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Showbiz Tonight
Farrah Fawcett`s Battle with Tabloids That go Over The Line; Michael Moore Takes on Health Care
Aired May 21, 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: Stars in trouble with the law. Sylvester Stallone knocked out down under. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And a big rock star arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Farrah Fawcett`s fierce cancer fight. Tonight the startling news that her cancer may have returned. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the disturbing details. Plus, why the "Charlie`s Angels" star is furious. Was she forced to make her private pain public? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the provocative question, are the tabloids just too invasive?
Hollywood family feuds, from Angelina Jolie and her dad Jon Voigt to Jennifer Aniston`s melee with her mom, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking a long, hard look at stars who are fighting with family members. Why can`t just they all just get along? Get ready to play the Family Feud on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And some shocking news today in the David Hasselhoff divorce drama. That videotape obtained by "Extra" may have swayed the judge into making a crucial decision. We`ll have that decision for you in just a moment.
HAMMER: But first tonight, shocking news involving Farrah Fawcett. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that it looks like unfortunately her cancer has returned. It is such sad news, after announcing to the world that she had beaten it, this is now taking place and that`s not even the worst of it, Brooke. Before Fawcett even got the chance to tell her own family the frightening news, the unthinkable happened. A tabloid found out about her cancer and plastered it all over its pages.
Now, we know that nearly every aspect of stars` lives are examined with a microscope and long range camera lenses, but tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, have the tabloids finally gone too far?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): The headline on the "National Enquirer" screams the story, Farrah`s cancer is back. And Farrah Fawcett`s inner circle is angrily screaming right back, claiming tabloids are breaking news about her illness before she even had a chance to tell her family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her own son had to hear about it from a tabloid. So they are livid right now.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the latest on Farrah`s heart- breaking fight for her life, and her simultaneous battle with the tabloids, which her friends say is as devastating as her cancer. It was a shattering revelation for the popular actress who first rocketed to fame in the 1970s in the TV show "Charlie`s Angels." Fawcett was first diagnosed with cancer last September. But after undergoing difficult treatment, she was declared cancer-free this past February.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that victory was short-lived.
MIKE FLEEMAN, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: Farrah went in for a routine three- month examination, a follow up and doctors found a very small malignant polyp.
HAMMER: Mike Fleeman of "People Magazine" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Farrah recently learned her cancer is back.
FLEEMAN: At first, she was devastated by this. Now she`s settled down a little bit and she`s trying to come up with a plan to deal with it.
HAMMER: But before Fawcett could process this disturbing news, she got another shock. The "National Enquirer" ran with this story, with what it claims are intimate details of her new cancer. Fleeman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Farrah didn`t even have a chance to tell her family before news of her cancer`s return was splashed across newsstands everywhere.
FLEEMAN: Farrah herself was just calling friends and family to tell them the cancer had returned. She hadn`t gotten all the way down the list of friends and family when the news broke in a tabloid. They had to here it from the press. And she was angry; she was hurt. She had a lot of explaining to do to people very close to her.
HAMMER: This isn`t the first time Farrah`s fumed over tabloid coverage of her cancer. The Enquirer proudly takes credit for first telling the world of Farrah`s initial cancer diagnosis before even the patient herself had a chance to. And now the sub subsequent coverage of Farrah`s cancer fight is drawing fire from her friends, including the producer of her 2005 reality show, "Chasing Farrah." In a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Chasing Farrah" producer and Fawcett`s friend Craig Nevius tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT quote, "While Farrah is prepared to continue the fight she began last fall, she is not prepared to allow the tabloids to continue to invade her privacy."
And the tabloid coverage, Nevius adds, quote, "not only have these and other lies been hurtful to Farrah and her family, but, as per her doctors, they have been potentially harmful to her recovery, not to mention the recovery of thousands of individuals who are also battling cancer."
And he wraps things up with this bombshell: "While Farrah still believes positivity is a necessity, it is now clear that the tabloids are as invasive and malignant as cancer and must dealt with in the same aggressive manner."
FLEEMAN: She has been very reluctant to sue the tabloids throughout the course of a very long and very sensational career. This time, she`s had enough. She says she`s hired the lawyers, she`s going to take legal action.
HAMMER: The "Washington Post`s" Howard Kurtz tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a star like Farrah Fawcett has next to no chance of keeping his or her health issues private.
HOWARD KURTZ, "THE WASHINGTON POST": If you live your life in that very bright spotlight, to some degree, you`re signing away your privacy rights.
HAMMER: The late Dana Reeves, widow of Superman star Christopher Reeves, found that out the hard way. In 2005, when she first announced she had cancer, she said she did so only because a tabloid was about to break the news. She died of the disease last year.
