Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Inside the Mind of O.J.
Aired September 17, 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: Startling breaking Britney Spears news. Get this, is there actually a contract hit on Kevin Federline`s life? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And Charlie Sheen, about to settle down -- again. I get him to reveal big news to me. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts, right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, O.J. outrage. Tonight, O.J. Simpson`s shocking armed robbery arrest. And Hollywood`s biggest stars are telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what they think about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Is this how it goes down, Capone? You kill two people and they get you for kicking in a door in Vegas?
HAMMER: Tonight, what in the world was O.J. thinking? The late- breaking developments and a revealing, fired up SHOWBIZ special report, inside the mind of O.J. Plus, do you think he`s guilty? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT covers the bizarre and mind-boggling O.J. Simpson arrest like no other entertainment news show.
Tonight, the startling controversy at the Emmys. Ray Romano, Katherine Heigl, Sally Field.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SALLY FIELD, ACTRESS: If the mothers ruled the world, there would be no -- wars in the first place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All censored. Tonight, we reveal the real reasons the stars were silenced. It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the words that were too hot for TV.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood, where tonight there is a startling report that a contracted hit may have been put on the life of Britney Spears`s ex-husband Kevin Federline. We`ll tell what you we`re hearing about that coming up.
HAMMER: First tonight, right now, O.J. Simpson is sitting in a Las Vegas jail. And who knows what he`s thinking. Actually, I probably should be saying, who knows what he was thinking, because tonight O.J. is in trouble, some big trouble. Arrested and charged with robbing some sports memorabilia dealers.
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is everywhere, bringing you the latest developments, and the startled reactions from some of Hollywood`s biggest stars.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meanwhile, our top story, O.J. Simpson.
ANDERSON (voice-over): O.J. Simpson is in jail. Accused in a robbery, reportedly caught in a profanity-filled tape.
"Ocean`s 11," eat your heart out.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: You`re either in or you`re out. Right now.
ANDERSON: This alleged Vegas crime story is even more bizarre. O.J. is accused of rounding up some buddies and storming a Vegas hotel room to relieve this sports memorabilia owner of items O.J. says belonged to him.
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I talked to him about 90 minutes before he was arrested today. He has maintained that this was his stuff. He did nothing wrong. There were no guns involved.
ANDERSON: O.J. is calling it one big misunderstanding, but the Las Vegas police department calls it something else.
CAPT JAMES DILLON, LAS VEGAS POLICE: Robbery with a deadly weapon, two counts. Assault with a deadly weapon, two counts. Conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary with a firearm.
ANDERSON: All of those charges could get O.J. Simpson up to 30 years in the slammer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The latest developments in this new O.J. Saga --
ANDERSON: News and talk shows are going wild with the kind of O.J. talk we`ll probably be hearing through the coming winter and beyond.
REGIS PHILBIN, ACTOR: O.J. in the can.
ANDERSON: Regis and Kelly touched on, as did the ladies on "The View."
SHERRI SHEPHERD, "THE VIEW": Why are you letting O.J. talk you into going into a hotel with a gun?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Late Night With Conan O`Brien."
ANDERSON: Even at Sunday night`s Emmy awards, a writer for "Late Night With Conan O`Brien" couldn`t contain his glee at having O.J. Simpson to kick around.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thanks to O.J., we`ll have a show tomorrow.
ANDERSON (on camera): News of O.J.`s arrest broke just hours before one of the big of the nights in Hollywood, the Emmy Awards. And I can tell you, it was all the buzz. I was right there with the biggest stars getting their reaction to the arrest.
Have you heard O.J. Simpson was arrested today?
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: Yes, I`m thrilled. Anytime O.J. Can -- thank you, sir. Anytime O.J. can be arrested is a good day for all of us.
LEWIS BLACK, COMEDIAN: It`s beyond belief. He went after sports memorabilia? What planet is he on?
ANDERSON: Even some cast members of the night`s big winner, "The Sopranos," had a little something to say to me about O.J.`s alleged crime story.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He should have been in jail in the first place, the first crime.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom.
ANDERSON: This whole alleged Simpson story does plays like something you`d see on "The Sopranos."
O.J. SIMPSON, FORMER NFL PLAYER: Where`s my money? Think you can steal my --
ANDERSON: But this angry voice doesn`t belong to Tony Soprano. Reportedly it`s O.J. Simpson we hear on this unbelievable recording posted on TMZ.com. The site says a man who accompanied Simpson to that hotel room made this profanity-laced recording of the incident.
SIMPSON: Don`t let nobody out of here. Mother --
ANDERSON: For his part, O.J. denies this was an armed robbery. Meanwhile, he`s sitting in jail without bond.
KIM GOLDMAN, RON GOLDMAN`S SISTER: I won`t lie to you. I did let out a little chuckle yesterday when I heard that he was arrested.
