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Showbiz Tonight
Whoopi Will Join "The View"; Richie Tells "OK" She`s Pregnant
Aired August 01, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Nicole Richie makes a big confession before she gets ready to go to jail. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And I just don`t get it; why do so many stars keep their romances top secret? Tonight a SHOWBIZ special report, under cover lovers. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m on the set on "The View" for a big announcement today, something to do with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, is Whoopi the right choice to replace Rosie? And why some critics are not saying Whoopi about Whoopi. What`s their problem. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the inside story of musical chairs at "The View."
Is Britney out of control and taking her kids with her? Tonight, shocking new reports of how Britney Spears is handling her children. And would you believe, Kevin Federline, a possible hero dad? Huh? Welcome to the bizarro world, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the hard question, is Britney a bad mom?
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight Nicole Richie is finally confessing to what everyone has suspected all along, so what took her so long? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: But first, tonight, all right, guys, all together --
Whoopi.
Yes, it`s Whoopi. Barbara Walters announced today that Whoopi Goldberg is, in fact, taking the hot seat on "The View." We`re talking about the hot seat that Rosie O`Donnell used as her personal very explosive soap box. I can tell you not everyone is happy about that. Well, I was right there on the set of "The View" today here in New York City when the big announcement was made live on the show.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": Please join us in welcoming Whoopi Goldberg.
HAMMER (voice-over): One left leaning hyper controversial comedian replace another. Whoopi Goldberg will now sit in Rosie O`Donnell`s old chair on "The View".
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, "THE VIEW": This is a thrill for me.
HAMMER (on camera): Big excitement on the set of "The View," with the announcement Whoopi Goldberg is now the new moderator, and a lot of people are kind of hoping this will bring a sense of calm to what`s been a pretty chaotic year here at "The View".
(voice-over): After the big show, "View" co-host and executive producer Barbara Walters talked to me about her new hire.
(on camera): Why for you was this the absolute right thing to do?
WALTERS: Oh, I just think we`re so lucky to have her. Whoopi is one of the best known women in the world. There have been polls that have said this about her, and we have her. I think we`re so lucky.
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": She has come here and been at the table as a co-host and as a moderator in all that trial period. It just felt right.
HAMMER (voice-over): Goldberg`s addition to "The View" is a welcome shot of good news to a daytime show that has come to resemble a soap opera after the dramatic departures of Rosie and Star Jones.
STAR JONES, "THE VIEW": I will not be returning as co-host next year.
HAMMER: And the less dramatic exit of Meredith Viera. Now Whoopi tells me she is going ahead with the blessings of the controversial co- hosts that came before her.
GOLDBERG: Rosie has been really good about this, and Star has been good. She called me and said, go get it, girl. Go do it.
HAMMER: In fact, in a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Rosie says of her successor, quote, Whoopi is fantastic in every way. She`s perfect for the job. She`s amazing and one of my favorites.
Rosie did leave Whoopi with some big shoes to fill. During her Trump- bashing --
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER "VIEW" HOST: Everyone deserves a second chance.
HAMMER: Bush hating --
O`DONNELL: Someone I believe should call for the impeachment of George Bush.
HAMMER: Hasselbeck hassling --
O`DONNELL: You said nothing, and that is cowardly.
HAMMER: Time on "The View," the show`s ratings went up about 15 percent. Whoopi is now inheriting a show that is thriving on controversy. Is she up for the job?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, HOLLYWOOD PUBLICIST: I have known Whoopi a long time, and Whoopi knows how to be controversial.
HAMMER: That`s for sure.
GOLDBERG: That`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up.
HAMMER: She has made her share of controversial comments over the years. In a 2004 political fund raiser, she mocked President Bush`s name in the most off color way possible. Even we couldn`t repeat it in mixed company.
GOLDBERG: If I can do it, you can do it.
HAMMER: The ensuing outcry got her dropped from a Slim Fast ad campaign. Fans of "The View" hope that Whoopi`s brand of outspokenness will keep the show fresh and watchable.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": She has a point of view just like Rosie did. So I think that she is just going to be a natural fit. Whoopi is hilarious, so I am just looking forward to some good dirty Whoopi jokes.
HAMMER: But Whoopi is saying, don`t count on too many dirty Whoopi jokes.
GOLDBERG: I know there are words you cannot say. I will not say them.
HASSELBECK: It seems like we can say more and more every day.
GOLDBERG: Yes, but none of the words that I say.
HASSELBECK: Maybe not.
HAMMER: Whoopi tells me she`s not trying to be or not to be controversial.
(on camera): Do you think it`s important to sort of maintain that, or are you just coming in to do your own thing?
GOLDBERG: Well, you know, I`m just going to do me. I don`t want to think about what I`m going to do. I just want to do what I do when I do it.