But When Michael J. Fox was ready to go public with his Parkinson`s disease in 1998, he did so on his own terms, breaking the news himself on a "People Magazine" cover story and an interview with ABC`s Barbara Walters.
MICHAEL J. FOX, ACTOR: I would find a way to live with it, to learn from it, to deal with it and I have.
HAMMER: In fact, Fox even managed to talk a tabloid out of publishing news about his disease, even though it got the scoop months earlier. The tabloid? The "National Enquirer." Now it appears every stars` health issues are fair game, including Farrah Fawcett`s. And Farrah is facing a decision no one envies. While fighting for her life, how hard is she willing to fight for her privacy?
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HAMMER: Don`t expect to hear from Farrah any time soon. One of her friends tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Farrah will not be discussing her disease until she sees fit. And now we`d like to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we`re asking tonight, Farrah`s cancer battle exposed, are the tabloids too invasive? Let us know what you think. Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Email us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com
ANDERSON: Tonight, major developments in the David Hasselhoff divorce drama, with both sides saying they`re victorious. TMZ.com is reporting David Hasselhoff has won temporary custody of his two teenage daughters. This all happened today when Hasselhoff and his ex-wife, Pamela Bocks (ph), faced off the for the first time in court since this unbelievable video was leaked, showing him drunk on the floor of his Las Vegas home. The hearing is under a gag order because of the kids. But Bocks` attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that this disturbing tape, obtained by "Extra," was also entered into evidence.
Here`s Bock right after court got out.
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DEBRA OPRI, ATTORNEY: We`ll be back on June 1st. We`re very happy.
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How are you feeling? Is it a good day?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, Jamie Floyd an anchor at Court TV and she joins me now from their New York studios. Jamie, thanks for being here.
JAMI FLOYD, COURT TV ANCHOR: My pleasure.
ANDERSON: All right, everybody all smiles. Bock all smiles. Her attorney Debra Opri all smiles. But TMZ is reporting Hasselhoff has gotten the kids temporarily. Bocks says she`s got the videotape admitted as evidence. You know, both sides saying they won this skirmish. But who`s really won?
FLOYD: Somebody`s full of it, obviously, because there`s no way they can both be winners. Look, Hasselhoff clearly victorious today. And I think smiles on that side are deserved, especially given that horrible, horrible videotape. And it`s not just Hasselhoff drunk on the floor, but his daughter is on the tape imploring him not to drink. So it`s terribly disturbing.
At the same time, the custody he`s got is temporary. And that word is what I think gives Pamela Bocks and her attorney Deb Opri cause to smile, because now that the tape is in evidence, that temporary custody may not hold out.
ANDERSON: OK, well I want to mention that David did sneak out of the back door of the court. But now that he has won temporary custody of the two kids, they`re back in his hands, how damaging, really, is that tape that was admitted into evidence? If a judge, if the reports are true, just handed the kids back over, how important is the tape now?
FLOYD: Well, again, the rule is a temporary one until the judge can have that next hearing and factor in all the evidence for long-term custody. I think the tape is very important. But also important will be the family evaluation that the expert has done. And that includes Pamela Bock`s behavior, which may not be caught on tape but also may be worthy of judicial scrutiny.
So the tape is important, but it`s not the only piece of evidence. And I would say overall, looking at today, Hasselhoff comes out on top.
ANDERSON: OK, well speaking of Bock`s behavior, there has been speculation that she may have had something to do with leaking the tape. She denies that. But if the judge determined she did have something to do with it being made public, could that hurt her chances at custody in the future?
FLOYD: Oh, Absolutely, especially given that there`s a gag order in affect and they`re not supposed to be leaking anything to the press or speaking to the press. In fact, even Deb Opri, my good friend, that little comment on the courthouse steps really not anything that the lawyers are supposed to be doing. Certainly if the parties violate the court order, then that`s grounds for the judge to consider awarding children to Mr. Hasselhoff.
But really, the judge`s primary concern is the best interest of the child. That`s what he is supposed to be thinking about.
ANDERSON: As it should be. I want to get, very quickly, Jami, to another celebrity legal battle. Scott Stapp, former lead singer, was arrested yesterday in Florida for throwing an Orangina bottle at his wife`s head. What`s the latest here?
FLOYD: I don`t mean to smile, it`s just that detail about the Orangina bottle, as if somehow if it were Budweiser it would be worse. Look, the couple is saying they`re going to work this out on their own. The court has required him to deal with it, in terms of counseling for alcohol and anger management. And I think that`s fine, as long as his wife is willing to forgive him, than when we give him an opportunity to improve his behavior. And there have been celebrities in the past who have gotten into this kind of trouble with their wives and have cleaned up their act and never had another incident. It can be a wakeup call. And I sure hope it is in this case.
