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Showbiz Tonight
Heather Mills Press Tour; Oprah`s School Controversy
Aired November 05, 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, CO-HOST: Is Heather Mills` soon-to-be press tour backfiring? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a famous actress fesses up about getting breast implants. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Oprah`s heartache. For the first time, Oprah Winfrey reveals the terrible emotional impact of the abuse scandal at her school for girls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": This has been one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating experience of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Oprah`s brand new stunning and dramatic revelations that she says have shaken her to the core. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with "Oprah in Her Own Words."
Young stars and plastic surgery. Tonight, an alarming trend in Hollywood. Women barely out of their teens going under the knife. Nose jobs. Breast implants. Collagen. Even Botox. Why in the world are young and beautiful stars getting plastic surgery? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates nip and tuck nonsense.
(MUSIC)
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. And tonight, the Mills-McCartney mess gets worse. Why she may regret the day she chose to trash her ex, Paul McCartney, over and over again. That explosive story straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first, Oprah`s heartache. Oprah Winfrey opened up today like never before about the sex abuse scandal that rocked her world and rocked the all-girls` school that she set up in South Africa to be a haven against just this type of nightmare. I have to tell you what we saw today was extraordinary. Oprah revealing her innermost thoughts, her most private moments and the devastation this has brought to her life and the lives of so many young girls.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WINFREY: This has been one of the most devastating if not the most devastating experience of my life.
HAMMER: Finally, after weeks of silence, during the investigation, an emotional Oprah Winfrey is speaking out for the very first time about the abuse scandal at her school for underprivileged girls in South Africa. It`s clear that Oprah, who`s seen her share of personal crises, is taking this one hard.
WINFREY: It has shaken me to my core.
HAMMER: And Oprah is tackling the fallout from claims of a dorm matron at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls allegedly did the unthinkable - abuse some of the girls in her care.
WINFREY: I am a mama bear when it comes to protecting my children.
HAMMER: Now, the humiliated suspect faces charges and an angry Oprah is promising the world that she`s going to clean house at her school.
HAMMER: It is one of my goals in life to put child abusers, whether they be in my home, whether they be in my workplace or in this case, in the academy, to put them where they belong. And that is behind bars.
ROBIN KERNO, CNN`S JOHANNESBURG CORRESPONDENT: Robin Kerno from CNN -
HAMMER: CNN`s Johannesburg correspondent Robin Kerno was at the press conference in South Africa where Oprah took questions via Satellite from Chicago. Robin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the atmosphere.
KERNO: Many here in the media felt that she was transparent, that she was honest, and that in that way she was perhaps even apologetic for not doing enough. And I think many people here will congratulate her on the way she dealt with it today.
HAMMER: Oprah minced no words when she described her reaction when she first heard that a student allegedly was abused at the school Oprah built literally from the ground up.
WINFREY: When I first heard about it, I spent about a half hour crying, moving from room to room in my house. I was so stunned I couldn`t even wrap my brain around it.
ALICIA QUARLES, CORRESPONDENT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: It hits close to home for Oprah.
HAMMER: Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Oprah Winfrey has a personal connection to the horror of abuse.
QUARLES: Oprah herself was a victim of abuse. When she was nine, she was raped by a cousin, and three other family members allegedly assaulted her. So she knows exactly what these girls are going through.
HAMMER: But Oprah recovered from the shock, determined to get to the bottom of the scandal.
WINFREY: I wanted to hire an independent team because my experience with child predators is that no one ever, ever abuses just one child.
HAMMER: Oprah dropped everything and flew to South Africa twice in the past month to meet with the students. She says she was shocked and furious at what she found. That school officials had the girls living in an atmosphere of silence.
WINFREY: They say that they were always told that when I appeared on campus to put on happy faces and to never complain to me.
HAMMER: Oprah says she when she finally convinced the girls at her school to speak up, five more alleged victims stepped forward.
WINFREY: I told them that although they had apparently been living in an atmosphere that repressed their voices, that this was a chance for them to break the silence and to take their voices back.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you heads are now rolling at Oprah`s school. The suspect was removed from campus and Oprah has effectively fired the head mistress while hinting of an even bigger shake-up.
QUARLES: She absolutely cleaned house. Oprah said, "I wasn`t part of the initial hiring, but this time I`m going to be. I`m going to be way more hands-on." And you`d better believe Oprah`s not messing around.
HAMMER: Meanwhile, another mob scene - this one at the South African court where the suspect in the case covered her face after being freed on bail. CNN`s Robin Kerno was in the courtroom.
