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Showbiz Tonight
Britney Spears May Spend Time With Her Kids This Christmas; Was Miss Puerto Rico Really Sabotaged?; Hulk Hogan Speaks Out for First Time About Divorce
Aired November 27, 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: Kelly Ripa`s health scare. We`re going to tell you why she was rushed off the set, Tuesday morning. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And will Britney Spears get to spend time with her kids this Christmas? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the spicy beauty pageant scandal. Miss Puerto Rico and the pepper spray. Did jealous beauty contestants really sabotage her, or could it be she`s making it all up?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALICIA QUARLES, CORRESPONDENT, ASSOCIATED PRESS: I think it`s not unlikely that she can sabotaged herself. Would we really be talking about Miss Puerto Rico right now if she didn`t have this happen to her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with unbelievable twists and turns that could reveal an ugly pepper secret. Now, that`s hot.
Tonight, the most useless celebrity. Some famous just for being famous. Some famous for being train wrecks. But who is the biggest waste of space? Can you believe there`s actually a formula for this? We`re not kidding. And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cracks the code to reveal the most useless celebrities of the year.
(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 from Hollywood. And tonight, the startling Hulk Hogan divorce mystery. We`re asking what everyone`s asking, what`s the real reason the Hulk`s wife of 24 years is ending their marriage? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is doing some divorce digging, looking for answers. Coming up.
HAMMER: But first, new developments in one of the spiciest scandals the beauty pageant world has ever are seen. The contestant who was really the hottest, or at least she said she was.
ANDERSON: We are, of course, talking about the woman who won the right to represent Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe contest. Tonight, investigators are trying to find out if it really is true her clothes and her makeup were sabotaged with pepper spray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Call it a possible taste of assault and pepper spray. A beauty queen won a pageant over the weekend even though her makeup and clothes were sabotaged with pepper spray. Those brawling hockey players, wham! The alleged sabotage of Miss Puerto Rico is showing everyone that when beauty pageant contestants throw down, things gets ugly.
QUARLES: In sports, people just battle it out. But in beauty pageants, you get fierce. You get sneaky and you get mean. And allegedly, you get pepper spray.
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you all twists and turns. What did the rival beauty contestants who`ve done it, or could it have even been the contestant herself? It`s the case of "The Pageant Pepper-Spraying Perpetrator." Quick, somebody call in Sandra bullock.
SANDRA BULLOCK, STAR OF "MISS CONGENIALITY": Don`t mess with me.
QUARLES: This definitely sounds like a case from "Miss Congeniality III," the overqualified beauty pageant who got pepper spray in her makeup, but still went on to win the competition. Who could write a script better than that?
ANDERSON: The scene of the crime, lovely San Juan, Puerto Rico. Right in the middle of the Miss Puerto Rico-Universe pageant, the frontrunner, Ingrid Marie Rivera, says she had a mysterious and nasty reaction.
QUARLES: Ingrid broke out in hives. She ran backstage. She threw off her dress and she kept putting on ice packs in between going back out on stage, hoping to bring these hives back down. But she was also applying makeup to cover the hives. The makeup was allegedly spiced with pepper spray. So, while she thought she was making it better, she was making herself worse.
ANDERSON: Officials suspect her clothes and makeup had been doused with pepper spray. But get this, Rivera won anyway, hives and all, proving she is as tough as the terminator, plus better looking in a swimsuit.
QUARLES: Ingrid said she had God on her side.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Bring it on!
ANDERSON: Movies like "Drop Dead Gorgeous" make the pageant world seem a bit cutthroat. And Ken Baker of "UsMagazine.com," a former beauty contest judge himself, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that image is not exactly fiction.
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": Anyone who`s been around beauty pageants knows that most of the women in them have been working to win these pageants their entire lives, since they were five or six years old. And they are willing to do anything they can to win the top prize. It`s not surprising at all that someone would try to sabotage another contestant in the beauty pageant. What`s really surprising is that it doesn`t happen all the time.
ANDERSON: Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that even before the Miss Puerto Rico pageant people were definitely gunning for Rivera.
QUARLES: There`s a lot of drama because Ingrid was a runner-up in the Miss World contest in 2005, so contestants were saying, "Wait a minute. This girl`s overqualified. Why is she even here?"
ANDERSON: But NBC`s Kerry Sanders, holding his own can of pepper spray, reported on the "Today" show that police are looking at another possible suspect, Rivera herself.
KERRY SANDERS, NBC, CORRESPONDENT: They are curious to find out what exactly it was that was on there, and if it was this, how she was able to stop crying between actual events. Meredith?
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: So Kerry, you`re saying they think she made it up?
SANDERS: They`re looking into it.
ANDERSON: Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press says she`s open to the possibility.
QUARLES: I think it`s not unlikely that she can sabotage herself. Would we really be talking about Miss Puerto Rico right now if she didn`t have this happen to her?
