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Showbiz Tonight
Miss New Jersey Reveals Pictures Behind Blackmail Scandal; Steroids and Wrestling
Aired July 12, 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: Could a new steroid scandal bring wrestling down once and for all? A wrestling legend is right here with some revealing information. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Jessica Simpson finally sets the record straight on whether she`s had plastic surgery. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Miss America blackmail bombshell. Tonight, Miss New Jersey finally reveals the pictures that someone is using to get her fired.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY POLUMBO, MISS NEW JERSEY: I wanted this to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But we`ve got to ask, are they really all that bad? Tonight, will this beauty queen have to give up her crown? Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the controversial question, are beauty pageants out dated anyway?
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, looking for love in all the wrong and right places. Why do some of the world`s hottest stars always strike out when it comes to love. And why in the world is Scott Baio still single at 45?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT BAIO, ACTOR: I am kind. I am considerate most of the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Scott Baio tells all to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Plus, when it comes to love, does age really matter? You will not want to miss this SHOWBIZ special report, looking for love.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there everyone. I`m in Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And we`ve got the legendary wrestler who is going to give us a reality check on the explosive steroid scandal that is rocking the world of professional wrestling. That is coming up in just a few minutes.
HAMMER: But first tonight, a startling decision late today in the beauty queen blackmail bombshell. In a dramatic day that began with Miss New Jersey showing the world those racy photos that led to the blackmail attempt, Amy Polumbo exploded with joy late this afternoon when she found out the Miss America organization is not going to fire her and she will get to keep her crown. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the late-breaking detail.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amy Polumbo should continue her reign as Miss New Jersey.
HAMMER (voice-over): The room exploded in cheers as pageant officials on live TV announced that Amy Polumbo is keeping her crown as Miss New Jersey, despite some racy pictures of her.
POLUMBO: I look forward to resuming my agenda as miss New Jersey.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you now that Polumbo has won a bold and savvy battle by exposing a sleazy blackmail attempt against her, she has no regrets about fighting back.
POLUMBO: No one deserves to have something that they have worked for taken away from them.
HAMMER: From the beginning, Polumbo refused to give in. She says someone grabbed pictures from her private Facebook.com page and threatened to release them if she didn`t resign. Her responses, hell no, I won`t go.
POLUMBO: That will not happen. Not now, not ever.
HAMMER: And early Thursday on "The Today Show," she showed the nation the photos at the center of this new beauty pageant scandal.
MATT LAUER, "THE TODAY SHOW": We are about to show all of these photos to millions of people, and how do you feel about that?
POLUMBO: I feel sick to my stomach. I really do.
HAMMER: A nation wondered, how bad would these scandalous new photos be? Were they going to be R-rated racy stuff you see on "Girls Gone Wild?"
The answer, not quite R, more PG-13.
POLUMBO: In my opinion, it`s not in a lady like manner.
HAMMER: Some of the photos that Polumbo revealed on "The Today Show" were eyebrow raising. She explained what was going on when she took them.
POLUMBO: This is a picture of my boyfriend and I. He`s being very silly. It was my best friend`s birthday and we were in a limo. We were tumbling around and someone took a photograph. My friend was joking around telling me that I am flat chested. And I decided to be a goof ball.
HAMMER: But the rest were relatively tame. The 22-year-old went on to say that even though some of the photos show her drinking, she was of legal age when they were taken. All told, the pictures are largely being met with a collective shrug.
DAVID CAPLAN, VH1: The photos were really much ado about nothing. When you saw the photos on "The Today Show" it was a little bit anti- climactic. They didn`t show much. There was nothing controversial or x rated about them.
HAMMER: CNN`s Jeanne Moos heard a similar reaction when she hit the streets of New York.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you have photos like this at home?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hell, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t see nothing wrong with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not offensive, not at all.
HAMMER: Some people weren`t as accepting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think these young girls need to clean it up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she should set a standard. This is a pretty low standard.
HAMMER: The behavior of beauty pageant winners has become a sensitive topic in the recent past. Former Miss USA Tara Conner`s underage drinking and reported partying got so much attention late last year the only thing that kept her from losing her crown was a stint in rehab and this live TV apology.
TARA CONNER, MISS USA: I want to apologize to my own family if I have put any disgrace upon you.
HAMMER: But former Miss Nevada, Katie Reese, wasn`t as lucky. When provocative party picks of her, taken before she won her crown, went public, she was fired.
KATIE REESE, FORMER MISS NEVADA: So many of us don`t realize how their actions, even one night of poor judgment, can affect the rest of our lives.
HAMMER: But the Polumbo case played out differently. Instead of someone else leaking the photos to the public, she`s releasing them before anyone else can. She may not become Miss America, but some are already calling her Miss Hootspa.
