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Showbiz Tonight
Lindsay Lohan Gets Plea Deal; Controversy Over `Kid Nation`
Aired August 23, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: Big breaking news, Lindsay Lohan going to jail. And Kelsey Grammer opens up about the shocking rape and murder of his sister. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, outrage over "Kid Nation." A new reality show makes kids fend for themselves for 40 days in the desert.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just been really stressful. I guess I`m just going to have to keep pushing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now an investigation. Were child labor laws broken? Was there abuse? Were the kids hurt? A growing controversy. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask why would parents let their kids be involved in the show in the first place? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the outrage over "Kid Nation."
Anna Nicole Smith`s baby Dannielynn about to turn one. What a long strange trip it has been to her first birthday. Don`t think the Anna Nicole Smith saga is over. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the outrageous crazy cast of characters that made up the Anna Nicole saga and where they are now.
Hi, there I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. is off tonight. We have late-breaking big news tonight. Lindsay Lohan will do jail time. But Lohan dodged a big bullet today by copping a plea. Under the deal, Lindsay will spend, get this, one day in jail, do ten days of community service and complete a drug treatment program. Earlier today Lindsay was charged with seven misdemeanors from two drunk driving arrests.
Prosecutors didn`t file felony drug charges because Lindsay didn`t have enough cocaine on her when she was arrested. And late tonight, Lindsay released a statement saying, quote, it is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable, because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs. Recently I relapsed and did things for which I am ashamed. I broke the law, and today I took responsibility by pleading guilty to the charges in my case.
Joining me now from Burbank is "Access Hollywood" correspondent Tony Potts. Welcome Tony.
TONY POTTS, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": Thank you, Brooke.
ANDERSON: What do you think? I`m a little surprised here, copping a plea and only getting one day in jail. Was this a big surprise?
POTTS: Not really. It`s the old, I broke the law and the law won, so to speak. People were trying to compare this to Paris Hilton. Remember, Paris Hilton violated probation. Lindsay Lohan is just starting probation pretty soon. So, Lindsay violates probation, she will probably get 23 to 45 days, much in the same way Paris did. But no, he didn`t reduce the sentence really.
It`s basically four days, 96 hours. She`s already spent 24. So she gets credit for that. She will spend another 24 in jail. The remaining 48 hours are made up with ten days, that you mentioned, of community service. So I`m not surprised.
ANDERSON: But the public perception may be, she`s getting off a little easy. It was two suspicion of DUI arrests.
POTTS: You also have the reckless driving. I agree with you to that extent. But she`s also, remember, in rehab currently now, which is fulfilling the requirements that was set down in the plea today as well. So I think they feel she`s on the right path. Let`s give her a chance. She will have to do some community service. She will have to prove on a regular basis that she is clean and sober and that she`s progressing.
So they are giving her a chance, much the same way they gave Paris Hilton a chance, to prove what she`s supposed to be doing, that she is doing it. And we will see at the end of all of this if she did indeed do it.
ANDERSON: Do you think they took into consideration that she did go to rehab after each of the arrests, that she was trying to make an effort to get better, and that she did have a serious problem. Did that help her?
POTTS: I think so, Brooke. That`s a great point. She was like a pinball, out of control. They realized that. She would go from one thing to next. And then of course, go into rehab and then bounce out of rehab and then bounce into a car and chase somebody, and all this stuff, and get another DUI. I think they realized that and that she`s trying.
She`s only 21. She is a young person, trying to get her life straight.
ANDERSON: OK, she`s in rehab in Utah. This is her third rehab this year, Tony. First things first, do we know when she`s getting out of rehab, when that treatment program is going to end?
POTTS: It usually happens between 30 and 45 days. She`s got some time to go. She`s done the first three steps. She`s admitted her life is unmanageable. She has also taken responsibility for it and she`s trying to make amends. Those are the three steps you take when you try to go through rehab and admit that your life is definitively screwed up.
Now, as for her career, she is pretty much at this point uninsurable. But if she goes through these proper channels and it`s all documented legally, she may be back working in a year or two. But that`s going to be a big insurance bond to get her to work and go on set.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I wanted to talk to you about that, because in her statement she says she`s done things for which she was ashamed. Do you think that will work in her favor, in terms of studios hiring her in the future? Is Hollywood going to forgive her?
POTTS: I think they will forgive her. Hollywood has forgiven many people over the years since the 30s and 40s. I do think that by her saying that that will help a little bit. You still have to fish or cut bait. Is she going to show up on time to the set? Is she going to be manageable? If she shows that kind of responsibility -- She is very talented. Let`s not forget it.
