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Showbiz Tonight
The End of The Brit-Pack; Lindsay Lohan`s Career in Trouble
Aired May 10, 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: Alec Baldwin`s co-stars speak out about his disturbing voice mail rant to his daughter. What they say will surprise you. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And why one of the biggest filmmakers of all time is hiding his new film from the U.S. government. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is Lindsay Lohan`s career in deep trouble? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, the rehab, the partying, the box office bombs. Has La Lohan become La Loser?
And she may not be alone, with Paris heading to jail, and Britney`s comeback kind of a bust, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking is it time, once and for all, to say bye-bye to this bizarre Brit-pack?
So just why is Paris Hilton famous anyway? And what about those other so called stars, Nicole Richie, Kevin Federline. They definitely haven`t earned it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Magazines like "Star" are famous merely because they are creative celebrities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is demanding the answers to the explosive question, why is fame just not what it used to be?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight, look out Michael Moore, the government is coming after you. Coming up, why the government is investigating one of Hollywood`s most controversial directors and the startling connection to 9/11.
HAMMER: But first tonight, the lowdown on Lindsay. And we do mean low. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that there are some serious questions about whether Lindsay Lohan is in a career and life crisis. Between the rehab, the partying, and the early buzz that her new movie is going to bomb as big as her last few, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking whether Lindsay is heading down the path of Paris, and could actually be doomed to remaining famous simply for being famous.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Her every move makes headlines. Her partying antics have become legendary.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: He was so cute.
HAMMER: And movies like "Mean Girls" have made Lindsay Lohan a movie star, with a lifetime 400 million dollar box office take. But amid all the tabloid exploits, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you there is danger lurking for the 20-year-old movie star. Look out, Lindsay, you may be in bigger trouble than you realize. Your movie career may be in danger.
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, MEDIA BY NUMBERS: Lately, Lindsey`s box office performance has not been that great.
HAMMER: The proof is in the pictures, specifically her last three. "Bobby?" A bomb. "A Prairie Home Companion?" Bomb. "Just My Luck?" You get the idea. And if her new movie "Georgia Rule" flops, could Lindsay become a box office loser? Movie analyst Paul Dergarabedian tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Lindsay needs a hit and fast.
DERGARABEDIAN: I think Lindsay Lohan really needs to get back on track. I think if there`s a perception she`s difficult to work with, that`s not a good thing. If the box office isn`t there, that`s not a good thing either.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: One more rule, you live here, you work.
HAMMER: Lindsey`s work ethic while making "Georgia Rule" earned her a very public smack down from the head of the studio making the movie. He sent her a letter blasting her for missing a whole shooting day because of her hard partying. And recent talks for Lindsay to star in a movie with Kira Nightly (ph) reportedly hit a rough patch when Lindsay refused to make certain concessions, like promising to show up on time during shooting.
The filmmaker`s response, goodbye Lindsay, hello Sienna Miller. Lindsay`s "George Rule" co star Jane Fonda tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Lindsay needs help.
JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: I want to wrap my arms around her and take her away for 20 years. She needs protection.
HAMMER: Lindsey`s reported substance abuse issues and her recent public scoffing at rehab are also raising eye brows.
KEN SEELEY, "INTERVENTION": She hasn`t hit a bottom. She`s not ready to get sober. And what needs to happen is somebody needs to step in.
HAMMER: Will that person be her mother and career guide, Dina Lohan? Not that likely say the women on "The View."
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": It`s just sad to me that when your daughter is obviously struggling as with some addiction issues, as the young girl obviously is, that the mother is posing with champagne on the back of "Vanity Fair" and doing interviews on the red carpet.
RACHEL SYNE, "RADAR MAGAZINE": She`s not playing a very strong parental role in Lindsay`s career. She acts more like a sister. She acts more like a party buddy.
LOHAN: I wouldn`t be where I am without going through those ups and downs.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan recently told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she isn`t phased by all this stuff that has been written about her partying and other troubles. But that doesn`t mean she`s happy about it.
LOHAN: I don`t want to be known for what club I`m at.
HAMMER: But that is precisely the danger she`s in.
SYNE: She has the danger of fading away, not getting the best roles, or letting the partying overtake her.
HAMMER: Rachel Syne is from "Radar Magazine," which features Lindsay on the cover, literally taking aim at the paparazzi. Rachel tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Lindsay could be falling into the same trap as her sometimes partying pals Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, where you become more famous for your off stage trouble than any on stage talent.
SYNE: All that attention, in ways, has driven her to become sort of the center of partying and this decadent Hollywood lifestyle that she`s come to represent.