CAPLAN: By her releasing the photos, by her announcing the blackmail plot, the whole scandal was on her terms.
HAMMER: Polumbo says this whole experience has given her a new mission.
POLUMBO: Now I have learned to expand this message to not only young children but to adults as well, that nothing you post on the Internet is private, even if it`s in a privately accessed site.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So Ms. New Jersey will keep her crown, but does she deserve to? Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Kelli McCarty. Kelly was named Miss Kansas in 1990. She was then crowned Miss USA in 1991. And in New York, Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Good to see you both. Kelly, I want to start with you. You`ve been through the pageant process as a former Miss USA. What did you think? Did they get it right? Did Amy Polumbo deserve to keep that crown?
KELLI MCCARTY, FORMER MISS USA: Absolutely. I`m so glad that the Miss America organization decided to stand up for her, really. I would hate to see her dethroned by this blackmailer. who is quite frankly just a loser. That`s a great thing that they didn`t give the power to this guy. It would only encourage other people to do the same thing. And this is a beautiful woman who has a lot going for her. And a few pictures, I certainly don`t see the big deal.
ANDERSON: She seems very sweet and she was clearly relieved. And at the news conference today she stepped up to speak and she was clearly emotionally moved. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLUMBO: I`m a human being. And, as a human being, that`s what life is about. It`s about learning and it`s about growing and learning from your mistakes. So I don`t regret anything from my past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lisa, this woman is a role model for young girls around the country. She says she doesn`t regret anything, that everything was worth it. What do you think? I want your take, was the right decision made?
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: I think the right decision was made. But, frankly, I don`t understand this whole story. I don`t understand how Miss America, which makes its money off of women parading around in skimpy little bikinis and high heels, has a morals clause that might cast some judgment on her because she`s scantily clad in some pictures. The whole thing makes no sense to me.
I also don`t understand how you can blackmail somebody with pictures that she herself posted online. The story to me wreaks of double standards.
ANDERSON: One of the directors today said that the pictures weren`t immoral and did not violate her contract that she did sign. And there is no doubt that, you know, some of the pictures that were shown were a bit racy. Most were harmless. But Kelli, she is a role model. Do you think in any way this could take away from credibility?
MCCARTY: You know what? I have two words for you, Vanessa Williams. That was in --
ANDERSON: Look where she is today.
MCCARTY: Yes, if anything, this is only going to help her. And the reality is, it`s not a big deal. These are not scandalous photos. These are photos that every high school, college kid, or 21-year-old has out there partying with their friends once in a while. There was no crimes committed.
And just to comment on the pageants, they are very credible, and they do promote a lot of positive things for women today. Sure, they have bikinis and it is a pageant, but pageants have been around forever. But they are certainly not demeaning to women. And I can say they have helped me so much in my life. And everyone I have come in contact with through the pageants have been amazing.
ANDERSON: Both sides to the whole -- looking at pageants; there are always going to be people who do criticize at the same time. But, you know, guys, this is just the latest scandal. Former Miss USA Tara Conner we all remember admitted to underage partying. Pictures of Miss Nevada were released. Those were scandalous.
Lisa, are we getting a little too sensitive? What do you think? Should we expect girls to grow up to be Mother Teresa?
BLOOM: I think we should have the same standards for girls and for boys. There`s her boyfriend biting her breast in one of these pictures. Nobody is questioning his morality. Why is it that girls in our culture are the ones that are supposed to uphold all sexual morality. Sure, we all have pictures like that from college if somebody had a camera around when we were having fun. If we don`t, we weren`t doing college right.
She`s clearly just a young girl having fun. I don`t have any judgments about her. But why do we hold young women up to these ridiculous standards? Why should she be in tears? Why should she be embarrassed?
ANDERSON: Maybe because she was signed up for this pageant. You know, her boyfriend didn`t sign up to be in the spotlight. Maybe that`s the difference, Lisa. What do you think?
BLOOM: Maybe she signed up for it because it`s a great option for young women, because they win scholarships, as she did. I would like to see scholarships based on their brains, not based on bikini competitions. But that`s just me, as a mother of a teenage girl.
MCCARTY: Can I just interrupt right here? Lisa, this is not a bikini contest. There`s a big difference. Miss America is known as a scholarship program.
BLOOM: And the girls are in bikinis during part of it.
MCCARTY: And I do believe that it`s possible for women to be beautiful and have brains.
BLOOM: I agree.
MCCARTY: And Miss USA, Miss Universe and Miss America, they all -- I feel they have that same standard. And it`s, you know -- we do, we`re taking it too seriously. So what if these girls, you know -- they have so many talents and maybe they look great in a bikini. I mean, god love them.