KERNO: At times she seemed overwhelmed and close to tears. She said she was not guilty of the 13 charges ranging from indecent assault to assault to verbal abuse.
HAMMER: But as this scandal continues to boil over, Oprah is promising that neither she nor her school will be deterred from their mission.
WINFREY: What I know is that no one, not the accused, nor any persons can destroy the dream that I have held and the dream that each girl continues to hold for herself at this school. I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls becomes the safe and nurturing and enriched setting that I had envisioned.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Oprah obviously so deeply moved by what`s happened, but clearly, this crisis is not over yet. Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Kim Baker, editorial director for "UsMagazine.com." Also in Hollywood tonight, Allison Samuels, national correspondent for Newsweek. I appreciate you both being here.
Ken, Oprah has always shared her ups and her downs throughout the public life. But I can hardly remember a time when we`ve seen her so clearly impacted by something going on in her life. This truly has been, as she put it, just devastating, hasn`t it?
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR "USMAGAZINE.COM": Yes. I think, as you pointed out in the introduction to this piece, she was molested and sexually assaulted when she was younger so this really does hit home for her. And another interesting word to pay attention to in that press conference today were two words. She referred to the kids as my children. And she takes that very seriously. And I think that it does hit home to her.
And it was really a slam dunk for her in a PR sense because it didn`t come across as damage control or anything like that. It came across as an explanation, a description, and somewhat of an apology. And I think what she learned here - and she said there were valuable lessons to be learned. And I think one of them she had to learn is that running a girls` academy, a half a world away, is different than running Harpo productions right in her backyard in Chicago. And she unfortunately learned that the hard way.
HAMMER: Yes, and to be sure. She did say today she feels the whole thing can be cleaned up. She told the girls a complete house cleaning will be done as we reported.
Now, Allison, you were right there in South Africa when Oprah was just getting this thing under way and working on opening the school up. With her news conference today, what do you think? Has she regained everyone`s confidence that now, there are no issues as far as everyone is concerned?
ALLISON SAMUELS, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, NEWSWEEK: Well, I think in South Africa, Oprah is really loved because she has done so much. Before even the school opened, she would go yearly and give Christmas gifts to the kids. She would hold kinds of parties for the children. So I don`t think her credibility there has been shot at all.
I think they know she`s sincere. I think they know that this was out of her hands. She chose a lot of the children - she chose all the children. And she chose some of the staff.
But I think it`s inevitable in some instances. You never know with references, with interviews. There`s really no way to be sure that you`re getting someone that doesn`t have that, you know, sort of potential to snap or to do something that`s inappropriate. But I think South Africans really love her because they know she`s sincere and has tremendous love for them.
HAMMER: Yes, and this thing just really blew her mind that it even happened. It`s been very personal for her. At the news conference, she saw her reveal how shaken up she was when she learned what happened at the school. Let`s watch this again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: When I first heard about it, I spent about a half hour crying, moving from room to room in my house. I was so stunned I couldn`t even wrap my brain around it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ken, as you mentioned, it`s really hitting so close to home for her, not only because she has poured her and heart and soul into this project, but because she herself, as we said, was once a victim of sexual abuse as a child.
BAKER: The best thing that she did was step up and say, "Look, obviously I couldn`t know exactly what was going on. But the buck has to stop somewhere." And she said, "It stops here with me." That was a really big moment for her to do that.
And it`s interesting. We just, a couple of weeks ago, had to sit there and watch this Ellen DeGeneres pet adoption controversy happen where Ellen was sort of trying to use her show and use the air waves in this really over-emotional way. And it went so over the top that you couldn`t really even relate or feel for her. And people kind of turned on her a little bit.
Now, I think with Oprah, she was so honest, so composed, so professional and really heartfelt. And you just can`t help but feel sorry for her in this moment.
When she said she was walking around the house in tears, I felt bad for her. I mean, I could almost picture her doing that, and I believed her. And I do have confidence that she`s doing everything she can, not just in a PR sense, but she is really getting hands on in that school and making sure, like she said, cleaning house.
HAMMER: Yes, I know. It is very clear that she`s being as thorough as possible, and, as you said, not just for the PR sense of it all. Thank you very much for joining us, Ken Baker and Allison Samuels. I appreciate it.
BAKER: Thanks.
HAMMER: Now, we`d like to hear from you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, Oprah`s school scandal: Do you feel sorry for her? Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. You can do it from your laptop, your desktop, your Blackberry, or even your cellphone, whatever you want to tell us.
