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Showbiz Tonight
Is Larry Birkhead about to take Dannielynn home?
Aired April 26, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HN HOST: Breaking Anna Nicole Smith baby battle news. Is Larry Birkhead about to take Dannielynn home? I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN HN HOST: And Richard Gere kisses someone, Hugh Grant throws some baked beans -- and now both could end up behind bars? What?! I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
BROOKE ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the remarkable Miss America sex sting to catch child sex predators. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the amazing story of how Miss America teamed up with "America`s Most Wanted`s" John Walsh to snatch suspected sex sickos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here at a sting operation trying to catch some on line predators.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: Their secret undercover investigation - uncovered. And John Walsh is right here in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Rosie`s startling "View" adieu. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with coast-to- coast controversy over Rosie O`Donnell`s shocking announcement, that she`s leaving "The View."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": Next year I`m not going to be on "The View."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: Tonight -- is it possible she was fired? And what`s next for Rosie? Plus, the biggest stars speak out .
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I think that you will find great success wherever goes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest on Rosie`s bombshell -- buh-bye!
Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood, A.J. has the night off.
In just a few minutes, we`re going to London where Hugh Grant has been arrested -- for tossing baked beans. I kid you not. That`s coming up.
BROOKE ANDERSON: But first -- did Rosie O`Donnell simply get too hot to handle? Tonight -- a lot of people are asking if Rosie actually got pushed off "The View" or did she jump ship? The day after Rosie`s stunning announcement that she is leaving the show that became her personal and controversial soapbox, the critics, the skeptics, and the stars all have something to say, and they are telling it to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
O`DONNELL: Yesterday`s announcement was a tad bit bigger than I expected.
ANDERSON (voice-over): That`s a rare understatement from Rosie O`Donnell. Her bombshell announcement the previous day that she`s leaving this June had everybody buzzing. It even overshadowed Rosie`s fellow daytime TV host Regis Philbin`s return to TV after heart surgery but somebody forgot to tell him that.
REGIS PHILBIN, TALK SHOW HOST: What an occasion this has been, people stopping me in the streets, this wonderful audience. The paper is full of my picture.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Even though it was his first day back, Regis didn`t shy away from controversy. Both he and Kelly opened up about Rosie O`Donnell`s departure on "The View." In a meet and greet session with the media after his return show, Regis talked about Rosie`s departure.
PHILBIN: I didn`t know how long it was going to last because she is an explosive character.
O`DONNELL: They are not kicking me out, don`t worry. It`s OK.
BROOKE ANDERSON: On the day of her announcement, both Rosie and ABC were quick to say that her departure from the show was a mutual breakup, but come on. Do you ever really believe it when someone says that? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for answers to the burning question -- did Rosie really leave on her own, or was she pushed out?
Rosie O`Donnell was a bonanza to "The View" boosting ratings for the 10 year old show by up to 15 percent. But there was a downside.
O`DONNELL: If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament.
BROOKE ANDERSON: She was one of the most controversial and inflammatory personalities on TV. Apart from her much publicized feud with Donald Trump.
O`DONNELL: There he is. Hair .
BROOKE ANDERSON: Rosie repeatedly found herself in hot water over her comments. Let`s take a look at her greatest hits. She offended Asian Americans with this bit.
O`DONNELL: You can imagine in Chinese like heema aboka cha ching chang chong.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Her 9/11 conspiracy theories.
O`DONNELL: It is impossible for a building to fall the way it fell without explosives being involved. World Trade Center 7.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Comments about religion.
O`DONNELL: Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And her repeated bashing of President Bush.
O`DONNELL: Say the word, impeach.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Had conservatives guns for her and her shows sponsors.
TOM DELAY, FORMER HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: I`m calling for conservatives to take on Rosie O`Donnell.
JOHN HENSON, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: She pretty much offended anyone and everyone she could.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And now that controversial talk radio host Don Imus has been done in by his big mouth, some wondered if ABC wanted to avoid an Imus moment and dump Rosie before she suffered a similar fate.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: From all that I`m hearing, Rosie left because she wanted to leave.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Harvey Levin is the managing editor of tmz.com which first broke the story of Rosie`s departure. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that ABC wanted to keep Rosie beyond her current one-year commitment despite the controversy.
LEVIN: ABC loved the controversy. You think they didn`t love the Donald Trump controversy? I mean, that was a ratings juggernaut.
BROOKE ANDERSON: OK. Could it have been a money thing? Nope, Levin says.
LEVIN: Rosie O`Donnell does not need cash. She is a very rich woman.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And what about Rosie`s statement that she and ABC couldn`t agree on how much longer she`d stay.
O`DONNELL: They wanted me three years. I wanted one year.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Nope. Levin says ABC would have made that work too.
