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Showbiz Tonight
Michael Richards Agrees to Meet With Subjects of His Racial Tirade; Britney Spears Turns Twenty Five; Anna Nicole Smith Gets Reprieve On Eviction From Bahamas Home; Leonardo DiCaprio Discusses "Blood Diamond"; Ed Asner Discusses New Film
Aired December 01, 2006 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Is Anna Nicole Smith pregnant again, and homeless? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Martin Sheen speaks out on Charlie and Denise`s divorce. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, happy birthday, Britney. Britney Spears is turning 25 and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got advice for her: get your act together. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT birthday present for Brit, career counseling. What does Britney have to do to stage her comeback? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the answers, with a big bow on top.
Kramer`s racist rant, tonight, dramatic new developments. Michael Richards reveals if he`s going to meet face to face with the men he offended with his ugly tirade at a comedy club. Is there a settlement in the air? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates as the attorney, who could make it happen, talks to us, right here, right now.
Friday night is on. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood, and in just a minute, the dramatic and unexpected development in the Kramer-goes-wild story. How Michael Richards is going try to make amends for his racial rant at a comedy club.
HAMMER: But first tonight, Sibila, we can only imagine how Britney Spears is going to be partying tonight. That`s because when the clock strikes midnight, Britney is going to start officially celebrating her 25th birthday, after a week of wild nights out on the town with the likes of Paris Hilton, which has many people asking, is Britney out of control?
VARGAS: And Britney, you can thank us later, because tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a birthday present for you. It`s a coupon, good for one career counseling session from us. And we are going to cash on it right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): Well Brit, you are a woman now, and at 25 you really have accomplished a lot. You`ve sold millions of records. You`ve made millions of dollars and fans. And you have had two beautiful children. But on this 25th birthday, we have noticed you are in a bit of a mid-20s crisis.
REGIS PHILBON, REGIS AND KELLY: They are running wild.
VARGAS: Tabloids have been buzzing about your wild nights out with new friends, celebrity partiers Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: They are birds of a feather. They like partying. They like fashion. They like guys. They`re perfect for each other.
VARGAS: But with fans writing into your MySpace page, calling you party hardy behavior repulsive and asking, quote, what the hell are you doing? You are in danger of losing all the good will you`ve earned from being a pop princess, and more recently dumping your aspiring rapper ex, Kevin Federline.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Judy tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT you need some birthday help.
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Britney may be 25, but she`s still acting like she is 13.
VARGAS: So as a present our present to you, Britney, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is giving out some free advice on how you can right yourself during your 25th year.
Number one, we have to say it, please put on some panties. The Internet and tabloids have been splashed with Britney`s recent partying outings, during which she was more exposed than we would like. It made her the butt of jokes, and the talk of TV.
PHILBON: What is that something new with the ladies now, no underwear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don`t look at me.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": You go on the Internet. Every five seconds there`s the naked...
VARGAS: Developmental psychologist Cooper Lawrence says Britney baring all may be a good punch line, but it is no good to her two small boys.
COOPER LAWRENCE, RADIO HOST/PSYCHOLOGIST: You know those kids are going to see those pictures and that`s horrible. Regardless of what it`s about for her, it`s inexcusable, because she is a mother and that should be foremost on her mind.
VARGAS: Our second piece of Britney birthday advice, go get some new friends. Palling around with A-list partiers Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan may help get you into clubs and on to the front page, but no disrespect, some say Paris and Lindsey aren`t exactly good influences.
LAWRENCE: Not the best choices and definitely not role models for anyone. They might be in adult bodies, but they`re children, they`re young, they`re living a very unrealistic life.
VARGAS: Psychologist Cooper Lawrence tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT who she thinks could be Britney`s BFF, Reese Witherspoon.
LAWRENCE: Recently divorced, has two kids. I think Britney and Reese should become friends.
VARGAS: And Brit, while you dump your friends, here`s another suggestion, date better guys.
KURIANSKY: No more backup dancer, wild guys like she`s been with.
VARGAS: Remember when Britney was with her teen boyfriend Justin Timberlake? They seemed perfect together, but since then she`s been seen with Colin Farrell, linked to Fred Durst, had a quickie Vegas marriage, lasting all of 55 hours, and the less said about K-Fed, the better.
Cooper Lawrence tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT maybe Brit should fly solo for a while.
LAWRENCE: She hasn`t defined herself yet, so now`s a great opportunity for her to just stop and do that.
VARGAS: And when Britney is ready to date again, we know who she should look for.