HAMMER: But keep in mind, no one is writing off Lindsay yet.
SYNE: I am optimistic about Lindsay`s career. I think that unlike some actresses or heiresses out there, I think that Lindsay came into the business as a talent and I think she needs to remember that, and go back to the basics.
DERGARABEDIAN: In Hollywood, you are as big as your last movie and as strong as your last movie. So all she needs is one big hit. All will be forgiven.
HAMMER: But she needs to do it soon, or else the star that first charmed us in "The Parent Trap."
LOHAN: And you and I are like sisters.
HAMMER: Will end up trapped in the role of a Hollywood has been.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Lindsay`s not the only starlet known more for her partying than her work. From Lindsay to Britney to Paris, these days the headlines out of young Hollywood are mostly about bad behavior. Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, is the party over for the Brit-pack? Joining me from New York celebrity journalist David Caplan, and from Hollywood, author of the new book "Party Girl" Anna David. David, Anna, good to see you both.
OK David, help me absorb all of this. You`ve got Paris going to jail. Her co-star in the "Simple Life," Nicole Richie, facing possible jail time for DWI. Britney went to rehab. Lindsay went to rehab. Is this the end of the Brit-pack or are we just enjoying a brief interlude here.
DAVID CAPLAN, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: I think it`s a bit of brief interlude. You are really seeing this group becoming fractured. They are all sort of going their different ways. And of course why they`re going their different ways is a product of what they`ve been up to. But it`s interesting to note that I think this group is not going to be together.
I think Britney, Lindsay, and Paris, these three together, we`re not going to see them back together anytime soon. The interesting thing about these girls in young Hollywood, especially Paris, is that they jump from friends to friends. So in a couple months it won`t necessarily be Brit, Paris and Lindsay, but say Paris, Brit and Ashley Simpson, or all of a sudden another star will come into the mix.
So they are almost morphing and they are very almost predator like in that way. They go to the club. They get a new girl. They are like, she`s cool. She`s one of us.
ANDERSON: So we could see a different pack in the future. What do you say, Anna? End of the Brit-pack?
ANNA DAVID, "PARTY GIRL": Well, I think it`s true that their relationships tend it to be on the ephemeral side. But in terms of their continues success, I don`t think that producing projects that aren`t great quality really will have that much of an impact on their careers. Lindsay hasn`t really had a hit since "Mean Girls." And yet she`s continued to be on the cover of more and more magazines. And we the public have cared about her more and more.
ANDERSON: It`s pretty incredible, when you show no talent, that you can still achieve such a level of success. We have seen over and over again these young Hollywood stars just act like they don`t have to follow any of the rules. Marie Osmond, you know, she was once a huge child star. I want to listen now to what she said on "The View" about what she thinks part of the problem is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE OSMOND, SINGER TV PERSONALITY: I think there is an entitlement in this generation. Look we all struggle. My life is certainly not perfect. Nobody`s life is perfect. But, you know, I was raised -- I think you teach correct principals and then you have to let somebody govern their life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, David, entitlement, certainly not a new thing in Hollywood. What`s different now? Are these stars just taking it to the extreme?
CAPLAN: Yes, absolutely. These girls are so entitled. And right now sort of in pop cultures, these girls are so entitled because there`s a whole industry, essentially, celebritiness and just this infatuation with celebrities. So they can do anything they want. They have so many people really catering to every need, every whim. And they feel they can do whatever they want.
They feel they are above the law. We see that with Paris Hilton and Britney, whether she`s driving with her kid in the back seat or whatever. They feel they are above the law. They can do whatever they want in clubs. They can underage drink. They don`t care, because really we embrace it and we love it when they misbehave at the same time.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, I want to look on the bright side for a moment. Not all of young Hollywood gets drawn into this. Take Freddy Prince Jr. for example. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spoke to him as he was promoting his movie "Brooklyn Rules," and he said, hey, it`s not brain surgery what you need to do and how you should act. Take a look at what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FREDDY PRINCE JR., ACTOR: I`ll be really honest with you. You know where to go if you want to be photographed. And you know where to go if you don`t. And so when I hear people start to complain and actors go, they follow me everywhere. I`m like, don`t go to the Ivy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s that simple. Do you think that`s part of the problem that all of these young Hollywood stars -- honestly, I don`t know why some of them are called stars -- but that they`re more worried about getting their picture taken by the paparazzi at the Ivy than actually exhibiting any talent?
DAVID: To be fair, more paparazzi are chasing Lindsay Lohan than they are chasing Freddy Prince Jr. I mean, it`s just a fact.