LEVIN: One year is better than none and ABC could have gotten another big season out of her, so it wasn`t ABC saying no. It was Rosie saying bye.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Now that that`s settled, we will move on to another big question. Who will replace Rosie? Rosie`s predecessor on "The View" "Today Show" host Meredith Vieira joked on the air about going back to her old job.
MEREDITH VIERA, "THE TODAY SHOW": I will be leaving the "Today`s" show. Sayonara.
I`m back, babe.
BROOKE ANDERSON: All kidding aside, the TV Guide Channel`s John Henson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "The View" could be in serious trouble without Rosie.
HENSON: Now there is some concern about whether or not they can recover.
BROOKE ANDERSON: But tmz.com`s Harvey Levin says he has the solution.
LEVIN: The person who should replace Rosie has to be somebody who is larger than life, smart, funny, controversial, volatile, sometimes polarizing and intriguing. And I think the best person for that job right now is Alec Baldwin.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Interesting. Sure, Alec Baldwin has some other matters to take care of now, but that would be a show we`d watch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (on camera): And now we want to hear from you. What do you think about it? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" question of the day -- Rosie leaving "The View" -- was she pushed out? Vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send an e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
And you can also vote on the question of the day by sending a cell phone text to 45688. To vote yes, just write "Showbiz yes." Or text "Showbiz yes." To vote no, "Showbiz no." Once again, send the text to 45688.
Well, Alec Baldwin isn`t replacing Rosie on "The View." But he did stop by. For the very first time, Alec Baldwin is speaking out about the outrage over his shocking voice mail rant at his 11-year-old daughter. Tonight, I`ve got your sneak peek of the exclusive Baldwin interview with Rosie and Barbara. Take a listen .
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: What I want to do is I want to leave this interview with you. I want to thank both of you for giving me this opportunity, and you especially because I think you both -- you and I both know that whenever we have personal missteps in our lives, there`s a lot of people that are out there that are ready to kind of lend their voice to the chorus to tear us down.
I want to say that I`m sorry to anyone that was offended by what happened. I`m sad about the way it all played out. And I have a dream in my heart, deep in my heart to go out this door today and do something else with my life and to do this work which is very meaningful to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Catch the rest of what Alec has to say -- tune into "The View" this Friday at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Tonight -- the amazing Miss America sex sting, a story that is both disturbing and heartening. Miss America Lauren Nelson teamed up with "America`s Most Wanted" host John Walsh in a fascinating and scary investigation that took four accused child predators off the streets. John Walsh is with me here tonight in New York tonight. John, welcome.
JOHN WALSH, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Thank you, Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Miss America, 20 years old, Lauren Nelson. She pretended on line, 14 years old. She even posted pictures of what she looked like when she was a teenager. I have to ask you the question everybody wants to know, here`s a picture of her being crowned. Why Miss America?
WALSH: She decided to dedicate this year of her reign as Miss America to fighting Internet exploitation. Educating other young people about it and team up with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I met her at a White House -- Capitol Hill press conference where we were introducing a piece of legislation and I said how would you like to saddle up with me?
Go on location and see what these creeps are really like? And she said, you know, John when I was 13 I was at a sleep-over and some guy tried to solicit us and we gave him our information, where we were, it was a big mistake.
We didn`t get hurt and I want to help you.
I`ll tell you, it takes a lot of guts to go on location with me. She stood at the door. There was a guy we had been looking for two years. She was shaking like a leaf. She was so nervous. We were guaranteeing her safety. Her parents were very concerned. I wouldn`t let anything happen to her. I have a daughter who is 24. I would never put somebody in that position, but I think it`s going to send a loud message to people that any kind of a creep anywhere could show up from 20 years old to 45 years old, drive two and a half hours.
She made the phone call to this guy we have been looking for for two years and he came to that house because I think - and they all thought that they were coming to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. Pretty disgusting.
BROOKE ANDERSON: I want to take a look at a clip, it was really disturbing for me to watch, a clip where you confront someone who has been corresponding with Lauren Nelson. Let`s take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: You just showed up to have sex with a 14 year old girl. You know on that Internet she said she was 14.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She didn`t tell me she was 14 till today. And I never said I was going to have sex.
WALSH: So what are you doing here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just to hang out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: Just to hang out? John, you do these stings a lot. Is this the sort of thing you hear when you confront these people?
WALSH: Every single one of these pathetic creeps has got an excuse. Now we don`t entice them. This is not an entrapment. They are on that Internet like poachers with a game preserve looking for somebody naive enough. Two of the men send Web cam videos of themselves masturbating. The stuff they say is explicit as heck.
And they all have this same excuse. I don`t know why I did it. It`s my first time. I only want to come here to help them. It`s all B.S. They came freely, they engaged the chat. They thought they were going to get lucky and get away with it. I say to parents all the time, come on, saddle up. Keep that computer out of the bedroom. Talk to your kids about personal Web sites. Talk to them about information. Open those lines of communication and hope that your child doesn`t go out to meet someone they think is 14 or dumb enough to let somebody come into the house and be a crime victim.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Monitor those children and what they are doing on line.
