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Showbiz Tonight
Nicole Richie Arrested for DUI; Barbara Walters Discusses Ten Most Fascinating People of 2006
Aired December 11, 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: Was the U.S. government spying on Princess Diana in the last hours of her life? And the biggest stars in Hollywood speak out against the pressure to be a size zero. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Nicole Richie arrested. Tonight the startling reason the cops grabbed her in the middle of the night and why her arrest has revealed another shocking secret, how much the stick-thin star actually weighs. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the night that may have changed her life for good.
Angelina versus the paparazzi. What Angelina Jolie is telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about stopping the madness. Plus, buckle your seat belts, because only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking you on a wild ride behind the scenes as the paparazzi go into an Angelina frenzy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of the guys were doing the stakeout and apparently Jolie is on the move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can bring you this special report, chasing Angelina.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And the not so simple life of Nicole Richie is an even bigger mess tonight. Paris Hilton`s thin as a rail Simple Life co-star got herself arrested today for driving under the influence. But wait, there`s more to this. Because of the arrest, we now know just how much the poster child for super skinny Hollywood really weighs. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this, Nicole Richie has definitely got a problem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): No one has been under more scrutiny about their weight in recent months than Nicole Richie. The celebrity magazine covers are evident and now Richie has been arrested for suspicion of driving while under the influence. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has this mug shot of Nicole, and police tell us that Richie was going the wrong way on a freeway, was stopped in a carpool lane, talking on her cell phone and told police, she had been smoking pot and popping Vicodin. It`s not the arrest that shocked the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT news room, it`s the one detail in Richie`s booking sheet that startled everyone.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained Nicole Richie`s arrest sheet and when we saw Nicole Richie`s personal stats, height, 5`1, weight, 85 pounds -- that`s right, I said, 85 pounds. We asked the question, is Nicole Richie indeed too thin for her own good?
JESSICA WEINER, "DO I LOOK FAT IN THIS": I think it`s an alarming weight. But I don`t know that we should be surprised by that. We have to differentiate between the spin that we get from publicists who want to control the story and talk about recovery when there might not be a lot of recovery there. And we also have to really focus on our skewed perception of weight in this country.
HAMMER: And Nicole Richie`s weight is an alarming number. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT checking with the experts. According to the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, a 5`1 woman weighing 85 pounds is considered underweight. Nicole Richie`s body mass index is 16, far below what`s considered normal, between 18.5 to 24.9.
WEINER: We`ve been having our eye on Nicole for struggling with these issues around food and around weight and she has become very public about those struggles.
HAMMER: In fact, Nicole Richie has struggled with her weight and talked about it publicly, this after much speculation about her disappearing frame.
IAN DREW, US WEEKLY: Nicole Richie has increasingly diminished in size before our eyes from when we first got to know her, which is why the fascination continues to surround her.
HAMMER: When Richie premiered in the reality show the Simple Life, she looked quite healthy, no sign or any speculation of an eating disorder.
But that was then and this is now. In the June issue of Vanity Fair, Richie admitted that her weight even had her concerned. She said, quote, I know I`m too thin right now, so I wouldn`t want any young girl looking at me and saying, that`s what I want to look like. Back then Richie blamed her extreme weight loss, in part, on her break up with then fiance D.J. A.M. Adam Goldstein.
But the speculation about Richie`s tiny frame continued. Around Labor Day she appeared on the Tyra Banks show and complained about the tabloid talk.
NICOLE RICHIE, ACTRESS: It`s horrible, especially when you`re trying to do something about it and you have just so many eyes watching you.
HAMMER: Richie also told Tyra that going to the beach in a bathing suit like this one have also fueled the rumors.
RICHIE: When I go to the beach, because when I go to the beach --
TYRA BANKS, "THE TYRA BANKS SHOW": They want you in a swim suit.
RICHIE: The want me in a swim suit.
HAMMER: Richie`s appearance on the Banks Show didn`t squash any rumors. In fact, she went on Ryan Seacrest`s show just 20 days later, denying she had an eating disorder, but saying she was indeed concerned about her weight.
RYAN SEACREST, "THE RYAN SEACREST SHOW": Do you feel like you`re too skinny?
RICHIE: Yes, I do.
HAMMER: And on October 26th, Richie`s publicist confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the reality star checked herself into a facility to look into why she couldn`t put on any weight. But aside from her eating issues, Richie has some bigger problems.
WEINER: This is destructive behavior, through and through. And for somebody who might be struggling with an eating disorder, that is also a big warning sign and cry for help.
