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Showbiz Tonight
NBC`s `Predator` Show Sued; Coke Confessions of Daniel Baldwin
Aired July 18, 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: Daniel Baldwin`s amazing video confessions during treatment for cocaine addiction. And why some people already have their hands on the new Harry Potter book. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
TV sex predator stings gone bad. Tonight, the ugly and disturbing uproar over Dateline`s to catch a predator. A suicide, a lawsuit threat, and troubling questions about whether going after alleged sex predators with a TV camera is unethical and just plain wrong. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks should TV news shows stay away from sex stings?
Stars who lose weight then gain it back, then lose it, then gain it back. Hey, just like us. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the revealing stories behind the constant weight flip-flop. And are the ups and downs really harder for stars in the spotlight? Tonight, do not miss this SHOWBIZ special report, Hollywood weight watch.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You are about to see one of the most startling celebrity rehab confessions ever caught on tape. That is coming up. But, first, tonight also caught on tape, a sex sting stunner, and it involves one of the most popular shows on TV, Dateline`s "To Catch a Predator."
Tonight NBC is facing a possible 100 million dollar lawsuit after an alleged sex predator killed himself. And that could just be the beginning of Dateline`s troubles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You like younger girls?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HAMMER (voice-over): Even after three years, Dateline NBC`s "To Catch a Predator" stings continue to amaze and sicken.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of things did you want to do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold you, kiss you, touch you.
HAMMER: We all know the formula. Grown men show up for an encounter with a 13 or 14-year-old they have been chatting with online.
It turns out the youngster is really an adult decoy working with an organization determined to bust pedophiles who prey on kids they meet online. And just when they think they`re about to get lucky --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you bring the condoms or anything?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I did. They`re in my coat.
HAMMER: They`re confronted by a camera crew and Dateline reporter Chris Hanson.
CHRIS HANSON, DATELINE: Take your hands out of your pockets.
HAMMER: Sometimes they`re shocked.
HANSON: I`m Chris Hanson with Dateline NBC.
HAMMER: Sometimes they even recognize Hanson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are Chris Hanson?
HANSON: I am.
HAMMER: But usually they just deny, deny, deny.
HANSON: What were you doing here then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. I just came down to hang out.
HAMMER: Either way, it all ends with the man being nabbed by the local police.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Face down. Face down.
HAMMER: It is addictive television. Whenever Dateline NBC airs "To Catch a Predator" the show gets nine million viewers, two million more than Dateline usually gets.
HOWARD KURTZ, "THE WASHINGTON POST": You have good guys and bad guys. You have cops going after people who are preying on children.
HAMMER: But now "to Catch a Predator" is catching a multi million- dollar lawsuit over a sting that resulted in a shocking death.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police in Texas are investigating the death of a prosecutor.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the lingering controversy that threatens to bring down this popular show. And we ask the tough questions, is "To Catch a Predator" a public service that takes sickos off the street, or is it televised entrapment that exploits a very serious problem all for ratings? NBC is about to get slapped with a 100 million dollar lawsuit filed by the sister of this man, Lewis Bill Conrad.
He was caught up in an online sex predator sting Dateline NBC conducted in Texas last November. And, get this, Conrad wasn`t just some guy off the street. He was a county prosecutor.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He made contact with a decoy over the Internet and attempted to make arrangements to have sex with a 13-year-old.
HAMMER: Conrad failed to show up at the camera-rigged house where the sting was to take place, so when the police and cameras went to his house to arrest him, Conrad grabbed a gun and shot himself. And this story gets even wilder. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that if Conrad had lived, he may not have even faced any legal trouble at all. That`s because in June the DA in the Texas county where the sting took place said the Dateline operation was botched and he refused to press charges against any of the two dozen people Dateline nabbed.
KURTZ: NBC`s role in these undercover stings is very controversial.
HAMMER: "Washington Post" media critic and CNN Reliable Sources host Howard Kurtz tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the tragic episode had many asking if "To Catch a Predator" had finally gone too far.
KURTZ: The reason that Dateline is out on a limb here is that NBC is not just following along as the police make an arrests. Lots of news organizations have done that. NBC is playing an active role. NBC is paying a group called Perverted Justice in order to set up these stings. It is becoming an active player, rather than just passively covering the story.
HANSON: This is a situation that has not arisen before.
HAMMER: NBC correspondent Chris Hanson went on "The Today Show" to remind people that it`s not Dateline who are the bad guys. It`s the suspected pedophiles they bust.
HANSON: We`ve had in three years -- 286 men have surfaced in our investigations, 256 have been arrested. As of now, 117 men have either pleaded guilty, been convicted by a judge or a jury.
