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Showbiz Tonight
Paris Hilton Plans Major Media Event For Entering Prison; Kirstie Alley Speaks Out About Young Hollywood
Aired June 01, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: A TV actor rushed to the hospital after a stunt on the set. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Donald Trump at it again. Wait until you hear what he has planned for Rosie O`Donnell this time. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paris Hilton`s countdown to lockdown. It`s Paris` last weekend of freedom before she has to report to jail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She understands that the bigger she makes her entry into prison, the more money she`ll make when she gets out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Is he really planning to get hair and makeup before showing up at the slammer? Is she for real?
Plus, her sister Nicki speaks out about how Paris is doing. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the inside story of Paris`s final days of freedom.
Lindsay Lohan`s birthday party outrage. Lindsay is scheduled to leave rehab right before her 21st birthday. Is she still planning on having a huge club party in Vegas? Will a contract force her to go right from on the wagon to on the rocks? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Lindsay Lohan birthday party outrage.
Welcome to Friday night. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J., wait until you hear my explosive exclusive interview with Kirstie Alley. She really climbed the walls telling me how the Hollywood bad girls, Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, need to deal with their issues, especially Paris.
HAMMER: Yes, Kirstie calls it like she sees it. But first tonight, countdown to lock down. L.A. watch out. This is paparazzi princess Paris Hilton`s final weekend of freedom before she heads off to county jail. Now, we all know by now that poor little Paris has got to turn herself over to the authorities by 11:59 p.m. on June 5th. That`s Tuesday, if you`re keeping track.
We all know that the heiress is feeling very scared and anxious right now about her time behind bars, but she`s apparently well enough to prepare for what`s going to be a major media event, her jaunt to jail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Is Paris the heiress planning a pimped out perp walk? Well, it certainly looks that way. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that despite feeling scared and anxious about serving time, the paparazzi princess is working on turning her jail arrival into a huge media event.
BEN WIDDICOMBE, GOSSIP COLUMNIST: She understands that the bigger she makes her entry into prison, the more money she`s going to make when she gets out. We hear that she`s booked hair and makeup to come to her home in the Hollywood Hills 9:00 a.m. Monday, and there is going to be a very public perp walk, or cat walk if you like.
HAMMER: Hair and make up for the clink? You just knew that was coming. Paris has to turn herself over to authorities by June 5th at the latest. And leave it to her, a genius at self-promotion, to strut her way into the slammer.
WIDDICOMBE: This is designed to generate maximum interest. Monday morning is a great day for celebrity weeklies. They close Monday night, Tuesday. That pretty much guarantees they are going to be all Paris. She`s not as stupid as you think. She really is a branding mastermind. She knows how to use her name and exploit her name to her own advantage.
HAMMER: Hey, it worked for super model turned phone hurler Naomi Campbell. She turned her community service at the New York Sanitation Department into a haute couture (ph) event.
WIDDICOMBE: It is absolutely based on Naomi Campbell`s glamorous community service she had to do in New York. I think the point Paris is making -- or her business manager is probably making on her behalf is that if she`s going to go to prison, she`s going to go to prison on her terms.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, as Paris uses her last weekend of freedom primping for jail, her family and friends are speaking out.
MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Nikki Hilton was at a party with Paris Hilton last night. And we talked to her about her sister. And she says, look, Paris does need to be punished for what she did, but Nikki says it`s pretty absurd that she has to go to jail.
HAMMER: Absurd? Is she kidding? Do we have to remind everyone that Paris is going away for a legitimate crime, violating probation? Not only was she arrested for driving under the influence, she also drove with a suspended license and was caught by cops not once, but twice. That little bit of information seemed to also be lost on Paris` BFF Nicole Richie, who faces jail time of her own, stemming from her DUI arrest in December.
Here`s Nicole on Ryan Seacrest`s Kiss FM radio show.
NICOLE RICHIE, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": To be honest, I think that the way that Paris` whole case entire was dealt with was, A, out of her control, but, B, really unfair. I don`t know that she necessarily could have done anything to stop that. I think that sometimes people just get exploited.
HAMMER: Meanwhile, TMZ cameras captured Paris` mom Kathy.
KATHY HILTON, MOTHER OF PARIS HILTON: Preparing. Praying and preparing.
HAMMER: Preparing and praying, sounds interesting. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that`s not the only way Paris has been keeping the faith.
GILLIAN SHELDON, SUPERVISING PRODUCER TMZ.COM: I think she just is extremely nervous about the unknown. She`s been reading a lot of spiritual books. The ones that she has right now all talk about personal development, personal growth, personal responsibility.
