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Showbiz Tonight
Appeals Court Rules Anna Nicole Smith to be Buried in Bahamas; How K-Fed Got Britney Into Rehab
Aired February 28, 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: Is Paris Hilton going to jail? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And will Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson be going on tour together? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Anna Nicole Smith battles. Tonight, two emotional courtroom showdowns that could finally decide, once and for all, where Anna Nicole will be buried, and who will get custody of her baby daughter.
Plus, the startling link between Anna Nicole`s baby and Britney Spears` babies. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the Anna Nicole- Britney connection.
Also, Britney`s rehab struggle. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a secret inside story of how and why Britney finally gave in to rehab, and who made shocking demands involving her kids.
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT answers the question everyone is asking, just where are Britney`s babies?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight we`ve got a very disturbing connection between Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith, involving the welfare of their kids. That`s coming up right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: But first tonight, a dramatic development in the battle over the body of Anna Nicole Smith. Late today, at long last, a Florida appeals court finally ruled that Anna Nicole Smith`s body should be buried in the Bahamas and the funeral could happen as early as this Friday, three weeks after her shocking and sudden death.
ANDERSON: That ruling, A.J., followed yet another day in which a courtroom seemed to turn into a three-ring circus.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Almost three weeks after her death, Anna Nicole Smith is still unburied and lingering in a cold Florida morgue.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: The body is kind of in limbo still.
ANDERSON: And despite a recent court decision that cleared the way for her to be buried in the Bahamas, where she was living at the time of her death and where her son is now buried --
LARRY SEIDLIN, FAMILY COURT JUDGE: I want her buried with her son.
ANDERSON: -- the motley cast of people she left behind continued to wage war in the Florida courts over where she will be buried, thus giving us a new edition of -- well, not quite "L.A. Law," more like FLA law, starring Florida`s fourth district court of appeal, Anna Nicole`s estranged mom, Virgie Arthur, still hell bent on a Texas burial, even if it means keeping her daughter on ice for weeks after her death, Anna Nicole`s companion, Howard K. Stern, still fighting tooth and nail to carry out Anna Nicole`s wishes, whether they involve burial or keeping Anna Nicole`s baby away from the man who could very well be her father, and the baby herself, Dannielynne Hope Marshal Stern.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re ready to proceed in the case of Arthur versus Milstein.
ANDERSON: The three-judge appeals panel grilled all sides in this Anna Nicole burial dispute, including the attorney for Anna Nicole`s mom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There law, from the beginning of time, you know, the family buried their own dead.
ANDERSON: She argued that because Anna Nicole never expressed in writing where she wanted to be buried, the mother gets to decide.
ROBERTA MANDEL, VIRGIE ARTHUR`S ATTORNEY: The law stands that, if it`s not expressed in writing, and it`s very clear by the Florida statutes, then we look to the person who is the legally authorized person.
ANDERSON: But attorneys for Howard Stern and Dannielynne`s guardian argued that as Anna Nicole`s real next of kin, Dannielynne should decide where Anna Nicole should be buried. Only one small problem with that argument --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The next of kin is five months old.
ANDERSON: Well, there is that. Dannielynne didn`t testify because she was too busy being an infant. Still, her court-appointed representative felt qualified to argue for her and her mother.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anna Nicole smith clearly wanted to be buried in the Bahamas.
ANDERSON: Meanwhile, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that even before the appeals court hearings, Virgie Arthur got one thing she wanted, a visit with her granddaughter. The night before a media mad house at the Bahamas home Stern shared with Anna Nicole, and where he is currently living with Dannielynne. Despite the bad blood between the two, Stern allowed Virgie a brief visit with her granddaughter. It was obviously an emotional meeting, notice Virgie crying in the back seat as she left the house.
Meanwhile, in another Florida court, a judge is giving attorneys for Anna Nicole`s ex-boyfriend Larry Birkhead another weapon in his drive to prove that he, and not Stern, is Dannielynne`s father. He is letting the Florida medical examiner provide Birkhead`s attorneys with DNA from Anna Nicole`s body.
DEBRA OPRI, ATTORNEY FOR LARRY BIRKHEAD: We got what we came for. We now move on to the Bahamas and continue the hearing for March 16th, where we fully anticipate there will be a DNA order.
ANDERSON: Specifically, an order to get DNA from Dannielynne for the paternity test that Birkhead wants, but Stern has resisted. So while DNA from Anna Nicole Smith`s body will be preserved, the body is still not buried, as her fate is decided by the same Florida judicial system that gave us the 2000 election. Yes, them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: An interesting thing that came out in the appeals court hearing, attorneys revealed that Anna Nicole`s funeral is scheduled for Friday morning in the Bahamas.