HAMMER: And as for the lawsuit, which hasn`t been filed yet, NBC tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, if a suit is filed, we will defend ourselves vigorously as we believe the claims are completely without merit.
Still, the enduring controversy and now the lawsuit have some wondering if "To Catch a Predator" has become too hot for NBC to handle. The network has yet to schedule any future stings beyond those airing this month. But Howard Kurtz tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that only one thing could get predator yanked off TV, and it`s not a lawsuit.
KURTZ: Until the ratings go down, NBC is going to stick with this formula.
HAMMER: Until then, "To Catch a Predator" will catch praise from those who say it`s keeping the Internet safe for children and criticism from those who say it`s reality TV gone too far.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, as I did just mention, NBC is about to be hit by a lawsuit from the sister of the prosecutor who killed himself after getting caught up in the Dateline sex sting. With us tonight from New York is her lawyer, Bruce Baron. Also with us tonight, from San Francisco, Mark Klaas, the father of Polly Klaas, who was murdered by a predator. Mark is also the head of the Klaas Kids Foundation.
Bruce, Mark, I appreciate you both being with us. Bruce, I want to start with you, because it is a very powerful accusation that somehow NBC is responsible for Lewis Conrad`s death. As I mentioned, NBC did release a statement to us saying that this claim is completely without merit, and they will fight it tooth and nail. Why do you and your client think NBC is to blame here?
BRUCE BARON, BARON ASSOCIATES: Well, it`s very simple. As the reporter indicated, ratings is the promoter here. NBC Dateline is certainly not interested in catching these predators. Their main situation here is making money, getting ratings and promoting the sensationalism that actually led to the death of my client. Let`s assume for one second -- and, by the way, a lot of evidence is going to come out during this discovery as to the allegations regarding my client. Remember, he never went to the house.
In addition to which, a lot of evidence is going to come out during discovery as to the conduct of NBC. But let`s assume for argument sake that in a worst case scenario my client engaged in unlawful conduct. Certainly he is entitled due process. And I don`t know any court of law that would have sentenced him to death.
HAMMER: But that NBC is responsible for the fact that he killed himself. I still have a hard time --
BARON: They were there with the cameras. When he looks out that window and he sees Chris Hanson on his lawn, he knows as a career prosecutor, Chris is not there to visit his grandmother. It`s sensationalism. They inflate the tempo, and they cause -- listen, when we have a hostage standoff, do we send Mr. Rogers in to talk the guy out of the standoff. Or do we send highly trained law enforcement individuals?
No one is advocating here for child predators. Everyone wants them off the street.
HAMMER: Sure.
BARON: But let law enforcement do their jobs. Law enforcement should never subcontract it out to a private agency, especially an entertainment agency.
HAMMER: What do you think about that, Mark? You obviously have been personally touched by what happens in the worst case of a child predator. Do you think that sex stings done on television by television networks have their place?
MARK KLAAS, THE KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Of course they have their place. This has raised huge awareness throughout the United States about the dangers that are inherent in the Internet and these kinds of individuals. You know, A.J., this is a typical defense ploy to take the perpetrator and turn him into the victim and then somehow try to make the case that NBC and Dateline were acting unilaterally. We know --
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Hold on one second. Let Mark finish here, please.
KLAAS: We know that Dateline has been working with law enforcement in every one of these stings that has gone down over the course of the several years that they`ve been doing it, and that their prosecution rate is almost pristine.
BARON: What makes you think that law enforcement can`t do as good a job or a little bit better than Chris Hanson when they`re trained in all kinds of academies and what not? Law enforcement is trained for this. Why -- what does law enforcement -- what do you have against law enforcement conducting these stings and getting these guys off the street as opposed to NBC?
what you do -- let me tell you something, what you do --
HAMMER: Bruce, let him respond here.
KLAAS: Law enforcement was in the forefront of this sting just as they`ve been in the forefront --
BARON: No, they`re not. They get the carpet lifted right from under them.
KLAAS: As far as I know, we have no indication that Mr. Conrad looked out his window and saw Chris Conrad -- saw Chris Hanson or the NBC cameras at all. As far as I understand, this was law enforcement knocking on his door.
BARON: What you and your foundation do in this country on behalf of your daughter, I think, is the most noble of noble causes. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. The passion that you do as a result of your tragedy to help others is great. I believe what you should do is send a letter to the association of district attorneys in this country and demand that they not out source their sting operations, demand that they conduct them in every jurisdiction, but that they conduct them themselves so there`s --
HAMMER: But Bruce, this is an additional method, as we have seen with the great success of "To Catch a Predator."
BARON: Who is benefiting, except for the ratings? I don`t understand.
