Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Britney`s 26th Birthday; Miss Puerto Rico`s Gown and Makeup Were Not Doused With Pepper Spray; `Celebrity Rehab` Controversy
Aired December 03, 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: Brad Pitt to the rescue. We`re going to tell you how Brad is making life a whole lot better for a whole lot of people.
BROOKE ANDERSON: And the tests are in, and there was no pepper spray on Miss Puerto Rico`s clothing. So what now? I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney`s big birthday bash. Britney partying with Paris Hilton, again? Somebody help us. Tonight, Britney turns 26. Guess what, Brit? You already had your cake, and now we`ve got some presents for you too. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT delivers our wish list and the birthday gift we hope Britney got. Panties, anyone?
Tonight, celebrity rehab outrage. A shocking and controversial new show that shows celebrities caught on tape using drugs. Celebrities caught on tape in rehab. Is the show over the line?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, "CELEBRITY REHAB": You will see how horrible this disease is. You will not want to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the fired up debate over the "Celebrity Rehab" ruckus.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson. And tonight, the plot thickens in the red pepper spray beauty scandal because here`s the thing. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now tell you that although Miss Puerto Rico claims she was sabotaged with pepper spray, there is startling new evidence to the contrary. We`ve got the late-breaking details coming up.
HAMMER: But first, tonight Britney`s birthday. Yes, Britney Spears actually did have a real excuse to party over the weekend. She turned 26, and she began the new year, well, let`s just say she began it the same way she began last year. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a birthday gift basket for Britney that we can only hope she accepts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Britney.
HAMMER: Twenty-five has been a rough age for Britney Spears. She`s had hardships in her personal life with her bitter custody fight. She`s had some ups and downs in her music career, and she`s had one really, really bad haircut.
So on her 26th birthday Britney spent the occasion quietly reflecting on the past year and thinking about how she can gain more control over her topsy-turvy life. No, just kidding, of course. Her 26th birthday Britney, partied at this swanky celebrity bash.
This TMZ video showed the mad house that erupted when Britney left Saturday night`s swanky party in Bel-Air, California. And look who is walking out with her. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, it`s Paris Hilton. Not again, Britney.
JO PIAZZA, CORRESPONDENT, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": They partied at the Scandinavian Style Mansion, and then off they went to the Four Seasons to drink champagne until about dawn.
HAMMER: Jo Piazza of the New York daily news tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that seeing the pair together again reminds her of the time of around Britney`s last birthday when Britney and Paris started making headlines and not in a good way.
PIAZZA: They went out on a party bender for Britney`s 25th birthday. Brit, Paris, and Lindsay Lohan were snapped out all over the place. And if you remember, that was the week that Britney famously left her underwear at home. That was the notorious week of all of the cover stories being The Bad Girls Club, "The Bimbos of the Apocalypse."
HAMMER: At that time, Robin Williams told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Britney should stay away from Paris.
ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Hanging out with Paris is a difficult thing. It`s like being a hemophiliac in a razor factory. Be careful, honey.
HAMMER: After that first round of partying with Paris, Britney`s year was dominated by partying, disastrous court appearances, alleged substance abuse, and, finally, losing custody of her kids.
PIAZZA: Starting last year, starting on her 25th birthday, that was when things really started to go truly downhill for Britney.
HAMMER: Not that that`s Paris Hilton`s fault, but some say that seeing Britney kick off her 26th birthday with the same people and in the same fashion as she did her 25th is just not a good sign.
PIAZZA: She seems to be in the exact same place. She`s doing the exact same thing she did a year ago. She`s going out. She`s drinking. She`s partying, and, yes, she`s doing it with Paris Hilton yet again.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is offering Britney wishes for a happy birthday, and the hopeful message that at 26, she once again has a chance to turn things around. Forget the swag. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has some ideas for gifts that is Britney can use for her 26th birthday. Number one, a full-time driver.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": That would seem to be probably top of the list, one of the things she needs.
HAMMER: A hit-and-run accident and charges she was driving without a valid California license all played a part in Britney`s losing custody of her kids. Kim Serafin of "In Touch Weekly" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a driver could rid Britney of one of her most consistent headaches.
SERAFIN: This way she can text without worrying about trying to drive and text at the same time.
HAMMER: Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News" has another possible gift idea for Britney that could help her with issues that have dogged her all year.
PIAZZA: If we could get a full-time driver/sober buddy/parenting coach for Britney, we could get all those three things in one. I think that would be the perfect holiday/birthday present.
HAMMER: So it seems what Britney needs most is something that can`t be put in a box.
PIAZZA: If you can find some, Britney could use some dignity for her 26th birthday.