HAMMER: Finally, a Florida circuit court late today cleared the way for Anna Nicole to be buried. With me tonight from New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat," from Los Angeles, investigative journalist Jane Velez Mitchell. Ladies, it appears we have made some progress this afternoon. Oh, by the way, I should mention Jane is also the author of the soon to be released book, "Secrets Can Be Murder," that you`re seeing the cover of right now, "What America`s Most Sensational Crimes Tell us About Ourselves."
All right, as I said, I think we`re making some progress here. Let`s get to it Ashleigh. Finally, it looks like this ruling that everybody has been waiting on has occurred. The guardian of Dannielynne wants the burial to happen this Friday in the Bahamas. The question is, is it really over.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV ANCHOR: I hate to be the bearer of this news, A.J. It can be appealed. Sorry, but the truth is, I have just heard from the attorney for Virgie Arthur that he thinks it is going to be a long night, in which they are pouring over documents, trying to find out some basis by which they can take this loss to the Supreme Court in Florida. So we may not have heard the end of the battle over her body.
HAMMER: See, I knew it! I knew it! Jane, we have said before, well, it looks like it was over, and it`s not over. I mean, what the heck is going on?
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I think Virgie should give it up. First of all, I`d like to say, this is a vindication for Judge Larry Seidlin. Everybody put him down, said he was crazy, he was having a nervous breakdown on camera. Well, the appeals court agreed with him. And, you know, I think it was because Judge Seidlin issued that very weepy ruling, that was exactly when the log jam broke. All three parties walked out together.
Now we have reportedly negotiations going on between Larry Birkhead and Howard K. Stern. Howard K. Stern has allowed the grandmother and Larry to see the baby. So this is all good news and all, I think, because Judge Larry broke down on the stand.
HAMMER: I hope somebody stockpiled some of those Judge Seidlin tears, and maybe that can continue to grease the wheels of this logjam. So, listen to this, TMZ.com got its hands on the Anna Nicole death certificate today. It`s interesting to take a look at what`s on here. We have Anna Nicole`s real name, of course, on here. We have the residence listed as the Bahamas. We have her career listed as an actress and model. But Howard K. Stern listed here as informant, and not as husband or boyfriend. Ashleigh, what, if anything, should we be reading into that?
BANFIELD: I`m not sure a whole lot, other than I was surprised to see another listing for him as nominated executor. I just can`t imagine that, you know, upon the death of someone you love so much, the first thing you think of to write down is nominated executor, in a will that apparently you had crafted years ago, rather than common law husband, or attorney. I`m not sure. It is an odd little moment in that certificate.
HAMMER: And that`s done, we got to look at that, and now the paternity battle continues. A Florida judge has ruled the DNA already taken from Anna Nicole should be released to Birkhead`s attorneys. But that judge says that he has no jurisdiction to order the DNA actually taken from Dannielynne, which is really what we`re waiting for. Anna Nicole`s DNA was just to assure there would be no baby switching going on.
We need the DNA from Dannielynne to find out who is the father. You know, Maury Povich would have had this thing wrapped up in an hour, Jane Velez Mitchell. How come these clowns can`t get this done?
MITCHELL: It`s a very good question. So, he kicked it back to the California courts, which can`t seem to enforce it, and the Bohemian courts, which operate very slowly. And that`s why I say, it`s crucial for this behind the scenes deal to hopefully work out for the baby`s sake. A very shocking report emerging that there is yet another video of Anna Nicole Smith, nine months pregnant. It hasn`t been shown on the Internet or television, but people who claim to have seen it, say she looks out of her mind on drugs.
They have shown it, purportedly, to doctors, who say, if in fact she is as stoned as she appears to be, the child could have neurological damage and could have been born addicted, another reason why this child needs to be looked at immediately by independent medical sources, and another reason why this paternity issue has to be worked out ASAP.
HAMMER: It has to be worked out immediately, and it does seem, and I only have 30 seconds here, Ashleigh, but it does seem that there is some cooperation going on here, because Virgie Arthur has now reportedly visited with Dannielynne. We know that Larry Birkhead has visited with Dannielynne. So what do you think is really going on behind the scenes?
BANFIELD: Well, mum`s the word all around the Bahamas, but I did speak with a couple of attorneys for Howard K. Stern today, who would not confirm or deny that there were settlement talks. But they did say this, Howard K. Stern wants this settled out of the courts, if at all possible. I took that as a -- maybe they are talking.
