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Showbiz Tonight
Lindsay Lohan Back at Clubs; Trump Talks up New `Apprentice`
Aired July 16, 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: Donald Trump asks Rosie O`Donnell to be on "The Apprentice." And Star Jones Reynolds opens up about how she feels about "The View" now. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Lindsay Lohan out of rehab and back in the clubs. She may not be drinking, but it`s back to the same old places for post- rehab Lindsay. Can she really change her ways if she`s hanging out at the clubs? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Lindsay`s Post rehab reality check.
Stars who party and make big bucks just to show up. We`re taking a look at the outrageous money stars are being paid. Tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the reasons behind the big-time party paydays. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, paid to party.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer New York. Tonight, one star couple`s x-rated videos and pictures were this close to being made public. But coming up, you`re not going to believe who got the photos and what they plan on doing with them. But first tonight, Lindsay Lohan is out of rehab, but wait until you hear what she did when she got out. She went into rehab, of course, after the embarrassing photos, the car wrecks, and the numerous reports of substance abuse.
Well now, 45 days later, she is out, and you won`t believe how she spent her first weekend of freedom. She went partying. Is she kidding? This really has people shaking their heads in disbelief, wondering if she is setting herself up for disaster.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lindsay Lohan is officially out of rehab.
HAMMER (voice-over): Lindsay has emerged from a six-week stay in rehab aimed at taming a wild, non-stop party lifestyle that had spun out of control.
PATRICK HUGUENIN, GOSSIP WRITER: Now she`s going to daily AA meetings, getting tested, you know, for alcohol and drugs on a regular bays. But she`s pretty much free to do as she pleases.
HAMMER: Did Lindsay spend her first weekend out of rehab in private and somber reflection on how to best begin this new sober phase of her life? Heck no.
HUGUENIN: She spent this weekend in Vegas.
HAMMER: That`s right. Lohan, who turned 21 during her rehab stay, partied with friends in good old Sin City.
HUGUENIN: She danced from 1:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., hung out in the DJ booth.
HAMMER: Patrick Huguenin of the "New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it was a wild night of partying, but not too wild.
HUGUENIN: People say she only drank water and Red Bull energy drink.
HAMMER: And Lindsay has made another big change in her club-going ways.
MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Lindsay Lohan has a new fashion accessory. It`s an alcohol monitoring bracelet.
HAMMER: During her night of partying in Vegas, Lindsay rocked a bracelet much like this one, but Lohan wants everyone to know she`s wearing hers voluntarily.
HUGUENIN: She`s doing it primarily, it seems, so the press won`t be able to speculate about whether or not she`s drinking when she goes out to a club.
HAMMER: That`s a message Lohan may need to send to the public after a part-time rehab stay earlier this year made it look like she wasn`t taking her reported substance abuse issues seriously.
FLEEMAN: Lindsay Lohan already went through rehab once, and it obviously didn`t take. Remember, the last time she got out of rehab, she said, well, I don`t think of myself as an addict. It was relaxing.
HAMMER: Then came that memorable Memorial Day Weekend, when she crashed her car, got busted for suspicion of DUI, and was later photographed looking like a not quite sober mess. That weekend sent her back to rehab for this most recent stay, and the big question now is did it take this time? Some are skeptical.
FLEEMAN: The fact that she celebrated her first hours out of rehab by going to a club in Vegas is really going to raise some eyebrows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It seems on some levels, it`s going to be very hard for Lindsay to go back to that life, yet not really live that life.
HAMMER: But others have reason for hope.
HUGUENIN: Some of her friends have told me that she is sort of refining who she hangs out with, and she`s looking for steadier and more sober people in her life.
HAMMER: A sober approach is definitely what Lindsay needs right now if she`s going to remain in the Hollywood game. The last few movies have flopped, and there`s still that pesky little Memorial Day crash.
FLEEMAN: We`re still waiting to find out will there be a criminal case?
HAMMER: Authorities reportedly found that she was legally drunk and that some cocaine was found in her car and reportedly in her bloodstream. There are no charges yet, but that may change.
FLEEMAN: Will Lindsay Lohan also be in court, like Nicole Richie, like Paris Hilton? Will she be facing jail time? A lot of unanswered legal questions hanging over her.
HAMMER: In other words, Lindsay Lohan may be out of rehab, but she`s not out of the woods yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, that`s because she still might have to face charges surrounding that Memorial Day crash, but it just doesn`t make any sense to me that this 21-year-old troubled girl is released from rehab and heads straight to a Vegas club where, whether or not she`s drinking, she is seen living it up with a dozen of her friends. Joining me in New York tonight, Jane Velez Mitchell, author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder," in Hollywood, Ken Seely; he is the lead interventionist from A&E`s "Intervention."
