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Showbiz Tonight
Tyra Banks Fights Outrageous Tabloids; Anna Nicole`s Lawyer Defends Former Model`s Actions
Aired January 24, 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 young Hollywood star of TV and music involved in a fatal car accident. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
SIBILA VARGAS, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And a major announcement by "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, bitter sweet moments at the Sundance Film Festival. A romantic comedy premiers with a tragic, real life back story. It`s young writer and director murdered in Manhattan, in a crime made to look like a suicide. Tonight, the heart-breaking real story behind a Sundance Cinderella Story.
Tyra Banks fights back. The blogs are calling fat and Tyra is crying foul. Tonight, Tyra Banks opens up about her weight gain, hurtful headlines in the tabloids, and how she really feels about gaining weight in the spot light.
VARGAS: Hello everyone. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. A Hollywood star involved in a deadly accident. We will have the very latest on that tragedy coming up. But first tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the last on-screen moments of a promising actress making her mark as a director. She was on the path to making it big, very excited about the movie she was finishing. She even put herself in the movie. But her life was tragically cut short.
VARGAS: That`s right A.J. Brooke Anderson brings us a devastating story from the Sundance Film Festival of a murder that kept a film maker, wife and mother from realizing her dreams. .
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Sibila, it really is the most tragic story coming out of the Sundance Film Festival. It involves the movie "Waitress," featuring "Felicity" Kerri Russell and "Curb Your Enthusiasm`s" Cheryl Hines who shared with me their devastating heartbreak over the murdered director, who can`t join them in their triumph.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m pregnant. You`re my doctor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re right. It`s crazy. It`s unethical on my part.
ANDERSON (voice-over): "Waitress," a film starring Keri Russell, had the makings of a real-life Cinderella story, a small film that comes from out of nowhere to take the Sundance Film Festival by storm and brings possible stardom to its writer, director and co-star Adrienne Shelly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a five minute blind date tonight with an insurance guy named Pete.
ANDERSON: But this Cinderella story comes with a bittersweet ending.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shelly, a Broadway and film actress and director was found hanging from a bed sheet.
ANDERSON: The film`s success marred by the senseless and gruesome murder of its writer, director Adrienne Shelly.
CHERYL HINES, "WAITRESS": We`re very excited to be here because Adrienne, this is what she was hoping, to get into Sundance.
ANDERSON: From Sundance, "Waitress" stars Keri Russell and Cheryl Hines shared their joy and pain with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT over a dream this filmmaker, wife and mother did not live to see come true.
HINES: It brings up so many emotions, because you want to celebrate how great the film is and how great her work is, and then there is another part of you that -- it makes me so angry that somebody took her life.
ANDERSON: Actress, writer, director Adrienne Shelly was a 20-year veteran of the independent film scene. She co-starred, wrote and directed "Waitress." But while she waited to hear if it would play at the Sundance Film Festival, tragedy struck.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shelly, a Broadway and film actress and director, was found hanging from a bed sheet.
ANDERSON: Last November Shelly`s body was found in the bathroom of her New York City office. For days her death was reported to be a suicide. But Keri Russell tells me no one believed that was true.
KERI RUSSELL, "WAITRESS": We all had to go to the funeral for four days with that being the only information. I was so angry. And it was so hurtful to the family. It was hurtful to everyone who loved her. We were all thinking she killed herself, when she was murdered! She was murdered!
ANDERSON: They were right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This teenager has been charged in the actress` murder. Police say he confessed he struck the 40-year-old mother after she complained about construction noise and then allegedly hung her to cover up the crime.
ANDERSON: A teenager, working a construction job in the building, has been charged with killing Shelly during an argument. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trail. Shelly left behind a husband, a young daughter and a film who`s fate she would never know.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Adrienne`s film, "Waitress," was selected for Sundance days before her murder, so it was really bittersweet. She never found out that the movie was selected for the Sundance Film Festival.
ANDERSON (on camera): Here at Sundance, Adrienne`s family, friends and colleagues were determined to carry on in her memory. They premiered "Waitress" here in hopes of a major film studio picking it up for distribution. The director of Sundance said the screening shouldn`t be a wake, but a celebration, and that`s exactly what it was.
HINES: We just saw the film yesterday for the first time, and it was so -- I really loved it.
RUSSELL: I really loved it.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Russell and Hines told me that seeing their friend`s work is bittersweet.
HINES: You`re just going through these ups and downs. One minute you`re laughing, because the movie is very funny, and then another time you`re just sobbing.
You still feel like you`re going to call her and she`s going to meet us after.
RUSSELL: And she`s going to be like, I can`t believe we`re going to Sundance. I knew it.