JOHN HENSON, TV GUIDE CHANNEL: I think it`s good that Paris Hilton gets a bible. She might use it to depend herself from being shanked. I don`t think you can sharpen a toothbrush enough to get through the Old Testament.
HAMMER: Paris` path to spirituality doesn`t stop with the books. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Hilton`s even joined, get this, a youth group.
SHELDON: We have a story where she has gone to this church in Los Angeles and she`s participating in a youth group.
HAMMER: Lord help us. But finding God hasn`t stopped the billionaire heiress from looking for the almighty dollar. Get ready for the Hilton Diaries, written right from Hilton`s celebrity cell in L.A. county jail.
WIDDICOMBE: In yet another marketing genius move, Paris is going to record her day-to-day life, all 23 grueling days in prison, and sell the book to the highest bidder. Then she could make as much as a million dollars from it. As we know, poor old Paris barely has 10 million dollars to rub together, so every little bit helps.
HAMMER: Making money off of a DUI? Hey, it`s almost as low as making millions off of a sex tape.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I don`t think we`re going to be seeing any telethons or, quite frankly, any tears for Paris Hilton any time soon. But, you know, for her mandatory makeover into a makeup free stint in non-Prada prison stripes, I think she`s going to need all the help she can get.
So tonight, as a public service to you, Paris Hilton, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT offers up some essential advice to help you survive the slammer. And to do that, joining us tonight in New York, you saw him in our story, David Caplan senior correspondent for VH-1, and in Hollywood Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and the author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder," which is due in stores next work.
David, Jane, welcome to the weekend. Now, as we mentioned, it seems like she`s going the Naomi Campbell route here. She`s getting all dolled up before she does the perp walk and heads to the big house. David, would you please tell Paris what you think. Isn`t making a further spectacle of herself the worst thing she could be doing right now?
DAVID CAPLAN, VH-1: Yes, I mean, she`s really going to be rubbing it in these prisoners face when they get word that Paris is going to be strutting into this place like it`s a prison. Because what she`s doing is really rubbing it in their faces that she`s a huge celebrity. But I have to say, I think a lot of these prison inmates are going to want to see a little bit of this glamour.
Paris, when she goes there, one, she has to ingratiate herself with her fellow inmates. She shouldn`t rub her sense of entitlement, her sense of privilege in their face. She needs to get to know these prisoners. She really needs to become their friends and really quash the stereotypes that they have of her.
HAMMER: I don`t know if she know how to behave like that. Now Jane Velez-Mitchell, you have covered criminal after criminal before they spent their time in prison. Paris Hilton needs your help, Jane. Do you want to encourage her, before she heads out to jail, do you want her to have one big last party blowout before spending those 23 days behind bars?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: No, I think she should meditate, perhaps eat some fruit, take a hot bath, get prepared emotionally. You know, the most important advice I can give you, Paris, if you`re watching, is do not treat this whole adventure as an episode of the "Simple Life." This, honey, is real life.
Wherever you go, you`re going to be taking yourself with you. That is behind bars as well. Of course, she is known for her persona, as David mentioned, of being elite and above. When you`re behind bars, you have to be an inmate among inmates.
How do you do that Paris? You do that by practicing what`s called contrary action. Whenever you get the impulse to do something arrogant or entitled or elite, take a deep breath and do the exact opposite. The most important thing I can tell you, girl, is don`t take everything that happens to you personally. Then it will become a truly humiliating punishment.
But if you regard it as an interesting experience, it can be like a seminar on real life. And you can really grow as a result of this experience.
HAMMER: Jane, I think that`s all terrific advice. Again, let`s see if she can actually handle anything like that. I think the best piece of advice you gave in there, taking a bath over the weekend, because she`s certainly going to be at a loss for certain things she`s accustomed to. She`s had the high life from the private jets and lunch at the Ivy. She`s going from that now to the public showers and slop from the prison kitchen.
I want you to tell Paris now, David, how she can successfully adapt to this lack of amenities she`s going to have with her new lifestyle.
CAPLAN: She`s going to have to learn to get used to very basic living and really take a cue from the prisoners who have been in this prison for a lot longer. She`s not going to have her luxury bath and body products. She`s definitely not going to have that.
She`s going to have to be buying her products from the commissary. She`s going to have to deal with it. And if she ever feels the need that she wants something fancy, she`s just going to have to deal with it and go talk to her fellow prisoners to see how to make it work. Maybe she`ll take up crafts. She`ll start making things, homemade soap. I think this is a new Paris we`re going to see.
HAMMER: And things get bad from the moment she arrives, Jane. You know, she`s going to be stripped of her makeup and designer duds and her cell phone, and all the other things, not to mention the strip search. So from one woman to an heiress, Jane, tell her how she can handle these indignities?
