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Showbiz Tonight
Rosie Fires Back; Britney And K-Fed Settle Custody For January; Oprah`s South African Adventure
Aired January 08, 2007 - 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: A shocking Oprah blackmail plot. A guy allegedly says, pay up, or you`re going to get hurt. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Lindsay Lohan`s stunning recovery, where she showed up just hours after emergency surgery. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, no, they are not. Tonight, the Donald Trump-Rosie O`Donnell nasty war of words explodes again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": But boy, did I hurt a nerve with that guy. Holy moly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now Rosie`s kids are in the middle of it. Plus, the shocking things Barbara Walter said. Will she destroy her friendship with the Donald?
Tonight she said, he said, she said, he said, and on and on and on and on and on.
They are playing nice, for now. Tonight Britney Spears and Kevin Federline`s stunning child custody deal. But will Britney be forced to say bye-bye to her kids because of her wild, panty-less partying? Does K-Fed really want custody or is this just a move to get some more cash? Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the battle over Britney`s kids.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, is the simmering custody battle between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline about to explode? The latest in just a few minutes.
HAMMER: But first tonight, Rosie strikes back. Rosie O`Donnell returned from vacation today following a week of insults, put downs and just downright nasty stuff that spewed from the mouth of Donald Trump, all aimed squarely at Rosie. And tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you something stinks.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This gas odor or is permeating all the way through the city.
HAMMER (voice-over): So just what was that scary headline-making smell in New York City?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a gas leak in New York City today and nobody knows where it came from exactly.
O`DONNELL: I have an idea.
HAMMER: It was probably the stench of that nasty Rosie O`Donnell- Donald Trump feud flaring up once again. Rosie O`Donnell returned to "The View" to thunderous applause, her first appearance on the program after taking a couple weeks off for vacation. And she wasted no time going back to where she left off -- bickering with the Donald.
O`DONNELL: But boy did I hit a nerve with that guy. Holy moly.
HAMMER: The Rosie/Donald feud began with Rosie making fun of Trump for his handling of the recent Miss USA controversy.
O`DONNELL: He annoys me on a multitude of levels.
HAMMER: And continued with Trump going on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to share his opinion of Rosie.
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Well, Rosie is a loser. She has always been a loser.
HAMMER: Now, Rosie is telling viewers how the feud is affecting her and her children.
O`DONNELL: It bothered Vivi. Yes, it bothered Vivi and Blake said, you know -- Blake said, mommy, Kyle heard on the radio that there`s a man on who has a dump truck and he is going to take all your money. And I said, you know honey, there is a guy with a dump truck, but he`s not taking mommy`s money.
And so then he said, but he also used the F word. The F word in our house is fat.
HAMMER: It`s a word Trump often used in his Rosie bashing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
TRUMP: Taking money out of her big fat ass would be probably something that`s very easy. But somebody hit her right between her big fat eyes.
HAMMER: But Rosie is taking exception.
O`DONNELL: I love it when people say you`re fat, like you don`t know. You know what I mean? It`s always the first comment of someone who disagrees with you, if you happen to be on the plus side, you`re fat. I`m like, yes. It`s OK. I went to the mall, I went to Target, all of these plus-size women coming over to me with tears in their eyes, going, I love you. You`re OK. And I`m, like, I love you and you`re OK too.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": It all seemed a little Richard Simmonsee (sic) to me. I`m picturing these over weight women coming up, balling, to Rosie in Target, but at the same time, she`s right. You know, Donald did offend a whole nation of overweight women and I think it`s good that Rosie`s addressing that.
HAMMER: Rosie`s addressing the controversy on her blog, where she put together a collage about the feud, with the word fat occasionally appearing on screen. So now that Rosie has had her say, that`s the end of it, right?
Wrong! Soon after "The View" was over, Donald trump sent this statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, saying, quote, Rosie, as usual, is misquoting me. I used the word slob. I used the word degenerate. And I used the words not very smart. The word fat played a very small role, if any, in my description of her.
Wait, was the Donald misquoted?
TRUMP: Taking money out of her big fat ass --
HAMMER: You be the judge.
Meanwhile, now that Rosie is back from vacation, Barbara Walters took time to address something Trump told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, that Walters told him she regrets hiring Rosie for "The View."
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Let me say definitively that everything that he said I said about her is totally untrue.
HAMMER: So the hits keep on coming in the Rosie-Trump feud.
PIAZZA: I think this will bring together men with comb overs and overweight women. We should have a summit.
HAMMER: A summit that may clear away that smell emanating from New York City, of two successful TV stars who really, really need to give it a rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, after all that, despite Barbara Walters saying definitively today that she never told Donald Trump she regretted hiring Rosie for "The View," Donald Trump bluntly tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, Barbara lied. Ouch.