WALSH: Be a parent.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Be a parent, and be responsible.
WALSH: Take charge.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And I agree with you. Take charge.
WALSH: Absolutely.
BROOKE ANDERSON: One thing that really gets me, John, is that you do these shows. You also have NBC doing the show, you know, "To Catch a Predator." "Dateline."
WALSH: "Dateline." They do a good job.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And yet people are still being predators and still trying to go to these young people, young boys, young girls. Does that surprise you? Because they have seen these shows too?
WALSH: It doesn`t surprise me. It proves one thing, I think to everybody, especially to young people who think they are bullet proof is that their compulsion is so strong, in spite of the fact they know these things are out there, in spite of the fact they know they could be risking their whole life, they still voluntarily drive, one guy, two and half hours with three children came al that way. We should study him. We should try to figure out a way that what drives him this compulsion but I know one thing. They are there. They come voluntarily and they hope they are going to get away with it and try to destroy lives.
Somebody did that to my six and a half-year-old son 25 years ago. So I think this is a big wake-up call. I`m glad to see this awareness. I hope people watch on Saturday night. I give Lauren Nelson a whole lot of credit because there`s a lot of young people do going in the wrong direction. She is trying to make a difference.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Good for her taking part. It is a great service that you are doing and Lauren participating as well.
John Walsh, as always, thanks for being here.
WALSH: Thank you, Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And that episode of "America`s Most Wanted" airs this Saturday at 9:00 p.m. And Miss America, Lauren Nelson will be with us on Monday, with her stunning story of what it was like to go undercover.
VARGAS: Hey Brooke, you ever get so mad that you pick up a container of baked beans and you just want to chuck it at someone?
BROOKE ANDERSON: You know, I like baked beans. I`d probably want to eat them before I threw them at anybody.
VARGAS: This is absolutely crazy and ridiculous. Check this out. That`s allegedly what Hugh Grant did -- and he got arrested for it. Are you kidding me? And why a simple Richard Gere kiss, yes, just a kiss, could land him behind bars. We`ve got that next. Brooke`s also got this .
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILBIN: People keep telling me, gee, you look great. I don`t feel that great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: I was thrilled to be right there for Regis Philbin`s big return! He`s back after triple bypass surgery with a surprise guest who has a very special connection to Reege.
VARGAS: Brooke, I`m so happy to hear he`s back. We`ll, big news today in the Anna Nicole Smith baby custody battle -- is Larry Birkhead about to take Dannielynn home? We`re right there in the Bahamas, at 31 after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROOKE ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Tonight, no beans about it. Film star Hugh Grant has been arrested again.
Grant allegedly threw a container of beans at a paparazzo in London. The photographer also said the star of "Bridget Jones" proceed to kick him. London police took Grant into custody but released him without charges. You may remember Grant was arrested back in 1995 on Hollywood`s Sunset Strip for soliciting a prostitute.
But this time it`s not trouble over legs, but rather, legumes. I spoke with CNN International Becky Anderson who was right outside the Notting Hill police precinct where he was held.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON: Hey, Becky. Thanks for joining us. I just want to know, what are the paparazzi claiming happened with Grant?
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Notting Hill this is, Brooke, a scene from the much loved romantic comedy, it most certainly wasn`t when Hugh Grant attended an appointment with his lawyer here at the police station in Notting Hill behind me.
The allegation was simply this. That a tabloid photographer suggesting that Hugh Grant had hauled a tub of baked beans at him. It was a little bit more complicated than that. He also suggested that he attacked him and was pretty horrid about his family, hurled abuse at him about his family.
He was arrested here at the police station. As a procedural matter here, Brooke. He was probably fingerprinted and he was bailed to return in about a month`s time. That is the story from Notting Hill this Thursday. Brooke?
BROOKE ANDERSON: A little bit of a crazy story. Baked beans involved and everything. Allegedly involved. What charges may Hugh face?
BECKY ANDERSON: Well, they may charge him. This is up to the police at this point. They may charge him. They may decide that there are no charges, or they just may decide to caution him which means that he`s effectively admitted, he`s apologized and he goes away at this point. Brooke?
BROOKE ANDERSON: OK. He`s obviously no stranger to the paparazzi. What do you know about his relationship with them in the past? Has it been contentious?
BECKY ANDERSON: Well, the infamous incident in L.A. back in 1995 when he had a run in with the police after an incident on the street with a prostitute, the paparazzi here, the papers here had absolute field day with him at that point.
So yes, it`s been all over the press here. The pictures are out there, and he looks pretty ridiculous, I must say, but that is my comment only. Many of my friends have said the same. They love him, they hate him here. That`s the deal. But after 1995, 12 years later, this isn`t doing him any good at all. Brooke?
