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Showbiz Tonight
Britney Spears` Faces Misdemeanor Hit And Run Charges; George Clooney in Motorcycle Accident
Aired September 24, 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: Tonight, the unthinkable. Did one of the biggest teen stars out there with a super squeaky clean reputation get knocked up?
And undercover lovers. Why do stars keep their relationships so hush- hush? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney`s bad day. Tonight, the bad news for Britney Spears doesn`t stop, including new shocking criminal charges filed against her.
Plus, for the very first time, a former bodyguard goes on TV to make startling claims about her behavior. I mean can it get any worse for her? Yes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She just doesn`t give a damn about anything but herself.
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Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the disturbing details of Britney`s very bad day.
Former "ER" star George Clooney rushed to the real E.R. after a frightening and serious accident. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest on Clooney`s condition, what happened, how`s he doing? Plus, the mystery woman he was with who also got hurt. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates George Clooney`s scary trip to the E.R.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. Tonight we`re going to set the record straight once and for all about this wild report that`s out there that one of Hollywood`s youngest and honestly most squeaky clean stars is pregnant. The SHOWBIZ truth squad is on the case.
But first tonight, what Britney Spears first saying "Hit Me Baby One More Time," I bet she never could have imagined those same words would mean she could be facing jail time. That`s right. Britney is actually facing criminal charges because of an alleged hit-and-run accident. And that`s not all Britney has to worry about tonight.
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HAMMER (voice-over): Did you va rough month of September? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is telling you to cheer up. At least it`s not as bad as Britney Spears` month. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, her September just got a whole lot worse. Britney is now facing possible jail time. Yes, I said jail time. In an embarrassing hit-and-run accident that was caught on tape for the whole world to see. And her ticked off victim is publicly blasting her on CelebTV.com.
KIM ROBARD RIFKIN, BRITNEY HIT HER CAR: She`s a very, very selfish person.
HAMMER: To add insult to injury, Britney`s ex-bodyguard has just gone on nationwide TV for the first time telling the world and NBC`s "Today Show" that he actually saw Britney doing drugs.
MATT LAUER, "THE TODAY SHOW": Why are you speaking out now?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just wanted to make sure that the public and the court and her fans know the truth.
HAMMER: This all comes just day after a judge slammed Britney for her, quote, habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol, and two weeks after her disastrous performance on the MTV Music Video Awards. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this is a phenomenally bad run, even for Britney.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": It`s official, Britney Spears is having the worse month ever.
HAMMER: Britney`s driving trouble started here, in this Studio City California parking lot, seen in this video captured by CelebTV.com. In full view of the paparazzi, Britney steered her Mercedes into a parked Mercedes. And get this, while getting out of her car, Britney hit the parked Benz again with her car door. What did the poor car ever do to her?
After inspecting the damage, a clueless Britney bailed without even leaving so much as a note while the paparazzi snapped away.
RIFKIN: She didn`t total my car, she disrespected me.
HAMMER: The annoyed owner of the banged up Benz, registered nurse Kim Robard Rifkin, was not around when all this was happening. In fact, she didn`t find out it was Spears who hit her car until she saw the whole thing online.
RIFKIN: As first it was amusing and then it was just sort of annoying.
HAMMER: Robard Rifkin tells CelebTV.com she`s annoyed Britney has yet to own up to what she`s done.
RIFKIN: She`s disappointing me because I was hoping as human being she would do the right thing.
HAMMER: Robard Rifkin went and filed a police report. Now prosecutors have charge Britney with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license. If convicted of the misdemeanors, she faces up six months in jail and a 1,000 dollar fine. Her alleged victim says the whole thing is such a waste of time.
RIFKIN: It could have been handled so simply, and she`s going to end up in court, and maybe in jail.
HAMMER: But Britney`s latest hit is more than just a case of Hollywood Benz on Benz violence. It`s the latest round of bad car karma for Hollywood`s bad girls. Lindsay Lohan had two DUIs, one resulting in a car accident. Paris Hilton also had a DUI. There`s Nicole Richie`s DUI wrong way on the freeway incident. And now Britney Spears is caught up in a hit-and-run beat. Further truth that trouble prone stars and cars just don`t mix.
PIAZZA: I don`t think any of them should be allowed behind the wheel of a car. If Turtle from "Entourage" could just be driven them all around that would be fantastic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know this area, Turtle.