And today more proof that controversy doesn`t always sell, early ratings for Sunday night`s season premier of Donald Trump`s "The Apprentice" are in. It could very well be the lowest rated "Apprentice" premiere ever, and I`m sure Donald Trump will have an explanation for that.
ANDERSON: I`m sure he will. Well, there may be no peace between Trump and Rosie tonight. By wait, could soon to be divorced Britney Spears and Kevin Federline be smoking a peace pipe? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Britney and K-Fed have reached a child custody agreement for the whole month of January, an entire month.
What can I say? One step at a time, I guess. With me tonight from New York, divorce attorney Nancy Chemtob, and joining me from Washington, DC, Cheryl Lynn Hepfer of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Nancy and Cheryl, welcome to you both.
Nancy, I got to ask you, seems a little bit odd to me, who comes to a child custody agreement for a single month? I mean, is that something that happens often?
NANCY CHEMTOB, DIVORCE ATTORNEY: Not for one month, especially if you think about it, we`re almost in the middle of the month. It had to be a desperate act. I think Britney`s behavior on new year`s eve is probably the impetus for what caused a custody stipulation.
ANDERSON: Well, Cheryl, I have to tell you, this agreement seems a little bit slanted to me in Britney`s favor. Because Kevin, according to the agreement, gets, what, 12 hours a week visitation with the kids at Britney`s house? Is this a sign by the judge that K-Fed may not be a good father or is something else going on here?
CHERYL LYNN HEPFER, AMER. ACADEMY OF MATRIMONIAL LAWYERS: Not at all. There was no judge involved. This is an agreement between the parties, which was really smart of both of them. It was really smart to have an interim agreement that provides what all the literature says is really good for children of this young age, and that is not a great deal of time, but regular and frequent access.
So it really shows that both parents in this case, based upon probably very good advice, are doing what ultimately is best for their children. Even though it`s only for a month, it is certainly a step in the right direction.
ANDERSON: So no judge involved right now, but Nancy, could a judge get involved eventually and could Britney`s recent behavior have something to do with a decision going forward down the line, in terms of what will happen? You know, because she hasn`t been Mother Teresa herself, all the panty-less partying, all the carrying on. All you have to do is watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and you know what kind of activity she has been partaking in. Could that play a role?
CHEMTOB: The most telling thing is that she agreed to joint custody, so she gave up a huge amount of leverage in this stipulation. She was fighting for sole custody. Kevin was fighting for sole custody. And this interim agreement, even if its for a short period of time, conceded joint custody. So I think that when a judge does get involved, he or she is going to look at the fact that she did concede it.
ANDERSON: Cheryl, we have a mother here who is not exactly seen in the best light, neither is the father. All things being equal, in a situation like this, when neither parent is likely to win any parent of the year award any time soon, does the judge usually side with the mother? How does that work?
HEPFER: Well, I think what the judge is going to do, if it gets before a court, and probably it won`t -- probably there will be an agreement between the parties -- is to look at what`s in the best interest of the children, and that is for the children to have a great deal of time with each of the parents. So it`s not unusual to see something very similar to this. And although, yes, the court will look at what`s been going on with both parties, they are really concerned about what goes on when the parties are with the children, not what goes on when the parties aren`t with the children.
So the main concern of the court is going to be what`s best for these children. And it`s, of course, to have a great deal of time with their mother and with their dad. So there may be some other --
ANDERSON: The kids are of primary concern, of course. And hopefully they can get through this as unaffected as humanly possible. Nancy Chemtob and Cheryl Lynn Hepfer, thank you both for joining us.
CHEMTOB: Thank you.
HEPFER: My pleasure.
HAMMER: Well, a lot of you have been writing in about Britney Spears wild partying and what it could do to her chances of a comeback. We heard from Eric in Alabama. He sent us a video e-mail, and he thinks that everybody should just back off, if Brit can remember a certain piece of clothing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m Eric (INAUDIBLE) from Fair Hope, Alabama. Let`s leave Britney Spears alone. I mean, let mama have a good time. She got two kids, a lousy husband. Mama needs a break. She just needs to wear underwear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right Eric. Thank you for that. And remember, you too can let your voice be heard and face be seen. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion through video e- mail. You can send us one by going to the website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Britney Spears is also the focus of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this, Britney Spears, should she get sole custody of the children? Go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
HAMMER: Brooke, I know part of the deal of living out there in L.A., you got to be in your car, driving all the time. Certainly you know what the little E on your gas gauge means, right?
ANDERSON: It means to get to the gas station pronto. And by the way, I drive at my own risk here in L.A.
HAMMER: Yes, as does everybody else. Apparently Paris Hilton doesn`t know what that E means. And what she did is going to make you think E describes what`s going on between her ears. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does she want? What does she want? The privacy of a nun? She is going out with a future king. She may one day be our future queen. We do have a right to know more about her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A scary connection between the late Princess Diana and her son, Prince William`s girlfriend. That`s coming up next.