ANDERSON: And finally, the happy ending everyone hoped for. Shortly after its Sundance debut, "Waitress" was bought by Fox Search Light reportedly for between four and five million dollars, all but assuring that theater audiences will get to see Shelly`s final work.
Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News" talked to Shelly`s husband at Sundance.
PIAZZA: He said he was moved by it, but not from seeing Adrienne`s image on the screen so much. It was more knowing that she wasn`t there and just how happy she would be to be getting this great honor of premiering her film at Sundance.
ANDERSON: And the film stars are left to celebrate a triumph that emerged from tragedy.
HINES: I really think Adrienne would have been proud.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "Waitress" won`t be the only memorial to Adrienne Shelly`s legacy. Her husband has announced a foundation dedicated to helping young women break into independent film. A.J., back to you.
HAMMER: Thanks a lot Brooke. Later on in the show Brooke is going to be back from Sundance with a revealing interview with Tara Reid. She says she has changed her hard-partying ways and she has a little bit of advice for the Britney,the Paris, and Lindsey on the scene. Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is at Sundance all week long. Stay right here for the biggest stars, the breaking news coming out of Park City, Utah.
Tomorrow, Kevin Bacon is joining us, talking about how he is turning his six-degrees game into a charitable affair.
VARGAS: Well a tragic story tonight involving singer and TV star Brandy. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that Brandy was involved in a multiple vehicle accident and another driver was killed. A police report said Brandy was driving at 65 miles an hour and failed to slow down in time to avoid hitting the car in front of her, which caused a chain reaction involving two other vehicles.
Now one of the drivers died, another was treated for moderate injuries and Brandy and the fourth driver were not hurt. In a statement, Brandy`s reps say, quote, Brandy was involved in a car accident December 30th, 2006 in Los Angeles, where there was a fatality. She wishes publicly to express her condolences to the family of the deceased. Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time."
HAMMER: Tonight Anna Nicole Smith`s attorney speaks out. The DNA testing deadline for Anna Nicole`s daughter has passed. Her former boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, says he is the baby`s daddy, and a court order gave the former Playmate until yesterday to submit her daughter, Danni Lynn, for a paternity test.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood Anna Nicole Smith`s attorney, Ron Rale. Ron, I appreciate you being with us.
RON RALE, ANNA NICOLE SMITH`S ATTORNEY: Thanks for having me A.J.
HAMMER: It`s my pleasure. I`m not a lawyer. Please, please keep this simple for me. I need to know, why won`t Anna just end this once and for all, submit to the DNA testing? Because it would go to seem that if she is telling the truth, and Howard K. Stern is, in fact, the father, as she has claimed, what has she got to lose, Ron?
RALE: That`s a loaded question and I`ll try to keep it simple, A.J. Actually, up until yesterday, Anna Nicole was perfectly willing to go forward with the test. It was ordered to be conducted -- actually the sampling of DNA -- in the Bahamas. And one of the reasons I`m on your show is just to clear the air, because the press called me like crazy, why is Anna refusing to submit to the DNA collection.
That wasn`t the case at all. The guy sitting right here in front of you, I`ll take the blame, instructed Anna, you`re not proceeding with the DNA test, because I`m going into court because we have some legal problems. That`s what happened. I went to court yesterday, and the court, in fact, agreed, and it was stayed. If you want me to go further --
HAMMER: No, I don`t want to get into too much of the legal mumbo jumbo. Like I said, I don`t even play a lawyer on TV. So, to be perfectly clear here, you are not avoiding the paternity test and you say that she will, in fact, go ahead and submit to it.
RALE: Anna will do whatever is required by the court. And another thing, if I can just for a second tell you, there is a similar statutory scheme in the Bahamas, where Larry Birkhead could go and file these same claims. We`ve stated that all along. And, in fact, the L.A. court had dismissed most of Mr. Birkhead`s case. He could be asking for the same DNA sampling in the Bahamas and it may have already occurred by now if he had started there.
He does have a lawsuit pending in the Bahamas where DNA may also be produced as part of that case. So, you know, there`s lots of ways that this will probably occur. We`re just following the laws here. And right now it`s just a legal issue.
HAMMER: OK, and again, I`m trying to keep it simple for myself and for everybody watching at the same time. You will follow the order, if the legal situation works itself out and submit to the test. So, can you tell me, in fact, Ron, with absolutely certainty, that Larry Birkhead is not the father of Anna Nicole`s baby?