HAMMER: And to quote Jane Velez Mitchell one more time, ASAP. Jane Velez Mitchell, Ashleigh Banfield, I thank you as always.
HAMMER: Now coming up at 30 minutes past the hour, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there in the Bahamas for the emotional first meeting between little Dannielynne and her grandmother, Virgie Arthur. What`s next in the custody battle? That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: All right, now we want to hear from you about it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Anna Nicole Smith battle, is money the real motivation? Vote at to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e- mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@cnn.com.
And check out this video e-mail we got from Rob in Godfrey, Illinois, just north of St. Louis. He is really upset that Anna hasn`t been buried yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I just think it`s ridiculous that Anna Nicole`s body can`t be laid to rest yet. No wonder she hated her mother so much. You can tell how she is. When they came out of court arm in arm, and everything was all hunky dory, and then ten minutes later, she is filing an appeal. I think that this body is being held -- they sad possibly for another two weeks. I think they should go ahead and at least have an open service now, regardless of where she is going to be buried at.
Let her have an open coffin, open service, where she is beautiful still, and then deal with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rob, thank you for your thoughts. And you too can send us your opinion on video. Just check out our website, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT, to learn how.
HAMMER: Brooke, as we know, Britney Spears is back in rehab. A lot of people are wondering what finally got there to get there and stay.
ANDERSON: Right, maybe she really wants to straighten her life out this time.
HAMMER: It was not easy. Coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re going to be revealing the secret story of just what it took to get Brit back to rehab.
ANDERSON: Also, A.J., Britney`s pantiless partying pal, Paris Hilton -- try to say that three times fast -- well, she is in big trouble with the law again. And this time it could be jail time. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris is famous because she has manipulated the media in a way which just makes everyone wanting to know more and more about her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Paris, Kevin Federline, Nicole Richie; come on, why in the world are these people famous anyway? They definitely haven`t earned it, if you ask me. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why fame just ain`t what it used to be.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Paris Hilton, hope you think prison stripes are hot, because you just might be wearing them sometime soon. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that Paris was arrested last night in Hollywood after cops stopped her for driving without her headlights on. Paris also had a suspended license.
Here is the jail part of this whole story. Paris is on probation, after pleading no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving from last month. The judge put her on three years probation, so this arrest may violate that, and she could wind up in jail for up to 90 days.
ANDERSON: All right, tonight, for the very first time, we are learning how and why Britney Spears wound up in rehab. Spears has been there nearly a week, at the posh substance abuse facility Promises in Malibu, California. The upcoming new issue of "People Magazine" is reporting that Britney`s ex, Kevin Federline, was a major factor in getting her into rehab for the third time.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, "People Magazine`s" Bryan Alexander. Hey, Bryan.
BRYAN ALEXANDER, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Good evening.
ANDERSON: Good evening. OK, Britney, in and out twice before she finally went in for that third time. What was the breaking point, Brian, that finally motivated Britney to get in and stay in?
ALEXANDER: Kevin Federline is surprisingly giving some very tough love. He has been very supportive in the past with her, trying to help her to get rehab. But at this point he said, look, if you don`t go back to Promises, if you don`t complete the treatment, I`m going to take you to court and challenge our existing custody situation.
ANDERSON: So he really handed it to her there.
ALEXANDER: He laid down the law, absolutely.
ANDERSON: Yes, he laid down the law. Well, I actually did the very last interview with Kevin Federline, just days before Britney Spears told her that she was divorcing him. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the last to speak to him.
And here`s what he told me about how the media attention is affecting those kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN FEDERLINE, RAPPER: Just going to be as honest as I can with my children and really try to help build their character to be as strong as ours is. You know, and I think by them being able to look up to us, and us handling it the way we are right now, is going to work wonders for my children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know, you say K-Fed give hear an ultimatum about that custody agreement. He has also been spending some time with her there in Promises, right?
ALEXANDER: Right. Yes, I think he is really stepping up. I think people are starting to see Kevin Federline in a different light. Kevin Federline, you would have never thought the words, very supportive, very good friend, very good father, until all this has happened. And suddenly, as Britney seems to spiral, he is stepping up and helping her, and we`re all seeing him in a different light.
ANDERSON: Well, you know Bryan, everybody has been asking, where was Britney`s mother through all of it? Where was Lynn Spears? What did "People Magazine" find out about the role of her mother in all of this?
ALEXANDER: Well, she has always been there. I mean, Britney has -- is very close to her family, and especially close to her mother. Her mother has always been there when Britney is ready to have her there. In fact, her mother was the one who took her back to Promises. So, although we might not be seeing them walking out and about together, in fact she is actually always there.