I definitely think Oprah is handling this very, very difficult situation with such grace. What she said about the school scandal today was so moving, it was so incredibly honest. You`re going to see what I mean later on in the show, because we`ve only shown you some of it so far. We have much more of an emotional Oprah in her own words. That`s coming up at 30 minutes past the hour. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER MILLS, PAUL MCCARTNEY`S EX-WIFE: It`s rubbish. I could sell my story right now. I`m trying to protect Paul and our daughter. I am trying and I`m being pushed to the edge.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Heather Mills goes on TV to plead her case and her divorce from Paul McCartney. Tears, really personal confessions, the whole nine yards. But I really have to wonder, is the whole thing backfiring on her big time? Some really nasty turns in this explosive story coming up.
HAMMER: And how`s this for a disturbing trend in Hollywood? Listen to this - really young women getting plastic surgery. I`m talking from Botox to boob jobs. And these women are barely out of their teens. I think it is so scary and obviously sending a dangerous message. That`s ahead in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report. "Starlets Under the Knife." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLS: I`ve been close to suicide, so upset about this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: I know you -
MILLS: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was an emotional Heather Mills on Britain`s "GMTV" admitting once she was suicidal over all the bad press she has been getting. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, the Mills-McCartney mess and the unbelievable backlash against Mills in her divorce duel with Paul McCartney. I think Mills was everywhere last week, ranting and raving. But did she do more harm than good?
With me tonight in New York, Ryan Smith, who is a BET talk show host and also an attorney. Also tonight in New York, Lisa Bloom, anchor for "Court TV." Lisa, Ryan, you know, perhaps what Cindy Adams wrote today in today`s "New York Post" sums it up, saying that she heard from producers at ABC, where Heather was interviewed for "Good Morning, America."
And they told her this, quote, "The nearly ex-Mrs. McCartney is what rhymes with rich, stitch, witch, pitch, glitch, fitch and hitch. Also kitsch. ABCniks took phone in hand to tell me they have to stand in line to decide who dislikes her the most." Lisa, I had to really watch what I said there.
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR FOR "COURT TV": I don`t know what word that is.
ANDERSON: I wonder what rhymes with that. What do you think? Would heather do herself a favor, Lisa, to just keep her mouth shut?
BLOOM: Look. I`m sorry. Am I the only person on the planet that does not know why everybody hates Heather Mills? Yes, she is emotional. She is upset. She is in the middle of a divorce and custody dispute. That`s how people get, especially when somebody`s powerless against a huge powerful figure. And maybe I just usually take the side of the underdog.
I came from a week in the U.K. where - you are right. She is soundly hated. I mean, I don`t think Hitler is more hated than Heather Mills right now in the U.K. It`s unbelievable.
ANDERSON: And the U.K. tabloids are brutal. U.K. tabloids are brutal, right?
BLOOM: They are. They make the American press look as a walk in the park. They are insanely (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Why? Because she says she was upset, she was suicidal? A lot of people are that way when they are in the middle of an ugly divorce. Why is that so hard to believe?
ANDERSON: You know, she was very open about her feelings. But the piling on did continue this morning on "The View" when Barbara Walters started talking about her previous experiences during interviews with Heather. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": She was extremely difficult. One our young producers gave her - if she might have a glass of water. She gave her a glass of water. She said this glass of water is not room temperature. She was so impossible to our producers. And that we - you know, you pick on me. Don`t pick on the - you know? And the other people ...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. And Ryan -
RYAN SMITH, "BET" TALK SHOW HOST: Wow.
ANDERSON: Even her - wow. Barbara Walters. There you have it. Ryan, even the spokesperson quit on her last week. Could all of this backfire in such a way that you think it could hurt the battle with Paul McCartney over his money, over their child?
SMITH: Absolutely. And you know what? I understand where she is coming from. I see that she`s got a tough time. But you know what? If you can`t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. I mean it`s that simple.
BLOOM: She is trying to get out of the marriage.
SMITH: Yes. But why are going on all these press interviews to talk about the press is slamming you? That is not going to help the press stop slamming you. And the problem here is Paul McCartney sees that and says, "You know what? Why don`t I file for full custody so I can do a little bit better in that settlement conference we`ve been having - that we haven`t been getting progress on."
That`s the problem here. I don`t know if a judge would say, "Let`s take away custody," but he can certainly and he did file - tried to get full custody and make it so she gets less money so she has to come back and to (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BLOOM: OK, but you know what? This is why people talk to the press, to tell their story when they feel they`ve been wronged. This is how you get an interview you`re somebody like me who has a TV show. Come on. Tell your side.