Ken, I want to start with you with our interventionist on call tonight. I can`t even count on all my hands and feet how many times we have talk about the number of -- the times we talked about the fact that the last place anybody who is just out of rehab should be is a place where alcohol is flowing freely. I don`t know if you have been to Vegas. I have been to Vegas. Booze is everywhere. This is a disaster waiting to happen, isn`t it?
KEN SEELY, A&E: Absolutely, A.J. It`s really sad that, you know, she`s making that choice to go down that road. She should be really focussing on her recovery, what she could do, working with the people in the program that she met, and doing the right things that are necessary for helping her save her life. You know, I hope that she really gets how serious that this is, and it`s not a joke.
I`m hoping, you know, that she really did get what she needed to get in recovery, and she we went for one big night to celebrate, you know, her birthday while she was in treatment. She went out to just have a good time. I have seen that before in the past, where somebody does go out and get around that type of behavior, but then they jump back into their bubble, back into their safety net.
So I`m hoping that that`s the case. I pray for this poor girl.
HAMMER: Yes, I hope so too. I have to say, if we were to look at patterns, this is what she did last time as well, and we had this same conversation. Jane, you can speak to this, as Ken was saying, this is very serious. Recovery is very seriously. You have spoken very candidly about the fact that you are in recovery. If Lindsay waited a couple of months, it still would have been a bad move, maybe if it was just a celebration, OK.
But hours after getting out of rehab, what in the world do you think she was thinking?
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I don`t think she was thinking, A.J., because, you know, they say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Well, she is practicing insanity right now, because, let`s face it, she has slipped before. She was in rehab. She got out of rehab. Then she went on the party circuit. She slipped in a very dramatic and public way with a car accident, then photographed passed out in a car.
Then she goes back to rehab, and she appears to be embarking on the very same pattern all over again. She would be much better to hang out with her AA buddies and also to get involved in an acting role, something that`s going challenge her and use up her time. So I really feel that this is a risky move, but we have to put it in the context of her age. She just turned 21.
We all have to remember the way we were when we were 21. Going dancing was a very high priority. Let`s hope she can have a little fun and stay sober.
HAMMER: Yes, but as Ken was saying, it`s a dangerous place for her to be. Now, of course, you did mention, Jane, that she should get back into acting. So, right now they have to do all the PR control that they can in terms of maintaining her image if she`s even hirable. I want you to listen to what Lindsay`s publicist did tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about what she`s doing now, quote, "she has transitioned into an intensive outpatient program, which includes attendance at daily AA meetings, outpatient therapy, and daily testing."
Great, that sounds exactly like what she should be doing, but I would also like to add what the rep told People.com. They added to the same statement, quote, "she`s doing great. Lindsay is working hard on her sobriety, and we are all supporting her."
It is not lost on me here that they said we are all supporting her. Ken, you and I have talked repeatedly about the fact that in order to have a successful recovery, you have to surround yourself with people who have your best interest in mind. How can they say they`re supporting her when she gets out of rehab and goes straight to a club?
SEELEY: Well, that`s the point, A.J., that they`re not really supporting her. If they were supporting her in her sobriety, they would do exactly what clinical staff at Promises told her to do, I`m sure. It wasn`t get on the next flight and go up to Vegas and go out partying. I`m sure that`s not what clinical staff said.
If they were really supporting her, they would get with the professionals and say, what do you suggest that would be supporting her? How can we support her in her recovery to help her have long-term sobriety and get through to this on the other side, because once she does get through this -- and she`s going to have to get through this or she`s going to end up dying.
But once she does get through this, she`s going to help millions of people. So why not just start it now and get the help, really focus on your recovery, do everything that clinical staff tells you to do and stick to it?
HAMMER: Very quickly, Jane, Lindsay wearing this new fashion accessory, this alcohol monitoring ankle bracelet. She`s wearing it voluntarily so her rep says there`s no question of her sobriety. Sounds like PR spin to me. Just a few seconds.
MITCHELL: It also could be that she doesn`t have a lot of confidence in her sobriety and wants something to back her up, and force her to not drink. That`s a very scary sign. When you are so scared that you might drink again, that you feel the need to wear an ankle bracelet just to remind you not to.
HAMMER: Man, we hope she`s right on the right path now and we hope we don`t see her back in the clubs any time soon. Ken Seely, Jane Velez Mitchell, thank you both tonight.