HAMMER (voice-over): Whoopi`s new colleagues are looking forward to seeing what she`s going to do.
(on camera): Do you think the show is going to be better or just different?
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": I think it will be different. I think it`s been great. It was great with Rosie. I loved having her here, and I miss her. And I miss Meredith Viera too. But this is a whole other ball game. I feel like now I have another good girlfriend to play with.
HAMMER (voice-over): We`ll see if TV audiences will welcome this new girlfriend into their homes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So everybody loves Whoopi Goldberg, right? Not necessarily. Joining us tonight from New York, TV critic for the "New York Post," Linda Staci, also in New York tonight, Mark Lamont Hill, professor of American studies at Temple University. Mark, Linda, it`s good to have you both here. Linda, you know, I read your column every single day.
LINDA STACI, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": I don`t blame you.
HAMMER: I do. I have to tell you, I picked up the Post this morning. I see the big headline right here, "Big Whoop." What is your problem with this amazing, interesting woman?
STACI: I don`t have a problem with her, as long as she becomes Whoopi again. She seems to have morphed into this really kind of nice person. You saw when she walked in, it was like Bob Barker coming in on "The Price Is Right," glad handing everyone. I mean, she`s replaced the old Rosie as queen of nice. In 2004, after she made those jokes on the Kerry fund raiser, and Slim Fast dropped her, she seemed to have -- the air seemed to have gone out of her.
I like her when she`s controversial, and the show is not good without controversy. That`s what makes the show. I`m sorry.
HAMMER: I don`t know. Everything in it`s setting, I think. Mark, what do you think of that? Is Whoopi is just too nice?
MARK LAMONT HILL, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY: Whoopi is very nice. But nice can sell too. And nice and controversial aren`t necessarily competing identities. The thing is, in 2004 she made some very controversial remarks. She`s going to continue to make controversial remarks. The thing about "The View" is that it`s a daily show. You`re comfortable. It`s almost like four girlfriends sitting around talking. And once that happens, the natural Whoopi is going to come out. The real Whoopi is going to come out, the Whoopi that got everyone upset when she was dressing in black face with Ted Danson.
That`s the real Whoopi. She`s going to do that. She`s not going to be Rosie O`Donnell, but she`s going to be controversial and nice at the same time.
HAMMER: As you guys saw, I was there on the set of "The View" for the big announcement this morning. Linda, I want to you listen up now because Whoopi has got your number, Ms. Staci.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: Somebody said today they thought I had turned nice, like I was -- I didn`t understand it. I have always been -- I thought I`ve always been nice, but I have my opinions. I don`t think that`s a bad thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And she was talking expressly about you, Linda. In fact, she said she was going to email you. So, really, what is wrong with being nice and having an opinion, because certainly she is a smart, articulate woman, who has a lot to say.
STACI: Wait, but you are making it sound like I`m saying she`s not. What I`m saying is after that -- after she was dropped by Slim Fast, she seems to have adopted a persona where she`s, like, a really nice -- there`s a lot of nice people on the show, and that`s when it gets boring. I want her to come back as the hard-hitting, left winger and take on Elizabeth, take on the things that she`s really known for. Be the hilarious, outspoken, outrageous Whoopi, because if she takes the nice seat, if she becomes Meredith Viera, it`s going to be boring.
HAMMER: Well, it sounds like you really think that "The View" needs that sort of heightened set of controversy swirling around.
STACI: Look at the ratings. Every time somebody acted out, the ratings went way up.
HAMMER: No, we need look no further than the year of the Rosie that we`re just now coming off of.
HILL: There will be more of that.
HAMMER: A lot of people are actually wondering has Rosie raised the bar so much, raised expectations so much that Whoopi is actually going to fail at the gig, unless she can generate the same level of buzz. I want you to listen to what Whoopi told me about stirring the pot.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: You know, I`m just going to do me. You know, there, I`m sure, will be times when we`ll be swirling the fire and other times when we`re not, and I don`t want to think about what I`m going to do. I just want to do what I do when I do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Rosie sort of swirled the fire just about every day on that program. Is that exactly what Whoopi has got to do? I mean, when Rosie was on, as you alluded to, Linda, it was must see TV. Mark, I want to get your take on this. Is Whoopi must see TV, and must she actually continue to stir the pot for this thing to work?
HILL: I think Whoopi is definitely must see TV, and I think she will stir the pot, but she`ll do it in her own way. Rosie was much more harsh. She was much more divisive. Whoopi is going to be fun and engaging. She`s become like an elder stateswoman, as it were. But, at the same time, she`s going to be controversial.