ANDERSON: Over and over and over, I think, is what I think people have a problem with.
BLOOM: A lot of people do it over and over and over. I`ve been on the shows I can get on. I`m one of those people.
SMITH: But not in that way.
BLOOM: If I`m that person, should I lose custody of my children?
SMITH: No, but not in that way. Not in the way that comes and says -
BLOOM: What way?
SMITH: Well, she comes on and she says, "I almost committed suicide."
BLOOM: Oh?
SMITH: "They`re tracking me all the time."
BLOOM: That is true.
SMITH: But that`s the way stardom works. And a lot of people don`t sit back and say, "Hey you know what? I have sympathy for that." A lot of people of say, "Why don`t you stay away from the press, stay out of the spotlight and they will eventually go away." But -
BLOOM: But it doesn`t work that way with the British press. She will be hounded whether she came out and spoke or whether she didn`t because she`s Paul McCartney`s wife and she`s in the middle of an ugly divorce. So you can`t stay away.
ANDERSON: Another piece of advice came from the former Duchess of York, Fergie, who said basically what you said, Ryan, if you can`t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, that if you put yourself out there on a public stage, you have to expect this criticism. Lisa, do you think people have to learn from experience?
BLOOM: Well, I don`t think you just have to roll over and take it. If you think people in the press saying things about you that aren`t true, most celebrities will come out and give their point of view. I don`t see anything wrong with that.
SMITH: We`re not even asking.
BLOOM: I mean I don`t know what is the specific thing she has said that leads to so much anger against her? That`s what I don`t get. She said she`s going through a very hard time. She`s been depressed. You know, she`s having a hard time in this divorce. I`m sure all of that is true.
ANDERSON: I think a lot of people that in combination with people coming out publicly saying she is very difficult to deal with.
BLOOM: Well she`s the first celebrity who`s difficult and complains about the water being the wrong temperature. Give me a break.
SMITH: You know, Lisa, she`s taking on Paul McCartney. She`s taking on a Beatle. That`s a big deal for a lot of people. I understand exactly where you are coming from. But you know what? She is not helping her cause.
I heard that now she is stepping back and saying, "What have I done? Why did I do this? Maybe I shouldn`t have come out at this way. She can egg people to speak on her behalf on this issue. And if someone defamed her or someone did her wrong, file a lawsuit. Do something, but don`t come up and say, "They`re wronging me. Why am I in the press all the time?" You are in the press all the time because you putting yourself in the press. And that`s what happens.
BLOOM: Yes. And Ryan, you and I work in the press and we will be thrilled to have somebody like Heather Mills. Come on.
SMITH: We would. We would.
(CROSS TALK)
BLOOM: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) say, how can they do that? That`s terrible.
ANDERSON: Oh, yes.
(CROSS TALK)
BLOOM: And on the other side, you`re making calls to get people on our shows.
ANDERSON: She had so many people in her corner with "Dancing with the Stars." It seems like she has wiped out a lot of that good will now, unfortunately. Lisa Bloom, Ryan Smith, thank you both.
BLOOM: Thank you.
SMITH: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. You`ve got to hand it to Oprah Winfrey. Even faced with this crisis going on at her school for girls, she just tells it like it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: This has been one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating experience of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I have absolutely so much respect for the way Oprah`s been handling this. We`re going to have much more of her emotional and moving words later on in the show. "Oprah, In Her Own Words." Coming up. You won`t want to miss it.
ANDERSON: And how`s this for a disturbing trend in Hollywood? Really young women getting plastic surgery from Botox to boob jobs, and these women are barely out of their teens. I think it`s scary and just really sending a dangerous message. We have got that ahead in a special report, "Starlets Under the Knife."
HAMMER: And the rumors have basically been all over the place for a while. And now, two very famous women confirming, yes, in fact, they are pregnant. The "Showbiz Truth Squad" on the case next.
ANDERSON: Yes, we are. And now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time. All you have to do is download our podcast. Best of all, it won`t cost you a cent and it`s totally free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or you can download it on iTunes. All you have to do is type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in that little search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming back right after this. Keep it here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tuesday, Oprah`s tough times, the school scandal, the medical crisis, the death of her beloved dog. How much more can she take? Sure, we know she is strong but this has got to be getting to her. How is she gets through it all? And what is it about Oprah that makes her so invincible? We are investigating Oprah`s tough times, Tuesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. All right, it`s time now for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for the "Showbiz Truth Squad." Now, this is where our crack team of investigators sets the record straight on the Hollywood rumor mill.