Now we want to hear from you our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Lindsay goes clubbing after rehab; what do you think? Will she change her ways? let us know. You can go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT or email us at SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
You can also stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories by signing up for our newsletter. To do it, go to CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT, and click on the newsletter button on the left hand side of the page. You`ll get an email from us every day.
Well, for stars like Lindsay, Paris and Britney, you know, going to clubs isn`t just part of their social lives. It`s actually a way to rake in big bucks. I cannot believe what some stars get played just to show up at these places. We`ll get into that at 30 minutes past the hour in a SHOWBIZ SPECIAL REPORT, paid to party. We also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": Everybody wants to be on the show. I have been called like incessantly in the last hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "The Apprentice" is coming back with some major changes. I`m going one-on-one with Donald Trump next. Did he really ask that lady, his old nemesis, Rosie O`Donnell, to be a part of the show? You won`t want to miss this.
And more than a year after leaving "The View," what does Star Jones Reynolds think about Barbara Walters and the show now? Star in her own words coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It is time now for the SHOWBIZ snapshot, Elvis Presley and rock together like you`ve never seen them before, on a real rock.
See, a rock collector found this little gem while collecting rocks to decorate her yard. She says that when she got home to Texas and cleaned this rock all up, she was stunned to see Elvis` profile plane as day. She`s going to sell the rock on ebay next month near the 30th anniversary of Elvis` death. Has it been that long. She`s also going to donate some of the proceeds to one of Elvis Presley`s favorite charitable foundations.
All right, are you sitting down? I hope so because you may not believe what I`m about to tell you. Donald Trump wants to work with Rosie O`Donnell. You heard me right. The Donald is looking to say you`re hired to his former arch nemesis. How quickly feuds blow over in celebrity land, especially when ratings are involved.
Trump is now hoping to reinvigorate season seven of "The Apprentice" by having only celebrities participate on the show and raise all the money for charity. Now, NBC tells us they have already put in a call to Rosie at Trump`s personal request. Can you imagine the ratings bonanza that would bring? I sat down with Trump earlier today and he told me Rosie would be in very good company if she decides to join the show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Not only do I know how it would work, but I know who some of the celebrities are. Everyone wants to be on the show. I have been called, like, incessantly in the last hour, and I have been called by so many people, good name celebrities.
HAMMER: Can you drop a couple of names for us?
TRUMP: I`m not saying it`s Tom Cruise, but I will tell you some very good name character celebrities, and they really want to be on the show. It`s going to be very easy to fill.
HAMMER: You had some assistance from your lovely daughter Ivanka on the last season. And it`s been buzzing around a little bit that maybe she`ll wind up back on TV. There have been reports that she has said that "The View" has pursued her as a possible co-host on the show. She said she wouldn`t do that, but wouldn`t rule out the idea of maybe guest hosting. Has she talked with you at all about that?
TRUMP: I am sure "The View" would like her, and everyone else wants her. But she`s going on "The Apprentice," and Don is going to be on it. And we`re going to bring George back every once in a while too. So we`re going to have some fun.
HAMMER: Has she talked to you at all about the idea of her doing "The View?"
TRUMP: Well, she has asked me about it, but that`s about it.
HAMMER: You know, you look at your kids, Ivanka absolutely lovely and very successful in her own right. Same for Donald junior. I`m sure Barron has some great accomplishments of his own by now. A lot of kids who grow up with that kind of privilege can go down the wrong path. Your kids have clearly made the right choices. What do you think it is with your kids that made it work and why they chose the right path.
TRUMP: I have been very lucky. Number one, they`re very smart kids. They went to the best colleges. They had all a`s. They were tremendous students. All of my children were tremendous students. I have been very lucky. I was strong. Their mother was strong. And we didn`t take a lot of nonsense from them. We were very strict. Ivanka has done well from the beginning, so have Don and Eric.
Everything that we`ve done -- Tiffany, by the way, has turned out to be a great student. She`s really smart, really a good student. What we`ve done has just worked. I think to a certain extent, sadly, there`s a certain amount of luck in that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Donald Trump, by the way, has five children. The celebrity edition of "The Apprentice" is going to be a mid season replacement on NBC`s fall schedule. As for whether Rosie O`Donnell actually plans on joining in the fun, her rep tells us, quote, not in this lifetime or beyond. I love her honesty.