HAMMER: Maybe a gift of dignity would make Britney take her career, motherhood, and her public image more seriously. Sure, there is one disadvantage to dignity as a gift.
PIAZZA: Dignity is a bitch to wrap.
HAMMER: That`s true, but`s your birthday, Brit. Anything is possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well, we don`t have dignity wrapped up in a bow for Britney, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT does have nifty presents for Britney`s 26th birthday. With us tonight in Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama. And in New York, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman.
Howard, Pat, I want to get started this evening with what, you know, we think at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is one of the most important presents that Britney deserves, and that is a clue. The girl needs a clue. Pat, why doesn`t she understand this?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: If I only had a clue. Oh, that`s different. That`s a different show.
ANDERSON: The Scare Crow.
LALAMA: Anyway, she has not learned a single lesson. This underscores for me even further that this poor young woman has serious mental issues. I am begging for her to get good professional help.
She`s listening to no one. Why wasn`t she home with her babies having them help her blow out the candles and wish mommy a happy birthday and invite good friends over? No, no, no. She`s out with Paris. You know what, this is insanity.
ANDERSON: Good point, but, you know, to speak of Britney, she may not have had visitation that evening, Pat.
LALAMA: Oh, stop it. Stop it.
ANDERSON: You know, I just want to get that out there. I could hardly believe my eyes, though, and it wasn`t just me. Just like last year, the beginning of her pantiless partying year with Paris Hilton, who does she choose to celebrate number 26 with? Paris Hilton, Howard. Are you kidding me? The next present, we think, she deserves is maybe leave Paris at home.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: This is sort of a surrealistic Groundhog Day, isn`t it? I mean I`m kind of optimistic because we know that we have jobs for the next year here talking about Britney because if she lives this year exactly like she lived last year, we`re going to be busy.
I mean, anything that was associated with last year, I would burn. I would deny. I would want to write a new life. I would go to Mother Teresa`s grave, you know -
LALAMA: Start over.
BRAGMAN: But no, her instincts aren`t serving her real well right now, so -
(CROSS TALK)
LALAMA: Howard, maybe you thought we were going to talk about Einstein this year. Come on. What, are you kidding?
ANDERSON: Maybe she will get a clue and know she needs to make a fresh start soon. And the next present that we think Britney any would really appreciate is a new cell phone. You know, Britney has claimed she didn`t get important phone calls like things like court-ordered drug testing because she didn`t get the message, and we have the phone for her. Can we take a look at it again? We even had it blinged out for her. Pat, what do you think? Will the cell phone work?
LALAMA: Well, currently courier pigeon is not working to get her those messages that she needs to get into rehab and needs to go take a drug test. And I want to add to that some new people around her so they can stop lying. The ones she has now lie for her. Get rid of them too, as long as we`re going to get new technology.
ANDERSON: That`s right. And speaking of technology, we`re going to talk about a vehicle that we think would be a great present for Britney`s 26th birthday. A trip in the DeLorean. This is courtesy of our own A.J. Hammer. It`s his idea. The DeLorean is the car featured in the movie "Back to the Future." Howard, it seems perfect, doesn`t it? She could recapture some of her past and make changes before she goes any further in the future.
BRAGMAN: You know, most people would be happy to say I`m 26, I have two beautiful children, I have this horrible income of just $700,000 and some a month. She has so much to be grateful for and she doesn`t realize it.
So, I don`t think a car to take her in the past is going to help. I mean, her album didn`t do bad. So it`s really not the past. We`re all going to get older. We hope we get wiser, too, and that didn`t always happen in this case.
ANDERSON: You are right about that. And the final present we want to give Britney on her 26th birthday, 26th anniversary of her birth, a new publicist. Pat, you spoke about this. She needs new spokespeople.
LALAMA: Well, if you are asking me, I have to tell you, I want to give her a year supply of birth control. But in the greenroom is Joey Buttafuoco who seriously told me he would like to be her driver and her bodyguard. He`d take care of the kids and get her everywhere safe. So on behalf of Joey, I am saying he wants the job to drive for her.
ANDERSON: And Howard, we hear you want to make a really generous offer to Britney Spears as well, right?
BRAGMAN: Britney, call me for your birthday. I`m giving you one month of publicity free. I am going to put a big caveat there. Are you going to listen to me? But I`m easy -
LALAMA: No.
BRAGMAN: I`m easy to track down. I`m easy to find. Give me a call and we`ll work on that image because I couldn`t screw it up anymore, could I, Brooke? Come on.
ANDERSON: No, you couldn`t. You would do a fantastic job. We may be a little harsh here tonight, but honestly, we do wish the best for Britney Spears. Pat Lalama, Howard Bragman, thank you both.