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, police are analyzing Rivera`s clothes and makeup to see if they were, indeed, pepper sprayed. Well, the new Miss Puerto Rico is saying winning the crown made her whole ordeal worthwhile.
INGRID MARIE RIVERA, MISS PUERTO RICO (translation): When I cried, it was genuine. It was what I felt at that time because it was a feeling of liberation, of "God, this was worth it."
ANDERSON: Were they really tears of liberation as Rivera says, or was it just the pepper spray talking? Or were they even tears at all? They are burning questions in an eye-opening mystery story in search of an ending.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: As we said earlier, police are now looking into the matter. The lab results on the dress and Rivera`s makeup are expected any time now. Miss Puerto Rico will be right here, Wednesday, telling us her side of the story. So be sure to tune in. One-on-one with the red pepper queen, Wednesday, in the interview you`ll see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Tonight, Hulk Hogan is speaking out for the first time since he found out just days ago that his wife filed for divorce. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovers the shocking new details about the Hogans` divorce, including what could be a nasty multimillion dollar battle and some clear signs that might have led to the split. Could they be the latest victims of the reality TV curse?
Joining us tonight in New York, Judge Glenda Hatchett of "The Judge Hatchett Show." Also, tonight, in New York, Court TV anchor, Lisa Bloom. Lisa, Judge Hatchett, always good to see you both.
We know now Hogan`s wife of 24 years - her name Linda Bollea, reportedly blind-sided the hulkster over the weekend by filing for divorce. Now, Hulk did issue a statement to "TMZ.com." This is what it says, quote, "Please respect my family`s privacy at this time with all that we have been through. I care for my wife and my children are my world, and I just hope this all works out." Lisa, what in the world do you think went wrong?
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, COURT TV: Well, you know, I don`t know. But first of all, two-thirds of divorces are filed by women, and most of the time, men say, "I was blind-sided. I had no idea this was coming." I find that hard to believe.
This was a long-term marriage. It could have been anything. She could have just gotten tired of him. It could have been an affair. Who knows? But I find it hard to believe that he really didn`t see this coming.
HAMMER: Well, we all got to see some signs by watching their VH1 realty show, "Hogan Knows Best." They were seen arguing on camera. They were also seen going to a marriage counselor at one point. Let`s take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDA HOGAN, WIFE OF HULK HOGAN: I`m telling you what. It takes me about two seconds to pack up my friggin` closet and be gone.
HULK HOGAN, WRESTLING STAR: Again?
L. HOGAN: Yes.
H. HOGAN: Again?
L. HOGAN: For good. It`s just to that point where we cannot keep doing this.
H. HOGAN: I really don`t care, because I sure as hell am not going to live like this anymore with you.
L. HOGAN: If we don`t get counseling or at least try to get somebody to -
(CROSS TALK)
H. HOGAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some 30-year-old woman or a 30-year-old guy is going to tell me how to live my life?
L. HOGAN: You know what? I don`t know, Terry. I don`t know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Well, we know that every couple fights and argues like that at some point, maybe. But what do you think, Judge Hatchett? Just having those cameras around has to have made it harder to resolve their problems. No?
JUDGE GLENDA HATCHETT, "THE JUDGE HATCHETT SHOW": Actually, A.J., it has to be. When you have cameras watching most of your moves - interestingly enough, I caught that episode. I don`t get to see a lot of TV, but I saw the episode and they ended up going to a counselor.
Lisa, I agree. I find it really hard that he was blind-sided by this. But to have all of your arguments, all of your disagreements, all of your moods, everything, the world is watching, it has to be very hard. Marriage issues are hard. I mean I`ve seen so many of them in and out of my court. But they didn`t have that amplified by cameras all the time. It`s just got to be almost impossible.
HAMMER: Yes, this was shocking for us to learn. I`ve always liked the hulkster. He`s one of those beloved figures in America. Not everybody watches the show. I actually had never seen him fight on the show the few times that I had caught it. So generally, I think people had the impression they were a pretty happy family. They were always happy when they came by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Lisa, that perception, I imagine, adds to the shock for people.
BLOOM: Yes. But you know no one knows what goes on behind closed doors. Forty-three percent of first marriages end in divorce, a higher percentage of second marriages. And, you know, eventually, things go wrong. It happens in a lot of marriages.
I`m never shocked when people get divorced. I don`t expect marriages to last forever. I`m impressed when people have long-term marriages, God bless them. I`d like to know what their secrets are, but it is very tough to live in the public eye, that`s what went on here. You know, it`s unfortunate, but it is very, very common.
HATCHETT: It is. And also the fact that they`ve been married for so long, Lisa, too, I think adds to the shock of this. You `re right with the statistics about the number of people being divorced in this country But you kind of figure once they get to 24 years, it seems like maybe they could work it out. But obviously, they are having problems.
