Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Anna Nicole Bombshell!; Cruise in Control; Call it a Truce!; The Price of Star Splits; Anna Nicole Mystery; Michael J. Fox; K-Fed Opens Up
Aired November 03, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CO-HOST: Tom Cruise, back in control. The actor launches a comeback of epic proportion.
And K-Fed as you`ve never seen him before in a startling and frank talk about life with Britney.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Anna Nicole Smith scandal. One big story, two huge interviews, exclusively on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, explosive new information about who might be the father of Anna Nicole`s baby. And only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the key player at the heart of the battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Anna Nicole Smith has now taken Larry Birkhead`s child away from him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Plus, dramatic revelations about the drugs in the body of Anna Nicole`s dead son. And only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the man who investigated the death. Two big exclusives you will not want to miss, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tonight, the most shockingly expensive Hollywood divorces ever. Paul and Heather, Harrison and Melissa, Denise and Charlie. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the unreal and sometimes ridiculous price of star divorces.
Happy Friday you to. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. Tonight, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can bring you two of the biggest figures in the strange, bizarre, almost unbelievable saga of Anna Nicole Smith. We`ve got two big exclusives tonight.
Cyril Wecht is the man Anna Nicole hired to investigate what killed her son Daniel. And there are new developments tonight about the drugs found in Daniel`s body.
And Debra Opri is the attorney for the man who is smack in the middle of a paternity battle with Anna Nicole. In fact, there is yet another startling turn tonight in the paternity battle that could help prove that Debra`s client really is the father of Anna Nicole`s baby daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s the case of the dueling dads. And now an explosive development in Anna Nicole`s daddy drama. New court declarations which may finally help answer the question, who`s the father of Anna Nicole`s new baby, Dani Lynn?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think this declaration is really a bombshell.
ANDERSON: New court documents obtained by celebrity Web site tmz.com feature a sworn declaration by a woman who says she was a friend of Anna Nicole`s. In them she claims that in numerous calls and instant messages, Anna Nicole told her, quote, that "Larry Birkhead was, in fact, the father" of her then unborn child, Dani Lynn.
DEBRA OPRI, ATTORNEY FOR LARRY BIRKHEAD: She forced Larry Birkhead to fight for the rights he holds dear, to be a father to his first child.
ANDERSON: Anna Nicole`s ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, has filed a lawsuit to force her to submit the child to a paternity test. He says that will prove that he is the father and not Anna Nicole`s former attorney and now lover, Howard K. Stern, as Stern and Anna Nicole claim.
HOWARD K. STERN, ANNA`S BOYFRIEND: Anna and I have been in a relationship. And we love each other. And it`s been going on for very long time.
ANDERSON: But the new court documents don`t exactly paint a picture of a burning long-time love between the two. In them, Anna`s friend claims that in December of last year she suggested that Anna enter into a relationship with Stern. Anna`s reported response, quote, "ewww...gross!!! No way!! I would never!"
"Court TV`s" Lisa Bloom tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the new documents could make for strong evidence in Birkhead`s favor.
LISA BLOOM, "COURT TV": Here we have an unbiased witness, the former girlfriend of Anna Nicole, talking about girl talk between her and Anna Nicole at a time when Anna had no reason to lie.
ANDERSON: This high-profile baby battle has taken an even stranger turn, with Larry Birkhead posting an open letter on his Web site to the infant he calls his daughter. It reads, quote, "I went to Disneyland with some friends thinking it would cheer me up, but I couldn`t help but thinking after seeing all of the kids, what it would be like to take you there one day." He goes on to write, quote, "I am ready to fight anyone and everyone that gets in my way. One day, you will thank me for fighting for you when others expected me to just walk away. Love, Dad."
Further proof that the fight for Dani Lynn is going to get mean, personal and downright bizarre.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (on camera): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contacted Anna Nicole Smith`s attorney to find out what he had to say about that purported court declaration posted by tmz.com. The attorney, Ron Rale, tells us he`s not commenting on any of the allegations in the documents, but does he say, quote, "whoever released it and it wasn`t our office, should be held accountable."
Now, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. With us tonight from Los Angeles is Larry Birkhead`s attorney, Debra Opri.
Debra, thanks so much for being here tonight.
OPRI: My pleasure. And thanks for allowing me to come on and clear up what I consider to be a heinous act by whoever leaked those documents to that Web site. I`m angry. And I join Ron Rale in saying no comment about that declaration. So please don`t ask me any questions.
ANDERSON: Well, do you have any sense who may have leaked those documents? Because Ron Rale says it wasn`t us.
OPRI: Well, it wasn`t I as well. You know, my firm has a very stellar reputation. I`ve been practicing a long time. And, frankly, I`m livid. I`m angry. And I want to know who did it. And will I ever know? I don`t know. But I am not going to discuss private pleadings which are sealed. And whoever is earning money or doing whatever they`re doing out there, they will be held accountable. It happens all the time, I`m told. It just never happened to me before, so.