BROOKE ANDERSON: Very quickly, 10 seconds. Do we know what set him off this particular time?
BECKY ANDERSON: We have absolutely no idea. Probably a photographer loitering with intent to snap him as he went into his home or came out with his home with his tub of baked beans. Who knows what set him off at this point?
BROOKE ANDERSON: Who knows. May have just been having a bad day. All right. Becky Anderson from London, thanks so much for joining us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: From beans to a kiss. A simple kiss could land Richard Gere behind bars! Tonight, I can tell you that an Indian judge has now issued an arrest warrant for the "Pretty Woman" star because he kissed a pretty woman! Last week, people went ballistic -- they even burned Gere in effigy on the streets! That`s because he kissed a very popular Hollywood star, Shilpa Shetty (ph), on the cheek at an aids awareness event.
Apparently public affection is a big no-no in India, there are strict obscenity laws there. Court complaints were filed and a judge says the kiss quote "transgressed all limits of vulgarity" and was "highly sexually erotic."
Now Gere left India right after the event but he does go back a lot to do charity work. He could face up to three months in jail, a fine, or even both.
BROOKE ANDERSON: After all the drama, the shocking twists and turns. I`m hearing that the battle for Anna Nicole`s baby Dannielynn might almost be over. Could it be?
And for the sake of that little girl, I really hope it is. Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in the Bahamas with the very latest in the Larry Birkhead, Virgie Arthur battle.
And we`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every day can contain joy as well as suffering. You just keep on living.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: I think this is such a wonderful inspirational story. Roger Ebert, you know the beloved movie critic who does the thumbs up, thumbs down thing. Making his first public appearance with his wife since oral cancer surgery. I`ve got that next.
BROOKE ANDERSON: It is so great to see him again.
And I can`t believe this. Is Britney Spears getting career advice from Joe Simpson. That`s as in Jessica and Ashley`s dad. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT truth squad is all over that. We have got it coming up. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, step right up for amazing celebrity disappearing acts, from Courtney Love to Starr jones. How do some stars lose so much weight so incredibly fast. The stunning before and after pictures tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Roger Ebert, he`s one of the most famous movie critics of all time. He`s got those famous thumbs up, thumbs down that could make or break a movie.
Well, for the past year he`s been fighting salivary gland cancer. It spread to his lower jaw and an operation has left him unable to speak. I`m really inspired by this next story. Roger is making his first public appearance since his battle started. He`s attending his annual Overlooked Film Festival in Illinois. Earlier today Roger was joined by his wife which reading what he had written in a notepad and revealed what`s next for him and had a very important message for anyone battling a terrible illness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAZ HAMMELSMITH, ROGER EBERT`S WIFE: Roger says it`s still you and every day can contain joy as well as suffering. You just keep on living. The surgery was necessary, but at least he`s cancer free. I hope to do TV again. But I can still write for the newspaper and maybe there are other creative ways to do television.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: We are certainly rooting for you, Roger. I love you. By the way, he`s awaiting another operation, which he hopes will restore his speech.
BROOKE ANDERSON: What a strong guy. That`s a really emotional story, Sibila.
And emotions were high on the set of "Live with Regis and Kelly" today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILBIN: People keep telling me gee you look great. I don`t feel that great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON: I was right there for Regis` big return after triple bypass surgery. You`re not going to believe the surprising connection he had to his first guest. We`re goijng to have that coming up.
VARGAS: We`re so glad to see him back. He was awesome.
And up next, breaking Anna Nicole baby battle news. Could it be that the fight for Dannielynn is just about over? I certainly hope so. We`re in the Bahamas with the latest.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And we`ve got a totally opinionated look at who is burning up the red carpet. The hottest stars of 2007. We`ve got some really surprises that you don`t want to miss out on. That`s at 42 past the hour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night is coming right back.
Stay with us.
VIRGINIA CHA, CNN HN ANCHOR: Hi, there I`m Virginia Cha with your "Headline Prime" news break. Police pursued a juvenile suspected of stealing a car for nearly two hours in Los Angeles Thursday evening. Several failed pit (ph) maneuver attempts left the car without a back bumper and spike strips stripped the rubber off both front tires but the driver kept going. He threw things out the window throughout the pursuit. Finally he surrendered.
Rescues have pulled at least one survivor from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building in Istanbul, Turkey. The structure apparently crumbled as construction workers tried to tear down a building next-door. The mayor says residents were evacuated before the building collapsed.
And a retired Atlanta police officer and a current officer have pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a 92-year-old woman. Katherine Johnson (ph) was killed during a botched drug raid on her house last November. Both men were charged with felony murder. A third officer is also facing charges.