HAMMER: Joey Buttafuoco driving Britney Spears - there`s your reality show right there. Joey Buttafuoco, by the way, just one celebrity experiencing and feeling "Celebrity Rehab Outrage." There`s a shocking and controversial new TV show that actually has celebrities caught on tape using drugs and going to rehab. So what I want to know is, does it cross the line? Well, Joey, a part of a very fired up panel, ready to debate coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
ANDERSON: And Brad Pitt to the rescue. I love this guy, and even more now than he has announced a plan to make a life a whole lot better for a whole lot of people. Brad explains it all if his own words straight ahead. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
INGRID MARIE RIVERA, MISS PUERTO RICO 2007: There`s proof, you know. My face changed. There`s videotape. There are pictures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. That`s what Miss Puerto Rico told me that there actually was proof that her clothe and makeup were doused with pepper spray. Well, guess what? The tests are in, no pepper spray. Could she be making it all up, or is there even more to the story? That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA: There`s proof, you know. My face changed. There`s videotape. There are pictures. People noticed. I couldn`t even use my jewelry. The supervisor noticed. The staff noticed. Security noticed. So, it`s not something I just made up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, that is a very confident Ingrid Marie Rivera. She`s telling me there that she`s positive somebody sabotaged her clothes and her makeup with pepper spray during the Miss Puerto Rico pageant to compete for Miss Universe.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, mysterious new developments in the Miss Puerto Rico investigation. Police have just revealed that no traces of pepper spray were found in Rivera`s clothing.
Just a week ago pageant organizers and Rivera claimed that her bathing suit, makeup, and gowns had been doused with pepper spray in a possible attempt to sabotage her. But the results are in, and there seems to be more questions than answers at this point.
With us tonight, from Hollywood, Ken Baker, editorial director of "UsMagazine.com." Also joining us tonight from New York, Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom. Good to see you both. You heard her there. When I spoke with Miss Puerto Rico, she could not have been more sure that somebody was out to get her.
Now, one of the detectives on the case now says Ingrid Marie Rivera has an awful lot of explaining to do. Lisa, I got to tell you, I found her at least in person very believable. What do you think? Did she make it all up?
LISA BLOOM, COURT TV ANCHOR: Don`t be dazzled by the fact that she`s very pretty, A.J. This is a very suspicious story. Think about it. If you break out in hives and you are sneezing, would you say it`s pepper spray? Or would you say, "Gee, I must be allergic to something"?
Something is going on. I don`t know what it is. Maybe she`s allergic to silicone or false eye lashes. I don`t know. But she alleged pepper spray. They didn`t find any pepper spray. I`m suspicious.
HAMMER: You know, Brooke Anderson and I were just sitting here having that exact conversation. Why would she have said pepper spray particularly?
Now, some reports said initially that Rivera`s clothes and makeup did test positive for pepper spray. Here`s where I`m getting all confused, because now these tests have come out negative. I guess these are new tests.
Runners-up in the contest deny they had anything to do with what happened to Rivera. Ken, something is very fishy here. Peppery and fishy.
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": Yes, yes, both. But have you to give her the benefit of doubt here. She`s not a scientist. Maybe she did have an allergic reaction. Maybe she did think, god, somebody is trying to sabotage me. Maybe she was breaking out in hives. We don`t know that she wasn`t. Maybe it just wasn`t pepper spray.
A very important point here is that they did do the tests, forensic tests, on her clothes and on the makeup and found no pepper spray. But the one thing they said was they didn`t test for any other chemicals. It could have been some other chemicals. It could have been something else she was allergic too.
But, yes, it is suspicious, but, of course, we don`t have all the facts in. But I think you guys are just beating her up, and I think you just got to give her a break.
HAMMER: No. Two things, Ken, number one, I did find her very believable in person, and number two, she actually is a scientist. Actually, I`m just kidding about that part. Let`s listen now to what she told me specifically when I asked her what she would say to anybody who thought that she had anything to do with this. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIVERA: It`s a beauty pageant. Why should I or why would I lie to hurt myself with a chemical that was burning? Why should I -
HAMMER: Some would say, to sort of perhaps get sympathy, deflect everything else that may have been going on?
RIVERA: No. At the moment that`s I didn`t want to tell anything because I didn`t want to get anyone`s sympathy or even like to maybe be victorious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: She denies any involvement. Other contestants, the runners-up all deny any involvement. Investigators are now basically looking to talk to anybody who may have given false information. So, Lisa, my question is what would actually happen if Rivera - if they found out that Rivera lied to the police?
Oh, very serious criminal charges. I mean, that`s what happened to Martha Stewart and Scooter Libby, convicted of felonies for lying to law enforcement. That is a big no-no in every state and under federal law if, of course, if, if, if, that`s what happened.