MITCHELL: Well, remember, she`s an extrovert. She`s used to being in front of the camera with very little on. So I think she`s going to handle that aspect.
Now, as far as the jumpsuit, she`s going to have to trade in the 500 dollar t-shirts and 1,000 dollar gowns for an orange jumpsuit. And, of course, she`s not going to have her cell phone and her blackberry. She`s going to have a pencil and paper. But she can turn something positive into that.
She can take that pencil and write a diary. When she sells it for one million bucks, she can give that money to charity. She can design a whole new clothing line based on the orange jump suits and make many millions of dollars. And when does that, she can donate it to charity.
The thing is, she`s going to have to figure out which charity, what is she passionate about? What does she care about beyond partying? Perhaps in prison she`ll figure it out. Maybe it is going to be inmate rights.
HAMMER: Jane Velez-Mitchell, David Caplan, you know, you guys offer excellent advice. I know she`s at home right now writing it all down as we dispel it to her. I thank you very much for helping her out this weekend.
Well Brooke Anderson, I`ve got to tell you, I was so surprised to hear this next story. The idea that Lindsay Lohan is possibly still planning on having a 21st birthday blowout party in Vegas right after she gets out of rehab? Can you imagine?
ANDERSON: It`s crazy.
HAMMER: We`re going to sort out whether or not that`s actually happening coming up. And as all that is going on, Kirstie Alley defending Lindsay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRSTIE ALLEY: ACTRESS: There`s 50 cameras in her face when she`s walking into rehab to try and help herself. It`s not right. It is not fair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You don`t want to miss this. Kirstie has some really strong opinions about what Lindsay is going through. Kirstie really opened up to me and we will hear what she told me still ahead.
HAMMER: And in the not leaving well enough alone department, our good friend Donald Trump is going after Rosie O`Donnell once again. I got to say, I think he`s going a little overboard once again. Wait until you hear what Donald has up his sleeve this time. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be right back.
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HAMMER: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for a story that really made us say, that`s ridiculous. How many times have I said on this program Donald Trump is going off on Rosie O`Donnell?
I`ve said it a lot, quite frankly. He`s done it again. This time it`s a spoof for the MTV Movie Awards happening this weekend. Trump apparently appears in a spot where he calls Rosie, what else, a total loser. And he puts her on a, quote, not invited guest list for the awards show.
All right Donald, do me a favor, let it go. It`s gone on long enough. And frankly, that`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: Kirstie Alley opening up like never before. She is starring in a new Lifetime movie playing a middle aged screen writer who faces ageism in Hollywood. Kirstie told me her own story of discrimination in Hollywood. Wait until you hear exclusively how fired up she was about young Hollywood out of control. Wait until you hear her sound advice for the Lindsay Lohans of the world.
But first, when I asked Kirstie how she manages to pick roles where she face issues like weight and ageism. Her advice was, when you`re handed lemons, make lemonade.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLEY: I sort of like to find subjects that are -- people that are vulnerable to, even myself, you know, the fat thing, the old thing, the whatever thing. I sort of like to turn it around and sort of make lemons into lemonade.
ANDERSON: Did you ever experience discrimination in Hollywood based on age or based on weight?
ALLEY: Of course. It`s part of the game, you know? I lost jobs when I weighed 135 pounds, because I was told by a director that I was too fat, you know? I had one director tell me to go -- when I weighed 128, go lose 15 pounds and come back and see me.
You can either become the victim of something or you can triumph over something. And I think just the message of all life is if adversity is staring you in the face, just stare back at it and turn it into a comedy movie and make some money.
ANDERSON: And you have been in Hollywood long enough to remember when things weren`t as crazy as they are today, when celebrities weren`t going to jail like it`s no big deal. Right. What do you think`s going on today?
ALLEY: These guys don`t have a prayer. They`re setting themselves up for -- yes, they`re public figures. But no, that doesn`t give people the right to film every second of their life. It has nothing to do with their art. It has nothing to do with what they do.
And then when -- I feel like when something does happen, and they`re having a hard time in their life, with a marriage or with drugs or something like that, you know, that`s a private and very serious thing. It`s not funny. I don`t think it`s fodder for late night shows. And I don`t think it should be made fun of.
I feel like those people need help. When they need help, we should be here to help them and not crucify them.
ANDERSON: You were able to overcome a cocaine addiction many years ago.
ALLEY: Yes.
ANDERSON: No doubt you have seen the news of Lindsay Lohan checking into rehab. So many stars, Kirstie, in and out of rehab lately. As an actress, are there a different set of pressures someone like Lindsay faces? And how do you handle it in the spotlight?