ANDERSON: But If he went to the Ivy, Anna, you know he would be photographed. He makes a good point.
DAVID: Absolutely. Absolutely. I do think that these girls seem to court the attention. They really, really do. But they also -- it`s kind of becomes this snowball. They court the attention and then the attention is on them. And then everything they do is news. I think it`s like we are all so interested in it. It`s more interesting than, you know, Hillary Duff went shopping with her sister. It`s more interesting to hear about Lindsay Lohan went out to rehab and is out to the clubs.
ANDERSON: Let me ask you this, 10 seconds Anna, if you could write a story book ending, how would you want to see it play out?
DAVID: I say the Brit pack; they should all go and open a rehab together and put all of their money into it, so it`s a good rehab, but they have like the treatments and everything, and it should be free.
ANDERSON: Would probably be the first one with a dance floor and a D.J., most likely. Celebrity journalist David Caplan, also Anna David, author of the "Party Girl," thank you both so much.
Now we want to hear what you think about it. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. The Brit-back public crash; is the party finally over for Britney, Paris and Lindsay. Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. And you can vote on the question of the day by sending a cell phone text to 45688. To vote yes, write SHOWBIZ Yes. To vote no, write SHOWBIZ No. Once again, send that text to 45688.
HAMMER: This just reminds us of the question, why is Paris Hilton famous in the first place? What about the other so called stars? You know, Nicole Richie, Kevin Federline. I don`t think they have earned it, Brooke.
ANDERSON: I agree with you. And until they exhibit legitimate talent, I don`t think they will have earned it, A.J.
HAMMER: So they may never earn it is what you`re saying. Coming up at half past the hour, I will be investigating why fame just ain`t what it used to be. Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: You are a rude, thoughtless little pig.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So disturbing every time I hear it. And now Alec Baldwin`s co-stars are speaking out about his shocking voice mail rant to his daughter.
HAMMER: And something else that`s absolutely wild. Why Michael Moore is so afraid of the U.S. government that he`s actually stashing a copy of his brand new movie in a safe house overseas. We will get into that next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day, where someone got popped at the pops. We head to Boston for some classical chaos. Get this, a fight broke out at Wednesday`s opening night of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
Yes, tale a look. It was a good old fashioned Red Sox slugfest when two audience members started to go at it. No one got arrested for the Bean town balcony brawl, but we still don`t know why these guys started fighting in the first place, although one did tell the other to be quiet. Maybe one wanted to hear Beethoven`s Fifth, the other the Sixth? I don`t know. That`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video of the day.
HAMMER: Tonight, one of Hollywood`s most controversial filmmakers has the government breathing down his neck. Today the shocking news came that the U.S. government is investigating Michael Moore. All this is because of his new movie "Sicko," which is threatening to blow the lid off the U.S. health care industry.
And there is a startling connection to the September 11th terrorist attacks. Joining me tonight from Hollywood Paul Dergarabedian, who`s the president of the box office tracking company Media By Numbers. From Chicago, tonight, CNN contributor and syndicated talk radio host, Roland Martin. Paul, Roland, it`s good to see you both. Let`s get into what happened here.
Michael Moore took these ten rescue workers who all got sick after working down at ground zero on 9/11 and after 9/11. He took them down to Cuba. The point here to show that the health care there was actually better than here in the United States. Doing that, taking these people down there, he may have violated the law that still exists, which bans travel to Cuba.
ROLAND, I`ve got to ask you, do you take this at face value, or do you think that the government is going after a guy who made a whole film that basically attacks the Bush administration, "Fahrenheit 9/11," because if you ask me, I think it`s kind of fishy.
ROLAND MARTIN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, the fundamental issue is he flouted the law. He broke the law. You have to file the necessary paperwork. Apparently he did not do that. Therefore, they are following up. Understand, from Michael Moore`s stand point, this is publicity. Look, it cost 180 grand to take out a full page ad in the Sunday "New York Times."
When the Yankees broke the Cuban embargo, they were fined 75,000 dollars. So I simply see this as a lot of free publicity for Michael Moore.
HAMMER: I agree with you, Roland, but what about the point, do they go after everybody, or are they possibly singling him out here?
MARTIN: Well, again, they did go after the New York Yankees when they were recruiting a Cuban baseball player, so they fined the Yankees. So there is precedent that they have actually gone after people who have broken the rules, broken the embargo. The rule is there. Michael Moore knew about the law. It exists.