RALE: You know, I don`t have the status to tell you that. I`m not an expert. It`s something that has to be determined. I mean, obviously, you know, we believe that Howard Stern is the father. Mr. Birkhead, he is afforded the respect of any litigant who has filed a paternity action. He believes he is. I`m not the one to tell you. That will be scientifically determined, I suppose, at some time.
HAMMER: Debra Opri spoke with me last night. Debra Opri is Larry Birkhead`s attorney, who is filing all the legal (INAUDIBLE) for making this paternity test moving forward. She said that your client, Anna Nicole Smith, and her client, Larry Birkhead, have been in contact and they have been text messaging each other here. What`s the deal with that? It doesn`t seem like such a good idea to me. Can you explain that?
RALE: Again, that`s not really a legal issue. That`s a personal issue. And whether they are communicating or not, that`s really up to them. I will say that there has been some publicity, as of yesterday, about Anna allegedly texting Larry saying, I am not going to submit to DNA testing.
HAMMER: Right.
RALE: Now, I`ll answer to that.
HAMMER: Very quickly.
RALE: That`s my instruction. My instruction was you are not submitting, because I`ll be in court. So it is nothing to do with Anna on her own saying --
HAMMER: OK, and to be clear, Debra Opri, the attorney for Larry Birkhead, did confirm that there were text messages between the two of them. Ron Rale, attorney for Anna Nicole Smith, I do appreciate you being with us and clearing it all up -- somewhat -- tonight.
RALE: Thanks a lot A.J.
HAMMER: You got it.
VARGAS: Well now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Anna Nicole Smith`s paternity test, do you believe Larry Birkhead is the father? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us e- mail at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. To send us a video e-mail, go to our website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT.
Well, from the cover of the "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue" to down right nasty headlines about what she looks like in a bathing suit these days, Tyra Banks isn`t taking it lying down. That`s next.
HAMMER: Yes, they`re saying some mean things. Also tonight, a stunning twist in the "Grey`s Anatomy" anti-gay slur drama. Why Isaiah Washington says it is important for him to get treatment. And a dramatic statement tonight from the show`s executive producer.
We also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to remember, what`s true for celebrities is true in all relationships. We`re kind of drawn to people based on where we`re at developmentally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: For stars and for the rest of us, why does it seem that sometimes you are who you date? How relationships change the stars, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. this is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day, and this one is really, really deep.
A rare shark that usually lives about 2,000 feet underwater has shown up in shallow waters off the coast of Japan. Look at this thing. It is a prehistoric shark called a Deep Sea Frilled Shark. Now, these guys are rarely seen alive, but marine official say a seasonal current carried the shark to the surface. I think that`s pretty cool.
Back here on dry land, it`s a SHOWBIZ Weight Watch, and tonight Tyra Banks fighting the fat attacks! It all started when bathing suit photos of Banks started popping up in the tabloid magazines and on the web, with nasty headlines like, "Tyra Pork Chop," and "America`s Next Top Waddle," not nice at all. In an exclusive interview with "People Magazine," the talk show host and retired model speaks candidly about her new size and the criticism she has faced since her early years in the business.
Joining me in New York, "People Magazine`s" Galina Espinoza. It`s pleasure to have you back. Nice to see you.
So this all started, as I said, with these photos popping up of Tyra and these nasty headlines. She was on a beach in Australia, minding her own business. What did she tell you about how she found out about the photos and how it made her feel?
GALINA ESPINOZA, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": She had no idea that people were talking about her in this way. She was coming back from Australia, and her first hint that something was wrong was the flight attendant was so excited to see her and to see that she looked good. And Tyra was like, what is this woman talking about? She gets home, there are message from friends and family members saying, oh my god, we saw that you gained 40 pounds. You need to call me. We`re so worried about you. So she went on the Internet herself and Googled her name. She entered the words, Tyra fat, and could not even believe the way people were talking about her on the Internet.
HAMMER: And she came to you guys to set the record straight. They were saying she gained 40 pounds. She didn`t in fact gain 40 pounds, but she was candid with you about what her current weight is.
ESPINOZA: Yes, the tabloids had said that she was near 200 pounds. She told "People Magazine" that she is 161 pounds and that since retiring from modeling in 2005, her weight has gone up and down, like it does for a lot of women. She has fluctuated between about 148 and 162. So she is definitely as heavy as she has ever been and it is something that she is struggling with.
HAMMER: And how is that different from, say when she was on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" some ten years ago?
ESPINOZA: Exactly, in 1998, cover of "Sports Illustrated," she was 126 pounds. So it is definitely a significant change, and yet she says, I look in the mirror and I think I still look hot.
HAMMER: Yes, so let`s talk about that, because a lot of people, particularly on television, in Hollywood, would read these things about themselves, see these photos of themselves and freak out and go on a crash diet. She is actually embracing this and is quite comfortable with it?