KLAAS: No, no, no. That`s not true.
BARON: Let me tell you something, A.J. Mark promotes that sexual registry. do you know as a result of this botched sting operation in Texas there`s 24 less registrants on the Megan`s law registry. Is that good or bad?
KLAAS: That`s because -- that`s because the DA decided, one -- for some reason or another, not to go ahead with those prosecutions. And, quite frankly --
BARON: That`s because of collection of evidence. That`s because of their inability to be trained properly. Look, everyone wants predators off the street, but they`ve -- but if you don`t protect their civil rights, if you don`t allow these defendants due process, make no mistake about it, you`re going to have a lot less registrars on the registrar list.
HAMMER: Mark, let me ask you about this because it`s not just Dateline. It`s also Oprah Winfrey. They`ve done this as well. "America`s Most Wanted." Do you think it`s OK to go after predators at all costs, realizing that sometimes the line is going to get crossed?
KLAAS: You know, A.J, it`s not at all costs. This isn`t network television taking it upon themselves to conduct these stings. They are documenting the stings that are being conducted by law enforcement. If Mr. Conrad gets hung up in this, he understands the system intimately.
BARON: Really?
KLAAS: He has made the decision -- he has made a decision at a certain point that he is going to not only be the prosecutor, but knowing what he is facing here, that he is also going to be the judge, jury, and executioner.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Gentlemen, I got to end it there. I`m sorry. We`re out of time. That`s it. Sorry, guys. I am out of time. We`ll have to continue this discussion, but I do appreciate you both chiming in. Bruce Baron from Baron Associates, Mark Klaas from the Klaas Kids Foundation, thanks again.
Well, Daniel Baldwin is letting the public in on his treatment for cocaine addiction. Kind of hard to believe he did this. It is truly powerful, very personal video. Baldwin`s amazing and shocking confessions on the way at 15 past the hour.
Plus, the secret is out. Some people already have the latest book in the Harry Potter series. You`re not going to believe how they got their hands on this thing, and neither does the publisher. We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a woman in her 40s, and she just went from fat to fabulous in 90 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Janet Jackson has lost and gained lots of weight lots of times, and she`s not the only star who has flip-flopped. It`s got to be so hard to be under such scrutiny when your weight is fluctuating. We are looking into it in a SHOWBIZ special report, Hollywood weight watch coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL BALDWIN, ACTOR: I was getting high in the limo as I pulled up, and I took that pipe and hid it in the bushes at the rehab, knowing I was going to be in there for 30 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was Daniel Baldwin talking openly to ABC`s primetime about the incredible power that his cocaine addiction has had over him since the age of 29. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight we have a startling look at a star in rehab caught on camera. Daniel Baldwin has been battling his cocaine addiction for more than 18 years now, and with nine visits to rehab so far, Baldwin, like so many other Hollywood stars, is hoping to beat his demons once and for all.
Remarkably, he made a video diary of his last stay in rehab. Joining us tonight from Hollywood, lead interventionist from A&E`s show Intervention Ken Seeley. It`s good to see you, Ken. Baldwin made this video diary. He is now sharing the video and his whole story with the world. For an addict is that a good thing or a bad thing?
KEN SEELEY, A&E`S "INTERVENTION": I think it`s a great thing, A.J. I think it`s so positive and can help so many millions of people because he is getting the word out there. And he is also not only getting the word out there that if you continue down the road that you are doing for all the other addicts, this is where it`s going to end up. This is the end result; 18 years of misery.
But you could stop it now where you`re at today and try to get a better life. So that way it helps, and it also helps in his personal recovery, because he is able to have accountability. Now he has the whole world out there watching him, saying is he going to succeed, or is he not going to succeed? So that kind of helps him in his own personal recovery. So I think it`s a win-win.
HAMMER: I think you have a lot of people rooting for him. And when I hear that number, 18 years, it`s unbelievable and amazing that he survived as long as he has. He said he was 29 years old when he first started using and got caught up in fame and the addiction of drugs. When he was on ABC`s Primetime, he did reveal what happened soon after he started doing Coke. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Within a couple of weeks, I was using it every day. My little love affair with drugs, well, there it was. I was, you know, more articulate and more wonderful and more handsome and more this and more that. And I just could spew out all these wonderful pearls of wisdom to everyone around me. And, oh, my god, I was a mess.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ken, tell me if I have this right. It seems to me that his story is a perfect lesson for all of the young Hollywood stars who are basically right where he was back then right now.
SEELEY: Absolutely. Absolutely. That`s what I`m excited about, A.J. I really believe this is the opportunity for the rest of the world and the rest of young Hollywood to see this is your chance. This is your opportunity. I mean, they say it in recovery that you don`t have to hit such a low bottom. You could hit a high bottom, but it really boils down to when they hit their bottom, they have to surrender.