Tonight, we`re opening the case file on celebrity baby news. The rumors have been out there for a while, and tonight we can tell you, yes, it`s true. Christina Aguilera is pregnant. Christina confirmed to "Glamour" magazine that she and her husband, Jordan Bratman, are expecting their first child early next year.
And Cate Blanchett`s family is growing, too. Cate told reporters at the Sydney premier of her new movie, "Elizabeth, The Golden Age" that she is due in April. This will be the third child for Cate and her husband. Congratulations to both Christina and Cate.
HAMMER: But wait, even more baby news from right here in the Headline Prime family. Our very own Nancy Grace has given birth to twins. Now on Sunday, Nancy and her husband they welcomed a baby girl and a baby boy. The new additions are named Lucy Elizabeth and John David. So congratulations, friend. From all of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: That is very exciting. All right. A famous actress finally fesses up. She got breast implants. And oh yes, it was before doing a very famous topless scene in a very famous movie. We`re going to tell you who it is coming up. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TARA REID, ACTRESS: I was struggling with the bad plastic surgery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tara Reid is not the only one. This is a disturbing trend in Hollywood. I`m talking about really young women getting plastic surgery, from Botox to boob jobs. And these women are barely out of their teens. This is unbelievable. It`s scary. It`s sending a dangerous message. That`s ahead in the special report "Starlets Under the Knife."
ANDERSON: And Oprah Winfrey`s stunning and emotional words about what`s going on in her school for girls. I really feel for Oprah and for the girls at the school, of course. Oprah is devastated. We`ve got her in her own words coming up next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: This has been one of the most devastating if not the most devastating experience of my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oprah`s heart ache in her own words. An abuse scandal rocks the school Oprah put her heart and soul into. And now, she`s talking openly and candidly about her devastation and what she is planning to do next.
And starlets under the knife. An alarming trend in Hollywood, younger and younger stars are having plastic surgery to stay competitive. Why are they starting so young and does it really help them to get ahead? It is a showbiz special report, "Starlets Under the Knife."
(MUSIC)
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.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. OK, Right now, Oprah`s heartache in her own words.
As we`ve been reporting, Oprah Winfrey held a dramatic news conference today. She spoke out for the very first time about the sex abuse scandal that has rocked her all-girls` school in South Africa. Oprah did not hold back about anything, including how this terrible ordeal has left her shaken to the core. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with "Oprah in Her Own Words."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WINFREY: This has been one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating experience of my life. When I first heard about it, I spent about a half hour crying, moving from room to room in my house. I was so stunned I couldn`t even wrap my brain around it.
But as I said earlier, within the hour, I pulled myself together and started making calls, and preparing for what to do next, and how to best look after the girls. I take it very personal. I said to them, I am mama bear when it comes to protecting my children. These girls are like my children.
That`s not just rhetoric for me. It`s not just a part-time pet occupation for me. I take their futures and the possibility for what their futures hold very seriously. What I know is, is that no one, not accused nor any persons can destroy the dream that I have held and the dream that each girl continues to hold for herself at this school.
I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy For Girls becomes the safe, the nurturing and enriched setting that I had envisioned, a place capable of fostering the full measure of these girls` productivity, of their creativity, and of their humanity. It will become a model for the world.
With each girl who graduates, we will show that the resilience of the human spirit is actually stronger than poverty. It`s stronger than hatred. It`s stronger than violence. It`s stronger than trauma and loss and it`s also stronger than any abuse.
No matter what adversity these girls have endured in their short lives and let me assure you, they have endured a lot. Their lights will not be diminished by this experience. So I would like to, at this time, recognize the courage and the leadership already demonstrated by those 15 students who came forward and reported the abusive dorm matron to the CEO of our academy. These 15 girls banded together and they acted because they felt that previously, their voices had not been heard by other adults on campus.
And now, thanks to what I now called the OWLAG 15, we are all here, where a horrible situation is uncovered and rooted out. They represent, those 15 girls, a new generation of youth in South Africa who fearlessly take back their voices to speak up about their concern for their fellow classmates.
This is really what we`re trying to teach. This is what leadership is all about - to use your voice no matter what the personal consequences so that abuse will end and good will prevail. It`s shaken me to my core. But at the core of me is a spiritual foundation and a belief that all things happen for a reason, and that no matter the devastation, this, too, shall pass.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
But the question I have is, there`s been so much damage done already, is there really any way to fix this? CNN`s Robin Kerno was in the courtroom when the dorm matron at Oprah`s school was charged. And she was front and center at Oprah`s stunning and emotionally charged press conference. She`s with me now from Johannesburg. Robin, thanks for joining us.