HAMMER: Nicole has had her share of problems with drugs, too. In 2003 she was arrested for possession of heroin, something Nicole`s own father, music legend Lionel Richie, says he helped her deal with. As far as her eating issues, he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he is always keeping tabs on that too.
LIONEL RICHIE, MUSICIAN: All the time, but the fact is that I think, since we`ve been through the first half of her life with the drug thing, she is definitely conscious of how to handle it. She really is doing the work.
HAMMER: What kind of work Nicole Richie is doing to help herself is still behind the scenes. As far as her weight begin listed on the report, LAPD officials say it was Richie herself who provide that detail.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So exactly how much trouble could Richie actually be in with the law and is this yet another bucket of cold water in the face for Hollywood party girls? With us tonight in Glendale California, Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com. Hey there Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ. COM: Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: Man, this story is unbelievable. We just heard that Nicole has been through an awful lot. And of course we have heard about the drug problems that she has had in the past. She has admitted to having some kind of a weight problem, can`t keep the weight on. Is this really a wake- up call for her.
LEVIN: Well, I think she has already gotten what should have been a wake-up call. I think she has demons, A.J., and she is dealing with it and struggling with it, but, I mean, when you think about it, in the middle of the night she is on Vicodin, pot, driving the wrong way on the freeway, stops in the carpool lane, which, you know, she could have been killed. She could have killed somebody else. It is about as serious as it gets.
HAMMER: And as far as this behavior goes, she is not alone out there in Hollywood, particularly among her peers. Lets put into perspective. Nicole has been arrested for DUI. Just a few weeks ago we had Paris Hilton arrested for DUI. Britney Spears even on her own website admitting maybe she is partying a little too much. Lindsay Lohan attending AA meetings. Is the party over for the party girls, Harvey?
LEVIN: Well, see I don`t think so. It used to be in this town that you would have one or two girls who would kind of be out of control and everybody would say, oh, they are just crazy, and then you would look at all the other ones who were behaving. Well, now this group that you`re talking about, there are four women who are real role models for millions and millions of girls, and all four of them seem out of control in different ways. And I think, you know, I don`t think that they quite get it yet. And I think it is sending a message that this is the way to behave. It`s not just, you know, one or two crazy kids. It`s the core group. And I think that`s a real issue.
HAMMER: Well, maybe if somebody actually finally does some real time for all of this behavior, I`m talking about time in jail, maybe then it will be a wake-up call for these young girls. As we`ve just seen, Nicole has already been arrested for possession in one instance in the past, possession of heroin in that case. So she has got that in her background. Could she be in more trouble here and perhaps even wind up in the slammer for some time, as opposed to somebody like Paris. She didn`t have a previous drug arrest?
LEVIN: Well, you know, remember, this is not a case where she was drinking and driving. This is a case where she had taken Vicodin. I don`t know what we`re going to find out about prescriptions or whatever with her. I just don`t know. Marijuana? Well, that`s a problem. So, whether a judge would actually make her do time or not, you know, it`s hard to say. But I have to tell you, remember, this woman went through the court system over heroin before, so I don`t know that this kind of threat of jail is enough to open her eyes, and I don`t think it will necessarily open anybody else`s eyes in the group that she runs with. Sometimes things really have to turn -- I hate to say it -- tragic before people get that kind of a wake-up call.
HAMMER: Yes, and it really does seem like it is headed down that path, Harvey. Let`s just hope that that does not happen. Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.com, I appreciate you joining us.
LEVIN: By A.J.
HAMMER: By the way, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contacted the producers of the Simple Life to see what`s happened to the production of the show, but as of show time tonight, the producers have not returned our calls.
It is time now for the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch, where we cover issues of Hollywood and body image like no one else. Tonight Kate Winslet continues her battle against the glamorization of size zero. In an interview with the BBC, she says she is really upset that the image of perfection is getting thinner and thinner and she is not buying it. She said, "I hope that in some small way I am able to say, I`m a normal person, I`m doing all right, I`ve got a lovely husband and children, and I didn`t lose weight to find those things. And those things are what should be important."
Now, when Kate sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson, she said she is so upset about the images that are out there, she doesn`t even allow fashion magazines in her house so she can protect her young daughter. Take a look.