HAMMER: Yes, I think number of divorces has to statistically diminish as the years together go on. Of course, Hulk`s wife, Linda, not just walking away, saying, "Oh, I`m done with the marriage." She`s asking for basically half of everything, an equitable separation of their assets; two houses in Florida and a Vegas condo that`s still being built. Now that`s worth $10 million. What do you think, Judge Hatchett? We see this all the time. Is this going to be another one of those nasty divorces?
HATCHETT: You know, I hope not. Because I think that the best thing they can do is sit down, hopefully with a mediator, figure this out, go their separate ways and be happy. Because at the end of the day, they have children in common that they clearly are dedicated to. And I would just hope that they can resolve this without being in the media glare and without it being nasty. We don`t need another Paul McCartney situation going on. We really don`t need to see that again.
HAMMER: No. And real quickly, you know, they`ve been in the news for other terrible stuff, the car crash of their son Nick which landed is somebody in the hospital. He got arrested. That has to have really make things even harder for them at this time, Lisa.
BLOOM: Yes. That may be what drove them apart. They may have been fighting about that. And as for her asking for half, look, she`s entitled to it. Under the law of every state, she`s entitled to about half because this is a long-term marriage -
HATCHETT: Absolutely.
BLOOM: And this is considered a partnership. It doesn`t matter that he made the money and she may have been doing something else, staying home, raising the kids. She`s entitled to about half, plus child support for any minor children. She`s a partner.
HATCHETT: In fact, probably.
HAMMER: Yes, and that is in the paper work as well. And let`s hope they do keep it quiet. Judge Glenda Hatchett, Court TV anchor, Lisa Bloom, I thank you both.
BLOOM: Thanks.
ANDERSON: Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, I want to know does marriage matter anymore in Hollywood?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET JACKSON, SINGER: I feel that I really don`t need the certificate to validate what it is that we have. I`m very strong on it being spiritual. And I believe in soul mates, and I believe we have more than one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Janet Jackson isn`t the only one who doesn`t need a piece of paper. So why is it more and more Hollywood couples saying "I don`t"? Who`s saying "I do"? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Also, a health scare for Kelly Ripa. She was actually was rushed off the set of "Live with Regis and Kelly." That happened on Tuesday morning. She couldn`t finish the show and she`s such a pro. So we`re going to tell you why and how she`s doing now. That is still to come.
ANDERSON: And celebrity waste of space. Who do you think is the most useless celebrity in all of Hollywood? There are certainly plenty to choose from. We`re going to tell you who it is, and why there`s even some science behind it. That`s coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: I feel that I really don`t need the certificate to validate what it is that we have. I am very strong on it being spiritual. And I believe in soul mates, and I believe we have more than one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That is Janet Jackson talking about her long time relationship with music producer, Jermaine Dupree, and how she doesn`t need to be married to remain committed.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
You know, it used to be that couples fell in love, got married and then had the kids. But this year, there have been so many Hollywood couples who have not only not tied the knot, they`ve got no plans to which is why we`re asking, does marriage matter anymore in Hollywood?
With us tonight from Hollywood, Kim Serafin, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." In New York, Cooper Lawrence, psychology and relationship expert and syndicated radio talk show host. Kim, Cooper, welcome to you both.
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY AND RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: Hello.
ANDERSON: Hello there. You just heard Janet Jackson, of course. The piece of paper doesn`t matter to her. I do want to mention she has been married twice before. But Cooper, why are unmarried couples so prevalent now? It`s very common.
LAWRENCE: There are two main reasons, especially in Hollywood. One of them is, you`re talking about people with personalities to begin with, who do not want to follow the norm. Think about what it takes to become as famous as they are. You can`t do things that everybody else does. That`s the first thing.
And the second thing is, they are very realistic about marriage these days, and divorce. And I think they just don`t want to get divorced. So how do you do that? You don`t get married in the first place.
ANDERSON: They don`t take that risk. Well, the reality in America these days is that a traditional marriage with kids isn`t the norm. In fact it`s rare in some places. Kim, I would have to imagine that a lot of women can identify with Janet Jackson.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, absolutely. I mean, in this sense, celebrities are not that much different than the average person. You`ll find a lot of celebrities do like to get married and stay in relationships.
You know, for every Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, for every Ron Howard, there is a person like Janet Jackson who it doesn`t work out for, who chooses to stay in a relationship without getting a marriage certificate. Now, someone like Janet Jackson, of course, has her own career. She`s always been identified with a family, attached to other people, so maybe that`s like one of the reasons she maybe likes to maintain her independence.
Though, again, then you have someone like Madonna, who also certainly larger-than-life, has her own career, travels the world. Nobody ever thought she`d settle down and get married. Yet, she seems to be the total family woman married to Guy Richie with kids. So you just really never know, and celebrities are just like everyone else in this sense, I think.