ANDERSON: As you know...
OPRI: Incidentally, Brooke, it doesn`t help me. It hurt me. Because I had three other witnesses who now refuse to sign declarations. So how does that help me?
ANDERSON: Because of these documents being leaked?
OPRI: Because of sealed court documents being leaked to a media outlet. I have three individuals who are very hesitant to come forward to sign declarations now.
ANDERSON: Afraid that maybe theirs would be leaked as well.
OPRI: Yes. And it hurts my case. It hurts my client`s case.
ANDERSON: Well, as you know, Debra, this week "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" have had the first interview with Anna Nicole since all of this craziness began. But the one thing we haven`t heard since that interview is what your client, Larry Birkhead is saying. What was his reaction to that interview?
OPRI: You know, the personal opinions of my client, how relevant are they? I can tell you in general terms, he`s upset. He`s livid that she`s talking to the press about this case. It`s inappropriate. Mr. Rale, her attorney, knows that. Mr. Birkhead has kept quiet. He has only maintained that he`s the father.
How does he feel about certain things that have been leaked in terms of what`s coming on "E.T."? He is so upset. He considers it despicable that the birth of his baby has been exploited and possibly for money.
ANDERSON: As we heard in the piece, Larry, today, did release a very powerful letter to this child he says is his daughter. And that letter also says -- I want to read a bit more of it. "It`s up to the legal system now and my attorney to get you to me, your real dad. I hope you are home for Christmas. The holidays wouldn`t be the same without you."
Debra, you actually went to the Bahamas to try to get a deposition from Anna Nicole. She wouldn`t see you. She wouldn`t give you the time of day. It is November. This thing isn`t going to be resolved by Christmas, is it?
OPRI: I`ve worked pretty quickly on this case. I was retained end of September. It is now first week of November. And we are promised a hearing on the jurisdiction and service on Wednesday. On the 17th we`re promised a hearing on the paternity test. That`s all I`ll say.
As far as how fast do the wheels of justice move forward? Well let me put it this way, I went properly on a deposition for Anna Nicole and Howard K. Stern. They flagrantly said, not coming. We had a right to take the deposition, unlike what many media pundits will testify and state in the press, that it wasn`t a proper deposition. It was a discovery deposition for a motion to quash on the reasons of jurisdiction and service. We had the right to question her, and she said I`m not coming. She flagrantly said I have no respect for the law. She`s now flagrantly saying I have no respect for California jurisdiction. Come here.
I`m not going to do it. She`s going to come back to California because that`s where the child was conceived. That`s where she still resides. She still has a home. And that`s where my client resides. That baby will be found to be under the jurisdiction of California and I am firmly confident about that.
ANDERSON: The court documents TMZ obtained allege Anna Nicole used drugs while pregnant. In your court documents you filed, you also hint drug use may be a factor in this case. What you are suggesting?
OPRI: Brooke, I`m going to join Ron Rale and state, I will not discuss sealed court documents. And please respect that I`m an officer of the court.
ANDERSON: I understand that.
OPRI: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And I do understand that emotions are running high. And we will keep everyone updated on the rest of this case.
Debra Opri, thanks again for joining us. We appreciate it.
OPRI: My pleasure.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has much more on another fascinating part of the Anna Nicole story. What killed her son Daniel?
We`re just hearing reports that he had more drugs in his system than previously disclosed. That has a lot of people talking.
And in just a few minutes, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. We`re going to talk to Celebrity Pathologist Cyril Wecht, who did the private autopsy on Daniel Smith.
Also ahead, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the unreal and sometimes ridiculous price of star divorces, from Paul and Heather, to Denise and Charlie. We`re going to take a look at the most shockingly expensive divorces ever. We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really, who could have predicted this kind of come back? Only three months after this guy was unceremoniously dumped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tom Cruise regains his top gun status. Only now, he`s taking on a surprising new mission. Find out what it is. And you may never count Cruise out again.
That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Keep it right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
Time now for a story that made us say...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: That`s ridiculous!
ANDERSON: All right, a 600-pound bull running through the streets of Newark, New Jersey. Need we say more? Well, I will. See, the bull escaped just before its number was up, if you know what I mean. Good for the bull. Even with an expert urban cowboy at hand, this running bull managed to shut down streets and back up traffic through the night. Ten hours later, the cowboy finally cornered the bull at a fenced in tool shop. The bull was tranquilized and will live out the rest of his life at an animal sanctuary. Still, an all-night bull chase? Now that`s ridiculous.
And better job, guys. I appreciate that.