They have to surrender 150 percent, and smash their egos and smash all of their past beliefs and believe in the core of their belief system that they are addicts. They do have an addiction problem. And until that happens -- and I believe that`s what happened here with Daniel, and that`s why he is opening up the doors and showing people. And I`m praying for him because I remember him ten years ago, 11 years ago when I was running a recovery place. He was always there and trying really, really hard, but could never pull it together.
So I`m really hoping that this accountability is going to be the thing that helps save his life.
HAMMER: We did get some insight into that low bottom, as you called it, on ABC`s Primetime, because Baldwin also talked about his addiction and the hold that it had on him. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: For me I can`t do one. I can`t do ten. I lock myself up in a hotel room and I do it for a week, you know, until the point where I`m not returning phone calls. I`m not calling my kids. I`m not making appointments. I, you know, get in physical and mental and emotional and spiritual very destitute situations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ken, Baldwin basically says he is a die hard coke head. We`ve seen him in and out of rehab nine times. Do we have some hope here with him?
SEELEY: Oh, absolutely. I think this is the time that is he going to really get it. He is going to get his recovery and show the world that you don`t have to hit such a low bottom and go through 18 years of misery. I love his diary of showing all the different things that he went through. You don`t have to go that far down. Stop now when you have a chance and get the help that you need.
HAMMER: Let`s hope that young Hollywood is watching and learning from his example. Ken Seeley, thank you so much.
Well, we got to talking here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about an interesting concept. When it comes to eating disorders, why is it that we seem to hear so much about white stars and so little about black stars? Is there a race factor when it comes to body image? We`ll greet into that at 36 past the hour in a SHOWBIZ special report, Hollywood weight watch.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s been a lot of debate over whether or not she is too thick to be a superstar. And she said, hey, I`m comfortable in my body. I`m not a size two. I`m happy. I`m healthy. It is what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kelli Clarkson has certainly seen ups and downs with her weight over the years, as have so many other stars. I got to think that it`s so hard to be battling weight issues when you are in the spotlight. How do they do? That`s all ahead.
And coming up next, the secret is out. I`m going to tell you how some people got their hands on the new Harry Potter book days before its closely guarded official release. They shouldn`t have done that. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I hate when this happens. Harry Potter`s biggest secret is out early. The final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is coming out this weekend. But the publisher Scholastic said some people who ordered copies are already receiving them in the mail. And photographed pages of what may be the entire book are already popping up on the Internet.
Now, the company says it is taking immediate legal action and asks anyone who gets the book early to keep it hidden until its official release. Don`t spoil the fun for everybody. Even before this happened, the publisher and the author were concerned naturally about spoilers. J.K. Rowling has said that two major characters will die and has begged people who get the first copies not to give away the ending for everyone else.
When Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, I had to ask him if he was going to read the book start to finish or flip to the end to see if his character makes it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL RADCLIFFE, ACTOR: I will absolutely be reading it from the very beginning. I will not be flipping to the back. Absolutely not. I want to get the whole story, no matter how long it takes me.
HAMMER: So we need to get the message out clearly to everybody, do not spoil the ending for Daniel.
RADCLIFFE: Now they`re all going to try to do it.
HAMMER: He wants to know exactly what happens in his own terms on his own time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Don`t spoil it for Daniel. Don`t spoil it for me or for anyone else. The book is going on sale just after midnight on Saturday, and that`s when Daniel told me he expects to receive his very personalized copy from the author. He will shut his cell phone off for five days.
We talk about body image and Hollywood a lot on this show. But why is it we often hear about white stars with eating disorders, but we rarely hear about black stars with these issues? Is there a race factor when it comes to body image? We`ll pose that question at 36 minutes past the hour on the SHOWBIZ special report, Hollywood weight watch.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a woman in her 40s, and she just went from fat to fabulous in 90 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Janet Jackson has lost and gained lots of weight lots of times. She`s not the only star who has flip-flopped. I got to think it`s got to be really hard to battle these weight issues in the public eye. We`ll look into that coming up.
And Jerry Seinfeld is back. This movie has a lot of buzz. Jerry, as you see, as a Bee. We`ll have your first look.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: They gain weight. They lose weight. They gain weight -- ah, you get the idea. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a special report, "Flip-Flopping Stars".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a woman in her 40s, and she just went from fat to fabulous in 90 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Stars who put on the pounds and shed them over and over again. Just like us, right? But are these ups and downs really harder for celebrities who are always in the spotlight? Tonight a special Hollywood weight watch, "Flip-Flopping Stars".