BLOOM: Well, I don`t see any academic competitions at the Miss America contest. I don`t see them using their brains. Maybe singing and dancing, yes, and that`s talent. But I don`t see them using their brains. I don`t see them debating, writing, thinking, engaging intellectually in the way the boys are encouraged to do. It`s 2007 for crying out loud.
ANDERSON: We could continue this conversation for a long time. We could, and we will possibly in the future. But we are going to have to leave it there. I`m sorry. Kelly McCarty, Lisa Bloom, thank you both so much for your opinions. We appreciate it.
Now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, beauty pageants, do you think they are outdated? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. You can also vote on the question of the day by sending a cell phone text, 45688. To vote yes, SHOWBIZ yes; to vote no, SHOWBIZ no. Once again, that text is 45688.
HAMMER: Brooke, yet another scandal with the awful apparent double murder suicide that involved wrestler Chris Benoit and his family. There are so many questions out there about whether steroids played a role. Coming up next, wrestling legend, superstar Billy Graham right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I got to ask him point blank, could this possibly take down wrestling once and for all? We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watching Britney and Kevin Federline was like watching a horror movie and going, don`t go downstairs. Don`t go into the basement. She just kept walking down and we just put our hands over our eyes, like no. And she did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, so I want to know why do some of the hottest stars always strike out when it comes to love? Are their love lives cursed forever? Unlucky in love. I`ve goat that as part of our SHOWBIZ special report, looking for love, straight ahead.
HAMMER: And, you know, thank goodness we have time for this story tonight; Jessica Simpson setting the record straight once and for all. Has she had plastic surgery? Are her breasts real? The world apparently needs to know. So if you stick around, you will see the great mystery solved forever right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous. All right, great news tonight. Wally the cow isn`t going to jail. Yes, it seems a next door neighbor has a big beef with this 900 pound Minnesota mooer. He thinks that Wally moos too much.
But officials decided to steer this in a different direction. They`re not going to go after Wally`s owner. Seems like there`s not enough evidence to steak a claim. OK, I think I`ve milked this one long enough. It`s getting kind of cheesy. As Bart Simpson would say, don`t have a cow, man. Making noise over a cow`s mooing, that`s ridiculous.
HAMMER: Tonight, there are startling new developments in the scandal that is rocking the world of professional wrestling following the apparent double murder suicide involving WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, questions about whether steroids played a role. And now federal investigators are expanding their investigation into Benoit`s personal doctor. This has truly shaken wrestling to its core.
And nobody but nobody knows the inner workings of the wrestling business better than the legendary wrestler super star Billy Graham. He wrote about his dramatic ups and downs in this book, "Superstar Billy Graham, Tangled Ropes."
Superstar Billy Graham joining us tonight from Phoenix, Arizona. Superstar, good to have you back on the program. Thanks for joining us.
BILLY GRAHAM, FORMER PROFESSIONAL WRESTLER: Thank you very much, A.J. It`s good to be back with you.
HAMMER: So, as I mentioned, superstar, you know better than anybody the real deal behind wrestling and steroids. Are steroids wrestling`s dirty little secret?
GRAHAM: Well, I don`t think so, because what we have here, A.J., is a tremendous entertainment. WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. The WWE has hired Hollywood script writers, and everything every wrestler says is scripted by a creative team of at least ten folks on the writing team. And the entertainment value with the 500 -- half a million dollar production or Raw every Monday night, with the pyrotechnics, the fire coming out of ring posts, and the entrance music and the back stage drama of --
Sometimes we see female women nude in shower stalls and running around the back of the building in towels. And we see cars exploding. We see trucks on fire. We see policemen coming down to the ring side and putting a wrestler in handcuffs and supposedly arresting him. So I really feel, in my heart, that this tragedy will not even dent the success of the World Wrestling Entertainment.
HAMMER: But it is shedding light on the idea that perhaps steroid use does exist within world wrestling. I guess that`s really my question to you. Is it something that you know to be going on?
GRAHAM: Well, I have the dubious title, unfortunately, A.J., of starting the evolution of steroids in professional wrestling, because when I was champion back in 1977, I came on the scene after training years with Arnold Schwarzenegger, his training partner. And taking steroids years before I became a professional wrestler.
Unfortunately for me, I set the standard, and the evolution of steroids in professional wrestling took off. And it`s all by the choice of the wrestler. The WWE has never forced anyone. Vince has never sat any entertainer down and said it`s best that you take steroids. As far as I`m concerned, it`s their own choice.
HAMMER: So they were looking at wrestlers before them, such as yourself who, who, as you say, you did set the standard. Look at these pictures of you. You were among the first to have these big bulky physiques. How did the steroid use affect you when you were professionally wrestling.