And if you were one of those who hopped aboard the Tom Cruise bashing band wagon, have we got news for you tonight. In fact, if it were Tom`s latest movie, it could be called Mission Possible.
Just months after getting fired from one studio for his over the top behavior, Cruise is having the last laugh because he`s just been named the head of his own movie studio, United Artists.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Cruise is totally back in control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): There was the much ridiculed I love Katie couch jumping episode on "Oprah."
And his scientology preaching inspired one too many parodies of this Hollywood top gun, including this famous "South Park" episode.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dad, Tom Cruise won`t come out of the closet.
ANDERSON: But don`t count Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise out of the movie business just yet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that you can add the title, movie mogul, to Cruise`s list of accomplishments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show me the money!
LEA GOLDMAN, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, FORBES MAGAZINE: Tom Cruise is now top gun of his own studio. And really, who could have predicted this kind of comeback? Only three months after this guy was unceremoniously dumped.
ANDERSON: Dumped by another movie mogul, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone. Just three months ago, Sumner said bye-bye to Cruise, his production partner Paula Wagner and their long-standing production deal with Paramount. And Redstone bashed Cruise with glee, not once but twice.
GOLDMAN: Sumner Redstone bashed him once and then bashed him again. He couldn`t get enough out of a Tom Cruise whooping, basically.
ANDERSON: Redstone blamed Cruise`s bizarre behavior for "Mission Impossible 3`s" bad box office numbers and confessed that it was his own wife who directly influenced his decision to can Cruise saying, quote, "Paula, like women everywhere, had come to hate him. The truth of the matter is, I did listen to her. His behavior was entirely unacceptable to Paula and to the rest of the world. He just didn`t turn one woman off. He turned off all women and a lot of men."
One big turnoff, his Brooke Shields bashing on the "Today Show," when he attacked her for taking drugs for her postpartum depression.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: She doesn`t understand the history of psychiatry.
ANDERSON: Cruise later apologized to Shields, and now all of that is behind him as he gets ready to head up the movie studio United Artists. He`s got some deal.
GOLDMAN: The details that are now emerging just show what kind of star power this guy has. Not only does he get the green light and produce whatever movies he wants, he can take those movies to another studio if he wants. He can star in movies from another studio that he wants. He basically has carte blanche. And pretty much only Tom Cruise has that kind of clout.
ANDERSON: He`s carrying that clout to a studio that carries some heavy duty clout of its own.
GOLDMAN: The fact that Tom Cruise is taking over United Artists, they speak to a duel comeback of Tom Cruise`s career and United Artists, which used to be this great artist friendly film company that produced, you know, movie classics, the James Bond series, Annie Hall. I mean, this was like the icon of its day.
ANDERSON: And no one can argue that Tom Cruise, despite all his antics, will go down in Hollywood history as a big icon himself.
GOLDMAN: It`s like a Hollywood script. It`s really -- you couldn`t script it any better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m starting a new company, and the fish will come with me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (on camera): I think it`s safe to say Tom Cruise won`t be releasing any new films under his new title in the next few weeks. And that`s because he and Katie Holmes are set to be married in Italy on November 18th.
Charlie Sheen is well into his own comeback after a very volatile and public split from Denise Richards. Now, Sheen and Richards are making the best of things, even spending time together with their kids. Sheen talks about it on a new episode of the "Ellen DeGeneres Show."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST "ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": I saw recently that you and Denise are actually hanging out with the kids and everything. Is that right?
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: Yes. No, we`re trying to, you know, put all that nonsense aside and just do what is right for the children.
DEGENERES: Yes, that`s hard, right?
(CROSSTALK)
SHEEN: And just be good, responsible parents. Yes. Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sheen and Richards have two daughters, 2-year-old Sam and 1-year-old Lola. The Sheen interview airs Monday on the "Ellen DeGeneres Show." Charlie and Denise may have mended fences, but that`s not making their divorce any cheaper.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a surprising look at Hollywood`s most expensive divorces ever. Our friends at forbes.com are all over this topic. They have a new feature article on their site. And with me now from the Forbes offices in New York tonight is Kiri Blakely, senior editor for "Forbes" magazine.
Hi Kiri.
KIRI BLAKELY, SENIOR EDITOR, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: Hi. How are you doing?
ANDERSON: Doing well.
First of all, I want to start with Paul McCartney and Heather Mills. The divorce isn`t official yet, but it is starting to look like one of the most expensive celebrity divorces ever, isn`t it? He`s worth a lot of money.
BLAKELY: Yes, definitely. He`s worth -- you figure between $850 million and $1 billion. If she may get half of that, she could end up with, you know, $400 million. Most lawyers put it between $190 million and $375 million. That would pretty much blow away any previous Hollywood entertainment divorce settlement.
ANDERSON: That is a lot of green.