That`s a look at some of the stories we are following for you. I`m Virginia Cha.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. A.J. has the night off. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
ANDERSON: Sibila, it was a big day over at "Live With Regis and Kelly." And I was right there on the set this morning for Regis Philbin`s first day back after triple heart bypass.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, TALK SHOW HOST: And people keep telling me, `Gee, you look great.` I don`t feel that great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Despite what he says, the guy really does look great. Straight ahead, I`ll have all the highlights of Regis` triumphant return, including a visit from this guy, David Letterman.
VARGAS: Also, Brooke, you heard that rumor affair, that Britney Spears may be getting some help from Joe Simpson. But is it true? Is Jessica and Ashlee`s dad going to manage Britney`s career? The SHOWBIZ "Truth Squad" all over it, coming up.
ANDERSON: But first, a major development in the Anna Nicole Smith baby battle. Larry Birkhead could be coming back to the U.S. with his daughter, Dannielynn, as soon as this weekend. And it looks like he won`t be sharing custody with Anna Nicole`s estranged mother Virgie Arthur.
A judge has all but packed the suitcase for Larry and Dannielynn, paving the way for a long-awaited homecoming.
"Access Hollywood" correspondent Tony Potts has been speaking with Birkhead, and he is with us tonight from the - from the Bahamas.
And Tony, I understand you`ve got some breaking news from down there.
TONY POTTS, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well the bags are packed, but they may not be going anywhere. I just saw Virgie Arthur not 30 minutes ago in downtown Bahamas here, and I have learned that they - she has filed yet another appeal. And now there is a court date set for tomorrow, a time of 10 a.m. And she has appealed the - the fact that he - Larry gets to take the baby out of the country. So the passport is awaiting to be stamped. The birth certificate`s waiting to be filed. And once that`s done, the consulate`s ready to go, give them the - give Dannielynn her first passport. And Larry and the baby are waiting to take off as soon as tomorrow night.
But this last-minute thing that Virgie did yet again, yet another appeal to try to stop - to stop Larry being with the baby back in the U.S. is now going to be official. And it`ll be 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. The - and the judge will have it before him once again.
ANDERSON: What does Larry say about Virgie`s latest appeal? I know he`s - he`s been fighting for months and months for his child. You`ve been speaking with him. How does he feel?
POTTS: He is at wit`s end.
ANDERSON: Yes.
POTTS: I can tell you, you know, quite frankly, he doesn`t quite understand why a grandparent would do all of this. Her parents are grandparents to Dannielynn. They`re not going to do it; they`re just acting like regular grandparents. They`ll see, you know, Dannielynn when they can, and they`ll come out to L.A. Larry will spend some time in Kentucky.
I can tell you for a fact that Larry, up until all of - all of these appeals and - and files by Virgie had told her and me point blank that, `You know what? We`ll come to Texas; you can come up here. You can see the baby. It`ll be fantastic. I want you to be part of her life, because she needs to know about Anna when Anna was younger as well. And - and I`m including everybody.`
But now, you know, she`s - she may be, you know, kind of screwing herself, to be quite frank.
ANDERSON: Yes.
POTTS: Because I know that he`s like, `Look, what - what - how can I trust her?` is what the thinks now. Because - you know, and trying to get shared custody. What grandparent does that?
ANDERSON: Right. And he had offered to have her be a part of the baby`s life in the beginning.
POTTS: Of course. Yes.
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s a - it`s a hard situation for everybody involved.
And I know you spoke with Howard K. Stern. He`s lost Anna Nicole. Now he`s lost the baby. You know, for the first time in years, Tony, he`s going to be very alone. What did he tell you?
POTTS: Well, he said yesterday coming out of the courtroom that yesterday was a bittersweet moment, basically saying what happened in the court was that the judge said, you know, `Your papers are in order. Let`s get the birth certificate done with the name change from Stern to Birkhead. And then you`ll go to the consulate and get the passport. You`ll be done.`
And so he - it feels it helped in that measure. But also, in the same (INAUDIBLE) helped, you know, Dannielynn get out of his life in a sense. And he`s not going to see her.
I did ask him - he said it was bittersweet. But I did ask him, is there anything you want to do with her or say to her or - or will you write her a little not that she`ll keep with her always, you know, as you see her for the final days. And he looked and me and he said, `I don`t plan on - I don`t plan on these being the final days of me seeing her.` Which I thought, well, I guess maybe Larry will let him come see him in the future.
But if you really think about it, I mean, how many times in - in normal life if a guy`s not the father and he`s only been there for six months does the real father ever let the - the fake father.
ANDERSON: That`s true.
POTTS: .who allegedly may have taken the baby away from him, you know, do that.
ANDERSON: That - that`s true.
POTTS: But, you know, who knows what really happened behind the scenes. And of course everybody`s, you know, innocent until proven guilty.
ANDERSON: Yes.
POTTS: But still, it`s - it`s a little strange for me. But I`ve continually asked Larry, `There`s no behind-the-scenes deal with you and Howard?` And he said, `No, there is not.` So.