ANDERSON: Hopefully he can get his act together and make amends with his wife. Jami Floyd from Court TV, thank you for your insight.
FLOYD: My pleasure.
HAMMER: So Brooke, what did you think of Michael Moore`s very controversial film, you know, the one that ripped into President Bush, "Fahrenheit 911?"
ANDERSON: I think it did what Moore intended it to do. It was a blistering look at the Bush administration`s actions post 9/11.
HAMMER: You didn`t tell me what you think of it. But I`m going to let you off the hook. Get ready, this time around, Michael Moore is taking on the health care industry. And we`ve got your first look at "Sicko," and Moore speaking out about this new fierce fight, coming up next.
And speaking of fights, Hollywood family feuds, from Angelina Jolie and her dad John Voigt to Jennifer Aniston`s melee with her mom, we`re going to be taking a hard look at stars who are fighting with family members. That`s coming up. We`ve also got this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Nicholas Cage is the second weirdest guy that you`ve married, there`s trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, tonight we are heading into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT laboratory to find out once and for all, do opposites really attract when it comes to star couples. I`ve got that still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. You know, some of us spend the weekend with our families, maybe see a movie, catch up on some reading. And then there are others who, well, like to watch frogs jump. Yes, more than 4,000 contestants popped over to the Calaveras County frog-jumping contest in California and if the name sounds familiar, the annual competition is inspired by the famous Mark Twain story, the Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. It looks like this year`s winner jumped just shy of the record set by, get ready, Rosie the Ribeter in 1997. I say this frog story has no legs; that`s ridiculous.
HAMMER: Well, one thing that certainly has a lot of people hopping mad is the controversial state of health care in the United States. You remember director Michael Moore, of course. He`s the guy behind "Fahrenheit 9/11," which ripped into President Bush for what happened on and in the aftermath of 9/11. Well, Moore`s out with a new film called "Sicko," and in it he tears into the health care industry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He sawed off the tops of two of his fingers.
His first thought?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t have insurance. How much is this going to cost.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The hospital gave him a choice. Reattach the middle finger for 60,000 dollars or do the ring finger for 12,000.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plenty of debate already, as you might well imagine. The Bush administration is actually investigating whether Moore violated the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba by bringing 9/11 first responders there for treatment which was filmed for the movie. But Moore told us at the Cannes Film Festival in France where he`s premiering the "Sicko," he is definitely not afraid of a fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL MOORE, DIRECTOR: The broken health care system that we have in America cuts across all party lines. And I think that when people see this film, they`re going to respond to it, no matter what, if they`re Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, and even rich or poor. As the film points out, the poorest British citizen will live longer than the wealthiest American. And those are the facts. And I think that that will, along with other things in the film, have an enormous impact on all kinds of Americans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So does the film live up to the hype and the controversy and is it any good? "People Magazine`s" film critic Leah Rozen is right there in Cannes and she was one of the very first to see the film. She called us with her very opinionated review.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right Leah, "Sicko" was all set to blow the lid off the U.S. health care system. What do you think? Mission accomplished there?
LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Pretty darn much, yes. What I think this film will do is kick start debate in the coming presidential election. I mean, it is just a wildly entertaining and funny look at the problems in the health care system now. What Michael Moore does is compare the U.S. health care system to those in Canada, France and England, where essentially they have a national health care plan.
And his real targets are the insurance companies, which he just says are way to quick to deny benefits. And he says health care is a universal right and should be accepted as such.
HAMMER: And you say it`s going to kick start the debate. But is it going to ruffle feathers as expected and raise a bunch of eyebrows?
ROZEN: Oh yes. If you`re in the insurance industry, this is not a movie you`re going to like much, because he essentially questions the entire purpose of having a private insurance system. He says it gets in the way. I mean, he`s not even looking at the, whatever it is, 45 or 50 million Americans who don`t have insurance. He`s really focusing on those who do have insurance and how in many ways the insurance system fails them when they need it most.
HAMMER: Leah, of course, Michael Moore`s films that we`re most familiar with, "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Bowling for Columbine," two of the most successful documentaries in film history. Is this film, is "Sicko" as pointed as those films were in getting right at it?
ROZEN: It`s as pointed and has less of Michael Moore in your face. It`s actually really funny. You are just -- the whole time you are entertained. Michael Moore is funny, but he`s not doing as much show boating. He`s focusing more on the stories rather than having confrontations, where he marches into some CEO`s office.
HAMMER: Leah, you mentioned the film compares our health care system to the health care systems in other countries, including France. How was it received over there at the Cannes Film Festival? I imagine they must have liked the way Michael Moore portrayed them.