Well, tonight in the SHOWBIZ first look, the new thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, "The Invasion." Kidman plays a psychiatrist in D.C. who learns the truth about an alien infection that attacks people while they sleep and takes a nightmarish journey into a world where the only way to stay alive is to stay awake. Here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These came out of the sky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pieces all over the pasture and in the yard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is it important for people not to touch it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s contaminated. Could be contaminated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Something has happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know what it is, but I can feel it. Have you noticed anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to help you, but have you to talk to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband is not my husband.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s going on here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It doesn`t hurt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagine a world where human beings cease to be human.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The change occurs when the body undergoes REM sleep. We`ll watch each other and make sure we don`t fall asleep.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can fool them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t show emotion. Then they can`t tell who is who.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom! Mom.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No one touches my child.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re going to do whatever it takes to get through this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mom!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you wake up, you feel exactly the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "The Invasion" will be in theaters on August 17th.
Well, it was a little more than a year ago when Star Jones Reynolds left "The View." As you may remember, it was not under the greatest of circumstances. So, what does she have to say about Barbara and the other co-hosts now? That`s coming up next. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an offer now with Justin Timberlake for Dubai, over a million dollars if we can connect with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, he just said a million dollars to go to a club. Justin is not the only star cashing in by showing up at clubs, but why are companies handing over major bucks to stars just to set foot in the door? it is unbelievable the dollars that are trading hands. We have a SHOWBIZ special report not to be missed, paid to party. That is straight ahead.
And stars fighting back against the paparazzi. We`ll tell you how these two, Nick Leche and Vanessa Manillo (ph), are keeping some scandalous photos of them from getting out there and how it could change everything in the tabloids. That is coming up when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT returns in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, Star Jones Reynolds is getting ready to host her own television show more than a year after she left "The View" in a storm of controversy. When Star sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we wanted to know how she looks back on the experience now that some time has gone by.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAR JONES REYNOLDS, FORMER "VIEW" HOST": I worked really hard with some incredible women to build a show that is clearly a part of pop culture lore for this last decade, and so it`s really one of the reasons why you have never heard me utter one negative word in the last year, and you never will. Barbara Walters was my mentor then. I still consider her to be, in the world of journalism, one of my mentors, one of my idols.
So I would never say or do anything that would diminish the warm relationship that I had during that time or to diminish what my contribution was to the show that I loved.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There`s some other Star news. She is finally opening up about her dramatic weight loss. I`ve asked her about it before. She hasn`t answered. She`s addressing the rumors about whether she had gastric bypass surgery. She did write an article for "Glamour Magazine." It`s going to be a big seller. It`s coming out August 7th.
How much would you pay to hang out with Kevin Federline for a couple of hours? Any takers here? Not a one. But there are plenty of people who would do it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kevin Federline is getting everything from 15,000 to 20,000 just for a two-hour appearance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Coming up, a SHOWBIZ special report, paid to party. We`re taking a look at the outrageous amounts of money stars are getting paid just to show up at the clubs.
And stars fighting back against the paparazzi. Wait until you hear this. I`ll tell you how Nick Leche and Vanessa Manillo are keeping some rather scandalous photos of them from getting out there, and how it really could change everything for the tabloids. That is coming up.
And Hermoine is here. The lovely Emma Watson tells me how she`ll feel if her character gets killed off in the last Harry Potter book, or what about if Harry dies? Emma Watson coming up 41 minutes past the hour. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Stars paid to party. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off of one of Hollywood`s worst kept secrets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have an offer now, with Justin Timberlake, for Dubai, for over a $1 million, if we can connect with it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A-list stars, J.T., Paris, Brittany paid ridiculous big bucks just to show up at clubs. Why do they do it? Come on. What gives? I mean, these guys don`t really need the money, right? Tonight I`ve got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Stars Paid to Party".
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It is 30 minutes past the hour.
I have to tell you, I don`t get it. Tonight Lindsay Lohan is just out of rehab but already she`s back in the clubs partying. I can tell you that after spending 45 days at the posh Promises treatment center, in Malibu, California, did she spend a quiet evening at home reading a book, perhaps some knitting? No, after roaring out of rehab on Friday, she made a bee line to Sin City. That`s right. She was in Vegas. Now people say she didn`t drink. In fact, she was sporting an alcohol monitoring bracelet. This is what her publicist told us.
Quote, "She is wearing the bracelet. So there are no questions about her sobriety. If she chooses to go dancing, or dining, in a place where alcohol is served." Lindsay`s rep also says she is attending daily AA meetings and getting daily testing. But still, I have no idea, why in the world would she ever put herself in an environment where bad things could actually happen? Just doesn`t seem right.
Lindsay Lohan, of course, one of many celebrities who have cashed in now on the party scene.