ESPINOZA: Yes, as she said, if she had less self-esteem, she would probably be starving herself right now. But the truth of the matter is that she has dealt with weight issues her entire career. When she was a model, agents would tell her hips were too big. There were designers who wouldn`t use her, because they felt that she was way too curvy. She is not a size 2 and she never has been. So it`s something she has always had to deal with, and she has developed a very a thick skin about it.
HAMMER: I love the fact that she has come to you guys and really put it all out there. People are very sensitive, specifically about giving their exact weight. But this is really sending a terrific message. And as we always say, maybe a step in the right direction.
ESPINOZA: And that was one of her primary reasons for coming forward. She says she has all these young fans who write her letters saying, we love the fact that you`re beautiful and you`re not as skinny as all those other women we see. And she thought, well, if people are going on the Internet and saying I look ugly and fat and disgusting, what is that saying to these young girls who admire the way I look? So she really wants to go out there and say, I am not fat. No, I`m not a size two, and I`m not as thin as I was when I was a model, but I look great and there`s nothing wrong with how I look.
HAMMER: Hats off to Tyra, and I think, if she continues to give that message out, it will be nothing but a good thing. Galina Espinoza from "People Magazine," always good to see you. Appreciate you being with us. Read more about Tyra in this week`s "People." You`ll find it on news stands this Friday.
And still on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tyra`s former "America`s Top Model" colleague, and self proclaimed first supermodel, the lovely Janice Dickinson, joining us right here at 35 past the hour.
VARGAS: Well tonight a stunning turn of events in the "Grey`s Anatomy" drama after Isaiah Washington`s use of an anti-gay slur. Washington is seeking treatment, and both he and the show`s executive producer have released dramatic statements.
This all got started when word got out of a scuffle on the set, where Washington reportedly referred to gay co-star T.R. Knight by an anti-gay slur. Then back stage at the Golden Globe he denied it, but used the offensive word. Tonight Washington said, quote, "with the support of my family and friends, I have begun counseling. I regard this as a necessary step toward understanding why I did what I did and making sure it never happens again. I appreciate the fact that I have been given this opportunity and I remain committed to transforming my negative actions. It`s a positive result, personally and professionally."
Right now it`s not clear what kind of counseling Washington will be getting, whether it`s a residential treatment facility or an outpatient. Meanwhile, "Grey`s Anatomy" executive producer Shawn Derime (ph) released this statement: "Isaiah Washington`s use of such a disturbing word was a shocking and dismaying event that insulted not only gays and lesbians everywhere, but anyone who has ever struggled for respect in a world that is not always accepting of difference. We applaud and encourage Isaiah`s realization that he needs help and his subsequent choice to seek immediate treatment for his behavioral issues."
HAMMER: Well, the Paul McCartney/Heather Mills divorce is already pretty nasty. Well now Heather`s sister is entering the fray. That is coming up. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARA REID, ACTRESS: I never got a DUI in my life. I never got arrested. I never -- I mean, they thought I was wild, but I wasn`t that bad really, when you look at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Tara Reid on clean living. She has some advice for Britney, Lindsey and Paris. A revealing interview from Sundance. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And speaking of Paris, how much would you pay to read her diary? Yes, if you want, you can know even more about the most over exposed celeb on the planet. We`ll tell you how, straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VARGAS: Tonight, Heather Mills` sister is blasting the tabloids and indirectly Paul McCartney for what she says are lies that are being printed about her sister. In a scathing statement on website HeatherMills.org, Fiona Mills writes that she is deeply concerned for the safety of her sister and niece.
She says they are receiving death threats because the tabloids decided from day one they want to destroy Heather. Fiona also says that Heather and the daughter are no longer receiving the protection that any member of the McCartney family would get. And she writes, quote, we have been accused of creating publicity stunts and leaking information to get publicity. This is not true and is a ridiculous accusation. Considering all the publicity is negative, it is not hard to work out where the inaccurate information is coming from.
HAMMER: The feud between Donald Trump and Rosie O`Donnell has taken yet another surreal turn. This time Trump`s ex-wife Ivanna is weighing in. First KFC offered to help Donald and Rosie settle their differences over a bucket of chicken, and now Ivanna is writing about it in her advice column for the "National Enquirer," and "Globe" tabloids. Ivanna is saying that she thinks Donald and Rosie are just milking their war of words for the publicity -- imagine that -- and she urges them to take the high road.
Well Sibila, Tara Reid has always had the bad girl reputation, but now she says everything is different.