ROZEN: Ecstatically. They were in love with Michael Moore. He`s already popular hear. But when in the film they go on and on extolling the French health care system, I mean, the audience was just applauding and giggling and laughing enthusiastic at the screening I saw.
HAMMER: Should we all be very, very afraid for what`s going on here in the country with out health care system?
ROZEN: I think after you see this film, you will be.
HAMMER: "People Magazine`s" Leah Rozen, thank you so much.
ROZEN: You`re welcome.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And if you want to see Michael Moore`s "Sicko" for yourself, it will be in U.S. theaters on June 29th.
ANDERSON: Sylvester Stallone knocked out by an Australian court today. It fined the 60-year-old "Rocky" star 10,000 dollars for illegally bringing 40 plus vials of a human growth hormone into the country. This all happened in February while on a promotional tour for the Rocky Balboa movie. Sly pleaded guilty to the charges last week and apologized. He wasn`t in court for any of this, but insisted it was all a misunderstanding and that he`s taking the hormones for a, quote, medical condition. He hasn`t revealed what the condition is.
All right, up next, Angelina Jolie teaming up with her boyfriend, Brad Pitt, on a very emotional movie. She`s playing the widow of Daniel Pearl, the reporter kidnapped and killed by radical Islamist terrorists. Angelina opening up. I`ve got that next.
HAMMER: Also, I`ve got Hollywood family feuds, from Angelina and her dad Jon Voigt to Jennifer Aniston`s melee with her mom, I`m taking a long hard look at stars who are fighting with family members. That`s coming up. Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who would have thought that marrying a hard drinking partying rock star would have been a bad idea.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Who would have thought? OK, tonight we`re heading into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT laboratory to find out once and for all do opposites really attract when it comes to star couples? I`ve got that still to come. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie premiered their new movie at the Cannes Film Festival in France, "A Mighty Heart." It`s a very moving role for Jolie. Pitt`s company, Plan B, is producing the film. Jolie plays Mary-Anne Pearl, the widow of Daniel Pearl, the "Wall Street Journal" reporter kidnapped and murdered by radical Islamist terrorists. At a press conference for the movie, Jolie opened up and revealed why she chose such an emotional role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: For me, so much of why this film was important to do is because I highly doubt there`s anybody in this room who has more reason to hold hate inside her heart than Mary Anne. And she doesn`t. She is a very compassionate, thoughtful person, who looks to dialogue, to change things, to make things better. She looks to work at it, to try to understand better and not just come to any quick conclusions about any one group.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I`m really looking forward to seeing that movie. It looks very compelling. And tomorrow we have a review of "A Mighty Heart." You`re not going to want to miss that.
HAMMER: And Brooke, of course, you know that Angelina Jolie has a famously tough relationship with her dad, Jon Voigt.
ANDERSON: Yes, they`ve been estranged for several years and he always speaks very lovingly of her. You just wish they could work it out, A.J.
HAMMER: You do, but that, of course, not the only Hollywood family feud. You have Jennifer Aniston`s melee with her mom, Tori Spelling`s not so sweet relationship with her mom, Candy. A long hard look at stars who are fighting with family members coming up next.
And a big time Britney Spears snafu. I`ve got the details on exactly what happened. It really could hurt her comeback. Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Nicholas Cage is the second weirdest guy you`ve married, there`s trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Here comes trouble. Do you remember that Paula Abdul song "Opposites Attract?" Well tonight, I`m putting that theory to the test. Do star opposites who seem like they have nothing in common really make good hook ups? I`ve got that straight ahead.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, Brooke, we`ve all heard the saying that opposites attract. And in Hollywood, all you have to do is look around to see proof that that is true. But is it a good formula for success?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who would have thought that marrying a hard drinking, partying rock star would have been a bad idea?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, so maybe Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli didn`t work out, but there are plenty of couples seem to be getting along, even though they`re opposites. We`re going to be taking a look, coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, A.J., Britney Spears did a couple more of those not- so-secret shows over the weekend. Believe it or not they did not go off without a hitch. We`ll tell you what happened at Britney`s show in Orlando that was pretty embarrassing. Still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: But first, SHOWBIZ family feuds. They`re Hollywood A- listers, but doesn`t make them immune to the fierce family battles that can go on for everybody. You add fame to that mix and you have the makings of some high-end drama that is not for the faint of heart.
From Angelina Jolie to Kim Basinger to Tori Spelling, they`re all bad. So let`s play the feud.
Joining me tonight from Los Angeles, Daphne Brogdon, of TV Guide Channel`s the Fashion Team (ph). I`m sorry I couldn`t resist the old Richard Dawson line.