KERNO: Hi there. Thank you very much.
HAMMER: So Robin, as we just saw, Oprah in what`s really a rare moment for her on the verge of tears. Obviously, this has taken an enormous emotional toll on her but is what she has now done enough to repair the damage that`s been done?
KERNO: Well, Oprah said she didn`t feel like personally her reputation was damaged because she didn`t do anything wrong. As for the school, she believes that the school is going to achieve and churn out the leaders of the future. The dream that she dreamed and visions it would become she still believes that`s possible.
As for the girls, she feels that she has given them enough support. There are social workers who are helping them to get through this as a school. And I think all in all, Oprah is going to try along with the teachers at the school to draw a line under the scandal and to try and get everyone to move forward.
HAMMER: And what`s alleged to have happened here to this kid is horrific. It`s obviously terrible and of course it compounded Oprah`s personal history of being sexually abused as a child which must have such a larger dimension for her. And she says, Robin, she was shocked and furious at what she learned that the school officials had girls living in some kind of atmosphere of silence.
KERNO: I think that is the antithesis of the way Oprah conducts own her life or tries to, and also the way she interacts with people on her show. She is always encouraging people to break the silence for women to stand up for themselves. And I think she must have found it just horrifying to hear that the very girls that she had chosen to become better human beings had been growing up in for the past year in this culture of fearfulness and of silence.
And particularly, because I think a lot of these girls had brought their complaints, their concerns about the behavior of these dormitory parents to the headmistress and it was the headmistress who allegedly did not respond to the complaints. And this seems to have upset Oprah quite significantly. And, of course, as she told us in the press conference, she`s not renewed the contract of that headmistress.
All in all, though, I think she has really taken very active steps to try and change this culture. Not only has she fired the headmistress but she`s also removed every single one of those dormitory parents, so a real effort to try to change the culture that had unfortunately taken root at the school.
HAMMER: Yes. And it really is just stunning to see how Oprah`s wearing this out on her sleeve and how much it personally affected her. I want to play one particular clip from the press conference that shocked us all. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: When I first heard about it, I spent about a half hour crying, moving from room to room in my house. I was so stunned I couldn`t even wrap my brain around it. But as I said earlier, within the hour, I pulled myself together, and started making calls and preparing for what to do next, and how to best look after the girls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Robin, do you get the impression where you are there in South Africa that people there indeed feel she is doing everything she can be doing to look after these girls now?
KERNO: You know, I think many people here have been quite critical, perhaps even very harsh, not just of Oprah, but of the school. Many people wondering why this American wants to come and try and better our girls. There`s not been a lot of great publicity around this school and many people are perhaps slightly gleeful to see this has all happened in a rather nasty sort of way. The press coverage hasn`t been great.
But I think what she did today and the fact that what has come through is that there has been a really strong culture at the school of banding together. So I think people are going to look at what she said today. They are going to analyze the situation and going to say, hey, she is trying her best. She is trying to improve the lives of these children and maybe we need to give her some credit for trying.
HAMMER: Well, let`s hope things do move forward in a very positive light from here on now. Robin Kerno - CNN`s Robin Kerno in Johannesburg. Thanks for joining us tonight.
ANDERSON: I was incredibly impressed with "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere. You know, she`s just 18 years old, but she bravely took on a very dangerous fight. Hayden put her life on the line to try and stop Japanese fishermen from hunting dolphins. Now you are not going to believe the controversial stance she is taking to keep this fight going. That`s still ahead, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Also coming up, "Starlets Under the Knife." Now, Brooke, it really bothers me to find out that younger and younger stars these days are having plastic surgeries. I`m talking about in their 20s taking dangerous risks all in the name of staying competitive in Hollywood. But is it worth it? Well, we will investigate in our showbiz special report, "Starlets Under the Knife."
ANDERSON: And speaking of going under the knife, you are not going to believe which TV star is coming clean about her plastic surgery past. I was truly shocked. We`ve got the details coming up right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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ANDERSON: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Tonight, actress Katie Holmes is celebrating the latest credit. She cruised to the finish line of New York City marathon. Holmes was among the tens of thousands of runners participating in Sunday`s marathon.
She finished the race in pretty good time - listen to this, five hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds. And her hubby, Tom Cruise, and their daughter Suri were at the finish line to congratulate her. Event officials said Katie had registered under an alias so she wouldn`t draw too much attention to herself. But her time was listed in the official results under her real name. Holmes has said she`s always liked to run and took it up to help lose baby weight after giving birth to Suri who is now a year old..