ANDERSON: And the family of Ron Goldman, who was killed along with Nicole Brown Simpson, hit the airwaves to tell everyone that O.J. is finally where he should be.
GOLDMAN: If, in fact, he is responsible for breaking in to somebody`s room with a gun, I hope that he pays dearly for it.
ANDERSON: Not that O.J.`s sweating it. Before his arrest, he went about his everyday business, attending a wedding at a Las Vegas chapel. It`s becoming clear, we`re in the throes of O.J. part II. Now, as in 1995, we have a serious crime, compelling evidence --
SIMPSON: Think you can steal my --
ANDERSON: -- a confident and divisive suspect and a nation of people eager to see if, unlike the original O.J. crime story, this one ends with the lead character in prison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: O.J. Simpson will appear in court Wednesday morning when charges against him will likely be filed.
HAMMER: So here`s what we`re wondering tonight. Just what are O.J.`s chances of actually winding up in the slammer for a long, long time? And how come he`s not out on bail yet? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been working on the story all day to get you all the answers. Joining us from Hollywood tonight, attorney Gloria Allred. She represented Nicole Brown`s family. And from New York, attorney and co-host of BET`s "My Two Cents," Ryan Smith.
Gloria, Ryan, it`s good to see you both. Now, it`s not like O.J. is being accused of a double homicide here like he was before. He`s charged with assault and robbery. Ryan, not that these are insignificant charges, but why do you think he`s not out on bail just yet? Is it that the court, like so many people in America, think he`s a menace to society?
RYAN SMITH, BET: Not quite. He`s on what`s called a no bail hold, which means the judge is looking at the evidence that the police have turned over to decide whether or not there`s probable cause to hold him, and then also to decide what his bail will be. She can keep him in there for 72 hours. So they`re taking that time to actually figure it out and make sure they have all their ducks in the row.
HAMMER: All right, a little clarity to that. I appreciate that. No secret that in the minds of a lot of people O.J. got away with murder and he certainly had his fair share of run-ins with the law ever since he was found not guilty of murdering Nicole and Ron all those years ago. Gloria, do you think that all of the baggage that has followed him and that comes from that time back in the `90s is actually going to influence how O.J.`s dealt with as this case moves along?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Of course, A.J., that is the big elephant in the room and you can`t ignore the elephant in the room. Technically speaking, it`s not relevant because he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. But in the civil case, he was found liable for wrongful death, in other words, for killing them. So I`m sure the court will take in to consideration danger in the community, what stakes or roots he has in Las Vegas -- and I don`t think he has any -- the significance of the crimes for which he is charged, and then make a decision about bail.
HAMMER: It has been so fascinating to listen to everybody`s reaction since this story first broke. And I have to tell you, and again, not to diminish how serious this type of a robbery is, but a lot of people have been chuckling. The families of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman; they aren`t hiding the fact that they`re thrilled O.J.`s been arrested and that he`s being held without bail. I want you to listen to what Nicole Simpson`s sister, Denise Brown, said on CNN`s "Larry King Live."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENISE BROWN, SISTER OF NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON: Wouldn`t it be ironic that he can get away with murdering two people, but yet he might be put into jail for burglary because there was a gun involved? Crazier things have happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Crazier things have happened indeed. The bottom line is O.J. could face up to 30 years in jail just for the burglary charges. Ryan, how realistic is it that O.J. may wind up behind bars for decades?
SMITH: I don`t know about decades. There`s a lot involved here. First of all, there`s a lot of conflicting witnesses here so there`s a lot to be worked out. I know people are getting worked up over the tape. But on the tape, a defense attorney looks at that and says, you know, there`s a lot of confusion here. It`s not that O.J.`s saying I`m going to shoot you or threaten you. It`s that he`s upset.
A lot of this comes from the fact he walks in, and he sees these people that he knows holding his stuff and he might be surprised there. I think there`s another piece of this too. We`ve already got Walter Alexander, who has been leased on his own recognizance, if you remember. That`s the guy who came in the room with O.J. and reportedly had a gun. He looks like he might be sharing some information. So we never know if O.J. might come back and say I`m going to change my story. Here`s what happened. Try to get something a little lower if this gets further.
HAMMER: O.J. change his story? What are the chances that may happen? Another thing you mentioned, confusion. One of the things confusing a lot of people, what the heck is taking so long for O.J. to get before a judge? Now he`s not scheduled to do that until Wednesday. Gloria, what do you think O.J.`s attorneys are thinking right now?
ALLRED: They`re thinking about how to get him out of the slammer, because that`s not a place probably anybody wants to be, especially O.J. Simpson, who has spent a lot of time there. He is in really deep trouble here, because this appears to be a kind of vigilante justice, A.J. We just cannot condone that in this country. And he is charged with some very, very serious crimes.