HAMMER: All right.
BAKER: Can I - I just have to point out, though, that the police said that she didn`t give a statement to the police. She gave a statement to A.J. and some other media, but she did not make a statement to police. So as it currently stands, she would not be charged with a felony because she never made an official report to the police.
BLOOM: Right. It`s got to be to the police or under oath. That`s correct.
HAMMER: OK. All right. That`s an important distinction there. Sabotage in a beauty pageant really may not seem all that far fetched when you think about al the high stakes. Miss U.S.A., 1995, Shanna Moakler, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she understands the pressure and, in fact, in Latin American countries, this is really big stuff. Watch what she had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNA MOAKLER, MISS U.S.A. 1995: These are huge events. Their pagenants aren`t just, you know, how we look at them like, "Oh, Miss U.S.A. was on today." Their pageants are events. They`re like the Oscars. They have presidents attending them. They become not just celebrities, but icons. It doesn`t just change their life. It changes their family`s lives forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Ken, I only have about 20 seconds here, and let me remind our viewers, you are a former pageant judge, and, in fact, Ingrid Marie Rivera, also a former pageant judge. Is Shanna right that the pressure is so high, sabotage is a real possibility?
BAKER: It really is. Particularly in Puerto Rico where you have Dayanara Torres who won Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Universe, and ended up marrying Marc Anthony and was royalty. This is very high stakes there, much more so that here. That is very true.
HAMMER: I am looking forward to this mystery completely being unraveled found out. We want to know what happened. Ken Baker, Lisa Bloom, thank you both for being with us tonight.
BLOOM: Thank you.
BAKER: Thanks.
ANDERSON: It is Brad Pitt to the rescue. You know, this is going to make you love this guy even more. We`re going to tell you how Brad is about to make life a whole lot better for a whole lot of people, next. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PINSKY: 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And Dr. Drew is not the only one who is really fired up about his controversial new TV show that has stars caught on tape using drugs and going to rehab. What I want to know is the show going to help people just say no or is it just a bad idea? I cannot wait to hear this debate. It is still ahead.
ANDERSON: And how cute is this? You know, A.J., I consider it a good day at work any time I get to talk about little piggies dressed up like tigers. You don`t want to miss the showbiz video of the day, coming up.
HAMMER: That is a good day at work. And coming up on Thursday, it`s another good day at work. Brooke, it is excellent to have you here in New York City. Thursday an extraordinary event, "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE."
ANDERSON: Certainly, extraordinary, A.J. We are both here live here in New York City where CNN is paying tribute to the world`s real heroes. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
HAMMER: Now, this all gets started at 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on HEADLINE NEWS with a special live edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Brooke and I are going to be live for a red carpet special as some of Hollywood`s biggest stars arrive. And we share with you some of the truly remarkable hero stories that you, the viewers, have shared with us all year long.
ANDERSON: Then at 9:00 p.m. Eastern you will want to tune in to CNN for "HEROES AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," hosted by CNN`s Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour and includes performances by Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones. A special night of heroes you will not soon forget.
HAMMER: You can stay on top of the latest and most provocative entertainment news stories by signing up for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Click on "newsletter" on the left hand side of the page. We`ll e-mail it to you everyday.
HAMMER: Tuesday, a match made in reality TV heaven. Adrianne Curry and Chris "Peter Brady" Knight are right here. They met on "The Surreal Life" and now they`re man and wife. So, what is their secret to avoiding the reality TV curse. Chris Knight and Adrianne Curry, Tuesday, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: So, how would you like to be able to say that Brad Pitt built your house? Brad is helping to rebuild New Orleans one home at a time. The project is called "Make It Right," and it`s Pitt`s latest effort to help the area recover from hurricane Katrina by building homes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
A hundred and fifty homes is our goal to begin with. But there is no reason why we can`t do 1,000 homes, why we can`t do 10,000 homes, why we can`t do 100,000 homes. It is - this thing will go as far as the support that is given.
We`re standing here at this location at the lower ninth. We chose to start here because of the devastation and because of the immense hurdles for the homeowners, for the residents to come back here, but this is emblematic of parishes all over New Orleans. This is emblematic of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ANDERSON: You can learn more at makeitrightnola.org, and be sure to tune in to "LARRY KING LIVE" for a prime time exclusive interview with Brad Pitt. That`s Wednesday on CNN.