ALLEY: I think you got to choose the rehab you go to carefully, because, you know, you didn`t -- you didn`t start doing drugs and start getting off the path in 30 days, you know, with a two-week follow-up. So I think you need to go -- I think you need to choose the rehab you go to very carefully.
I think that you need to go away for a long enough period that you can actually find out what was causing it in the first place. With these girls, I`d love to sit down with them and just go, you guys, you know, you need to find a way to get control back of your own life and to not set --
Also, they`re responsible in some ways. They`re setting themselves up for this. You know, instead of being actresses, sometimes people dedicate their lives to being celebrities. And there`s a big difference. If you set yourself up to be a celebrity, you`re sort of setting yourself up, unfortunately these days, to be harassed.
I mean, these guys work hard. The ones -- You`re talking about Lindsay right now. She works really hard. She has since she was a little girl. She`s incredibly talented and she`s incredibly smart and incredibly beautiful. But just that pressure of every late night show with some bad joke about her. And then she`s off to rehab and there`s 50 cameras in her face when she`s walking into a rehab to try to help herself. It is not right; it is not fair.
I think it`s a violation, honestly, of human rights and, honestly, a violation of just good manners and decency. You know, there`s freedom of speech, and then there`s just insanity. And it`s just gotten insane. Why does somebody with a cell phone have a right to film me and then put it on TV? It doesn`t make any sense.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Such a nice lady. You can catch Kirstie Alley`s new lifetime movie, "Right and Wrong," this Sunday.
HAMMER: Brooke, big news today. A TV actor rushed to the hospital after a stunt on the set went wrong. I`ve got to tell you, it all sounded really scary. We`ll tell you who it is and what happened coming up.
Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S ESTRANGED FATHER: Too many people are around Lindsay because of what they can get from her instead of Lindsay herself and caring about her. She`s not just the goose that laid the golden egg. She`s a child, a human being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lindsay`s dad thinks the people around her are a bad influence. I think that`s probably true. But now there`s word that she may be keeping her plans for a big blowout 21st birthday bash in Vegas right after she gets out of rehab. We`re going to sort that out still ahead.
HAMMER: It is hard to believe, but it`s been almost a year since Katie Couric left "The Today Show" for the "CBS Evening News." The ratings for "The CBS Evening News" never lower. So in retrospect, was it a bad move? A lot of people think so. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now to one of the baddest of the bad girls, Courtney Love. Over the years, she has battled drug addiction, bad press, you name it. Now she says she has to tackle another major fight, quitting smoking.
Courtney recently lost a bunch of weight. but she says don`t get used to it, because a doctor told her she has to quit smoking, and she fully expects to gain the weight back as a result. On her website, Courtney writes that her doctor recently found some pre-operative nodules in her throat.
Courtney wants to go on tour to promote the new album she`s working on, so she writes, quote, "I need to stop unless I want surgery in a year, and two or three days off on tour is not economically feasible. So my thin phase is gonna go soon."
We hear you, Courtney. And we wish you the best in quitting smoking. By the way, those throat nodules are growths on the vocal cords. Other singers who have had surgery for them are Julie Andrews and Rod Stewart.
HAMMER: Brooke, some big news today, a TV actor rushed to the hospital after a stunt on the set. I`ve got to tell you, it all sounded pretty scary. So we`re going to tell you who it was and exactly what happened coming up. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOHAN: Too many people are around Lindsay because of what they can get from her instead of Lindsay herself and caring about her. She`s not just the goose that laid the golden egg. She`s a child, a human being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lindsay`s dad thinks the people around her are a bad influence. And I think that`s probably true. Now there`s word she may be keeping her plans for a big 21st birthday blowout in Vegas. That`s still ahead.
HAMMER: And happy Hollywood marriages. When you think about it, check out stars like Meryl Streep, Marcia Cross and Julia Roberts. Maybe the secret for these ladies was that they all married someone who wasn`t famous. We`re going to be talking about when A-listers are able to make it work with the people aren`t even on the list. Making it work in Hollywood coming up as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns for Friday night in just a couple minutes.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, as we get into the weekend at 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, Brooke, I`ve got to tell about this big-time actor rushed to the hospital. Now get this, he was thrown from a bull while taping a reality show. That wasn`t supposed to happen. I`m going to tell you who it is and what the latest on his condition as well.
ANDERSON: Yes, he really hurt himself, unfortunately, A.J.
Also tonight, making it work. Stars who marry non-stars. Is the secret to making Hollywood relationships work to marry someone who isn`t famous, like Meryl Streep, Marcia Cross, Julia Roberts? They all found love outside of Hollywood. I found out some very surprising things. You won`t want to miss this, in just a bit.