HAMMER: And he did file paperwork and it is now just unclear as to how far that paperwork was moved along. That`s going to unfold in the coming days. "Fahrenheit 9/11," of course, was a monster hit. It also ruffled a lot of feathers. Now, Paul, "Sicko" is going to be debuting at the Cannes Film Festival this month. A lot of people don`t want this movie to be seen. What is it about this particular film that has touched such a nerve, as many of Michael`s movies do?
DERGARABEDIAN: Well, taking on the health care industry is huge right there. And to have Michael Moore, probably one of the most famous directors around. People know him by sight. And knowing what kind of controversy he always brings to the table. His press people have got to be rejoicing at this. We are talking about it now. This brings a lot of attention to this movie.
And, you know, it`s Michael Moore. So he`s no stranger to controversy. "Fahrenheit 9/11," as you said, huge hit, opened with like 23.8 million dollars. It was number one the opening weekend; made 120 million dollars. Now "Sicko" comes along. It`s about to debut at the Cannes Film Festival. It will probably open in the United States at the end of June.
This is all good news for Michael Moore. This is not somebody who shies away from controversy.
HAMMER: Yes, face it, before we were talking about it today, probably a lot of people never knew there was a movie called "Sicko" in existence.
MARTIN: There you go.
HAMMER: Here`s what I find to be one of the fascinating parts of this story though. As soon as Michael Moore gets this letter from the government about their investigation that they are doing into him, he arranged for a copy of "Sicko" to be placed in a safe house outside of the United States, off our soil. What do you think, Roland? A good move here? A publicity stunt, or is he being paranoid and he thinks the government is really going to try to seize his film?
MARTIN: A.J., the guy is a director. He knows great theater. He knows drama. So it`s great to say, oh my god, they might take my film. So put it in a safe house in Spain or Liberia, something along those lines. I mean, it`s great theater. So what he`s doing; he`s orchestrating this. He directed a picture, a documentary, but now he`s directing the coverage, because now that`s going to be his whole deal. This is great drama.
HAMMER: Maybe we are being a little cynical, because maybe he does have reason to be concerned there. Paul, was "Fahrenheit 9/11," incidentally, the number one documentary of all time?
DERGARABEDIAN: Yes, it is. It made 120 million dollars domestically, huge.
HAMMER: Obviously a hot button issue there with 9/11, but does this stand to do as well or perhaps even bigger? Because the health industry, as you said, a huge hot button issue.
DERGARABEDIAN: Well, I think the reason why "Fahrenheit 9/11" did so well is because so many people could relate to it, because everyone lived through 9/11. With "Sicko" everyone can relate to this topic. Whether or not it can be as big as "Fahrenheit 9/11," that was sort of lightning in a bottle at that moment. But you never know, with Michael Moore and all of this controversy -- I agree with Roland completely on what he was saying about this.
HAMMER: Michael is in charge of his directing of his own publicity.
Got to end it there. Paul Dergarabedian and Roland Martin, thanks so much.
MARTIN: Thanks A.J.
ANDERSON: So A.J., Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kevin Federline; they are famous for nothing and I just don`t get it.
HAMMER: Not a lot of people do, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Nope, they don`t. And coming up at half past the hour, we are going to take a look at it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s revealing look at why these people got so famous in the first place. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: You are a rude, thoughtless little pig.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Alec Baldwin`s shocking voice mail rant to his daughter. It made a lot of people sick. And next his co-stars are speaking out about it. What they told me will surprise you.
ANDERSON: And I`ve got a very special look on what goes on inside a rehab center to the stars. It`s really controversial, because it feels like a five-star resort. So does it work? Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I was right there today as the stars of Alec Baldwin`s new movie, "Brooklyn Rules," spoke out about his nasty divorce and custody battle with Kim Basinger, and his shocking voice mail rant that he left for his daughter, Ireland, that`s caused all kinds of controversy. In case you forgot, take a listen to a piece of it again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: You`ve made me feel like (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And you`ve made me feel like a fool over and over and over again. I`ll let you know just how I feel about what a rude little pig you really are. You are a rude, thoughtless little pig, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s so startling every time you hear it. But the co-stars of his new movie seem to agree this very disturbing tape that went public should definitely have been kept private.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE JR.: Yes, I think he was treated unfairly. I mean, parents are parents. I don`t know one parent that hasn`t -- ever in the history of parenthood, any parent that I have met, who hasn`t gotten upset with their child. The horrible part was that it was broadcast.
SCOTT CAAN, ACTOR: It`s nobody`s business. I don`t know what he said specifically. I`m sure it`s not as bad as everybody made it out to be. And look, I`m not even sticking up for Alec. I don`t know him that well. I think he`s a great guy. I don`t know what he said. But whatever it was, completely, I guarantee, got blown out of proportion. And it`s nobody`s business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to point out that I couldn`t ask Alec himself about this. He wasn`t at the press event for his own movie "Brooklyn Rules," which is a terrific film, by the way.