KURIANSKY: She needs a guy who is not in the business and who is totally just a businessman, and was nothing to do with entertainment and who wants to just be a father and have a quiet life.
VARGAS: And our final piece of birthday advice to Britney, chill. Keep in mind, despite her mistakes, Britney has accomplished a lot for a lady of 25. So maybe now`s the time for her to step back and think about how her next quarter century to shine as brightly as her first.
KURIANSKY: She`s got a lot of inner work to do and it may take another at least five years and a lot of mature people around her until she blows out of her 30th candle, before she really knows who she is.
VARGAS: So happy birthday, Brit. We`ll check back with you on the big 3-0.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: And in the days before her birthday, Rosie O`Donnell offered Britney Spears some presents during a recent segment on The View. You might have catched (sic) that one. They were, you guessed it, panties.
HAMMER: Of course they were. Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day: Britney Spears, can she make a comeback? Get online to vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. E-mail us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. Use your video camera, use your webcam, whatever you need to do to send us a piece of your mind through video e- mail. And it`s simple. Go to the Web site, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. We`ll show you how to do it. You can check out your video e-mails right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: While Britney has been photographed out on the town with Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton, there is word tonight that Lohan may actually be trying to rein in her partying ways. In fact, she`s going to alcoholics anonymous meetings. Lohan`s publicist confirms that she has been attending meetings and is asking the media not to intrude on the meetings or follow her there. She says, quote, it`s going to be a slow process. This is a positive. Let`s hope that the press doesn`t turn it into a negative.
HAMMER: The other big story tonight is Michael Richards. Two weeks ago tonight, while on stage at the comedy club the Laugh Factory, the "Seinfeld" star went off on a racist tirade, spouting the N word to black patrons in the audience. It`s an incident he`s still trying to live down. Here`s the big news tonight, Richards has agreed to meet face-to-face with the three men and one woman that he referred to by the N word. A retired judge will mediate the meeting.
And today, the comedy club patrons met with reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYLE DOSS, LAUGH FACTORY CLUB PATRON: I was very hurt by what happened at the laugh factory. I am very happy that Mr. Richards has agreed to meet with me and my friends so that we can tell him how his words made us feel and so that he can personally apologize to us. Whatever the retired judge says, we will accept. We look forward to sitting down face to face with Mr. Richards and we thank him for his positive step which he has decided to take.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The judge will also determine whether Richards should actually pay money to the men for his outburst. This meeting is expected to take place after the first of the year. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, has been all over this story since it broke. And it was Gloria Allred, the two men`s attorney, who called for this face-to-face meeting. Gloria Allred joining me tonight from Los Angeles as the story continues to unfold.
Nice to see you, Gloria.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: You too, A.J.
HAMMER: All right, so what is going on here? What exactly are you looking for in this meeting? Is an apology enough or do you want to find a little cash settlement out of this?
ALLRED: Well, we have challenged Mr. Richards to accept our proposal, to come to the table, to sit there face to face with our clients and to hear from them, in the presence of a retired judge, that would be mutually agreed upon, to hear from our clients the pain that they have suffered as a result of his racist statements to them, which were targeted to them. And then, to acknowledge the pain that he has caused them and to apologize to them, which he has agreed to do.
Then the retired judge can make recommendations as to how this matter can be resolved in a positive and a constructive way. And we have said that we will accept whatever the retired judge recommends, if Mr. Richards will accept whatever the retired judge recommends. That part of it we are still discussing with his legal representatives, but it is good news and a very positive development that he has agreed to come to the table with our clients and with the retired judge.
HAMMER: Yes, I think everybody can agree one of the most important things here, both between Michael Richards and these gentlemen, is that they have this meeting, both so he can apologize to them in person, but also symbolically, you know, for the rest of everybody who`s been affected by this. So what`s the real point of having the judge then? If I understand you correctly, it`s basically he`s acting as a mediator here.
ALLRED: The point is that we would like Mr. Richards to take full responsibility for his words and actions and to be accountable for them. How the retired judge recommends and what he recommends is going to be up to that judge and we`re going to decide who that judge will be soon. And we feel satisfied that the system will work in this way.
Maybe the judge will recommend some kind of monetary settlement, maybe not. But that is not our primary concern. Our primary concern is responsibility and accountability and we really commend Mr. Richards for deciding that he will agree with our proposal.