And another huge celebrity divorce, with Steven Spielberg and his ex- wife Amy Irving. A lot of people may remember this. Back then this was probably the most expensive celebrity divorce. She got a huge chunk of cash despite having a prenup. How did she do it? And what did she get?
BLAKELY: Well, she claimed that she didn`t have proper legal representation at the time. And that apparently worked because Steven Spielberg wrote out a check for $100 million. There have been higher settlements, but at the time that was considered one of the highest that had ever been done.
ANDERSON: So she signed a prenup, but said didn`t have the proper representation.
BLAKELY: Yeah, I mean, there are ways to get around prenups. So prenups definitely don`t guarantee anything.
ANDERSON: That`s true.
Now, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, the divorce hasn`t been settled just yet. Both are big stars, making a lot of money. What will make this one one of the most expensive divorces?
BLAKELY: Well, I think it`s Charlie Sheen who is making the money. He just got signed to be the highest paid sitcom star on TV. The number going around is $350,000 an episode, which could make him about $8 million a year. But really, what she`s going for is future earnings, in perpetuity. In other words, any penny he makes in the future, whether it be from his screen actors gild pension, whether he suddenly makes a $50 million film sometime in the future, or a piece of the syndication rights of his hit show, she will get a portion of that.
ANDERSON: Speaking of going after earnings and perpetuity, another one of the most expensive divorces, Harrison Ford and his ex-wife, Melissa Mathison. According to Forbes, the settlement was worth $85 million. She did get a stake in his future earnings, right?
BLAKELY: Exactly. And she was one of the first ones to do that, want a stake in future earnings. And while Harrison Ford, you know, may not necessarily be the $20 million picture action star that he was, he still has the "Indiana Jones" franchise, maybe on its last legs. But they`re going to do at least one more. And, you know, it`s nothing without him. And all of his royalties from the "Indiana Jones" franchise and his other hit movies, she gets a portion of. All the DVD sales.
ANDERSON: Very interesting. It`s hard for me to fathom all of that money. It`s incredible.
Kiri Blakely, of "Forbes" magazine, thank you so much for your insight.
BLAKELY: Thank you.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is setting the record straight on the Anna Nicole scandal. Tonight, dramatic revelations about the drugs in the body of Anna Nicole`s dead son.
Coming up, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the man who investigated the death.
Also ahead, the "Showbiz Weight Watch." Our continuing coverage of Hollywood`s obsession with body image and weight. Is the fashion world to blame for creating unrealistic images? We ask "TV Guide`s" the fashion team for answers.
We`ll also have this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: To me, it`s so not -- it so has nothing to do with the topic. I mean, if you had to take it up, like I said, with the other 1.5 million Americans who have Parkinson`s, how they feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Michael J. Fox speaks out. Coming up, the actor talks candidly about enduring public scrutiny over his political battle. Why he is putting himself on the line? His answers, just ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT truth squad has the real deal on a hot Hollywood headline. You may have sign some reports that Actor Wesley Snipes cut a deal in the multimillion dollar tax fraud case. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell that you is not true. A justice department official tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there is no such deal. Snipes is accused of fraudulently claiming nearly 12 million dollars in tax refunds.
When Wes Snipes is eventually offered a deal, he cold face nearly 16 years in prison, if convicted. Snipes is currently shooting a film in, where else? Namibia.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is setting the record straight on the Anna Nicole Smith scandal. Tonight, dramatic revelations about the drugs in the body of Anna Nicole`s dead son. Coming up, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the man who investigated the death.
Also ahead, K-Fed, as you`ve never seen him before, in a startling and frank talk about life with his wife, Britney Spears. It`s the interview you will see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour on this Friday night. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. has the night off.
This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, in our "Showbiz Weight Watch," we`re going to investigate whether the fashion industry is to blame for the unrealistic images that they are putting out there and people are criticizing them for, and for also people developing eating disorder. We`re going to investigate if they have something to do with that.
Also, Michael J. Fox speaks out. He`s very candid about the criticism he`s received for standing up for what he believes in. That`s coming up.
But first, more developments in the bizarre and twisted Anna Nicole Smith story. Shocking new reports have come out alleging that Anna Nicole`s 20-year-old son, Daniel, had as many as seven different substances in his body when he died.
Joining us tonight in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive is Cyril Wecht. He is the private examiner hired by Anna Nicole Smith`s family to determine how Daniel died. Pathologist Cyril Wecht joins us now from Pittsburgh.
Welcome, Cyril.
CYRIL WECHT, FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST: Hi, Brooke. How are you?
ANDERSON: Doing well, thank you.
Now, you say Daniel died from a combination of methadone and the antidepressant Zoloft and Lexapro.
WECHT: Yes.
ANDERSON: Now it`s been reported that there were seven different substances in his system. This is pretty shocking. A lot of people are very baffled by this. How do you explain that?