ANDERSON: Howard being optimistic there thought.
Well, you mentioned the - the name change of the baby. Is that going to be going through, be made official from Stern to Birkhead?
POTTS: Well, here`s the screwy thing with this. In the Bahamas, Brooke, I can tell you this - it`s driving me insane because I want to get home and see my family as well - is that the man who was supposed to sign off on it today, the boss, OK, at this register`s office is not there today, and may not be in tomorrow.
ANDERSON: Oh dear.
POTTS: I mean, that`s - I just don`t get it. And so I may not be out of here until Monday. So we`ll see.
But if - I think everything - hopefully, they`re going to yank this guy in, pull him in, and say, `Look, approve this, let`s get going.` And then hopefully we`ll be on a plane tomorrow and back to see Larry`s family and bring Dannielynn to the - to the United States.
ANDERSON: Hopefully so.
Tony Potts in the Bahamas, always a pleasure to have you with us. Thanks.
POTTS: Pleasure for me too, Brooke. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Rosie O`Donnell - we`re going to talk about her now. She may be out at ABC, but Regis is back in. Regis Philbin was back at work today on the set of "Live With Regis and Kelly" after undergoing heart surgery.
Regis is 75 years old and took just six weeks to recover. I was right there today, behind the scenes, to see Regis back in action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CHEERING)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Regis return.
PHILBIN: Finally back after six weeks. Six weeks.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
PHILBIN: Yes, but for six weeks and one day.
KELLY RIPA, TALK SHOW HOST: I`ve got to tell you, it seemed like six years and 15 days.
ANDERSON (on camera): I`m here on the set of "Live With Regis and Kelly" for Regis` first day back after heart surgery.
PHILBIN: Thank you very much.
ANDERSON (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with a slightly slimmer Regis Philbin.
RIPA: You look remarkable.
PHILBIN: Well, I lost eight pounds.
ANDERSON: Six weeks after undergoing triple bypass heart surgery.
PHILBIN: I don`t think I`m that strong. My chest hurts. People keep telling me, `Gee, you look great.` I don`t feel that great.
ANDERSON: Even though Reege told the press after this morning`s live show that he`s not feeling 100 percent yet, you`d never know it. Not the least bit rusty, 75-year-old Regis was back to his old tricks just minutes after sitting in his old chair.
PHILBIN: I tell you, what a - what an occasion this has been. People stopping me in the streets. This wonderful audience. The paper`s full of my picture. I mean, I just - I just can`t figure it out. I wish they`d stop. Leave me alone!
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cameras with the inside access, catching a normally interview-phobic David Letterman as he walked on to the set, hugged Regis and blew kisses to the crowd.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
ANDERSON: Letterman and Reege are old friends. Reege filled in as host of "Late Night" when Letterman underwent his quintuple bypass in 2000.
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: My first bypass was the - was "The Tonight Show." Thank you very much.
PHILBIN: What was it.
ANDERSON: Regis and Letterman just couldn`t help but find humor, even when it comes to heavy duty surgery.
LETTERMAN: I love talking about this procedure. First of all, I`m a hypochondriac. So if you`re a hypochondriac, this is right up your alley.
This - this has got everything you need.
ANDERSON: After kidding around, the two moved on to comparing scars from where they had arteries removed. The same team of doctors performed surgery on both men.
PHILBIN: They take your (INAUDIBLE)
LETTERMAN: All right, Regis. That`s enough.
PHILBIN: They switch you right back (INAUDIBLE)
LETTERMAN: That`s enough.
PHILBIN: And then you wind up with this. This thing will not heal.
LETTERMAN: It`s gone. You can`t.
ANDERSON: Letterman even offered up some advice for Reege.
LETTERMAN: The only thing I can advise you and - I guess both of you - just stay away from "The View," because they`re dropping like flies over there.
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
ANDERSON: Letterman`s not the only late-night personality to joke about Reege`s return.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look who`s back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look who`s back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look who`s back!
ANDERSON: Even "Saturday Night Live" poked fun at the litany of guest hosts that filled in for Regis in his absence.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you feel sick at any point, don`t worry; Howie Mandell is here just in case.
ANDERSON: But the real-life Kelly Ripa was far more emotional, reiterating how happy she was to be reunited with Regis.
RIPA: Let me tell you right now, I felt that for six weeks, my light was dimmed completely.
PHILBIN: Oh, isn`t she something? That`s a line she used in "All My Children," 1988. I was watching that day.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: He looked terrific, although he did tell me that the recovery was more difficult than he had imagined. But he did a great job today, and he got some great get-well gifts from his famous friends. Ringo Starr sent him a whole basket of green apples, and Halle Berry gave him a bathrobe.
VARGAS: That`s (INAUDIBLE). Very funny.