GRAHAM: Of course, it enhanced my physique tremendously, as the pictures can attest to. I didn`t start having health problems until years later. And believe me, I have had some catastrophic bone loss and bone joint diseases, especially avasculor perosis (ph), which the doctors call the death of the bone. I`ve lost four inches in height. My hips have been replaced six times. My ankles have been fused.
And sadly my wife Valerie has suffered my steroid use also because it made me sterile. She wanted a family of ten. I couldn`t give her a family on one.
HAMMER: What an impact. I should read a statement about the idea that steroids played any part in the Benoit tragedy. The WWE said they strongly suggest that it`s entirely wrong to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body.
I got to wrap it up here, but superstar, you are basically saying they didn`t play a part. I`m sorry, you are saying they won`t bring them down. I`m out of time here but again, thank you for sharing your insight with us tonight.
GRAHAM: Thank you, A.J. Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Superstar Billy Graham joining us tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: All right, so many stories about Jessica Simpson and plastic surgery. Has she had any work done? Tonight, she`s setting the record straight, and what she reveals will shock you. That`s next. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who was the first person you ever had sex with.
BAIO: Emma Moran (ph) from "Happy Days."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was your first?
BAIO: Joany did love Chachi (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, that`s "Happy Days" star Scott Baio. But he`s not so happy these days. He`s 45. He`s single and he really wants to know why. Yes, it`s a long way from Joany loves Chachi. Tonight, Scott Baio right here with me as part of our SHOWBIZ special report on stars looking for love.
HAMMER: Well, the "Sex and The City" ladies were always looking for love, sometimes just for a night. Tonight, we`ve got some big news, if you are a fan of Carrie, Samantha, Maranda and Charlotte, well, you`re going to jump right out of your manolas (ph) when you hear what I have to tell you. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Time now for the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT covers Hollywood`s obsession with body image like no other entertainment news show. Tonight, Jessica Simpson is coming clean about all those plastic surgery rumors. She tells "Harpers Bazaar" she`s completely fine with how she looks. And even though she hasn`t nipped and tucked anything yet, she won`t rule out going under the knife some day.
Jessica says, "maybe after having kids. If my boobs dropped down to my belly button, I would get them lifted, maintenance. But, you know, my boobs are real. I love the bump in my nose. People have said that I have had things like a jaw replacement or implant or something. I`m photographed every day of my life and have never worn any bandages or anything. So how could that be right?
"Curves are better. I don`t get the whole rail thing. It`s not good for your heart. It not good for your mind. It`s emotionally destructive. It really is."
Well, I totally agree with Jessica on that. To read more, pick up the August issue of "Harper`s Bazaar." It`s on news stands July 24th.
HAMMER: Well, of course, Brooke, Jessica Simpson certainly hasn`t had great luck in her love life. So why is it that some stars are just so unlucky in love.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watching Britney and Kevin Federline was like watching a horror movie, going don`t go down stares. Don`t into the basement. And she just kept walking down and we put our hands over our eyes. We`re like no, and she did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, looking for love. We are taking a revealing look at stars who steam to always fall down when it comes to hooking up. That`s next.
ANDERSON: And, A.J., "Happy Days" star Scott Baio has some love issues of his own. He`s 45. He`s single. And tonight he`s right here to explain what keeps going on.
HAMMER: But, you know, Brooke, Mark Consualos (ph) has one of the best relationships in Hollywood. He is married to Kelly Ripa. His new show asks the tough question, does age really matter when it comes to love. He`s right here as part of our special report, looking for love, next.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Looking For Love" in all the wrong, and right places. Why do some of the hottest stars always strike out when it comes to love?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE SANTAGATI, AUTHOR, "THE MANUAL": Watching Britney and Kevin Federline was like watching a horror movie and going don`t go downstairs, don`t go into the basement! And she just kept walking down and we just put our hands over our eyes and like, No! And she did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And why in the world is Scott "Chachi" Baio still single at age 45? He tells us about his, not-so-"Happy Days".
Plus, when it comes to love, does age really matter? It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, "Looking For Love" and it starts right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday night. 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.
Tonight we`ve got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report: "Looking For Love" Tonight they are some of the most beautiful stars in the world. So why do they keep striking out in love? Does age really matter when it comes to love? Can older women really make it work with a younger man?
And why in the world is Scott Baio, the hunk from "Happy Days," still single at the age of 45? We loved him as Chachi and women still love him. Here he is. So why isn`t he married? He is very silly. We`ll be speaking with Scott in just a moment.
But first, I gotta tell you, I don`t know a single girl out there not looking for that special someone, the same goes for some of our favorite leading ladies. So, how come they keep on getting their hearts broken? Tonight -- it`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Looking For Love".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANTAGATI: Watching Britney and Kevin Federline was like watching a horror movie.