VARGAS: That`s what she says. Well, she also had some advice for Lindsey Lohan. And speaking of bad girls, one of the originals, the one and only Janice Dickinson is here. It`s always a wild ride when the self proclaimed first supermodel stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll see what she has to say this time. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to remember, what`s true for celebrities is true in all relationships. We`re kind of drawn to people based on where we`re at developmentally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: For stars and for the rest of us really, why does it always seem that sometimes you are who you date? How relationships change the stars. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. 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: Well, Brooke, you know, Britney Spears and her now soon-to- be-ex K-Fed have both declared they want sole custody of their two kids when this whole divorce is finalized. Every body, of course, shaking their heads, saying, Well, that - that`s not going to happen, at least for K-Fed, for certain.
There has been a custody decision. We have it for you coming up in just a few moments.
ANDERSON: And a very interesting decision it is.
Also, A.J., Donald Trump`s usually reserved wife, Melania, is now jumping into that whole war of words with Rosie O`Donnell.
HAMMER: Oh good.
ANDERSON: She`s standing by her man with some biting words. And we`ll have that coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, can you believe it? The next season of "American Idol" just around the corner now. Tonight, we`ve got a very revealing look at "Idol" judge Simon Cowell and his stunning turnaround, including a shocking confession about being completely broke, and how the guy famous for wearing tight shirts pulled himself up from rock bottom when things got really tight for him.
Here`s CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": Thank you. What do you do, Christopher (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I work at the Phoenician (ph) front desk.
COWELL: Well, I have some good news for you. You`re going back to the hotel. That was appalling.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As a judge on "American Idol," Simon Cowell has been called rude, mean.
COWELL: That was like fingers going down a blackboard.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, sorry.
PHILLIPS: .and vain.
But he`s more than just a big mouth. He`s a risk-taker who`s been taking big gambles in business since his first job in the recording industry.
COWELL: Well, I did two years at EMI out of the mail room. And then a manager -- he was a smart guy -- he said to me, why don`t we just start a record label together. And why not? I was about 20, 21 with no money. We just took an office and started a -- a record label.
PHILLIPS: And with that, Simon Cowell was a record producer. A producer, that is, with no artists and a very low budget.
COWELL: I had about, in dollars, maybe $8,000 or $9,000, to find an artist, make a record, make a video, manufacture it, promote it.
PHILLIPS: Despite the lack of funding, Simon did find an artist. Her name was Sinitta (ph) and their first hit together, "So Macho," sold nearly a million copies.
The cocky record producer was on his way. At 29, Simon was a millionaire.
But his new-found fortune was about to disappear. By 30, he was living back at his parents` home in Elstree (ph). A buyout of his record company had gone sour, leaving him bankrupt.
COWELL: I can remember being in the back of - back of a taxi. And I had the equivalent of about $5 in my back pocket and that was the end of my money. And all I remember thinking is, Is this going to cover the cab ride to my parents` house?
PHILLIPS: Simon turned to legendary British pop producer Pete Waterman to help rebuild his career.
COWELL: So it took me about two years to eventually persuade him to work for me. And within that two-year period, I followed him around like a dog because I knew that this guy could teach me more in a year or two than I could learn in 25 years within a major corporation.
PETE WATERMAN, BRITISH MUSIC PRODUCER: You know, the one gracious thing about Simon, he`s never claimed he didn`t pinch (ph) all the ideas off me.
PHILLIPS: Simon eventually took a job with recording giant BMG, and found early success producing albums inspired by TV shows, such as "The Teletubbies" and "The Power Rangers."
But his biggest success came when he signed Westlife, an Irish boy band that went on to sell more than 45 million records.
(SINGING)
PHILLIPS: By the time he`d reached his early 40s, Simon Cowell was a certified powerhouse in British pop music. But it would take the success of the UK reality series "Popstars" to lead him to television. The TV talent show used judges to build new pop bands, and the format gave Simon, and music manager Simon Fuller, an idea with a twist.
CYNTHIA SANZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Simon was a successful record producer in Britain. And he and Simon Fuller, who is also in the music industry over there, came up with the idea of doing sort of a -- a televised talent show, like "Popstars" over there. But what made this one different is that the audience, the viewers, got to vote.
PHILLIPS: "Pop Idol" took Britain by storm, and the judge with the acerbic wit became a celebrity almost instantly.
COWELL: Honestly, it was terrible.
PHILLIPS: It was more than even the brash Simon Cowell could have imagined. Despite "Idol"`s phenomenal success in Britain, U.S. broadcasters were reluctant . And Simon himself doubted the show would make it in America.