HAMMER: And a shocking Oprah blackmail plot. A guy allegedly says pay up or you`re going to get hurt. That`s still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Guess what? Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous!
Poor Paris Hilton. She was out partying in Hollywood over the weekend and she ran out of gas. Now, instead of calling AAA, she called the PPP or at least the PP -- the paparazzi. They helped her out. They pushed her car off to the side of the road. One guy even went down the block to get her some gasoline. Now Paris reportedly said, dude, I have never put gas in this car. I forgot. I can kind of believe that.
Paris Hilton, running on empty, nothing new, and that`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: It`s been almost 10 years since Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi al Fayed died in a horrific car accident. Remember their driver was speeding away from the paparazzi. What`s really shocking is that as an official inquiry into their death starts today in London, Prince William`s girlfriend is now being hounded by the press and has many wondering will she meet the same tragic fate as his mom?
Here`s CNN International`s Paula Newton for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To the prying lens of the paparazzi, she is irresistible. Kate Middleton, Prince William`s girlfriend, now just can`t seem to shake the scrutiny or the security, so hounded by the snappers that in recent weeks she has been granted a police escort.
It started out with a trickle of pictures, but there is now a flood of photos captured in hot pursuit.
TIM GRAHAM, ROYAL PHOTOGRAPHERS: I know that she fairly constantly now chased by the paparazzi. From her point of view, it`s a nuisance. It is getting -- I understand it`s getting too much. They are there every day. They are on top of her every day.
NEWTON: And that`s what`s proving tough to take for a girlfriend who is still just a commoner, a regular girl getting a parking ticket on her way to work, riding buses, trying to go out with her friends. Despite the royal family`s pleas that Ms. Middleton is still a private citizen, the battle lines are being drawn, as the press closes in on a subject that clearly sells.
ROBERT JOBSON, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: What does she want? The privacy of a nun? She is going out with a future king? She may one day be our future queen. We do have a right to know more about her.
NEWTON: Twenty five years ago it was Princess Di in the lens. You can`t miss the sense of deja vu and neither can the tabloids, comparing their every more, their every outfit.
GRAHAM: There is no question that she will be immediately as big a star as the Princess of Wales was. It will be a difficult thing for her to cope with, as it was for Diana, and it will be difficult for William.
NEWTON: It is all quite worrying to Prince William, now enduring a very public courtship as he tries to decide if and when to pop the question, and still tries to make sure the woman he loves is never tormented and pursued as his mother was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Give her some space. Not even married, not even engaged. That was CNN International`s Paula Newton for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Lisa Rinna is certainly somebody who knows about being a star couple in the spotlight. She is married to TV star Harry Hamlin. Look at them go. We`ve seen both of them cutting a rug at ABC`s "Dancing With the Stars." Now she is cutting into prime time once again in a hair raising hair cutting competition. It`s called tease. It makes its premier Wednesday on the Oxygen network. Lisa Rinna, good to have you here back at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in New York.
LISA RINNA, ACTRESS: Hello, nice to be back.
HAMMER: You know, we were just watching a rather scary story about the paparazzi and Prince William`s girlfriend. You certainly have -- I`ve been with you when the photographers have been shooting your picture, but that`s in a pretty controlled situation, out on a red carpet. Have you been, yourself, in circumstances where it`s really gotten -- your earring just floated away -- That was pretty dangerous right there -- where it`s been just a little nerve-racking?
RINNA: You know what, Harry and I have been very lucky, because we`re just enough famous, but we`re not that famous to where we have people following us every day, but there was one moment when Harry started doing "Dancing With the Stars," and, of course, I had done it, and we were in Malibu and that`s where Britney Spears was. And she probably had been in the mall. And all of a sudden we had 25, maybe 30 paparazzi just surround us as we were going to our car, and we had the kids, and it was a scary moment, because we had never seen that. And that was the only time it`s ever really happened, but literally, it threw us all.
HAMMER: And you have two kids now.
RINNA: Yes, and they were there too.
HAMMER: I imagine that has to be particularly nerve-racking if the kids are around.
RINNA: I have to say, I don`t know how people like Brad Pitt and Angelina, those types of celebrities, Deal with it. It`s scary to me, it really is. And god bless them, you know, I know everyone needs to make a living and do what they do, but it is -- it is terrifying. When they come up upon you like that and you have the kids.
HAMMER: You mentioned Britney Spears, who has been in the news just a little bit lately.
RINNA: Just a little bit.
HAMMER: You`ve been a part of the wild scene in Hollywood --
RINNA: That`s me, part of the wild scene --
HAMMER: You were there, Lisa, we both know it.
RINNA: Woo.