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KATE WINSLET, ACTRESS: I think it is just a lot to do with the way the media obsess over this, and keep talking about it, and keep putting it in magazines. That`s the thing that young girls look at. We do not have magazines in our house because this is the stuff that children -- children are being exposed to. Kids should be just kids and allowed to be kids for as long as they have the right to be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Extremely well said. And still to come in the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch tonight, Delta Burke telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how she overcame the intense pressure to lose weight. We`ll get into that at 48 past the hour.
Barbara Walters an the most fascinating people of 2006. I am one on one with Barbara. That is still ahead. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of guys were doing the stakeout at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt`s house in Malibu and apparently Jolie is on the move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chasing Angelina, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you on a wild ride behind the scenes with the paparazzi. Plus, what Angelina tells me about stopping the madness.
And was the U.S. government spying on Princess Diana in the last hours of her life? We have shocking details about the day Diana died, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. I know that it`s the season to be jolly, but there`s a woman in South Carolina who may be going a bit overboard. I`m not being a grinch here, but this woman not only decked the halls but she decked the walls, the laundry room, even the bathroom. Look at that. Melody Howell (ph) has decorated 52 Christmas trees that are in her house, including this one in the bathtub. Now her husband says Melody is just a Christmas nut, but says that their house looks beautiful when she is all done. Still, I got to say, a Christmas tree in the bathtub,now that`s ridiculous.
Barbara Walters has certainly talked to the biggest celebrities in the world. She definitely has some stories to tell. Now she is talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all about her ABC special, Barbara Walters Presents the Ten Most Fascinating People of 2006. I had the chance to sit down with mother Barbara and we talked about some of the stars on this year`s list. But I had to ask her, with all the choices out there, how in the world does she choose just ten people?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": We try to take people from different fields. We have a superb athlete, we have a preacher, we have a beautiful editor in chief, we have people who have had tragedy in their life. So we pick people from different areas. And also people who are fascinating. Who says so? We say so.
You`re a heart throb now, again, at what, 40?
PATRICK DEMPSEY, ACTOR: Yes, I prefer this age.
WALTERS: Much easier being a heartthrob at this point.
DEMPSEY: Well I don`t think you care as much.
HAMMER: In the acting category on your list of the most fascinating people, a guy who happens to be on one of the most beloved and biggest shows on television right now, Gray`s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey.
WALTERS: He says it is all about the hair.
HAMMER: Yes?
WALTERS: Yes. And he`s got a lot of good hair. He has had a remarkable career, because he was a star when he was a kid. Then he went nowhere. And now it`s come back and he is able to live with it and enjoy it, as he didn`t when it first began.
Do you see marriage in the near future?
JAY-Z, RAPPER: Of course.
WALTERS: How near? How future?
JAY-Z: I don`t know.
HAMMER: Jay-Z is on the list. Now here is a guy who is certainly an entrepreneur, a rap star, but gets almost as much attention for his relationship with the lovely Beyonce Knowles as he does for what he does for a living.
WALTERS: Well, but the fascinating thing about him is that this man is not just a rapper, but that he is a huge businessman. I don`t mean huge in size. I mean he has an NBA team, and has got a clothing line, and he`s the head of Def Jam records and a nightclub. You name it, he does it. So, yes, Beyonce is a part of his life, but there are lots of people who are having romances. What to me is fascinating about him is that this guy was a drug dealer at 16 is now a rapper and a mogul.
You went to the premiere with your daughter and you wore Prada. I thought that took a lot of guts.
HAMMER: Anna Wintour made your list this year, one of the most fascinating people of 2006. She, of course, the editor in chief of Vogue Magazine, probably familiar to a lot of people now because Meryl Streep has now famously portrayed her in the movie the Devil Wears Prada.
WALTERS: And it is not the most favorable portrayal. I mean, Meryl Streep was wonderful, but this editor is pretty tough. Well, Anna said that she thought the movie was entertaining, that anything that`s done for the fashion business is good for the fashion business, and then I said, do you recognize any of yourself in it? And she was terrific. She said, I`m very decisive, and you have to be decisive in this business and I think people respect that. She is quite lovely, with that signature hair, the bangs and the -- She said she did that when she was 15 and she has never changed it.
HAMMER: And this is a woman who follows trends and makes trends.
WALTERS: Follows trends, makes trends, keeps her hair the one way.
HAMMER: Exactly the same.
WALTERS: But she rarely does interviews and it is a chance to see what makes her tick.
Did you ever say to him, this is too dangerous, don`t do this?
TERRI IRWIN, STEVE IRWIN`S WIFE: Neither of us ever worried about the wildlife. I have never seen anybody -- anybody more gifted with wildlife than Steve.