WECHT: Well, the explanation is really very simple and quite benign. I`m sorry to deflate the drama of this revelation. But the fact is that these other drugs included a subtherapeutic level of Benadryl, an antihistamine, a subtherapeutic level of pseudoephedrine, a decongestant.
We have previously mentioned many, many times that there had been a trace of amitriptyline and Elavil, an antidepressant, just a very small amount.
So there is nothing startling here. Insofar as the cause of death and the manner and mechanism of death are concerned, there is absolutely no difference. This is why nobody has even mentioned it. It wasn`t that anything was being held back. It`s just that these other drugs -- and let me be more specific.
The level of Benadryl...
ANDERSON: Well, let me ask you this...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: I hate to interrupt you, but I want to ask you this. Even if they were low-level drugs, isn`t it strange to find that many different substances in one person`s system? I mean, you got to think that is strange.
WECHT: Well, those drugs -- those drugs, that`s not strange at all. Especially if someone is going to fly. Many people will take an antihistamine to get a mild sedative effect; decongestion, a lot of people will take that prophylactically. Whether he had a small cold or not, minor cold, I do not know. And I cannot tell you that he did. But that is a very, very simple explanation.
Yes, it`s strange and atypical and I think medically unwise for somebody to be taking methadone, Sertraline, Zoloft and citalopram, Lexapro. I have stated that unhesitatingly and unequivocally before.
But those are the three drugs that causes death. For people to come on now and say oh, my God. What I`m telling you is it`s of no consequence. Furthermore, the very low levels.
(CROSSTALK)
WECHT: Let me make a point. The very low levels of less than 1 percent mean that they almost certainly had been taken days before. And the half life that brought them down to such a low level at this point.
ANDERSON: So it made no difference...
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well, let me ask you this...
(CROSSTALK)
WECHT: This is simply scientifically, medically invalid.
ANDERSON: I understand that. There are a lot of people who are saying this could not have been an accident, though. So set the record straight. Do you think that there is no way that other things, something else caused this, that it was only an accident?
WECHT: Well, I`ve already addressed this in ruling out the other drugs as having any effect at all. Do I believe that there is no basis for considering foul play? And when you say foul play, that`s a euphemistic term which you all use in news media, and we use it too in forensic pathology, medical examiners and coroners, but that means translated into simple lay terms, murder, homicide, something of a deliberate nature designed to harm somebody.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Even Anna Nicole`s estranged mother said she thinks it was murder. So what do you think?
WECHT: There is no basis for murder. There are two people there. And that is -- are his mother and Howard Stern. If somebody wants to accuse his mother of having murdered him or having participated, even passively in the plot to kill her own son, then let them so state that, including the grandmother of Daniel. I think it is absurd. I think that it is not legally defamatory, but it is defamatory in every other sense. And there is no basis for it at all.
This was a boy who had a very, very close relationship with his mother, who is also beloved by Howard Stern, and so on. To suggest that he was done in -- by whom? By the janitor? By a nurse? By a doctor? You got to deal with the facts and get away from wild assertions.
I do not know Nicole -- Anna Nicole`s mother. And I did not see the program, but I am aware and I had heard about what she said.
ANDERSON: Right.
WECHT: So go ahead and take her deposition. Let the authorities -- as far as I am concerned, I do not believe there is any basis at all, and I speak as a forensic pathologist with 45 years experience and 25 years in a coroner`s office, 20 as coroner, that there is no way in which I would have ever even proceeded with an inquest, no way I would ever consider the possibility of homicide. Nor I do think...
ANDERSON: Well thank you.
WECHT: ... there is any basis to consider suicide.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, we appreciate your coming on and telling us your investigation and what you found and what you think. Bottom line, it is a very unfortunate situation no matter what happened.
WECHT: Yes.
ANDERSON: Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht...
WECHT: It is a tragedy indeed.
ANDERSON: It is. Thank you so much for joining us from Pittsburgh tonight. We appreciate it.
And we want to hear from you on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Anna Nicole Smith: Do you feel sorry for her? Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com. And send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. It`s really easy. Head to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight, to learn how to do it. All you have to do is click, attach and send. Keep them 30 seconds or less. And then watch for your video e-mails only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Michael J. Fox has endured Parkinson`s disease, criticism from Rush Limbaugh, and controversy as he gets the word out about embryonic stem-cell research.
And with the election just days away, he says his message is more important than whatever else comes his way.
Here is CNN`s Anderson Cooper for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you feel like you`re making a difference?
FOX: Yes, I do. And it`s -- you know, the great thing about it, when you get involved with something like this, is, it`s much bigger than you. I mean, in a way, I might have become a little bit of a catalyst in some areas, in terms of the conversation. But the conversation has its own steam.