ANDERSON: Always there by her side. Well, it`s really interesting, Bryan, that Lynn Spears allowed Kevin Federline back into her life. They`re family again. Do you get a sense from your reporting that there is a chance that Britney, who is clearly whacked out, is going to be mentally stable again, and that she and K-Fed could reconcile?
ALEXANDER: It`s far too early for that. I think Britney is taking this one day at a time really, and she is really working on herself. But the fact of the matter is, we have an unlikely prince here in Kevin Federline. We never would have seen this before, and he is really stepping up. A lot of his friends say he has always loved her. His feelings haven`t changed. They don`t rule it out. I say it`s too early yet.
ANDERSON: OK, Bryan Alexander, thanks so much. And you can read more about the inside story about Britney in rehab in this week`s "People Magazine," which hits news stands on Friday. And coming up at 33 past the hour, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the startling link between Britney Spear`s babies and Anna Nicole`s baby girl, Dannielynne.
HAMMER: Tonight Angelina Jolie is making a desperate plea to end the horrific killings in the Darfur region of the Sudan. CNN`s cameras were right there, following Jolie, as she visited a refugee camp in Chad, Africa. In a blistering op-ed piece in today`s "Washington Post," Jolie seems to want to do whatever it takes. She says, quote, "until the killers and their sponsors are prosecuted and punished, violence will continue on a massive scale. Ending it may well require military action. What the worst people in the world fear most is justice, and that`s what we should deliver."
Since 2003, more than 200,000 people have been killed and more than two million displaced in a brutal civil war.
ANDERSON: All right, A.J., if Michael Jackson were to go on tour with his sister, Janet, what do you think? Would you buy some tickets?
HAMMER: Oh, sure. It would certainly answer the question some have raised, whether or not they are one person.
ANDERSON: Good point, but they are not the same person. But there is talk of a Jackson family reunion tour and an appearance on "American Idol." The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad is on the case. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now we live in a society where it`s good to be famous. But if you can`t be famous, being infamous is a good consolation prize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kind of sounds like Paris Hilton, doesn`t it. Come on, why is she famous anyway? Definitely hasn`t earned it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why fame just ain`t what it used to be.
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in the Bahamas for the dramatic first meeting between Anna Nicole`s baby daughter and her grandmother, Virgie Arthur.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It is time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad. This is where we get to set the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries and juiciest rumors. And man, did we have the Truth Squad working serious overtime today on these Michael Jackson tidbits. Will there be a Jackson family reunion tour? Is Michael going to pop up on "American Idol" this season, and has he been unsuccessful in trying to set up shop in Las Vegas?
ANDERSON: You know, Charles, I think we need to get in the mood for this one. Can you hit us up with some appropriate music? All right, very good, perfect. Here we go. We went right to Michael`s publicist, who said, "Michael is not planning a tour with members of his family, including Janet. He has no plans to appear on or perform on "American Idol." Finish it up. A.J.
HAMMER: All right. I`m just not going to bop my head like you were just doing. Raymon also tells us that Michael is in Las Vegas because he likes the city, and he is working with people there on some of his songs. But she adds that Michael is evaluating a number of proposals and that the rumor that he has been unable to find a Las Vegas casino to perform in is false.
ANDERSON: All right. I`ll take this one. One more, Michael supposedly turned up at the NBA all-star game in Vegas two weekends ago and was denied court-side seats. The publicist tells us he was offered tickets, but declined them.
HAMMER: Wow, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Truth Squad really did get to track down a big Beat It to all those Michael Jackson rumors. I guess he is just blaming it on the Boogie. I`m ready to go to a Barmitzva right about now.
Let`s just move on. Anna Nicole Smith`s mom, Virgie Arthur, meets her granddaughter, Dannielynne, for the very first time and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there in the Bahamas for the emotional get together.
Plus, the battle for Anna Nicole`s body, a funeral could be just around the corner. That is coming up next.
ANDERSON: And the startling link between Anna Nicole`s baby and Britney Spears` babies. Yes, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is investigating that straight ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris is famous because she has manipulated the media in a way which just makes everyone wanting to know more and more about her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, Britney Spears is famous for good reason, but Paris Hilton, Kevin Federline, Nicole Richie -- come on, why in the world are all of these people famous anyway? They definitely haven`t earned it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates why fame just ain`t what it used to be. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night, coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on a Wednesday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, and you are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the dramatic new development in the Anna Nicole Smith saga. Anna Nicole Smith will be buried in the Bahamas. Late today, a Florida appeals court ruled Anna Nicole always intended to be buried in the Bahamas, and gave custody of her remains to Dannielynn`s guardian.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned Anna Nicole`s funeral is being planned for this Friday morning. And Anna Nicole`s estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, met her nearly 6-month-old granddaughter Dannielynn in the Bahamas last night for the very first time.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there in the Bahamas. And joining us from Nassau in the Bahamas, CNN`s Rusty Dornin.