ANDERSON: All right, an "American Idol" finalist whose taking dramatic new steps in her weight battle. She is right here to tell us all about her courageous move next. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many of the celebrities you see in magazines like "Star" are famous merely because they are created celebrities. All you need are paparazzi photographers to take photos of them and they just explode.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, you know we are talking about Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Kevin Federline. Why are they famous in the first place? They definitely haven`t earned it. Coming up, I`ve got to ask, why isn`t fame just what it used to be?
ANDERSON: And I`ve got a really special look inside rehab; yes, this place, rehab for the stars. You`re not going to believe it. It looks more like a five-star resort. But does it really work? I`ve got that coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Thursday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, as the countdown to lockdown for Paris Hilton continues, we`ve noticed our e-mail box is all jammed with viewer mail. Everybody wanting to know just what in the world Paris is famous for anyway? All that e-mail got us thinking about all those people out there who are famous simply because they`re famous.
I`m not just talking about just Paris Hilton, here, and Nicole Ritchie. I`m talking about the reality show rejects, the spouses of famous people, all the virtual nobodies who, through some magic 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. These were Hollywood stars who worked hard to achieve fame and fortune. Yeah, something went wrong. From Paris Hilton to the crazy bride from YouTube who made national headlines --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate my hair!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: -- to the range of reality show rejects, like this guy from "American Idol." it seems like these days just about anybody can be famous -- and we mean anybody.
SIMON COWEL, "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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s such a great rush to that. They think I made it. Just because Simon called me a bush baby, I`ve made it. It`s a rush they don`t think they can beat.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Being real doctors or lawyers, working a real job where you have to get dressed to work every day, and work hard, and do something, this is getting a lot for doing nothing, which is hard to beat.
HAMMER: While reality shows can turn nobodies into somebodies, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that flash of fame lasts just 15 minutes.
Unless you`re Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie who, despite an obvious lack of talent, are now bona fide celebrities. People who are now known, really known you might add for little more than starring in sex tapes and losing too much weight.
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. Many of the celebrities you see in magazines like "Star" are famous merely because they are created celebrities.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All you need are a few paparazzi photographers to take photos of them and they just explode.
HAMMER: Paris Hilton has been working the press for years. Turning herself from a staple of gossip pages into a multimillion-dollar international brand name.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris Hilton is a example of somebody becoming a celebrity. In the early days of her sort of ascent to fame there was a scandal with her like every few weeks, from sex tapes to who she was dating, and it really had this snowball effect where now she`s an established celebrity.
HAMMER: An established celebrity who maintains her fame through infamy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris is famous because she has manipulated the media in a way which just left everybody wanting to know more and more about her.
HAMMER: And that feeds upon itself to the point of no turning back. Case in point, Nicole Ritchie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every time Nicole Ritchie 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 websites like YouTube or reality shows isn`t lost on teenagers. "Newsweek" magazine recently found that 31 percent of all teens believe that they will be famous when they grow up.
And if they can`t be famous, well, that`s OK, too. A new book called "Fame Junkies" says the number one career goal of nearly half of all teenage girls, being a celebrity assistant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They feel like if they are close enough to famous people, that magical dust of fame will come off on them and they too will sort of be special.
HAMMER: Sort of professional like professional celebrity slacker turned insurance pitch man Kevin Federline, 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s the story behind the personality. It`s all about being a character. You can be the most accomplished actors, the most accomplished musician, but if there`s nothing really interesting, if there`s really no sort of so what factor that the reared finds, they are not going to be interesting and it just won`t do well for the magazine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: The big question is weather Paris will be able to maintain that fame or infamy, if you will, after she completes her impending 45 days in jail.
Well one woman who`s famous for all the right reasons is season two "American Idol" finalist Kimberley Locke. Because Kimberley has kept very busy since "American Idol." She`s out with this brand new album called "Based On A True Story." She`s also a spokesperson for Jenny Craig; she is one of the stars on VH1`s "Celebrity Fit Club." And Kimberly Locke has a beautiful smile -- all good things.
Kimberly, it`s good to see you here in New York.
KIMBERLY LOCKE, Good to see you again.
HAMMER: Welcome back to the show.
About that story, we were talking a little about the story we just ran famous really for nothing. Do you get at all why people are so fascinated with a person like Paris Hilton for no particular reason, really just because they are famous?