She`s very talented, has good potential. So that potential, people still see that in her. But will that come out and will she turn her life around, be on set on time and be the actress that everybody thinks she can be.
ANDERSON: Do we know when she has to complete this one day in jail?
POTTS: I think that all depends on -- you alluded to earlier -- when does she get out of rehab? I think once she gets out and they feel she`s strong enough to make that next step to go into jail, she will. I imagine it will probably be over the next couple of months.
ANDERSON: Very quickly, Tony, what do you think is happening with young Hollywood today? We are seeing more and more young Hollywood stars seemingly out of control.
POTTS: There are more outlets. Your show, my show, "Access Hollywood," AccessHollywood.com, you`ve got websites, all this stuff. There are more cameras around every night. There are 40 or 50 cameras, not just still, but also video cameras as well. This also happened in the `40s and `50s, but the studio system covered it up again.
So it`s nothing new. It`s just it`s out there more and we are seeing more of it.
ANDERSON: It`s certainly very sad and we do wish Lindsay Lohan the best. And we hope she`s on the road to recovery. "access Hollywood`s" Tony Potts, thanks so much for your insight and joining us from Burbank tonight.
POTTS: My pleasure, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And there is more breaking news to report tonight. She`s in. She`s out. Nicole Richie has served her jail sentence. But instead of four days, the socialite turned reality TV star spent less than two hours in this same pokey Paris Hilton spent days in. The convicted DUI offender quietly checked into the Lynn Wood California Correctional Facility this afternoon after 3:00 p.m.
Then, poof, she was released around 4:30, this according to her booking sheet with the Los Angeles County Sheriff`s Department. According to TMZ.com, Nicole was routinely processed and released according to normal operating rules. Richie was sentenced to four days behind bars after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
You will remember back in December she told cops that she was high on marijuana and had taken Vicodin before getting behind the wheel. She was pulled over after driving on the wrong side of a California freeway. Richie, who is four months pregnant and due in January, is also on probation for three years.
Kelsey Grammer of "Frasier" fame has a shocking and tragic past. I was stunned to learn that not only was his father shot to death, his teenage sister was raped and murdered. Grammer is opening up about his horrible family history coming up.
Also, outrage over the reality show, "Kid Nation." Kids left to defend themselves, to fend for themselves for 40 days in the desert. Now there are allegations of abuse. And why would parents agree to this in the first place?
Also, this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE LARRY SEIDLIN, FAMILY COURT JUDGE: I hope to god you guys give the kids the right shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, yes, who could forget Judge Larry. He is just one of the many colorful characters in the Anna Nicole Smith saga. But where are they now as baby Dannielynn is about to turn one year old. We are checking in with the wacky cast of characters coming up in a SHOWBIZ special report.
But first, we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Dannielynn`s birthday blowout, is she being exploited? Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an email, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
And you can also vote on the question of the day by sending a cell phone text to 45688. To vote yes, write SHOWBIZ yes. To vote no, write SHOWBIZ no. Once again, send that text to 45688.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. It is time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous!
Check out this amazing video from Congress in Bolivia. It looks more like a riot, but it`s actually a legislative session where things clearly got out of control. Fists started flying as did cups of water and the whole thing turned into a mob seen. And you thought politics in Washington were messy. A fight breaking out during a Congressional session, now that`s ridiculous.
OK, "kid Nation," a reality show that debuts on CBS next month asks the question, what happens when you put kids in an abandoned ghost town all by themselves with little or no adults around? So far the answer is a heap of negative coverage, angry state officials, and accusations of abusive child labor conditions.
People are outraged at reports that children were exploited and sometimes hurt in the making of "Kid Nation." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside this simmering reality show controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is our world.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It sounds like a kid`s dream, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s the first ever "Kid Nation."
ANDERSON: The upcoming reality show, "Kid Nation" on CBS features dozens of children living and working in a New Mexico ghost town with no nagging adults around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty kids with no parents, no teachers anywhere.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you some are saying this kid`s dream is really a child labor nightmare.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just been really stressful and tough. I guess I`m just going to have to keep pushing.
ANDERSON: "Kid Nation" was shot this past spring in this mining ghost town near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Reports say some kids hurt themselves while filming the series. And get this -- four of them reportedly had to be treated for accidentally drinking bleach. Those reports begged TV Guide`s Mary Murphy to ask the question --
MARY MURPHY, TV GUIDE: Why would you allow your kid to do this?