Let`s get into it. First of all, Daphne, by talking about Tori Spelling. This is one is so unfortunate. Of course, she`s the daughter of legendary television producer, Aaron Spelling. It`s a long-running feud now with her mom, Candy. Tori went from co-starring in her dad`s hit show, "90210" to finding out he died from a text message, which is unbelievable to me.
This is nasty with a capital N, isn`t it?
DAPHNE BROGDON, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: Yes, it is. And may I say, I can resist doing one of those Richard Dawson kisses -- mmm-ha -- right to you, A.J.
HAMMER: Thank you.
BROGDON: It also proves to you, you know, don`t envy somebody, because look they can have all those billions and they can`t really work it out. Supposedly Tori only got $800,000 in inheritance. And we know the Spellings are worth so much. Just enough for her to get a little B&B to do a reality show on.
Now, there`s word that there has been a bit of a reconciliation due to Tori giving birth to a little boy and that her mom is excited. And they have a little rapprochement there, but maybe they`re going to have to wait until more money is doled out, who knows?
HAMMER: Yes, so like you said, all the money, the big house, the extra room just to wrap gifts in -- doesn`t mean things are going to be happy in the household at all.
BROGDON: No.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to Angelina Jolie. We`ve been talking about this. It`s a famous rift with her actor dad, Jon Voight. This has been in the media for years now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson had the chance to sit down with Voigt recently, and she asked him about his rocky relationship with Angelina. Listen to this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR: It`s the greatest thing, to have children.
ANDERSON: And how is your situation?
VOIGHT: I -- I do talk about it. I send my daughter my love and certainly my prayers.
ANDERSON: Yeah?
VOIGHT: And she does a lot of wonderful things on behalf of other people. I`m impressed with that aspect of her life and I always wish her well, with Brad and their child, and their children, I wish them well, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can tell it`s kind of uncomfortable for him to talk about. This is a very dramatic family, Daphne. What do you think? It`s going to take a United Nations peace agreement to mend this massive rift that`s been going on for so long?
BROGDON: Hey, good idea. I mean, Governor Richardson just announced his candidacy. He`s got a lot of foreign diplomacy experience. Maybe we`ll call him in, I`m sure he`s not too busy.
You know, the thing is you kind of get the feeling that Angelina Jolie must be like, man they walk on eggshells around here. Like he says something wrong and oh, know, that`s it I`m never calling again.
Supposedly, he sort of announced the adoption of Maddox before she wanted it done and maybe -- it sound like Jon Voight was just like, can you just tell me what I`m supposed to talk about, and what not to talk about?
I think in a way she comes off a little bad, because like, whatever. Dads all annoy us, you know? Throw him a bone every once in a while, let him see the grandkids. Possibly it`s political you know. He`s very -- he said in that Brooke interview he supports Bush in the Iraqi war and I think she`s a little bit more of a Lefty, so maybe that is an issue.
HAMMER: Also, the truth is, we will always never know whatever the intimate details are of these relationships, and what exactly is going on.
We do hear a lot and we`re going to make a six-degrees of Angelina connection here to Brad Pitt`s ex, Jennifer Anniston. Big family feud with her mom, Nancy Dow. She wrote a memoir. It`s called, "From Mother to Daughter to Friends". To me -- I don`t know about you -- doesn`t seem like a real good idea to write a tell-all book about your famous daughter?
BROGDON: Oh, my goodness. I`m glad I`m not famous, because I would be so embarrassed. My mother could talk about seedy guys I dated in high school. It would be terrible.
But you have to wonder, does Brad Pitt have a mother complex? He keeps going for these women who have bad relationships with their mother. Now, there is word recently that Jennifer Aniston did have dinner with her mom. So, maybe they`ve kind of mended their fences. But it does seem a little odd she would do that.
Also, Jennifer`s said that part of the reason she`s been trying to be as like as cool as possible with her divorce, is that her mom set, she feels, a bad example and acted really bitter after the divorce. So maybe Jennifer`s gain is the tabloid`s loss there.
HAMMER: And it`s sad when you see the mother-daughter thing not working out. And the next one I want to talk about, as we continue on with these celebrity family feuds, this is so unfortunate. Because Kim Basinger certainly has enough problems already. She`s been locked in, of course, one of the most public custody battles ever with her ex-husband, Alec Baldwin. Her mom, Ann Basinger, publicly came out against her daughter and sided with Alec at the same time. Which certainly should not make for a fun Memorial Day picnic, should it?
BROGDON: No, you`ve got to wonder. It kind of makes you think maybe there`s something to what Alec Baldwin is saying, that even mom`s going to come out and say, it`s not fair what -- how Kim is dealing in the whole divorce thing. You think, a dad has got to be pretty bad not to get any visitation at all. Certainly Alec Baldwin comes off as kind of a little bit of a wacko. But, you know, two actors together is kind of wacko and wacko, anyway, right?