We know that it looked as though he was trying to avoid being captured long ago in the `90s when the police were trying to capture him to charge him with the murders of Nicole and Ron, the famous Bronco chase. Whether or not that was flight, I mean, I`m sure that`s something that was going to be look into. And I think his attorneys are thinking, what defense does he have? He`s locked himself in to some statements, giving interviews to the press, giving interviews to the police, and now he`s going to be having difficulty getting out of those statements.
HAMMER: Yes, he may very well have pointed himself in to a corner. We`re out of time. Ryan Smith, Gloria Allred, I do appreciate you joining us.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of date. O.J. Simpson, arrested again; do you think he`s guilty? Vote, CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Send us an e-mail, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
HAMMER: Brooke, if O.J. did do this crazy, stupid armed robbery thing, I`ve got to ask, what in the world was he thinking? Maybe in some kind of sick way he just wanted to get caught. Who knows. Coming up at 30 past the hour, I`ll try and get inside O.J. Simpson`s mind, scary as that sounds. I`m going to try to figure this guy out. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report you won`t want to miss.
ANDERSON: A.J., even more shocking than O.J., is there a hit out on Kevin Federline`s life? Not joking here. Is somebody out to kill him? I`ve got that in a bit. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIELD: If the mothers rule the world there would be no god damn wars in the first place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lots of controversy at Sunday night`s Emmys. I was right there as Sally Field, even Katherine Heigl and Ray Romano were censored. Up next tonight, I`ve got the real reasons the stars were silenced.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, the real stories behind the controversy at the Emmy Awards. You may have thought that you heard and saw it all during the Sunday night -- during Sunday night`s prime time Emmys. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you in fact you didn`t. Sally Field, the star of ABC`s "Brothers And Sisters" appeared to be censored during her acceptance speech, during her comments about the war and she wasn`t the only one.
Ray Romano, Katherine Heigl, yes, they got bleeped too. Here with us tonight from Hollywood, Tom O`Neil, columnist for TheEnvelope.com, and Mary Murphy, consulting editor for TV Guide. OK, as we know, Sally Field tried to make a strong political statement. But the guy who had his finger on the button pushed it and viewers didn`t get to see it. Listen to what she actually said that you didn`t see at home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP
FIELD: And let`s face it; if the mothers ruled the world, there would be no god damn wars in the first place!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tom, I was there just like you were back stage. We saw the whole thing, because we were watching a clean feed, but there was a little shock or a lot of shock, rather, back stage when we all heard that it had been censored.
TOM O`NEIL, THEENVELOPE.COM: Because this was Sally Field, Brooke. This wasn`t censoring Chris Rock. This is Gidget, the flying nun.
ANDERSON: Right.
O`NEIL: This was a racy show. Earlier in the night, we saw a scene, for example, where Brad Garrett (ph) was at the podium with his co-star, Jolie Fisher. He looks down her dress and said, this reminds me to get milk. And then he said, you and I should remake that movie "Bury My Head Between Your Knees." They didn`t censor that, but they censored the flying nun?
ANDERSON: You`re right. A lot of people were very, very surprised. I have to tell you, we at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did some checking. I want to read to you the statement Fox released to us. Here it is; "some language during the live broadcast may have been considered inappropriate by some viewers. As result, Fox`s broadcast standards executives determined it appropriate to drop sound during those portions of the show."
We did the checking. We looked it up today and according to the FCC, Mary, they don`t really have a problem with the word, with G-D. Do you think Fox censored her because she was speaking out about the war?
MARY MURPHY, CONSULTANT TV GUIDE: No, I think they censored her because she did use the G, not just the D. I also think, there is this long history of political activism at different awards shows. We can look back at Susan Sarandon, Marlon Brando, people like that. It`s just that when Sally Field does it, it`s really quite a shock.
Now, I was a viewer. You two were there. I was a viewer and so I thought the feed had dropped. I had no idea she was censored. So I think that -- you know, I must say that I err on the side of censoring the G`s, and I err on the side of censoring people who -- like Kathy Griffin. I think that that girl, she`s a D list star for a reason. She says things like that.
ANDERSON: Wow, tell us how you really feel. We will get to Kathy Griffin in just a moment. But I did speak with Sally back stage. She explained why she used the phrase that she did. And she put it in the context of the character Nora, the matriarch she plays on "Brothers and Sisters." Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FIELD: I wouldn`t be here had that not been the heart of Nora`s story. I know that. Made it a very powerful tale for the mothers who send their children off to war in this country and all over the world, and sit there and wait to hear they`re coming home. I mean, I can`t imagine. I wanted to acknowledge that, and mothers in general, that they be seen and valued.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tom, I would have to think that a lot the mothers out there who have sent a child off to war or worse, lost a child in the war, are going to be enraged that they didn`t get to hear her words.