ANDERSON: One of the parents may be having second thoughts. The mother of a contestant who reportedly was burned while cooking has filed a complaint with authorities, asking for investigation into, quote, abusive acts to minors and possible violations to child labor laws on "Kid Nations." New Mexico state officials aren`t very happy either.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sent investigators to the site to see what was going on. Unfortunately our inspectors were unable to get in.
ANDERSON: This state labor official tells Headline Prime`s Glenn Beck that "Kid Nation" producers kept his department in the dark about the conditions the children faced while filming the series. He also said CBS scoffed at labor laws.
CARLOS CASTANEDA, NEW MEXICO DEPT OF WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS: CBS told us in the end that it was a summer camp and that those regulations did not apply.
ANDERSON: That`s one lucrative summer camp. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the "Kid Nation" kids who completed the series were paid 5,000 dollars. And in each episode the kids award one of their own with a real gold star worth 20,000 dollars.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s going to pay for a lot of college.
ANDERSON: CBS and the show`s producer says that when it comes to allegations of wrongdoing, there`s as innocent as, well, kids. In a statement, the network tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, the series was filmed responsibly and within all applicable laws in the state of New Mexico at the time of the production.
The statement continues, these kids were in good hands and under good care with procedures and safety structures that arguably rival or surpass any school or camp in the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kids have definitely more power here than in the real world.
ANDERSON: CBS says the majority of the kids and their parents found the show to be a positive experience. And some of the adults who work on the show told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT earlier this year viewers will find the same thing.
JONATHAN KARSH, HOST, "KID NATION": These kids are really, really surprising and unpredictable and don`t sensor themselves.
ANDERSON: But the question is whether a nation that`s become used to watching adults endure hardships on reality shows like "Survivor," will be willing to watch children do the same thing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: This story has hit so many nerves. Joining us now from Hollywood is Edward Wyatt from the "New York Times," who broke this story, and investigative journalist Pat Lalama. Welcome to you both.
All right, Pat, let me read to you what we have been told, that four kids reportedly had to be treated for drinking bleach. One kid reportedly burned her face on hot grease in the kitchen. We were told these kids were required to work 14 hours or longer each day. How can anybody argue, Pat, that this is OK?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Brooke, you know what, this is not the great classic "Lord of the Flies." This is not a great anthropological study on the human condition and what makes children children. This is a reality show, and where children are used to make money, I`m a little queezy. Having said that, you know that these parent are parents who, in some ways, are trying to live vicariously through their children. They read the contract and they knew their children were not going to go hang out with Elmo and Big Bird. OK?
So I happen to know someone who was on the set, who was around, who worked on the show, and said that the children were fine, that they slept in heated tents, that their conditions were better than the crew, and that these are money grubbing parents who are now trying to make a big stink. I don`t think we know all the facts yet.
ANDERSON: Well, we do see some children very stressed out, to say the least, in those clips. And speaking of that agreement that the parents signed; Ed, I saw it, a very formal release. Aside from the legal mumbo jumbo, it would put the fear of god into anybody that the network could be responsible if their kid got -- and it includes all this in the release -- if their kid got injured, pregnant, chills, fever, potential hazards, even death, but they still signed it.
You talked to parents, what were they thinking?
EDWARD WYATT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Most of the parents thought that in the end that it was a good experience for their kids. They looked at the document beforehand and they said that they believed that their kids would be OK. They realized that they were taking some risks, but that everything would be all right.
The amount of risk that the document puts on the parents is complete. Anything that happens to the kids, as you know, death, pregnancy, anything, is not the responsibility of CBS. That seems to be a little bit at odds with CBS`s statement that say that we were monitoring the kids all of the time and had only their best interests at heart.
ANDERSON: Yes, let me read more from the CBS response. They say, quote, what was extraordinary about "Kid Nation" was the behind the scene support structure, which included on-site paramedics, a pediatrician, an animal safety expert and a child psychologist, not to mention a roster of producers assigned to monitor the kids` behavior. This meant that the few minor injuries that took place were all treated immediately and by professionals.
OK, so from what CBS says, it was a safe environment. But, Pat, the parents still weren`t there. You know, even though they claim the kids weren`t left on their own, the parents weren`t there. They don`t know who`s taking care of their kids.