JILL DOBSON, "STAR": Cameron Diaz has had a lot of high-profile relationships.
SANTAGATI: Drew Barrymore, I bet you, nine times out of 10 has to dumb it down for her dates.
DOBSON: Denise Richards went for the ultimate Hollywood bad boy.
ANDERSON: Hold up! Can it be? Are some of Hollywood`s most beautiful and talented leading ladies unlucky in the love department? It seems that way because the lists of exs are getting longer, and the relationships are getting shorter. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did some digging with "The Manual" author, Steve Santagati and "Star" magazine`s Jill Dobson to find out who is being cast in the role of "unlucky in love", starting with Miss Britney Spears.
SANTAGATI: Justin was the best guy she ever had.
ANDERSON: Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears ended their romance back in 2002.
DOBSON: A lot of people are mourning that relationship because it seemed like those two were so perfect for each other.
ANDERSON: Britney then went from Mr. Perfect to Mr. Not-So-Perfect. Starting with her 55 hour marriage to high school best friend, Jason Alexander. Next in line for bright-eyed Britney, back up dancer, Kevin Federline. We all know how that ended.
SANTAGATI: Watching Britney and Kevin Federline was like watching a horror movie going don`t go downstairs, don`t go into the basement. And she kept walking down, we just put our hands over our eyes, like -- no! And she did it.
ANDERSON: So, who should Britney be looking to for that perfect match?
SANTAGATI: A regular, strong rugged guy with Kid Rock naughtiness but with more of a Bill Gates financial and emotional stability.
ANDERSON: While Justin Timberlake was Britney`s first, he is the latest victim of our next Hollywood heartbreaker, Miss Cameron Diaz.
DOBSON: Cameron Diaz has had a lot of high profile relationships, with Jared Leto, Matt Dillon, and Justin Timberlake. None of those have worked out, but Cameron always bounces back.
SANTAGATI: I don`t think Cameron is looking for that man to get married and have children, right now. I think that she`s looking just to have fun and I just think it`s a little bit odd that all the guys she picks have a shelf life. There`s usually not a lot of turmoil in the press about her relationships. They usually begin, kiss, kiss, kiss, shots on the beach, and they end.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hopes our next unlucky in love listener can find the right man. She`s America`s friend.
JENNIFER ANISTON, "FRIENDS": Oh, I can`t believe he remembered.
ANDERSON: Miss Jennifer Aniston.
DOBSON: Jennifer Aniston is the woman we are all rooting for. Our hearts broke for her when her marriage to Brad ended. We were all happy when she ended up with funny guy Vince Vaughn. She`s dated other actors along the way, like Tate Donavon.
SANTAGATI: Jennifer Aniston is a beautiful woman. She`s successful. She`s wealthy. And she`s picking bad boys. No big deal, except if you`re going to play with the big leagues, you`ve got to know how to handle these guys -- and she just doesn`t.
ANDERSON: Another lady not having luck with the bad boys, Miss Denise Richards.
SANTAGATI: I think that Denise Richards thinks that her looks and her attitude are going to be enough to keep a guy around -- a bad boy around, actually -- and it`s not.
DOBSON: Denise Richards went for the ultimate Hollywood bad boy, and then she went from the bad boy to looking like the bad girl, when she divorced Charlie and ended up with the man who had recently divorced her best friend.
ANDERSON: She had "Never Been Kissed" before she had "50 First Dates".
DREW BARRYMORE, ACTRESS: And do you think that I should bring him into the other room and take advantage of him?
ANDERSON: In real life, Drew Barrymore`s list of love interests comes from all walks of life.
DOBSON: She was famously married to Tom Green for a couple of years. That didn`t work out. Since then she`s been linked to several other semi- famous guys, but none of them have been as famous as her. And I think that may be part of why it didn`t work out.
SANTAGATI: Drew Barrymore, I bet you nine times out of 10 has to dumb it down for her dates. I think it`s going to be hard to find a guy that can basically keep up with her on a physical level, intellectual level, and a fun level.
ANDERSON: Speaking of the whole package, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has one more lady who has it all, minus Mr. Right, the new proud mama, Miss Sheryl Crow.
DOBSON: Sheryl Crow doesn`t seem to have a type. She`s dated a musician, an actor, an athlete, but none of them turned out to be the perfect guy for her.
SANTAGATI: These are guys that don`t have to settle down. These are guys that don`t have to have a wife, or a steady girlfriend. They can have whoever they want, and they will because they are celebrities.
ANDERSON: Celebrities dating celebrities. A trend SHOWBIZ TONIGHT immediately picked up on when we got to listing our unlucky in love ladies. So should a new direction be taken?