HAMMER: A huge loss this year in the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Terry Irwin is on your list of the most fascinating people this year. Why is that?
WALTERS: I think a lot of us were surprised at how enormously popular Steve Irwin was. And this was a remarkable interview that we did in Australia. And you will see parts of it that we have not shown before. A woman who is so courageous and so touching and every time I play it, you know, to edit it, and I hear her say, I lost my prince, I dissolve.
HAMMER: Yes, you had told me the last time we spoke that she is the one person who just brings it out of you.
WALTERS: It was such a love affair. Terry talked about love at first sight when she met Steve, larger than life. And on their honeymoon, what do they do? He took her on a crocodile hunt.
HAMMER: That`s exactly what I think we would expect him to do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, if you want to know who is the number one most fascinating person on the list, Barbara Walters would not tell me. So you will have to watch the special, Barbara Walters Presents the Ten Most Fascinating People of 2006 will be airing tomorrow night on ABC.
Despite the controversy over Mel Gibson drunk driving arrest and his anti-Semitic rant, the his new movie, Apocalypto, opened at number one this week. Now that`s kind of surprising since a lot of people really haven`t been all that happy with Mel for saying things like, Jews were responsible for all the wars in the world, when he was arrested in California. Well Saturday Night Live let him have it this weekend, totally redoing the Apocalypto trailer.
That`s pretty funny. The real test is going to be if Apocalypto actually stays strong this weekend.
So was the U.S. government spying on Princess Diana in the last hours of her life? And what about that theory that she was pregnant. Shocking new details about the day Diana died coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s all the competition right there. Copy that, I just saw you guys go by.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chasing Angelina. It is unbelievable what this woman has to endure. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is planning on taking you on a wild ride behind the scenes with the paparazzi. You get to ride along.
Plus, what Angelina Jolie tells me about stopping the madness. And also coming up, why Delta Burke says she actually wishes J. Lo was around when she first started out and how she has overcome the pressure to be thin. That`s just ahead in the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tomorrow it`s time for the 2006 Stinky Diaper Awards. You know, parents aren`t perfect, even when they are big time celebrities. And we`re taking a loot at the biggest star parenting blunders of the year. Celebrity Stinky Diaper Awards, tomorrow.
Tonight, was the United States spying on Princess Diana during her last hour`s alive? According to the British newspaper "The Observer," a new report found that U.S. intelligence was bugging Diana`s phone calls right before her fatal accident in 1997. CNN has not confirmed the report and no explanation for the alleged eavesdropping was given. Other details leaked to the British press are squashing conspiracy theories about her death. The British government report will be released Thursday, and it is expected to say that Diana`s driver was three times over the drunk driving limit in France when the car crash in a tunnel in Paris occurred. It also is reportedly saying that there is no truth to the theory that Diana was pregnant and planned to marry Dodi Fayed, who also died in that accident.
Now we would like to hear from you on this subject for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we`re asking, Princess Diana, do you think she was murdered? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. E-mail us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. Or perhaps send us a video e-mail. We`re the only entertainment news show letting you do that. Just look into your video camera or use your webcam, give us a piece of your mind through video e- mail. Simple to do. The website has all the information you need, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Then check out your video e-mails only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
How did the son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker end up with his own ministry and why do they meet in bars? Jay Bakker is here to tell us all about it, coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A couple of the guys were doing the stakeout at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt`s house in Malibu, and apparently Jolie is on the move.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Chasing Angelina, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you on a wild ride behind the scenes with the paparazzi. Plus, Angelina tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about stopping all the paparazzi madness.
And Renee Zellweger`s take on the tabloids. Why she says that the lies floating around out there aren`t just bad for the stars, they are also bad for society. I go one on one with Renee and that is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And this is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Still to come tonight, Delta Burke. We all remember her playing Suzanne Sugarbaker on "Designing Women." Well, coming up on the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch," Delta tells us how she wishes JLo was around when she first started out, and how she has to overcome the pressure to be thin in Hollywood. And there is a lot of pressure.
And of course, everybody remembers Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and their PTL ministry, and of course, the scandal that brought it down. You - you would think that Jim and Tammy Faye`s son would take a completely different career path. But no, he actually has started his own ministry, which is being documented on TV. To give you an example of how different it is, they meet in a bar. Jay Bakker coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first tonight, Angelina Jolie has just about had it with the paparazzi sticking their cameras in the faces of her kids and other stars` kids. And she told me so herself.