Tonight, I`ve got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Stars Paid To Party". Talking A listers, like Justin Timberlake and Usher. They don`t have to wait for their records to go platinum anymore to have a platinum payday. They`re just a couple of celebrities who are getting outrageous bundles of cash just for showing up at the nightclubs. That`s right. All they have to do is show their face. Tonight we are blowing the lid off this worst-kept secret that is getting bigger and bigger.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): Paris Hilton --
MIKE ESTERMAN, CELEBRITY AGENT: She`ll look at offers of minimum $100,000.
PARIS HILTON: That`s hot.
HAMMER: Beyonce --
ESTERMAN: We`re getting offers at $35,000 to $40,000 just for the two hours.
HAMMER: Carmen Electra --
ESTERMAN: She`ll look at offers at $50,000.
HAMMER: And even Kevin Federline.
ESTERMAN: They`re offering him $50,000.
HAMMER: Stars are cashing in big-time. It`s not for performing, but for partying. Matthew Miller of "Forbes" magazine tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the pay-to-party trend is only getting hotter.
MATTHEW MILLER, "FORBES": It`s very common for stars to get paid to party. In fact, in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas it`s almost -- it`s very uncommon if they don`t get paid to appear.
ESTERMAN: The money, obviously, is ranging from a lot of factors.
HAMMER: Celebrity agent Mike Esterman is, in fact, brokering deals connecting stars to these party pay days, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you his business is becoming an international phenomenon.
ESTERMAN: It`s an boutique operation that I started and has become a very big, mainstream, catapulting celebrities around the world now. Not only am I doing a lot of U.S. stuff, but I`m now bridging the gap with a lot of countries, or actually reaching out, and finding me, and booking talent. We have an offer now, with Justin Timberlake for Dubai, over $1 million, if we can connect with it.
The numbers are staggering. Gwen Cooper, author of "Diary of the South Beach Party Girl", tells us the fictional celebrity party scene she writes about in her book isn`t far from reality.
GWEN COOPER, AUTHOR, "DIARY OF A SOUTH BEACH PARTY GIRL": When I first started going out in the club scene, part of what was shocking to me was just to see how much free stuff, and how comped everything was. You know, just the buckets going back and forth, you know, of $500, $600, $1,000, $5,000 bottles of liquor and champagne that are just being written off and they`re on the house.
HAMMER: But Cooper says clubs have good reason to go to extremes to make sure they have the hottest stars.
When all is said and done, clubs live and die based on the clientele that they get. There are certain names who are just bankable names.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you stars aren`t shy of making demands. Celebrity agents have revealed to us that Paris Hilton won`t even consider a party gig for less than $100,000.
ESTERMAN: You know, a set minimum always comes from the artist themselves.
HAMMER: Some celebrities have managed to turn partying into their main gig.
ESTERMAN: You know, Kevin Federline was getting everything from $15,000 to $20,000 just for a two-hour appearance.
HAMMER: Despite Federline`s split from Britney Spears, his cache on the party scene is only growing.
ESTERMAN: We have an offer right now in for him for Ferot (ph) Island. Incredible. I`ve never been there. I`d love to see it. It`s out near Norway. And Ferot (ph) Islands. They`re offering him $50,000. Great offer if we can connect with it.
HAMMER: Britney`s draw as a party headliner may seem like it`s fading with her music career, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, that`s just not the case.
ESTERMAN: Controversy definitely gets the name out there and the people thinking about, hey, how can I get that person at my event? There`s still a big draw. People are as fascinated with seeing them, especially if they have a chance to see them up close and personal.
HAMMER: Not even three weeks in jail could break the person who made getting paid for partying a headline.
COOPER: Paris Hilton, I think, is like the Rasputin of the party scene. Every time they think they`ve killed her off, she comes back. From a pure dollar-for-dollar perspective, I would say that she`s probably worth every penny for the clubs.
HAMMER: Promoters agree. Despite astronomical fees clubs are still pulling in huge profits, and they can thank fans for that.
COOPER: Everybody wants to feel like they`re in the place to be. It`s like almost like a stamp of authenticity, that if you are at a party where Lindsay Lohan is partying, then there is nothing wilder, or hotter, going on any place else, or Paris Hilton. You know, especially those kinds of celebrities who are not just famous, but who are famous for partying.
HAMMER: Even if you are not an A-list star, you can still cash in. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has some advice. Your best bet? Try out for a reality show.
ESTERMAN: One of the best people we booked all the time are "MTV Real World" cast members. They`re very obtainable, they`re workable. The kids love them. They`re age demographics meet such a broad, wide audience.
COOPER: Reality stars like that go very quickly from being completely unknown to household names, to vaguely familiar, in about five minutes.
HAMMER: For the real big stars, like Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Usher, getting paid to party doesn`t seem to shake their credibility with fans.