HAMMER: Is she crying out for help? Because that`s what a lot of people are suggesting is going on.
RINNA: You know, who knows. God knows, after you have two kids, after you`ve had a kid, you are crazy, period. You know, maybe she`s depressed. I don`t know. God love her. I have no idea. You know, you see people go through things. Unfortunately, when you`re that famous and you have a camera following you, they chronicle everything. I mean, we`ve all had our moments, and I just think it`s so unfortunate that you have to have a camera, you know, taking your most, maybe, uncomfortable times, when you don`t look best. I mean, I don`t know what`s going on, but I think maybe it might be good for her to stay home.
HAMMER: The scrutiny can be pretty unbearable and I think that`s good advice coming from Lisa Rinna. I want to talk about Tease, because this show, it`s like the Iron Chef, it seems, of hair cutting competitions, but what`s really cool about it is a lot of the women who we`re seeing on your show have lost weight through Jenny Craig, and now they`re having the opportunity to get make overs and perhaps look like their favorite Hollywood stars. I imagine you`re getting some pretty big reactions from these women who are feeling really good about themselves at this point.
RINNA: Well, you know, I`ve decided it`s all about transformation. We all want to be better. We all want to look better. We all -- if we don`t feel good about ourselves, if we get a new haircut, it makes us feel fabulous. If we lose weight, whatever it is, getting a makeover. It is a transformational process. And I think that`s what`s so cute about this show. Even though you have the competition of the hair stylists, and that`s a whole other thing -- but, you know, it`s all about feeling good. And we are all about our hair, are we not? Come on. Are we not all about our hair? Please.
HAMMER: Lisa, I appreciate that you`re out there doing your job and making people feel better. It`s always good to see you.
RINNA: I`m trying!
HAMMER: And you can catch Lisa`s new show Tease this Wednesday on the Oxygen Network,
ANDERSON: Lindsay Lohan`s stunning recovery, where she showed up just hours after having emergency surgery.
HAMMER: Also, a shocking Oprah blackmail plot. A guy allegedly says, pay up, or you`re going to get hurt. We also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNIFER HUDSON, SINGER: I enjoy being the size that I am, which is a thick woman. And I would rather be called thick any day than skinny. You might get smacked if you call me that.
(END VIDEO CLIP
ANDERSON: Jennifer Hudson and other stars embracing their curves, sending a great message to their fans.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Time now for the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. We cover Hollywood`s obsession with body image like no other entertainment news show. Tonight Mandy Moore and "Dream Girls" star Jennifer Hudson are making us smile. They are sending a really good message, loud and clear, to fans all over the world, that they are a-OK with their bodies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MANDY MOORE, SINGER: I`m happy to represent a different ideal of what a woman should look like. I am what I am. I don`t know, I`m still coming to terms with it, you know, but -- because it`s not necessarily the easiest thing in this town to look different. But, it`s OK, I`m happy with it.
HUDSON: I enjoy being the size I am, which is a thick woman. I would rather be called thick any day than skinny. You might get smacked if you call me that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would never, never do that.
HUDSON: But it`s a compliment. I take it as a compliment. Because if this is being fat, then call me fat all the time, OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Did you get that? Don`t call her skinny. By the way, Mandy Moore also says in her new film, "Because I Said So," she first hesitated about showing off her behind wearing panties, but when the other actress did it, she felt more comfortable.
More of the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch, diet danger, an alarming new study who says teenage girls who read articles about dieting are more likely to practice extreme weight loss measures. That`s at 43 past the hour. Stay with us for that.
HAMMER: A shocking Oprah blackmail plot. A guy allegedly says, pay up or you`re going to get hurt. That`s still to come.
We`ve also got this chat with Oprah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I feel like I got married and had 152 children all at the same time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has gone halfway across the world for a revealing look at how she is dramatically changing lives of poor girls in Africa, and also how they are making a huge difference in her life too.
HAMMER: And speaking of kids, is Angelina Jolie ripping into Madonna for adopting an African baby boy? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT gets to the bottom of that coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night is coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: No big surprise, Brooke, you look at the magazine stands right now here in January, it seems like almost every single magazine is talking about how to lose weight in the New Year.
Well.
ANDERSON: Those resolutions.
HAMMER: There is an alarming new study that`s out. We`re going to be digging into this a little bit, that says young girls who read those articles are more likely than not to get involved with some kind of an eating disorder. It is truly shocking. We`ll get to the bottom of it coming up.
ANDERSON: Very frightening, A.J.
Also, is Angelina Jolie slamming Madonna for adopting a child from Malawi? You know, first it was the human rights groups criticizing her. Now is Angelina Jolie blasting Madonna as well? Well, we have the answer coming up straight from Angelina Jolie herself.