All right, Rusty. Virgie Arthur, Anna Nicole`s Smith`s estranged mother, met her granddaughter for the first time last night. Walk us through what happened. I know it was very emotional.
RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, from the beginning though, she - in the afternoon, she ended up going to family court here in Nassau with her new attorney, Deborah Rowes (ph). It was on an unknown family matter.
Then last night, she arrived at the Horizons mansion where little Dannielynn is living, and could be seen in the back of an SUV weeping apparently after that meeting. She was swarmed by dozens of photographers. Of course, there are people there that are staking out that house 24 hours a day, and they were able to capture that very emotional moment.
That was - shortly later, she did have to fly back, of course, to Florida to be at the hearing this morning.
ANDERSON: Right. And a resolution today with the remains of the body.
What`s going on with funeral arrangements? Have you heard any details on when a funeral could happen?
DORNIN: No. Of course, the hearing - the - what we - we heard what happened from the decision just about an hour ago. But what we - when we talked to funeral directors here on the island earlier today, they said they had not been notified about any plans. One of our people went out and talked to someone at the cemetery. The people at the cemetery also had not been notified by any of the funeral homes that any plans were going on.
So it`s going to be interesting to see how quickly this happens. Is this going to happen on Friday morning? Because apparently many of the people here on the island don`t know anything about it yet.
ANDERSON: Well, while this is all happening, Rusty - tell me if this is true - that cruise ship tourists are - are coming on to the island, getting off the ship, and looking to do the Anna Nicole tour.
Are you kidding me?
DORNIN: No, I`m not kidding you. There - several taxi drivers are offering it. But plenty of people are asking for it.
We were out at the house today, and some tourists arrived, and said - and we asked them, why are you - why do you want to come here? And they just said, `Well, it`s on the news; we really want to come to the place where she lived and where the baby is.` The - the tour operators are offering that as a stop on their regular tour, and also to the cemetery where her son, of course, is buried and where she plans to be buried.
Many people here in the Bahamas feel it`s been a boon to tourism here, and that it is getting the Bahamas out there for worldwide recognition as a tourist spot.
ANDERSON: Wow. It just blows my mind. OK, CNN`s Rusty Dornin, thanks so much for joining us, from Nassau in the Bahamas. We appreciate it.
HAMMER: So here`s a question about baby Dannielynn: does she even have a shot at a normal life?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that if you take a closer look at the whole situation, Anna Nicole`s baby actually has a lot in common with the children of party-rehab queen Britney Spears.
Tonight, we`re asking if Dannielynn and Britney Spears` two young infants even stand a chance of being normal.
Joining me in New York, Jill Dobson of "Star" magazine, and development psychologist Cooper Lawrence.
Ladies, it`s always good to have you here.
You know, Cooper, these kids have no choice about becoming famous. And they`re going to grow up always being known as the kids of fairly dysfunctional people.
Is it all but guaranteed that life is bound to pretty rough for them?
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGIST: Sure, it`s over.
(CROSSTALK)
LAWRENCE: As a matter of fact, you know, it - it depends is the answer to that question.
With - with Dannielynn, I`m concerned because attachment happens very early, the first six months. It`s really pivotal. And that`s the age where she is right now. So this has long-term implications for how she can attach to other human beings as she gets older. So that`s really important for her to sort of find her home and find her parents and people who will guide her.
Britney Spears` kids have a shot if Britney gets out of rehab and is fabulous again. Because we know that maternal depression and maternal drug use leads to all kinds of negative outcomes.
So if we get her off of drugs - not you and I "we" - the collective "we" -- get her off of drugs, and she ends up being OK in the end, yes, the kids could be fine.
HAMMER: So that answers the questions as far as relationships with the parents and the bonds that are so - so important.
But then there is the spotlight. I mean, Jill, as babies, these kids are already being targeted by the paparazzi. Do they really ever stand a chance of not being subject to that and not always being in the spotlight:?
JILL DOBSON, "STAR" MAGAZINE: I think if their parents really try to keep them out of the spotlight, it can be done. Demi Moore moved to Idaho, raised her children there, and only in the past few years decided she wanted to be in the spotlight and is back in L.A. And now her kids are around the cameras as well.