LOCKE: It`s like hearing a song on the radio that you don`t like. And they play it over and over and over again and then a month later, you are like, I love this song. I think that the media hype is what makes the Paris Hilton. And now she is a celebrity because she has her show and she`s actually working. But it`s unbelievable.
HAMMER: Yeah, but there`s not really -- see the thing that we always end up coming back to is talent. I look at you, you`re a wonderfully brilliantly talented singer.
LOCKE: Thank you.
HAMMER: And you look at somebody like Paris and you try to throw the talent word at her and you have a little harder of a time. Which may be why a lot of people, myself among them, taking a little joy in the fact that she`s going to jail. Maybe that`s not such a nice thing to say.
LOCKE: You know what, when she gets out of jail she`s going to have a lot of street cred. I`m just saying.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Yeah, right. Street cred with Paris Hilton?
But do you get why people are now so obsessed with watching people like her fall and go to jail?
LOCKE: It`s exciting I think. People are into that. People like the thrill of it. People like to feel like they are watching somebody`s life, either -- why do you think people love reality television so much? People like to sit home at their couches and eat their dinner and watch people stumble through life.
HAMMER: Sure. They like to watch the arc of the story line.
LOCKE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: That`s exactly like what happened with you on "American Idol."
LOCKE: People love that. And I think that`s what the craze is all about.
HAMMER: Look at you. Look at everything you are doing. You`ve got the new album, finally in stores, "Based On A True Story." In addition to that, though, you`re a spokesperson for Jenny Craig. You are one of them. You also are on the "Celebrity Fit Club" on VH1.
LOCKE: Right.
HAMMER: The last time you were hear you talked about the fact that you never wanted to get too crazy about your weight.
LOCKE: Right.
HAMMER: And by the way, you do look terrific.
LOCKE: Thank you.
HAMMER: But you say that, but at the same time you`re doing the Jenny Craig, you`re doing the "Celebrity Fit Club". Are you feeling a certain pressure?
LOCKE: I don`t feel the pressure. Trust me. I had to sit down and have a long conversation with myself before I even decided to do that show. Me, and my manager Jerry, had a lot of conversations about it. Because it is tough. Because I have constantly said to people, I love myself the way that I am.. And I want people to know that. I`m not conforming to the industry. I don`t feel any pressure.
This is something that I`ve decided to do for myself. I`ve decided to do it in a healthy way so that I`m not splattered all over every magazine because Kimberly Locke is now anorexic. Maybe I should, I`d get more press out of it, I`m sure. But I choose not to be that way. I think that young girls they`d a better example of how to have a better relationship with yourself.
HAMMER: That`s a very healthy approach. It`s if you look at your new album, you know, it`s terrific that you co-wrote most of the songs on "Based On A True Story" including the first single "Change" which is about your ex-fiancee.
LOCKE: Yeah.
HAMMER: So, you`ve got that. That`s a troubled time in your life where you have to break up with somebody. You are dealing with other very public things, wearing it out on your sleeve. That has to be difficult.
LOCKE: It is difficult. Because people want to talk about it. That happened like -- that was over two years ago for me. But people still want to talk about it. And that`s what the album is about. So I don`t mind talking about it because it was a pivotal moment in my life and my career.
HAMMER: One word answer, who is going to win season three of "American Idol" -- season three? Or we`re in the final three of "American Idol"?
LOCKE: Jordan.
HAMMER: Jordan is going to win. You heard Kimberly Locke say it right here.
Kimberly Locke, it`s always great to see you.
LOCKE: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: The brand new album, as I said, called "Based A True Story." There it is, and it`s in stores now.
ANDERSON: All right. Get ready to see something you haven`t seen before. Because I am exclusively taking you inside the rehab of the rich and sometimes famous.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the master bathroom. And it is by far one of the biggest bathrooms I have ever stepped my foot on.
ANDERSON: Wow! It is enormous.
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ANDERSON: And if you think that bathroom is something, wait until you see what else I have to show you. No, it`s not a vacation spot. It is one of the many rehab centers in California that treats celebrities. I got in there exclusively and my eye opening special report is coming up in just a couple of minutes.
HAMMER: Plus, what supermodel Naomi Campbell is revealing about her battle with drugs and the time that she spent sweeping up a New York City garage for days because she cracked her assistant over the head with a phone. Ouch, Naomi! I`ve got Naomi`s personal diary to share with you. It`s very revealing. The details are straight ahead.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Not a day goes by when I don`t report about so-and-so celebrity checking into rehab. But what are these places like? Wait until you see this, because I`m about to take you somewhere very few have been, rehab for the rich and famous. Some stars don`t want you to see this. It was an exclusive, eye-opening experience. You see, it may only be a few miles from here, but it really is a world away.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Break at the surf zone and swim out to the right a little bit more.