O`NEIL: Absolutely, Brooke, because this was an important message. We may not like it when politics comes up at these award shows, but it happens all the time. And this was a really poignant one. And as Sally just said, in context. Now, we also know that they did censor her because of the sexual content of her comments, because they censored Ray Romano earlier in the night when he said that he accused Frazier of having intimate relations with his TV wife, Patricia Heaton, on their new show called "Back To You." So it`s not just the G that they were censoring here.
ANDERSON: Right, and Mary, Ray Romano -- Tom referred to him. He didn`t use an expletive when he was talking. What do you think? Is there a concern that things are becoming too politically correct and too conservative in arenas like these?
MURPHY: You know, I think there is a concern. Certainly on our point of view, there`s a concern. But I thought that the actors and performers themselves were very brave. Romano is hilariously funny. It was funny. Sally Field -- this is my feeling -- she turned 50 and, wow, look at what this woman has done. And now is speaking out politically from her character`s point of view and from her point of view. So I think it was brave. But I do think we have to worry about the censorship.
ANDERSON: Sally Field not afraid to speak her mind. Great points from you both. Mary Murphy, Tom O`Neil, thank you both for joining us.
A.J., Emmys not all about controversy, a lot of fun as well. Do you have any favorite moments?
HAMMER: Simple as it was, James Spader`s quirky acceptance speech. I like James.
ANDERSON: He did have a great acceptance speech. One of my favorites, A.J., came on the red carpet. I got Charlie Sheen to reveal something very personal. Is he really getting ready to settle down again? Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMPSON: Don`t let nobody out of this room. Mother -- Think you can steal my -- .
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am totally floored by this. Did O.J. Simpson really bust into a hotel room with a gun and steal a bunch of sports memorabilia? We`re covering this wild story like no other entertainment news show. Unbelievable, a SHOWBIZ special report on the way. I`ll try to figure this guy out. Inside the mind of O.J., coming up.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`ve got something that sounds even crazier than that. Is there a contract hit out on Kevin Federline`s life? This is not a joke. Stick around for that. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Monday night is headed right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: OK, so big, breaking Britney Spears news now. First, and you`re not going to believe this one, now if I were to say the words Kevin Federline and hit in the same sentence, you`d probably know I wasn`t talking about his music career, and I`m not. I`m talking about a contract hit on his life. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you tonight there are reports that both the FBI and Los Angeles police department are investigating leads that there`s a hit out on K-Fed. The FBI told us they did get some, quote, uncorroborated info, but passed it on to local authorities.
So we contacted the LAPD. They say they do not have any investigation going on right now. They did in June, but closed the case due to lack of evidence. OK, well, over to camp Britney now. Fortunately, no reports of anybody thinking about firing any shots at Spears. But tonight, Britney`s take no prisoners custody lawyer has fired herself. TMZ says Laura Wasser (ph) filed papers today formally withdraw as Brit`s attorney.
The reason probably won`t shock you. Apparently Brit`s been a pain in the butt and hasn`t followed Wasser`s advice, as K-Fed pushes for more custody of their two boys.
HAMMER: Brooke, it`s hard to know what to say about that reported K- Fed contract hit. Actually, pretty shocking. Talking about shocking, O.J. Simpson. I mean, did the guy who many people still think without a doubt killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman really bust into a hotel room with a gun and steal sports memorabilia? Next, we`ll try and get inside the mind of O.J. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report. Also this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: Any time O.J. can be arrested is a good day for all of us. I think it`s great. I think it`s bizarre and weird and great.
(END VIDEO CLIP
ANDERSON: Kathy Griffin, just one of the many stars speaking out about O.J. We were right there at the Emmy Awards Sunday night and this whole O.J. mess was on everybody`s mind. The biggest stars all fired up, next.
And Charlie Sheen told me some big news at the Emmys. Is he really about to settle down, again. That`s coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Inside the Mind of O.J.
O.J. SIMPSON, CHARGED WITH ARMED ROBBERY: Don`t let nobody out this door. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and sell it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
HAMMER: O.J. Simpson arrested. An explosive audiotape surfaces. Purportedly O.J. during the confrontation that got him arrested. As Simpson waits in jail to be arraigned, we`re asking, who does this guy think he is? Does O.J. think he`s invincible? What could he have been thinking?
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report, "Inside the Mind of O.J."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight we`ve got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Inside the Mind of O.J. Simpson". But first, here`s the latest on his arrest.
Simpson is in jail in Las Vegas tonight after being arrested in connection with a robbery of his sports memorabilia. An arraignment is set for Wednesday, and after that there will be a bail hearing.
Prosecutors say Simpson could end up being charged with seven felonies and one gross misdemeanor.
HAMMER: And that brings us to our special report. And I got to tell you, getting inside of the mind of O.J., kind of a scary idea. We do have a coast to coast panel that`s fired up tonight.