But first, an extortion scheme targeting Oprah Winfrey? An Atlanta man has been charged in a plot to blackmail Oprah Winfrey. The man allegedly taped phone conversations he had with an employee with Winfrey`s, who apparently had some pretty bad things to say about her.
The man then allegedly sent Winfrey an e-mail demanding $1.5 million or else he would make those tapes public.
With me tonight from New York, host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat," Ashleigh Banfield.
Ashleigh, good to see you.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Hi, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Hi there.
OK, now this truly unbelievable. Tell us what else you know about this alleged plot.
BANFIELD: Well, it wasn`t the smartest plot in the books, shall we say.
ANDERSON: No, it wasn`t.
BANFIELD: I mean, a lesson for extortionists: don`t put it on paper, you know? And clearly don`t e-mail.
ANDERSON: Right.
BANFIELD: .it. But if the - if the - the criminal complaint is accurate, apparently one Kiefer Bandelain (ph) - apologies if I`m not pronouncing it right - sent not only an e-mail to Oprah, but also a letter suggesting that he had these very unflattering comments on tape - 12 hours of tape, which he was receiving very lucrative offers for to publish a book or to just go to the tabloids.
Oprah dispatches an associate of hers to negotiate with this man, with the help of the FBI. And when a deal is struck for $1.5 million, $3,000 is wired to him - if the complaint is accurate, and - in earnest money. And an arrangement is made to meet in a parking lot in Atlanta the next day.
Shazam! They grab him.
By the way, all of this is according to two newspapers in Chicago. Because in the complaint - this is - these people are unnamed. It`s a - a Chicago woman who is the owner of a prevalent business.
ANDERSON: Wonder who that could be.
BANFIELD: Someone.
ANDERSON: And - and the guy now says, You know, it was all a mix-up, all a misunderstanding.
BANFIELD: Yes.
ANDERSON: (INAUDIBLE)
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Does anybody have any idea what`s on these tapes specifically?
BANFIELD: Not yet. But let me tell you this, Brooke: it is extremely serious, because every person who works for Oprah signs a confidentiality agreement. The culture among employees at Oprah is that you don`t talk about Oprah. Period. You are told you will be sued, not just now, but after Oprah dies, if you talk about your boss. Every one knows it; it`s no secret.
So whoever is responsible for being on the other end of these unflattering comments - I`ve heard from an employee, a former employee, it`s likely some one who`s very fringe. Because every body knows, it is verboten.
Now, as far as whether we`ll ever hear what`s on the tape, here`s how it works: it`s a criminal complaint. There could he a court case. These are evidence, and therefore most likely would be played.
However, Oprah has influence, not just with everybody in TV land, but she might also have influence of the victim. Because prosecutors oftentimes consult victims of crimes and say, Should we press forward with the case, or should we settle? How do you feel?
And, you know, it - it could be a situation where Oprah might just say to the prosecutors, Please God, settle, I don`t need this to get out there.
ANDERSON: Any chance Oprah could be hurt by this information? You know, the tapes may not see the light of day, but here we are talking about this. Someone allegedly said some pretty damning things against her.
Any chance she could be hurt?
BANFIELD: Well, I guess always there`s that chance. But I can also say, some former people that I spoke with who worked for Oprah said this: lots of people complain about the long hours, but every body really likes her. People who work with her generally like her.
So my guess - and this is sheer conjecture - is that she has more supporters than detractors out there. So if there are these unflattering comments - for instance, I`ve already heard that it`s likely a fringe employee who doesn`t know much anyway -- a California-based employee who might not be that close to the organization, and might have loose lips.
They`ll be plenty of people out there to say, You know what? We love working for her. We`ve been here forever. She treats us like gold. She gives us a phenomenal Christmas presents. All of this is bunk.
ANDERSON: And lesson learned here: keep your mouth shut, you know?
BANFIELD: Amen to that.
ANDERSON: Court TV`s Ashleigh Banfield, as always, thanks so much.
By the way, Ashleigh, congratulations on your new gig at "Hollywood Heat." Stars this week, right?
BANFIELD: Thank you, ma`am. It does indeed. Thursday night.
ANDERSON: Sounds great.
HAMMER: And now, one-on-one with Oprah.
Tonight, Oprah is opening up about opening her heat to schoolgirls in South Africa, and the $40 million academy she built for them just outside Johannesburg. The school made worldwide headlines when it opened last week.
And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you right there to South African and CNN`s Jeff Koinange, who spoke with Oprah about what the school means to her.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I feel like I got married and had 152 children all at the same time.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. I got to ask you this: you visited - you personally insisted on visiting these kids` homes during the interview process.
Why did you do that?
WINFREY: Because I wanted to not just hear about, but to feel what their environment was like, to have for myself the information that says where you`ve come from, and what is your story.
And what I learned by doing that is that their story is really also my story.