HAMMER: While Turtle from "Entourage" knows how to keep the secrets of his movie star employer, we`re seeing that Britney`s not having that kind of luck with her help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not here to destroy Britney.
HAMMER: On NBC`s "Today Show" Britney`s ex-bodyguard, Tony Barretto, spilled the beans on what he claims is Britney`s recent drug use. This is the same bodyguard who filed a declaration in Britney`s custody battle over their two kids. Listen to what he tells Today`s Matt Lauer about the two occasions he says he saw Britney doing drugs at a nightclub.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She had me hold a curtain to make her area private. At which point I noticed what she was doing. The other occasion is when we escorted her to a private restroom upstairs, which we secured for her. I thought it would be appropriate to check on her and I knocked and peeked in and I observed this behavior.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Britney`s not bending over backwards to dispute what her ex-bodyguard was saying.
PIAZZA: I think, at this point, everyone is acknowledging she has a drug problem.
HAMMER: The fact that Britney`s having trouble is something that everyone seems to be acknowledging, including her alleged hit and run victim.
RIFKIN: As a nurse, I can feel compassion. She`s sick. She needs help.
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HAMMER: I want to let you know that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tried to get a comment from Britney, but her record company sent us to her publicist. However, Britney doesn`t have a publicist, because basically everyone has gone and quit on her. Joining me tonight from New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat." Also in New York, the attorney for Britney`s former bodyguard, Gloria Allred. Ashleigh, Gloria, I always appreciate you guys joining us.
Gloria, let me start with you, because you`re the body guard`s attorney, the guy named Tony Barretto. His claims here, seems to me that they could really blow open the whole child custody battle between Brit and Kevin Federline, Kevin now asking for 70/30 custody of the kids instead of the 50/50 setup they now have. What do you think, Gloria? Based on his claims, should Britney lose custody of the kids altogether?
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: Well, A.J., I do believe that already his declaration, which is in evidence, has had its impact and, of course, Britney Spears`s attorneys had the right to cross-examine him under oath and declined to do so. That leads me to believe they must not have thought they could challenge or discredit what he had in his declaration. The court did say and did find that, in fact, she is a habitual, a frequent and a continuous user of controlled substances and alcohol, and ordered drug testing.
None the less, and I think this is inconsistent, frankly, with the courts finding, the court kept the custody as-is, 50/50. I think, A.J., that the court should have and could have changed custody to Kevin until such time as she could demonstrate that she is no longer a user of controlled substances and alcohol. And then she could get custody back. I think that would have given her incentive to get the help that she needs, and I think, frankly, that a that would have been the better choice.
HAMMER: Yes, you make perfect sense. It sounds like something that could actually provide her with some much needed motivation at this point. On "The Today Show," Matt Lauer did ask the bodyguard Tony Barretto whether he actually saw Britney using drugs in front of the children. Here`s what he said. Watch this.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have never seen her use drugs in the presence of her children.
LAUER: What about alcohol?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Alcohol, that`s one personal opinion. I don`t know if abuse is the correct language. I have seen her drink alcohol. That would be up to the courts to decide whether that was abuse or just a drink.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Obviously, somebody doing drugs in front of their kids, that would be a terrible thing. But Ashleigh, here`s what I`m wondering; does it even matter whether she was doing drugs in front of the kids? I mean, the mere fact that she might have been doing drugs at all, and, as Gloria mentioned, the judge in the case has ordered her to undergo this random drug testing, isn`t it just bad news all around?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV ANCHOR: It`s bad news all around. Sure, if you`re using illegal substances, it doesn`t bode well for being a parent, no matter what. It`s always the best interests of the child that judges like to look at. That said, she did sort of skip into Promises Rehab for a couple of hours and out again. Whether she goes into another rehab, which is rumored, to try to fix these problems, will also bode well for her.
But if she doesn`t do the drug testing, she could be in contempt of court and could lose those kids altogether. A judge has a lot of discretion when it comes to that.
ALLRED: And, A.J., the results of the tests; the court has ordered that it receive the results of the drug test. And also that she not be under the influence of drugs or controlled substances within 12 hours of having the children in her custody, or while they are there. By the way, even though my client said he did not see her use drugs in front of the children, he did see her be under the influence in the presence of the children.