Joining me from Los Angeles, attorney Gloria Allred; from New York, attorney and BET talk show host Ryan Smith; also in New York tonight, Court TV anchor Jean Casarez; and from Boston, investigative journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell.
Gang, I appreciate you all being here. And before we go further, just because I need to hear it again. We`ve got to listen to the tape everybody is talking about it.
TMZ.com obtained a purported audiotape of Simpson`s alleged confrontation. Now, the tape reportedly made by Thomas Riccio. He`s a sports memorabilia collector who claims that he was in the room when all this went down. Listen to it. It is unbelievable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMPSON: All right. Nobody leaves this room. (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and sell it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
SIMPSON: Don`t let nobody out of here. (EXPLETIVE DELETED), you think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you. Mind your own business.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get over there.
SIMPSON: You think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Backs to the wall.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was trying to get past you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Walk your ass over there.
SIMPSON: Think you can steal my (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mike took it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You, against the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) wall.
SIMPSON: I know (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Mike took it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Search him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I know what Brian`s trying to prove.
SIMPSON: I always thought you were a straight shooter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m cool. I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So so.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) asses up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Wow. I love technology.
Gloria Allred, let me start with you. O.J. was your life, sadly enough, for years, and as scary as all of that sounds on the tape, there are some that believe that tape could actually help O.J. if he goes to trial. Because if it is proven that it`s him on the tape, he is clearly heard saying, "You stole my stuff."
Now, do you at all buy that this could help O.J.?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Only possibly in the sentencing phase. I mean, perhaps maybe it shows something about his intent, but, no. I think he`s in deep trouble. The charges of armed robbery. The charges of burglary, assault with a deadly weapon. These are very, very serious charges.
And why does he think he can get away with this kind of stuff, A.J.? Well, maybe because apparently, at least from a criminal point of view, he did get away with almost decapitating the head of the mother of his children, leaving her to lie in a pool of blood where her children might have found her.
Does he think he can get away with this? Probably, in O.J.`s mind, yes, he thinks he can.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s a frightening thought, because let`s be clear. Even if you seem justified or think you`re justified in your reasoning, you bust into a room, if it`s what happened, and if there are guns involved, it`s still against the law -- Jane Velez-Mitchell?
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, I absolutely agree with Gloria. He is in deep trouble. I don`t think this tape helps him at all. It sounds like somebody terrorizing a bunch of people. It`s very frightening.
And he also says, "Don`t let anybody out of this room" or words to that effect.
I will say I think we`ve only scratched the surface. I really believe there was a lot more to this story. Why was Tom Riccio rolling a tape recorder when he went into the room? What is the real relationship between O.J. Simpson and these memorabilia dealers, which goes back decades? One of them even testified for O.J. in the civil case.
So my question is, was there more to this? Was it some kind of fishy business deal gone bad? I assure you, more will be revealed.
HAMMER: Man, everybody has been talking about this everywhere I went this weekend. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there at the Emmy Awards last night. It was all the buzz.
Jon Stewart said that he knows exactly what he would ask O.J., if he had the chance. I want you to listen to what Jon said backstage at the Emmy Awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JON STEWART, HOST, COMEDY CENTRAL`S "THE DAILY SHOW": Is this how it goes down, Capone? You kill two people, and they get you for kicking in a door in Vegas? Is that how it goes? Wow. What a drag.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ryan Smith, let me go to you. That is the great irony here, isn`t it? That in the end, sports memorabilia robbery may wind up being the reason that O.J. goes to jail for a long time.
RYAN SMITH, ATTORNEY/BET TALK SHOW HOST: I -- it very well could be. And it is ironic.
But you know, I think there`s a lot more to this. And I actually am one of those people that believes that the tape doesn`t necessarily have to negatively impact him. There`s a lot going on here.
First of all, as Jane said, these fellows have known each other for a very long time. When O.J. walks in the room he is shocked at the fact that people that he know have possibly taken his stuff.
And also, another thing here. He`s not the person telling people, at least that we know of, to get against the wall. Those are his people who are in the room with him. Does he know they have guns? Does he know they`re here to do something that he might not be there to do. And maybe he`s going up there thinking that he`s just trying to make a point.
The thing about O.J. is, he`s missing a reasonability chip. He`s not the kind of -- he thinks that if he brings the cops along, that it will become an O.J. story. And the ironic thing is, it became an O.J. story because he didn`t bring the cops along.
HAMMER: I heard somebody say on the radio this morning, how is it that this man has been allowed to walk around unsupervised for so many years?
Also at the Emmy Awards last night, our fantastic Brooke Anderson got the chance to speak with Kathy Griffin. Listen to what Kathy told Brooke.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: Any time O.J. can be arrested is a good day for all of us. I think it`s great. I think it`s bizarre and weird and great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Court TV`s Jean Casarez. You see it right there, absolute glee from Kathy Griffin. And her feelings really reflect what a lot of people are feeling.
