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Showbiz Tonight
Britney and Paris Hilton Top Kids` List of Naughty Celebrities; An Interview With Dr. Pinsky About Controversial New Show; Ellen DeGeneres Apologizes to `The Bachelor` Star for Calling Him a Jerk
Aired November 30, 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: A shocking new show, following celebrities in rehab, even talk of simulated drug use. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON: Danke Schoen. Tonight, the incredible story of why Wayne Newton says he wanted to kick Johnny Carson`s butt. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, stars who have been nice, and stars who have been naughty. Tonight, why even kids think Paris and Britney need a good talking to by Santa.
(SANTA CLAUS LAUGH)
HAMMER: The shocking list of who kids say has been good and whose stocking they think should be stuffed with a lump of coal. Get ready, Paris and Britney, because Santa Claus is coming to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And you won`t like what he is bringing.
HAMMER: Big paychecks, big flops. Tonight, startling new information about what some of Hollywood`s leading ladies get paid. But hold on. Wait a second. Their movies are tanking. Do they deserve to make millions when they aren`t putting butts in seats? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask the controversial question, are Hollywood`s biggest female stars overpaid?
(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 Hulk is angry, and you won`t like the Hulk when he is angry. Hulk Hogan is now fighting back against his wife big-time in their divorce war. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the brand new developments straight ahead.
HAMMER: They all mess with the Hulk. But first, I got to say I love this. Love it, love it, love it. Kids in America - who says they don`t know right from wrong? Santa Claus, I hope you are listening because tonight, the kids have spoken about Britney Spears, about Paris Hilton, and what Santa ought to do this Christmas with them. So who`s been naughty, and who`s been nice? Well, the naughty, that`s kind of a no-brainer. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with breaking news for the North Pole.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CROWD: Three, two, one.
(CHEERS)
HAMMER: So, the holiday season is upon us, and as the song goes, Santa Claus is making a list and checking it twice to find out who is naughty and nice. And that includes celebrities.
JULIA ALLISON, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "STAR" MAGAZINE: Not only does Santa know what you are doing when you`re sleeping and when you`re awake, whether you`re bad or whether you`re good. For celebrities, the rest of America knows too.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, America`s children know which celebrities have been naughty and nice, and now, they`ve made their own list.
MICHAEL YO, "E! RADIO": The thing about kids is they tell you what they really think.
HAMMER: A marketing firm polled over 1,000 kids between the ages of 2 and 17 and asked them who should be on Santa`s naughty list. So, according to America`s kids, who deserves coal in their stockings more than anyone else? Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, of course.
ALLISON: Kids are pretty judgmental.
HAMMER: Julia Allison of "Star" magazine says it`s no surprise Britney topped the list. You`ve got to think that Santa has heard about her head shaving, her partying, her less than ideal mommy skills.
ALLISON: Maybe little Jaden James and little Sean Preston should let mommy know that Santa is not coming this year because mommy was naughty.
HAMMER: And then there`s Paris Hilton. How could kids not put her on Santa`s hit list? Her DUI arrest, her jail time, and what can we say? She`s Paris.
ALLISON: What makes a celebrity naughty? Could it be - maybe not wearing panties? Driving under the influence? Maybe it`s running over paparazzi`s feet. Britney and Paris really take the cake here.
HAMMER: Also making the naughty list, Lindsay Lohan, the Grinch, Darth Vader, the kleptomaniac Fox, Swiper, from Dora the Explorer.
SWIPER: Oh, man.
HAMMER: Oh, and one surprising choice, Beyonce. Huh?
YO: What`s naughty about Beyonce?
ALLISON: Yes, what was up with that? It`s like her having a butt?
HAMMER: Well, Beyonce had a song called "Naughty Girl." Maybe the kids just took her literally. The school kids also voted on who Santa should put on his nice list. Their top choice Hannah Montana, the pop star in disguise played by Miley Cyrus. That choice isn`t exactly a Christmas surprise.
ALLISON: It`s like an automatic direct line to Santa if you are on the Disney Channel. "Hi, yes. I`m Hannah Montana. I`m on the Disney channel. Santa, I want everything." And Santa is, like, "Sure, you are really nice. You are on the Disney Channel."
HAMMER: Movie star/humanitarian/serial child adopter Angelina Jolie also topped the kids` nice list.
YO: Angelina did very well with the kids because they know there`s a chance she might actually adopt them too.
HAMMER: But America`s schoolchildren aren`t total Scrooges. The kids in the poll say even the baddest of the bad deserve at least one present and to get another chance to be good girls next year.
YO: They still want to give you hope, Britney. They still want to give you a present for Christmas. Hopefully, it`s not a baby.