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight a SHOWBIZ special report on a Hollywood weight watch, "Flip- Flopping Stars". We`ve all packed on the pounds at one time or another, right? But imagine how much harder that is when the whole world is watching. Now, I know that you think that stars have all kinds of trainers and chefs and pills to make them look great all the time. But you know, that`s not always the case. And guess what? When stars get heavier, we tend to love them even that much more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): They`re up and they`re down. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you when it comes to weight, the stars are just like us.
DAVID CAPLAN, VH1`S 24SIZZLER.COM: What we`re seeing in Hollywood really mirrors what the rest of the country is battling right now, and that is weight problems.
TIA BROWN, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I think celebrities in Hollywood have the same struggles as regular people with their weight, you know, but the pressure is intensified because everyone is watching.
HAMMER: No one knows that better than Oprah Winfrey. At 50, she`s now fit and fab, but that hasn`t always been the case. Over the last 20 years Oprah has battled the bulge in front of millions of Americans.
BROWN: You`ve seen her weight fluctuate. She`s been in the high twos and even in the low ones. I think Oprah has been very honest and saying I`m not going to be a size six, but she looks great between like a size eight and 12, and that`s where we`ve seen her kind of moderately stay at for the last few years.
CAPLAN: Oprah`s weight loss, essentially, has become a cottage industry for her. We all know her fitness trainer Bob Greene. We all know the food Oprah loves to cook. She talks about it on the TV show. So for Oprah her fluctuating weight loss is actually good for her because it just continues to garner more admiration among her fans because her fans are battling the same issue that she is. They all want to lose weight.
HAMMER (on camera): Do you mind my asking what your weight was, at its peak?
RICKI LAKE, ACTRESS, TALK SHOW HOST: Yes. I have been very candid about it.
HAMMER: You don`t mind?
LAKE: Not at all, no, no, I don`t mind, 260 pounds. I was a size 24. I was very young when I was heavy. I was in my early 20s. It was after I did a show called "China Beach." after that kind of the work for me dried up. You know, I had gained a lot of weight between "Hairspray" and that time.
HAMMER: Talk show host Ricki Lake knows all about the ups and downs of dieting. She`s been struggling with her weight for nearly 20 years.
LAKE: I went on a big diet. It wasn`t healthy at that time for me, because I starved myself, and didn`t know what to do. I didn`t know what to do. You know, had no money. It was when I reinvented myself that the talk show opportunity came up, and it was a great fit for me, and I did it for a long time.
HAMMER: After dropping 100 pounds the wrong way for her TV show in the 1990s, Ricki decided to go about her weight loss in a healthy way telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s now down to a size six by exercising and eating delivered meals.
BROWN: Celebrities use all types of diets to gain and lose weight, but specifically when they`re gearing up for a project they also often have trainers and very strict diets, with like no carbs, no starches, no meat. They do all types of weird things to get into character, so sometimes it`s not just for personal appearances. It is for work.
HAMMER: Example, Janet Jackson.
CAPLAN: Janet Jackson is another yo-yo dieter. Her weight goes up and down, up and down.
HAMMER: Back in the 1990s everyone was looking at Janet`s complete body transformation. She went from pleasantly plump during her "Nasty" years.
JANET JACKSON, SINGER: Nasty boy!
HAMMER: To buff and beautiful for the release of her "Janet" album and concert tour. Her six-pack abs became her calling card.
BROWN: I think Janet Jackson is famous for her abs. She always has like the great stomach muscles when she`s touring. Her body is in tip top shape. But when she`s not touring she says she`s an emotional eater.
HAMMER: Fast forward to 2006. Janet off tour, and 60 pounds heavier. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you those 60 pounds didn`t last long. Ms. Jackson said she stopped eating carbs and started working out, religiously. Three months later right in time for to promote a new album, you saw this.
JACKSON: If I can get this off, and that`s 60 pounds, that`s a lot. Then other people can, too. That they know that there is hope, especially when you feel hopeless.
BROWN: This is a woman in her 40s, and she just went from fat to fabulous in 90 days, but Janet is very regimented about her diet, very regimented about her exercise, when it`s time to work. And she had a goal in mind, and she attained it.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you not all stars pulled the reigns in when the weight comes on.
KELLY CLARKSON, SINGER: But since you`ve been gone --
HAMMER: Case in point, Kelli Clarkson. Kelly was fit and trim when she won "American Idol". Now with the solo career in full swing, she`s a little more curvy.