You just -- you know, for me, I just wanted to get it going. And I wanted to get it going especially this close to the election. I mean, that`s -- the great thing for me in all this is that we`re, you know, what, five days out, and we`re talking about stem cells. It`s on AOL, and it`s the second-most popular search. And that`s just fantastic.
COOPER: Did you realize that you would come under attack?
FOX: It`s a heated topic.
You know, it`s a subject that a lot of people have a lot of passion about on both sides. So, I expected that. I was kind of surprised that at the personal level of the attack, but -- but, on the...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Did it -- does it hurt?
FOX: I`m kind of used to the attention.
I`m used to -- you know, and I made a decision about it, about being symptomatic, and being out in public, in that it doesn`t bother me, that I`m committed to being comfortable however that manifests itself, but there are a lot of other people that deal with the stigma and deal with having to hide and deal with -- with a sense of shame or a sense of embarrassment, or they deal with it that wasn`t helpful.
COOPER: And there is -- there is still a big stigma, you think?
FOX: Oh, sure. Absolutely. There are people that worry about the way they are perceived and worry about their employers making judgments about their capabilities based on their symptoms. And...
COOPER: Do people look at you differently, you think?
FOX: In 1998, I disclosed that I had been dealing with this for seven years. And, so now it`s 15 years. So, whatever. It just is who I am. So, I don`t think about it a lot.
The thing, too, I think it was an attempt to marginalize, you know? And it`s too big a subject to be marginalized. And too many people are affected for them to be marginalized. So...
COOPER: As you know, Rush Limbaugh had suggested that either you were acting or hadn`t taken you medication intentionally. He has since sort of apologized.
Do you accept his apology?
FOX: Well, you know, I`m fine. Yes, great.
You know, I -- to me, it -- it`s so not -- it so has nothing to do with the topic. I mean, he would have to take it up, like I said, with -- with the other 1.5 million Americans who have Parkinson`s, how they feel.
COOPER: Because you feel it was insulting to them?
FOX: Yes. I think it was.
But, for me, it`s not -- it`s so -- it`s a sidelight. You know, it`s not -- it`s not germane to the conversation. It`s time -- you know, we`re talking about curing, potentially curing, the conditions that affect 100 million Americans and their families. It`s not about a radio show.
COOPER: And yet, what he and what other critics continue to say, though, is that you`re, in some ways misleading, that -- and one of the things that they have said is -- and Rush Limbaugh said, in fact is -- that you were misleading voters into thinking that their vote for a single United States senator has a direct impact on stem cell research in Missouri; it doesn`t, and it won`t.
FOX: That`s -- I can`t -- I can`t follow that logic.
You have the -- the -- both houses of the Congress voted to pass legislation that would expand federal funding and expand embryonic stem cell research. The president, because he -- it wasn`t a veto-proof margin, he vetoed that legislation.
COOPER: It was his first and only veto.
FOX: It was his first and only veto.
If you have a sufficient number of legislators on both sides, and in both parties, he can`t veto that legislation, or at least he can be -- they can override it.
COOPER: So, that`s the mission for you now?
FOX: That`s it. I mean...
COOPER: To go state by state and try to get...
FOX: That`s -- that`s the math. I can`t -- it flies in the face of how our system works to say, your vote doesn`t count. I mean, it`s the purest expression of the vote counting. Deciding who gets your vote is the purest expression of democracy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Anderson Cooper for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
1600 people all with the same last name all in the same place. No, it isn`t a huge family reunion. We`ll tell you why a whole mess of Joneses are getting together, next.
Plus, from the fashion industry to Hollywood, the super thin to the scary skinny. Is there any end in sight to the weight obsession? Our series "Showbiz Weight Watch" continues, coming up.
And Kevin Federline, like you`ve never seen him before. Kevin talks openly about life with Britney. Coming up in the interview you will see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Time now for another story that made us say -- come on, guys...
UNIDENTIFIED MALES: That`s ridiculous!
ANDERSON: There we go.
Tonight, we are keeping up with the Joneses -- all 1,600 of them. That`s how many people with the last name of Jones are expected to gather in Wales this weekend. They`re trying to break the world record for the biggest gathering of people with the same last name. There are some famous Joneses, of course. And one of them, Grace Jones, is expected to attend the event. 1,600 Joneses? Now that`s ridiculous.
Tonight, Kevin Federline, yes, Mr. Britney Spears, as you`ve never heard or seen him before. K-Fed stopped by the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios today. His first album, "Playing with Fire," hit stores on Tuesday. And with all the negative press this guy`s gotten over the last couple of years, I was really surprised at how open and honest he was, especially when it comes to his famous wife and their two young kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN FEDERLINE, MARRIED TO BRITNEY SPEARS: You see all the negative stuff. But I mean everybody`s got to know that, like, behind closed doors everything is, you know, is great. It`s not always what they say it is. I mean we -- we`re people, too. We`re happy behind closed doors. We play with the kids. And we run around the house, you know, and we do stuff that normal people do.