COOPER: It`s the way to have your name out there, and having your name out there is better than not having it out there at all.
HAMMER: And since it doesn`t seem to be hurting the bottom line for anyone, maybe we should all celebrate.
ESTERMAN: Well, if the club owners call me and, of course, the celebrities are most happy, of course, to hear my phone calls or emails. When they hear from me, they know money is calling.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Unbelievable. We have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about Lindsay Lohan tonight.
Lindsay goes clubbing after rehab. What do you think? Will she change her ways? Go to cnn.com/showbiz tonight.
Write to us at Showbiz tonight@cnn.com. We`ll get to your emails tomorrow. Remember, you can always stay on top of the latest and most slow provocative entertainment news stories by signing up for our fantastic SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Go to cnn.com/showbiz tonight and click on the left side of the page, we`ll e-mail it to you every single day.
Well, paparazzi pictures of Lindsay Lohan partying, as we all know they can be worth some big bucks. Get this, tonight I have the absolutely amazing story of how two huge stars are fighting back against the paparazzi. They want to make sure reportedly X-rated photos of them never seen the light of day. You`ll want to hear what happened. That`s next.
Also, some big Isaiah Washington news to tell you about tonight. When he sat down with me for a blockbuster interview, he did hint at the fact that he would soon be bouncing back from his "Grey`s Anatomy" firing. Well, tonight, you won`t believe where he is ending up. That`s coming up. Also this:
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EMMA WATSON, ACTRESS: I think I`ll be very sad when it`s over. And I`ll really feel a bit lost, to be honest.
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HAMMER: The new Harry Potter film is tearing up the box office, but what will happen to Emma Watson if her character, Hermione, gets killed off in the new book? My revealing one-on-one with Emma is coming up next.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight there are reports that X-rated photos and video of Nick Lachey and his girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo are in the hands of a big celebrity magazine. Now, normally that would be very bad news for the stars involved, but in this case, despite the fact that "OK" magazine is said to have paid a pretty penny for the pictures, they don`t plan to publish them. Wait until you hear why. With me tonight, in New York, David Caplan, senior correspondent for VH-1`s PageSizzler.com; and Maggie Gallant, publicist and founder of Spotlight Communications.
Maggie, David, it`s good to see you both.
And, David, I want to start with you because you have worked in the celeb mag business for a long time now. To me, it seems like this was a huge scoop for "OK" magazine. Why in the world aren`t they running to the presses with this? These pictures would surely sell lot and lots of their magazines?
DAVID CAPLAN, VH-1`S 24SIZZLER.COM: In the short-term, they would benefit from it from huge newsstands sales. However, in the long term, though, it`s much better for them to get the photos and not do anything with them, because this way they`re really building a relationship with Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo`s people. This way they`re saying, hey, we have the goods that every other weekly would love to have, and most other weeklies would run those photos, after paying that. But "OK" is saying they`re having -- they`re starting a relationship. They`re not going to run them. This way they`ll going to get lots of exclusives from Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo. And we`ve already seen that happen. In their last issue they had an exclusive interview with the two of them.
HAMMER: I don`t understand this. It seems -- I don`t know, ethically dubious to me, because there are going to be expectations now from the magazine, number one. And on the other side of it, it seems, all of a sudden, David, paparazzi are going to be pushed to seek out the most scandalous photos, because they know they can get big bucks selling them to a magazine and hope for a similar kind of deal, right?
CAPLAN: Absolutely. There are a lot of questions about journalism ethics here, of course. Because, you know, a few months down the road if we see an "OK" magazine story about Nick and Vanessa, a lot of us are going to be scratching our heads, and say, like, hmm, were there some details they didn`t want to include in the story? That really is the business of celebrity weeklies. They all do that. Many of them have handshake deals with a lot of these celebrity publicist and say we`re not going to write bad things about your client.
HAMMER: Maggie, you`re a publicist. Would you not be outraged if a magazine came to you looking for, I don`t know, a little extra love from your superstar clients for not publishing photos?
MAGGIE GALLANT, PUBLICIST, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: First of all, I would be loving the fact that they weren`t running these photos. I think Nick Lachey had a different relationship with Jessica Simpson and the paparazzi, when he invited the cameras into their home, and chronicled their every move. I think he might have learned from his mistake here.
And I think that is a very hard thing to undo. And I think that`s what he is trying to do. So, as a publicist I would be thrilled they`re not planning on running these photos. The most important stories of the year, those are breakups, and there are weddings and babies. They are so smart by not running these photos. I think that David has it right, that they have their eyes on the bigger story here.