HAMMER: Amazing work he`s doing. "Celebrity Rehab" outrage - a shocking and controversial new TV show. Actually, a celebrity is caught on tape using drugs and going to rehab. I got to know, does it cross the line? W We`ve got a fired up debate you won`t want to miss, next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI KLUM, GERMAN SUPERMODEL AND ACTRESS: I don`t just sit on the couch with my feet up neither, you know. I have to kind of watch what I eat, and I eat a lot. You know, you would be surprised on what I can pack in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Say it isn`t so. Even Heidi Klum has issues with her weight. What? I wouldn`t have believed it if she didn`t tell me herself. Heidi really opens up about her weight issues. That`s ahead in the interview you`ll see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And look at this. Oh, tigers and piggies and cuteness. Oh, my.
ANDERSON: Oh, my.
HAMMER: We`re going to tell you why the little piglets are being reared, or maybe I should say roared, by a tiger. It is the showbiz video of the day not to be missed. It`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll be right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, celebrities using drugs, going through rehab, and it`s all caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PINSKY: They are drug addicts. They are doing drugs. They`re smoking crack. They`re snorting cocaine, and they did it on camera because they want to show their disease, and it`s disgusting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A shocking and controversial new TV show with real stars using real drugs trying to get clean. But, you know, I got to ask, does it go too far? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the fired up debate over the celebrity rehab show that everyone is talking about.
Heidi Klum opens up about her body image. I know. I know. She`s a beautiful model, but, yes, even Heidi says she struggles with her weight. Tonight Heidi Klum opens up to our very own Brooke Anderson. Plus, the secrets of how she lost the pounds after having three kids. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(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. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, celebrities in rehab. A new show sparking controversy and it hasn`t even hit the air yet. The reason? Stars are actually seen on tape using drugs. This is a new VH1 reality show. It`s called "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew, and it shows celebrities going through treatment. But the question is, does it go too far? Should their private pain be made so very public?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, interventionist from A & E`s "Intervention," Ken Sealey. Also, Joey Buttafuoco. Joey is a host on the "Let`s Talk Recovery" radio network. And with us in New York tonight, investigative journalist, author of "Secrets Can Be Murder," Jane Velez- Mitchell.
Gang, I appreciate you being here tonight. Let me run down a few of the celebrities that appear on this show on VH1. Brigitte Nielsen, Daniel Baldwin, and China(ph). They`re all on the thing. And I want you to listen to what the show`s host, Dr. Drew Pinsky told us about the depictions of drug use that you`ll see on the show. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PINSKY: 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`s something that a young person would ever want to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Ken Sealey, I`ve been wanting to talk to you about this ever since we had Dr. Drew on our show. You, of course, are an interventionist on A & E`s "Intervention ". It seems like what he says makes sense. At least it does to me. Does celebrity rehab cross the line by showing stars actually going through treatment, or is it a good thing?
KEN SEALEY, INTERVENTIONIST, A & E`S INTERVENTION: You know, A.J., I`m back and forth on this. You know, I think it could be very positive in the way where, you know, people go through treatment. And I remember my personal treatment plan was when I went through it, it was - I was terrified to say a word to anybody in my recovery and in my groups.
And the viewers, if they`re sitting back and watching this, it could be so powerful for them to say, "Wow, I`m in the same place that that person is," and maybe they could identify and get the help that`s necessary. So that`s my prayer in the positive.
But in the negative, you know, to go out there and put this information out there or make it public. You know, how serious are they about their recovery when a camera is there? Can you share your deepest, darkest secrets with the world when you know everybody is watching? Is that really possible? That`s where I`m back and forth on it.
HAMMER: Yes, but specifically to the point of actually showing the drug use and the idea that people will see how disgusting it is. Joey Buttafuoco, let me go to you. What do you think?
JOEY BUTTAFUOCO, HOST, "LET`S TALK RECOVERY" RADIO NETWORK: I personally think it`s disgusting, showing the cocaine use - I actually witnessed that on a promo on "Fox Reality." And coming from a recovery standpoint, I don`t have another party in me like that and then have the opportunity to go into rehab. I think they`re sugar coating that. It`s very, very bad message they`re sending to our younger people. Anybody out there that is suffering that`s on drugs, this is glorifying, glamorizing it. That`s how I see it.
I think it`s disgust and wrong to watch somebody on television cutting those lines of cocaine, taking that rolled up dollar bill by the time any one of them had done because the money is gone, if it`s even a dollar and not a straw from 7-Eleven. And snorting cocaine or booting heroine or slamming some kind of drug. I think it`s horrible messages they`re putting out. Rehab, on the other side, is wonderful if you get it and you are lucky and fortunate enough to get rehab, that`s beautiful.