HAMMER: So, cheer up, Paris and Britney. Even if Santa does end up leaving you coal, or some other items -
ALLISON: Santa is going to bring not only coal for Britney, but also panties.
HAMMER: If you stay out of trouble and avoid drinking and driving, you could actually get on the nice list next year. Remember, Santa will be watching.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, he will. So, is it really any surprise that Britney and Paris are beating out the Grinch and Darth Vader? Did the kids get it right?
With us tonight, in Hollywood, the always nice Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. In Los Angeles tonight, the often nice and sometimes naughty investigative journalist Pat Lalama.
Pat, let me fire it up with you. Any surprises here? Did the kids get it right by putting Britney and Paris right at the top of the naughty list?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: I am so happy today. You have just made my week with this, and here is what I propose. Let`s take all those fabulous little kids and give them the jobs that the studio executives and the music industry should have. Put the music industry people and the TV executives in the third grade where they belong. I love this. They have got it right, and somebody should listen.
HAMMER: Howard Bragman?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER OF FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: I`ve got to give credit to the kids. And I`ll tell you, Britney and Paris got there the old-fashioned way this year, didn`t they? They certainly earned it on both parts. So, good job, kids.
HAMMER: Well, yes, and I think the point is that we`re always hearing about how dangerous Paris and Britney are to kids because they worship them and try to emulate them, be just like them. So, Pat, we really should be dancing on the roof tops here that the kids actually get it.
LALAMA: Well, you know what, it`s just like, remember, "High School Musical" doing so well in the ratings. Why is it that the sex-obsessed people in Hollywood and New York who create television shows and music today don`t understand that they don`t speak for most people and the values that most people wear so much on their sleeves and in their hearts? It`s disgusting. And these children are - they`re giving me hope for the future. I cannot tell you how happy I am about this.
HAMMER: Well, when you look at the nice list also, I find it really interesting that the older kids, who are the age bracket of 13 to 17 who participated in this survey, put Angelina Jolie at the top of their nice list. You know, Howard, it would seem to me, I mean, of all people, Angelina is a perfect example to people like Paris and Britney of a bad girl turned good.
BRAGMAN: Well, you`ve got to remember a couple of things. First of all, the stuff that we call "bad" to kids today may not be as bad as we think it is, OK? I think the definition of "bad" has changed.
And the other part is this stuff happened a few years ago, and kids have a notoriously short memory if they ever knew it at all. They`re about as fresh as what they see on TV or on the web that day.
I think there`s no surprise there. And she certainly deserves it. She`s one step below mother Teresa and maybe above Mother Teresa if the kids took a poll.
HAMMER: And to that point, though, Howard, they should be trying - I`m talking Britney and Paris here - trying to take a page out of Angelina`s playbook, wouldn`t you think?
BRAGMAN: Well, the lesson is you can turn it around. I think K-Fed probably would have gotten on the nice list this year. And in years past, he certainly got coal in the stocking. So, absolutely, you can turn it around if you listen. That`s a big "if," isn`t it?
HAMMER: That is a big "if" for certain. If there`s one thing for sure about them, they are consistent in not doing that.
All right. At the top of the nice list and this is really no surprise, Miley Cyrus. Of course, she is the kid known by all kids as TV`s Hannah Montana. You know, let`s think about this for a moment, though, guys. Britney Spears was once America`s sweetheart, just like Miley Cyrus. What do you think, Pat? Should we be worried that Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus, might actually one day shave her head in public?
LALAMA: My heart pounds for the day that we find out there are nude photos of her, you know. I mean, you know - let`s just hope to dear heaven that it doesn`t happen, that she can maintain who she is.
And let me tell you, A.J., you know how it will happen? With good parenting - the parents behind the good kids. Because if you look at all the bad kids, their parents - I`m not going to say they`re bad people, but haven`t done the work that it takes to keep the kids grounded.
HAMMER: Well, let me tell you, we`re looking at Miley and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus right there, and he is a very involved dad. He is a good guy. I like him a lot. I have a lot of respect for the guy and I think he`s doing a terrific job.
LALAMA: Even with that song he did "Achy Breaky Heart," you still like him?
HAMMER: We won`t hold "Achy Breaky Heart" against him, all right? We`re going to let that one go. All right, Howard, anybody missed on this particular list? Let`s talk naughty here. What do you think?
BRAGMAN: I think O.J. Simpson was kind of naughty this year. Reportedly, he stole other people`s toys, and you don`t steal toys and get on Santa`s good list. We all know that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and if it really gets out of Vegas, you must have really been naughty, right? If it makes it all the way to L.A. and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, you are on the list.