I got to tell you, I found these images of Angelina and Brad Pitt with their kids in India, where she was shooting "A Mighty Heart," absolutely disturbing.
I had the chance to spend some time with Angelina over the weekend, as she promoted her new movie, "The Good Shepherd." And I asked her if she thought that laws actually needed to be put into place before somebody gets hurt. And she said certainly where kids are concerned, there should be some regulation. Angelina told that me that, you know, with the long lenses photographers use these days, there is absolutely no reason to ever get right in the face of a young child. And she finds it completely unacceptable.
You can catch my revealing, one-on-one interview with Angelina Jolie next Monday, here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, as we`ve seen time and time again, tracking down and catching A- list stars like Angelina Jolie is a high-stakes, sometimes a dangerous cat- and-mouse came. So come along now as "CNN PRESENTS" takes us for a wild ride, an inside look at how the paparazzi actually hunts its prey - in this case, Angelina Jolie herself.
Here`s CNN Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN, PHOTOGRAPHER: A couple of the guys were doing the stake-out at Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt`s house in Malibu. And apparently Jolie is on the move.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The hunt is on.
BEN: I`m going to get on the 405 and go 405 south. Are you still south PCH?
PHILLIPS: The prey: red-hot actress Angelina Jolie.
BEN: Copy that. Just keep me updated.
PHILLIPS: Ben, a 26-year-old photographer, works for one of the biggest paparazzi agencies in Hollywood, Bauer-Griffin. He`s asked us not to use his last name.
BEN: Nothing. There`s absolutely nothing. I`m coming behind you. No cops anywhere.
The 405 is right here. The 10`s going to be right here. And she`s, like, right here on the 10 going this way.
I`m trying to catch up as fast as I can. Give me your location. Did you pass West Channel yet? Copy that.
PHILLIPS: Ben is coordinating with two other paparazzi from his agency hot on Angelina`s tail. He finally catches up.
BEN: There she is. There she is.
PHILLIPS: .but he`s on the wrong side of the freeway.
BEN: There`s other competition right there.
Copy that, I just saw you guys go by. That`s funny.
PHILLIPS: Paparazzi aren`t the only ones desperately seeking Angelina.
BONNIE FULLER, COLUMNIST, "STAR" MAGAZINE: She`s not fitting into her clothes?
BEN: She`s not fitting into her clothes.
FULLER: That happens.
BEN: She hates her body, she hates, you know, the hormones raging. She`s very uncomfortable.
PHILLIPS: "Star" magazine`s Bonnie Fuller is chasing down any salacious tidbit on the actress, her Hollywood hunk boyfriend and the girl next door he left behind.
FULLER: I like this. Jennifer`s turning to hypnosis...
BEN: Yes.
FULLER: ... therapy to get over Brad?
BEN: Yes. We`ll be working on that.
FULLER: That`s fabulous.
I mean, how can you not be nosey about people that are fascinating to look at as a Jen, a Brad and an Angelina? How can you not?
PHILLIPS: And Mark Lisanti, the blogger behind the Internet gossip site defamer.com, is snarking about official word that Angelina is pregnant.
MARK LISANTI, BLOGGER, DEFAMER.COM: Once you get a publicist`s real name on something, you know, it then becomes reality and we can all rejoice and start knitting the baby booties.
PHILLIPS: Over at "People" magazine, managing editor Larry Hackett is thrilled about the prospect of getting exclusive pictures of Brad and Angelina`s new baby.
LARRY HACKETT, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: We were telephoned by officials from Getty on Friday, June 2 I guess it was, to be ready that weekend, that they thought it might be coming very soon. And then on Saturday afternoon, I was telephoned by one of the Getty executives to be on hand that evening at their offices in Lower Manhattan to have a viewing of the photographs and to make a bid. And it was very exciting.
PHILLIPS: The proud parents of baby Shiloh had been holed up in Namibia to avoid the paparazzi. But all the privacy in the world didn`t stop the press from battling over the first pictures of the most famous baby in the world.
In the end, "People" made the winning bid. The magazine won`t say how much it paid for the exclusive photos, but reports put the figure at more than $4 million. The enormous sum will go to charity.
HACKETT: If there was a war, we on. We paid a substantial amount of money. There`s no secret about that. I`m not going to divulge what we paid, because it doesn`t serve any purpose for me either right now or in the future to talk about the amount of money that gets spent on photographs.
(CHEERING)
PHILLIPS: The Brangelina saga is just one of the real-life soaps feeding the public`s growing obsession with celebrities.