Well, it`s a tough call who is the hottest star in Hollywood. Well, "Us Weekly" magazine has narrowed it down. Their list of the hottest, trendiest, most stylish celebrities is coming out soon, and we have a sneak peek next.
ANDERSON: And I was really surprised when I heard this story: that Britney Spears may be getting some help with her career from Joe Simpson. Yes, Jessica and Ashlee`s dad. Is it true? The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Truth Squad" is on the case, still ahead.
Also this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: Someone started all of this. And I`m going to find them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VARGAS: Oh, I am so psyched for this. Matt Damon is back on the big screen as Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Ultimatum." I`ll have your first look, coming up.
ANDERSON: And don`t forget to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." It is this: "Rosie Leaving `The View`: Was she pushed out?"
Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us, showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
And you can also vote on the "Question of the Day" by sending a text to 45688. To vote yes, write "SHOWBIZ Yes." To vote no, write "SHOWBIZ No." Once again, send that text to 45688.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. Sandy (ph), take a step back. Pre-set 7. And track Sibila. Dissolve. Go.
VARGAS: Thanks, Charles (ph).
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood.
Well, time now to call in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Truth Squad," where our crack team of celebrity reporters sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
Well, tonight, we`re opening the case file on Britney Spears and Joe Simpson. There was a report that Simpson, dad and manager of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, wanted to work with Britney and help her revive her career. Britney recently parted ways with her manager.
So is Joe Simpson going to be Britney`s new manager? Nope.
The SHOWBIZ "Truth Squad" got in touch with Simpson`s reps, who said there is absolutely no truth to the report.
ANDERSON: Well, Joe Simpson may not be managing Britney Spears, but he has his full managing daughter Ashlee Simpson. And listen to this: Ashlee`s been named one of the hottest women in "Us Weekly"`s 2007 "Hollywood Hot List."
Tonight, your first look at who are the hottest and trendiest stars in Hollywood. And there are some surprises.
With me tonight in Hollywood, Ken Baker, editorial director for usmagazine.com.
Ken, it`s been awhile. Good to see you.
KEN BAKER, USMAGAZINE.COM: It`s good to see you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: OK, if we weren`t - you know, if it`s not Britney we`re talking about, it`s Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan who has made the headlines, often for all the wrong reasons.
But here`s a good one: "Us" has named her the winner of red-carpet style. Why?
BAKER: Well, Lindsay Lohan - you mentioned that she hasn`t always been a winner in other - other areas of her life. But one thing that`s unmistakable is her sense of style. And what we`re doing tonight at the "Us Weekly" Hot Hollywood Style Party is honoring that. And she`s going to be among them.
And the thing about Lindsay Lohan is that she has really stood out on the red carpet. The girl is glamorous. I mean, she has always sort of had that sense of style. But now that she`s in her style, she`s kind of come in to her own. And the girl really has an eye for fashion and style, and we thought tonight was a great night to recognize it.
ANDERSON: All right. She does have a unique sense of style, and she - she is coming in to her own. I agree.
And I want to talk now about Jennifer Lopez. You know, we all remember that green Versace dress that turned everybody`s heads at the 2000 Grammys. She is named the style icon on the "`Us` Hot List."
What has J.Lo got that the others don`t?
BAKER: Well, Jennifer Lopez really stands out. Because this is a woman who truly is true to the awards. She is a style icon.
And the fact that whenever you see Jennifer Lopez, she is going to draw your attention. She has a real sense of whether she`s wearing juicy sweats or a sweater or a T-shirt. She knows exactly what she`s putting on every part of her body. She`s truly a fashionista.
ANDERSON: And it`s how she carries it, don`t you think? It`s how she carries herself.
BAKER: Well, a lot of people will tell you that half of fashion is attitude.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: And she truly has that attitude.
And don`t forget also, Jennifer Lopez is a designer of fashion herself. She`s had several labels, and she`s had the - very successful as well. So she not only wears them, she also creates them.
ANDERSON: From the women to the men - you know, we`re not talking Tom Cruise here, not Brad Pitt, but David Arquette. You know, you call him the "iconoclast."
Ken, I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by that.
BAKER: Well, you know, David Arquette puts guys like me to shame. You know, I show off. I`ve got my striped shirt; I`m all conservative.
David Arquette - bravo! The guy literally has showed up to red carpet events dressed like a clown. And I don`t mean that in a pejorative sense; he actually, literally, dresses like a clown.
ANDERSON: Yes, he does.
BAKER: He loves to have - he loves to have fun with his fashion. And it`s really interesting; I think it`s a real representation of his personality, which is kind of wacky. It`s offbeat. It`s funky. And I think for that reason, we put him on the list. And he deserved it.
ANDERSON: You can never beat that confidence someone has.
OK, now - now moving on to the person to the person you call "the swan," Ashlee Simpson. Ashlee has been pretty coy about whether she`s had plastic surgery or not. And now it seems that she`s emerging from the shadow of her - of her sister Jessica.