HAMMER: Naughty, indeed. All right. Howard Bragman, Pat Lalama, you know, I feel like we`re in the holiday spirit already here. I thank you for joining us tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
LALAMA: Thank you, A.J. And you`re not going to get coal, A.J. You`re going to get some good stuff.
HAMMER: Well, I hope so.
ANDERSON: Well, tonight, Wayne Newton reveals who he would put on his naughty list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WAYNE NEWTON, SINGER AND "DANCING WITH THE STARS" STAR: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "The Dancing with the Stars" star opens up about something for the very first time, why he wanted to beat up one of TV`s most beloved entertainers. Talk about Danke Schoen. We`ve got that coming up.
HAMMER: What did he say? What did he say? All right, Brooke. A Hulk Hogan ticked off at his soon to be ex-wife, Linda. Now, tonight, I can tell you their divorce - man, it`s getting ugly, as the Hulk might say in a voice something like that.
I`ve sat down with him before, and her, as a matter of fact. I never would have imagined it would have come to this. Why the Hulkster is now suing her.
And money makes people do crazy things. But speaking of cash, tonight, I`ve startling new information about what some of Hollywood`s leading ladies get paid. Now, hang on a second. Their movies are tanking, even though they`re making all this money. I`ve got to ask, are Hollywood`s biggest female stars overpaid? That`s coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
Now, we would like to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day on that very subject. Hollywood`s biggest movie stars: Are they overpaid? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com from your desktop, or your laptop, or your Blackberry, whatever you want to tell us.`
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, tonight, the Hulk Hogan divorce is getting really nasty.
I`ve got to say I`m pretty bummed out about this. I like the Hulkster a lot. I thought he and his wife Linda were a solid couple. Of course, Linda filed for divorce on November 21st, asking for all kinds of alimony.
But tonight, I can tell you that Hulk wants to put his cash in a headlock. Yes, in court papers. Hulk claims that Linda can support herself and doesn`t need to wrestle away any of his assets, so to speak. Linda also asked for custody of Nick, but Hulk wants Nick to decide for himself, saying that he is old enough. We definitely hope this one does not end up in the wrestling ring.
ANDERSON: Well, the Hogans aired their dirty laundry on "Hogan Knows Best." Tonight, big controversy over another reality show where stars go into rehab and it`s all caught on camera. Yes, they let themselves be taped as they struggle with the emotional and painful process of getting clean and sober.
The show is called "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew. It debuts on VH1 in Januay. With us tonight in Hollywood is the host, Dr. Drew Pinsky. Dr. Drew, great to see you again.
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, "CELEBRITY REHAB": Thanks, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Now, you really get inside the minds of these stars as they battle to kick their addictions. I want to take a look at a heart breaking clip from the show where actress Brigette Nielsen opens up about her painful experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGETTE NIELSEN: What has been leading to my disease was the last four years of my ex-marriage and the sickness of my child. He suffered brain tumors for two years and he got suicidal. I mean, it was so bad.
PINSKY: And where were you?
NIELSEN: I was not there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I`m sure that can`t be easy, Dr. Drew, for her to open up like that. So my question is why in the world would she, and all of these other stars, let themselves be taped, open themselves up to the public so much?
PINSKY: You know, you`ll have to ask each of them individually. I told them every day, as we all went through this process together, we were like space explorers going out on to the surface of a planet that no one has been on before. I said, "Look, guys we`re all putting on space suits. We`re marching out here together."
They were very courageous. This was treatment. It was full on rehabilitation treatment just like in any other treatment center. I put some of my best staff together, and these guys courageously allowed it all happen in front of cameras.
My own motivation was the fact that so much discussion in the press and in the public media about rehab going on these days, particularly celebrity treatments and addiction. We are scrutinizing the movements of addicts every day. Yet, no one seems to understand what this disease is. And even more mysterious is, what is the treatment process? So we`re going to show it.
ANDERSON: OK, but it is an intense and emotional process, I`m sure, to go through. Do you think it should be private, though, or does revealing that private pain help?
PINSKY: I don`t know that it helps the patients. We don`t know that yet. I think it will help the public to understand what this is, how the process works, and what good treatment is all about.
The intention is - look, we are used to looking at medical shows every day, right? We go inside the emergency rooms, operating rooms, plastic surgery. And, yet, the medical problem of our time is addiction. And you and everybody else in news media is talking about it every day, and, yet, no one is looking at the real nature of this thing and what`s required to get through it.
ANDERSON: OK. So you are bringing it to light with this show. Well, I want to ask you this. There have been reports that there is simulated drug use on the show where the stars show how they used drugs, whether it be snorting cocaine or something else.
PINSKY: Hey, Brooke.
ANDERSON: And Dr. Drew, there`s been criticism that by doing this, you may give people the wrong idea, encourage drug use. Viewers could think, "I can try that." How do you respond to that?