HAMMER: And, of course, the apology and it`s been wild, I`m sure you, like me and everybody else, has been watching with astonishment the fallout from this whole episode. Of course SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there when he went on the Reverend Jesse Jackson`s show to apologize. The reverend and some other people within the community called for a number of things, including a boycott of the "Seinfeld" DVDs, which had just come out, one of the seasons of that particular show.
Gloria, if you have noticed, that hasn`t really happened. In fact, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been watching the sales of this DVD. They`ve doubled over last season`s sales. Does that kind of surprise you?
ALLRED: Not really because just a mention of it, I think, is good advertising for the DVD. But Reverend Jackson has not contacted me, nor has he contacted my clients about what we think would be best and he`s just expressing his personal opinion, which I do respect, and so, but I am most concerned about my clients. I represent four African-American members of this birthday party group.
It was a group of 23 friends, A.J., who went to the club to celebrate the birthday of one of them. And, of course, my clients were innocent victims. I`m so glad that Mr. Richards has agreed to meet with them and we think that this is going to be very, very constructive. I recognize it`s a big step for him as well, for Mr. Richard, so we appreciate it.
HAMMER: Seems like the right move, seems like you all are on the right path with this. Attorney Gloria Allred, thanks a lot for joining us tonight from L.A.
ALLRED: Thank you, A.J..
VARGAS: Well the Michael Richards rant caused some black leaders to call for a ban on the N-word in all entertainment, rap music, movies, everywhere. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got superstar Will Smith`s take on that. What he told us is coming up at 19 minutes past the hour.
HAMMER: Danny Devito has certainly caused quite a stir this week by seeming slightly sloshed on the View. Coming up, we`re going to take a look at some other stars who have shown up on TV all kinds of wasted.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR: I asked the two of them to calm themselves, as far as public statements were concerned, to focus on their children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Martin Sheen opens up about what it was really like when his son Charlie Sheen was going through a very nasty divorce with Denise Richards.
HAMMER: Plus, is Anna Nicole Smith in fact getting kicked out of her house? And is she pregnant again, or impregnated, as she would say? We`ll get the answers, coming up. ~
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York and it`s time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. Well, it is December, time for you to start thinking about what kind of calendar you may want for the new year.
Now, before you settle on one, I want to draw your attention to something you might not have considered, a pothole calendar. Yes, residents along highway 32 in Saskatchewan have been trying to get the word out about the poor state of their road. Now they have put out this fantastic calendar. It even features a local business man in the buff. Hey, there`s Mr. January right there. What a way to start the new year. A nudie pothole calendar, now that`s ridiculous.
VARGAS: Well Martin Sheen is certainly one dad who will do anything for his children, just ask his sons Emilio and Charlie. Martin stars in his son Emilio`s movie "Bobby," now a film, which recreates Senator Robert F. Kennedy`s assassination, features an all-star cast, including Lindsey Lohan, Demi Moore and Sharon Stone. Martin plays a wealthy businessman who is staying at the Ambassador Hotel when Kennedy is assassinated.
Martin is also shooting down some nasty rumors about his other son Charlie`s split with Denise Richards. In an interview with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma (ph), all the way from Marrakesh, Morocco, Martin set the record straight about Denise and Charlie`s split and how they are doing now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JENNY D`ATTOMA, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT PRODUCER: The media attacking your son, Charlie, during the divorce of -- during the separation, rather, between he and Denise Richards and I want to know, what made you so angry about that?
SHEEN: I felt that they were really only getting one side. I knew that the -- the divorce was a foregone conclusion at that time, by the time that the press was getting a hold of it. I felt that both Denise and Charlie were victimized by it. I didn`t see any good at all coming out of these - the stories, most of which were gossip. My heart went out to both of them.
I knew that eventually they would at least patch things up enough to become friends, if for no other reason the children that were involved. I`m a grandparent. I tried everything I could to soften the blow that was - that both of them were feeling. And I hated to see their private lives thrown out into the public, with no regard for how they were feeling or how their children would eventually feel when they discovered it.
D`ATTOMA: It seems to me that their separation is amicable at this point. Is that true? Are they friends?
SHEEN: Yes. Yes, it is. It`s very amicable and it`s what I had hoped and prayed for and what I predicted. I knew that it would come to this, as I say, because of the children. They`re both adults. They went through a very bad time, but they`re mature enough to realize it`s not just about them, that these two little babies were involved and eventually, they would find out all of these things. And so, I tried to go over the, you know, the rough parts and project what was going to happen. And that`s what has happened.
D`ATTOMA: Was there one piece of advice that you gave Charlie and Denise through the whole ordeal?