But first, from rehab to Vegas? You`d think Sin City would be the last place a newly rehabbed star would go. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to get to the bottom of this shocking headline: Will Lindsay Lohan go straight from rehab to her own Las Vegas 21st birthday bash? Are you kidding me? That`s crazy.
Well, here to sort it out, back again with us, from New York, David Caplan, senior correspondent for VH-1. Also in New York, Julia Allison columnist for "Time Out New York."
I really cannot believe this, guys. Lindsay turns 21, July 2, just days after she`s scheduled to get out of rehab. She was planning, pre- meltdown, a huge party at Pure, a nightclub in Vegas. And there have been a lot of rumors surrounding the fact that this party is still on.
David, you`ve got the scoop. What are you hearing?
DAVID CAPLAN, SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, VH-1: I spoke yesterday with Mike Keller, who is an organizer for the party, Lindsay`s friend, and lawyer. He is saying the party is not cancelled. It is going on. And in fact, a contract was signed in December for this party at Pure, a nightclub in Las Vegas.
And he said, despite reports claiming that Svetka (ph) Vodka pulled out, they were never even a sponsor. They never signed a contract. Instead he said, it will be like bottled water brands, energy drinks. Another friend told me that Lindsay has said, herself, that she is going to go to that party.
ANDERSON: OK, well, despite the fact that it might be a watered down situation, Julia, it kind of seems like a no-brainer to us. But how bad -- how terrible of an idea is it for a person fresh out of rehab to have their 21st birthday bash at a Las Vegas nightclub?
JULIA ALLISON, "TIME OUT NEW YORK": Absolutely. You`re absolutely right. I don`t think Lindsay should be even allowed to turn 21. You know? I mean, let alone, go to some place -- I -- Pure is insane for continuing to host this party. It can`t possibly make them look good.
And Lindsay needs to get it through her head that she has to clean up her image. She`s not going to have a movie career. "Georgia Rules" tanked. She continues, time and time again, to show up late, to drink, to do drugs -- allegedly to do drugs. I think that we`ve seen that in the last couple of weeks. And it`s like, come on, clean up your act, Lindsay.
ANDERSON: You make a good point. This isn`t going to make Pure nightclub look good. Maybe they should step in and intervene and make the decision to pull the plug on this thing. You know, talking about people that she surrounds herself with, Lindsay`s father spoke publicly about that, recently, blaming the people around her for contributing to the problem. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S FATHER: Too many people are around Lindsay because of what they can get from her, instead of Lindsay herself and caring about her. She`s not just the goose that laid the golden egg. She`s a child, a human being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: David, what do you know about the people around Lindsay?
CAPLAN: Lindsay, a lot of her friends, these are the enablers. Her friends are all part of the young Hollywood circle. Yeah, they contribute to her partying ways. This is the lifestyle there. Many people, you know -- you know it`s very severe with Lindsay, until she`s passed out, or whether she is throwing up in the street. It`s not until that point where they say, OK, hold up.
But in fact, you know, earlier, a few hours before she had the DUI, last week, she got into a big fight with her friend Samantha Ross and the deejay because they said, Lindsay, stop partying so much. Because they were at Lindsay`s condo and she was having too much of a good time. And it was her friend who was saying stop. So Lindsay does have some good people around her.
ANDERSON: But wasn`t that the same person driving the car, two days later, when she was partying again, post arrest.
CAPLAN: She was, but clearly, she was the designated driver. So that`s the good friend.
ANDERSON: All right. If there`s something good that comes out of it. Maybe it`s that.
ALLISON: You have to remember --
CAPLAN: I`m trying to be positive here about Lindsay`s friends.
ANDERSON: OK. Julia, what do you think? Lindsay`s dad does have a point, doesn`t he?
ALLISON: Lindsay`s dad, if that isn`t like the pot and the kettle. You remember Lindsay`s father is not exactly a paragon of virtue here. But she has a mother who is extremely permissive, who parties almost as much as she does. And no one in her life will say no to her. So, I think that it`s not surprising that she`s absolutely out of control. I think her parents -- I mean, both of them need to step up and tell her, you know, calm down. You need to stop drinking. The last thing you need is to have a 21st birthday party.
ANDERSON: I agree. Starts at home. David, this really threw me for a loop. TMZ.com got a hold of some pictures of Lindsay stepping out of the rehab facility to go to the gym. We expect her to be in lockdown, basically, working through her issues. What do you make of that?