PINSKY: Please bring that criticism on, because that is as flimsy a criticism as you could probably give to this program. The fact is it is not simulated use. It is use.
These people took cameras out for the first few days before they came into treatment. They are drug addicts. They are doing drugs. They are smoking crack. They are snorting cocaine, and they did it on camera because they want to show their disease, and it`s disgusting. You will see how horrible this disease is. You will not want to do it.
I challenge anyone who sees this footage to say that it`s something that a young person would ever want to do. It is disgusting, and I actually ended up showing it to the patients themselves towards the end of treatment to help motivate them to stay sober.
It is not something that anyone - and by the way, how putting something in your nose or putting something in a pipe - that`s showing somebody how to do drugs? But what you do see is what it does to them, how it changes them, how dangerous it is, and how disgusting a disease this can be.
ANDERSON: OK. So it`s not simulated. It is real life behavior, and you are saying, you know, it won`t glamorize drug use or any kinds of addiction.
PINSKY: Trust me, look at the footage.
ANDERSON: Thanks for setting that straight. And, you know, obviously, you are hoping that this can help others out there by watching this. As we know, a lot of stars have been through rehab recently - Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, for example. Do you think if they watch the show it could have helped them?
PINSKY: That is my hope. That is my sincerest hope, that people who are contemplating or in denial about this disease - if you watch this show, it`s very hard to continue to shroud your condition in denial. It`s also very hard to look at rehab and go, "Oh, that`s just a vacation. That`s just some place people go to -"
Look, you look at what`s really necessary, and I think it`s going to motivate a lot of people to be courageous, just like these celebrities. I mean, people look up to celebrities. They do model their behaviors after celebrities. Here now, we`re going to model treatment and health and sobriety. That`s what I hope.
ANDERSON: Hopefully it will help a lot of people and not just the celebrities featured on the show.
PINSKY: That`s what we hope.
ANDERSON: Dr. Drew Pinsky, thank you so much. "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew premiers on January 10th on VH1.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. Shifting gears for a moment, who are some of your favorite female stars?
ANDERSON: Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, Reese Witherspoon, to name a few.
HAMMER: All right. Well some of those - some of the highest paid actresses out there. But you know, here`s something I don`t get. Their recent movies, they`re flops.
So why are they making millions for not doing their job, which is basically putting fannies in the seats? Well, at 30 minutes past the hour, I just got to ask, are Hollywood`s biggest female stars overpaid? We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I`m going to say something I`ve never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s "Dancing with the Stars" star, Las Vegas staple Wayne Newton. Tonight, he is talking about something he`s never talked about before. Why he wanted to beat up one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. Talk about Danke Schoen. That`s coming up.
And, you know, I don`t know what`s going on with Ellen DeGeneres. She usually isn`t that controversial. But the crying doggie drama - and now she`s confronting the big reality star she calls a jerk. Ellen, you need to chill. Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: You know, I don`t know what`s up with Ellen DeGeneres. She had that whole crying over the dog drama, and now she`s telling The Bachelor she was, well, shall we say, barking up the wrong tree with him.
OK, so on ABC`s reality show, "The Bachelor," Brad the Bachelor shocked everyone, yours truly included, by not proposing to someone at the end of the show, or even wanting to date one of the women. He dumped them both, left them in tears. And that set of a coast-to-coast controversy. Ellen even called him a jerk, but tonight she is apologizing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": I`m sorry for calling you a jerk because I - listen, I - I shouldn`t have done that, so I apologize for that.
BRAD WOMACK, STAR OF "THE BACHELOR": Thank you.
DEGENERES: Now -
WOMACK: But?
DEGENERES: Yes - well, here`s the thing because, you know, we watch it. You put yourself out there. You are on television. You are dating 25 women, and we`re watching how you are balancing that out and how you are going to handle it. And then we get caught up, and we hear you say, "I have such strong feelings and I don`t know how I`m going to let one go."
And then we get all the way to the end, you narrow it down to the two strongest feelings. And then, there are no feelings. They`re just - bye- bye. And so that made me mad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ellen, I`m with you. I questioned this guy`s sincerity, and I also questioned his intentions. But, Ellen, while I love you, as Mary J. Blige sings, "Girl, you need no more drama for a while."
Well, this Ellen stuff, I`ve got to tell you, it doesn`t even compare to the explosive things that Wayne Newton is saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The incredible story of why Wayne Newton says he wanted beat up one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. What got him so mad at a guy so many people loved? No Danke Schoen here. It`s Danke Shame.