TED CASABLANCA, COLUMNIST, E! ENTERTAINMENT: The personal lives of -- of Hollywood celebrities these days, it really is the best reality TV show out there.
MICHAEL LEVINE, PUBLICIST: It`s not a fascination. It`s long, long since past fascination. We are celebrity drenched and obsessed.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I wouldn`t be attracted to a man who would cheat on his wife.
PHILLIPS: So obsessed that you can hardly change the channel without landing on one of the many entertainment news shows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris Hilton`s on parade.
PHILLIPS: And the number of star-studded magazines has exploded.
There are at least six celebrity weeklies on the newsstands now, with a combined circulation of more than 8.5 million. And while traditional news magazines are losing readers, the circulation of celebrity magazines is soaring.
PETER CASTRO, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: That`s when I realized, this is a whole different game. And it`s a really ruthless one.
PHILLIPS: Add to that mix, a new media outlet: Internet gossip blogs.
ALLAN MAYER, DAMAGE CONTROL SPECIALIST, SITRICK AND COMPANY: Things happen faster. A piece of gossip gets out into - into the world, and -- and within literally hours, it`s everywhere.
Is celebrity coverage spinning out of control?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentlemen. Hey, hey, hey. Hey!
KEN SUNSHINE, PUBLICIST: We`ve never had so much media that it seems to be desirous of printing or covering every possible aspect of so- called celebrities` lives. I think the world`s gone a little crazy.
PHILLIPS: The HBO cult hit "Entourage" is capitalizing on the public`s fascination with celebrities` inner-most lives. The TV comedy features an aspiring young actor and a pack of friends and Hollywood power players surrounding him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The paparazzis are out tonight, aight? Check on the tits on the girls from "EXTRA!"
DOUG ELLIN, "ENTOURAGE" CREATER: Everything about all these characters in the show is sort of taken from somewhere in real life. So almost none of it is pure fiction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to hug it out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s hug it out, bitch. Let`s hug it out.
ELLIN: They are based on a lot of different people.
PHILLIPS: People like publicists and power brokers hired to control one of the most precious commodities in Hollywood: access to the stars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
So will the paparazzi be chasing Brad and Angelina Jolie to the altar? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad investigates the super-hot rumor that the super-hot couple is getting married.
We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DELTA BURKE, ACTRESS: And there`s real important issues going on in life. This should not be one of them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Former "Designing Women" star Delta Burke and her emotional struggle with her up-and-down weight battle. That is coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch."
And Jay Bakker, the son of former televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Now this tattooed, pierced, punk-looking preacher is leading his own church flock in bars.
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HAMMER: Tired of celebs stealing the spotlight? Well, we want to hear from you. So send your opinions on video to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight for details, and watch, when you could see your video e-mail on the most provocative entertainment news show on television, it`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, every night, at 11 p.m. Eastern, right here on Headline News Prime.
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HAMMER: It is time now for the SHOWBIZ Truth Squad. This is where we stop at nothing to set the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
So let`s start off our week off with a doozy: are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie actually getting married this Christmas? Yes, there are reports out there that the couple is going to be tying the knot in South Africa. You know, a low-key affair - simple, spiritual and elegant.
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has reached out to Brad`s publicist who says, No, it`s completely made up. So I`m sorry if you`re a fan of Brad and Angelina, Santa is not filling your stocking with a superstar holiday wedding.
Well tonight, Renee Zellweger has absolutely had it with the tabloids printing untrue things about her. When she got married to country star Kenny Chesney and then stunned everybody by annulling it just four months later, the media went nuts. All kinds of rumors were flying around.
When I had the chance to sit down with Renee, whose new movie is "Miss Potter," she told me that there`s a big problem with all this gossip, and is tired of the tabloids getting things just plain wrong.
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RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: I question why we don`t require more accountability. Because I think that the written word is - is very significant, and that`s - and - and - and that`s where we get our history. But it ought to be legitimate, because if you can`t believe what you read, then what can you believe? And if we don`t value truth in our society, then what do we value? And where are we as a culture?
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HAMMER: As you can see, she takes it quite seriously.
Tomorrow, I have got more of my revealing one-on-one with Renee Zellweger, including much more on the paparazzi busting into her private life, and her very insightful take on the press and politics.
All right. Say the names Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, and a lot comes to mind, including, of course, the infamous Jessica Hahn sex scandal that brought down the PTL, one of the most powerful and influential ministries ever.