I mean, I hate to say it, but here I am telling the story, and I`ve had a little smirk on my face the whole time. Do you think, Jean, anybody out there is actually rooting for O.J. Simpson?
JEAN CASAREZ, COURT TV ANCHOR: You know, that`s where the defense is going to say, we`ve got to change venue, if there`s a venue in the state of Nevada that we can find, because our jury pool is going to be tainted.
But you know, on the other hand, I`ve covered so many trials for Court TV as an attorney. You pick a jury. You find people that say they will only listen to the evidence within the four walls.
HAMMER: Yes. I think they`re going to have to find a venue somewhere else on another planet, though, in order to really get an unbiased trial. What do I know?
We know, of course, O.J. was cleared of the 1994 murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. I want you all to listen to what Ron Goldman`s sister said upon hearing that O.J. was arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I won`t lie to you. I did let out a little chuckle yesterday, when I heard that he was arrested. If, in fact, he is responsible for breaking into somebody`s room with a gun I hope that he pays dearly for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Gloria Allred, what do you think? Did O.J. just kind of hand the Goldmans the golden ticket in the vindication that they`ve been waiting for for so many years?
ALLRED: Well, I don`t think they would be very unhappy if he ended up spending the rest of his life in jail, even if it`s for this and not the killing of their loved one. They seem to be pretty happy. Denise Brown appears to be happy, if, in fact, the evidence supports the charge.
But let me just differ with one of your guests there, A.J., because, you know, if he has entered into a conspiracy to commit burglary or to commit robbery, then, you know, he is really responsible for what happens in there. And I think that that is what the prosecutor is going to attempt to show.
I mean, we can`t be sure he`s going to be convicted. It`s looking bad for him. But remember, there was a mountain of evidence in the criminal case involving the two murder charges. He ended up getting acquitted. One never knows what`s going to happen in a court case.
HAMMER: Yes. And what challenge it`s going to be for whoever winds up leading the case in terms of his representation.
I would have to think, especially if you look back at what happened in the `90s, that O.J. would actually be a prize client, Gloria, you know, sort of a notch in a defense lawyer`s belts that they would want and really try to make a career for themselves out of this case and his name.
ALLRED: Well, yes, possibly. On the other hand, they may look at what they know, at least publicly, and decide, you know what? This could be a big loser for them, and how are they going to look to have lost such a huge, high-profile case, with his admissions. With, perhaps, other persons in the room flipping, providing evidence against Mr. Simpson with this recording, with his statements.
It may be that they think this is the case that they can`t win and they don`t want to be involved in it.
HAMMER: Yes, but from what we do know, if somebody could actually get him off the hook for this, wow, that`s...
ALLRED: That would be...
HAMMER: That would be a career maker.
ALLRED: Yes, it would.
HAMMER: O.J., as we all know, wasn`t granted bail. So he`s still sitting there in jail, waiting for the formal hearing. He`s going to be before a judge Wednesday.
Ryan, what do you think is going through O.J.`s mind right now? Is he -- is he possibly even seeing dollar signs? Thinking, "Hey, you know what? So yes, I`m in jail. I`m on the front page of the paper, and I can sell my story"?
SMITH: Well, I think O.J. is one of these people who believes that there`s always a way out of everything. So I know that he is sitting back, thinking, "How can I get out of this?"
One of the things I think he`s thinking, as Gloria said, somebody`s already flipped on him. He`s trying to think of a way to deal with that. He`s thinking, "Do I need to change my story? Do I need to say -- change what I`ve said to get something better out of this?"
But I don`t know if he`s thinking dollar signs. I think what he`s thinking right now is, "What can I do to shed the best possible light on myself, and what can I do to get out of this?"
This is -- this is one that might be very tight for him to get out of, but there`s also a lot of confusion in this one. So it`s not clear how it`s going to play out. He`s just trying to play up to that.
HAMMER: And here`s the thing that I want to know, because it keeps coming back to this for me. Does O.J. Simpson actually think he`s invincible? Is this the -- this big, I don`t know, Superman complex going on? Where he thinks he can get away with just about anything?
I want my panel to hang out, because we`ll get into that coming up next. Our SHOWBIZ special report, "Inside the Mind of O.J.", continues.
We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: Love each other and want to hang out until we die.
(END VIDEO LIP)
ANDERSON: I was right there on the red carpet at the Emmys, talking to all the biggest stars. Charlie Sheen and his fiancee even told me about their wedding plans.
