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Showbiz Tonight
Jessica Alba Pregnant; Battle of the Exes; Kiefer Sutherland Will Spend Christmas in Jail
Aired December 12, 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, HOST: Big news for Jessica Alba. I`ve got to tell you, we never saw this coming. You will be shocked. And revenge of exes - from Jessica Simpson to Reese Witherspoon. We`re going to tell you who`s getting even and who`s getting over it. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Britney in the hot seat. Britney is supposed to be getting grilled under oath in child custody fight. But will she show up this time? Can she get her kids back after a wild year of head shaving and panty-less partying? The late-breaking developments. Plus, Britney in the running to be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA ALLISON, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "STAR" MAGAZINE: This year`s nominees all have a couple of things in common. One, they`re all female. Two, they`re all trashy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the finalists as we count down to our pick for the wildest, most out of control, most controversial celebrity of 2007.
Tonight, sex sells. But would you buy underwear because of a provocative pose by David Beckham or would a gold, naked Paris Hilton make you buy champagne in a can? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the naked truth, sex sells. But are you buying it?
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And tonight, a Britney Spears big-time about-face. Why Britney backed off today from telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. A startling turn of events coming up.
But first, tonight, Britney in the running to be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year. We are about to name the one person who redefined the expression train wreck, the one person who consistently could not stay out of trouble and avoid controversy. So right now, without further ado, the five finalists for the title. And I can tell you narrowing it down to just five, not so easy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Tony Soprano had it easy. All he had to do to be controversial was cut to black. But if you wanted to be a controversial real-life person in 2007, you had to do a lot more. Maybe slur your way out of a top rated TV show.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON: No, I did not call T.R. a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HAMMER: Or maybe say something stupid on the radio.
DON IMUS, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Those are some nappy-headed hoes.
HAMMER: Or leave a cruel message on your kid`s voice mail.
MICHAEL YO, "E! RADIO": I think we learned in the year 2007, do not leave voice mails for your kids.
HAMMER: But we also learned in 2007 that if you want to be really controversial and qualify to be SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year, you can`t just provoke. You need to make some noise, get our attention, and most important of all, keep our attention all year long.
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS AND SINGER: I don`t feel like I deserve to go to jail.
HAMMER: This year, five people did that better than most. And one of them will be SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2007.
First, last year`s most controversial celebrity. Britney Spears spent all of this year doing everything possible to defend her title.
KATIE DARYL, "TMZ TV": She shaves her head. She does a hit-and-run. She`s in and out of courts, you know, battling for custody of the kids.
HAMMER: And when Kevin Federline took her to court, her disturbing antics became a matter of public record.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Drug use, erratic behavior, and just ridiculous parenting skills.
HAMMER: Her constant partying, sometimes in various states of undress, didn`t help either. Brit lost custody of her kids, but at least she still had her singing career. Right?
DARYL: Let`s not forget that Video Music Award performance.
HAMMER: Oh, if only we could. Britney`s disastrous so-called comeback performance at the MTV Video Music Awards was at the tip of everyone`s tongues the next day, so to speak.
PIAZZA: I think that America might have thrown up in their mouth a little bit that night.
HAMMER: With her paparazzi friendly antics, the reigning most controversial celebrity seems the one to beat.
ALLISON: Britney Spears has had quite a year, and quite a year for Britney is saying a lot.
HAMMER: But the other members of the group, one newspaper dubbed the three bimbos of the apocalypse give Britney some stiff competition. This was the year that Paris Hilton, who used to be famous for nothing, actually became famous for something.
DARYL: We all remember when Paris Hilton had to go to jail.
HAMMER: After Paris served only three days for violating probation on a DUI, all hell broke loose.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a miscarriage of justice.
HAMMER: So in a public spectacle on live TV, she was put in the back of a police car and carted back to jail to serve 23 days.
DARYL: There was stuff going on in press conferences at the White House that weren`t getting as much coverage as when Paris Hilton had to return to jail.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan fought her way on to the list of the most controversial celebrities of 2007.
DARYL: Lindsay Lohan likes to do everything big.
HAMMER: She partied big. Sometimes too big. And she rehabbed big, three times, to be exact.
ALLISON: She spent more time in rehab than she did filming movies this year.
HAMMER: And when a single DUI didn`t do the trick, Lindsay super-sized it borrowing an SUV with two unwilling passengers inside and chasing a former assistant through the streets of L.A.
ALLISON: Lindsay is like, OK, what has Britney not done? I mean, there aren`t a lot of options, so she thought, "Why don`t I just put coke in my pocket and then what else could I do? All right. Oh, I`ll carjack a car and then after that I`ll drive around all crazy."
MOTHER OF LINDSAY LOHAN`S FORMER ASSISTANT: Oh, my god, sir, they`re following us. We need help.
ALLISON: Oh, Lindsay. Bravo, bravo. You did it. You beat Britney at her own game.
HAMMER: Another finalist for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year, Anna Nicole Smith, the original hot mess. Anna Nicole`s sudden death early in the year touched up of numerous wacky court battles and a paternity fight over who fathered her baby girl, Dannielynn. Larry Birkhead won that sweepstakes. It all made for one un-missable spectacle.