But, you know, like I said, you know, the tabloids and the whole media thing is so crazy in Hollywood right now. It`s not just us. It`s everybody`s getting it. Everybody`s going through it. You know? And it`s like -- it`s a money market right now is it what it is.
ANDERSON: You seem to really take it in stride.
FEDERLINE: Of course. Because I look at it as a business. And they`re using my personal life as their business. You know? So I have to look at it like that. And especially, like, if they knew if it really got to me, then they would go 10 times as hard because they know they`re going to push my buttons and one day I`m going to break somebody`s neck.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: On Tuesday, my full interview with Kevin, his thoughts on Britney, the bad press, and how they`re raising their kids.
Tonight, the "Showbiz Weight Watch," our continuing coverage of how Hollywood and the entertainment industry is fueling our obsession with body image and weight. This whole issue really exploded when super skinny models were banned from a major Madrid fashion show.
And then we saw this picture of a model so skinny at a fashion show, we wanted to rush her to a hospital. So there`s been a lot of talk. But has there been any more action to stop the madness?
With me tonight in New York, Daphne Brogden and David Evangelista. They are the team that make up the fashion team on the "TV Guide" channel. And that`s where they give us an inside look into the world of fashion and celebrity fashion gossip.
Great to see you both. Thanks for being here.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: That`s right. That`s right.
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID EVANGELISTA, FASHION TEAM, "TV GUIDE": ... in Hollywood. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but that`s what we are.
ANDERSON: That`s what you are. Well, you`re both very familiar with the fashion industry. And when news of this skinny model ban came down, a lot of people in the industry stood up and said, hey this is about time. Great job. But now that the hoopla has died down, do you think that the industry is still reacting to it? Or are they just ignoring it now? What are we seeing?
EVANGELISTA: I think -- I think Spain was wrong by doing that, about banning skinny models. I think it`s just ridiculous because I think it`s up to a designer to show the clothes they way he wants to show the clothes. And it`s up to you to buy the clothes if you want to buy them.
ANDERSON: A lot of people say it was putting out the wrong message, though, the super skinny models.
DAPHNE BROGDEN, FASHION TEAM, "TV GUIDE": Yes, actually, I thought it was kind of great that it happened, even though the poor girl probably starved herself to get into the show initially.
At L.A. fashion week, I did find that the designers were, seemed to be a little more conscience about it. When I`d say, hey, are you designing things for women that aren`t a size zero? Everyone was like, oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Maybe a size six. But yes, they -- I think they were...
(CROSSTALK)
BROGDEN: Yes, well you know, if they`re smart, because America is getting bigger. So if they want to sell their clothes, they have to design bigger.
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: Hold on. Getting bigger is a different story because we`re trying to get people to stop being bigger and start getting them a little skinnier because...
ANDERSON: Well, you don`t want either extreme.
EVANGELISTA: Oh, I agree with you.
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: I totally agree with you.
ANDERSON: Let me ask you this, David, you said it`s cyclical, that we used to have models that were healthier looking with some meat on their bones. Is this skinny model fad just a passing trend?
EVANGELISTA: Totally. Totally.
ANDERSON: Are we going to see healthier models?
EVANGELISTA: Totally. You see bigger busted models on the run ways, you can see lower busted models. I mean, you saw that in the 90s when Kate Moss first hit the scene. You know, she knocked out Linda and Naomi, all those girls, who were the glamazon models. There was a glamazon era back then.
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: Right. And everything. And then she went away. And then bigger models came back in. So it`s cyclical.
BROGDEN: But you know, it`s like they want so sell their clothes. They`re going to look better on tall people. They`re going to suddenly have, oh now let`s have 5`2" models.
EVANGELISTA: Right. Right.
BROGDEN: They`re always going to try to be what they think looks best. And you know, being on TV, I mean, already I`m like where is my monitor shot? Did they add 10 pounds.
(CROSSTALK)
BROGDEN: This isn`t really my stomach, you know. I mean, there is a reason everybody is neurotic in Hollywood, because they`ve got cameras on us.
EVANGELISTA: And I think celebrities are much different than models because celebrities are more accessible to Americans than models are.
ANDERSON: They`re in the spotlight.
EVANGELISTA: Models are imaged, you know, you feel like you`re more connected to Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie.
ANDERSON: Well, to that end, do you think Hollywood is reacting to the fashion industry or vice versa or are both to blame?
BROGDEN: Both. It goes back and forth.
EVANGELISTA: I think so.
BROGDEN: Designers get inspired from movies, and then, you know, and celebrities take their cues from designers.