ANDERSON: Right. Madonna seems happily hitched this time. But then, you`ve got, you know, Halle Berry. She`s expecting a baby with her boyfriend, Gabriel Aubrey. She`s had two bad marriages in the past. She told "In Style" magazine, quote, "I will never, never get married again. Actually, it`s just now that I`ve come to a place where I think two people can share their lives without the ring, without the piece of paper."
Cooper, this is probably something else that women can identify with. They`ve been burned before. Does Halle represent moving on, being happy without marriage?
LAWRENCE: She does. And more than that, remember we heard rumors about her being abused? So it wasn`t like marriage had this great ideas in her mind, that it was this thing about love and a thing about caring. For her, it might have been about, what we`ve heard, abuse, allegedly. But it has no good connotations, yet she is with somebody now that she`s in love with enough that she wants to have a baby with. So why put the negativity on it? Why make it a marriage, when to her, marriage is only bad?
ANDERSON: Yes. It doesn`t seem like a fairy tale to her. And of course, there are celebrity couples out there who have been happily unmarried for years and years. Gene Simmons, Shannon Tweed are good examples. They`ve got two kids together and have been together for more than 20 years without being married.
Take a listen to something Gene told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer about his fear really about getting married.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENE SIMMONS, MEMBER OF THE ROCK BAND, "KISS": I`m frightened to death of it. I will tell you in all seriousness that I am an only child, as far as I know. And I was born in Israel. My father ran out on us when I was about seven years old. And to be quite honest, I did not want to become my father. So, I have had a real, avowed fear of marriage. I actually believe in the notion of oath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Gene and Shannon have proven it can work. Kim, is that another reason that, going along with our theme here, that marriage doesn`t matter in Hollywood?
SERAFIN: Well, sure, and you mentioned them. There`s also Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russel. There`s Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. And I think there is something to that. They don`t fit into that traditional mold of marriage.
With marriage, with their marriage certificate, with the wedding, there are certain expectations. There is, "Oh, we are going to come home and have dinner every night together at 5:00. And we are going to this family PTA meeting together, perhaps."
And in Hollywood, you can`t always have that. So in a way, it sort of loosens up those restrictions, so you feel like there is a little less rigidity in your marriage. In that way, you can kind of stay in your "marriage," quote, unquote. So you can stay a couple in that way, and I think that`s why it works for some of these people.
But again, there are Hollywood marriages that work, so I don`t want to say that marriages never work in Hollywood, because there are a lot of them that do seem to work. The ones I mentioned before, sort of older couples who have been through it. And also, you know, someone like Christina Aguilera and Jordan Bratman who seem to be to be really happily married, even though she`s this world-traveling, music-singing superstar. So, it can work.
ANDERSON: Able to manage it with there with their tough, busy careers as well. Kim Serafin, Cooper Lawrence, we will it leave it there. Thank you both. We appreciate it.
LAWRENCE: Thanks, Brooke.
SERAFIN: Thanks.
ANDERSON: All right. So we all know that Britney Spears has been more naughty than nice this year. But will she have a blue Christmas without her sons? Lawyers for Britney and K-Fed hashed all of that out. We`re going to tell you if Brit will get to see her kids for the holidays, next.
HAMMER: And celebrity waste of space. So who do you think is the most useless celebrity in all of Hollywood? I want you to think about this now, because there are certainly plenty to choose from. We`re going to tell you who that is and even why there is a formula behind how useless she is.
ANDERSON: And a health scare for Kelly Ripa. She actually was rushed off the set of "Live with Regis and Kelly," Tuesday morning, and couldn`t finish the show. We`re going to tell you what happened. That`s still to come right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Wednesday, beauty and the jock. We`ve all heard about Hollywood`s most beautiful women being attracted to rock stars. But now, it seems the hottest accessory is to have a quarterback or point guard on your shoulder. Why so many sexy stars are attracted to sports stars, Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Well, it looks like Britney Spears will get to spend time with her kids on Christmas. On Monday, lawyers for Britney and Kevin Federline worked out a holiday visitation schedule. And K-Fed`s lawyer tells "People" magazine that Britney and Kevin agreed to split time with Sean Preston and Jaden James over Christmas.
The lawyer said Kevin knows it`s important for the kids to spend time with both of their parents, especially on special days. Britney got to see the kids for Thanksgiving, too. She took them to brunch at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills and then she dropped them off at K-Fed`s house.
Britney and Kevin have another custody hearing set for the end of January. Well, I thought this was a little bit odd. Kevin Federline has actually been named "Father of the Year" by a big magazine. What a difference a year makes, right? We`ll tell you why K-Fed is being called a parental role model, straight ahead.