LALAMA: I`m going to get slapped around for judging these parents, but, you know, you`ve got to -- you know, think about the whole Michael Jackson thing and the parents who wanted their kids to be around Michael Jackson. There is something just a little bit weird about parents willing to put their children into this environment. I`m not saying whether they are good or bad people, it just makes me a little queezy.
You get what you bargained for. You get what you paid for. And the bottom line is, the ratings are going to go through the roof, all because of this very controversy. Who are we kidding? One quick thing, I don`t like the fact that the state inspector was stone walled. Why couldn`t the producers be men and women and stand up and let them take a look around. They wouldn`t let that inspector look around.
ANDERSON: Ed, speak up about that, because you spoke with the New Mexico Department of Labor official who said his inspectors weren`t really allowed to observe the conditions the children were under.
WYATT: Well, there were two New Mexico departments that were trying to get information, one being the Labor Department, about whether there were permits to allow these kids to work there. And the other, there is a department that oversees group homes for children and housing conditions for children, that oversees camps for kids, that has licensing requirements, all of which would seem to apply here.
But I would also make the point that, with regard to the parents, I think it`s easy to say that the parents who would allow their kids to do this must be off their rockers. But look, you have Hollywood dangling a lot of money in front of families.
ANDERSON: Very true.
WYATT: You have 5,000 dollars, which is a lot of money to a lot of families in this country. Not to mention an additional possibility of 20,000 dollars for each of these kids.
ANDERSON: Which would go a long way in a child`s college fund, you`re right. And I hate to jump in, but we are going to have to leave it there. Sorry, guys. Edward Wyatt, who broke the story for the "New York Times," and investigative journalist Pat Lalama, thank you, both.
Kelsey Grammer of "Frasier" fame has a shocking and tragic past. I was stunned and saddened to learn that not only was his father shot to death, his teenaged sister was raped and murdered. Grammer is opening up about his horrible family history next. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD K. STERN, ATTORNEY FOR ANNA NICOLE SMITH: She is my best friend, my lover, the mother of my daughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Mother of your daughter, not so much, Howard K. Stern. As baby Dannielynn is about to turn one, we thought what better time to look back at the crazy cast of characters in the Anna Nicole Smith saga. But where are they now? That`s ahead.
Speaking of babies, can having a baby save your career, or at least improve your image? Seems like a pretty drastic PR move but there may be something to it. We are looking into it straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: rMD+IN_rMDNM_Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Kelsey Grammer is speaking out about his shocking and painful past. You know him from "Cheers" and "Frasier," but long before he became a star, Grammer endured unthinkable tragedy in his family.
When he was just 13, his father was shot to death. And when he was 20, his 18-year-old sister, Karen, was abducted, raped and murdered. Grammer tells "Parade Magazine" that his sister`s death was probably what led to his heavy alcohol and drug abuse over the next 15 years. He was arrested twice and served 90 days house arrest and three years probation. Grammer says he was also drawn into destructive relationships, but after several failed marriages, he`s finally happy with his third wife, Camille.
And he says he`s soon going to face his sister`s rapist and murderer. Grammer says, quote, recently I got news that the man who did this to Karen is now eligible for parole. There is a hearing sometime later this year that I will attend. I am angry about him. I never had the opportunity to speak for my sister before. I will now.
For more with Kelsey Grammer, pick up a copy of this Sunday`s "Parade Magazine."
Steve Irwin`s widow has come up with what I think is a great way to remember him. I will tell you about Terri Irwin`s new morning ritual and how the family is doing, coming up.
And the many colorful characters in the Anna Nicole Smith saga. Where are they now? With baby Dannielynn about to turn one year old -- has it been a year already -- we are checking in with the wacky cast of characters coming up in a SHOWBIZ special report. We will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did see some boobs but not what I was expecting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s an understatement. Straight ahead, we will show you why some customers at a topless car wash got much more than they bargained for. You won`t want to miss that. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Thursday night is coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, where, oh, where are the Anna Nicole Smith cast of characters? Tonight, as Anna`s daughter Dannielynn gets set to turn one, a look at all the players in the baby battle drama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE LARRY SEIDLIN: I hope to God, you guys give the kid the right shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The crying judge, the dueling daddies, the growling grandma, the angry lawyers, what`s everybody up to now? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the Anna Nicole Smith saga. Oh, it`s not over yet, folks, a SHOWBIZ special report.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. A.J. has tonight off.