CAPLAN: The facility she`s at, Promises, it is a little lenient. It adapts to the stars` lifestyles. But they do have some free time. It`s not always -- it can`t be 12 steps 24/7, unfortunately, for Lindsay. But I would say, though, part of the treatment there is a little bit more sort of non-traditional, in terms of fitness. And they do horse back riding and arts and crafts.
ANDERSON: But she did the same thing when she was in Wonderland. The CEO said she left to do things. Then you see where that got her, back in rehab.
CAPLAN: That`s very true. The difference, though, with Promises is they integrate those sort of activities with their existing treatment. Whereas, you know, Wonderland, all right, you are going to walk away? Knock yourself out.
ANDERSON: All right Good point. David Caplan, senior correspondent at VH-1, and also Julia Allison, columnist for "Time-Out New York." Thank you both.
ALLISON: Thanks.
CAPLAN: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right, yesterday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Lindsay Lohan`s second stint in rehab -- will it work this time? And it`s not good news for ya, Lindsay. Only 4 percent of you say yes, it will work, 96 say no. Here are some of the e-mails we received.
Margaret from Massachusetts doesn`t think it will help. "Lohan needs to get back with reality and get real help at a tougher rehab center. It`s either that or a mental hospital."
Doris from Arkansas thinks Lindsay`s got a shot: "She can make rehab work. The biggest problem Lindsay has is with her mother, who doesn`t know from being a parent to a party-goer herself."
HAMMER: Some very scary star news. Actor Stephen Baldwin -- his brothers are Billy and Alec -- Stephen got thrown from a bull, and he got sent to the hospital. Here`s what we know right now. Stephen, who is shooting a reality show on the CMT Network called "Tyne (ph) Murray`s Celebrity Bull Riding Challenge" was tossed hard to the ground. TMZ.com says he actually broke his shoulder and a rib.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, you know what, Stephen Baldwin doesn`t take any bull. He`s already back in the saddle on set. By the way, he`s not the only celebrity who got smacked around a bit on this particular show. Seventies teen idol Leif Garrett also got roughed up this week as well. Guys, maybe you should think of strapping some pillows, or something, to your body. I don`t know.
ANDERSON: Or just staying off a bucking bull, maybe.
All right, you may need to sit down for this one. I`ve got the shocking story of a guy who dumped his 40-something wife to run off with Britney Spears. You heard me right. Stick around for that, coming up.
And Britney, you may want to listen to this: The secret to making marriages work in Hollywood is maybe to hook up with a non-star. She kind of did, Kevin Federline. Anyway, up next, stars who are making it work because they married somebody who wasn`t famous.
HAMMER: Well, it truly has been a news nightmare for Katie Couric. I know people are trying to spin it every which way, but the truth is, she is tanking in the "CBS Evening News" anchor chair. After all that money that they spent to get her there, she`s still in third place. The question is, what went wrong? I`ve got that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Hear that click, click, click sound? Those would be TVs tuning out the "CBS Evening News." You know, CBS spent millions and millions of dollars to swipe Katie Couric away from "Today Show" on NBC. And it`s totally tanking. The "CBS Evening News" remains in third place. In fact, Katie`s gotten some of the lowest ratings that show has ever seen.
So what went wrong? Does it have to do with Katie being a woman, as harsh as that may sound? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Terry Anzur, TV talent coach and former TV news anchor, and in New York tonight, Lloyd Grove, writer for "New York" magazine.
Terry, Lloyd, I appreciate you both being here.
I have to say, that when it was announced that Katie was making the move over to "CBS Evening News," it seemed like a good idea. I was rooting for her myself. A lot of people thought this was a great thing that was happening and certainly it was groundbreaking. Obviously, there were a lot of naysayers back then.
Lloyd, was the idea of putting Katie on the evening news really doomed from the start?
LLOYD GROVER, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: Well, I never thought it was a particularly great idea, personally. I like Katie. I think she`s extraordinarily talented. But the idea of putting her in this kind of very serious format, where her entire career had been as someone who was able to do a lot of things, had a lot of range, but was not the kind of news, totally news person, that one is used to in that role.
And the broadcast had just started to stabilize with Bob Schieffer, who was making great gains after the Dan Rather debacle. So it was a real risk to sort of pull the rug out from all those viewers and from Schieffer.
TERRY ANZUR, FMR. TV NEWS ANCHOR: No!
HAMMER: Yeah, well the word that came up -- go ahead, Terry, because the word that came up a lot was "gravitas". And yes, Schieffer was starting to make some headway, so do you think Katie could ever really have succeeded?