HAMMER: Ah, OK, that`s an interesting point. I do want to listen again to what he said on "The Today Show" about one of the two times he said he saw Britney do drugs, although not in front of the children.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other occasion was when we escorted her to a private restroom upstairs, which we secured for her. And she was in there for some time alone. And I was there waiting for her outside the door, again, for some time. I thought it would be appropriate to check on her. And I knocked and peeked in and I observed this behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I do need to point out, this bodyguard was fired by Britney Spears. He said it was because he didn`t hear her ask him to pick up her hat. But Gloria, real quickly, do we have any kind of proof from the bodyguard? Are we talking his word versus her word?
ALLRED: It`s his word under penalty of perjury. Again, her attorneys had a chance to try to attack or challenge what he had to say, present evidence to the contrary. They did not do so. That leads me to believe that they thought that either they didn`t have any evidence that would discredit what he had to say.
HAMMER: Right.
ALLRED: Or that it would open more doors, and would hurt their client more than help their client.
HAMMER: Got to wrap it there. Gloria Allred, Ashleigh Banfield, I appreciate you both being here.
Now we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of day. Here`s what we want to know to from you; Britney Spears`s bodyguard drug claims, do you believe him? You can vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. The email address, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com. You know, with Britney Spears it`s never just one thing. Right? She`s also facing criminal charges for allegedly smacking her car into someone else`s and running way. Do you know that Daniel Pouter (ph) song "Had A Bad Day?" That should be Britney`s theme song. Maybe Britney`s Bad Day or Britney`s Bad Year. A SHOWBIZ special report on the way at 30 past the hour.
Also, former "ER" star George Clooney, such a good guy, rushed to the real E.R. after a frightening and serious accident. Tonight, I`ve got the latest on Clooney`s condition.
I got to tell you, I almost fell off my chair when I heard about this. Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana, one of most innocent, squeaky clean teens out there; talk that she got knocked up. I can`t believe this. She is truly the anti-Britney, the anti-Paris. So, I`m investigating on that coming up.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, George Clooney`s close call. One of the world`s biggest stars is now recovering tonight after a frightening motorcycle accident which took place in New Jersey just before the weekend. Clooney suffered a hairline rib fracture and the woman who was on the bike with him broke her foot. So how`s George doing? And who was that mystery woman on that motorcycle?
With me tonight in Hollywood, Ken Baker, editorial director of "Us Magazine," and in New York, Janell Snowden, the red carpet correspondent for VH1`s "One And Only." I appreciate you both being with us tonight. Ken, I want you to start off by setting the stage. What exactly happened here with one of the most beloved movie stars on the planet?
KEN BAKER, USMAGAZINE.COM: George was having a romantic bike ride on his Harley-Davidson. He just on the outskirts of New York in northern New Jersey. And a car, a Mazda, sort of just side swipe him. It was making a right turn, and knocked him over. Sarah Larson is his recent girlfriend. She`s a 28-year-old cocktail waitress from Las Vegas. They`ve been dating for a few months now. She broke her foot.
George was tossed off the bike himself. He suffered road rash, which if you don`t know what that means, it means really bad scrapes all over your skin. And he also, as you said, had a hairline fracture. But we found out that he actually is doing OK. He was in a lot of pain, but he was fine. He was able to actually walk away from the accident.
Sarah Larson, on the other hand, was taken by the ambulance to the hospital and was treated for that. She also had some cuts on her face. But we`re told, all in all, it could have been a lot worse.
HAMMER: Fortunately, I know they were also both wearing helmets, which is a smart thing when you`re riding on a motorcycle. Let`s talk about this Sarah Larson. By the way, the one thing I know about her, she was once a winner on that reality show "Fear Factor." Janell, what else do we know about her, other than what Ken just told us?
JANELL SNOWDEN, VH1 CORRESPONDENT: We know George seems to be smitten by her. He`s definitely exhibiting some uncharacteristic behavior for him. He`s always been very closeted with his love life and he`s had her out and about, at a few premiers, at the Venice Film Festival, where they were even caught kissing. This is very uncharacteristic behavior for George. We know that she`s 28 years old, a cocktail waitress at the Moon Night Club at the Palms Resort in Las Vegas. And, as you mentioned, she`s probably best known, prior to dating George, for eating a scorpion on "Fear Factor."
HAMMER: Tasty, you know, they`re better with the chocolate on top. It is really interesting that this is the big story breaking out of the fact that George was fortunately OK in this motorcycle accident. He`s a perpetual bachelor. He`s been "People Magazine`s" Sexiest Man Alive twice, and yes, he`s notoriously private. He and I have talked extensively, both on camera and off, about how important it is that he keep his private life private.