Whenever Elizabeth starts to say crazy things and all of her right wing stuff, Whoopi is going to be there saying left wing stuff, except the difference is, it won`t be a shouting match like it was with Rosie. It will be a conversation, and it will get heated. And it will be controversial and it will be all over the news, and we`ll be talking about it in six months. But it will be nice, and it will be fun.
HAMMER: Mark, you mentioned how there was that story back in 1993 when Whoopi and her then boyfriend, Ted Danson, with Ted dressing in black face during a roast of Whoopi at the friar`s club, created all kinds of controversy. Linda, you broke that story. There were racial jokes involved. Obviously, daytime TV is not the venue for that kind of act.
STACI: It was a lot more than racial jokes. She used the N-word more than a dozen times. They introduced Mayor Dinkins (ph) using the N word. It was really awful.
HAMMER: Not to relive all that, but doesn`t that quickly now show exactly what she is capable of doing, and she still has it in there, but in its proper place.
HILL: You don`t lose that edge. A comedian never loses that edge. She is sharp. She is witty. She is right on the edge. And the moment she`s sitting across from Elizabeth, it`s going to come right out and it is going to be must see TV.
HAMMER: Linda, I don`t know. You don`t think there`s any chance that Rosie will surprise you -- I`m sorry -- Whoopi will surprise you? She does have the capacity.
STACI: I`m sure she will surprise us, and as the presidential election gets closer and closer, somebody with as strong political views as she has is not going to be sitting there quietly. I just am curious to see if she is the same. She`s got that same fire. I don`t know. As you said, she`s turning into more like an elder statesman. We already got one of those.
HAMMER: I think we`re going to see it, especially with the upcoming presidential election. Whoopi even told me herself this morning that she can`t wait to start talking about that. Linda Staci, Mark Lamont Hill, thank you for joining us.
STACI: Thank you.
HILL: Pleasure.
ANDERSON: So what was it that made Whoopi decide to accept the offer from "The View"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why take this job?
GOLDBERG: Why not? You know, it`s a good way to make a living. I like talking to people. And CNN wouldn`t hire me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I have much more to come from my exclusive visit to the set of "The View," including what Whoopi thinks about the show`s nemesis. You know I`m talking about Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: Also, I was shocked to hear reports about Britney Spars` parenting skills. Are the stories true? Is Britney a bad mom, and is K- Fed the hero dad? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Nicole Richie speaks out. She is making a big confession. She`s also talking about the DUI that`s going to be sending her to jail. You won`t want to miss it. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you pregnant?
NICOLE RICHIE, "THE SIMPLE LIFE": Yes, I am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how far along?
RICHIE: I`m almost four months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was Nicole Richie in her first TV interview with "Good Morning America`s" Diane Sawyer, admitting that, yes, she is pregnant. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Richie`s interview with Diane Sawyer airs tomorrow on "Good Morning America," but tonight "OK Magazine" is out with the first print interview with Richie. "The Simple Life" star sat down for an exclusive interview with "OK Magazine" as she faces her four day jail sentence for that DUI conviction.
The full interview is in this week`s "OK Magazine." The deputy editor of "OK," Ruth Hilton, did the interview with Richie, and she`s with me tonight from Hollywood. Also from New York tonight, David Caplan from VH1`s 24Sizzler.com. Welcome to you both. Hey Ruth, Nicole confirmed it to "OK Magazine" first. It was the worst kept secret in Hollywood, really, that she is four months pregnant.
And I have to ask you, a lot of people are wondering, why did she keep it a secret during weeks of speculation and reports? From your interview with her, did she give you a sense as to why she kept quiet?
RUTH HILTON, "OK MAGAZINE": I think -- I think she about a month ago decided that she was going to decide to make this plea last Friday, and I think -- obviously, you have that three-month point. And then I think she wanted to get basically the jail scenario out of the way. I think she wanted closure. And once she had that closure -- and also I don`t think she wanted the judge to be affected or the public to believe she got a lighter sentence by virtue of the judge going, well, she`s pregnant. I think she wanted to take what was coming to her.
ANDERSON: Well, if that`s true, that`s pretty admirable. But, you know, this isn`t the first time that rumors have swirled around Nicole. Whether they are questions about if she has an eating disorder to other questions and issues. David, I have to tell you that her secrecy exacerbated the problem, generated more rumors.
DAVID CAPLAN, VH1: By Nicole being quiet, all of a sudden there was essentially like a cottage industry of Nicole Richie pregnancy stories. Oh, she`s pregnant. Now is she going to get married? What is the wedding dress going to be? Where is she going to have the wedding? How is Joel reacting?
You`re right. If she had spoken out about this earlier, it probably would have squashed a lot of those peripheral stories that had emerged from that one nugget of information that she was pregnant.