HAMMER: Yes, it is wacko and wacko. And I think, you know, the lesson here, Daphne, when it comes to the family feuds, stars are just like us. Because everything you`re talking about, I`ve heard play out -- not necessarily with my own family -- but with other friends` families. But when you have fame as a magnifying glass, it can just make it whole lot worse, can`t it?
BROGDON: Well, certainly. But, maybe I`m just somebody who doesn`t like conflict. If I ever -- I mean, when I have problems with my family, I just try to get along and have another drink at dinner.
HAMMER: That`s what solves the problems at my family gatherings, too. Daphne Brogdon, co-host of the "Fashion Team" on TV Guide Channel. Thank you for running down these celebrity family feuds with us.
BROGDON: No problem.
HAMMER: Well, 25 years ago, the hit TV series "Cagney & Lacy" changed the rules for women`s roles on television. The show broke new ground in a big way. It took on issues like abortion, cancer, alcoholism, all taboo topics for television at the time. It`s hard to imagine that now.
Well, I sat down with the stars of the show. Sharon Gless, who played Christine Cagney, of course. And Tyne Daly, who play Mary Beth Lacey. We talked about Sharon`s private struggle with alcohol abuse, and about stars who publicly announce their private battles. We also talked about how they deal with being role models to so many women. Take a look.
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TYNE DALY, "CAGNEY & LACY" They were the best two parts that existed on television for women. And we were in ownership of them for six years, which was great. What I didn`t know is that 25 years later, all of the issues that we talked about would still be issues. I thought some of them were going to be fixed.
HAMMER: Well, tell me about some of those issues, and particularly the ones that did get the most attention, and the biggest reaction when they were represented on your show.
SHARON GLESS, "CAGNEY & LACEY": There were some episodes that some affiliate stations would not air.
HAMMER: Such as?
GLESS: That`s when I realized -- whoa!
HAMMER: We`re on to something here.
GLESS: I was stunned. The abortion show.
DALY: We talked about illegal abortion. We talked women`s health issues.
GLESS: My character was the alcoholic. And I got a lot of mail about that when we started going into it, where you see one of our heroes fall from grace in a huge, huge way. I got letters from people thanking me because it saved their father`s life, their father was also an alcoholic. Or saved their own lives.
HAMMER: Something that Cagney dealt with, you dealt with through Cagney on the show. Something that you were open -- you`ve been open about the fact that you`ve dealt with in your own life.
GLESS: Right.
HAMMER: I`m curious, when you look at the fact that every day now we`re reading about another celebrity checking into rehab or dealing with a very private, whether it`s addiction or other personal issue, in a very public way, but particularly in alcoholism, it was taboo back then, 25 years ago, wasn`t it? Rather unheard of to come out in that way?
GLESS: I don`t know. My memory of it before -- my experience of it -- was that people used to sort of announce they were going to Betty Ford, and then hold press conferences when they came out.
DALY: Well, originally it was about anonymity. That you were promised anonymity for something that was a secret to be kept. Whether or not it`s good that that is un-secret now, is a long debate.
GLESS: What you see now is people check in --
HAMMER: Well, no, it seems like it`s going on every day. We talk about it on our show all the time.
GLESS: It seems like people are going to dodge some embarrassing situation they found themselves in. Hey, I`m going to rehab. You know, that`s sort of how they get out -- I do not sit in judgment, at all. I mean, everybody`s journey --
HAMMER: No, no, not at all. But obviously, something that did change --
GLESS: But it is something that is used a lot.
HAMMER: And it is used as a tool. We see that quite a bit. We see it happening quite a bit in young Hollywood. We`ve seen Lindsay Lohan in and out of rehab a few times for whatever the reasons may be.
DALY: I think the kind of attention that you get, that`s just the job of being an actor, is the job of being a celebrity. And when the people are in your panties all the time and hiding under tables, and in bathrooms, and all that stuff to catch you out, it makes it much more --
HAMMER: The pressure has to be incredibly intense?
DALY: I`m not jealous of it at all.
HAMMER: But if you knew that you were going to have to deal with your life perhaps being an open book, and photographers being around every corner, would that have ever affected your decision to pursue life on television?
GLESS: No. I would still do it.
DALY: Yes, it would affect my decision. I think it`s possible to pay too heavy a price to do this work.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You know, doing that interview with a lot of people, doing this show, I`ve got to say, pretty cool sitting there with Cagney & Lacey. You can pick up your copy of "Cagney & Lacey: Season One". It`s on DVD now, also out now, "Cagney & Lacey, and Me". It`s a book written by Sharon Gless` husband, Barney Rosenzweig.