KOINANGE: And - and these are the leaders of tomorrow; these are the girls you want to home (ph) to be the leaders?
WINFREY: Well, I - I have to tell you, some of my friends from the United States were here, and I had all the girls giving tours. I had 24 girls giving tours. They said, They`re already leaders. They`re already leaders.
What is amazing about these girls is that in spite of their circumstances, all of them coming from poor homes, and some from more devastation - sexual abuse, physical abuse - all of them have a spark, a light. Because that`s what I was looking for. I was looking for the girls who - life has not already taken them down. Because, you know, sometimes it just gets to be so hard, that it takes the light out of it.
So I was looking for girls for whom that had not yet happened. And so every girl has a spark. Every girl has that (INAUDIBLE).
They`re all very different. You know, some are "strong A" personalities. And what I realize is, You can`t have all A personalities in a classroom. So some have a quite - quiet strength that - that says, I can. That`s what I was looking for.
And so, yes, they will be the future leaders. I have no doubts in my mind that for every girl that comes out of this school, amazing - in the truest sense of the word - amazing things will happen for them.
Our campus is founded on the principle of Mobutu. It`s an African principle that says, "I am because we are." And so I`ve already said to these girls, This isn`t like any other place you`ve ever been, or any other community. We compete with each other, because we all want to be successful. We all want to be great. We all want great grades.
But we compete for the common good. So our competitive - competitiveness makes us stronger, so that we can together go out in the world and make a difference. And so it`s founded on community service. Every single girl here, as a part of her indoctrination, is going to be taught to give back.
Get yourself first, then your family, to this community that we live in, but also the global community. I want these girls not to just be citizens of this campus and this community, but citizens of the global world.
(INAUDIBLE) God`s sake. It`s fantastic!
KOINNANGE: Good job.
WINFREY: Thank you.
KOINANGE: Well done.
WINFREY: Well done, huh?
KOINANGE: Amazing.
WINFREY: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well done, indeed, Oprah. That was CNN`s Jeff Koinange for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Angelina Jolie is setting the record straight about some comments she made about Madonna adopting a child from Malawi.
London`s "Daily Mirror" reported that Jolie was criticizing the adoption and implying that Madonna was on the wrong side of a law by adopting 1-year-old David Banda. But Jolie says the article took what she said out of context.
Through her rep, she tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - quote - "The reporter left out the bulk of my statement, which was not in any way negative. I said many positive things that were omitted. I feel we must focus on the present, and I encourage every one to be supportive so that every child can adjust nicely to their new home."
By the way, Brad and Angelina`s family will most likely get bigger. At the Palm Springs International Film Festival over the weekend, Brad Pitt told "People" magazine that they "of course" want more children.
HAMMER: Well, Jennifer Lopez says marriage has changed her, and that she definitely wants to have children someday. JLo has just been named one of "People" magazine`s "100 Most Influential Hispanics."
She says marrying Marc Anthony has helped her grow, both as an artist and as a person, and that she comes from a strong family, so of course, she wants to have kids of her.
"People En Espanol"`s "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue is on newsstands right now.
So Brooke, we`ve been talking a lot about Britney Spears allegedly passing out at a New Year`s Eve party in Las Vegas.
ANDERSON: Oh yeah.
HAMMER: Now we`re actually hearing that this whole incident could cost her half a million bucks. We will get to the bottom of that.
ANDERSON: That`s a lot of dough. We have a statement from the club, actually, coming up, A.J.
Also on the party front, Lindsay Lohan. You`re never going to believe where Lindsay showed up just hours after she had emergency surgery. That`s straight ahead.
HAMMER: Yikes.
Also, in "The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch," you know you can`t open a magazine or turn on the TV without finding tons of dieting tips every where you look. But could that actually lead to eating disorders? There is a shocking new study straight ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A.J. to the couch with Susan Schulz next.
Roll your break, and effect black now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. Go 3. Stand by. A.J. Pre-set Camera 1. Open his mike. Dissolve. Go.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!"
You know what they say about the post office? How rain and sleet and snow doesn`t keep the mail from getting through. Well tonight, there`s a little twist on that - you call it Hollywood starlet style.
It seems that nothing can stop Miss Lindsay Lohan from going to the clubs. Not AA, not an early call time at a movie set - not even surgery. People.com says that Lohan was out a Hollywood hot spot just one day after getting her appendix out.
Barhopping after your appendectomy? Now "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, it`s time now for "The SHOWBIZ Weight Watch." This, of course, is where we cover issues of body images in Hollywood like nobody else.
An alarming new study says teenage girls who frequently read articles about dieting are more likely to practice extreme weight-loss measures like vomiting than girls who never read those articles. It is just the beginning of 2007; already, of course, magazines, newspapers and commercials all packed with weight-loss strategies.