SHEEN: Well, I did not have a lot of access to Denise, but I tried to reach her through the press, frankly, to let her know that we loved her, that we knew that she was caught in this terrible vortex of public scrutiny, that it was very painful for her, and that we would stand by her and love her through it -- throughout this whole misadventure. Of course, I had access to Charlie.
I reassured him that things would get better. I asked the two of them to calm themselves, as far as public statements were concerned, to focus on the children, to try and get to the very best part of themselves, because all of these things would be remembered. They would be conjured up. And it would not be pleasant and so, they were mature enough and loving enough and understanding enough with each other that that`s what came to be and that was very reassuring for all of us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: You can catch Martin Sheen in "The Departed" and in "Bobby," both in theaters now.
HAMMER: Another star is speaking out about Michael Richards` racial rant. Tonight, it`s Will Smith, and he`s certainly has a lot to say about it. That`s partly because Smith, of course, built his music career around songs that are positive, without the use of bad language, like the N-word. Will told me that we still have a long way to go, specifically with how the N-word has been twisted by some, to show that you like somebody.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: For me, being an actor, I know that I can take the words I hate you and I can act them in a way that you clearly know that I mean I love you. I said I hate you. But what? I hate you. You are -- you are stupid, you know? So you can actually use a word and make it mean something different.
But then the other side of that is you have -- there`s so much blood and hate on that word, the question is, why would you? But, I feel like, you know, it`s a -- we haven`t even made a decision in the black community completely about how we feel about it.
In a public forum, it absolutely, positively should never be used. And there`s a comfort that the younger generation has found with it, but it doesn`t have the meaning to my son that it had to my grandmother, you know? Like he has no idea how my grandmother feels about that word. My son has never been called that. And so, it is a much different generational issue that is -- education is the only way that it`s going to be cured.
(END VIDEO CLIP
HAMMER: Will`s excellent new movie is "The Pursuit of Happiness." It will be in theaters on December 15th. My complete sit down with Will Smith right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week.
VARGAS: Madonna and Guy Ritchie respond to a ruling that could hold up their adoption of a boy from Malawi. We`ll tell you what they had to say, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus, the Anna Nicole Smith train wreck makes another stop in the weirdo depot. Still ahead, is Anna Nicole about to be homeless? And is she pregnant again?
VARGAS: And Danny Devito may have been slightly sloshed on the View, but he`s not the first star to make a TV appearance in a state of disarray. Coming up, all kinds of stars, all kinds of wasted.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Monday, here comes Clooney. The one and only George Clooney is on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m going to ask Hollywood`s most confirmed bachelor what it is like to be the sexiest man alive and about his brand new old movie. George Clooney, Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Madonna says she has no problem waiting to adopt a boy from Malawi. A court has ruled that human rights groups can get involved in a judicial review of her adoption. Today, Madonna`s attorney said that`s fine with her.
The lawyer says that the Ritchies called him and said they have no problem with the ruling, and are willing to sit back and wait while the process happens. Human rights groups says they have no problem with Madonna as a parent, they just want to make sure Malawi`s government didn`t cut any legal corners to fast-track the adoption.
HAMMER: Well Anna Nicole Smith may very well be getting kicked out of her house, and the word is, she may be, as she calls it, pregnated again too. We`ll have the latest in the Anna Nicole Smith saga, coming up next.
VARGAS: Plus, is Sandra Bullock expecting her own little bundle of joy? There have been rumors. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad is on the case, coming up.
HAMMER: Plus you may seen this guy on the cover of one of the new "GQ" men of the year episode issues. The link between diamonds and war is the subject of Leonardo DiCaprio`s controversial new movie. Coming up, Leo will tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the shocking things that he learned while he was making the film "Blood Diamond." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. We are getting into the weekend. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, Sibila, in just a moment, we`re going to talk about the strange rumor floating around that perhaps Anna Nicole Smith is pregnant again.
But we have something else that we need to get to the bottom of tonight: the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad investigating while -- whether or not Sandra Bullock is pregnant. Those rumors all over the Internet. They are rampant everywhere. We`re going to give you the definitive answer in just moments.
VARGAS: Can`t wait for that.
And also, Danny Devito -- I know, we`ve all caught him schlossed (ph) on "The View" the other day. But he is not the only celeb who`s gone on TV a little tipsy.
HAMMER: That`s true.
VARGAS: We`ll expose some of those people coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, like the Energizer Bunny, it`s a train wreck that keeps going and going. Talking about the whole Anna Nicole Smith mess. Get this: tonight, she could be out on the street with no place to live.