So I think the parents can get away from it if they want to. I certainly hope so, because I don`t think anyone should be in the public eye unless they choose to be.
HAMMER: It`s a lot of work, and a lot of people have suggested, you know, whoever`s in charge of Dannielynn should take her and move far, far away.
But then there`s the question of when they actually grow up. I mean, think about it, when Dannielynn Googles her mom and reads all about what was going on in Anna Nicole Smith`s life - and then you have Britney`s kids reading all about the pantyless partying, and seeing the pictures, which they inevitably will do one day.
Is that not going to have some kind of profound effect on them?
LAWRENCE: It`ll have more an effect on Dannielynn because she doesn`t know her mom; she`ll never get to know her mom. So the only images she`ll have are these images of her being not the best role model as a mom. You know, we don`t really know pictures of her where she`s sane and looking good, and all the videos of her of being a little nutty. That`s all she has.
Whereas Britney Spears` kids have a chance to get to know their mom separate. And we`re hoping that those images of - of their mom and that - that image of their mom will be - will be a picture for them, more so then if they actually have to see their mom without underwear.
HAMMER: Yes, because there are some positive images out there, I would say certainly the ratio of positive images to negative images on Britney probably better than that of - of Anna Nicole Smith.
You look at what happened over in Great Britain, when the princes were born, William and Harry. There was sort of this unwritten rule with the paparazzi and - and of course, the tabloids are so big there - but they kind of agreed to leave the kids alone until they were 18 years old.
Do you think in the case of Jaden and Sean Preston Spears, and do you think in the case of - of Dannielynn that could ever quite possibly happen here in the states?
DOBSON: Yes, and no.
I - I wouldn`t want to see a law to that effect, because I`m such a big supporter of the First Amendment. But in terms of a general agreement, I think there is a little bit of that in general already. Most magazines won`t just print a picture of a celebrity`s child at the playground.
But when a celebrity becomes such a big news story and that child is part of a news story, then there`s a little bit of a gray area. But I`d like to see people really give these kids their privacy, because they haven`t asked for this, and they need a little bit of a shot to have a normal life.
HAMMER: Yes, and - and the parents shouldn`t have to work so hard to protect them, and they shouldn`t have to move to another part of the world.
I - I try to see the upside of this. I only have about 30 seconds left. But is there a chance that the kids will grow up and say, `Wow, look how wacky my parents were. OK, I`m not going to be like that,` and actually turn out kind of normal.
LAWRENCE: Absolutely, and that`s the reason why, because they see how wacky their moms are, and they go, `I don`t want to be that kid.`
Also, their innate personality could be the kind of personalities that they just don`t end up that way.
HAMMER: Cooper Lawrence, Jill Dobson, as always, thanks for being with us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
LAWRENCE: You`re welcome.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Anna Nicole Smith Battles: Is money the real motivation?"
Keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
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, just go to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Brooke, get ready, it`s a birthday party fit for a screen legend. Elizabeth Taylor, 75 years old yesterday. We`re going to take you to her star-studded birthday in Vegas. That`s coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CAPLAN, "STAR" MAGAZINE: Right now, we live in a society where it`s going to be famous. But if you can`t be famous, being infamous is a good consolation prize.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh yeah, a lot has changed since Elizabeth Taylor`s heyday, with the whole Paris Hilton phenomenon. You know, fame just ain`t what it used to be. We`re going to figure out what the heck is going on, still ahead.
HAMMER: And one of the most famous models right now, Karolina Kurkova, is here. What does she think about the whole skinny-model debate, and the message the fashion industry is sending out to young girls? That`s coming 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.
Tonight, famous for what? Doesn`t it seem like there are more and more stars out there who are famous simply because they`re - well, famous? And I`m not just talking about Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, who obviously come to mind. I`m talking about all those reality show rejects, the spouses of famous people, all the virtual nobodies who - through some twist of fate - are now somebodies.
The bottom line: fame these days just ain`t what it used to be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Remember when? Liz Taylor, Jack Nicholson, George Clooney, Julia Roberts. Now these were Hollywood stars who worked hard to achieve fame and fortune.
Yes, something went wrong. From Paris Hilton to the crazy bride from YouTube who made national headlines.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate my hair!
HAMMER: .to the range of reality-show rejects like this guy from "American Idol"..
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: .it seems like these days, just about anybody can be famous. And we mean anybody.
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": And you look like one of those creatures that live in the jungle with those massive eyes. What are they called? Bush baby.
SETOODEH: There`s such a great rush to that. They think, `You know what? I`ve made it, just because Simon called me a bush baby, I`ve made it.` And it`s a rush that they don`t think they can beat.