Big, big Lindsay Lohan news tonight. Here`s the latest: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Lindsay Lohan struck a deal late today. She pleaded no contest to two counts of driving under the influence. She was busted twice for that this summer.
She won`t stand trial and even though the law says she must serve a minimum of four days behind bars, the judge cut her sentence to only one day, and gave her 10 days of community service. Lindsay also pleaded guilty to two counts of being under the influence of a controlled substance. And she got 36 months probation for that.
Now, late today we got a hold of this statement from Lindsay herself. Quoting now, "It is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs. I very much want to be healthy and gain control of my life and career, and have asked for medical help in doing so. I am taking these steps to improve my life."
I recently caught up with Samuel L. Jackson who really opened up about Hollywood`s bad girls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAMUEL L. JACKSON, ACTOR: I`m not sure that anybody who is 20 years old, and has access, and the amounts of money that these young people have wouldn`t be in the same situation. I mean, it`s just part of the cycle of life. That`s what happens.
You learn how to handle situations. You`re not born with that knowledge. And unless you have some very strong people around you, that are helping you deal with those issues, then you`re going to be kind of out of control for a while, because that`s how you learn.
You don`t learn the fire is hot by people keep telling you, it`s hot, it`s hot, it`s hot. You see thing, is you eventually reach out and put your hand in it and go, oh, that`s what that means. OK. Hot. Yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Sam Jackson, very smart guy.
Now, a SHOWBIZ special report. The cast of characters in the Anna Nicole Smith saga, where are they now? It`s been almost a year since the late Anna Nicole gave birth to her baby girl, Dannielynn. What was supposed to be a very happy occasion, no one could have predicted what would happen next.
Tonight, a look back at the absolutely mind blowing baby battle, and it may not be over yet. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates where is everybody now?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): The mystery, the media frenzy, the melodrama, the entire Anna Nicole Smith ordeal seemed like a real-life made for TV movie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not my client. It`s not my client. That`s not true. That`s not true.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that you couldn`t have picked a better cast. At the center of the controversy, Dannielynn, the sweet-faced daughter of Anna Nicole Smith and the three men fighting over her. First, Howard K. Stern, Anna Nicole`s controversial lawyer who claimed he was Dannielynn`s daddy, and a few other things, too.
HOWARD K. STERN, NICOLE SMITH`S SPOUSE: She was my best friend, lover, the mother of my daughter.
ANDERSON: Sorry, Howard, DNA tests show you got that last part wrong. Then there was this guy claiming daddy hood. Zsa Zsa Gabor`s husband, Prince Frederick Van Anhalt, dapper, and with an accent, a great character in the cast -- but sorry (BUZZ), sorry, friend, you didn`t pass the DNA test.
The winning daddy, another one of Anna Nicole`s lovers, Larry Birkhead. And Birkhead didn`t hide his pure joy when those DNA tests showed he was, in fact, Dannielynn`s dad.
LARRY BIRKHEAD, DANNIELYNN`S FATHER: I told so you.
ANDERSON: But his former lawyer, Debra Opri, surely wasn`t celebrating. Birkhead and Opri parted ways in a better dispute well before he officially claimed daddy hood.
Then there was Anna Nicole Smith`s estranged mother, Virgie Arthur, who was none to happy either. She wanted custody of Dannielynn, too. The entire ordeal brought her to tears, but she wasn`t nearly as emotional as this guy.
JUDGE LARRY SEIDLIN: I hope to God you guys give the kid the right shot.
ANDERSON: Yep. The very melodramatic Judge Larry Seidlin; he`s the one who delivered the decision that Dannielynn`s estate should have custody of Anna Nicole`s remains.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: What a circus that was. But one year after the Anna Nicole saga began, where are all those characters now? You`re going to be shocked to hear what`s happened. With me tonight are two people who extensively covered the Anna Nicole Smith story. With us from Burbank, California is "Access Hollywood" Correspondent Tony Potts and from the Court TV studios in New York, Court TV Anchor Jamie Floyd.
Guys, I want to start with Howard Stern, the man who was by Anna Nicole`s side, claimed he was her husband. Also claimed he was Dannielynn`s father, through life and death. Jamie, where is Howard K. Stern now?
JAMIE FLOYD, ANCHOR, COURT TV: As he promised he would be, he`s still with Anna Nicole. He`s in the Bahamas. He`s not been forced to leave the home owned G. Van Thompson, the man who claims the home belongs to him. This is the home Howard shared with Anna Nicole Smith. He`s still in it. And still in the sunny part of the world.