Or is that really going to happen? After ignoring an eviction notice by the owner of the Bahamian property she`s been holed up in, a court has now ordered her off the property. But wait -- there`s breaking news on that front -- and now Anna Nicole Smith is saying she might be pregnant again.
Let`s get it through it all tonight with Court TV`s Ashleigh Banfield here in New York.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV: Is it in the water?
HAMMER: It is just nutty. It is crazy.
And let me talk about this deal with the house in the Bahamas. This is where she has been holed up. It`s owned by a guy that she used to date. Now she has been staying there since she got out of the hospital after her daughter was born and her son died.
The guy who owns the house wants her gone, evicted her, she didn`t leave. However she went to a judge, got an official notice of eviction, and the judge is saying, You got to go.
But there`s now breaking news...
BANFIELD: We always have a piece of breaking news with Anna Nicole.
She has gotten that turned around. Just happened. She applied on Wednesday, after she got the boot, the official boot -- which was a default judgment because she hadn`t shown up to start with -- she went back Wednesday. She`s now been given a three-month reprieve on that eviction.
HAMMER: Any idea why, or is that pretty standard a deal?
BANFIELD: Can`t tell you that yet; can`t get my hands on the documents. They`re too fresh.
However I can tell you this: I spoke with her lawyer; I spoke with Thompson`s lawyers, his lawyers, just a few moments ago.
HAMMER: Right, and you`re referring to the lover -- her former lover, who owns the house in the Bahamas.
BANFIELD: Exactly. Owner of the house. And I said, is it true, number one, that this is been vacated, that -- that in fact, she`s got a three-month reprieve. And they said, yes. And I said, What are you doing about it? And they said, We are in a flurry of filings. We`re preparing right now two actions to reverse what`s just happened so that we can, in fact, evict her.
I know, it`s difficult. And without giving you the names of them, they`re doing a concurrent process to something called a writ of possession. Does the same thing. They`re doing a double whammy to try and nail it down.
HAMMER: More importantly and real quickly, if she does actually get kicked out, how do they actually do it? Do the cops show up and they grab her little pink suitcases and throw them out in the street?
BANFIELD: Sometimes they will actually do that. It might be a little different in the Bahamas, though. It`s a different jurisdiction.
But my thought is she`s a little media savvy at this point. So I don`t think she`s going to want that to be going out over the airwaves.
And you know the cameras are there.
HAMMER: Yes.
Well speaking of being in front of the cameras, let`s get into this piece of weirdness: she goes on "ET," and on this show, she basically says that she thinks she might be pregnant again. Now she says she`s not ready to be pregnant. But Howard K. Stern, who is her lover and the woman -- the man that she claims is the father of her daughter...
BANFIELD: You`re good with this.
HAMMER: ...wants a son, apparently.
Then she later on said that she was just kidding; she`s not really pregnant.
Sort of a strange thing to joke about after you just gave birth and just lost your son. Her son died just -- less than a couple of months ago.
BANFIELD: Yes, the whole thing`s a little bizarre. And apparently her tenor changed very quickly and she asked to change the subject. And then later, off camera, said, I was kidding. I was joking.
You know, I don`t know what to make of it. Everything about her is so bizarre. Is it true? Is it not? I`m not sure she`s that clever to come up with a good joke that quickly, and then all of a sudden have to reverse herself.
I don`t know. TBA.
HAMMER: The other piece of the puzzle we have to talk about is Larry Birkhead. He`s the photographer that she used to date who claims that he is the father of her newborn daughter. He wants a paternity test done. Now a judge in L.A. says he has jurisdiction -- the judge has jurisdiction to make the decision if the paternity test should happen.
If she stays in the Bahamas, is she safe from -- from that paternity test?
BANFIELD: I`ve had a lot of conversations with people about this. This whole jurisdictional issue is a little bit of a conundrum, because this judge has to decide why he has jurisdiction over Anna. Is it a conception issue? Was she actually living there functionally at the time that Larry Birkhead started to make these inferences? He`s signed an affidavit that she has said to him definitively, This is your baby. Not once, but twice. Other people have signed affidavits as well.
So we`re still waiting to find out exactly what was it, the basis of this judge, to decide that he has jurisdiction over her body, so to speak. But, like you said, he has not ordered paternity. There is a hearing for December 12, so I guess we`ll find out perhaps then if ...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Oh, let`s get to the bottom of this once and for all.
Ashleigh Banfield, thanks for joining us.
BANFIELD: Nice to see you.