HAMMER: Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Starlets Under the Knife." There is a scary trend in Hollywood right now. The age for actresses getting plastic surgery is getting younger and younger. Hey, if you`re already young and beautiful, why do it? And how will this impact all those impressionable young women at home?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Let`s face it. Plastic surgery is a friendly face in Hollywood. For decades, the ladies and gentlemen of La-la Land have been nipping and tucking their way to eternal youth.
But there`s an alarming new trend that has SHOWBIZ TONIGHT worried. Women stars, just barely out of their teens, are choosing to go under the knife. And it`s getting younger and younger by the day, as young as 21 years old.
DR. DAVID ALESSI, PLASTIC SURGEON: There is a definite trend in Hollywood of having - of people having plastic and cosmetic surgery done on an earlier and earlier stage. And the problem with it is that there are so many young women and men who actually follow what the stars do. It`s actually not a healthy trend.
HAMMER: One of the youngest of the pack to get plastic surgery MTV`s "The Hills" star Heidi Montag. The 21-year-old said she had a boob and nose job in April. She revealed to "Us Weekly" magazine she did it because of deep- seated body image insecurities. Can you believe it? She`s beautiful.
In an a dramatic confession, Montag admitted she was willing to risk a lot for the plastic surgery saying, quote, "My surgery was a very big deal. Right before I went in, I was like, what if I don`t wake up? Oh, this is scary. Then I thought, I don`t care if I don`t wake up, it`s worth it. I just wanted to do it so badly."
AMY BARNETT, AUTHOR, "GIRLFRIENDS` GUIDE TO HAVING EVERYTHING": I think it`s a real challenge for a lot of women who already have body image issues to have plastic surgery, because the thing is plastic surgery doesn`t fix your body image issues.
HAMMER: Montag says she`s happy with her surgery and proud of it, but not every young star flaunts it. Talk about young. Twenty-three-year-old pop star Ashley Simpson kept the rumor mill busy when she turned up on the head carpet with a decidedly smaller nose. Let`s face it. Her nose has before and after written all over it.
Turns out, it`s true. Her dad, Joe Simpson, spilled the beans recently, but said she had it done for health reasons. OK. We can understand that, Ashley. But what about this? Botox at 23? That`s what "In Touch Weekly" claims about her. They say Ashley gets injections once a month to give her that wide eyed look.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked one of the leading plastic surgeons in Hollywood if he thinks the Botox rumors are true. He tells us, he doesn`t buy it.
ALESSI: Somebody who`s 23 or 24 years old is very, very unlikely that they would actually need Botox. It would be unlikely that she would have the type of wrinkles that you would see that would be indicative for Botox.
HAMMER: We`ll leave that one to the unsolved mystery files. But you`ve got to admit, there are some celebrities out there who have had work done. And yes, it is a no-brainer. Like, for example, Ashley`s big sis, 27-year- old Jessica Simpson.
Get a load of those lips. Yes, that`s Jessica Simpson with collagen injection. She admitted to having the lip job and said she hated it once she got it. She told "Glamour" magazine, quote, "It looked fake to me. I didn`t like that. But it went away in like four months. My lips are back to what they were. Thank god!"
Thank god is right. Actually, when you think about it, she got the lips done in a pretty traumatic time in her life, not long after the split with her hubby Nick Lachey. So did another starlet, 25-year-old Britney Spears.
ALESSI: It`s well-known that she had her lips augmented recently. And here, you have somebody who`s out of shape, whose career is failing. She has her - custody of her children is well-known. And she goes in to her lips augmented.
HAMMER: I know, right? So why`d she do it, Doc? Was she looking for a quick fix?
ALESSI: She needs to get other things and aspects in her life corrected before she starts having little things done like injections of the lips and things like that. Get in shape, get your career back, and get your kids back and things like that.
HAMMER: Sounds like a tall order if you ask me. But Dr. Alessi says he`s seeing more and more stars come through his office.
ALESSI: Somebody comes in and they say, "I looked in the magazine. I don`t think I`m pretty anymore. Can you just do something to make me more pretty?" Basically they need a psychiatrist instead of a plastic surgeon.
HAMMER: And the bottom line, plastic surgery doesn`t solve any body image problems, not for celebrities or common folk.
BARNETT: I`m worried at young women who look at these stars who are doing all these operations and having the plastic surgery, will think that they can buy confidence, too. But true confidence isn`t about looking good in front of the camera. True confidence is about self acceptance and being comfortable in your own skin.