SANTAGATI: They have to find a guy outside of Hollywood that doesn`t care that they are famous.
DOBSON: Date America`s most successful accountant. He`s proud of what he does. You`re proud of what you do. You`re both successful, but in different fields. You can be a power couple without having to be a Hollywood`s "it" couple.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Sheryl Crow might have heard our advice. She recently told "OK" magazine she is dating someone who isn`t in show business.
Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report continues now with Scott Baio. You are never going to believe that the once feather-haired heartthrob Scott Baio counts himself as one of those stars who is unlucky in love. We loved him on "Happy Days", we swooned over him on "Charles in Charge" and he is still single.
How could this be, Scott? His new show on VH-1, "Scott Baio, is 45 and Single" has us all scratching our heads.
Here he is with me, right now, Scott Baio. Good to see you.
SCOTT BAIO, ACTOR: I`m just getting over feathered hair and swooning.
ANDERSON: Oh, that`s what we have done.
BAIO: That`s wonderful.
ANDERSON: That`s what we have done for years and years.
(CROSS TALK)
BAIO: I understand. What was the question?
ANDERSON: Well, you have dated some of most beautiful women in the world. Women out there would kill to be with you.
BAIO: Men would? Oh, women, right?
ANDERSON: Women would, yes. Yet you are single. Is that hard to find love? Have you just found it impossible?
BAIO: No. What is impossible is to for me is to fully commit to somebody because I`ve certainly been with wonderful women. And I just don`t know what that is. So in this show, I go on this journey with a life coach, who makes me revisit ex-girlfriends from my past, kind of like that movie "High Fidelity", where the guy goes back to his ex-girlfriends and finds out why he`s cuckoo.
And I find out -- I ask these women what`s wrong with me? And some of them are sweet. Most of them are not. And it`s -- and the show is actually really interesting because it plays much more like a romantic comedy than as a reality show.
ANDERSON: One of those old flames, Erin Moran, who actually played Joannie.
BAIO: Right.
ANDERSON: So when you are doing this, I`m sure it was incredibly difficult at times for people to criticize you and tell you this is what`s wrong with you. But did you have any regrets maybe specifically in Erin`s case about not sticking it out with her the first time?
BAIO: Oh, I regret a lot of things about a lot of people. I don`t know specifically about marrying her when I was 16 years old which she says on the show. And I have no recollection of that whatsoever. But no, certainly there`s women, the first love of your life is always the tough one to get over. That was Heather Locklear, a wonderful human being. She`s about the only ex-girlfriend that I sort of talk to, still.
ANDERSON: You have dated some very high-profile people. You mentioned Heather Locklear, also Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, Nicolette Sheridan. What do you think about maintaining a relationship, in Hollywood, when you are both successful and in the spotlight?
BAIO: Hard. It`s very, very difficult. Because there`s big egos involved. For me, I always did -- for some reason I always gravitated towards these actresses. And I learned, not that long ago, that I just can`t do that. It`s not that my ego was so big. I really don`t have an ego. It`s just tough to compete in the show business because I don`t want my wife, or girlfriend, in Spain shooting a movie with Antonio Banderas, or whoever the hell else is hot at the moment, or whatever. That`s a tough life to live. It happens all the time. People fall in love with their co- stars, and -- I`m starting --
ANDERSON: It`s hard to maintain that trust.
BAIO: It really is. I mean, it`s almost impossible.
ANDERSON: You talked about being a commitment phobe. I`m sure a lot of guys can relate to that. Why do you think you`re afraid of that commitment?
BAIO: For me I think it`s a finality that I don`t necessarily -- you know, I learned a lot during the process of this show. And it deals with all that, and the ending is actually very cool the way the season ends.
It`s just you lose you think you lose a certain amount of freedom. That`s a tough thing to give up. And the older you get, the tougher it is to give that up because you go home alone. You are set in your ways. And then have somebody come in and say I don`t like those sheets. I don`t like the way that light looks.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: I don`t want to hear it. I don`t want to hear it.
BAIO: And then the bathroom needs to all be rearranged. I need my soap over there. You`re like -- what? Shut up.
BAIO: On the show one episode talks about how you are kind of going through a mid life crisis because you`re not settled down, because haven`t met that person. And you mentioned earlier you do have a life coach. What did you learn from the life coach?
BAIO: Two things. One I won`t tell you because you`ve got to watch it. You`ve got to watch it unravel on the show. What I really did learn was that, for me, I always thought it was the women`s fault that many of these relationships never worked out. And then I realized during this show that it can`t be all of them. It`s impossible. They all can`t be screwed up. So the one common denominator was me.
ANDERSON: You`re eyes were opened. That`s right.
BAIO: Yeah.
ANDERSON: Well, we wish you the very best at finding love.