Being real doctors or lawyers or - or working a real job where you have to get dressed to work everyday and work hard and do something. This is getting a lot for doing nothing, which is hard to beat.
HAMMER: And while reality shows can turn nobodies into somebodies, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, that flash of fame lasts just 15 minutes.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Unless you`re Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie, who despite an obvious lack of talent, are now bona fide celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling, Paris?
HAMMER: People who are now known - really known, we might add - for little more than starring in sex tapes and losing too much weight.
CAPLAN: Right now, we live in a society where, it`s good to be famous. But if you can`t be famous, being infamous is a good consolation prize.
Many of the celebrities we see in magazines like "Star" are famous merely because they are created celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris!
CAPLAN: All you need are a few paparazzi photographers to take photos of them, and it just explodes.
PARIS HILTON, ENTERTAINER: (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: Paris Hilton`s been working the press for years, turning herself from a staple of gossip pages into a multimillion-dollar international brand name.
CAPLAN: Paris Hilton is the best example of someone who became a celebrity. In the early days of her sort of ascent to fame, there was a scandal with her like every few weeks - the sex tapes to who she was dating. And it really just had this snowball effect, where not she`s an established celebrity.
HAMMER: An established celebrity who maintains her fame through infamy.
CAPLAN: Paris is famous because she has manipulated the media in a way which - to think everyone wanting to more and more about her.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And that feeds upon itself, to the point there`s no turning back.
Case in point: Nicole Richie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nicole!
CAPLAN: Everytime Nicole Richie denied being anorexic or denied having an eating disorder, I think she got more news articles than probably people who were actually doing legitimate work.
HAMMER: This possibility of achieving instant fame, whether it be on Web sites like YouTube or on reality shows, isn`t lost on teenagers.
"Newsweek" magazine recently found that 31 percent of all teens believe that they`ll be famous when they grow up. And if they can`t be famous - well, that`s OK, too.
A new book called "Fame Junkie" says the No. 1 career goal of nearly half of all teenage girls: being a celebrity assistant.
SETOODEH: Because they feel like, if they`re close enough to famous people, that magical dust of fame will come off on them, and they, too, will sort of - sort of be special.
HAMMER: Sort of special, like professional celebrity-slacker-turned- insurance-pitchman Kevin Federline.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Federline!
HAMMER: Who used a technique that many famous-for-nothing stars use: he married his way into the spotlight.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that people like K-Fed are stars, and may very well continue to be stars, not because of what they do, but because of who they are.
CAPLAN: It`s the story behind this personality. It`s all about being a character. You can be the most accomplished actor, the most accomplished musician. But if there`s nothing really interesting, if there`s really no sort of `so what?` factor that the reader finds, they`re not going to be interesting, and it just won`t do well for the magazine.
HAMMER: Well, what they`re famous for, "Star" magazine says that when Paris or Nicole are on their covers, they do better than most Oscar or Grammy winners, which is kind of sad.
Well, one celebrity who is actually for something, supermodel Karolina Kurkova. She has graced countless magazine covers and made the list of "People" magazine`s "50 Most Beautiful" issue - well-deserved, indeed.
Now the Victoria`s Secret model is launching a new secret technology for women`s unmentionables.
Karolina Kurkova, great to have you here in New York.
KAROLINBA KURKOVA, MODEL: Thank you. Thank you.
HAMMER: You were watching with interest our - our story on "famous for being famous."
Do you get the frenzy, as somebody who has been photographed and seen all around the world? Do you get the frenzies surrounding the Parises and the Nicoles of the world?
KURKOVA: I mean, I could see that people, you know, are really into that, and, you know, people want to know about them. Like, what they`re wearing and - but, I mean, I live a normal life. I - I don`t follow all the times these magazines. I`m not obsessed by these celebrities.
But I can see some people, young girls, they - you know, they are. And.
HAMMER: Oh, there`s such a huge obsession with this.
KURKOVA: Yes.
HAMMER: Have you found yourself, as somebody who is famous - and again, known around the world - you know, sometimes you have just regional celebrities in a particular state or just in this country - but people know you on the entire globe.
Have you ever - do you find that - that fame does get in the way of your personal life sometimes?
KURKOVA: Not - no, not in my life. I mean, I live a very normal life. And I think, yes, if you go to a supermarket to get a milk and you have a full entourage and bodyguards and full-on hair and makeup and full-on designer outfit, yes, you - you draw attention. And - and then, of course, then, you know, you`ll be mobbed all the time, and people - that`s normal.
But if you go in, like, jeans and Converse, and you`re pretty understated and normal about it.