ANDERSON: Yes, it just got out of control. And as we know, Nicole pleaded guilty to DUI, going to jail for four days. As we know, she told cops she had smoked pot, taken Vicodin. Ruth, when you asked her whether or not she felt remorse for her DUI, here`s what she told you; "so many times in my past all I tried to do was make excuses. I was watching CNN about a month ago" -- thanks for watching, Nicole -- "and they happened to be talking about young people driving under the influence. They were flashing little kids on the screen who were killed by drunk drivers. It broke my hart. It was a big wake-up call."
OK, Ruth, I do hate to be cynical, especially when she says something like that. But we have heard similar claims by Paris Hilton after she went to jail. Do you believe Nicole? Is she being genuine there?
HILTON: I think she`s really had a long hard think, and I think that is partly also to do with being pregnant, because I think you suddenly realize what another life means a bit more when you are pregnant. But, you know, she is doing it. She stopped fighting and remember how many adjournments she had. My god, it was like an odyssey of adjournments.
So, you know, she finally decided to do it, and I think even her fiercest detractors wouldn`t want her to be heavily pregnant and in jail. I met Joel on Saturday. I think he is very proud of her choice to do this, as is her dad. I think it`s the right thing to do that she`s done, and I think it`s right that she does the time and gets it out of the way now, while she`s not heavily pregnant.
ANDERSON: You and I were speaking before the show. Joel told you something interesting, too, about his plans and what he hoped to do, right?
HILTON: I think that both of them -- I think they understand that the paparazzi are always going to be a big high in L.A., and maybe -- they`ve just been on tour together, as we all know. And, you know, I think they both really enjoyed the freedom of that. Rather than 30 perhaps, they had maybe one or two. And, you know, of course, they`re thinking about where do they have their future? Where do they start their family?
ANDERSON: If they move from Hollywood. We shall see. I want you to hear what she told "Good Morning America`s" Diane Sawyer in her first TV interview, which airs tomorrow. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHIE: I have a responsibility, and it`s something that I did wrong. And if I could personally apologize to every single person that has lost a loved one from drunk driving, I would. And, unfortunately, I can`t, but this is my way of paying my dues and taking responsibility and being an adult.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: David, I got it tell you, once again, just like Paris, who, by the way, is back at the clubs a lot of the time, it sounds like major spin control.
CAPLAN: No, it definitely -- that sounds like a very well-crafted response, doesn`t it, for Diane Sawyer? It`s complete spin control. In addition, you know, she sounds genuine, but every time Nicole Richie speaks, there`s always a slight smirk to how she`s speaking, so I never feel that she`s 100 percent genuine.
ANDERSON: Yes. She was saying all the right things, but did she really mean them? Ruth, very quickly, is she concerned about being in jail while being pregnant?
HILTON: Well, she`s talking to her doctors about it now, you know, how all that is going -- remember, it`s four days. It`s not the same sentence as Paris, which was massively longer. So I think she will plan it well, and I think the medical treatment, if she needs it, will be there.
ANDERSON: All right. Ruth, David, thank you both so much. And for more of the Nicole Richie interview, pick up the copy of "OK Magazine."
All right, is Britney Spears a bad mom? There are reports that absolutely shocked me. Could it be that Kevin Federline is the good parent in this equation? We`re going to look into the outrageous stories of Britney`s behavior straight ahead, and we will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My personal business, I just felt like, you know, my family and my friends knew, but I just was uncomfortable with talking about too much information, because I feel like mystery is important.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a great thing to be in love. Right? I got to wonder, why do so many stars keep their relationships secret? A SHOWBIZ special report, under cover lovers, on the way.
And what do the ladies of "The View" think of the confession of their former co-host Star Jones`s that she had gastric bypass surgery. We`ll tell you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. So, of course, the big news today, Whoopi Goldberg is the new co- host and moderator of "The View". I was right there on the set today, got to talk to all of the co-hosts. There has been lots of news about "The View" lately. Last night, of course, we told you that former co-host Star Jones Reynolds is finally coming clean about how she lost 160 pounds.
In an essay in "Glamour Magazine," Star finally admits that she had gastric bypass surgery back in 2003. Well, at "The View" I had to ask Joy Behar and Barbara Walters exactly what they think about Star coming forward after all this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: I`m shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
WALTERS: Oh, I`m very happy that Star has this new show. She talked about her gastric bypass. We had all known about it when it happened. She asked us not to tell. She was our colleague, and we didn`t. She wants to talk about it now. That`s her business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Star`s new show is set to debut later this month.
ANDERSON: Yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Star Jones` gastric bypass confession, should she have come forward earlier; 69 percent of you said yes, 31 percent of you say no.
Here are some of the emails that we received. Chrissy from Massachusetts writes, "Star Jones` method of weight loss is and was none of our business. I think it takes bravery to share her secret now."
Terra from Missouri says, "it seems a little convenient that Star Jones is telling the truth at the same time her show is coming to Court TV."