VARGAS: Well time now to call in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad, where our crack team of celebrity investigators sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
Tonight, we`re opening the case file on Sandra Bullock. There have been rumors floating around that Sandra Bullock and her husband, Jesse James, are expecting a little bundle of joy. The truth is, no way. In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the couple says -- quote -- "we are not with child, but we are pregnant with ideas."
I love that.
So there you have it: Sandra Bullock, not pregnant.
Tonight, the dangers of the sometimes deadly diamond trade. Leonardo DiCaprio`s new film "Blood Diamond" hasn`t even opened yet and it`s already stirring controversy. In it, DiCaprio plays an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe who trades diamonds for weapons. The story twists and turns as some characters battle over one rare diamond, while others simply fight to stay alive.
I had a chance to actually sit down with Leo. I asked him about the role, and how he thinks it will affect people who see the film.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND")
LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: Who do you think got you out of jail, huh? That makes us partners!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am not your partner!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: How much did you know about conflict diamonds before doing this film?
DICAPRIO: To be honest, not much. I sort of just knew the tagline that was, you know, there are many diamonds in the past that have sort of funded these civil wars and funded these warlords who take over these diamond mines and cause civil unrest and I heard of people, you know, losing their lives.
And -- but it wasn`t to the degree that I learned about the real problems and I started to research this movie and learn that, you know, an estimated 4 million people lost their lives because of conflict stones. And there`s been child refuges and child soldiers and, you know, the amazing impact that it`s had on Africa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When was the last time the world wasn`t falling apart?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: I heard that you guys were really moved by some of the locals, and you guys did some amazing things.
What did you do?
DICAPRIO: Well, we set up a fund where we shot in Mozambique to sort of give back to the community. I mean, we essentially went into these people`s home environment and set up shop and made this pretty loud movie. And we wanted to give back to the community.
So the production set up all the actors and everyone involved and set up a fund, and the studio sort of matched that. And we got to, you know, visit places like the SOS, which is an orphanage in -- Africa. You know, you see that as a real beacon of hope, because, you know, oftentimes we`re so disassociated from what happens around the world, you know? And how we affect, you know, situations like that.
And, you know, you watch an infomercial or something like that and you give your money. But it`s not often times where you get to see, you know, that in action. And that really was inspiring to see, like, this whole place where a whole community of small children are able to, you know, have a better opportunity in life. And, you know, it`s pretty amazing.
So I`ve become more involved in issues like that. And how could you not be affected?
VARGAS: Yes, I mean, I know I watched -- I watched the film, and, you know, I walk out, you know, in tears. And I`m thinking, you know, what am I doing, you know? And I would imagine that it has to change you.
DICAPRIO: Well, you come back to, you know, a place like the United States, where we`re all kind of living in the lap of luxury here. And you -- it`s hard to listen to anyone`s problems because of people living under those conditions can maintain a positive attitude about life. It`s pretty inspiring.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "BLOOD DIAMOND")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Before you say anything, look at that man. You see him? His entire village was burned down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: What do you hope people walk away with from this film?
DICAPRIO: Well, certainly, you know, my first objective with a movie isn`t always, you know, let`s find a social message. Because you have to find a movie that`s going to move people emotionally, that they`re going to want to go see. Because, you know, one hand feeds the other. If you don`t have a film that is ultimately entertaining and moving, you`re not going to get that social message.
And so that`s what`s always looked for. But the bonus on this was the fact that it is going to resonate with people, you know? And everyone that I`ve shown the movie to have responded in a very deep way to this issue.
And it makes you realize that, you know, this is stuff that has been historically going on for a long time, especially in Africa. You could say the same for, you know, gold or ivory or rubber or coal tan (ph), you know? There are a number of different resources that we have extracted for sort of our own comfort around the world. And we need to be responsible for that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: "Blood Diamond" his theaters December 8.
Now the diamond industry launched a counterattack after the movie trailer started generating buzz. The World Diamond Council, a group founded to ending legal diamond trading, said 99 percent diamonds are now from -- quote -- "conflict-free sources."
HAMMER: Well, first there was the Virgin Mary grilled cheese. Now the Jesus-Satan fishbone? That`s right; you can check it out for yourself, next.
VARGAS: Also, Danny Devito showing up buzzed on "The View." Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates other stars who have been sloshed while on TV.