HAMMER: We`ll get to that in a moment. But in terms of it glamorizing the drug use, because I think this is an important sticking point, and that`s exactly what Dr. Drew was saying. It doesn`t do because of how disgusting it looks. Jane Velez-Mitchell, let me ask you. You`ve been open on our program about being a recovering alcoholic, sober for more than a decade. Do you think people will be disgusted by what they see and perhaps be scared straight?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: You know, I certainly hope so, A.J., and I think this can be very positive. As they say, you are only as sick as your secrets, and here are people, celebrities, opening up about their most toxic secrets.
And I think it`s important for America as a whole, because we have a very classist and elitist attitude toward drug use. It`s OK to show poor, young, minority kids in the inner city doing drugs and send them to the slammer for years for doing crack cocaine. But we have a tendency as a society to look the other way when affluent whites do regular cocaine. And the studies have shown they don`t get the same harsh penalties and don`t get locked up for as long as often.
So, this actually is showing America the real profile of drug use, namely that it`s not just about being poor or about being minority. That people who are totally affluent and even celebrities have severe drug problems. And so instead of saying, "Oh, it`s those people over there," American families can look at themselves and say "It`s me or it`s somebody in my family or in my backyard."
HAMMER: Yes. Point well made. I mentioned Brigitte Nielsen. She`s one of the stars that`s featured in the "Celebrity Rehab" show. Let`s now listen to what she said about her personal battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGITTE NIELSEN, ACTRESS: What has been leading to my disease was 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)
HAMMER: Ken, I`m sure you`ve heard lots of stories like that. It`s so hard from everything that we`ve learned right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to just deal with these issues, but to deal with them while the cameras are rolling.
Let`s get back to that point. You, yourself, went through rehab more than 18 years ago. Could you imagine that the cameras were rolling, or can it all be a good idea when celebrities are dealing with something that is very private?
SEALEY: Well, A.J., when we do our show on "Intervention," it`s not like the cameras are rolling. It`s like nobody is even in the room because you are so involved with the situation that`s going on.
So, I`m hoping that`s the same tactic that they`re going to be using in this show because I think it can help a lot of people. Because how many people are sitting there watching the show saying, "That`s what happened to me. I wasn`t there for my kids. I wasn`t there for my family." And that`s where I think this could be a benefit. That`s where I think we could help millions of people.
HAMMER: Joey Buttafuoco, would you have ever let cameras roll while you were going through your recovery? Do you think this is a terrible idea?
BUTTAFUOCO: Are you out of your mind? When I was in the throes of my - you got to be crazy asking me that or any drug addict because I was one of the biggest jerks out there throwing money around, wasting money on cocaine, heroin, everything that was out there. The answer to your question is I wouldn`t probably - I couldn`t even look at a telephone, no less, pick up a phone or let a camera roll while I was so wasted.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Joey, but aren`t you are involved in something. You`re involved in a show right now that`s about recovery. So you are actually participating in something that you are criticizing.
BUTTAFUOCO: No.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: There`s also something called the "Recovery Network" where people have meetings, and I have actually watched that. When I can`t get to a meeting, I`ll turn on the recovery network and watch it because it`s like being at a meeting.
BUTTAFUOCO: You are right, Jane. I am involved in recovery radio. But what I am against about what this show is showing, the actual on air usage of drugs, cocaine, heroin, whatever it was. Me, personally, I have an issue with that. I am absolutely involved in the recovery end of it.
I want to stay there, and I`m clean 19 years, and my recovery is everything in the world to me. And I just take offense to seeing this drug use by supposed - well, OK, they`re stars, and they`re old stars, but, still, they`re idols to some people. And I just think it`s the wrong message putting that part of it out.
HAMMER: What about the point, though - and, Jane, let me ask you this. Dr. Drew told us he said this could hopefully motivate people to be courageous just like these celebrities. Is that kind of the silver lining, as you see it?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, absolutely. And I only hope, because I don`t believe that Dr. Drew himself is a recovering addict, that some of the counselors on his program are recovering alcoholics or addicts, because the miracle of the program is identification.
I did many years of therapy trying to control my drinking, but it was only after my first AA meeting - or I should say twelve-step because it is an anonymous program, and let me correct and say twelve-step - that, the obsession was lifted. So, therapy is fine, but unless one addict is talking to another addict, that is the miracle of the program. And I pray that people around the country watch this and get help.
HAMMER: Yes. I got to wrap you there because we`re out of time, but I appreciate you all being with us. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ken Sealey, Joey Buttafuoco, thank you so much.
All right, Brooke. Very excited you are here in New York City. Very excited we have "CNN HEROES," a special we`re doing this Thursday.
ANDERSON: Yes, we do. I`m thrilled to be a part of this with you, A.J. It`s a wonderful tribute to these heroes. They are ordinary people doing extraordinary thing.