Joining me now from Oakland, California, Jim Steyer. He is the CEO and founder of Common Sense Media.
Here with me in New York, Susan Schulz, editor in chief of "CosmoGirl."
It`s good to see you both.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Hey there.
So Jim, really, really disturbing stuff in this study. It`s finding that girls who are in middle school and read these dieting articles that are everywhere were three times more likely to use measures, as I said, like vomiting or taking laxatives. Basically, we`re talking about bulimia and anorexia here right.
JIM STEYER, CEO AND FOUNDER, COMMON SENSE MEDIA: That`s exactly right.
And when you look at eating disorders today, you see that girls at younger and younger ages are starting to practice things like bulimia and anorexia. And the messages from our pop culture are really seeping down to them at younger and younger middle school-type ages. And that is a very major public health issue for girls. And I`m glad that we`re paying attention to it on this show.
HAMMER: And - and as I mentioned, Jim, you know, these articles are everywhere right now.
I mean, Susan, "CosmoGirl" - I mean, you guys from been tremendously responsible, I think - not for, but you`ve been tremendously responsible in terms of this issue, and trying to send out the right messages.
SUSAN SCHULZ, EDITOR IN CHIEF, "COSMOGIRL" MAGAZINE: Right.
HAMMER: But again, everybody has these articles, particularly at the beginning of the year, your - your magazine among them.
How do you know when you`re contributing to the problem, and how do you keep yourselves from doing that?
SCHULZ: Right.
Well, I mean, one thing that we never do at "CosmoGirl" is we don`t talk about the word "diet" at all. This is all about, Girls we want you to eat. Eat healthy. You know, we talk about a thick banana cream pie after- school snack. You know, we tell them things that are good for them - proteins, carbs of things that they need. Because we know that - yes, there are - they are paying attention to those dieting articles, because they have that message of being skinny.
And we just said, Now listen, there is a way to eat what you want and to, you know, be fit. Because it`s really about making healthy choices. I think that they get that message of being skinny when it`s really - especially at that age. They need - they need energy. They need food.
HAMMER: Yes.
I mean, I think if there`s an important message for any young women watching now for them to pay attention to, is seek out the articles that talk about making the right choices.
SCHULZ: Right.
HAMMER: .and that guide you in the right direction for - for doing that.
But Jim, you know, we`re not just talking about magazines. The images come from all places in Hollywood. We have the super-skinny models.
STEYER: Right.
HAMMER: That just adds to the insecurity.
I want to go over the results of a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day" that we asked on Friday. We were asking, "Diet Advice in the Media: Do you feel pressured to be thin?"
Look at the response here: 68 percent said yes; 32 percent said no. That`s more than half of the voters out there who say they do feel that pressure.
Look, there - there`s enough blame to go around. But - but it`s time for somebody to really be accountable here. I mean, who do we hold responsible? I have no idea.
STEYER: Well, I think, A.J., that`s a great question.
And - and you`re right; the messages and images are everywhere. And they`re visual messages and images. Remember, it`s not just the articles about dieting; it`s also the pictures of the ultra-skinny models and - and the - the ultra-skinny celebrities.
So I think who`s responsible is all of us. I mean, parents are responsible. I`m a dad of four. You know, I`ve got a daughter who`s 13 and a half. You`ve talking to her and her classmates, and even girls who are younger about - honestly, about "CosmoGirl" and some of the messages in magazines, but on television shows.
I think the industry have to do far more to be responsible about this, whether we`re talking about the fashion industry, which is allowed this kind of ultra-skinny model fad to go on. And I was glad to hear what Susan was just saying about what "CosmoGirl" and hopefully other teen magazines will do. Because the messages are everywhere.
And also, it`s about talking with your kids. You really have to talk - I have to talk to our daughter. And - and my wife does. And you got to say, This is isn`t who we want you to be. We value you for your mind, for who you are. Not just if you`re the skinniest person. And.
SCHULZ: And it`s also about, too, just making sure that you don`t inadvertently send a bad message of, Oh, I was good today, I didn`t have dessert.
HAMMER: Right.
SCHULZ: Or, you know, Oh man, I was bad, I ate all that cake.
HAMMER: But - but in the bigger picture, and I - and I - sometimes I feel like we`re beating a dead horse with it, because I want the magazines to take responsibility, as your magazine has. But yours is just one of so many that are out there that are always going to put the pictures in there.
STEYER: Right.
SCHULZ: Right.
HAMMER: .of these beautiful women.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And - and - and there`s that association, Thin is beautiful.
Real quickly, how do you guys make the decision when it`s too thin, when a model is too thin? Do you guys talk about that in - in - in your meetings?
SCHULZ: Oh, yes. I mean, you can absolutely tell. And it`s just like, we`re not going to use that model because, you know, it`s just not right. And it just - first of all, and it doesn`t look good. The girls know, that doesn`t even look good, when they`re that skinny.