HAMMER: So exactly what was it that made Whoopi Goldberg decide to accept the offer from "The View"?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why take this job?
GOLDBERG: Why not? You know, it`s a good way to make a living. I like talking to people, and CNN wouldn`t hire me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, yes, yes. Much more to come from my visit to the set of "The View," including what Whoopi thinks about the show`s nemesis, Donald Trump.
ANDERSON: Also, I was stunned to hear reports about Britney Spears` parenting skills. You`re not going to believe the stories. Are they true? Is Britney a bad mother, and is K-Fed the hero dad? Coming up.
HAMMER: Do you remember Beowolf from English class? Well, you probably would have paid more attention if Angelina Jolie was somehow involved. Coming up, we have your first look at Angelina in the big screen version of a literary classic on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a brand new "View." Well, sort of. Today after many rumors, much debate, Whoopi Goldberg has been picked to replace Rosie O`Donnell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why take this job?
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: Why not? You know, it`s a good way to make a living. I like talking to people, and CNN wouldn`t hire me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Come on, Whoopi. I`m right there on the set of "The View" just after they made the surprising announcement; my very candid conversations with Whoopi, Joy, Elizabeth. And what Rosie told Barbara Walters about choosing Whoopi. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the news everybody is talking about. Whoopi is heading to "The View."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Wednesday night. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, we just have to ask is Britney Spears a bad mommy? You know, no matter where we book today magazine covers everywhere had the glaring headlines of Brittney`s outrageous out-of-control behavior and frenzied pleas for help for Brittney`s two young sons.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J., and the details are getting more and more scandalous as this story unravels. One report says Brittney often feeds the boys junk food, including Doritos and soda, even giving them ice cream at night. And that Brittney keeps the boys up late at night so they`ll sleep in. Supposedly an effort to keep them on her party schedule.
And there are disturbing accounts of Brittney screaming at nannies to make the boys stop crying. The cover of the new "US Weekly" says it all, "Help". With us tonight, from New York, Bradley Jacobs from "US Weekly", also in New York, Court TV Anchor Lisa Bloom.
As I mentioned, guys, these are reports are everywhere, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tried to contact Britney`s reps. As of show time, nobody got back us to.
That said, Bradley, the cover of your magazine says "Help". How concerned should we be about the safety of Britney`s children? Are they in serious trouble here?
BRADLEY JACOBS, "US WEEKLY": What we`ve reported in this issue is that -- we`ve all seen the problems with Britney and her kids in the past, putting them in the wrong way in the car seat, in the back of her car, or driving with them in her lap, almost dropping a child on the streets of New York City.
But this cover story is about inside Britney`s home, the problems just with her day-to-day parenting. She`s feeding the kids Doritos and soda. She`s giving her son juice in a bottle in order to get him to just be quiet. As you said, she`s feeding them ice cream sometimes to get them to go to sleep because it`s cold. She takes them on drives in order to get them to fall asleep.
And, of course, she`s fighting a lot with her nannies. She sometimes -- she demands -- a source tells us that she demands to have the kids with her, and then 10 minutes later she`ll say I`m done. Take them away.
ANDERSON: Extremely troublesome and disturbing reports. As we know, Britney and Kevin Federline`s divorce just became final. A pretty bitter divorce, and they renewed their 50-50 custody agreement. But they both made rumblings about pushing for a bigger stake in their children`s custody, whether that`s true or not.
Lisa, I have to tell that all these reports are out there can`t help Britney in court.
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV: Well, the question is, what`s the alternative? What does K-Fed do? And by the way, if we took the kids away from parents who gave them junk food, I think most American parents would lose custody of their children. Let`s get real.
She gives them ice cream. A lot of people I know drive the kids around in the car to get them to go to sleep. Sometimes you`re desperate. That`s not necessarily bad parenting. I am certainly concerned about it. I don`t think it`s a good idea what she`s doing, but we`re not going to take them away from Britney and put them in foster care! The alternative is K- Fed.
ANDERSON: But you don`t think these allegations could hurt her in court, though, because some of them are disturbing.
BLOOM: We`re not talking about hitting the kids, we`re not talking about abusing the kids. We`re talking about keeping them up late at night. They`re one and two years old. These things are not good ideas, as a mother, I don`t recommend it. But I don`t see her losing custody of the kids for these reasons.
ANDERSON: Well, there was such a buzz about this that on "The View" it was really the first thing -- one of the first things that the ladies talked about. And let`s listen to what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIZABETH HASSLEBECK, "THE VIEW": Maybe it`s not fair for people to do this, but they were looking for a major shift. Once she had the kids they thought maybe she would calm down, but things just seem to kind of go the other way.