ANDERSON: A.J., you know, Tyra Banks -- she`s always got something provocative going on.
HAMMER: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: Listen to what she`s up to now. She`s going inside the rehab where Britney Spears went to find out what happens behind closed doors at one of the most exclusive rehabs in the country. We`ve got your first look, coming up.
HAMMER: And also Britney Spears` secret shows in Florida. Well, not too secret. But something went terribly wrong at one of Britney`s shows over the weekend. We`re going to tell you what happened -- you will not want to miss it.
Plus this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERESA STRASSER, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: When Nicholas Cage is the second weirdest guy that you`ve married, there`s trouble.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Teresa Strasser, funny lady. Yeah, it`s true, Lisa Marie Pressley and Michael Jackson didn`t quite work out, but is it always a recipe for disaster when opposites attract? We`ll look into that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Time now for another story that made us say, "That`s Ridiculous!" The Hershey Company is suing a guy for trademark infringement for making pot candy with names like Stoney Ranchers, Rasta Reeses` and Keef Kat -- I like that one, Keef Kat. The guy`s been sentenced to more than five years in the -- joint -- for selling his marijuana-laced candy creations. But Hershey wants $100,000 in damages from him because of the names. He even made packaging that looked kind of like the original Hershey`s candy. But $100,000, seems a little high, doesn`t it?
(LAUGHTER)
Hot candy that draws the ire of Hershey, "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: And speaking of ridiculous, how about those Hollywood couples who are just so opposite they make you shake your head in confusion, asking what could these two possible have in common? How did they even meet? It`s a pool that many celebrities have dipped their toes into, but did they take the full plunge?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates: "Opposites Attract".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA ABDUL, SINGING: Who would have thought, we could be lovers?
ANDERSON (voice over): Paula Abdul`s "Opposites Attract" said it best.
TERESA STRASSER, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: If I can quote the great wordsmith, Paula Abdul, "You take two steps forward, and one step back." Remember.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is testing this adverse theory on some of Hollywood`s hottest couples.
COOPER LAWRENCE, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: Whatever seems completely opposite to us, you know, it works for them.
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: And I`m armed, don`t mess with me.
ANDERSON: In July of 2005, "Miss Congeniality" Sandra Bullock shocked the world by tying the knot with tattooed motorcycle maven Jesse James.
BULLOCK: What`s good for one is definitely not the same recipe for someone else.
STRASSER: A lot of people don`t know this, but Jesse James just got a new tattoo. It`s the logo for the "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". He loves that movie.
BULLOCK: Ya-ya!
ANDERSON: Of course he does. She`s in it.
They also made an unlikely pair because while the never-married Sandra was linked to several Hollywood heartthrobs, Jesse had been married twice before, and had three little kids.
LAWRENCE: You`re talking about couples like Sandra Bullock and Jesse James; they`re two people that have that free spirit to them. There is something about -- their outlook on life, their worldview is the same.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR: I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.
ANDERSON: In the `80s "Terminator" actor Arnold Schwarzenegger married into the all-American Kennedy family when he said "I do" to Maria Shriver. Some questioned what an Austrian body builder and a serious journalist would have in common.
STRASSER: I think Arnold and Maria really learn a lot from each other. Like, Arnold taught Maria how to use free weights and Maria taught Arnold how to use vowels.
LAWRENCE: And you can say that, as well, about Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger. As bizarre as it seemed, when they got together, we don`t know the intricacies of their relationship and their marriage. And it seems like that`s the bigger picture. Do they share the same morals? Do they share the same world view? When you have a successful marriage, like they both seem to have, the answer has to be, yes.
ANDERSON: While finances usually aren`t an issue for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s opposite attracting couples, age is.
LAWRENCE: Age difference in relationships have a lot to do with each individual person`s maturity.
ANDERSON: La Cougar (ph) couple of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher comes to mind.
STRASSER: Everyone`s always talking about how Demi and Ashton are 15 years apart, but here`s the thing. When it comes to what`s truly, truly important, they have that in common. They`re both really, really good looking.
ANDERSON: At first, audiences thought they were being punked.
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: OK, let`s talk about what we`re going to do to her.
ANDERSON: Until the 40-something, mother, Moore, actually married the 20-something Kutcher kid.
STRASSER: Demi`s kids love Ashton because he`s like the little brother they never had.
ANDERSON: Then, there`s
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Celine and Renee!
ANDERSON: Their meeting wasn`t a surprise. He was Celine`s manager from day one.
Celine`s heart will go on for Renee, even though their relationship is -- let`s just say -- still a bit confusing to some.
STRASSER: He`s 9,000 years old. What gives?
ABDUL, SINGING: We come together, because opposites attract.