HAMMER: And celebrity waste of space. Now, who do you think is the most useless celebrity in all of Hollywood? Obviously, there are plenty to choose from. We`re going to tell you who it is, and why there`s actually a formula behind how useless she is. We`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BACKUS: Oprah Winfrey brings not just a wow factor but a WOW factor to anybody out on the trail. And that`s what it means for Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ANDERSON: Talk about a stamp of approval. Oprah endorses Obama and she`s even going to hit the campaign trail for him. Everything she touches turns to gold, of course, but can she work her magic on a presidential election? Coming up.
HAMMER: Well, on that very subject, we would like to hear from you. For our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, here`s what we`re asking you to tell us tonight - "Oprah endorses Obama: Should she be involved in politics?"
You can let us know what you think at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Our e- mail address, if you have more to say, ShowbizTonight@cnn.com. You can do that from your desktop or your laptop, your Blackberry, whatever you`ve got and whatever you want to tell us. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the most useless celebrities. You know, they clog up the tabloids, they take up space and well, don`t even get me started on their talent. But believe it or not, there`s actually a scientific formula for this. These stars are definitely not rocket scientists. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the most useless celebrities of the year.
Kelly Ripa rushed off set. Tonight, the dramatic story of the live co-host`s medical scare. Why she was taken off the air right in the middle of the show. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the stunning details of Kelly Ripa`s medical drama.
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. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, I hope you`re ready because tonight, we`ve got the most useless celebrities in Hollywood. We want to know of all of the stars out there, who exactly is the biggest waste of space. I know this is pretty controversial, but you know, there are stars who are incredibly wealthy, yet they don`t seem to have a lick of talent.
Well the "New York Daily News" came up with this brilliant mathematical equation so they could figure out the useless factor. Here it is and you might want to have me interpret this for you.
Everything is taken into account for this thing, including how much money they make, their brand value, whether they did jail time, their intelligence, even what pops up when you Google their name. Now, the lower the score, the more useless the celebrity. Remember that, and let us now - let the fun begin.
Joining me tonight in Philadelphia, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill. In Hollywood tonight, investigative journalist, Pat Lalama. And from New York, "New York Daily News" reporter, Jo Piazza. Mark, Pat, Jo, let`s fire it up.
On our useless celebrity index, we begin with Hollywood`s favorite train wreck, Britney Spears. So what was her useless celebrity index score? It was a whopping 291.5. Wow! Now, that`s a really high score. Now, keep in mind that actually means Britney Spears is not as useless as perhaps we may have thought. Jo Piazza, why is that?
JO PIAZZA, REPORTER, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Well, as useless as Britney Spears may seem, this equation takes into account cash value, branding, and things like that. And Britney, for all her flaws, as much as she has presented into crazy town over the past year, still has a huge income, an album that`s doing relatively well and her brand is still succeeding.
HAMMER: Yes, I guess that makes a lot of sense. Pat Lalama, what do you think? I saw you with your abacus before the show, working all this out.
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Yes. Well, here`s my take on this. I think, of the crew that you`ve given me to look at here, she at least possessed at one time a modicum of talent. But I`d like to throw in there that she`s now a mother. She`s given birth to two beautiful little boys. So, I`m so hoping that she`s not rendered useless. But, excuse me, A.J., where are the men on this list? Not a one?
HAMMER: I`ve got to say that wasn`t lost on me when this list came out. But, heck, I didn`t make it up. Let`s move on now. Next on our useless celebrity index, oh well, no big surprise here. Paris Hilton made the list. But is she even more useless than Britney? The answer is, as you see, yes, because Hilton scored a 228 on the index, still a pretty high number. But remember, the lower the score, the more useless the star. Marc Lamont Hill, let me go to you. Are you even surprised that she ranked this high?
MARC LAMONT HILL, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR: I`m not surprised. For the last three or four years, Paris Hilton has been an easy person to sort of get on top - jump on top of. No pun intended. You know, after the sex tape and all the other stuff, people sort of see her as an easy target. But she`s talented. Hey, I`m a big Paris fan. I`m admitting this on national television. I`m a Paris Hilton fan.
(CROSS TALK)
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Hold on. Marc, give me an example. (LAUGHTER) OK, move on.
HILL: She makes herself - It`s simple like she makes it seem like she`s stupid, but I think that`s an extraordinary talent to make that much money appearing stupid. She`s a best-selling author. I`m the one within four feet that bought her album. You know, there`s a whole bunch of examples why Paris Hilton is great.
LALAMA: You`re a sucker. You`re a sucker, Marc.
HAMMER: Pat, straight in your mouth, please.
LALAMA: All right. Here`s what I say about her. Paris is a big fat fraud. Well, she`s not fat. She`s a fraud. "I read the Bible, and I`m going to Rwanda." Eeeeh. Didn`t happen. Useless. Sorry.