HAMMER: And he was Lou Grant from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Now he`s in one of my favorite programs on TV, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." And he`s been very outspoken about the war in Iraq. A provocative chat with the great Ed Asner, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Friday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
And yes, it is time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, first there was that grilled cheese that someone had claimed had an image of the Virgin Mary on it. It sold for thousands of dollars.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I`d like to feast your eyes on this: the Jesus-Satan fishbone. Yes, a North Carolina couple says they found this bone on the beach that has the image of Jesus on one side, Satan on the other. Isn`t that kind of like a McDLT? They`ve even got it in a safe deposit box so nobody walks off on it. They`ve hired a sea-life expert to figure out where it came from.
But something smells fishy. And that`s why we say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
VARGAS: OK, something else that`s ridiculous: celebrities appearing on TV shows sloshed and buzzed. Danny Devito just appeared on "The View," and it seems he had a little bit too many drinks in him.
So we went digging to pull out the most outrageous clips of stars showing up soused.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Danny Devito was able to walk. It was when he started to talk on "The View" that he earned his new tabloid nickname, Danny DeVino, though vino wasn`t what he admitted drinking.
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: I knew it was the last seven lemon cellos that was going to get me.
MOOS: Got him after a night of hanging out with George Clooney. And there Devito was midmorning, apparently still smashed, ranting about President Bush, likening him to the "Three Stooges."
DEVITO: The guy who went...
MOOS: Devito came to plug his new movie, "Deck the Halls." Instead, he decked the president, describing how he visited the White House when Bill Clinton was there.
DEVITO: The place was -- had that kind of Clinton feeling.
(CROSSTALK)
DEVITO: You know, I didn`t -- I didn`t go after, you know, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
MOOS (on camera): ABC bleeped what Devito called President Bush. But it`s a colorful phrase, a blend of numb and nuts, a phrase that basically means "numbskull."
DEVITO: I`m trying to, like, you know, figure out what to do with our country and our women and men in the military.
MOOS (voice-over): Devito is far from the first celeb to show up on TV in an altered state.
There was Joe Namath threatening to kiss an ESPN reporter.
JOE NAMATH, FORMER NEW YORK JETS QUARTERBACK: I want to kiss you. I couldn`t care less about the team struggling.
MOOS: There was Courtney Love barging in on an MTV interview with Madonna.
COURTNEY LOVE, MUSICIAN: Am I fully interrupting?
KURT LODER, MTV HOST: No, no, no.
MOOS: Barging onto David Letterman`s desk.
Poor David has had his share of out-of-it celebs. For years, it`s been debated whether actor Crispin Glover was on acid, which he denied, or doing a comedy act.
CRISPIN GLOVER, ACTOR: I can kick.
DAVID LETTERMAN, NBC HOST: I`m going to go check on the Top Ten.
MOOS: And then there was Farrah Fawcett.
LETTERMAN: How you doing? Are you all right?
FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: You know what it`s like? It`s sort of like, they -- well, like, they receive it in -- I really thought I was looking out the window.
MOOS: Sort of makes Danny Devito seem lucid talking about spending a frisky night in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House with his wife.
DEVITO: Really wrecked the joint.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Yes. Yes.
DEVITO: I mean, every place in that bedroom was...
O`DONNELL: Utilized.
DEVITO: Utilized!
O`DONNELL: There you go, Danny!
MOOS: Devito ended his appearance on Rosie O`Donnell`s lap. When the next guest came on, Rosie greeted him with, "nice to see you sober."
And the morning after Danny DeBlotto`s appearance, they were still talking about it.
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": He was a fun drunk.
O`DONNELL: He was a fun drunk.
MOOS: Tell that to President Bush -- not that he didn`t used to party hardy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Ed Asner will always be remembered for the role he created: Lou Grant, the curmudgeonly boss of the TV newsroom on "The Mary Tyler Moore" show. Ed is now the boss these days of a corporation that runs an entire TV network on NBC`s "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." It is my favorite show of the season. He`s also starring in a new Hallmark Channel movie called "The Christmas Card." It`s all about a soldier in Afghanistan who receives a Christmas card that changes his life.
Ed Asner joining us from Hollywood tonight.
Welcome back to the program. Good to see you, Ed.
ED ASNER, ACTOR: Very good, A.J. Good to be with you.
HAMMER: You know, I`ve always appreciated the fact that you`ve been so outspoken and -- and raised your voice at various times throughout history -- about our current administration, about our military action overseas and the wars that we`re in.
Is that part of you what you got you interested in doing this film?
ASNER: That very much so.
I mean, they made it so easy. After Vietnam, there must have been some incidence where troops were spat on, and it was like, the whole country hated and reviled the troops coming back. So everybody was very concerned about not seeing that that happened this time.