Ken, I don`t know. I have to imagine George is sort of horrified by all of this right now.
BAKER: I think that George is going through a transformation. I think that George has indicated in interviews he has no interest in getting married anytime soon. I think that`s for sure. But I think he`s also just getting over it. You know? He`s kind of sick of playing games. He dated actress Krista Allen for many years on and off again, and they never did a red carpet. He dated Lisa Snowden, a British personality, and they were rarely seen.
I think he just might be sick of playing these games. The real story here is that George appears to be a klutz. A few years ago George actually was hurt -- he hurt his leg, his knee, really badly and he needed surgery for playing basketball. And then he had a neck injury and had to have surgery for that. Now this. It`s like poor George.
HAMMER: I wouldn`t characterize the guy as a klutz. I think he could kick your butt personally. That`s just me.
SNOWDEN: Don`t talk badly about George. Don`t you know better?
HAMMER: Come on. Now, Janell, you spent a little time with George. You`ve interviewed him on the red carpet. We`re talking about how things are maybe shifting for him, because he does usually go by himself. Recently, he brought Larson with him to the premiere of his "Ocean`s 11" buddy and good friend Brad Pitt`s new movie "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," and that really was out of character for him. Wasn`t it?
SNOWDEN: It was out of character. But the one thing that`s probably not being said is that he actually did not do press. He was very shy, didn`t want to even take pictures, which is uncommon. A lot of times stars will say they don`t want to do press, but they will stop and at least take a picture. George didn`t do that, and as a result, the paparazzi actually booed him.
HAMMER: Surprising to hear you say that he didn`t do press. I wouldn`t call it out of shyness with George. Maybe it was because she was with him? Because George, you know -- George knows everybody by name. He will go right up to you and talk to you. Is that what you think, Ken?
BAKER: A.J., you`re right. I think the fact that he did step out on a red carpet with this girl, who he`d only known for basically a matter of weeks, is very noteworthy you. And it does suggest a change in George Clooney`s attitude towards making private life public.
HAMMER: Bring it on George. I got to wrap you up there guys, because we`re out of time. Ken Baker, editorial director of USMagazine.com, Janell Snowden from VH!, I appreciate you being here.
All right, so George Clooney now obviously not keeping his relationship so quiet. But other stars definitely do. I get where George has been coming from all these years with the paparazzi, all the publicity. Coming up, why so many celebs like to keep their are hookups hush, hush. We are calling it Undercover Lovers in just a bit.
Next, I`m going to uncover the truth about a startling rumor, Mylie Cyrus -- I think she is so sweet, such a good innocent actress, and the rumors flying around that she`s pregnant. She is just 14. Yikes.
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RIFKIN: When she hit me, she not only didn`t have a license, didn`t have her seat belt on, she had a dog in her lap, and she had no underwear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Guess who we`re talking about there? Yes, Britney Spears. Talk about having a bad day. Her former bodyguard is saying things that could truly affect her custody battle with Kevin Federline over her two young sons. And now, get this, she`s facing criminal charges from an alleged hit-and-run accident. Can it get any worse? Yes, you bet. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report, Britney`s bad day, coming up.
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HAMMER: Time call on the SHOWBIZ Truth Squad. This is where we get to the bottom of the Hollywood`s biggest mysteries and the juiciest rumors. Tonight, I can`t believe I`m asking this. Is 14-year-old Miley Cyrus pregnant? Miley is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She plays the super popular Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel. There`s been this shocking rumor floating around that Miley told teen magazine "J14" that actually got knocked up.
Well, tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Miley, thank goodness, is no mommy to be. The magazine tells us, quote, "someone doctored the `This Just In` article in the July 2007 issue. Miley is an intelligent, respectable role model for young girls. The story is completely fabricated. Miley`s publicist also told us that the rumor was completely made up. Thankfully again, that`s that.
I tell you, I would have been completely stunned if this were true, because when we recently caught up with Miley Cyrus, she really made it a point to reveal how she stays out of trouble.
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MILEY CYRUS, ACTRESS: My motto is you can`t live a positive life with a negative mind. So, I think always just keep -- if you`re good up here and you`re really thinking about all the positive things, and keep yourself surrounded with positivity, and good family, and good friends and fans, and just keep yourself full of fun. And I think also don`t grow up too fast, just keep your good friends close.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Some really great grown-up advice for today`s out of control party girls from someone who is basically still a kid.