CAPLAN: Kelly Clarkson is another person in Hollywood whose weight keeps fluctuating. It`s not as extreme. You`ve never seen Kelly be really skinny or really rail thin. The refreshing thing about Kelly Clarkson is that, unlike so many of these other girls in Hollywood, she doesn`t seem to really care when she gains a little bit of weight. In young Hollywood right now that`s a huge change.
BROWN: There`s been a lot of debate over whether or not she is too thick to be a superstar. And she said, Hey, I`m comfortable in my body. I`m not a size two. I`m happy. I`m healthy. It is what it is. She said that, you know, when she was in high school she actually battled bulimia. And she never wants to be that obsessed with what she eats and how she looks again.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you when stars like Kelly or Oprah or Janet battle their weight publicly, it only makes us love them more.
CAPLAN: We get what they`re going through. We understand it, and many times many of the same things they`re doing to lose the weight, we also do. Whether it`s diet, even a fad diet, or exercise. So they`re just so relatable. For a minute we`re like, OK, they`re a celebrity, but at the same time they`re just like us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report on the Hollywood weight watch continues now as we take on something that we don`t hear people talking about very much, but it is very real, eating disorders and the race factor. It seems that everywhere we look these days in Hollywood, we see stars trying their best to fit into size double zero dresses. But have you ever noticed that most of the women who we see are scary skinny are white?
Joining us tonight, in New York, Angela Burt-Murray, editor-in-chief of "Essence" magazine; in Hollywood tonight, Jessica Weiner, author of this book, "Do I Look Fat In This?"
Jessica, Angela, it`s good have you both here tonight.
And, Jessica, let me start with you, because I`m not just talking about thin stars. I`m talking about the super skinny stars to the point where they have an eating disorder and they have been open about it, or we`ve learned about it. From Mary Late Olson to Jamie Lynn Seigler (ph), the list goes on. But why is it we rarely hear about black stars having these same issues?
JESSICA WEINER, AUTHOR, "DO I LOOK FAT IN THIS?": Well, there`s really two reasons, A.J. The first one is we are seeing a prime example as to what you are talking at as a stereotype that`s out there that African- American women, Asian women, Latino women don`t struggle with eating disorders so, we tend to really focus on their white counterparts who do.
That is a stereotype because eating disorders are a cross-cultural offender, and they do affect all different races and all different shapes and sizes.
But the second reason we don`t see, particularly, African-American celebrities or stars come out about their eating disorders is that there`s still a lot of shame and stigma around who suffers. And we still think that white, rich women suffer from eating disorders, and that couldn`t be farther from the truth.
HAMMER: Yeah. In fact, we`re going to talk extensively, in a bit, about the fact that it does exist in the black community and why it is we don`t hear so much about it.
But, Angela, what is your take on exactly why it seems from appearances, from what we see in the magazines and on television, that it is something that predominantly white stars are dealing with?
ANGELA BURT-MURRAY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "ESSENCE": Well, historically, when you look at the data, African-American women overall have had a more healthy body image. And certainly curvaceous is something that black women have long accepted in terms of body type. But Jessica is correct that in recent years you have seen an increase in the number of young African- American girls struggling with eating disorders, but certainly not to the degree as their white counterparts.
Even most recently Carrie Washington in "Essence" magazine talked about her own eating disorder in college.
HAMMER: It is certainly something that we are not seeing as much from that community, but you talk about embracing curves. You know, when you say that, I think of Beyonce.
BURT-MURRAY: Sure.
HAMMER: She`s very open. Talking about she loves to be more curvy.
BURT-MURRAY: Exactly.
HAMMER: And, in fact, if you remember, she had to lose some weight for "Dream Girls" and she told me she that couldn`t wait to get that weight back on. Let`s listen to what she said about being curvy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEYONCE: I don`t really focus too much on weight. I feel like we all have our own, you know, body weight that is a natural body weight for us. And some people are naturally thin, and it looks great. And some people are naturally thicker, or heavier or curvier, or whatever you want to call it, and it looks great. I don`t really think about it. I just try to eat healthy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah. You look at Beyonce, you look at Jennifer Hudson, you look at Jennifer Lopez. In Hollywood, as Angela mentioned, it is the women of color who seem to speak out more about loving their curves. So, Jessica, I`m thinking that these are the role models people should be paying attention to.
WEINER: No doubt about it. I think, though, Hollywood, we have to remember, has a really skewed sense of what is curvy. I mean, in Hollywood you are curvy if you`re not hooked up to an IV.
(LAUGHTER)
So we have to, like -- that word is thrown around, and I think it`s a beautiful word to embrace. I think it describes many different cultural body types. And, yes, we should be looking to real women who possess the real beautiful flaws that we all possess, and the real beautiful assets we all possess. But Hollywood, again, has one really myopic view of beauty. And it tends to be white and it tends to be thin, and tall, and that is not a shared beauty value in all different cultures.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: It`s not a shared beauty value, and it`s shameful that that`s how it is, and as I said, I think those are the women, the women embracing their curves who should be the role models.