HAMMER: Yeah, but Maggie, as somebody who does this for a living, if they said to you, OK, we`re not going to run these photos, but we have high expectations from you in the future.
GALLANT: Yeah. Again, journalistic ethics that is something that all of the celebrity weeklies that they are going to be looking at every single day. I mean, every decision they make they need to decide what works for them as a news organization. For me, you have to do what`s right by your client and what makes sense to the reader.
HAMMER: I don`t know. It would make me pretty angry. I don`t want to put the blackmail label on it, but it just sounds a little fishy to me.
David, it`s not like this really plugs the leak anyway as far as these photos are concerned, right? Obviously, with the Internet, never a guarantee that these photos just won`t show up everywhere anyway.
CAPLAN: Absolutely not. I mean, I`m surprised we haven`t seen the full frontal noodle -- nude of these photos yet, because these go so quickly. These make the rounds on the Internet in seconds. I still think, you know what, it`s a matter of time before these photos emerge. Because they ran another celebrity weekly, these photos, but they were G-rated, and they put sort of spots on the appropriate places.
HAMMER: David, I think you just said "full frontal noodle"
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HAMMER: But I`m going to leave that alone right now.
Now, Nick Lachey did issue a statement where he said, quote, "unfortunately as a celebrity, you`re a target." Let`s face this, Maggie, as a publicist, you could probably sign on to the idea that this whole scandal probably not a bad thing for Nick and Vanessa right now, because it`s really getting their names out there in a time where maybe they`re not so much.
GALLANT: Absolutely. Every celebrity, their public persona is very much created for whatever project they have working on. The more we know about celebrities, the more records will show that we`re more and more likely to shell out $11 at the box office, buy their album, tune into their TV show. So every move celebrities make, it may be because of their current project. And the more interest surrounding these people and what they`re doing in their private life, they make it more interesting to us.
HAMMER: David, five seconds, yes or no. This is pretty good for them in the end, isn`t it?
CAPLAN: Absolutely, yes.
HAMMER: All right. Well, thank you very much guys. I appreciate you joining us tonight. David Caplan and Maggie Gallant.
Well, no controversial photos of Harry Potter Star Emma Watson, that we know of, but fans will still have to wait for that highly anticipated kiss between Watson`s character, Hermione and Ron, played by Rupert Grint. It`s not in the record-breaking film "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," but I did have a very revealing chat with Emma about how she`s going to get her hands on that seventh and final book in the series when it comes out later this week "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". And wait until you hear her reaction when I showed her a side-by-side comparison of Hermione, then and Hermione now.
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HAMMER: Let`s take a look back, shall we?
WATSON: Oh, no. You`re not going to bring out --
HAMMER: Look at this.
WATSON: Oh.
HAMMER: Absolutely adorable. That, of course, from the very first Harry Potter film. What? Seven years ago. And, of course, this from "Order of the Phoenix" which is just now in theaters, breaking all kinds of records.
Tell me when you see this image here, from the first film, what`s going through your head? Do you recall what you were even thinking, what things you were experiencing at that time?
WATSON: Gosh. Well, I`m looking at a little girl who has very big cheeks and very big hair, and is looking very kind of -- what is even the word?
HAMMER: How were you feeling, though?
WATSON: I guess I just like -- now I feel so much more, like, confident in myself and sort of my abilities as an actress, whereas back then I just kind of was like in awe by the whole thing. Every day on set I was like am I doing the right thing? Is this OK? Like I was just kind of - - I don`t know. I --
HAMMER: You were mesmerized by the whole experience?
WATSON: Yeah, I was.
HAMMER: It`s interesting you say that, because I asked Daniel the same question. Daniel, who of course plays Harry, and he said, you know, I look back, at that I was just a kid on a movie set. Now I`m doing my craft.
WATSON: Yeah, that is --
HAMMER: I`m doing my job.
WATSON: Yeah, I would agree with that. I think we just kind of -- I mean, Chris Columbus, when you think what he achieved, you know, we were kind of --
HAMMER: Director of that first movie --
WATSON: Yeah, yeah. Sorry. He had achieved -- we were 10 or 11, and he made a blockbuster movie with us, you know. He had to direct us every step of the way. You know, literally like over the top of the shot he would be giving us instruction during the take, because, you know, I don`t know. I really -- I didn`t -- I was just kind of being myself and doing one thing, and being cute. But now I feel like --
HAMMER: You`re working.
WATSON: Now I`m working. I feel like I can really call myself an actress, which is nice.
HAMMER: Well, moving on to "Order of the Phoenix," everybody making a big deal, as we have watched you guys growing up. And now, Daniel is the one -- Harry Potter is the one who gets the girl in this film. He gets that big first kiss. You and Ron, when you get together, but in a different sort of way. Let`s take a look at what happens when the two of you connect, so to speak.