BAKER: Well, Ashlee Simpson is now 22 years old. But when we first saw her, she was just barely 18. She was on her MTV reality show, walking around in sweatpants and T-shirts and flip-flops. And now she`s this glamorous fashion plate who a lot of people think has overtaken Jessica, and now is - come out of the shadow of Jessica, and now overshadows Jessica Simpson.
And what`s interesting is two years ago, "Us Weekly" named Jessica Simpson the style icon of the year.
ANDERSON: I remember.
BAKER: Now we would never - yes. We never would have recognized Ashlee Simpson for anything two years ago. She truly has transformed herself.
And it`s not just her new nose. It is her entire look, her entire style. She`s funky. She knows how to dress for the street. She knows how to dress for the red carpet. And so we`re going to honor her tonight with the rest of the pack.
ANDERSON: Well-deserved. It seems effortless.
OK, 30 seconds left. "Grindhouse" star Rose McGowan. She`s really done a - a 360 with her style, hasn`t she?
BAKER: Well, you might remember, Rose McGowan, a few years - more than a few years ago, she was dating Marilyn Manson. She showed up on the red carpet with basically her bare butt exposed.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: And it was probably - she was known until recently for not having fashion, for basically showing herself off nude.
Well, she`s really cleaned up. She`s 33 years old. She has a very sophisticated sense of her. And she`s very glamorous. She`s known for these form-fitting gowns. She has a beautiful body.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: And she`s known for a form-fitting, very glamorous look. And we honor her.
ANDERSON: The Girl Scout style.
All right. Ken Bakely (ph) - Ken Baker from "Us Weekly," thanks. Have fun tonight.
BAKER: Thank you.
ANDERSON: "Us Weekly" is hosting a private event to celebrate the honorees at "Us Weekly"`s Hot in Hollywood 2007. The full list is in the new "Us Weekly," on newsstands tomorrow.
VARGAS: Well, tonight, I`ve got your first look at the new movie "The Bourne Ultimatum." Just that movie - it`s just the name. Oh, "Bourne Ultimatum."
Matt Damon returns as a trained assassin Jason Bourne for the latest showdown in the series. Let`s take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRAILER, "THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM"
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Matt Damon is just (INAUDIBLE).
"The Bourne Ultimatum" opens nationwide August 3.
ANDERSON: Next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, I got to sit down with Jon Voight today. We really covered a lot of ground. What he had to tell me, coming up next.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Jon Voight is speaking out about his daughter and about Alec Baldwin`s controversial voicemail message.
I sat down with Jon today. As you may know, he and his daughter, Angelina Jolie, have had a rocky relationship. So I asked him if he had any words of advice for Baldwin.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: My view of it is, it seems that the child is being used in a way that is not so proper. And I - I just wish - I wish there`s healing.
ANDERSON: Yes.
VOIGHT: And I - I - I`m - I feel that he`s very sincerely a loving dad and wants to be with his kids. That`s what I think.
ANDERSON: He - he seems genuinely sorry.
VOIGHT: Well.
ANDERSON: And - and you both have it in common. You want to see your family.
VOIGHT: Listen, if you get - if you can`t see your child, there`s nothing that makes you more angry than somebody keeping a child from you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Jon told me there`s nothing better in life than having a child. And I asked him about the situation with Angelina. They haven`t spoken for quite some time.
Here`s what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOIGHT: I send my - my daughter my love.
ANDERSON: Yes.
VOIGHT: .and certainly my prayers.
ANDERSON: Yes.
VOIGHT: And she - there`s a lot of wonderful things on behalf of other people. I`m impressed with the - that aspect of her life, and I always wish her well and with brad and their child and their children. I - I wish them well, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well said.
And he had a lot more to say. We also talked about his controversial opinions about the war in Iraq. And that`s coming up in my full interview with Jon Voight, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: Well, yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Rosie Leaving `The View`: Is she too controversial?"
Seventy percent of you say "yes"; 30 percent of you say "no."
Here are some of the e-mails we got:
Jan from Wisconsin writes, "She brought energy and controversy to `The View,` but that has been a great thing."
Eve though writes, "Controversial is much too elegant a term for her comments that are meant to offend, not illuminate."
ANDERSON: It is that time now to see what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Charles, give us that "Marquee."
Tomorrow, Alec Baldwin speaks. Baldwin`s exclusive interview on "The View," where he talks about everything from wanting to quite "30 Rock" to wanting to leave the country. What? Alec`s explosive interview tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, step right up for amazing celebrity disappearing acts. From Courtney Love to Star Jones, how do some stars lose so much weight so incredibly fast? It`s unbelievable. The stunning before-and-after pictures, tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Thanks so much for watching, everyone. That`s a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Have a good one. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas in Hollywood. Good night, everyone.
"GLENN BECK" is next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News.
END