ANDERSON (voice over): Surfing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me know what you think of the pressure.
ANDERSON: Massages, gourmet meals.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two balconies up here.
ANDERSON: Luxurious accommodations.
(on camera): You wake up every morning to this view.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every morning I wake up, I step outside and take a deep breath and just thank God for allowing me to be here.
ANDERSON: You may think this is a posh resort, but, in fact, this is drug and alcohol rehab, Malibu style.
(On camera): Is this rehab or is this summer camp? I mean come on. Here we are at the beautiful beach in Malibu.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a little bit of both. But what happens while you`re here is that the primary focus is dealing with your emotional therapeutic issues.
ANDERSON (voice over): And 21-year-old Scott Young is nearing the end of his 30-day stay at Passages Addiction Cure Center.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ended up smoking pot and drinking whether I was 10, 11 years old and ever since then just progressed using crack, heroin, cocaine, drinking. When I couldn`t get those things -- I spent two months in jail before I came here. It`s been a long journey for me.
ANDERSON: This is Scott`s fifth or sixth time in a rehab; his first in the lap of luxury. A family friend picked up the tab this time because a stay at Passages isn`t cheap, at nearly $70,000 a month.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the master bathroom. And it is by far one of the biggest bathrooms I have ever stepped my foot on.
ANDERSON (on camera): Wow! It is enormous.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those views, I come over here and I brush my teeth every morning and I get to look at the ocean. So I mean, it just doesn`t get any better than that. It doesn`t.
ANDERSON: Meet Concheta Brute, a 43-year-old mother who extended her stay to two months. Her parents are picking up the whopping $135,000 bill.
(On camera): What does your family think about you being here? Because from the outside, boy, it looks like a five-star resort.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They all said, we want to go. We would like to go. They realized that in order to get here, I had to be in a really dark place, and I don`t think would want to change places with me to go through the darkness to get to this place.
ANDERSON: Concheta says she`s been in and out of rehabs over the years, struggling with everything from an eating disorder to gambling, abusing alcohol and methamphetamines, even attempting suicide. Before getting help this time, Concheta became isolated from her family.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They basically said, look Concheta, we can`t have you this way around our family. You know, we`re not going to. And if you would like -- I told my daughter, mommy is still very sick, and she is using drugs again.
ANDERSON: Concheta says she finally feels she has a grip on her dependency after finding the root of her problems at Passages.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s, you know, four intensive hours a day of therapists one on one, which I really felt I need to be able to get to the core issues.
ANDERSON: Passages is very different from your average rehab. With less focus on group therapy and more focus on one-on-one treatment which Concheta and Scott allowed us to witness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had no self-acceptance whatsoever.
ANDERSON: Some is what you would expect. Regular meetings with a psychologist, as well as therapists who focus on family issues and chemical dependency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Putting the toxins and poisons into my body, it didn`t affect me at all. It just numbs me to having to feel all of this self-hate and misery.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re accepting yourself right now without judgment and accepting your motions right now without judgment. It`s pretty cool.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are worthy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are worthy and deserving.
ANDERSON: But there`s also regular hypnotherapy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen. Feel. Sense. You`re learning to love and respect yourself.
ANDERSON: And meetings with a nutritionist who specializes in spiritual counseling.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Opening the heart, connecting to your emotions.
ANDERSON: Here they say the massages help heal the body ravaged by drugs. And they claim activities like surfing serve a purpose, too.
STEVEN ELLIS, PASSAGES LIFE PURPOSE COACH: There is a time to unplug and unconsciously process a lot of the serious work that`s happened at Passages, and when we are out here, sometimes there are serious conversations that happen that are by no means trivial whatsoever.
ANDERSON: Chris Prentiss and his son, Pax, a former heroin and cocaine addict founded Passages six years ago based on the tools they say helped Pax become sober.
(on camera): Why these gourmet chefs? Why the massage therapists? Is that necessary?
CHRIS PRENTISS, PASSAGES ADDICTION CURE CENTER: It`s not necessary in a way, but in another way, it is because this is a healing center. The people who want to come to this program expect to be in a nice surrounding.
ANDERSON: Nearly $70,000 a month. Why so expensive?
C. PRENTISS: Because it`s one-on-one treatment. Because it`s in a $22-million estate. Because there is 100 people who work here to take care of 29 clients. It just it`s an expensive program to put on.