WATSON: Oh, God.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One second. You`re out.
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HAMMER: Nice shot.
WATSON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well done.
WATSON: You know what I think that is, that`s just her, like, really seeing like all the anger that she felt for him after the All Ball (ph). She kind of gets Harry back. It`s quite --
HAMMER: But everybody is waiting for Hermione and Ron to hook up. You know that, of course.
WATSON: I am. too. I am, too. But still people are asking me whether there`s going to be Hermione and Harry. I`m just like, come one, you must have got it by now. Come on. So, yeah, we`ll see. I think the seventh one - - that will be a big story line in the seventh, definitely.
HAMMER: You`re coming up next year on your 18th birthday.
WATSON: Yeah.
HAMMER: So at that point, Emma, you will be having playing Hermione for, basically, half your life. Obviously, you`re going to be playing her for the next couple of years with two more films -- at least. We`ll see what happens. Are you looking forward to moving on, or I imagine maybe you have mixed emotions about that?
WATSON: I think I`ll be very sad when it`s over. I`ll probably feel a bit lost, to be honest. Yeah, I think it will be kind of scary.
HAMMER: Of course, the seventh book is coming out next week. First of all, I`m just curious, how do you get the book? Does J.K. sign a copy and just send it off to you personally? Do you run down to the local bookstore and grab one? I mean, how does it work?
WATSON: Yeah. Well, with the sixth one, I went and bought my own at the airport. I have always gone and bought my own copies, basically, but this year J.K. Rowling is actually going to send a copy to us on the night of the release.
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HAMMER: As for what Emma hopes happens in book seven, Emma told me that she is hoping that her character does not die in the end, but, in fact, marries Ron, who of course, is played by Rupert Grint, and they have babies together. So, she wants them to live happily ever after and in love. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is in theaters everywhere.
When I sat down for my explosive chat with fired "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington, Isaiah insisted to me, that he would bounce back coming off the whole anti-gay slur scandal. Well, tonight I have some huge news. You`ll want to stick around so you can find out exactly where Isaiah is going to be ending up next. And that is coming up next when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Monday night continues.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
I have some big Isaiah Washington news. Tonight I can tell you that the fired "Grey`s Anatomy" star has a new gig.
You`ll remember that Isaiah, who played Dr. Preston Burke on the hit ABC show, was canned due to on set fighting that included him using an anti-gay slur. Co-star T.R. Knight said that slur was directed at him.
But Isaiah has landed on his feet. He is going to be in five episodes of the upcoming NBC series remake of one of my favorite all-time shows "The Bionic Woman." This time around, staring Michelle Ryan. It happens this fall. They created that role for him. I`ve also learn that Isaiah has development deal, and he could get his own show during the 2008-2009 season.
When I sat down for my revealing one-on-one interview with Isaiah, he told me he knew he was going to bounce back.
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ISAIAH WASHINGTON, ACTOR: There is nothing for me to be angry about, nothing for me to be belligerent about, nothing for me to be arrogant about. I`m sitting at the top of my game, on a number one scripted show, and -- get this, I`m not working nearly as much as the rest of the cast, but yet, my performance is resonating just as high as my peers. And I`m still busy dealing with my foundation, raising my three kids -- you know, golfing. I`m sitting on top of the world.
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HAMMER: Isaiah`s energy was pretty strong when we sat down, and he made it very clear he was ready to move on. Everything is going to be behind him now.
Well, last week we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day just before the weekend, related to the Miss New Jersey photo blackmail scandal. We wanted to know, beauty pageants, do you think they`re outdated? Very one-sided voting on this, with 93 percent of you saying yes, they are. Only 7 percent saying no, they`re not.
Among the e-mails: Amanda in Minnesota doesn`t think they`re outdated at all. She says, "It`s good to have something inspirational for young women and positive role models."
Michelle from Georgia has some harsh words: "Pageants are outdated because the organizations behind them have no standards (other than thinness) or class."
Time now to see what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now, tomorrow Britney, Paris, and U2 (ph). A Just out of rehab, Lindsay Lohan. Listen up. Because we`re revealing how the good girls of Hollywood can teach a thing or two to the bad girls. It`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report.
Also coming up tomorrow, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT taking a stand. Love in Hollywood. Why age doesn`t matter. That`s right. Star couples who have big age differences, but they`re still working out just fine. Age, definitely just a number. And tomorrow we are going to prove it.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. "Glenn Beck" coming up next right after the very latest from CNN "Headline News".
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