HAMMER: Danke - You know what, Brooke, I got to say, how do you do it to some of the biggest female stars in the biz? I`m a big fan of people like Reese and Angelina and Nicole, the highest paid actresses out there. But, you know, their recent movies, total flops. Sorry, ladies. I just got to ask, are they overpaid?
ANDERSON: And A.J., Tom Cruise`s career has kind of flopped recently. Maybe it`s because of the risky business in his personal life, but I wouldn`t dare count this guy out yet. The startling transformation of Tom Cruise straight ahead.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a bomb shell from Wayne Newton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You have to stick around and hear this - why Wayne Newton is talking trash about one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. We`re going to tell you who it is and what Wayne said.
Also, the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. Man, you are not going to believe what these women get paid and when was the last time they had a hit? They`re getting millions upon millions of dollars, and their movies are, well, tanking. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, are movie stars way overpaid?
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: 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, tonight, you are going to find out who are the best paid female movie stars in Hollywood. The numbers are staggering, I`m telling you. But wait just one second. How come so many of these stars keep getting paid all this dough, even though so many of their movies are, well, big flops. That is what we want to know.
So, joining us tonight in New York, Bradley Jacobs, senior editor of "Us Weekly Magazine." Also tonight, joining us from Hollywood, Caroline Kepnes, movie columnist for "E! Online." Hello, Bradley. Hello, Caroline. I appreciate you being here.
So, the numbers are coming from this new study done by "The Hollywood Reporter," and I want to start off with Angelina Jolie. She is, obviously, one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. She is getting an average of $15 million to $20 million a picture.
But I want to take a look at her recent track record. Think about it. "A Mighty Heart," it was a good movie, but it did anything but mighty at the box office. "Beowulf" is out now - it`s doing OK. But she`s hardly even in the movie. So, Bradley, why is it that she deserves to get paid so much money?
BRADLEY JACOBS, SENIOR EDITOR, "US WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: A.J., of course, all these actresses are overpaid, but you`ve got to look at the context. This is about marketing. Look at the movie "Beowulf." Angelina made about $8 million for that movie. Reportedly, she was only on the set for a few weeks.
But if you saw the posters across the country and around the world, they were all Angelina with that hideous braid. You could not escape Angelina. She was - everyone knew about that movie because Angelina is on the cover of "Us Weekly" and many other -
HAMMER: Yes, but it didn`t get all that many people into the seats, Bradley. That`s the thing.
JACOBS: Well, not yet, necessarily. But my point is all these actresses that we`re talking about, they all have spotty track records. Not everyone can hit it out of the park every time. Even Tom Cruise with "Lions for Lambs" had a failure. But they are huge stars, and more than anyone else, they do put butts in seats, even if they don`t always have hits.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s roll down this list a little further, and this may be a common theme. But I want to know some more specific reasons about certain of these actresses.
Look at this, we have Nicole Kidman. Now, the Hollywood reporter is saying she earned - she earns about $10 million to $15 million a film. Her last hit - oh, I don`t remember the last time she`s had a hit. I remember "Bewitched." I remember "The Stepford Wives," "The Interpreter," a lot of flops, Caroline. So what`s the deal with Nicole?
CAROLINE KEPNES, MOVIE COLUMNIST, "E! ONLINE": Do you remember "To Die For?" I mean, when she`s good, she`s so good. But right now, it`s almost like she`s the New England Patriots of actresses where she`s so talented, but they don`t know what to do with her. No one can play with her or compete with her. She`s too - she`s so, like, unrelatable.
JACOBS: My feeling about Nicole is she has never, ever had a hit. You have to go all the way back to the "Batman Returns" movie to find anything that made over $100 million. Even "The Hours," which is her most famous film, the one she won the Oscar for, only made $40 million.
Nicole Kidman brings a level of class and glamour. Each one of these actresses that we talked about is not just a huge star as we`ve said, but there`s a certain level to them, a certain exclusivity. And they`ve also been involved with other celebrities. People ask me about them at the Thanksgiving table. They want to know about these women, and that`s why they get paid.
HAMMER: All right. I get it. So they`re buzz-worthy and they have some brand identity. Let`s move on the list. We have one of the best paid actress says right here, Cameron Diaz. She makes about $15 million per film. For my money, she could get that for her smile alone. I just think she`s lovely.
But really, other than the "Shrek" films and the "Charlie`s Angels" movies, Caroline, what has she really done to command all that dough?
KEPNES: Well, she shakes her butt really well, and that`s an important skill in Hollywood for a woman. To wear the right underwear and show this underwear off. I mean, that`s important.
JACOBS: It`s true. There`s a real likability factor for Cameron.
KEPNES: And she`s funny like she`s someone that girls would want to hang out with and guys want to go out with her. She`s the ultimate person who is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Yes, I agree with all that, but $15 million for a little butt shaking and good sense of humor, as much as I love her - I`m not taking it away from you, Cameron, but come on.