ANZUR: A.J., what gets lost in all this talk about gravitas and the latest numbers is that CBS hired a star quarterback, and they forgot to hire the team, or even hire a coach. What gets lost is that TV news is a team sport. And at NBC and ABC, you have Brian and Charlie, guys who came up through the ranks. They know the players. They know the game plan. So, they`re fronting a newscast that is very much solid and secure.
Katie`s newscast is very much a work in progress. They have changed producers replacing Rome Hartman (ph) with Brit Kaplan (ph). The show is still evolving. They made some real mistakes out of the gate.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: So, Terry, you`re saying -- but you`re saying the idea that -- which a lot of people have suggested -- that she just doesn`t have what it takes to hold that audience isn`t accurate, and it really comes down to the people in her support system?
ANZUR: The reasons why CBS hired Katie are still very valid reasons. Think back to how Katie went on the "Today" show. She came in after the Deborah Norville disaster. She was the solid, girl-next-door journalist who was going to save the "Today Show" from the blond bombshell. She did that very successfully.
I have no doubt that with the right team, and the right game plan, she can succeed on the "CBS Evening News".
HAMMER: A lot of people have suggested, sexist as this may sound, that the network audience, at large, can never get used to the idea of a woman being in that chair.
Lloyd, is a that a big part of the problem, not the fact that it`s Katie, but the fact that it`s a woman?
LLOYD: Well, she`s lost that demographic -- or she`s lost some of that demographic, about 11 percent in men 18 to 49. She`s picked up about 6 percent of women 18 to 49. So I guess that`s the sole bit of good news in all of this.
But people over 55, she`s lost a great deal of those, as well. So it`s really not the right day part, I think, for Katie in that broadcast, but of course hindsight`s 20/20.
HAMMER: To that end --
ANZUR: Forget about hindsight. Let`s look to the future. How do you reinvent the evening newscast at the network level for people who already got the news on the Internet? For working women who are busy, they`re cooking dinner, they`re commuting back and forth to work. Those are Katie`s viewers. They`re not even necessarily even in the building to watch an evening newscast. You can`t blame Katie for that.
GROVER: I take it the evening newscast is perhaps an outmoded thing with the Internet and all these other places where people can get their news.
ANZUR: So, you think it would be better to stick with a Bob Schieffer, who is, of course, an excellent journalist, and just ride this dinosaur down into the dirt?
LLOYD: Well, I think they might have thought it through a little. Les Moonves was talking about blowing up the newscast. I think he succeeded in doing that, but not in the way he wanted to.
HAMMER: Let me jump in and ask you, Lloyd, because it seems this is a big part of what Terry`s suggesting. Did Katie fail CBS, or did CBS, as Terry more suggested, fail Katie Couric?
GROVE: I agree with, Terry. I think Katie is an extraordinarily capable and talented, and charismatic television personality. I don`t think she got the proper support from the get go.
HAMMER: I don`t think they`ll be pulling the plug any time in the immediate future, so perhaps they can get it together and we`ll watch it unfold. Terry Anzur and Lloyd Grove, I think you both for being with us tonight.
ANZUR: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Let me know what you think, because we`ve been asking to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, and here it is: Katie Couric, should she have stayed on the "Today Show"? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also write to us, at Showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll get into some of your e-mails on Monday.
ANDERSON: And now, making it work. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of stars who make their relationships work in Hollywood and beyond. Tonight, stars who look for love beyond Hollywood.
These ladies said no to leading men and yes to healthy relationships with doctors, bankers, normal people, outside of Tinsel Town. With me in New York, syndicated radio host Cooper Lawrence.
Hi, Cooper.
COOPER LAWRENCE, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Hi, how you doing, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Doing well, thanks. I want to start with Meryl Streep. You know, to me she is Hollywood royalty. She`s been nominated for more Oscars than anybody else and she can also be very proud of her stable relationship with sculptor Don Gummer, they`ve been married for almost 30 years! Cooper, that`s almost unheard of in Hollywood!
LAWRENCE: I know, I love their relationship. It`s great.
ANDERSON: Yes. Why do you think it`s been so successful?
LAWRENCE: What`s so interesting about it is he suits her on two levels. One, you know the fact that he`s an artist, as well, he understands the creative side of her. But for somebody to be an actress at her level, she has to be a very complex human being. So, somebody that that`s complex needs to be with somebody who is outside of Hollywood. You can`t be that complex and that intense an actor and be -- and only have that Hollywood motif all the time.
ANDERSON: So, maybe you need to challenge yourself outside of what you are solely comfortable with?
LAWRENCE: Yes, there is that. And there`s the idea that there`s other things going on in her world, and in his life. You can just imagine the conversations they have about the world and about life and about everything but -- Hollywood. And everything but -- acting.