HAMMER: Well, we can`t have this conversation without judging Paris, and of course, without judging pop star Lindsay Lohan. She is next on our useless celebrity index. Look at how she stacks up next to Paris and Britney. Can you believe it? Even more useless than the two of them with that 114 score.
Jo Piazza, how is Lindsay even more useless than Britney and Paris? And I think Lindsay`s got talent.
PIAZZA: You know, I think Lindsay has talent, too, but we have to take into account the fact that she hasn`t had a hit movie in years. She has a delinquency factor, which is great. But she`s not pulling in the cash any longer. And she really doesn`t have that star power that she used to have. Plus, the Lohan brand just doesn`t mean as much as the Paris Hilton or the Britney Spears brand.
HAMMER: Now, Marc Lamont Hill, you were very high on Paris. Are you less high on Lindsay Lohan?
HILL: Yes, because even if people who don`t like Paris, they love to hate her. Lindsay is not as interesting as Paris. She is not as attractive and her brain isn`t as strong, and she doesn`t have as much money. Go, Paris.
HAMMER: Well, let`s move on. No doubt that the three starlets are in a very tight competition for the title of "Waste of Space Champion" But here is how Kim Kardashian, the heiress who stars in the VH1 reality show, "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," does.
On our celebrity index, as you see, wow, pretty low blow. We went from the hundreds down to 24.6. Now, Kardashian, you may recognize her last name if you`ve never seen her on TV. She is the daughter of the O.J. Simpson lawyer, Robert Kardashian. But she became famous, kind of another person on this list, when her sex tape was leaked onto the Internet. Pat Lalama, you know, it makes sense that she would score so low by being totally useless, right?
LALAMA: You`re not kidding. The way I found out she had a TV show, it was on my computer. And I looked up and I saw, "Hi, you probably know me from my curves." And you know, blah-blah. And I thought, dear god in heaven!
Here`s what I have to say about this woman. If she were my daughter, I would smack her on the butt and send her to boarding school. If I were her mother -
HAMMER: I think that`s because of the video.
LALAMA: Yes, exactly. If I were her mother, I would be really sad that this is what I created. I am so sorry, but this is why I`m so concerned about the future of young women in society, because this chick gets a TV show.
HAMMER: Apparently, Marc Lamont Hill not only got the Paris Hilton album, but also the Kim Kardashian video.
HILL: For research. For research. I`m a cultural critic.
HAMMER: Well, then, is there anything else you need to add to Kim?
HILL: I think she`s very, very useless. I mean, she`s famous for being friends with someone who is famous for being famous. So she`s at the bottom for me.
HAMMER: All right. If you thought Kim Kardashian was low, it actually does get worse. Our little sliding graph continues on a downward trend. It`s Heidi Montag, star of the MTV reality show, "The Hills," scoring a ridiculously low at 19.2 on the useless celebrity index. Almost embarrassing how low she scored. Now Jo Piazza, why do you think she is the lowest of the low on this highly scientific list we`ve come up with here?
PIAZZA: It is a highly scientific formula, A.J. Our celebrity Ph.Ds have been working on it tirelessly for months. Heidi Montag came out as the most useless celebrity because that`s exactly what she is.
She became famous for being a nobody on a reality television show. She became famous for being the girl to hate. And she`s managed to parlay that into throwing herself in front of the paparazzi and throwing herself at the tabloids, continuing on this ridiculous, probably fake relationship with her "fianc'," quote, end quote, Spencer Pratt. And the thing is, no matter how hard she tries, people just still don`t seem to care. No one cares less about Heidi Montag.
HAMMER: Yes, she didn`t go to jail, so we weren`t talking about her all that much. All right. Pat Lalama, I`m going to give you a little reprieve here. If you were to put a guy on this list - I`m going to put you on the spot - who would get that low score for the highly useless factor.
LALAMA: Well, I`m actually going to be a little bit mean and then a little bit nice if you can imagine. I was going to say K-Fed, but then I rethought that because he`s taking care of those babies. So, I`m just going to call it a draw and I`ll get back to you on that.
HAMMER: Oh, really? OK. Anybody else coming to mind? Marc Lamont Hill or Jo Piazza?
PIAZZA: I`m going to go with Heidi`s fianc', Spencer Pratt. I think that we could have easily have him tie with Heidi as the most useless celebrity.
HAMMER: Marc, chime in real quick.
HILL: And neck and neck, Kevin Federline and O.J. Simpson, man. They`re neck and neck.
HAMMER: Oh, O.J. Simpson. Let me put him down there. I`ll do the math later. Marc Lamont Hill, Pat Lalama, Jo Piazza, boy, this was fun. I appreciate you being with us.
LALAMA: Thanks, A.J.
PIAZZA: Thanks, A.J.
HILL: Thanks.