JOY BEHAR, "THE VIEW": Parenting brings out the worst and the best in people, I think. Don`t you?
HASSELBECK: It`s hard. It`s not easy to be a mom, you know?
BEHAR: It`s difficult to be a mother.
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": We`re expecting you to do something wild and crazy any minute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Of course, Barbara referring to the fact that Elizabeth is pregnant.
But, Bradley, I have to ask, you know, if children didn`t change Britney, rehab didn`t change her, she is still acting erratically, completely whacky at times. Can we expect that this behavior is going to continue, or is it going to have to end in disaster at some point to really wake her up?
JACOBS: Well, it is true that her behavior is fairly erratic before she split from a Kevin Federline, but since then, crazy enough, it`s gotten more and more problematic. There`s no telling.
ANDERSON: Who would have known, you know?
JACOBS: Yes. I mean, every week she seems to do something that keeps her in the public eye. She continues to go out to nightclubs. She -- last week she took off almost all her clothes and jumped in 63 degree water in Pacific Ocean. She`s followed everywhere she goes. Yet, she keeps doing things to keep interest in her. It is unusual behavior. It is very erratic. And it doesn`t seem like rehab, or a divorce, could slow that down at this point.
ANDERSON: It`s really unfortunate. And I want to read to you what Kevin Federline`s attorney said just the other day. Quote, "Kevin doesn`t want to do anything that would be perceived as taking her down a peg. His goal is to keep things between him and Britney private."
Lisa, Kevin, you know, does seem to be the doting dad at this point who is trying to give these kids some stability. Doesn`t that play a factor?
BLOOM: That`s the first sign of class I`ve seen from either K-Fed or Britney in a long time, and that is the best approach. Don`t fight in front of the kids. Don`t bad-mouth the other parent, even after an ugly divorce. At least, via his lawyers and via his publicist, he is doing the right thing.
I don`t know what he is doing behind closed doors. I know he has a lot of kids. I know he is getting a lot of money from Britney. I hope that they can both just shape up and take good care of these kids.
ANDERSON: You and me both. Hopefully those kids will be properly cared for and are being properly cared for, hopefully. Lisa Bloom, Court TV anchor, Bradley Jacobs of "US Weekly". Thank you both.
BLOOM: Thank you.
JACOBS: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right, again, we did reach out to Britney`s reps, and they did not get back to us before show time.
HAMMER: Today "Good Morning America" co-anchor Robin Roberts was absolutely overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from viewers. In a shocking, emotional announcement on Tuesday, Roberts stunned everyone.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN ROBERTS, CO-ANCHOR, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA" I have breast cancer. And as my family here knows, my family at home knows, and I`m very, very blessed and thankful that I found it early.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: On this morning`s "GMA" Robin was absolutely touched by the response that she got to her breast cancer confession. Tons of e-mail, a lot of well wishes. She even got a laugh out of all this. And she was really surprised by the affect her announcement was already having. Robin pointed out that she thought that she was not going take any of the support for granted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: I want to read a couple of them. "Many people will now do a self-exam because of you. I haven`t done one in a while, and will tonight. Bless you."
"Please know that you are my prayers. You are stronger than you think, and we`ll get through this. Hang in there."
DIANE SAWYER, CO-ANCHOR, GOOD MORNING AMERICA: Especially young women, like Robin. The ultrasound, the sonogram, can be such a vital tool.
ROBERTS: Yes.
SAWYER: When the mammogram doesn`t pick something up.
ROBERTS: It can be. And we some humorous ones, as well, that came our way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, CO-ANCHOR, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": This is a good one. "It seems when I watch you, Diane, Chris, and Sam, on GMA each morning, genuine laughter is never far away. And optimistic note: This would be a good time to ask for something you would never think to ask for. For example, you know, Chris, I`d feel a lot better going to my treatment if I had a nice new Apple iPhone to distract me."
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Roberts is going to have surgery on Friday. Of course, we would like to add our wishes for a speedy recovery to Robin Roberts.
All right, so the big news today, of course, "The View" has finally, finally picked somebody to replace Rosie O`Donnell as moderator. It is Whoopi Goldberg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why take this job?
GOLDBERG: Why not? You know, it`s a good way to make a living. I like talking to people, and CNN wouldn`t hire me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love Whoopi Goldberg. She is already creating a little bit of controversy, though. She even had some stuff to tell me about Donald Trump. Yeah. I had a very special opportunity to speak with Whoopi and "The View" co-hosts just after they made the big announcement. My very revealing interview, not to be missed coming up next.
Also, secret lovers, that`s what they are. Reminds me of that Atlantic star classic, from 1997. I know that stars like to keep some stuff quiet, but I`m really curious as to exactly why they insist on keeping their hookups hush-hush. I`m uncovering undercover lovers. This SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report next.