I think those incidents with Vietnam were very minor and very limited. But there were made to seem as if they were epidemic. So it`s easy to put the placard on you -- on your car if you want it, saying "I support the troops." And wherever I have gone, I certainly support the troops. But I certainly don`t support the war.
HAMMER: And -- and how do you explain that to people? Because it`s something that I have certainly battled with. I`m -- I`m pretty much in the same shoes as you are, as far as that`s concerned.
And a lot of people don`t understand that distinction. It is so possible to support our men and women, who are working so hard and fighting overseas, even if we don`t support the action they`re involved with.
What do you say to those people?
ASNER: Well, that`s the immediate reaction, to condemn John Murtha for his patriotism, wounded hero from Vietnam to -- to vote the -- the Congressman, the paraplegic congressman in -- in Georgia out of office, implying he was too toasty with Osama bin Laden or whatever.
You can`t let them have the turf. You are as much a patriot as any of them. Your patriotism wants to save lives in this country as well as elsewhere. And so you condemn the war. And if we keep practicing more like this, we may have a good chance we`ll arrive at outlawing it finally. Which may be a very -- a very good positive effect from all of this.
HAMMER: And we may have actually heard some good news today. The prime minister of Iraq saying that it looks like or they believe that they`re going to have enough control by June so our troops can actually begin to gradually withdrawal. Of course, we would like to see that happen.
What do you think, Ed? You`ve followed this really closely; I know you`re fired up about it. Do you think it`s even possible at this point, to -- to have a deadline that quick?
ASNER: I don`t think George will let us out by June. I think he has to prove himself constantly, and I think he`ll keep finding means and sources by which to say we need to stay longer, we need to stay longer.
I mean, my problem is that while this is going on, you`re slowing losing Afghanistan. These troops in Iraq can certainly be used in Afghanistan, if you want to hang on to that. So you could easily find us losing both places if we keep up this parity.
HAMMER: Well, "The Christmas Card" is -- is a movie all about supporting our troops, and I know that everybody who would like to -- everybody would like to be able to send some holiday cheer over our troops` way, around the world.
They don`t think it`s a possible thing for them to do. But you guys are actually making it pretty easy to do, aren`t you?
ASNER: We are. We are.
We toured the Bethesda Hospital, the Walter Reed Hospital, and we met with some of the wounded from this war. And if this country doesn`t take care of those people for the rest of their lives, shame on this country. Because these are those beautiful, full-of-energy, full-of-hope-and- determination, intelligent charming -- these are a valuable resource, and we must keep their lives going. We must support their lives, because they`re beautiful people.
So I definitely proclaim to the rafters, support these troops. Because they`re valuable assets.
HAMMER: Ed, it`s always good to see you. I do appreciate you being on the program.
Real quickly, the Web site to send a Christmas card?
ASNER: The Web site to send a Christmas card is www.hallmarkchannel.com.
HAMMER: And the new movie is called "The Christmas Card." It`ll air this Saturday on the Hallmark Channel.
Ed, thanks again.
VARGAS: Well last night..
ASNER: Thank you, A.J.
VARGAS: ...we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Michael Richards` racist rant; Mel Gibson`s anti-Semitic tirade; Britney Spears behaving badly; "Celebrity Scandals: Do stars use controversy to promote themselves?"
Wow, almost all of you say you do -- they do. Ninety-eight percent you say yes; only 2 percent of you say no.
Here`s an e-mail:
Sue from Wisconsin writes, "Come on. Are you honestly surprised that `Seinfeld` DVD weren`t impacted by Kramer`s outrage?"
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Britney Spears: Can she make a comeback?"
Keep voting at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. And write us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails Monday.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets your express your opinion on video. Look into your video camera or webcam and send us a piece of your mind via video e-mail. Head to our Web site, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT, to learn just how to do it. Then check out your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, let`s find out now what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday.
I will have a very revealing one-on-one interview with this man, George Clooney. I got to ask him, Is life just so much better now that he`s "People" magazine`s "Sexiest Man Alive" again? Plus, we`re going to hear all about this very unique new movie, "The Good German." George Clooney in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s Monday.
And you bet (ph) George Clooney will want to tune in for this: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT getting up close and personal with Victoria`s Secret supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio. You can bet we`re going to ask her all about the controversy with models and eating disorders that everybody`s been talking about. That`s Monday.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see you again tomorrow night. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Good night, A.J.
Glenn Beck is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
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END