HAMMER: And you just carry on.
KURKOVA: .you can - yes, you just carry on with your life. You can`t just, you know, worry about, like - oh, if somebody see me, do I always look great? Do I have the right outfit on? I mean - I mean, that`s not..
HAMMER: Well, you do always look great.
KURKOVA: Thank you.
HAMMER: And I`m quite curious, and I`m always - I`m always curious when we have somebody who works within the fashion industry, to get their take on this whole skinny-model debate, and whether or not you think that models who are too thin and who are perhaps too thin for all the wrong reasons should be banned from the runway?
KURKOVA: Well, I think it`s a very sad, tragic situation, and my heart goes to all the families of - all the girls that passed away or may have this disease.
Yes, I mean, it`s a serious disease. You know, more than 10 percent of women die of this disease, anorexia. And I think it`s important people start talking about. But I`m very glad that I work for a brand that I don`t have that pressure to be too skinny, that Victoria`s Secret celebrates the curves. And I don`t need to worry about that.
HAMMER: Which is such a terrific thing that Victoria`s Secret has - has long done that, and Hollywood now seems to be embracing curvier women as well. I mean, look, Jennifer Hudson just won an Academy Award. Perhaps the right message is finally getting out there.
KURKOVA: Yes, I mean, you know, we should celebrate all kinds of - of women, different figures, different bodies. It`s not all about being super skinny, you know? I mean, we all have different body types. I am the way I am - I am very tall and athletic. I eat, I exercise, and I am skinny. But I`m skinny natural like that.
I`ve never been on a diet. I`m - but there are some people, they have a problem. But it`s - it`s - it`s a medical problem, and I think they need the help of a doctor. (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: And - and your - your new product, Secret Embrace, actually helps curvier women look even more beautiful, doesn`t it?
KURKOVA: Exactly.
Secret Embrace, it`s for women, that they want to have curves, and they want to be comfortable in - in - in bra. And Secret Embrace, it`s a one-piece bra, it has no stitches, has no tags, it`s - it`s super comfortable, and it`s so gives you a great cleavage. It looks good on the screen (ph), outfits or the dresses, like - me wear it now (ph).
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: This is going to get me into all kinds of trouble.
Karolina Kurkova, I really appreciate you joining us. I always wind up the one doing the bra talk here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. But thank you so much for coming in.,
KURKOVA: You`re welcome. Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Believe it or not, Elizabeth Taylor, 75 years old. We`re going to take you to her birthday party in Las Vegas. Lots of her famous friends were there, and we`re going to tell you what they had to say about the guest of honor. That`s next.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night is coming right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
In Vegas, a star-studded 75th birthday party for the one and only Elizabeth Taylor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Photographers sang "Happy Birthday" as Taylor arrived on the red carpet. She was in a wheelchair because of back problems. And she was escorted by her 52-year-old son - great little piece of Liz Taylor trivia here: he shares the same birthday as mom.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, Taylor said it`s all about healthy, clean living - with a wink. The party had a Mardi Gras theme. It included Siegfried and Roy, Debbie Reynolds. And model Kathy Ireland was there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY IRELAND, ATTENDED TAYLOR`S PARTY: My birthday wish is just many, many more great, great years to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBBIE REYNOLDS, ATTENDED TAYLOR`S PARTY: We`re here because we`re friends, since Elizabeth and I were 17. So that`s just two years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIEGFRIED FISCHBACHER, ATTENDED TAYLOR`S PARTY: It`s very special, because first of all, for me she is the goddess. You know, and all my life, and I was admiring, and she always come to our show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: One of Taylor`s other celebrity friends, Michael Jackson, didn`t make it to the event.
ANDERSON: Yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It was this: "Anna Nicole Smith Baby Drama: Do you think Larry Birkhead is the father?"
Seventy-six percent of you say yes; only 24 percent of you say no.
Here are some of the e-mails we received:
Don from Alabama writes, "Larry Birkhead is her father. Look at her eyes. She looks just like him. Even Howard should be able to see that."
Gina from Florida thinks, "A father is a person who loves the baby and her mother, not a sex partner a few times. Howard should have the baby."
Keep sending us your thoughts. And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is all over every angle of the Anna Nicole Smith sage. Stay with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for continuing coverage, and for as long as it continues to play out.
HAMMER: And let`s find out now what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the recipe for how to be a tabloid star. It may not be what stars want to get publicity, but boy does it work. Put on or take off the pounds, get yourself in a steamy love triangle, go in for a little nip or tuck. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals how to be a tabloid star, and that is coming up tomorrow.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Take care, everyone.
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