ANDERSON: A.J., do you remember reading "Beowulf" in high school?
HAMMER: I do remember reading "Beowulf" now that you mention it.
ANDERSON: Well, tonight I have your "First Look" at a really cool version of "Beowulf" It has Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, even Angelina Jolie. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: You are about to meet the new moderator of "The View". And we are thrilled. She is brilliant, she`s funny, she`s an enormous talent. She`s an Oscar-winning actress, a Broadway superstar, and we have her. Please join us in welcoming Whoopi Goldberg!
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: With that thunderous applause, Whoopi Goldberg was officially made the new co-host of "The View." She, of course, is taking over for Rosie O`Donnell. Whoopi has some pretty big shoes to fill there. Of course, Rosie`s controversial comments about the Iraq war and Donald Trump, all of that really boost the rating over the last year.
Well, the ladies were nice enough to invite me to the set this morning for the big announcement. Let me tell you. Nobody at all seemed concerned whatsoever that Whoopi would disappoint, and Whoopi told me she is just really excited to start working.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Why take this job?
GOLDBERG: Why not? You know, it`s a good way to make a living. I like talking to people and CNN wouldn`t hire me.
HAMMER: I haven`t talked to anybody about that specific, but I`ll see if I can get back to you.
GOLDBERG: It`s, I guess, a great time for me to be doing this. Not just for all the ladies, because I love them, but it`s also a great next year, or so. You know what I mean? There`s a lot happening in the world, and it`s nice to be able to talk out, instead of at the television, you know, so --
HAMMER: Yeah, so you don`t have to just shout at the people who are shouting at you.
GOLDBERG: Yeah, I`m excited.
HAMMER: I think if Donald Trump ever went after you, you`d squash him like a bug.
GOLDBERG: Well, there`s no reason for him to go after me, unless he is trying to ask me to go out or something, which you know is not going to happen. But I like The Donald. I think he likes me.
WALTERS: Whoopi has a great many opinions. Whoopi has intelligence, but we`re not going to go out of our way just to create controversy. Look, we have with us a woman who is so smart, so talented, and she will bring that talent to us. We have may her do some of the things she did in her one woman show. I never thought we would be fortunate enough. We were last year with Rosie. We are this year with Whoopi.
HAMMER: She had told us that Rosie was very much in favor of her taking this job. I know you are regularly in touch with Rosie as well. What did she have to say to you when you told her what you were doing here?
WALTERS: Rosie and I are e-mail pals. She has her blog. She e-mails me, I e-mail her. She`s been very supportive about Whoopi. Rosie is a very generous woman, and I love Rosie. We had a wonderful year with her. We had a few fireworks, but that was part of Rosie. I wish her well. I hope she`ll come back and be on with us. I think it would be great to have her on with Whoopi.
HAMMER: Everybody is that -- this was kind of a no-brainer and getting Whoopi in that moderator chair.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW: The thing about Whoopi is, you know, you are drawn to her as a human being. She`s a perfect. She`s a mensch, as they say in French. She`s a mensch. She`s a substantive human being. She has real good values. She`s got something to say that is not -- we haven`t heard every other -- a million times.
She has a family, children, grandchildren, a mother. She has a life of her own. It`s not some flimsy nitwit we`re talking about here. You know what I mean? She`s smart. Women in America want to listen to other women`s conversations. They want them to be fun. They want them to be smart. They want them to be informative. Every once in a while somebody will spike the ratings with a controversial point, but that doesn`t have to be sustained on a regular basis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Whoopi also told me that Rosie always wanted her to be Rosie`s replacement. So no hard feelings there. In fact, Whoopi also said she got a really nice congratulatory phone call from another former "View" co-host, namely Star Jones. Whoopi starts her new job the day after Labor Day.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about this. Whoopi Goldberg, the right choice to replace Rosie on "The View"? Keep voting. CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us. Showbiztonight@cnn.com. We will read some of those emails tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, when Star Jones was on "The View" and she suddenly got very skinny, she would never admit to having gastric bypass surgery. Well, this week she finally did confess. Then, of course, there`s Nicole Richie. Everybody was talking about how Nicole was pregnant. She kept quiet until just finally admitting to ABC`s Diane Sawyer she is indeed having that baby.
Well, stars also love to keep their love lives a secret. Some couples will go as far as refuse to appear together in public. Why do the Hollywood`s biggest stars keep their hot hookups so hush-hush. Right now I have a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Undercover Lovers".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): For some megastar couples public displays of affection are no big deal. Come on, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, do it again. But for other star couples, PDAs are a big no-no. Julia Roberts has never walked the red carpet with her husband Danny Moder. Beyonce and Jay-Z rarely pose in public either.
In fact, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT recently sat down with Beyonce she told me she`s never talked about a relationship because to her mystery is important.
