`t have a clue.
ANNOUNCER.starts by unraveling the mystery of d'j... vu.
WASHINGTON: What if you had to tell someone the most important thing in the world, but you knew they`d never believe you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`d try.
WASHINGTON: I got it. I got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, you don`t have to do this.
WASHINGTON: What if I already have?
ANNOUNCER: "D'j... Vu." If you think it`s just a feeling, go back and look again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Once again, "D'j... Vu" opens in theaters nationwide on November 22. Once again, "D'j... Vu" opens in theaters nationwide on November 22. I had to do it.
ANDERSON: I`ve heard that before.
HAMMER: I know it`s hokey.
A reminder now that when you see SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the weekends, it`s not d'j... vu, because we`re on seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show has arrived on your weekends. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday and each and every night at 11 Eastern, 8 Pacific.
ANDERSON: Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the photos from Anna Nicole Smith`s commitment ceremony in the Bahamas.
Plus, we`ve got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBRA OPRI, ATTORNEY FOR LARRY BIRKHEAD: Anna, I`m talking to you directly now, and I want you to listen to me and I want you to hear what I have to tell you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The attorney for Larry Birkhead laying down the law for Anna Nicole over the paternity of her child. Hear the tough words and what Smith`s lawyer said in response.
ANDERSON: And she started it - no, she did. An heiress, and ex- Playmate and the police - we`re going to tell you what happened between Paris Hilton and Shanna Moakler when the fur started flying. That`s coming up.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Time now for a story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Paris Hilton has become a punching bag for the press. And, you know, we think that she deserves most of it. But as much as hearing her name is like nails on a chalkboard, we don`t think she deserves a real punching bag. Paris is accusing Shanna Moakler of socking her in the face outside an L.A. nightclub this morning. The police tell us that it was just a shoving match: Shanna pushed Paris; Paris` boyfriend pushed Shanna. Got all that?
Well, in case you have no clue who Shanna Moakler is, she was just on "Dancing With the Stars," and prior to that, "Meet the Barkers." But, you know, we just want to know: why can`t they all just get along?
And - and A.J, it gets even more dramatic. There have been reports that Paris has been, as they say, canoodling with Shanna`s estranged husband, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. You just saw him in the video.
HAMMER: I got one thing to say: Paris, stay home, please. Just stay home.
ANDERSON: Stay out of trouble, please.
HAMMER: Stop going out. Thank you.
These fighting females - "That`s Ridiculous!" Let`s move on, shall we?
The paternity battle between Anna Nicole Smith`s ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead and her attorney and confidant Howard K. Stern went to court in Los Angeles today. That phrase alone makes this sound like a soap opera, and it is growing more dramatic by the hour.
Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern both claim to be the baby`s father. But Birkhead is pulling no punches. His attorney came out swinging today, addressing Anna Nicole Smith personally at a news conference, demanding she comply with the paternity test. Smith`s attorney had some pretty tough words of his own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRI: Anna, I`m talking to you directly now, and I want you to listen to me and I want you to hear what I have to tell you. If you are so certain - if you are so certain that Larry Birkhead is not the father, then you have nothing, absolutely nothing to lose by submitting to this jurisdiction and allowing a paternity test. It is in the best interests of this child; it is in the best interests of everything that`s happening now. It is in the best interests of all of us to properly and legally answer this question now, in the proper forum of the courts, not the media.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON RALE, ATTORNEY FOR ANNA NICOLE SMITH: Well, she shouldn`t be talking to Anna - Anna Nicole anyway, because Anna Nicole has counsel. And it certainly shouldn`t be spoken to the press.
You`re going to get very little from me. We`re not going to talk about the case. We want to honor the dignity of the court, the dignity of Anna Nicole as a mother. She`s grieving right now; it`s not something that we want before the press. You can understand that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Doesn`t want it before the press.
And in another big development, you heard about Anna Nicole`s commitment ceremony with the other guy in the paternity battle, longtime attorney and confidant Howard K. Stern. Well now, we`ve got the exclusive first look at the photos of her Bahamian ceremony from this issue of "People" magazine.
With me tonight in New York, "People" magazine`s staff editor Larry Sutton.
Larry, I know you guys are eating this story up over there at "People" magazine. But I - I got to tell you" when these pictures arrived, and we first saw them, you saw jaws dropping around the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s audience.
LARRY SUTTON, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Sure.
HAMMER: It - it - it`s pretty amazing that three weeks after her son died, we`re seeing these photos.
Let`s - let`s throw up this - this first one here, Charles (ph). Because we`re seeing them frolicking on the beach, the two of them, Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole Smith.
What exactly is going on here?
SUTTON: Well, in the words of Howard K. Stern, it was time for her to get over her grief, time for her to go on, move on, get on with her life. He also said she needed sort of like an adrenaline boost, too. And he thought perhaps this was the best thing to do.