ANDERSON: She seems to be a very smart woman and very dedicated to her family. And now --
LAWRENCE: And very complex. See, I see the complexity of her personality. That`s the key here.
ANDERSON: The complexity is a big focus here with this relationship.
Also, moving to somebody who also seems very dedicated, as a family person. Julia Roberts, she was a serial Hollywood dater engaged to Kiefer Sutherland, married to Lyle Lovett. There was Jason Patrick, Daniel Day- Lewis, Matthew Perry. But she settled down and had kids with a cameraman Danny Moder. Why did it click with somebody behind the camera?
LAWRENCE: You know what`s so interesting about Julia Roberts, it seemed like her relationship reflected her career the entire time. When she was first thrust into it, you know, she was the Lindsay Lohan of our time. She was on every magazine cover. She was followed around. So part of that, you had to be with somebody fabulous like Kiefer Sutherland, or like you mentioned Matthew Perry. You had to be with another celebrity because she was so in that world.
As she matured as an actress, and as a person, I think she realized that that life wasn`t enough for her. And that really wasn`t who she was. The person she saw in the mirror wasn`t the same person she was seeing on the magazine covers, whereas it seems like her relationship with Danny Moder is very much -- she gets to be herself in that relationship. She moved out of Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Yeah.
LAWRENCE: She wants to give her kids a normal life.
ANDERSON: Good point.
Somebody else who has also had her fair share of high profile guys, Geena Davis. Now she`s married to a doctor, she`s on her fourth marriage. He`s not the creative type. What do you think she has learned this time?
LAWRENCE: She`s learned that she`s a woman to be reckoned with. She started out doing roles that were kind of silly and she dated other actors. As she matured as a human being, and a woman, she became somebody who really took her craft seriously. She took a job on television, which is almost like a nine to five job, I mean, that`s like any job that any one of us has. You`re not on location all over the place.
But she also has, again, a complex personality. But, of course, she ends up with somebody who is a doctor. She had to be with somebody who was at her same level in their field.
ANDERSON: Very quickly. We`ve got about 20 seconds. Marcia Cross, Tom Mahoney. He`s in finance.
LAWRENCE: Again, here`s a woman who -- she went through all the silly little "Melrose Place" stuff. By the time she got to "Desperate Housewives", she was done with the Hollywood scene. She had had it. So she wanted to be with somebody who reflected another end of her personality, another aspect of who she was.
ANDERSON: There is hope for everyone. True love does exist.
LAWRENCE: And there`s hope for the rest of us to say you can go out and marry celebrity.
ANDERSON: Well, for all of us, you`re right. Cooper Lawrence. Thanks so much.
LAWRENCE: Thank you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: From making it work to really not making it work. You won`t believe this. I`ve got the shocking story of a guy who dumped his 40- something wife to run off with Britney Spears. You heard me right. As they say, don`t adjust your set. That`s coming up next.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Take a listen to this. A shocking story of a guy who dumped his 40- something wife to run off with Britney Spears. Well, OK, it`s not really true. It`s fiction.
But what a story, right? It is part of the Gigi Grazer`s best-seller "The Starter Wife." Gigi actually told us the troubled starlet is actually the perfect mistress for her book turned mini series, that`s because troubled or not, people still root for Britney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GIGI LEVANGIE GRAZER, AUTHOR, "THE STARTER WIFE": Notwithstanding anything she`s gone through recently, I think she`s extremely lovable. So I had to choose somebody who you wouldn`t automatically dislike. I mean, if she were the other woman, or the second wife, or whatever. I mean, she seems to be a very sweet girl. I don`t know her personally, but I think she`s trying really hard to figure out her life.
And again, it`s so hard. She`s so young. If she were 40 years old and all this was happening, you know, she`d be just fine. But because she`s not there yet. So I think she`s very likable and sort of relatable. That`s why I chose her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And Debra Messing has moved from "Will & Grace" to "The Starter Wife," the show based on the book. It`s all about a woman reinventing herself after a Hollywood-style divorce. You can catch it Thursdays on USA Network.
HAMMER: Time now to find out what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, this weekend, what`s the deal with all these young stars. DUIs, jail time, maybe even worse. From Lindsay, to Paris, to Britney, to Nicole, what is going on here? The world is going on and it`s going on crazy. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special event "Young Hollywood`s Meltdown" this weekend.
But wait, you know, could these bad girls actually be good role models for other young girls? You heard me right. With the eating issues, the addictions, and the jail time, it is possible that all these young ladies could teach people what not to do. We`ll be investigating that coming up on Monday.
Meanwhile, have a terrific weekend. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great weekend, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. "Glenn Beck" coming up next after the latest from CNN "Headlines New". Take care.
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