And, of course, the most out of control of those party girls, miss panty-less partier herself, Britney Spears. More startling new problems for her, like we`re surprised about that. She allegedly crashes her car into someone else`s car and takes off. Now she`s facing criminal charges. Next, a SHOWBIZ special report, Britney`s Bad Day. Also this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some celebrities are smart to keep their relationships under cover, because they know that as soon as they`re on the front page, as soon as they declare, we`re a couple, they`re under the spotlight.
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HAMMER: Remember that song, "Atlantic Star, Secret Lovers?" I bet that`s on the iPod of many a stars. So why do they keep their hookups hush, hush. That`s coming up.
Yes, he`s back. Donald Trump speaking out again, fortunately not attacking Rosie O`Donnell. The Donald taking on President Bush and you`re not going to hear this on any other entertainment news show, so stick around. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
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KIM ROBARD-RIFKIN, HIT BY BRITNEY: When she hit me she not only -- she didn`t have a license. She didn`t have her seat belt on. She had a dog in her lap, and she had no underwear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Classic Britney Spears. We have the dirty details of the driving fiasco that got Brit charged with a hit and run. Will the already troubled pop diva have to do hard jail time and her former bodyguard tells all. His damaging revelations about Britney`s drug use. A SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Britney`s Bad Day."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight, and every night, from New York City. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Britney`s Bad Day". You think you`re having a bad day? Imagine waking up to see your former bodyguard on national TV making startling allegations against you that could, if they`re proven, affect your child custody battle. Not to mention that you`re now facing charges from an alleged hit-and-run accident. What`s a Britney to do?
Here with us in New York, once again, attorney for Britney`s former bodyguard, Gloria Allred, senior reporter from "OK" magazine Courtney Hazlett and from the Court TV studios in New York City, Ashleigh Banfield host of Court TV`s "Hollywood Heat."
Gang, let`s start off with this hit-and-run that happened back in August, in this parking lot, where Brit, in her Mercedes, hit a parked Mercedes, and then hit the car a second time, as she was opening up the door, bam! And then she left the scene. As you can see, the paparazzi caught the whole thing on camera.
Courtney Hazlett, let me start with you. Is Britney really that clueless?
COURTNEY HAZLETT, COURT TV: I think it really does show just exactly how naive Britney Spears is. I mean, maybe in her mind she said, oh, well, if I didn`t already get in trouble I`m not going to get in trouble. Look how many paparazzi are here. But it really shows this is a girl who doesn`t think, even a second into the future. She`s not thinking about the ramifications of any of her actions. No one can argue or extend to what she thinks in reference to her children.
HAMMER: It boggles the mind. Just to show you what our world has become, the woman whose car Britney hit is a fired up woman by the name are Kim Robard-Rifkin. She told CelebTV.com how she found out that it was in fact Britney Spears who did the hit. Watch this.
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ROBARD-RIFKIN: Found out it was Britney Spears who hit my car and I was sort of amused, sort of shocked, sort of like -- oh, only this could happen in La La Land and of course she`ll get to me, because obviously there were a lot of paparazzi there and what kind of person wouldn`t realize this wasn`t going to be on TV?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, she found out by seeing it on the Internet. She didn`t know who hit her car. Ashleigh, I`m wondering, did Britney Spears think the paparazzi who were swarming her in the parking lot, recording all this with their cameras and their video cameras were going to just start hitting the delete button on their cameras?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV: Probably not. Then there`s the other side of it. Maybe she was pretty nervous, just surrounded by all of these cameras, and didn`t think for a minute about the other car. She may not have thought there`s was any damage.
HAMMER: You`re so nice, Ashleigh.
(CROSS TALK)
BANFIELD: You know what, we`re all presumed innocent first, right?
HAMMER: All right.
BANFIELD: And maybe we should give her the benefit of doubt. Maybe she was just nervous about being surrounded, about all of this happening, didn`t think there was any damage. And off she went on her way. She is lucky, though, that she didn`t hurt anybody or that she didn`t hurt an animal, because that could have been a felony.
HAMMER: I`m not trying to give her a particularly hard time here. It just is, I guess, kind of par for the course is what I`m driving at. We all know Britney could have obviously just solved this problem with cash. Or you leave a note, and you deal with it later, whatever. We know she`s got plenty of money. That would not have been an issue. And just had the woman`s car fixed and be done with it. Now, she actually could face up to a year in jail if convicted of the hit-and-run. And on top of that also charged with driving without a license.