BEYONCE: Any of my personal business. I just felt like, you know, my family and my friends knew, but I just was uncomfortable with talking about too much information because I feel like mystery is important.
HAMMER: So what gives? Why are some stars undercover lovers keeping their relationships under wraps?
DAVID CAPLAN, VH1 24SIZZLER.COM: In general many celebrities keep their relationships under wraps because either they have had a real tumultuous past in the tabloids. That their new relationship is either coming off the heels of a split, a really public split. Or they say to themselves, sort of, it`s not necessarily fair to the quote/unquote, "celebrity".
HAMMER: Since the stars are our expertise, let SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tell you why the celebrities have gone undercover. Reason No. 1, burned by the public romance. We`re kicking it off with actress and music diva Jennifer Lopez, two very high-profile romances, one with Oscar-winner Ben Affleck, and the other with music mogul P. Diddy. Two very public break ups.
CAPLAN: Jennifer Lopez and her relationship with P.D. was all over the tabloids, and really across the country.
HAMMER: High profile, indeed. Lopez was with Sean P. Diddy Combs in 1999 when gunfire erupted in a New York City nightclub. Spotlight on his high profile trial proved too much. Their relationship soon fizzled.
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Some celebrities are smart to keep their relationships undercover because they know that as soon as they are on the front pages, as soon as they declare, we are a couple, they are under the spotlight.
HAMMER: And declare she did with Ben Affleck. You couldn`t open a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing them together. Soon after their engagement, the relationship imploded. She blamed the media.
CAPLAN: So, now with Jennifer and Marc Anthony it`s complete 180 degrees. You rarely see them. She rarely talks about the relationship. It`s just they are the mysterious Hollywood couple now.
HAMMER: As for Affleck, he too learned his lesson. His marriage to Jen Garner is kept under wraps.
CAPLAN: They live this very quiet life. He doesn`t want anything to do with scoring himself a headline in the tabloids or on the TV shows.
HAMMER: And another actress you don`t see going out as much as before, Oscar-winning actress Julia Roberts. That`s because she got burned by reason No. 2, the public split.
She was the "Runaway Bride" publicly splitting from Kiefer Sutherland and later Lyle Lovett. This time around, hiding from Hollywood, and keeping it quiet, is what the love doctor ordered.
KURIANSKY: She`s happily married to Danny Moder. She`s cares about family first. So Hollywood doesn`t matter to her anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Another reason that stars keep their romances undercover, when they want to keep the focus on their work, and not on who they are dating.
ANDERSON: Makes sense to me.
OK, right now I`m uncovering a story that made me say, "That`s Ridiculous!" You know, I don`t know what is scarier. Hundreds of prisoners dancing to Michael Jackson`s music, or Michael Jackson himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL JACKSON: Because this is thriller, thriller night.
ANDERSON: Take a look at this. This comes from a prison in the Philippines. This is how the inmates exercise every morning. Michael Jackson`s "Thriller". Now, I went digging into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tape library to show you how these guys got it down pat. The video has become a worldwide hit on YouTube, and it`s not just Jackson they dance to. They bust a move to Queen, Pink Floyd, even the Village People.
But to this really ghoulish routine, I got to say "Beat It! "That`s Ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Exercise, right?
Brooke, this new Angelina Jolie movie looks like it`s a real thriller. It`s called "Beowulf" A big screen version of the book that you probably read in high school. Angelina is in it along with a great cast. Your SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look" at "Beowulf" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: OK, so when you hear "Beowulf" it might bring back memories of your high school English class, right? It`s a long, old Anglo- Saxon poem about a hero who battles a monster and his mother. And now it`s a movie. And this one looks really cool. It stars Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, and Angelina Jolie. Here`s your SHOWBIZ "First Look".
(BEGIN MOVIE TRAILER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I knew the one they called Beowulf.
Such a strong man you are. A man like you could own the greatest tale ever sung. Beowulf, stay with me. Give me a son and I shall make you the greatest king that ever lived. This I swear.
You will forever be king, forever strong, mighty, beyond imagination.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She`s not my curse. Not anymore.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Terrific cast there. Academy-award winner Robert Zemeckis directs. He won for "Forrest Gump". "Beowulf" is in theaters this November.
HAMMER: And here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow more of Nicole Richie`s shocking confession. She`s finally admitted she`s pregnant, but there`s so much more. She`s opening up about drugs, her weight. We`ve got a very special look at her emotional, revealing interview with ABC`s Diane Sawyer tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, runaway daddies. Talk about the guys who bail on their unborn babies and the baby mommas. Eddie Murphy, Billy Krudup (ph), Tom Brady. We`re getting very fired up over this: "Due To Ditch". That is tomorrow.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. "Glenn Beck" coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News".
END