That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE FROMONG, SPORTS COLLECTOR: I was thinking, "O.J., how could you do this? Stupid. And -- you know, what are you doing here? You know? Yourself, you`ve got enough trouble in this world right now. Why are you here?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why, indeed. That`s Bruce Fromong, a memorabilia seller who says he was there when O.J. Simpson stormed into a Vegas hotel room with three armed men.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special, "Inside the Mind of O.J."
We are back with our fired up coast-to-coast panel. We`re now joined by CNN correspondent Ted Rowlands.
Ted, I want to go right to you, because you`ve actually spoken with O.J. more than once since the reported robbery. What are some of the highlights of what he told you?
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, A.J., O.J. said that this wasn`t a robbery, an armed robbery by any stretch of the imagination.
In his mind, what he was doing was simply retrieving his property that he claims was stolen from his Rockingham address 12 years ago after the verdict in the criminal trial.
He said he`d been looking for this material. He knew it was out there on the black market. And he got wind that there was a sale going down or at least that there was a seller out there. So he pretended to be a buyer.
But he said no guns were involved at all, and nobody was roughed up.
HAMMER: Ted, I`ve said it before. You think this guy would want to stay way from anything that even smacks of impropriety. And now that something has happened, you`d think he`d want to keep quiet.
I`m curious, when you spoke with him, from his mood what do you think was and is going through his mind? Did you actually get the sense that maybe he thought, "Ah, they`ll never arrest me?" Or maybe you know, "There`s nothing wrong with doing this"?
ROWLANDS: I think a little bit of both. I don`t think that he thought that he would be subject to arrest. He was cooperating with police, talking to police to some extent. He was waiting for his lawyer to come in from Florida for a real sit-down interview.
But he was talking I think, because he thought he thought that he was -- so, somewhat innocent. He just didn`t see that, even if someone has your stuff, you can`t just go in there and take it, especially if there were guns involved.
He claimed he didn`t see any guns, didn`t know of any guns. And I think his -- his mindset was, "Yes, I`ll talk about it, because there`s nothing here, you know. It`s all being blown out of proportion by the media because I`m O.J. Otherwise, this would be no big deal."
To some extent he`s right, but on the other hand what he`s accused of doing is a crime, and right now he`s sitting in this jail, facing some serious time.
HAMMER: Oh, yes. He could wind up for decades away. And I think the smile in the mug shot we just saw while you were speaking kind of says it all. He takes himself seriously that he doesn`t take himself too seriously.
I don`t have to tell you, he`s already become a laughingstock. And you have to hear what comedian Lewis Black told us last night when we spoke with him at the Emmy Awards. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEWIS BLACK, COMEDIAN: If we can`t get him in jail, get him into a program, something where he goes far away and doesn`t bother us. It`s beyond belief. He went after sports memorabilia. What planet is he on?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ryan Smith, attorney and BET host, let me go to you. What planet do you think O.J. is on? Because a lot of people say, well, it`s not planet earth.
SMITH: Maybe Mars, Jupiter. I don`t know. This guy is so far spaced out.
I think the thing with him is, he`s got an entitlement thing. I think he thought, "These guys have my property. I don`t know them. I`m going to go up with a couple guys. I`m going to walk in. If they have it, I`m going to take it back."
He`s also said -- we don`t know if this is all true -- but there`s some personal stuff there. The suit, but also some stuff, pictures of his mother, things like that.
I think he just thought that he was going to come in and have a little situation where he just got his stuff back and walked away.
But the guy is so far out there in so many ways that he doesn`t even see it as a crime. He doesn`t see it as a potential crime. He doesn`t even see it as a possible threatening crime. It`s just shocking. He is not from anywhere near here, as far as we can see.
HAMMER: Yes, yes. And that backed up by what we heard a moment ago from the sports memorabilia dealer that we played, a guy named Bruce Fromong. He said what a lot of people are thinking: "O.J., how could you be so stupid?"
Now Gloria Allred, a defense attorney, you`ve been with -- you`ve been with O.J. throughout the years. He`s beaten a lot of raps. Do you think it is an invincibility complex? He feels like he`s this giant piece of Teflon?
ALLRED: I think he thinks he can talk himself out of anything.
But here`s his big problem. Of course, he didn`t have to testify in the criminal case involving the charge of double murder, and he didn`t testify. He evoked his privilege against self-incrimination, Fifth Amendment privilege.
When it came to the civil case, however, A.J., he did testify. He couldn`t invoke the Fifth anymore, because he`d been acquitted. And guess what? The jury did not believe him.
And now, again, will he testify in this criminal case, should it go to trial? I doubt it. I think he`ll invoke his privilege against self- incrimination again. Instead, he`s going have his own statements probably played there, which is going to hurt him.
So he`s in big trouble. I don`t think he`s going to be able to talk his way out of this one.
HAMMER: Court TV`s Jean Casarez. What do you think? We`re trying to get inside O.J.`s mind here. He spoke with Ted Rowlands. He doesn`t think he -- our CNN correspondent. He doesn`t think he didn`t anything wrong.