HAMMER: It was a hard-learned lesson for young star Tara Reid. She had a humiliating experience on the red carpet when her dress fell down and the world saw the sad reality of the botched boob job.
REID: For two years, I was struggling with the bad plastic surgery.
HAMMER: She told me it took a long time to recover physically and mentally from that experience.
REID: Part of the reason why I stopped working so much is because I couldn`t show my stomach.
HAMMER: And what that has down to you is psychological.
REID: Yes. Mentally. Everyone, like, the dress fell down and everyone what they looked like. It was terrible to live with. So then, I kind of just - my life, got myself and I got my body fixed. And got my mind mentally fixed. I really try to stay around positive people now.
HAMMER: Who thought the party girl Tara Reid could be such a role model? But without women like her to drive the point home that plastic surgery doesn`t fix your life`s problems, well, who knows how young the next generation of starlets will start going under the knife?
BARNETT: You can`t fix your self image. You can`t fix how good you feel about yourself by just physically slicing yourself up. You have to feel comfortable and confident in your own skin. That is true beauty. That`s true sexiness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Tara Reid also told me that it`s not hard to give in to the ultra-thin peer pressure of Hollywood. And being young and impressionable just makes it even harder to resist.
ANDERSON: Actress Jane Seymour is coming clean about having plastic surgery. Seymour tells "People" magazine she got breast implants after she had her twin boys who are now 11 years old. Seymour told "People" she just wanted something to fill back in what the boys had nursed out. The implants were so small she said the surgeon had to special order them.
This was years before Seymour did her famous topless scene with Owen Wilson in "Wedding Crashers." On having eye surgery, Seymour also said, "Genetically, I had baggy eyes, and photographers said they didn`t want to spend money endlessly having to eradicate the bags."
On having Botox, Seymour said, "I tried it a few years ago and it was the worst thing. As an actress, I need my expressions." And Seymour`s classic expressions are really coming in handy on ABC`s "Dancing with the Stars." At 56 years old, she is the oldest contestant on the show. Still, she`s had very little trouble keeping up with the other star dancers. For that she credits good genes and good attitude.
You can read the entire interview with Jane Seymour. It`s in the latest issue of "People" magazine which is on newsstands now.
All right, I just could not believe this story. "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere puts her life on the line for a cause.
Oh, it was an emotional fight but Hayden, just 18 years old, talked to me about it and she`s taking a controversial stand. Ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, find out what this young actress is planning to do to stop the horrible slaughter of dolphins. Keep it right here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will return in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, thanks, Charles. Eighteen-year-old "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere taking a controversial stand. She`s asking people to boycott products made in Japan. That`s where Hayden got into a dramatic and emotional battle trying to save dolphins from being slaughtered.
Hayden put her life in danger trying to stop Japanese fishermen from hunting captured dolphins. She and six other animal activists paddled into a cove on surfboards to try and stop the slaughter, only to have a fishermen prod them away with the blades of a motor boat and sharp hunting pole. It was an emotional fight for Hayden, but it`s one that she told me she`ll continue until the killing of dolphins stops for good.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
HAYDEN PANETTIERE, ACTRESS: We continue to fight this every day. And we are kind of asking people to - it`s a difficult thing to do to stop something like this. But now, more than ever, it is time for change whether it`s culture or not. I`m going to try for as long as I can not to buy Japanese products because the only way to really stop this is hit them in the pocket.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: No one was hurt in the standoff. The fishermen involved say hunting dolphins is a Japanese custom that outsiders have no business interfering with. About 14,000 dolphins are killed for food in Japan each year.
HAMMER: On Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - here if you wanted to know. - Britney`s new album #1: Are you surprised? Look at the results, pretty evenly mixed. Fifty-two percent of you of you saying yes. Forty-eight of you saying no.
Some fun e-mails came in on the subject including on from Kasra in Vancouver, who writes, "I am shocked that Britney`s new CD is doing well. It just shows how stupid the U.S.A. is." We also heard from Dana in Kansas who writes, "People were going to buy this album either way to see whether it was good or bad because of Britney`s recent behavior."
Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Tuesday "Oprah`s Tough Times." The school scandal, the medical crisis, the death of her beloved dog. How much more can she take? Sure, we know she is strong but this has got to be getting to her. How is she getting through all of it? And what is it about Oprah that makes her so invincible? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates "Oprah`s Tough Times" on Tuesday.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Keep it right here. Take care.
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