COWELL: I thought at the time -- you know what? We`ll be on air for three or four weeks, we`ll be thrown off. We`ll have a nice holiday and go back to England.
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Not everything that works in England will work and translate in America. And whoa, to become the biggest show is just so crazy. I mean, none of us knew.
PHILLIPS: "American Idol" has made Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and host Ryan Seacrest household names. Interest and speculation about their private lives and relationships lands them in the news and on magazines.
Especially when it comes to Paula and Simon.
NIGEL LYTHGOE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "AMERICAN IDOL": Simon and Paula are like an old married couple. Each of them knows the weak spots.
They do build it up. They do know they get publicity from kissing each other and everything else.
TERI SEYMOUR, SIMON`S GIRLFRIEND: They have a love/hate relationship. But he`s always there for her, and she knows that. But he drives her crazy. Like he drives me crazy!
PHILLIPS: Behind the scenes of "American Idol," Paula Abdul also has to deal with the guys` club that developed among Simon, Randy and Ryan.
SANZ: The guys on the show really are friends. Simon and Randy and Ryan go out every week. They vacation together. They just have fun hanging out. Paula is sort of the odd woman out in that circle.
PHILLIPS: Simon certainly has his opinions of his fellow "Idol" judges, and they, in turn, have theirs of him, especially when it comes to his sense of fashion -- or lack thereof.
JACKSON: Simon Cowell is definitely the no-fashion guy. I don`t think he believes in fashion. He only believes in a designer, Armani. If you get out there -- Giorgio, man. Look, this guy loves you, man, but call and do -- hook him up, man. Say look, man, if you`re going to wear my stuff, don`t buy 20-pair of the same jean and 20 of the same t-shirt.
PHILLIPS: Simon Cowell`s sense of fashion may be stuck in the past, but he`s always looking forward professionally. And he insists that he sees a day in the not-so-distant future when he`s back working behind the scenes, instead of in front of the cameras.
For the judge America loves to hate .
COWELL: Travis, I`m not being rude but that, I thought, was appalling.
PAULA ABDUL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Oh, come on!
PHILLIPS: .it`s all about the next big thing.
COWELL: I`m very, very, very competitive. And I`m - and I`m only happy when I`m winning.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT
"American Idol" premieres on January 16.
ANDERSON: Yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." The Donald Trump-Rosie O`Donnell war of words doesn`t seem to be letting up.
So "Donald Versus Rosie: Has the whole thing gone too far?"
Very one-sided here. Ninety-one percent of you say yes; 9 percent of you say no.
Here are some of the e-mails we received:
Victoria from Minnesota says, "I am getting really tired of the whole argument. They should grow up and put their energy into something constructive."
And Shirley from New York thinks, "Donald is way too professional to take this so-called fight with Rosie as far as he has. It makes him look foolish."
HAMMER: No question about that.
You know, Melania, Donald`s wife, usually pretty quiet as far as public things go.
ANDERSON: Yes, pretty reticent to talk. Usually lets Donald do all the talking.
HAMMER: Well, she is actually speaking out, finally - this time about her husband`s fierce feud with Rosie. We`ll get into that next.
ANDERSON: Also, A.J., Britney Spears is speaking out as well. For the first time, she`s talking about the outrage over her pantyless partying.
We`ve also got this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a cell phone that recorded the n-word rant.
MICHAEL RICHARDS, ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS: It was a cell phone that captured Mel Gibson`s partying before his rant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, you know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picked Britney Spears as the most controversial celebrity of the year. Now we`ve got the most controversial gadget out there. And we are dialing that up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, as much as we hoped, begged and, quite frankly, prayed for this Donald Trump-Rosie O`Donnell nasty war of words to just go away, it`s still going strong. Yesterday we told you that Donald`s daughter, Ivanka, ripped into Rosie. Now Trump`s wife, Melania, who really never says much of anything, is letting her have it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP`S WIFE: Well, I think she has a real issue and problem with herself, anger inside. And she need to work on that. It`s in - in herself. And if you watched "The View," you could see how hatred she has toward my husband, you know?
And nobody asked her to ask - to tell any story anyway. So what`s her problem? You know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I don`t know if we`re going to be hearing from the baby next. So that was from "Good Day, L.A.," by the way, out there in Hollywood.
Monday is going to be very interesting, of course, because that`s when Rosie returns on "The View" from her vacation. And you know we`ll be watching.
ANDERSON: Well, after a lot of debating, name-calling, hair-pulling - it got pretty ugly. After all of that, we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picked Britney Spears as the most controversial celebrity of 2006.
But if we had to choose the most controversial gadget of the year, I think we can all agree on the one that gave us some pretty shocking star stuff: the cell phone.