But it - it is - it`s tricky, and I agree that it has to be everybody. It`s not - and it`s not just the parents. And it is the fashion industry. It`s got to be everybody.
HAMMER: Yes.
SCHULZ: Because, you know, the girls are looking to guide - looking for guidance from adults. And this is what we`re here for.
HAMMER: Let - let`s keep getting that message out in 2007.
Jim, I`m - I`m sorry I`m out of time at this point.
STEYER: Great to see you, A.J.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Jim Steyer and Susan Schulz, I appreciate it.
STEYER: Good to talk to you guys.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "The Kingdom" takes you on an exclusive investigation of a bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. Jamie Foxx leads an investigate counterterrorism to find out who as responsible for the bombings, in this action-packed drama, which also stars Jennifer Garner.
Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Daddy`s got to go to work.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a lot of bad people out there.
FOXX: Yes, but you know what?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re not either (ph).
FOXX: The number so far, 100-plus killed, 200-plus injured.
FBI (INAUDIBLE) was killed in the blast.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anybody taking credit?
FOXX: Abu Hamza (ph), the guy who teaches these guys how to kill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The FBI would like an evidence-response team in Saudi Arabia now.
JENNIFER GARNER, ACTRESS: You have to let the tools of diplomacy work.
FOXX: This is not terrorism; this is a serial murder.
GARNER: If we can`t get there now, we will not find the man responsible for this crime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it look over there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just like Mars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like I didn`t pack right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not a married guy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is me telling you what you may do, and there is you doing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every one knows that you guys are his. You`re on the island right now, but good luck getting off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Got to get dirty, nasty, filthy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
FOXX: We`re good at this. Let us do our job.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we catch the man who murdered these people, I want to kill him.
Do you understand why? (ph)
FOXX: Yes, I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every bombmaker at some point gets bitten by his own work.
FOXX: And that`s (INAUDIBLE) Abu Hamza.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Abu Hamza is like ghost.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These tips are coordinated - planning, timing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They attacked us.
(MUSIC)
FOXX: I can guarantee you one thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s that?
FOXX: I`m going to make it (INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "The Kingdom" is in theaters April 20.
HAMMER: So is Britney Spears in trouble for her behavior on New Year`s Eve? Actual word tonight she could be losing money for that night. Details coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, it looks like whatever happened when Britney Spears rang in the New Year in Vegas hasn`t gotten her bumped from the club VIP list. There were reports that Britney collapsed at the Las Vegas night club called Pure. Now Brit`s people said she just fell asleep.
Now there are reports that the club doesn`t want to pay her nearly half a million appearance fee because she cut the evening short. Well, the club isn`t commenting on that specifically. But a rep for Pure did tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this:
"The crowd loved Britney, and they cheered her on everywhere she went. She had a great time, and we were delighted with her appearance at the club, and cannot wait to have her back. She`s always welcome at Pure, and we`d love to have Britney back next year, for New Year`s Eve."
So there you go.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is about Britney Spears: "Should she get sole custody of the children?"
Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Here`s the address - write to us - showbiztonight@cnn.com. And we`re going to write - read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
HAMMER: Now another video e-mail. This time it`s from Darshaun in West Palm Beach. He`s sounding off about the feud between Donald Trump and Rosie O`Donnell.
One note here: Darshaun did send us this video e-mail before Rosie responded on "The View" this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DARSHAUN, WEST PALM BEACH: Hello, my name, is Darshaun Ratchley (ph). I`m a radio personality out of northwest Arkansas. And I`m just replying to this Rosie and Donald thing.
Look, I see that Rosie`s keeping her mouth shut, and I see that Donald Trump still is tramping (ph) it like a little kid. If you`re worth billions of dollars, what is a man of your stature even care about what anybody thinks? You done made it to the top of the world (ph); you`re still doing your thing.
Look, my man, like she said, Sit and (INAUDIBLE), my brother. Just keep on going on, man. You have nothing to worry about. I mean, if you`re worth of billions of dollars, don`t, please.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love it when you tell us how you really feel.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion on video. Send us your video e-mail. It`s simple to do; just go to our Web site for the details, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
Time now to find out what is coming up tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now do you remember when Ashlee Simpson blamed her little "Saturday Night Live" flub on acid reflux? How about when Nicole Richie said she was driving under the influence because she had the cramps? They`re the worst excuses since "the dog ate my homework," and the stars aren`t afraid to use them. The worst celebrity excuses coming up tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, 60 is the new - action hero? Yes, Rocky back in the ring. That`s just the beginning. There`s Indian Jones, Rambo - no spring chickens, but they are springing back into action. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the aging action heroes tomorrow.
And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is coming up next. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
END