EVANGELISTA: Yes, exactly. And I think that -- me, I enjoy a little woman with her meat on the bones. I don`t like skinny, skinny. I don`t.
ANDERSON: Well, you just mentioned Nicole Richie.
EVANGELISTA: Yes.
ANDERSON: She recently came out publicly and said she`s seeking treatment for being so thin. Why can`t she gain weight?
BROGDEN: Well, she needs to eat. I`m sorry, I`m not buying it. I`m not buying that. There are too many gals in Hollywood that like, you know, they say those kind of things. But people see them in the clubs at night. So, you know.
ANDERSON: A lot of people say that Nicole does have an impact on young women.
EVANGELISTA: Sure she does.
ANDERSON: And what young women think. And a lot of people say the fashion industry has an impact as well. Do you -- what do you think? Do you think it`s a lot of hype?
EVANGELISTA: I mean, Nicole -- I mean, Nicole wearing the clothes? Is that what you`re saying? Like being a model that way?
ANDERSON: And the fashion industry.
BROGDEN: Girls getting a bad body image.
ANDERSON: Right, from the fashion industry. Do you think that the images they portray encourage people to maybe develop eating disorders or have problems with disorders?
BROGDEN: Oh, yes.
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: I definitely agree.
BROGDEN: Yes. I mean, and, you know, in junior high, it`s when girls start freaking out, you know, about how they look and wanting to diet. I mean, that`s...
ANDERSON: What can be done about it?
BROGDEN: Oh, my God.
EVANGELISTA: You can surround yourself with the right people who are going to -- it`s about surrounding yourself. Especially at that level when you hit celebrity like that. Surrounding yourself with smart people who are going to, you know, be aware of who you are and help you through this whole thing. Because it can be kind of pressure for these girls not to eat and do this and that. It`s the other images out there they`re supposed to be, when it comes down to just being yourself.
BROGDEN: Yes.
EVANGELISTA: And being who you are. Not letting someone dictate who you are.
BROGDEN: And for the little girls that have a mommy and daddy, oh, you look beautiful just the way you are.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes, but did you hear about young girls, 5, 6, 7, 8, wanting to diet.
EVANGELISTA: But it is so more psychological, you know. It can`t be taken from one cue from, you know, Spain banning skinny models. I mean, it`s so much more psychological.
BROGDEN: Well, yes. It`s all the media images about women and how they, you know -- little girls get a bill of goods now. Like the sexy Halloween costumes and all that stuff.
EVANGELISTA: It is. It`s media. It`s your family. It`s a bunch of stuff. So you just can`t blame it on one thing.
ANDERSON: It`s a combination.
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: I`m not going to preach Marianne Williamson (ph), but I`ll bring her up. Again...
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: ...touch with your spirit, people! Eat a nice big plate of spaghetti and love yourself! OK? That`s all I`m telling you.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Let me ask you this. We`ve been talking about girls and women...
EVANGELISTA: Right, sure.
ANDERSON: But it`s not just about women. We`ve also talked about men and eating disorders.
BROGDEN: Oh, I`m all more for some of that. Because frankly, the guys, I mean, unless you`re gay...
(CROSSTALK)
BROGDEN: Straight men. We`ve got to love them for their little round bellies. I mean, I -- as far as I`m concerned, guys could, you know, up the eating disorder a little bit. And also, by the way, get rid of the funky hairs. You know, girls, we`ve been waxing and plucking.
(CROSSTALK)
BROGDEN: No, but I`m just saying, if women are going to be so self- conscious about their image, I think, you know, a little turn about is fair play. I don`t want to see the hair on the big...
(CROSSTALK)
EVANGELISTA: No, I mean, I think guys are much more conscious today with the meterosexual trend that started four or five years.
ANDERSON: Bottom line, like you say, we should all be happy.
EVANGELISTA: Honey, be happy. Embrace yourself. Eat. Wear fashion and love yourself.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
David Evangelista, Daphne Brogden, it was so much fun. Thanks for being here.
BROGDEN: Thank you.
EVANGELISTA: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And the fashion team airs Tuesday nights on the "TV Guide" channel.
And remember, there is no other entertainment news show out there that covers Hollywood`s obsession with body image like we do. So tune into the "Showbiz Weight Watch" every Tuesday and Friday and anytime there`s news on this, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday night is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Last night we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Anna Nicole Smith: Do you feel sorry for her? 48 percent of you say yes; 52 percent of you say no.
One of the e-mails we received, Anne from North Carolina writes, "I feel sorry for anyone who has lost a child. But as far as her career, Anna Nicole is all an act!"
That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for this Friday night. Join us this weekend, same time, same place.
I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. Hammer has the night off. "Glenn Beck" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News." Keep it right here.
END