Here`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): If "Time" magazine can nominate you as the Person of the Year, then we can nominate the cell phone as gadget of the decade. It was probably a cell phone camera that let us walk up the stairs to the gallows, let us listen to the taunts of Saddam Hussein`s hanging.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
MOOS: It was a cell phone that recorded the N-word rant.
RICHARDS: (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS: It was a cell phone that captured Mel Gibson partying before his rant.
(on camera): True, most of what most of us do with our cell phones is less than momentous.
(voice-over): A dip in the tub, a friend scaling fish. But the cell is celebrated with cell-phone film festivals, and cell phones dancing to their own vibrations on the Web.
(PHONE VIBRATING)
MOOS: And as they got smaller and smaller, size became.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on.
MOOS: . a "Saturday Night Live" joke. Which makes us all the more nostalgic for these old dinosaurs.
From "Wall Street".
MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: Astonishing talent.
MOOS: .to "Lethal Weapon."
DANNY GLOVER, ACTOR: Terrific.
MOOS: They now look like lethal weapons.
The Motorola researcher credited with making the first cell phone in 1973 looks as if it took all his strength just to lift it.
But there`s something comforting about these old clunkers, especially when you notice them in documentaries like "The War Room."
GEORGE STEPHONOPOULOS, ADVISER TO BILL CLINTON: He`s heading your way.
MOOS: Or see them in film.
(PHONE RINGING)
MOOS: Julia Roberts` phone must have taken up every inch of her tiny purse.
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: George, I didn`t tell you my dress was lavender.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is your wake-up call, pal.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Yes, we did. We won.
MOOS: They don`t call them bricks for nothing.
And on Web sites like Retro Brick you can buy second-hand or "pre- loved" cell phones for 100 bucks or so. A new boxed set will set you back about 300.
Some, like the brains behind phonebashing.com, seem to hate all cell phones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn off the phones! (INAUDIBLE)
MOOS: They apparently dressed up a cell phone, grabbed other people`s cells and trashed them.
The New Year is a time for nostalgia.
GLOVER: I`m getting too old for this (BEEP)
MOOS: So are these.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos phoning it in for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
By the way, that very first Motorola - Motorola, rather, cell phone weighed two pounds and cost $4,000.
HAMMER: Big news for Britney Spears tonight. We have got the shocking photo that really makes it look like Britney`s wild partying is catching up with her.
Now Britney is talking directly to her fans about her crazy, headline-making behavior. It was all in a new message that she posted today on her very own Web site.
And this is what she said, in part: "The last couple of years have been quite a ride for me. The media has criticized my every move and printed a skewed perception of who I really am as a human being. I know I`ve been far from perfect, but I want you all to know that I love my fans so much, and I appreciate every thing you have done for me."
Joining us tonight from Hollywood, Anna David. She`s the author of "Party Girl," and is a reformed wild child herself.
Joining me here in New York, "In Touch Weekly"`s Tom O`Neil.
A pleasure to have you both here.
TOM O`NEIL, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Good to be here.
ANNA DAVID, AUTHOR, "PARTY GIRL": Thank you. Good to be here.
HAMMER: You - you know, I got to say, we followed Britney`s career from the very beginning. And we were very shocked when we saw this photograph, to see the transformation that has occurred over the years.
Charles, can we - can we throw this particular split screen we do now. On the left - don`t be afraid of that guy, by the way. He`s not a stalker; that is executive producer of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Dave Levine (ph) with Britney at the age of 17, looking young and beautiful and innocent.
On the right, there she is 25 years old, out on the town in West Hollywood.
Tom, you look at that picture, and I got to say, Not a flattering shot of Britney.
Doesn`t it kind of prove to the critics what every body`s been saying, that the partying is catching up with her?
O`NEIL: Oh, it is. It`s - it`s clear.
And you look back at that picture from when she was in her late teens, and those days we cared about her music. We cared about her. The big question was, Was she sleeping with Justin? Now she just looks like the town floozy. I mean, she`s gone the other way.
HAMMER: Anna, what`d you think when you saw that picture? Because like I said, not - not really a pretty picture. I mean, we call it what it is.
DAVID: It - well, you know, we - what we do starts to wear on us. We start to look like what we do.
And yes - no, in - in just seven years or so, she`s aged it looks like about 17 years.
HAMMER: And if you look on the statement on the Web site - and I think it was a - a move in the right direction, certainly, that she put this out there today. She`s got to start communicating with the fans.
But she says that she thinks the media is exaggerating every thing and blowing it out of proportion.