ANDERSON: And speaking of Kevin Federline, when Britney Spears and Kevin were married, pretty much, everybody thought K-Fed was useless, a mooch. He didn`t work. He didn`t do anything. But, oh what a difference a year makes.
As Britney has bombed out of control, Kevin is flying high, so much so that he is now being called a legit choice for Dad of the Year. Really? "Details" magazine ranked Federline seventh on its annual "Power 50" issue of the "50 Most Powerful People, 45 Years Old and Under" along with Larry Birkhead, the father of Anna Nicole`s Dannielyn.
"Details" calls K-Fed one of the America`s new parental role models. I mean, as ridiculous as it sounds, they might have a point. He has stayed out of trouble. Britney hasn`t, and that`s why he`s got custody of their two kids.
Now, when I caught up with Shar Jackson - remember, she`s K-Fed`s ex, the woman he ditched while she was pregnant with his kid for Britney. Shar told me that K-Fed has always been a good father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAR JACKSON, KEVIN FEDERLINE`S EX-GIRLFRIEND: Kevin is such an amazing dad. Honestly, that`s one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Because he came into my life and took on the father role. Even before, you know, Cory(ph) and Caleb were thought of, I had two that were already there. He came in and loved them like they were his own. I was like, I may have to hang on to this guy for a minute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Cory and Caleb are the two kids K-Fed and Shar had together. She has two more. To read more about K-Fed`s daddy skills - he even made the cover, pick up a copy of "Details." It`s on news stands now.
Well, K-Fed might be up Dad of the Year. My vote for mom might go to Kelly Ripa. She juggles her kids, her marriage, "Live with Regis," so much stuff. Next, though, I`ve the dramatic details of Kelly`s scary medical drama, why she had to be rushed off the set of "Live." That`s next. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNY BACKUS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Oprah Winfrey brings not just a wow factor but a WOW factor to anybody out on the trail. And that`s what it means for Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey hitting the campaign trail for Barack Obama. Now, we all know pretty much anything Oprah touches turns to gold. But, you know, so many people loving Oprah the way they do and really admiring all that she`s done, there are those who think she might be crossing the line here. Should she stay out of the politics? That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: Well, Woody Allen is back in theaters. You know, his movies are great, usually filled with some great humor and wit, but not this one. It`s unlike any other Woody Allen film you have ever seen. We`ve got it, next.
Now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time by downloading our podcast. Best of all, it won`t cost you a red cent. It`s totally free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or just download it on iTunes by typing "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson. Tonight, a health scare for "Live with Regis and Kelly" co-host, Kelly Ripa, as Tuesday`s show was on the air.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Kelly a little bit under the weather right now. We hope she`ll be back before the show is over. Tim Gunn is sitting in right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was Reg about 15 minutes into the broadcast. They were taping at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, and Kelly, apparently, had to be taken off the show during a commercial break. She couldn`t finish the show. Her publicist tells us that Kel had the flu, quote, "no more, no less." Glad to hear that`s all it is.
HAMMER: I`m happy she`s feeling better. Well, tonight, Oprah is throwing her weight around in politics. She is not only endorsing 2008 presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama, but she`s actually going to be joining Obama on the campaign trail in three different states.
Now, we all know a book or a shirt that`s recommended by Oprah Winfrey can send sails into orbit. But the question is, will her power of persuasion actually power a candidate right there into the White House? Here`s CNN`s Mary Snow for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It marks a first for talk show queen Oprah Winfrey. She is plunging herself into politics in a way she hasn`t before, hitting the trail and campaigning for Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama.
BACKUS: Oprah Winfrey brings not just a wow factor but a WOW factor to anybody out on the trail. And that`s what it means for Obama.
SNOW: Winfrey already endorsed Obama last spring.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": What he has shown was worth me going out on a limb for.
SNOW: She held a fund-raiser for him at her California home that raised millions for his campaign. But now her support for him has been ratcheted to a new level.
SENATOR BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: This creates excitement in an event. Hopefully, we can attract some people who might not otherwise be interested in politics.
SNOW: The prime target, women.
KEATING HOLLAND, CNN POLLING DIRECTOR: Hillary Clinton simply seems to be the women`s candidate regardless of race. I think that`s what Obama really trying to reach is women.
SNOW: Enter Oprah Winfrey. She`ll campaign for two days in December in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. In Iowa, the Winfrey events are open to the public. But to secure a ticket, people are being asked to either volunteer four hours to the Obama campaign or attend a caucus training. Winfrey is no doubt drawing attention to Obama, but some political observers are skeptical her support will translate into votes in a state like Iowa.
STUART ROTHENBERG, THE ROTHENBERG POLITICAL REPORT: While Oprah Winfrey has terrific ratings and very high favorables, I think Iowans are going to depend on their own judgment rather than hers.