KEPNES: Yes, she should take some acting classes.
HAMMER: All right, you said it. Not me. Let`s go on to somebody who does not need to take acting classes, the lovely Renee Zellweger. Now, she is one of my absolute favorite. She gets paid $10 million to $15 million. I get this. I think because obviously, she`s had her share of successes, you know, "Jerry Maguire," "Bridget Jones" - on her list of successes. Bradley, does she deserve the money? I think so. What is your take?
JACOBS: Think of "Chicago" and how she just owned that film. She was everything there. She has, like Cameron, a real likability factor, there`s a real girl next door quality to Renee. The "Bridget Jones" movies did as much for her as they could have. I do think that she is worth it. I think she`s had a few missteps lately, but, as I said before, not every actress or actor can hit it out of the park every time.
HAMMER: All right. Real quickly, Caroline, here with the highest paid actress on the list, it`s Reese Witherspoon, between $15 million and $20 million per film. I got ten seconds, but she does deserve that money, doesn`t she?
KEPNES: Every penny of it, because she`s our new Julia Roberts. She is the girl next door. She`s, again, so likable and talented, and she has great range.
HAMMER: But, you know, every time I hear myself saying they deserve the $15 million to $20 million, it`s like you can`t even calculate what all of that means because it`s a whole lot of dough.
KEPNES: It is. It`s a lot.
HAMMER: Bradley Jacobs, Caroline Kepnes, I appreciate you being here tonight.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. What do you think about all this, huh? "Hollywood`s biggest movie stars: Are they overpaid?" $15 million to $20 million. Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. The e-mail address, showbiztonight@cnn.com. From your laptop or your Blackberry, your cell phone, your Treo, whatever you`ve got and whatever you want to tell us.
ANDERSON: Katie Holmes has a whole new look. Check this out, Katie has a sleek, new bob haircut, complete with bangs and a little fringe. I think it looks pretty glamorous. Katie debuted her new look at an awards ceremony in Germany honoring her hubby, Tom Cruise. We think Katie looks like one hot mama.
HAMMER: Well, Katie`s husband has undergone quite a transformation himself. His hair doesn`t look any different, that`s true, but what a wild ride he has had. I mean, think about it. So, we wanted to know, how did Tom Cruise go from risky business to risking his career? Yes, he did all that, and that is next in a show biz special report. Also this.
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NEWTON: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wayne Newton drops a bombshell. Wait until you hear how he finished that thought. So, why is he dissing one of the most beloved entertainers of all time? It`s an amazing story, coming up.
HAMMER: And it`s a classic love story, if you really think about it. America`s next top model meets a Brady boy on a reality show. They fall in love, they get married. The cameras are rolling nearly the entire time. To me, it sounds kind of stressful.
It turns out you have a relationship. Adrianne Curry and Christopher Knight have found some kind of a way to make it work. They`re going to tell me the secret to their success. You won`t want to miss it. Coming up next.
ANDERSON: But first, a look at what`s new at the movies this week, brought to you by Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Well, only one new flick in theaters this week, a week after the big Thanksgiving holiday. It`s called "Awake" starring the lovely Jessica Alba and Hayden Christensen. Hayden undergoes surgery but becomes conscious while on the operating table. Yikes!
Disney`s "Enchanted" is the number one movie out there right now. It pulled in nearly $50 million, making it the second the biggest Thanksgiving opening ever.
And you should definitely try to see "No Country for Old Men." It`s being released on more screens this weekend. Expect to hear about this one during awards season - tons of Oscar buzz. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.
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TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: You don`t even - you`re glib. You don`t even know what Ritalin is. If you start talking about chemical imbalance, you have to evaluate and read the research papers on how they came up with these theories, Matt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was Tom Cruise in the now infamous rant with the "Today" show`s Matt Lauer. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, the transformation of Tom Cruise. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is wondering what happened to Tom Cruise`s career? His new film "Lions for Lambs" has tanked at the box office. He severed ties with Paramount Studios after a lucrative 14-year deal with them. But should we be counting Tom Cruise out, or has he transformed himself into something even bigger than what we expected? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): The year 1983, a movie called "Risky Business," starring an up and coming actor named Tom Cruise.
This iconic moment in movie history where he slides across the wood floor in his underwear, and he is lip syncing this Bob Seger song. I mean, everybody has seen that clip a million times. This is the scene, really, that launched his Hollywood career.
ANDERSON: And who could forget when Tom played Maverick in the 1986 action drama "Top Gun." It cemented Cruise as Hollywood`s cream of the crop.
CRUISE: So you think I should quit?