HAMMER: Now, some of the biggest stars are getting involved. They`re going to be a part of our special. Now, coming up I`ve got this amazing story. It`s all about two women who are going all out to help the homeless. These women happen to be Jon Bon Jovi`s personal heroes. You will see that, coming up. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KLUM: I don`t just sit on the couch with my feet up either, you know. I have to kind of watch what I eat, and I eat a lot. You know, you would be surprised on what I can pack in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Are you kidding me? Heidi Klum, stressing about her weight? I think she`s beautiful the way she is, but tonight I`m getting her to open up to me like never before. Plus, the secrets of how she lost the pounds after having kids.
HAMMER: All right. Excuse me there. This tiger has certainly got some issues of her own. Doing a good job raising her kids. The only thing, is her kids are piggies. I`ll explain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You just have to see our showbiz video of the day. If this doesn`t make you say ah, then something is terribly wrong with you or maybe you are the Grinch who stole Christmas.
This tiger has adopted these oh so cute piglets at a zoo, and it`s just outside of Bangkok, Thailand. Now, these petite porkers are in their stripes. They`re even dressed up as little cubs.
But get this, there are reports out there that claim this is no big deal. Tigers bring up pigs all the time and that the zoo may have kind of staged this whole thing. Maybe they did. Maybe they didn`t. Either way, it`s sure darn cute. And that is the show biz video of the day.
ANDERSON: From model mom, to, a well, supermodel with a shocking secret. Tonight, Heidi Klum opens up about her body image. Yes, I`m serious. This gorgeous woman really worries about her weight. I had the chance to sit down with Heidi to talk about strutting down the catwalk for this year`s Victoria Secret`s Fashion Show and how she looks so great after giving birth to three kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): There is such an obsession with this show every single year. But there are fashion shows all over the world, all the time, it seems. Why do you think this one is such a big event?
KLUM: I think it is a little bit about everything. I mean, for me it is always a dream come true myself. When I go down the runway and I`m wearing these amazing clothes or lingerie, I should say, it just feels great.
You know, it`s so wonderful to have great music. They have great performers. There are angels flying all across. I mean, they have great art dancers and, you know, I love wearing the wings. I love seeing all the girls once a year all together in one shot. It`s just, you know, a really great thing.
They show a little bit of, you know, behind the scenes on how hectic it is and how we run around and bras are flying, and, you know, the wings are being ripped off. And then they scream your name because you can`t make it in time, "Heidi, we need you now!" And you have one shoe, and you are hopping along. You know, and then they shove you out, and you are all cool again like nothing ever happened. This whole kind of feeling of back stage and then being out there.
ANDERSON: I think men hearing bras are flying, that`s probably all they have to hear.
KLUM: They kind of do, because things have to go so fast. They really do.
ANDERSON: You hit the runway after the birth of your third child, Johann(ph) right?
KLUM: Yes.
ANDERSON: And you look fit and fabulous. And I`m sure mothers out there everywhere are seeing you and thinking, "Wow, how does she do it?" How do you do it?
KLUM: It`s hard, I have to admit. It`s not easy. I`m 34 now, and, you know, we have three children. This is the way - this is what we wanted. We wanted to have a lot of children, and, you know, the body will never be the same as it is before. Things change, and so they did with me too. But it`s all worth it because we have three wonderful children. So, you know, in order to stay fit and still be trim and toned, you have to work on it. I mean, unfortunately, that`s how it is. I don`t just sit on the couch with my feet up either. I have to kind of watch what I eat, and I eat a lot. You know, you would be surprised on what I can pack in.
But I really look for the right things. You know, I eat very, very healthy, and I`m always out and about doing things. I run after the kids. We go on the trampoline. We go to the park. I mean, they always want to do things in the pool, learning how to swim. I mean, there`s always something going on.
ANDERSON: Have you ever struggled with your weight at any time? Because I know there is such intense pressure in the modelling business to be super thin at all times.
KLUM: I definitely go up and down. You know, in the last three years, I have been pregnant pretty much nonstop, so that was going back and forth a lot. But you know what, I kind of just kept on working.
On "Project Runway," it was fine. They didn`t mind. So, I was just, you know, hosting the show being big and round. Afterwards, less round but still breast feeding so a lot more rounder on top. I mean, there was always curves involved. But, you know, that was fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: She was a pleasure to speak with, and you can watch Heidi walk the runway on the "12th Annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show" that airs Tuesday on CBS.
HAMMER: Well, this Thursday, I would like you to be a part of an extraordinary event, "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," live from New York City. This is all part of a year-long global search for ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Some of Hollywood`s biggest stars will be right there too sharing the stories of their favorite heroes.