I got to say, Tom, we`re - we`re kind of calling it like we`re seeing it. The pictures of the pantyless partying are real pictures. Those aren`t made up.
O`NEIL: I know. I know.
HAMMER: Do - do you think she`s right? Have we blown it out of proportion?
O`NEIL: We have taken it another step. We - we used this, as Jay Leno does, for joke material.
But what she`s now acknowledging is that the basic stuff is so ridiculous itself. And she takes no responsibility there. And all she says is, I was less than perfect.
Well, come on. You`re twice being cited for - for that baby stuff in the cars and the panties and the passing out in - in - or the lack of panties, and the passing out in night clubs. This is serious stuff.
HAMMER: Yes, and it`s really going on.
And - and look, maybe she is, as I said, making a - a move in the right direction.
Anna, you know, I - I can`t believe for a moment that she actually sat down and wrote the letter on her Web site.
DAVID: Right.
HAMMER: .herself. How - however - I mean, to me, when I read it, it seemed kind of like a do-or-die PR move, with every thin that`s been going on recently.
DAVID: Oh, well I really got the feeling that somebody like Larry Rudolph (ph) or some body who works with her sat her down and said, We`re writing this letter. I mean, when you compare it to sort of Lindsay Lohan`s crazy missives that have gotten out to the public, it`s very - you know, it`s very well-written.
But I agree with Tom. I mean, she takes absolutely no responsibility for what she did. And if you`re going to do a mea culpa, we as a public are so forgiving so long as you just are slightly accountable. You know, you - it goes back to sort of Hugh Grant getting - you know, getting in trouble, and then going on Jay Leno the next night and saying, Yes, I did this. And suddenly we forgive you.
HAMMER: And Tom, you - you have sort of a different perspective though.
We were talking right before we went on here. You don`t really want to see her try to become some thing that she once was, in terms of that beautiful image and that very poised superstar. You want her to keep acting like she`s acting, don`t you?
O`NEIL: Every village needs an idea.
(CROSSTALK)
O`NEIL: No, I - let - let - let - let`s point to probably the most important new trend in celebrityhood over the past seven to 10 years. And that is, it feeds the fantasy that you can be an idiot and be still cool. It`s "The Beverly Hillbillies" syndrome. That was the message of that old sitcom.
Now we have Paris Hilton. We have Anna Nicole Smith. We have Ozzy Osbourne. We have - you know, Jessica Simpson not knowing what Chicken of the Sea is. And it`s glamorized.
Britney has evolved into a cartoon, tabloid character. And you know what? It`s a good job. She does it well. She - she - I think.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Go ahead (INAUDIBLE)
O`NEIL: I think that`s her future. That`s who she is.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, you - I - I can see you just want her to be true to who she`s being now.
Anna, I`m sorry, we`re out of time. We`ll have to take that up another time. And - and we`ll see if she becomes your village idiot, or - or remains that way, Tom, indeed.
Tom O`Neil, Anna David, I appreciate you both joining us.
DAVID: Thank you.
HAMMER: Of course, Anna`s the author of "Party Girl"; Tom from "In Touch Weekly." And I appreciate you joining us.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." A new study out says reading magazine stories about weight loss could cause young girls to go on extreme, dangerous diets.
So, "Diet Advice in the Media: Do you feel pressure to be thin?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, shobiwztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your thoughts on Monday.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show that lets you express your opinion on video. So send us a video e-mail. Just go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: I`m very excited about this - "Transformers" -- do you remember them? You know, "more than meets the eye." Those robots in disguise?
Well, here we are more than 20 years since we first plopped ourselves in front of the TV to watch the cartoon after school. "Transformers" are back. Your very first look in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." That`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: OK, so if you lived through the `80s, you remember the "Transformers." Robots in disguise, more than meets the eye. Don`t be embarrassed. Sing along at home if you want.
Well, now there`s a live-action movie. So put on those legwarmers, grab your Rubik Cube. Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: .it sounded like several sonic booms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At 0900, Soxon Ford (ph) Operations Base in Qatar was attacked.
The only lead we have is this sound.
MX3 (ph) pilot, power down now. Have your crews step out, or we will kill you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Those Transformers have mad skillz.
"Transformers" hits theaters July 4.
HAMMER: Mad skillz!
Time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This weekend, would Oprah ever consider running for president with George Clooney as VP? Hey, we can always dream, right? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s seven celebrity wishes for 2007.
And on Monday, Rosie O`Donnell back on "The View" from vacation. Will the nasty Donald Trump-Rosie war of words rage on? We`ll be watching, so you watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on Monday.
Thanks for watching. That is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Join us this weekend, same time, same place.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
END