BAIO: Thank you.
ANDERSON: Scott Baio, great to meet you.
BAIO: Thank you. Sunday night.
ANDERSON: Thanks for coming in. That`s right.
BAIO: Sunday night, 10:30 -- VH-1.
ANDERSON: "Scott Baio, 45 and Single", premieres Sunday on VH-1.
BAIO: Thank you.
HAMMER: Hold on a second, Brooke, there is one star who has been lucky in love, that I can tell you about, Mark Consuelos, married to Kelly Ripa, in the middle of a battle between older cougars trying to snare a tennis superstar away from young kittens. Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report "Looking For Love" continues.
ANDERSON: And don`t even think about going out on the town before you hear the news SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to break from the "Sex And The City" women.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS, PRO TENNIS PLAYER: Uh, 37? 36?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am 48.
PHILIPPOUSSIS: Wow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A stunned tennis star Mark Philippoussis meeting a woman 18 years older on the new NBC show "Age of Love".
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report "Looking For Love" continues now with older women, younger men. In "Age of Love" these so-called "Cougars" are pitted against younger women, who are called "Kittens", to fight for the affection of a 30-year-old man, a tennis star. That got us thinking. Does age really matter when it comes to love?
The host of the show is someone who definitely has had luck in love. Mark Consuelos, who has been married to his soap star sweetheart, Kelly Ripa, for more than a decade. We saw how shocked Mark was when he found out how old that woman was. Why do you think so many guys seem to have a problem with the older women?
MARK CONSUELOS, HOST, "AGE OF LOVE": I don`t think they do. I think that`s a fallacy. I think if you look at -- especially our friends -- people that I know, guys are dating older women. I think it`s a trend. I think it`s not so much taboo anymore.
HAMMER: All right. Then in the course of shooting this show, I`m sure you have learned a lot including, perhaps that, but what has really surprised you the most in terms of how age does play a factor when it comes to a man dating either a Cougar or Kitten? First of all, the nicknames.
CONSUELOS: I love the names. I love the name Cougar. But I got to hang out in the control room and watch both houses. They`ve got the 20s living in one apartment and the 40s living in the other apartment. I got to see the difference. It was striking. I mean, you know, I have to say that I`m supposed to be impartial, but I was leaning towards the 40s.
All right. I`m pulling towards the 40s.
HAMMER: Right, but why?
CONSUELOS: But why? I think there`s a level of experience and confidence and they are secure with themselves. And I think it`s actually done more for women in their late 30s and 40s, than helped girls in their twenties out a little bit.
HAMMER: Because you and your wife, Kelly Ripa, are right around the same age.
CONSUELOS: She`s six months older than me, technically.
HAMMER: So, not a whole heck of a lot more experience coming into it.
CONSUELOS: If I were in my 20s and I met her now, and she`s 36, if I was in my 20s, I would definitely go after her.
HAMMER: Well, we know that in Hollywood there are certainly plenty of examples of the Cougar/younger man relationship. The one that comes to the top of everybody`s mind that certainly has succeeding is Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. She`s 44 and he`s 29 now. Do you think that age even really does matter? Even if you think the older can be better. Do you think ultimately when it comes down to it does it matter so much?
CONSUELOS: No. I think it`s about chemistry and I think probably guys in their 20s and 30s haven`t been open to experiment or experiencing someone who is older, much older, than them. If they did, they would probably be really surprised. Like I said, it comes back down to chemistry. If that`s not your thing, it`s not your thing. You still see a 40-year-old guy or the 50-year-old guy, or with a 20-year-old girl, we feel that`s OK. Why isn`t it OK for the reverse?
HAMMER: I get the impression from everything I`ve ever heard about your relationship with Kelly Ripa, is chemistry certainly had a lot to do with you guys connecting to begin with. And she has spoken on the "Regis & Kelly" program, that she co-hosts with Regis Philbin, about how you guys first met and how it was when you first met. In fact, let`s take a look at her speaking about that right here.
CONSUELOS: Oh, man. Oh, man.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY RIPA, ACTRESS, TV TALK SHOW HOST: So Mark and I were eating pizza sitting on the floor of his apartment and he said, "Hey, we don`t have to work tomorrow. Do you want to go to Vegas and get married. So 10 years later I got a ring for my 10th anniversary. He said that he wanted to make sure it was going to last before he invested --
(LAUGHTER)
BRYANT GUMBEL, GUEST CO-HOST: How many years has it been now?
RIPA: It`s been 11 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to say in that clip of Regis not looking himself, but that`s something entirely different.
CONSUELOS: Yeah, you know, he looked a lot like Bryant Gumbel.
HAMMER: Very strange.
CONSUELOS: Shocking.