ANDERSON: He said he didn`t want to leave Anna Nicole and her son Daniel, both buried there in the Bahamas. Well, you can`t talk about Howard without mentioning his former nemesis, Larry Birkhead, who is throwing a big birthday bash for little Baby Dannielynn.
Look how cute she is.
Tony, you spoke to him. You know him better than anybody else. Where does he live now? You`ve got to admit having this big bash for Dannielynn, photographers, 200 guests, a bit questionable.
TONY POTTS, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": Well, it`s funny because after I was on your show a couple nights ago, Larry texted me about, hey, you want to go have the party on the moon for the 16th birthday party? Which is what I mentioned the other day.
And he says, you know, after what we have been through in the past year or so, he says it`s been crazy. Let`s just do it in style. Have fun.
I can tell you, Larry lives in Los Angeles. He also spends time, of course, with his family back in Louisville. Today, right now, I can tell you as of this moment, today, he is in Los Angeles shopping for a family member, for new school clothes, for a family member.
So he`s enjoying life. He`s having a good time. And he looks to this celebration, to be thrown in Kentucky, as a chance to say, you know what, it`s been a crazy year. It`s now over. Let`s celebrate and move on.
ANDERSON: Larry is a good guy.
By the way, Tony, Howard K. Stern, he`s expected at the party, isn`t he, surprisingly?
POTTS: You know, I texted Larry about that as well, and he won`t give me a definitive answer as to why. I do know that they have joined together in the estate. I know that Howard will be executor of the will, and I know that Larry will oversee everything else. So, I know they`re still joined that way. But as I said before, I would have him halfway around the world if I could -- if it was me.
ANDERSON: Who could forget, in this crazy cast of characters, the Florida judge in the battle for Anna`s body, Judge Larry Seidlin, dubbed Sideshow Seidlin. It was his whacky comments, rather than his ruling, that really made him unforgettable. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEIDLIN: Remember in school when you had this big French labyrinth you are tried to get to the center of it. That`s all we are trying to do.
When I used to teach tennis I always wore white shorts and a white top. It always looked good.
Instead of fighting, you should join hands. Join hands, because it`s only in this country that you can join hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: What? Jamie, this is the last we have seen of him, is it?
FLOYD: Sadly, not. He has his own TV show. He has reportedly inked a deal, so it`s no longer the Seidlin Sideshow. He will be the main event. And it`s going to be one of those very popular, increasingly so, judge shows. Apparently in syndication, so you`ve got to wonder when he was making those rulings, was he thinking about the law, or thinking about that star over his door?
ANDERSON: Was he auditioning during that entire thing?
POTTS: Brooke, if I can interrupt for a second, I can tell you he`s already shot a pilot. The thing that Larry has to be worried about, this is the judge, is that he took forever to do something that could have been done in about three hours. The show is only 30 minutes or an hour so he`s got to get through at least one case an hour so we`ll see how that happens.
ANDERSON: Yeah, learn to pick up the pace.
POTTS: Exactly.
ANDERSON: Tony, you know, Larry Birkhead began his journey and this saga with attorney Debra Opri by his side. Then he fired her over a half- million-dollar bill or something. They`re still bickering. Why haven`t they just resolved this?
POTTS: Money. Follow the money trail. That`s what it is. I mean, Larry felt, it`s been in the court papers, that some things happened about where the money was transferred, who held it, and what have you. And just today Debra Opri lost her request for the $200,000 fee in the Hoff case, Pamela Bach versus the Big Hoff. So it`s not going well for her now. We will see how that pans out in the future, but Larry feels very confident, obviously, and so do his lawyers that big bill will be whittled down substantially.
ANDERSON: And the hits just keep on coming for Debra Opri, it sounds like. Wow.
Tony Potts, Jamie Floyd, thank you both for catching us up, one year later.
POTTS: You`re welcome.
FLOYD: Thank you.
ANDERSON: This leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. What do you think? Dannielynn`s birthday blowout, is she being exploited? Keep voting. Cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us showbiztonight@cnn.com. We are going to read some of your e-mails tomorrow.
Well, as Dannielynn gets set to turn one, it`s also been one year since the tragic and shocking death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. Tonight, his widow, Terri, reveals how she`s doing one year later. That`s s next.