Gloria Allred, do we really think that Britney Spears is going to be one of the many pop sensations that going to jail this year?
GLORIA ALLRED, CELBRITY ATTORNEY: Anything is possible, A.J.! By the way, you know, this is not just bad behavior. This is dangerous behavior. There`s a reason to have to get a license to drive. It`s because you have to pass a test. You have to show that you can drive. And if she didn`t have a license, then you know, that`s an extra risk to the community.
What`s worse, driving without a license or driving without underwear? I`ll take driving without a license any time! But Britney, please, put on your underwear. I think we`ve seen enough.
HAMMER: Thank you very much from Gloria Allred. I can`t believe it. A lot times in these cases people step forward with this stories because they want to make a buck just trying to sell their story. Kim Robard- Rifkin, the woman who`s car was allegedly hit, told CelebTV.com for her, that`s not what this is all about. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBARD-RIFKIN: I`m not asking for money. I`m not asking for a new car. I`m not asking to be paid for this interview. I simply want my car fixed. The same as I would fix somebody`s car if I had done that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah, she just wants her car fixed. She wanted Britney to do the right thing and she said, well, Brit didn`t do the right thing, which is, -- I don`t know -- again, boggles mind. I guess I always come back to that.
Courtney, really just one more potential strike against, Brit. Do we actually think this could in any way affect her child custody battle with Kevin Federline, which is getting nastier by the day?
HAZLETT: I guess, these are two extremely separate issues. But at the same point in time, you have to wonder if the judge will look at the complete, big picture here or if he`s going to really parse every different instance. I think the common thought is she`s done enough. This is going to work against her custody hearing without this, that this probably won`t make a huge difference.
HAMMER: The custody battle, of course, came up first thing this morning as "Britney`s Bad Day" really began when she possibly flipped on the TV to see her former bodyguard on "The Today Show" doing his first national TV interview. He made some startling claims, in this interview, including his describing one incident where he actually says he witnessed Britney doing drugs. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONY BARRETTO, FMR. BRITNEY BODYGUARD: We escorted her to her private restroom upstairs, which we secured for her. And she was in there for some time alone. And I was there waiting for her outside the door, again, for some time. Then I thought it would be appropriate to check on her, and I knocked and peeked in, and I observed this behavior.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Gloria Allred, you`re this guy`s attorney. Help me understand something I haven`t been quite able to put my hands around. Can you explain how he can be going on TV and talking about this? I would assume you`re a bodyguard for Britney Spears, you`re signing some kind of a confidentiality agreement, so you don`t talk about what you see?
ALLRED: That would be the case with most celebrities. That`s why this is intriguing, because he was not asked to sign and did not sign a confidential agreement. At least not to the best of his knowledge. And Britney`s attorneys have known about him for some time, and they have not notified us, that there is a confidentiality agreement. So he can speak.
The reason he`s speaking out is because since he was not called to testify, was not able to tell his full story. And he is concerned about the protection of the children. So he`s speaking out so that the court, and the public, and her fans, will know and hopefully Britney will get the help that she needs.
HAMMER: And there were, as I pointed out, startling allegations, startling claims, whenever that happens we reach out to the star involved to get some kind of comment or reaction. We reach out to Britney Spears. Her record company refused to comment. They said, well, go check with the personal publicist. The problem is Britney does have a personal publicist because everybody around her seems to be quitting their job, working for her.
I`m wondering, Courtney, how can she possibly defend her image, which could help decide the child custody case if she doesn`t even have a mouthpiece working for her?
HAZLETT: Almost irreparable, that`s why, because we all know own mouthpiece does her absolutely no good. In interesting, but just go back to the point Gloria made quickly. She doesn`t make her staff sign confidentiality agreements. That`s why so many nannies coming forward, nannies that I`ve interviewed, backing up the same allegations that the bodyguard made.
So, unless she`s able to actually sit down and take advice from somebody and follow that advice, she`s in serious, serious trouble.
HAMMER: And I hate to think that if this roller coaster keeps heading downhill, we have not yet seen the worst of it for Britney Spears. As I say, every time we`re talking about her I wish she could just get everything in order. Because it`s all out of whack right now.