LAWRENCE: When couples get together -- and they get together with all the best intentions, you know, they want to make it work.
ANDERSON: But being polar opposites can either break or make the relationships. Lisa Marie Pressley and Michael Jackson raised eyebrows from day one.
STRASSER: When Nicolas Cage is the second weirdest guy that you`ve married, there`s trouble.
ANDERSON: Lisa and Michael cited irreconcilable differences when they split 21 months later. Bad boy Bobby Brown and good girl Whitney Houston married in 1992.
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGING: It`s my prerogative to live my life.
ANDERSON: Well, prerogatives must have changed.
STRASSER: Bobby and Whitney -- worst duo in music since Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis did that awful movie.
ANDERSON: The couple announced their separation late last year. Then there`s the story of the all-American girl hooking up with the heavy-metal headman.
STRASSER: Who would have thought marrying a hard-drinking, partying rock star would have been a bad idea?
ANDERSON: Some call it a miracle, but "One Day At A Time" star Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen`s marriage lasted two decades.
STRASSER: Eddie and Valerie are like, you know, things that just seemed good in the `80s, and don`t go well together now, like stirrup pants and a blazer.
ANDERSON: Valerie and Eddie`s differences finally took its toll. The couple has called it quits.
LAWRENCE: Then, later on, you find that the opposites aspect of your relationship is really what is going to tear you apart, because of the way you handle things.
ANDERSON: Opposites attract, it`s a trickery theory to take. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you, if you`re going to take that one step forward, be prepared to take a step or two back to keep that opposite relationship on track.
ABDUL: We come together because opposites attract.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And continuing with the Paula Abdul`s theme, if you are a fan of hers, you will be happy to know that Paula has just put out a new greatest hits album. "Greatest Hits: Straight Up" is in stores now.
HAMMER: Well, the Britney Spears comeback mini tour is chugging right along, but not without some technical glitches. Britney performed two more not-so-secret shows over the weekend; this time in Orland and in Miami.
The show on Saturday, Britney had a little Ashlee Simpson moment. The track that she was lip syncing started skipping. According to "People" magazine, she kind of played it off and then continued with the 15-minute show of her old hits. And Britney now has performed six lip-synced shows since she`s been out of rehab.
And tonight, we`re going to be getting an inside look at the rehab where Britney cleaned up. Tyra Banks got a tour of Promises of Malibu. We`ll show you what she found out in the oh-so-exclusive star rehab center. Coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, Tyra Banks is going inside the walls of an exclusive rehab facility where lots of celebrities go to break their addictions, including Britney Spears. Tyra got the tour of Promises, in Malibu, where Britney check in after that infamous head-shaving incident. And Tyra asked something that we, here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT have been wondering ourselves. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TYRA BANKS, TALK SHOW HOST, "THE TYRA BANKS SHOW": There`s so many young celebrities that are getting addicted to drugs and going in rehab. Is it something that is in vogue to do now? Is it the hip thing to do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People are looking for help. And as their lives spiral out of control, rehab has become more, quote/unquote, "socially acceptable".
BANKS: That`s one thing that I do think is great about rehab. Because, I know, it used to be something that people would hide, and hide their faces and say, oh, my gosh, I don`t want anybody to know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
BANKS: And now these celebrities are going out and saying, "I have a problem. I`m getting help and they`re talking about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Promises also told Tyra that since so many celebrities go to that particular rehab, they actually have their own security to deal with all the paparazzi that show up, and they also get help from the Malibu Sheriff`s Department. That episode of the "Tyra Banks Show" will air tomorrow. It also includes Tyra`s interview with former Miss USA Tara Conner, who went to rehab in Pennsylvania toward the end of her reign.
ANDERSON: On Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this -- Paris Hilton going to jail, are you concerned for her mental state? Only 2 percent of you say, yes. But 98 percent of you say, no. Here are some of the e-mails that we received.
Stella from Illinois: "Unless she does something constructive with her life, I could care less what happens to her. She`s a loser!"
Andrew from Wisconsin thinks: "This may make her realize that the world won`t end if she falls off the face of the earth."
HAMMER: Wham! Let`s call the wham-bulance, for little Paris.
Time to find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, star hookups and what you can learn from them to help your own relationship, from Denise Richards dating her best friend`s husband, to Brad and Angelina getting together after working together. Lessons in love from star couples. That`s tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Angelina Jolie in "A Mighty Heart". It is one of the most anticipated movies on the horizon. And we`re going to the Cannes Film Festival to get your first look. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the first review of "A Mighty Heart". That is tomorrow.
And Brooke, as you well know, Angelina has said, it`s the toughest role she`s ever done in her life.
ANDERSON: Yes, she did.
HAMMER: Quite understandably.
That is 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". Keep it right here.
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