ANDERSON: Quit? Tom Cruise certainly wasn`t quitting any time soon. And in fact, he set out early in his career to prove he wasn`t just a pretty boy on screen.
MIKE FLEEMAN, WEST COAST EDITOR, "PEOPLE.COM": After "Top Gun," he made "Born on the Fourth of July" and also made "Rain Man", and it showed everybody that he wasn`t just a pretty face, that he had the acting chops.
ANDERSON: Acting chops that landed him his first Oscar nomination for playing Ron Kovic, the Vietnam vet in "Born on the Fourth of July."
CRUISE: Ever since I was a kid, I wanted this.
ANDERSON: And it wasn`t just Tom Cruise the actor they were infatuated with either. When Tom Cruise met his second wife, Nicole Kidman on the set of their movie, "Days of Thunder," it was a true Hollywood romance.
FLEEMAN: And they became this mega-couple in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: A mega Hollywood couple and Tom, the mega Hollywood actor, who expanded himself into being a producer, making more money than any other actor of his time. Beginning with his hit franchise "Mission Impossible" and on to "Jerry Maguire." He was a money-making machine.
LEA GOLDMAN, SENIOR EDITOR, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: That period that "Mission Impossible" came out, followed by "Jerry Maguire," was one of his most lucrative years. He banked $57 million, $58 million. After that, he was just in a different tier altogether.
ANDERSON: In a different tier indeed, who from early on in his career he wanted work with top tier directors. Just listen to him at the People`s Choice Awards back in 1994, listing whom he hoped to work with.
CRUISE: I would like to work with Stanley Kubrick and Spielberg, and the list goes on.
ANDERSON: And Tom got his wish working with Kubrick in "Eyes Wide Shut" -
CRUISE: Where the rainbow ends -
ANDERSON: And Spielberg in "Minority Report."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I promise I`ll make it a memorable moment.
ANDERSON: But when he finally did, his personal life was suddenly taking an unexpected turn. And it began with the break-up of his marriage to Nicole shortly after they made "Eyes Wide Shut," which took almost three years to make. It was the breakup heard around the world.
FLEEMAN: They had a very famous and, we thought, lasting relationship. We always held Tom and Nicole up as sort of one of those examples of a Hollywood relationship that works. As recently as a few days before they filed for divorce, they were seen in Las Vegas riding a roller coaster. So, it was a big shock when they split.
ANDERSON: It was the first indication that Tom Cruise, the guy with the perfect career, the perfect Hollywood marriage, was transforming into someone who had his fans guessing about his personal life.
And fast forward to 2005. The transformations in Tom`s personal life took a U turn of epic proportions when he suddenly stepped out with Katie Holmes. The relationship seemed to have come out of the blue.
FLEEMAN: She wasn`t a co-star in his movie. Nobody knew that they had any sort of social relationship. And very early on, it was a relationship that rose suspicions and lots of whispers about it.
ANDERSON: And even more whispers when Tom Cruise, known for being so in control of his career, even of his personal life for so long, was suddenly seemingly out of control doing and saying shocking things, including jumping for joy in the name of love on Oprah Winfrey`s couch.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Have you ever felt this way before?
(Cheers from the audience)
ANDERSON: And then, an even more stunning transformation when he got into a verbal fist fight with Matt Lauer on the "Today" show about psychiatry as a pseudoscience.
CRUISE: You don`t even - you`re glib. You don`t even know what Ritalin is.
ANDERSON: It was the first time Tom Cruise, the biggest actor in Hollywood, was openly defending his religion, Scientology.
FLEEMAN: All of a sudden, people were saying Tom Cruise might be a little crazy.
ANDERSON: And all those out of character transformations that Tom Cruise was undergoing were catching up to him in his professional life. In August 2006, just months after "Mission Impossible 3" rolled into theaters, Cruise`s questionable antics cost him his career with Paramount Studios, home of his production company for 14 years.
The chairman of Viacom, parent company to Paramount Studios, Sumner Redstone, went on record saying exactly how he felt about Tom Cruise`s behavior.
FLEEMAN: Probably, the biggest blow in Tom Cruise`s professional life is when he essentially got fired from Paramount by Sumner Redstone who came out and said, "Look, Tom`s public behavior is bad for business."
ANDERSON: Tom Cruise may have transformed into someone Paramount didn`t want to work with anymore, but Cruise seemed content. In early November of 2006, just three months after being dumped by Paramount, he announced his new transformation, movie mogul for United Artists. And just weeks later, he married Katie Holmes in a big, splashy wedding inside a castle in Italy. He even made amends with Brooke Shields and invited her to the wedding.
FLEEMAN: It was Tom who extended the olive branch, and they became good friends.