OK, so when a star wants to change his image, save his or her career, they get a makeover, maybe disappear for a few months, do something drastic. Well, what about a baby? Are star`s kids the 2007 way to change an image? Oh, yeah, you can bet this is going to get people fired up. That controversy next. Also this --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did see some boobs, but not what I was expecting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, no. It most certainly wasn`t. A lot of people are ticked at a topless car wash on Long Island. Ok, that`s my terrible attempt at a Long Island accent. Don`t send me hate mail. I`m going to tell you why so many people feel they have been -- uh, hosed -- next.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Time now for a story that made us say --
(UNIDENTIFIED MALES, OFF CAMERA): "That`s Ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Good job, guys.
Imagine driving down the road and seeing a couple of girls holding up a sign that says topless car wash. So you figure that if you stopped, you`d see some naked women. Well, a Long Island, New York firehouse played a dirty little trick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did see some boobs but not what I was expecting.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are topless.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we posted is exactly what is -- we are topless.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did not false advertise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the guys back there are all topless.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s right. No women washing away. It`s the guys who were topless. Sneaky, sneaky. The car wash was a fundraiser for Brookhaven Fire Department. I`ve got to tell you, I think it was a pretty clever move, except some of the guys, let`s just say their physiques didn`t really, uh, shine, and could have used some wax.
Talk about getting hosed, a tricky topless car wash, now, "That`s Ridiculous!"
Well, he`s cruising and back in control of his career. That`s what some are saying about Tom Cruise. And even more shocking, just how he`s bounced back. Get this -- they are crediting his one-year-old daughter, Suri.
It was only about a year ago that Tom had tongues wagging about his whacky behavior, the Oprah couch jumping, his feud with the "Today Show" Matt Lauer over psychiatry. But since Suri, life has become, well, serene. Cruise is not the only Hollywood star who some say could thank his kids for a career rebound.
Tonight, from Hollywood, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman and from New York, Clinical Psychologist Doctor Julie Kuriansky.
All right. I don`t think many people would have predicted that Tom Cruise would be back in command of his career so soon. Howard and Doctor Judy, he got dumped from his movie studio. Everybody was questioning his romance with Katie Holmes. Here we are, one year later. Tom is filming a movie in Germany, has his own film company now, with United Artist.
Doctor Judy, couldn`t look happier. Is it Baby Suri?
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I think, Brooke, Suri has a lot to do with Tom`s renewed image. First and foremost, from a psychological point of view, it proved he`s a real man, a real man. He`s viral, he can have a biological child. He did have two kids with Nicole Kidman, but they were adopted. So this way his sperm worked and that can make him feel like he`s powerful.
And also, it`s very important that Suri is a young girl, because that softens women`s hearts to thinking he could be nurturing. He has this loving side of him. So Suri is a big credit to him.
ANDERSON: And she certainly looks happy in all the pictures, and the video that we have seen of her.
Howard, you know, after the couch jumping incident, the Today Show speculation Hollywood was buzzing that Tom was done. Has the public forgotten?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, night after night, here, we talk about rehab and DUIs and jail. The man jumped on a couch. You can`t look at a couple little moments in a career that`s over two decades long and say it`s in the crapper.
His worldwide box office is almost $6 billion. Anybody who had half a brain in Hollywood knew Tom Cruise was smart, had great people around him, and he was a brand that would come back stronger than ever. I`m surprised it didn`t happen quicker. This man is a movie star.
ANDERSON: Very true.
KURIANSKY: Oh, Howard that`s very different about his ability to make money. There were a lot of people who were disappointed in him. He really psychologically was showing that he`s disintegrated. And that`s not good for his image, no matter what money you say he makes.
ANDERSON: Well, both sides of this. He is back and looks like a doting dad to Baby Suri.
But I do want to move on now. Another Hollywood star whose children seem to make her more and more likeable, Angelina Jolie. And some say that she stole Brad Pitt away from Jennifer Aniston. But Doctor Judy, if they gave out an award right now for mother of the year in Hollywood, would you agree that Angelina Jolie might be a leading contender?
KURIANKSY: She would get the mother of the year award for having a lot of children, and certainly in a short period of time. And also for being kind hearted enough to adopt children from different countries around the world, from Cambodia, and from Vietnam and from Africa. So that deserves a tremendous lot of credit.
But in my book, the mother of the year awards can go to people like Gwen Stefani or to Brook Shields or to Jennifer Garner. You see them so lovingly, you get the real heartness, and really Angelina has really gone from a transition. From being the wild woman who was wearing blood around her neck, to being the mom, so for that transition she deserves a lot of credit, as a mom.