WEINER: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Angela, when the women of color are speaking out about being comfortable with being so curvy, do you think they come across as role models for white women as an inspiration? Do they pay attention, or is there a racial divide?
BURT-MURRAY: Absolutely. No, I think they absolutely pay attention. When you look at someone who has cross-over success and appeal of, like, Queen Latifah, she`s not only a huge spokesperson for Cover Girl, but she`s continuing to record. She`s releasing, you know, so many different movies. So she obviously has a connection not only to the African-American community, but also the general market community as well. And I think it`s exciting to see marketers like Cover Girl and Avon with Jennifer Hudson, really embrace, you know, real women, because real women have curves.
HAMMER: Hopefully people are paying attention to that. But as you both mentioned, it is a fact, eating disorders do exist among women of color even if we`re not seeing it.
WEINER: Absolutely. Sure.
HAMMER: So, Jessica and Angela, don`t go away because our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report will continue on that subject in just a moment.
Also, Britney -- oh, Britney, after she got out of rehab, I really thought she was going to change her ways. I really believed it. She`s still out partying. She still seems to be out of control. And tonight, I can`t believe what she`s got planned now. That is coming up next.
And it`s Jerry Seinfeld`s biggest project since "Seinfeld." I`ve got your "First Look" and I`ll tell you, a lot of people are buzzing about it. That`s next.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our show biz tonight question of the day. Sex predator stings: Should TV news shows stay out of them? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiz tonight. If you have more to add, you can write to us at showbiz tonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your emails tomorrow.
You can stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories by signing up for our wonderful SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. If you go to the web site, cnn.com/showbiz tonight, look on the left hand bottom side of the page, and click on the newsletter button, and we`ll email it off to you every single day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE WINSLET, ACTRESS: It`s about being real and being that person. And also, yeah, you know, I am a normal shape. And it is important to me to kind of say, look, you know, it`s OK. Go have a burger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is Kate Winslet telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that it is OK to eat and not obsess about weight. Very healthy living there.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, and we continue now with our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report on the Hollywood weight watch, the race factor. Back with me in New York, Angela Burt-Murray, the editor-in-chief of "Essence" magazine. In Hollywood, Jessica Weiner, author of "Do I Look Fat In This?"
Ladies, we`ve been talking about how much we hear so much about eating disorders affecting white stars, but very rarely are we hearing about the black stars.
Angela, what do we know about how eating disorders do affect the black community?
BURT-MURRAY: Well, we certainly know that in recent years you have seen an increase in young African-American girls experiencing eating disorders that we hadn`t seen in the past. But my hope, certainly, and for the readers of "Essence" magazine, we hope that women will develop a healthy self-image. And know that, you know, a double 0 is not the norm, and that isn`t the size that you should be trying to get to. You know, you should embrace yourself who you are naturally.
HAMMER: Jessica, you live out there in Hollywood. Do you get the sense that maybe the tide is turning in that case?
WEINER: Well, I think we`ve made some slow progress. And I would like to echo what Angela was saying. I think within the African-American community there is something else that is happening, which is that researchers are approaching that community to actually take surveys and studies, and include this demographic when we talk about eating disorders. So, I think we`ll see some signs of it increasing because we`re finally hip to the fact that this isn`t just a white vanity issue.
HAMMER: Yeah, right.
WEINER: And with regards to Hollywood, A.J., I hope we`re making progress. I think Beyonce, Salma Ramirez (ph), America Ferrera, Kate Winslet, those are beautiful role models for us to have. I think we need more. And I still don`t think Hollywood has enough faces and bodies out there representative of our diverse audience.
HAMMER: I agree with that very much, and the sad fact is, though, I think probably until the end of time, teens will be influenced by stars, no matter what color they are.
What do you hear about that from the "Essence" magazine readers, Angela, in terms of kids who perhaps are looking up to these stars who have an eating disorder or are super-skinny, but they love them anyway? I`ve got about 20 seconds.
BURT-MURRAY: Yes, well, I think you are starting to see young women across country that are looking at other stars like Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Monique, the comedian, for example, is entering the third season of her hugely popular full-figured beauty pageant. So, getting people to accept themselves for who they are and know that no matter what size you are, you are beautiful.
HAMMER: Perfect way to end it.
WEINER: Yeah!
HAMMER: Thank you so much.
Angela Burt-Murray -- everybody applaud. Angela Burt-Murray from "Essence" magazine, Jessica Weiner, thanks for joining us tonight.