ANDERSON: The Prentiss duo claim success rate of better than 80 percent and even wrote a book about their unconventional approach. They reject the decades-old 12-step program and proudly defy scientific studies about addiction.
(On camera): Doctors, scientists say addiction is a disease. You say it`s not.
PAX PRENTISS, PASSAGES ADDICTION CURE CENTER: I know it`s not.
C. PRENTISS: That`s correct. We know it`s not.
People do not use drugs and alcohol because they have a disease in their brain. People use drugs and alcohol because of heart break, because of loneliness, because of stress, because of anxiety, because of peer pressure, because of childhood problems. Rape, incest, brutality, abandonment, guilt, things that they have done to others, that`s why people use drugs and alcohol. It`s not because they are some incurably diseased person with no hope of recovery.
P. PRENTISS: The difficulty I have with disease concept and with calling yourself and addict is that labels you and it defines you.
ANDERSON: When you send patients home, what do you say to them?
P. PRENTISS: You`re cured.
C. PRENTISS: Totally cured, 100 percent.
P. PRENTISS: You will never use drugs and alcohol again. Your dependency has been cured. Have a wonderful life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t wait to, you know, have the rest of my life unfold and it`s going to be wonderful.
ANDERSON: The time has come for Scott to pack his bags and head back to New York where he plan to enroll in college to become a drug counselor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of finding that acceptance in myself, I`m able to like connect with the world and other people in such a different way and it`s just so -- it`s a great feeling. I`m definitely capable of growing out there just like I am in here.
ANDERSON: While the Passages approach to treatment may be debatable, hope is never questioned.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And when I talk to any of the rich and famous that have been through one of these ritzy rehab centers, I hear a constant refrain, that the heavy monetary price they pay is worth so much more than the price they pay when their personal crisis in front of a very public Hollywood spotlight.
HAMMER: Well, speaking of crisis in the spotlight, supermodel Naomi Campbell is revealing something very personal about herself, her battle with drugs, and the time she spent sweeping a New York city garage for days, because she cracked her assistant over the head with a phone.
That`s not how speed dial works, Naomi. I`ve got Naomi`s personal diary to share with you. The revealing details, straight ahead.
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HAMMER: Well, Naomi Campbell is speaking out about her community service stint. You might remember she spent five days sweeping up trash at a New York City sanitation garage back in March. That was her punishment for clobbering her maid with a cell phone.
Well, Naomi actually kept a daily diary. "W" magazine even had the chance to photograph her each morning as she decided what to wear. You know, a supermodel has got to look good for the paparazzi right?
Listen to this: It seems that all this cleaning helped cleanse Naomi`s soul. She has revealed some very shocking stuff about her drug addiction battle in her personal journal that she kept. I want to read some of it for you.
She says, "I find solace in sweeping. What I came to realize is that I had to surrender. I`m such a controlling person, but I had to just let go and let something higher than me be in control of my destiny. You have to let yourself become vulnerable again. Some people can handle a drink or line of cocaine, but I finally come to realize for me it`s all or nothing. And it has to be nothing. And my life has changed since."
Sounds like a much more Zen Naomi Campbell. She has been in and out of rehab for her drug use starting back in 1999. You can read more in "W" magazine out Friday.
ANDERSON: Yesterday we asked to you vote on our "Showbiz Tonight" question of the day. Paris Hilton blame game, should she shut up and do the time? A whopping 96 percent of you say yes. Only 4 percent of you say no. Here are some of the e-mails that we received.
Liz from Florida says, "As and adult, [Paris] should be in charge of her own affairs, or at least know what is going on with them."
And Jolethia from Georgia say, "Doing jail time might make Paris Hilton realize that it is time for her to grow up and get a clue. A publicist should not have to tell her what probation and suspended license means."
We do appreciate your e-mails. Keep it coming.
HAMMER: And it is time now to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, weekend`s just about here, and we will be talking star plastic surgery successes and nightmares. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates whose nips and tucks were terrific, and whose, well, were just plain terrible. When bad plastic surgery procedures, attack good stars. That`s tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, what the heck goes on inside Paris Hilton`s head? And how did her parents raise such a scholar among -- among -- oh heck, I don`t know. We`ve got the guy who blows the lid off the house of the Hiltons. Inside the Paris Hilton nightmare. That`s tomorrow.
Brooke, I`m a little afraid.
ANDERSON: Well, I have a question. Does anything go on inside Paris Hilton`s head?
HAMMER: That`s why I`m afraid. Because we have to figure that out.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"Glenn Beck" is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from "CNN Headline News."
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