Gloria Allred, Courtney Hazlett, Ashleigh Banfield, thank you all for joining us tonight.
ALLRED: Thanks.
HAZLETT: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: So on Friday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Britney Spears` custody battle: Are the kids better of with K-Fed? And 59 percent said yes, they are better off we Kevin Federline; and 41 percent said no.
We got a bunch of e-mails, too. Here`s one we got from Ed in Pennsylvania; Ed writes, "Yes, the kids are better off with Kevin Federline. I don`t think Britney Spears is responsible."
But Dora from Texas writes: "Britney is a young mother still learning the ropes. Accusations of her not taking care of the boys is ridiculous."
Well, when Britney and K-Fed first got together they really made no secret of their relationship. Looking back, now, that may have not been such a smart thing to do.
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, PSYCHOLOGIST: Some celebrities are smart to keep their relationships undercover, because they know that as soon as they are on the front page, as soon as they declare we`re a couple, they`re under the spotlight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense and probably explains why everybody from Ben Affleck and Jen Garner to Julie Roberts and Danny Moder kept everybody guessing for such a long time. But come on, when you`re in love, don`t you want to jump on a couch, or shout it from the rooftops? Coming up next, investigating the real reason behind Hollywood`s undercover lovers.
And then, my old friend, Donald Trump unplugged on the presidential race. The Donald made big headlines today. Keep in mind, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show bringing it to you. That`s on the web.
And say it ain`t so; Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman kicking the bucket together. Actually this is truly a dream come true. Jack and Morgan together in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "First Look" when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT comes right back.
Now another SHOWBIZ news quiz. I want you to look at this video, why you think these people were running through the streets of London dressed as gorillas? Was it because, A, it was Gorilla Independence Day?; B, they were attending a "Planet of the Apes" convention; C, they were auditioning for the new ABC sitcom "Cavemen"; or D, it is part of a fundraiser to preserve gorillas? Don`t go anywhere. You`ll go ape over the answer. It`s coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Once again our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT news quiz. Take a look at this. Why were these people running through the streets of London dressed as gorillas? Was it because A, it was Gorilla Independence Day?; B, they were attending a "Planet of the Apes" convention; C, they were auditioning for the new ABC sitcom "Cavemen"; or D, it is part of a fundraiser to preserve gorillas?
Yes, the answer is D. The gorilla dressed people were running a 7-K charity race so they could raise money to help save gorillas from extinction.
I can tell you one trend that won`t ever go extinct. Good old- fashioned gossip. Everyone in Hollywood loves to talk about who`s dating whom, and who just split up. Right now everybody seems to be buzzing about George Clooney`s new romance with "Fear Factor" star Sarah Larson. And this, after the two of them were involved in a motorcycle accident over the weekend.
The two really haven`t done much to keep their romance a secret, but I really can`t say the same for many celebrities. They will go to absolute extremes to keep their love lives under wraps. Why do Hollywood`s biggest stars keep their hot hookups so hush-hush? Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates "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, my family and my friend knew, but I just was uncomfortable with talking about too much information because I feel like mystery is important.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Jennifer! Jennifer!
HAMMER: So what gives? Why are some stars undercover lovers keeping their relationships under wraps?
DAVID CAPLAN, STAR MAGAZINE: In general celebrities keep their relationships under wraps because either they have had a real tumultuous (ph) past in the tabloids. That their new relationship coming off the heels of a really public split. Or they say to themselves I`m more of an actor not necessarily, quote/unquote, a "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 blames 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 a 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 cares about family first. So Hollywood doesn`t matter to her anymore.
HAMMER: Another reason that stars keep their romances undercover is because they want to keep focus on their work, and not on who they are dating.
Some of the biggest celebrities out there have been joining either Team Hillary or the Team Obama camp in the presidential race, but tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it, may not matter. As we`ve heard, Oprah Winfrey is going all out to try make Barack Obama the first black president of the United States.
A new poll out tonight, from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, reveals that celebrity endorsements like Oprah`s could actually hurt a candidate. Of course, that`s not stopping Donald Trump from speaking out. Late today on CNN`s "The Situation Room" with Wolf Blitzer. The Donald never really shy about letting us know exactly what he thinks was first asked what he thinks of Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP: Very talented, very smart. She`s a friend of mine, so I`m a little bit prejudice. She`s a very, very capable person. And I think she`ll probably be the nominee. We`ll see, but I think she`ll probably be the nominee.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, THE SITUATION ROOM: Is she ready to be commander in chief?