And he really does walk around with a smirk and a smile. And we`re seeing it right there in the mug shot again.
CASAREZ: I can tell you exactly what he`s thinking about right now. He`s thinking about bail. Because there`s a no-bail hold on him. And it`s not until Wednesday that the judge is going to determine and set his bail.
So he`s got a lot of issues, because if the judge sets a high bail, he`s got to find the money for that. And it can`t be from his own assets, because those assets belong in the hands of Ron Goldman. Now, he`s got a pension, but he`s going to figure -- have to figure out how to finance that.
HAMMER: I`ve never understood the fact that we have seen him out and about over the last, you know, decade basically, out on the golf courses and going to events. You know, if I were some kind of pariah and everybody basically hated me and couldn`t stand to see me, I probably wouldn`t be going out in public all the time flaunting it.
CNN correspondent Ted Rowlands, I got to ask you, because you spoke with A.J. -- O.J. I now confused my own name there. He seemed to be eager to speak with you. Do you think that he kind of would shrivel up and die if he`s not in the spotlight, even if it`s for the wrong reasons?
ROWLANDS: No. You know, I think that people think that O.J. enjoys all of this. And I can tell you, in this case, I don`t think he enjoys any of it.
He didn`t -- he didn`t want necessarily to talk to people about this, and he looked at it as he was being persecuted because he was O.J. To some extent, I agree with that part of analysis.
I don`t think he`s after any sort of extra attention. I think he`s had enough.
The other thing I think: he has incredibly thick skin, and he`s going to live his life, regardless of what people think about him. And that`s what we saw this weekend.
HAMMER: Yes. That is so true. CNN`s Ted Rowlands, I do appreciate you being with us, along with Gloria Allred, Ryan Smith, Jean Casarez and Jane Velez-Mitchell for this SHOWBIZ special report.
Thanks a lot.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this. O.J. Simpson arrested again. Do you think he`s guilty? Keep voting: CNN.com/SHOWBIZtonight. Write to us. Here`s the address, SHOWBIZTonight@CNN.com. And we will read some of your thoughts tomorrow.
OK. I was right there last night talking to all the big stars at the Emmys.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEN: Love each other and want to hang out until we die.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: How cute is that? That`s right. Charlie Sheen and his fiancee told me about their wedding plans. That, plus my favorite Emmy moment, next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Brooke Anderson, as I`d like to tell you right now, great job doing what we call a tough gig last night, talking to all the big stars at the Emmys. Red carpet after the show. Got to know what the highlight for you.
ANDERSON: You know, I really loved that impromptu embrace and celebration between Steve Carell, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert after Carell didn`t win. It was truly hilarious. I thought it was so cute.
And it was great to be right there on the red carpet, A.J., as all the stars were arriving.
And Rainn Wilson from the office asked me how much I thought he could get for his Emmy on eBay if he won. Now, he didn`t win, but I still think he is one of funniest guys on television right now.
I also talked to Charlie Sheen and his fiancee, Brooke Mueller. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And you two are getting married soon?
SHEEN: Today, actually. Yes. We invited everybody.
ANDERSON: This is your ceremony. We`re all here.
SHEEN: Yes.
At some point, sure. Yes. No. We love each other and want to hang out until we die.
ANDERSON: I spoke to your...
SHEEN: Doesn`t that sound romantic? Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Cute couple. A.J., we had a lot of fun. It was very exciting to be out there.
HAMMER: I really liked your coverage and I actually liked the Emmy Awards well enough. But relatively speaking, not a lot people were watching the show. Were they?
ANDERSON: No. Preliminary ratings, really poor, actually: 13.1 million viewers. That`s actually down from the lowest telecast numbers several years ago, 13 point...
HAMMER: A new record. Wow.
ANDERSON: I know. A lot of people were watching football, it seems.
All right. Let`s get to that question of the day. We`ve been asking you this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Britney Spears, does she matter to the music business anymore? Here`s how you voted: 28 percent of you said yes; 72 percent of you said no.
And here are some of the e-mails that we received.
Adrian from Texas writes, "All her personal drama aside, Britney is a music star. The music speaks for itself."
Donovan from Tennessee thinks, "None of these non-songwriting artists would have a hit without the great songwriters that write the songs for them."
HAMMER: Here now, what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tomorrow, Rosie O`Donnell`s controversial book, "Rosie", opening up like never before about her personal turmoil, her innermost anxieties. But could there be even more going on below the surface? We`re bringing in two top psychologists to read between the lines, tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, O.J. obsession. Why is it that we are so fascinated with O.J. Simpson? What is it that keeps the public so interested in his every move? We`re looking into the O.J. obsession, tomorrow night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for tonight. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching, everybody. Have a great night. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Take care.
END