Well, tonight Jon Bon Jovi opens up about his two women fighting homelessness and making an incredible difference in Philadelphia.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JON BON JOVI, ROCK STAR (on camera): Homelessness hits people for different reasons and different walks of their lives. It doesn`t discriminate. It doesn`t care if you are white, black. It doesn`t matter if you are young or old.
I`m Jon Bon Jovi, and my heroes have devoted their lives to breaking the chains of homelessness.
JOAN DAWSON MCCONNON: The mission of Project Home is to solve homelessness permanently for people.
SISTER MARY SCULLION: Many of those men and women that once lived on the street now are taxpayers, voters and they themselves become leaders and create their own future.
BON JOVI (voice over): Over the years, they built close to 500 family units.
SCULLION: Our first project was three units of housing, but also provided space for a restaurant, catering business. We wanted to find a way to provide opportunities for employment through these various businesses.
BON JOVI: Job training and service providing are the key elements to helping people break the chains of poverty and getting them off the streets.
MCCONNON: Sometimes the people that you meet on the street don`t feel connected to anything. And we reconnect people for each other, and something stirs inside and things flourish from there.
BON JOVI: Today, in the 21st century, you have to rely on each other and get back to the neighborhood and not worry about government and the corporation to save the day.
SCULLION: We believe that none of us are home until all of us are home. What affects one of us, affects all of us. We`re all part of that inescapable network.
BON JOVI (on camera): Heroes to me come in all shapes and sizes. We don`t have to be the rock star, and you certainly don`t have to be a nun to make a huge difference. Sister Mary and Joan are the inspiration for people like me, and hopefully this will inspire somebody else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Such a great story. I`ve got to tell you, there are so many more where that came from. So, I am looking forward to being a part of this extraordinary event on Thursday, December 6th, "CNN HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE" right here in New York City. I will be there live, and, Brooke, I am so thrilled you`re going to be there live too.
ANDERSON: I am excited about it, too. It`s a great event, A.J. CNN is paying tribute to the world`s real heroes, ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You won`t want to miss it. It all gets started 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on HEADLINE NEWS with the special live edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: And then at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, "HEROES, AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE," on CNN hosted by Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour.
ANDERSON: Well, Don Imus definitely not my hero, A.J., after he said those awful things about the Rutgers University Women`s Basketball Team. He is back on the air, so the big question I have is, will he be a kinder, gentler Don Imus? I`ve got the shocking shock jock answer next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, after just eight months since he was fired, Dorn Imus is back on the radio. He`s on New York City`s 77 WABC. Now, you no doubt remember Imus was canned from both his CBS radio job and MSNBC TV broadcast after he made shocking racial and sexual remarks about The Rutgers University Women`s Basketball Team.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON IMUS, SPORTSCASTER (voice over): Some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and some hard core hoes. That`s nappy-headed hoes there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, for his new show, Imus has added some people of color, a comedian and a sports guy, both are African-American. As part of her "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2007" special, Barbara Walters asked Imus if he was now going to be a not-so-shocking shock jock and if he hired the two black staffers out of guilt.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMUS: No, I thought - I thought it was an opportunity to diversify the cast. Anybody who is on that program is there because they are funny or smart. I suddenly find myself now in this unique position to present a better program. To never ever say anything that would ever make these young women or anybody else regret that they forgave me and that they accepted my apology.
BARBARA WALTERS, TV HOST: Now you have a new radio show, so do you have to be more cautious? How are you going to have a kinder, gentler Don Imus?
IMUS: Well, I don`t think so, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the reverend Al Sharpton, the guy who led the charge to get Imus fired, says he is encouraged by Imus`s changes, but he will be listening.
On Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this, "Hollywood`s biggest movie stars: Are they overpaid?" Looks like you think their paychecks are way too big. Ninety-three percent of you say, yes, they are overpaid. Only seven percent of you say no, they aren`t. Here are some e-mails that we received.
Marie from California thinks, "It`s ridiculous and tragic. What do they do? They pretend. Firefighters and soldiers put their lives on the line and they`re getting paid `peanuts.`"
Rachael form Texas says, "The movie industry will make millions. If certain actors bring in a lot of cash, they should be compensated for it."
HAMMER: Here is what is coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tuesday, it`s the story of the most interesting couple. Adrianne Curry and Chris "Peter Brady" Knight. They met on a reality show, now they`re married. But so many other reality couples failed. What`s their secret? You`ll find out tomorrow.
Also, Tuesday, "Beauty and the Jock." You know, the hottest accessory for Hollywood`s hottest women, a quarterback or point guard on their shoulder. Why so many sexy stars are attracted to sports stars? That is Tuesday.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. We`re in New York. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Keep it right here. Take care.
END