Now, along comes Jim and Tammy Faye`s son, Jay, bringing his very unique style of preaching to TV. In the Sundance Channel documentary series "One Punk Under God: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye" - I love that, "One Punk Under God."
With me tonight in New York, Jay Bakker.
It`s good to meet you, Jay.
JAY BAKKER, "ONE PUNK UNDER GOD": Yes. The same to you.
HAMMER: Now let me make it perfectly clear, we`re not talking about your daddy`s ministry here.
BAKKER: No.
HAMMER: For anybody who had any level of confusion about this, one way that I can point out the biggest difference, or a major difference - you have ministries in Atlanta, you have a ministry in New York - you guys meet in a bar.
BAKKER: Yes. We meet in a bar. It seems to be a more comfortable setting for the folks we work with.
HAMMER: Is that basically the reason? Because it`s just a comfortable - I mean, yes, who - who doesn`t love a bar?
BAKKER: Well, yes. I mean, I think it`s kind of - you know, I mean, church can be intimidating, those big buildings and steeples and all the music and stuff, and everyone dressed up. And it seems like a function. This way, it`s just come as you are, and if you want to come and listen, you can. If you don`t like what you hear, you can leave.
HAMMER: And have - have a couple of cocktails in the process, perhaps?
BAKKER: Some do, yes.
When we first started in the bars, it took me awhile, because all these guys were getting these huge tall boys, and I was like, OK, there`s big beers in front of me. But, you know, you get used to it after awhile, and.
HAMMER: It can certainly adjust the level of dialogue that`s going on, too, I imagine.
BAKKER: Well, definitely. Yes. We`re - we`re usually there for awhile afterwards.
HAMMER: So who is showing up to these things? Tell me about the people in your ministry. Well, first of all, I - I imagine they have to be at least 18 - or 21, rather.
BAKKER: Yes.
HAMMER: Got o have a - got to have a photo ID.
BAKKER: Yes.
HAMMER: .to get into your church.
BAKKER: Well, we`ve - we`ve got around that sometimes. Our new place, we`re using (ph), it`s - it`s 21. But before we had all ages in the back, and people could go out in the front to the bar.
So - but the people we reach are anywhere between probably 18 and - an average age, 18 to 40.
HAMMER: And - and in terms of the type of people who are drawn into what you`re doing - because one of the things that - that I - and I applaud you for, it seems like you`re having a high level of acceptance in - in terms of - of who you`re trying to draw in.
BAKKER: Well, yes. I think that, you know, Jesus` message was accepting. It - it wasn`t about being exclusive; it was about being inclusive, and - and saying that everyone can come.
And so we just try to love everybody where they`re at. And we don`t have any judgments. We really believe that that`s what - how Jesus lived, and that`s the message of grace and love and hope and - you know, that`s what we`re called to do, is hopefully give people a - a - another chance at - at religion.
HAMMER: And as I mentioned, it`s being documented and shown on the Sundance Dance Channel.
I have to read a particular passage that was at the very top of your press release that caught my eye.
BAKKER: Oh no.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Well - well right there at the top - and - and this is a passage from Ezekiel, it says, "But supposes this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things."
I can`t help but - thinking that it`s a comment on your relationship with your dad, Jim Bakker.
BAKKER: Well, it probably is. I didn`t right that, so.
HAMMER: That was not your idea to put that in, to be clear.
BAKKER: That was not my idea.
HAMMER: You`ll be having a talk with the publicist after the program tonight.
BAKKER: Yes. But, you know, it`s - it`s - me and my dad have a fun relationship. It`s - it`s not always fun. It has been hard to work out a little bit.
But he`s a great man; I`ve learned a lot of good things from him, but I`ve also learned what not to do, from his mistakes.
HAMMER: Your approach clearly very different than your dad`s and your mom`s. What do they think about this, and what you`re doing?
BAKKER: I think both of my parents are very supportive of me. I mean, my dad`s been supportive in the past, and my mom loves what I do. So they`ve been - they`ve really stood with me.
I think - sometimes I think I`m a little radical, or they`re afraid that I`m going to say too much and that the church isn`t going to accept me anymore. But I`m, like, you know, that`s not really the audience I`m going after. I`m - I`m trying to bring this message to a new group.
HAMMER: Well, your mom, Tammy Faye Bakker, certainly was an icon. And I know she`s going through a very difficult time, and it has to be very difficult for your family now. She is Stage 4 cancer.
BAKKER: Stage 4 cancer, yes.
HAMMER: Tell - tell us how she is.