TRUMP: I think she is. I think she`s a very, very brilliant person. And as a senator of New York, she`s done a great job. Everybody lovers her. She just won an election with a tremendous majority. And she really -- she`s become very, very popular in New York, and it wasn`t easy.
BLITZER: Barack Obama?
TRUMP: Well, he`s a star. I mean, he`s really, really done an amazing job in a very short period of time. The question is experience. And do people want to have somebody get in that doesn`t have the great experience? But certainly he`s made an impact.
BLITZER: What do you think? Is he qualified? Is he ready to be president?
TRUMP: I think he`s young. I think he`s probably -- it`s a little bit soon. I think his time might come, but I think it`s too soon.
BLITZER: John Edwards?
TRUMP: I don`t know him. People like him. I know people that like him very much, but I really don`t know him.
BLITZER: Even though he was the vice presidential nominee last time around?
TRUMP: Well, I think that`s a huge negative, because that was a shame that that race was lost, because look what we have right now. It`s a disaster. So you know, I would probably be inclined not like him on the basis that he lost an election that should have been won. That election should have been won.
BLITZER: Well, do you blame him or John Kerry?
TRUMP: Well, I guess you have to say it`s a combination of both. Now, obviously, the second man on the ticket doesn`t have too much of an impact in comparison to the first. But -- and I like John Kerry a lot. He`s a wonderful guy. He`s somebody I know. And I have -- he`s a friend of mine, but I`m so upset that he blew it.
BLITZER: Upset because you dislike the current president?
TRUMP: Well, I think Bush is probably the worst president in the history of the United States. And I just don`t understand how they could have lost that election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He just doesn`t hold back. Trump went to say that he thinks Bush is so bad that the Democrats actually have a good chance of getting into office.
I got to tell, you are about to see a dream come true. Or perhaps I should say a dream team come true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who the hell is that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who the hell are you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, that`s who. And are both starring in a great new movie that takes on something I think we all dream about. You will definitely not want to miss this SHOWBIZ "First Look". It`s coming your way in just a moment. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a Monday night is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And have we got a treat for you tonight. We got our grubby little hands all over a new trailer for the new Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie, called "The Bucket List". You do not want to miss this. It is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s first look.
(BEGIN MOVIE TRAILER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I run hospitals, not health spas. Two beds to a room. No exceptions.
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR: There was a survey once. A 1,000 people asked, if they could know in advance, would they want to know the exact day of their death?
JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: Who the hell is that?
FREEMAN: Who the hell are you? And 96 percent of them said no.
NICHOLSON: Oh, God. What am I, in the morgue.
FREEMAN: That was the first time I laid eyes on Edward Cole (ph).
NICHOLSON: I want my own room.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I run hospitals, not health spas. Two beds to a room. No exceptions.
NICHOLSON: Damned if I`m going to spend the next two weeks laying next to Zombie Boy.
FREEMAN: My freshman philosophy professor assigned this exercise. He called it a Bucket List. You`re supposed to make a list of all the things we wanted to do in our lives before we kicked the bucket.
NICHOLSON: Cutsie.
FREEMAN: Pointless now.
NICHOLSON: We could do this. We should do this.
NICHOLSON: This is living!
FREEMAN: I hate your rotten guts!
Is he insane?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
NICHOLSON: You`re either going to drive it, or buy it a dress?
FREEMAN: Just getting to know each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t understand how you can run off with a total stranger.
FREEMAN: I`ve got 45 years greased up under the hood of a car. I think I`ve earned some time for myself.
You got kids?
NICHOLSON: I don`t see her.
FREEMAN: Why?
NICHOLSON: Why are we -- oh, my God.
FREEMAN: What are you so afraid of?
NICHOLSON: Just because I told you my story, does not invite to you be a part of it.
FREEMAN: Dear Edward, there`s no way I can repay you for all you`ve done for me. So rather than try, I`m just going to ask you to do something else for me. Find the joy in your life.
NICHOLSON: You hate me?
FREEMAN: Not yet.
NICHOLSON: We live. We die. The wheels on the bus go round and round.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Proud of you.
NICHOLSON: Nobody cares what you think.
(END MOVIE TRAILER)
HAMMER: "The Bucket List" will hit theaters December 25th, just in time for the holidays.
That`s is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. "Glenn Beck" is coming up next right after the latest CNN Headlines".
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