HAMMER: For you guys -- and certainly being married is difficult enough. You add the pressures of a life in show business, because we know there`s a lot of traveling, there are, I`m sure, women clawing at you all the time, and guys pawing at her.
CONSUELOS: Right.
HAMMER: It is a matter of fact. What is the key for you guys in making it work?
CONSUELOS: First of all, I think the fact that my wife is extremely patient has made it all work.
HAMMER: That can help in everything.
CONSUELOS: Really, really well. She`s really, really patient. She has a lot of tolerance. And, you know what, we have three kids that, and that brings you back down to earth really fast. You kind of forget about all the other stuff that can kind of get in the way. We try to insulate ourselves as much as possible. Turn off the phones and spend some really good family time and that seems to work really well for us.
HAMMER: Do you find being with the kids, that is really what keeps you grounded? Do they keep you grounded?
CONSUELOS: Hey, man it`s reality. There`s nothing like three kids to give you a little reality.
HAMMER: Doesn`t matter if you`re on TV.
CONSUELOS: It doesn`t matter.
HAMMER: You can catch Mark`s new show, "Age of Love" Monday nights on ABC.
ANDERSON: If there is one TV show that sums up the frustration of single women, or gay men, all over, I`ve got to tell you it`s "Sex And the City." The landmark HBO show lives on in repeats, but hold onto your "flirtinis", "frenamies". "Sex and the City" is heading to the big screen after years of negotiating and talks. All four women, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon, have finally agreed to star in the movie. Sara Jessica Parker says it was Kim Cattrall who was the hold out.
Mario Cantone who played wedding planner and trusted confidant, Anthony Marentino, broke some news to CNN`s Lola Ogunnaike.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIO CANTONE, ACTOR: I can`t give you a plot line. I`m in the script. I know I`m in it. The minor characters have not worked out their deals yet, so you don`t know. But I know that I`m in the script, and I would love to do it.
LOLA OGUNNAIKE, CNN HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT: How much do you want for it?
CANTONE: Ha! That`s hilarious! You will know soon enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Good try, Lola. No word yet if Mr. Big, Chris Noth, will be in it. Shooting starts in September.
HAMMER: Well, one movie already out, already breaking records, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". Wait until you hear what Hermione, Emma Watson, told me, shocked her the most. And are you sitting down? Wait until you hear how much money this thing is raking in already. I will have that, coming up next when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: The magical wizards of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" have already cast a magical spell of their own at the box office. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this movie is breaking all kinds of records.
Listen to this, the movie is the best midnight showing of a movie, ever. It also has the biggest Wednesday opening ever. "Harry Potter" pulled in more than 44 million bucks in its first day. Only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the very first reaction from the stars of "Harry Potter", Hermione, Emma Watson, and Ron, Rupert Grint.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS: I don`t know what to say. That`s so cool. Like, I --
HAMMER: You have to feel pretty good. I think that`s pretty obvious by the glow you`ve got going on right now.
WATSON: Yeah.
HAMMER: But be honest with me, are you really all that surprised? You know the hype that surrounds these movies and the eager that everybody had to see it?
WATSON: Yes. But I guess what surprises me is this is the fifth film down the line, and we are still breaking records? I mean, isn`t that amazing?
HAMMER: I am talking about cinematic history, in the history of all films. How does that feel?
RUPERT GRINT, ACTOR: It`s really amazing. Wow.
HAMMER: There you go, how does that feel?
GRINT: It`s really amazing. It`s really cool to hear, yeah.
The book`s huge so that sort of fan base has always been there. And it`s all growing all the time. So I guess -- I don`t know. And the films have just been -- this film, in particular, is one of my favorites. I think this is a really good one. Yeah, so I guess it`s really cool work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, on Monday I will be going one on one with Emma Watson. I`m going to try to get her to spill the beans on who she thinks is going to die in J.K. Rowlings` supposedly final Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".
ANDERSON: Now we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this: Beauty pageants, do you think they are outdated? Vote at Cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail at Showbiztonight@cnn.com.
You can also vote on the question of the day by sending a cell phone text to 45688. To vote yes, write show business yes, to vote no, write showbiz no. Once again, send that text to 45688.
HAMMER: I just realized, tomorrow is Friday isn`t it? Already.
(CHEERS)
Very excited about that. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, tomorrow. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates. A revealing look at -- and we do mean revealing -- at why stars strip down for the camera. Paris, Pam, even Screech. These X-rated hard core videos can help or hurt a career. We will uncover the naked truth about celebrity sex tapes.
Plus, star plastic surgery successes and nightmares. Talking in the nips and tucks that were terrific and the ones that were just terrible. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
That is for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer, in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a great night everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. "Glenn Beck" is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News". Take care.
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