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about the public persona and the changes. And, Howard, you manage celebrities. I`m not saying they have to have kids to sway public opinion, but it looks like it just doesn`t hurt.
BRAGMAN: You know, I`ve asked clients and suggested clients do a lot of crazy things to help their image and support things. I don`t think kids are props. And I don`t think Hollywood stars think kids are props or career savers. I think it has to come from the heart.
And you look at these kids and they are well adjusted. We don`t hear about her going out at 10:00 at night and taking her kids to dinner, strange things. All we see is really positive images of her, and Brad, being really good parents. And I think it does help an image because we sincerely believe it because I think it`s really true.
ANDERSON: You hope that they are having children for the right reasons and the people that we have mentioned here tonight seem to be doing that.
Another mom, in Hollywood, who stirred up a little bit of controversy, Madonna. She adopted a baby from Malawi, Baby David, but all is well that ends well after that controversy, right, Doctor Judy?
KURIANSKY: Well indeed. Madonna is another one like Angelina, who really changed her image. I mean, there she was the ultimate sexpot, and then became the ultimate mom, writing a book about motherhood, too. And adopting babies, like Angelina, from another country. It gives a little softness. And then she went back to being a sex pot, so she`s really been able to really move motherhood and sex pot. It`s like the Madonna prostitute syndrome many men have who the pure women and also the wild women mixed into one. And that`s what Madonna is trying to do.
ANDERSON: It`s really interesting. We will leave it there. Doctor Judy Kuriansky, Howard Bragman. Good to see you both. Thanks for joining us.
BRAGMAN: Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Now the horrific and shocking death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, on year later. He was killed by a stingray`s barb on September 4 while shooting a documentary off the coast of Australia. Tonight, Terri, his widow is speaking out about how she and their daughter, Bindi, have been dealing with their loss on the anniversary of Steve`s death.
She tells "Health" magazine, "It`s all still pretty raw. I noticed, though, that when I started taking care of myself, physically, I started healing emotionally as well. After losing Steve a few months went by before I could really think about eating or doing anything. At home, I put on one of Steve`s shows every morning so the kids and I can have breakfast with him. We laugh at the funny things he says. The kids are so fortunate to get to see Daddy doing something different every day."
Really emotional stuff there. And you can read more in "Health" magazine on newsstands August 28th.
Cuba Gooding, Jr., a big-time actor, but definitely doesn`t forget his home life. Coming up next, he`s revealing the secrets to how he`s been able to make his 20-year relationship with the same woman work. And you know most Hollywood hookups don`t last 20 minutes. That`s next.
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ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Time now for "Making It Work". SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s revealing look at stars making their relationships work in Hollywood, and beyond. Tonight, Cuba Gooding, Jr. Great story here. The star of "Jerry Maguire" and "Daddy Day Camp" has won an Oscar and he has also managed to have a winning formula for marriage.
Gooding and his wife, Sarah, have been together for nearly 20 years. They have three kids, sons, Spencer and Mason, and daughter Piper. When we recently caught up with him he reveals his secrets to making the marriage work. Kind of along the lines of every good man, there`s an even better woman. In this case, one he`s know for a long time.
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CUBA GOODING, JR., ACTOR: It`s her. It`s her. She`s the one that`s sane in there, because I`m the nut. She`s a wonderful woman.
You know, I met a cool high school chick, and then I met this cool, you know, college fashion institute girl, too much makeup. Then I met this wonderful mother, and then wife and, you know, all these different women. And I happened to keep falling in love with, and she`s putting up with my antics of being an actor in Hollywood, and traveling. We make a deal that I don`t go more than three weeks without seeing her, so --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
GOODING: And I`m a drunk. So that helps.
(LAUGHTER)
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ANDERSON: We know you`re kidding, Cuba. By the way, "Daddy Day Camp" is in theaters now.
Yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Showbiz Weight Watch", do looks mean more than talent in Hollywood? Very one-sided here, 91 percent of you say yes. Only 9 percent of you say no. And here are some of the e-mails we received.
Gwendolyn writes: "When it comes to the entertainment industry it`s the perfect place for pretty girls with average skills.
Jonathan from Alabama, says, "Of course, looks mean more than talent, you tell me. Who is more popular? Bea Arthur or Angelina Jolie?"
Oh, Jonathan, don`t be hating on the "Golden Girls". I love them.
All right. That is a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. Have a great night. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. "Glenn Beck" is coming up next right after the latest headlines from CNN "Headline News." Take care.
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