They - she looks kind of happy in the pictures. You got to say she`s looking pretty good.
Has it worked? I think so; I think it`s gotten out of her depression.
HAMMER: Well, certainly they - they - they do look like a happy couple in the pictures, which sort of begs the question, How put together, how staged was this? I`m wondering if you guys, when you first saw the pictures - because certainly people have been speculated that they moved to the Bahamas, they had this whole commitment ceremony to sort of up-end a potential paternity battle.
I mean, did you guys look at them and say, You know what? This looks like it`s kind of force?
SUTTON: Well, I don`t - staged is probably not the right word. It looks like - you look at anyone`s wedding pictures, and they`re set-ups. You know, you say - you get the bride and the groom together, you look at each other and they stare at the camera, they pose.
Set up maybe in that way, yes. Was it something real for them? I think it was. I mean, there was a Baptist minister on board with them. They truly exchanged beautiful vows to one another. I think as far as they`re concerned, it was real.
HAMMER: So you do get the impression their intentions were genuine here?
SUTTON: I think they were, yes.
HAMMER: Give me some of the details of - of what happened at the ceremony. Certainly looks like a big party.
SUTTON: Well, there were maybe about half a dozen or so close friends that were on the boat with them. They just brought their intimates, folks that had been filming a movie with Anna Nicole over the past few weeks were on the boat with her. Once they got there, once they had the ceremony, some friends sent over a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Always good at wedding receptions.
HAMMER: You got to have Kentucky Friend Chicken at a wedding.
SUTTON: A little champagne - a little champagne, a little apple cider was there at the ceremony, too. And they topped it off by moving the boat closer to shore, and both Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern jumping off the boat, taking the plunge so to speak right into the water.
HAMMER: Do you get any impression - obviously we`re seeing, you know, smiling faces and people apparently having a good time. But again, this is immediately in the shadow of the death of her son, Daniel.
SUTTON: Sure. I - I`m sure most people say, It`s three weeks.
HAMMER: So - so did - did you get - did you get any sense of what the mood was there at the ceremony?
SUTTON: Well, at the ceremony itself, I think there was a lot of festivity. There was - spirits were high. It was also a time of reflection. I mean, you can`t put that out of your mind, if your son has just died three weeks ago. That`s going to haunt you for a long, long time.
But again, this ceremony was in part designed to overcome those feelings. So it was - I think it was mostly an upbeat affair.
HAMMER: Yes, if everything is as it appears - and I know people have been using this clich', but it - it certainly applies - what a roller coaster ride between.
SUTTON: Sure.
HAMMER: The birth of her daughter and - and her son dying, and then a ceremony like this.
But of course, the - the pictures are showing something which wasn`t a legally binding commitment ceremony.
SUTTON: No. There`s no.
HAMMER: So I have less than 30 seconds, so what`s - what do you think the point is?
SUTTON: I think the point was just to lift her spirits.
HAMMER: As - as you said.
SUTTON: .as - as - as her now husband, in least in her terms, says, get her out of her depression. And I think it worked.
HAMMER: Well, it will be interesting to see how that relationship now plays out. Because it is all going to play out for the media, and - and I appreciate you sharing those pictures with us, Larry Sutton of "People" magazine.
And you can read more about Anna Nicole`s commitment ceremony in this issue of "People" magazine. It`ll land on newsstands this Friday.
ANDERSON: Last night, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." And it was about Anna Nicole.
"Anna Nicole Paternity Drama: Should all of this be dealt with behind closed doors?" Not much of a debate here; 92 percent of you say "yes"; only 8 percent of you say "no."
Here`s some of the e-mails we got.
Donna from Pennsylvania writes, "Anna Nicole`s baby is the least important thing happening in the world today. Tell her to go on Maury Povich."
Karen from Virginia says, "It should be settled behind closed doors, but won`t because she and her wacky entourage lost sight of reality."
Thank you so much for your e-mails. Stay with us; SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
We have been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." And it is this: "Stars Behaving Badly: Is substance abuse a legitimate excuse?" Keep on voting: cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We appreciate your e-mails. We`re going to read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: I know you want to know, so let`s find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, famous or just acting like it? It`s the attack of the D-list celebrities: Paris Hilton, Shanna Moakler, Nicole Richie. How did these so- called stars steal the spotlight, and has the definition of celebrity changed? That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, butts and braces. You can walk the walk and talk the talk, but just how far would you go to look like your favorite star? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes behind the extreme makeovers, from the derriere to the pearly whites. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching, everyone. Have a great night. I am Brooke Anderson.
Stay tuned. Glenn Beck is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
HAMMER: (INAUDIBLE)
END