BAKKER: She is really sick right now. My sister`s living there around the clock. And so she`s - she`s not doing well. And it`s very hard to watch someone you love and care about die of anything. And - and cancer is just such an awful disease, and this is the hardest time I`ve ever been through. And it was really strange that cameras and things came into my life at this same time.
So it - it`s been really a very transparent and difficult year.
HAMMER: Well, Jay, I know people`s thoughts are with you as you go through the tough time.
BAKKER: Thank you.
HAMMER: But I appreciate you coming in here and sharing your story with us.
BAKKER: Oh, it was great.
HAMMER: Jay Bakker.
BAKKER: Thank you.
HAMMER: .thank you so much.
And you can catch "One Punk Under God: The Prodigal Son of Jim and Tammy Faye" when it makes its premiere this Wednesday on the Sundance Channel.
Now it is time for another chapter in the "SHOWBIZ Weight Watch." This, of course, is where we cover issues of body image in Hollywood like nobody else.
Tonight, Delta Burke. Of course, we know her from "Designing Women," and of course, she`s a writer. She has her own fashion line. Delta knows all too well the toll that the pressure to be thin can take. She has told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson that she was starting out on TV, there weren`t any of the positive roles like Kate Winslet and Beyonce who are speaking out about being healthy rather than staying skinny.
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BURKE: Back in my day, we didn`t have those actresses. There - there wasn`t a Beyonce. There - there wasn`t a JLo. I mean, I had the booty then. I`ve lost it since then. But I had it. And they didn`t like it back then, you know? And, man, if she had been around, I could have - I would have, like, OK, I could have worked it.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Would have given you the confidence.
BURKE: Would have given me the confidence. And, you know, Kate Winslet is just - it`s wonderful what they`re doing. But they have to go up against so much opposition. They have to be strong enough to face that.
I wanted so much to be accepted, which most of us do. And sometimes in order to be accepted and loved, you - you do things that you really aren`t capable of.
ANDERSON: I`m sure a lot of our viewers, a lot of our friends at home are watching and thinking, You know, I - I identify with her. I relate to what she`s saying.
So you could be an inspiration. You know, help others. How did you overcome it?
BURKE: Working at it every day. Every day it was learning to love me, no matter what I looked like. You know, maybe I wasn`t what they thought I should be, or wanted me to be, but that I was indeed good enough, and had - was a very worthwhile human being and had a lot to give.
And accepting myself. That was a whole new way of thinking. Because I would do the negative thinking. I was just buying into everything. Instead it was focusing on what was I doing that was good. And OK, maybe I`m not losing weight. But I`m maintaining, I`m doing good, I`m focusing on other, more important issues. And just talking and sharing my story with people. You know, and then they come up and share their stories with me.
And - and there`s real important issues going on in life. This should not be one of them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Delta tells all about the pressures she faced from Hollywood in her book "Delta Style: Eve Wasn`t a Size 6, and Neither Am I." Great title.
Well some well-known feminists absolutely disgusted with Britney Spears` pantyless partying and her new posse of Hollywood girls gone wild. So on Friday, with all of that in mind, we asked you this question: "Britney, Lindsay and Paris: Are they setting back feminism?"
Look at this vote: 71 percent of you say yes, they are; 29 percent of you say no, they`re not.
Got a lot of e-mail on the topic, too.
One from Ronnie in Illinois, who writes, "What`s wrong with Britney, Lindsay and Paris having fun? They`re not any different than most women their age."
We also heard from Sonja in Oklahoma, who thinks: "True feminism will survive the likes of Britney, Paris and what`s her name. It was born before they were."
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back.
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HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Princess Diana: Do you think she was murdered?"
Continue to vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion on video. Use your video camera, use your webcam. You send us piece of your mind through video e-mail.
It`s easy to do. Just got to the Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight. We`ve got all the details on how you can do it. And then look for your video e-mails, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It is time now to find out what is coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And tomorrow, you may want to get out your nose plugs, because it`s time for the 2006 Stinky Diaper Awards. The worst celebrity parents out there, and unfortunately, there are a lot of star moms and dads that do things that make you want to say, Waaa. Poopy parents, tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, more of my revealing one-on-one with Renee Zellweger. Her very candid thoughts about being fed up with the paparazzi and the tabloids sticking their noses into her private life, and getting it all wrong. Her brand new movie is also something we`ll talk about, all about one of England`s best-selling authors.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. "GLENN BECK" coming next, after the latest from CNN Headline News.
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