ANDERSON: And did some of Tom`s other good Hollywood friends who are helping him in his transformation from movie star to movie studio mogul on his own terms. Their names? Robert Redford and Meryl Streep, who are starring in the United Artist`s first film under Tom`s leadership, "Lions for Lambs."
MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: What`s the story?
ANDERSON: And while "Lions for Lambs" isn`t making headlines at the box office, Hollywood isn`t counting this newly transformed Tom Cruise out just yet.
GOLDMAN: He is still certainly one of the most influential, one of the most powerful actors in Hollywood. I don`t think it`s - I think it`s to early to, you know, write the obituary for his career.
FLEEMAN: They counted him out when he married Katie Holmes and said that would never last. They counted him out when he was fired from Paramount. And some might be counting him out now that "Lions" has flopped. I wouldn`t count him out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Tom Cruise has just finished shooting "Valkyrie" in Germany. The movie tells the true story of a plot to assassinate Adolph Hitler during the height of World War II. It`s Cruise`s second film under his own studio shingle, United Artists.
HAMMER: Time now for making it work where we take a look at Hollywood couples who keep their relationships strong. And tonight, we have Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry. I mean, talk about a match made in reality TV heaven. They met on "The Surreal Life." Now, they have their own reality show "My Fair Brady."
When asked the secret to their success, Chris said their 25-year age difference actually helps, and Adrianne said the fact that they met on reality TV also actually works to their advantage. Take a look.
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ADRIANNE CURRY, STAR OF "MY FAIR BRADY": Keeping humor in the relationship, keeping - knowing that we`re foxhole buddies, you know. This probably never would have happened if it wasn`t for television. We wouldn`t have hooked up, but because we were against the forces, you know - against us - we, you know, just like soldiers did. I think that the counseling two days a week really helps us stay together.
CHRISTOPHER KNIGHT, STAR OF "MY FAIR BRADY": The fact that our age is so different is something that is surprising to me - that helps it work. I mean, there is no - there is no apathy. There`s no opportunity for apathy. There`s - it`s tough enough understanding where she`s coming from. I mean, I have to be trained by her as to where somebody her age comes from. And she has the same challenge with me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the couple recently went to Russia, and the cameras were right there to film it for a special called "Chris and Adrianne Do Russia." It airs Sunday on "We TV."
ANDERSON: It`s an absolute bombshell from Wayne Newton.
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NEWTON: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Dramatic. Wayne is publicly dissing one of the most beloved entertainers of all time. So what`s his beef? Next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Wayne Newton`s secret.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: A Johnny Carson bombshell. Wayne Newton and Johnny used to be friends back in the day. But it all fell apart, and Wayne is spilling his guts about why. On "LARRY KING LIVE," Wayne told an explosive story of why he once even threatened Johnny.
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LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": You had a rough time, did you not, with Johnny Carson?
NEWTON: I did.
KING: Because he made fun of you too much?
NEWTON: Well, what happened is I had done his show many, many times and considered him a friend of mine. And all of a sudden, a whole new brand of humor started to be displayed by him, and he was, in that humor, questioning my masculinity.
KING: Implying you were gay?
NEWTON: Yes, he was.
KING: Did you call him?
NEWTON: I called his agents. I called his manager. I called his attorney. I went through probably a year and a half of trying to reach him, and when none of that worked, I went to see him.
KING: and? You know I`m not going to leave it there.
NEWTON: I went to NBC, Burbank, and walked down the halls into his office, and Freddie De Cordova, his producer, was in the office with him. And I walked in, unannounced, and I said to Freddie - I said, "Would you excuse us, please?" He was so shocked that he did get up and leave.
And I said to Mr. Carson - I said, "I don`t know what friend of yours I`ve killed. I don`t know what child of yours I`ve hurt. I don`t know what food I have taken out of your mouth, but these jokes about me will stop, and they`ll stop now or I will kick your ass."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, but wait, there`s more. Wayne went on talking some major trash about Johnny.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: Do you think he was using just -
NEWTON: Sure.
KING: He wanted more jokes?
NEWTON: I`m going to say something I have never said on television, Mr. King. Johnny Carson was a mean-spirited human being. There are people that he has hurt that people will never know about. And for some reason, at some point, he decided to turn that kind of negative attention toward me, and I refused to have it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wayne also said Johnny was behind rumors that he was involved with the Mafia in the 1980s. You know, A.J., many people, you know, not - it`s never not very often that we see people speak negatively about deceased people -
HAMMER: No.
ANDERSON: So this obviously had been bothering Wayne for a really long time.
HAMMER: And Wayne is such a good guy, I`ve got to tell you that. Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Thanks for watching. Stay with us. Take care.
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