SNOW: But sometimes a star surrogate can have sway. Just look at the Clinton camp. Its star surrogate, Bill Clinton, even went on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in recent months to tout his new book.
Is Oprah a better surrogate?
OBAMA: Bill Clinton is a great surrogate for Hillary, as well. If he wanted to endorse me, I`d take it. I don`t think he will.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Mary Snow for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Who knows? Oprah may actually get to add helping someone win the presidency to her very long list of accomplishments.
Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day on this very subject, "Oprah endorses Obama: Should she be involved in politics?" Let us know what you think by going online at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. That is our URL or you can e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com, that is our e-mail address from your desktop, your laptop, your Blackberry, your cellphone, whatever you want to tell us.
ANDERSON: Well, tonight, I`ve got your first look at Woody Allen`s new film. And here`s what I think. It`s unlike any Woody Allen movie that you`ve ever seen before.
It stars Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell. They play two brothers. One has got some serious money problems. The other just fell in love with a beautiful actress. And then things turn really bad. Take a look at "Cassandra`s Dream."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Thank you, again, for coming to my aid en route. Being rescued is one of my wicked dreams.
COLIN FARRELL, ACTOR: Is that very wicked, being rescued?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: It`s what you did to me after.
EWAN MCGREGOR, ACTOR: Harry, I`ve met this incredible girl. She`s an actress. What`s the matter with you?
FARRELL: I lost a lot of money on a card game last night.
MCGREGOR: How much?
FARRELL: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) pounds.
MCGREGOR: How are you going pay back 90,000 pounds.
FARRELL: You`ve got some money put away.
MCGREGOR: I have a little saved for this business proposition.
FARRELL: I am in real trouble here.
MCGREGOR: Yes, you`re in real trouble.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Your Uncle Howard started with nothing, and now he`s a millionaire. And yet, he never forgot his family.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: So, what kind of money are we looking at?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We both found a way to pay you back.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I wanted to talk to you about that.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I think you would agree that family loyalty cuts both ways.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, without a doubt.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Name it, Uncle Howard, anything.
FARRELL: What do you expect? You would never consider anything like that, would you? Would you?
MCGREGOR: The bedroom scenes are so sexy.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I was thinking of you for motivation. I want us to go to California together.
FARRELL: You know, big shot in small stakes player.
MCGREGOR: For the first time in my life, I`ve met a woman and I`m in love with her. This is a way out for me, too.
FARRELL: There`s no turning back. It`s a great weight off my back.
MCGREGOR: When (UNINTELLIGIBLE. There`s no going back from this, I tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I`m worried about Harry. I think he killed someone.
FARRELL: You are upset, unstable. I want this off my neck.
MCGREGOR: You can`t do it. You`ll be throwing your whole life away and mine.
FARRELL: You didn`t question my ethics when you wanted something from me.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Family is family. Blood is blood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Yes, not one of those witty Woody Allen jobs. "Cassandra`s Dream" opens in limited release, December 28.
HAMMER: A frightening scene on the set of Adam Sandler`s new comedy. No laughing matter. Here, two people burn while the cameras are rolling. That shocking story, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, an absolutely shocking thing happened during the filming of Adam Sandler`s new movie, Monday. Two stunt men were burned in an on-set accident. Now, I can tell you one person was burned on his hands and legs. The other on his back while on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles. The details of exactly what happened are still sketchy at this point. But it did happen during a scene being shot for the movie, "You Don`t Mess with the Zoen." Now, I can also tell you that Sandler visited the guys who were injured in the hospital. "Zoen" stars Adam Sandler as an Israeli intelligence agent who fakes his own death so he can start a new life as a hairstylist. This film is scheduled to hit theaters in the summer of 2008.
ANDERSON: On Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this, "Britney texting while driving: Is she a danger on the road?" Very one-sided. Ninety-two percent of you said yes. Only eight percent say no.
Some of the e-mails we received - Laure from Wisconsin writes, "Britney Spears is absolutely a danger on the roads. It seems she can`t drive one day without something happening."
But Dee from California is saying, "Britney`s lack of judgment is not any worse than the women I`ve seen applying lipstick or both sexes who have been seen reading books while driving down the highway at more than 70 miles per hour."
HAMMER: It is time to see what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Wednesday, "Beauty and the Jock." Well, we`ve all heard about Hollywood`s most beautiful women being attracted to rock stars. Now it seems that the hottest accessory is actually to have a quarterback or perhaps a point guard on your shoulder. Why so many sexy stars are attracted to sports stars. That`s Wednesday.
Also, Wednesday, the beauty queen who claims she got burned, literally. Tomorrow, Miss Puerto Rico is right here, and she`s opening up about her shocking and painful ordeal. Did somebody actually spray her pageant dress and her makeup with pepper spray? It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s on Wednesday.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next. Keep it here. Take care.
END