Well, even though she just got out of rehab in March, Britney Spears has been doing some serious partying. At least now it seems she`s wearing panties. So, if the girl is going to party, well, she might as well get paid, right? Tonight I can tell you that Brit is going to be hosting the opening the LAX Nightclub, at Luxor (ph) Hotel in Las Vegas. That`s going to happen next month.
Now, fellow former Mousekateer, Christina Aguilera is an investor. There is no word yet if Spears will perform, sing, lip sync, dance, whatever. I know she`ll have a great time because Brit loves Vegas, baby.
I really love Jerry Seinfeld. I`m a huge fan. I`m absolutely psyched to check out his new movie. It`s called "Bee Movie". Now, Jerry really got people buzzing when he put on this bee suit and flew through the air at the Cannes Film Festival in May. This is his first major project since "Seinfeld" wrapped. He has been working on it for four years now. Here is your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Raise the shoot (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How`s this going work?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ll try it, you know, and then see what happens. Could be fantastic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this even on straight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. This is what he picks to follow the TV series?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, John.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Danny. Thanks for doing this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So are you going to come to my wife`s book sign, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yeah. Definitely be there. Anything I can do to help the plight of homeless pets?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So what do you want me to do, Jerry?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know what, just have fun with it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, trees go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trees go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fans go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fans go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Windshield washers go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Windshield washers go. Tell them to climb back up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Up! Climb up!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wipers go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m having fun!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make it a motorcycle, make it a rocket ship. Make it blue.
All right. All right. All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You call this a favor?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How was that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Make one of the bugs spontaneously explode.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I can`t wait. Great cast in this "Bee Movie", too. Renee Zellweger, Matthew Broderick, Chris Rock, who you just saw there. And it will buzz into theaters this November.
Well, tonight there will be a big Simpsons controversy. A shockingly, it`s kind of R rated. I`m going to let you know what kind of trouble Homer has gotten himself into this time around, that`s got everybody saying, "Doh!"
We`ll give you the strange connection that the scandal has to people having babies. That`s coming up next when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Wednesday night continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: The Simpsons are getting a full-blown make over just ahead of their brand new movie. Homer is going high-end, Marge is looking mighty fine. Want to check out this animated spread in "Harper`s Bazaar". It`s very clever, called "The Simpsons Go To Paris." You have Homer and Marge, right alongside designers and Karl Lagerfeld, Mark Jacobs and Donatella Versace. Super model Linda Vangelise (ph) is in there, too. Even little Lisa getting in on the act with some jazzy jewelry. Check out the August issue of "Harper`s Bazaar" on newsstands July 24.
Well, there is a worldwide controversy brewing about the Simpsons movie. I promise you it will definitely have you saying --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Doh!"
HAMMER: Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos, uncovering the naked truth for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): No kid would mix-up this Homer with the Greek Homer, even though this Homer suddenly appeared on an English hillside next to a century`s old naked man carved into chalk bedrock. They call him the Cerne Abbas Giant. And as for the part that`s most giant, you`ll have to pardon our modesty.
HOMER SIMPSON: (LAUGHING HYSTERICALLY)
MOOS: The Giant is an English icon that has come to represent fertility, according to the old wive`s tales, some of the giant`s largesse might be rub off on childless couples who have romantic encounters atop him.
HOMER SIMPSON: What`s that thing called, when a guy is gay for a girl?
MARGE SIMPSON: Straight.
MOOS: So how did Homer, wielding a doughnut end up confronting the Giant wielding a club? And is this time-elapsed video on YouTube, purporting to show the stunt in progress, the real thing?
Home are was merely painted, while the Giant consists of a two foot- wide trench dug as recently as 400 years ago, or perhaps centuries before that. Nobody knows.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, who do you think is more impressive, Homer or the Giant?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Homer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because he has pants on, and the Giant hasn`t.
MOOS (on camera): Postcards of the Giant are said to be the only image of a naked man cheerfully accepted by the British post office.
(Voice over): But don`t expect to mail Homer home on postcards. The guy who painted him says he`s not permanent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long will last then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 14 days, dependant on the weather.
MOOS: Long enough to promote this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The Simpsons Movie" in 2-D.
MOOS: And long enough for the British paper, "The Guardian" to ask readers to make up their own photo caption. Homererotic seems to be the favorite so far.
(on camera): At least Homer wore his underpants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I was thinking that, but -- like I said, I don`t think he is covering up too much.
MOOS (voice over): And if you lie down in Homer`s donut hole, you won`t get fat, or pregnant, just grass stained.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Glenn Beck coming up next.
END