ALLISON: I think people were transfixed. They`re like I want to look away, but I can`t. I - ah.
HAMMER: And speaking of can`t-miss-TV, the final finalist was the queen of it.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Someone, I believe, should call for the impeachment of George Bush.
HAMMER: Rosie O`Donnell`s time as a co-host on "The View" was full of Bush-bashing, anti-war 9/11 skepticism that had conservatives gunning for her.
TOM DELAY, FORMER GOP CONGRESSMAN: I`m calling for conservatives to take on Rosie O`Donnell.
HAMMER: One conservative tried, Rosie O`Donnell`s co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck.
O`DONNELL: Do you believe I think our troops are terrorists, Elizabeth? -
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I don`t think that you -
O`DONNELL: Yes or no?
HAMMER: That exchange hastened Rosie`s exit from "The View," but not from controversy.
ALLISON: Rosie does what she wants, and I think that that`s actually exceedingly rare.
HAMMER: So all of them are winners. Sort of. But only one can be SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2007.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Wow. Can you feel it? The tension definitely building. Who do you think will be SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year? Well, you have to tune in Thursday when the suspense comes to an end, and we name our pick for the most controversial celebrity of 2007. You definitely don`t want to miss it, Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, Britney Spears is working very hard for that most controversial title. Now, Britney was expected to show up on Wednesday morning to face a major grilling from attorneys in her custody battle for her kids. She was supposed to give a deposition, but, surprise, or maybe not such a surprise, she never showed up. And now she could actually be in more trouble than before.
With me tonight from Hollywood, victims rights attorney Gloria Allred, and also in Hollywood tonight, Jane Velez-Mitchell, an investigative journalist and author of this fine book "Secrets Can Be Murder." Jane and Gloria, always a pleasure to have you both.
Now, Britney says she did not feel well and reportedly, she got freaked out by all the media that was waiting outside her house, which is why she didn`t go down for her deposition. I`m thinking, are you kidding me? Jane Velez-Mitchell, how is this day different from any other day?
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: It`s not. It`s business as usual in Britney`s world. She`s not freaked out about the media when she goes to Starbucks to get her lattes. Why should she be freaked out today? You know, at the end of the day, this is all about her fitness as a parent in this ongoing custody battle.
This is not the first legal proceeding she has failed to show up for. So to me, it speaks volumes about her level of commitment to her two young sons, and it also speaks volumes about her level of defiance. She still feels that she is a celebrity who just doesn`t have to play by the rules, and she is in for a nasty shock.
HAMMER: Gloria, for all of those reasons Jane just cited, just a stupid move on Britney`s part, no?
GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS RIGHTS ATTORNEY: well, it is not a good move for her. As a matter of fact, she`s going to have to do a declaration under oath or have a doctor`s note if she wants to be excused from the sanctions that can result from her failure to show up at this deposition.
In other words, the attorney for Kevin can go into court, A.J., and ask for sanctions, money, attorney`s fees, the cost of the court reporter who sat there and when Britney didn`t show up and ultimately if she doesn`t show up for her deposition in the future, she could lose custody of these children to Kevin.
HAMMER: And to that end, Mark Vincent Kaplan, who`s the attorney for Britney`s ex-husband, Kevin Federline, spoke outside of his office today. Let`s watch what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK VINCENT KAPLAN, KEVIN FEDERLINE`S ATTORNEY: She didn`t show, and she`s going to show at a later date. But we don`t waive any rights to ask for certain relief from the court as a result of having a court-ordered deposition, which was not attended. And she will have the ability to oppose whatever remedies we seek for this nonappearance today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So, Gloria, I am no attorney. I don`t play one on TV, that`s why we have you here. Translate that for us. Basically, that`s going back to what you were saying, and it sounds like Mark Vincent Kaplan may actually be going after her.
ALLRED: Well, it does sound as though he is at least reserving all of his rights to go after her for money sanctions and ultimately to go after her for custody and tell the court, look, if she doesn`t show up for a deposition, she does this over and over again in the future. If she doesn`t show up at all, then on that basis alone, the court can decide to give Kevin the custody permanently that he seeks.
HAMMER: Well, let me just toss another alternative to that out there because had Britney shown up, you know, we know that she is not the best at speaking for herself. She`s not a great actor.
We know that K-Fed`s attorney has been fighting to get this deposition taken care of for something like a year now. What do you think, Jane? Could it actually be that Britney any might have gotten herself into more trouble had she shown up in court?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, if you have nothing to fear from the truth, then you have nothing to fear from sitting for a deposition. Obviously, Kevin Federline`s attorney has been preparing for this for more than a year. He is loaded with a whole bunch of accusations from a whole bunch of people who have made all sorts of claims about erratic behavior and possible alcohol and drug use. I have absolutely no idea whether there`s any truth to all that. But she would be grilled, grilled about "Where were you at a specific time? What were you doing?" And that`s hard to dance around. Even though you may be a great dancer, you can`t dance around in a deposition.
HAMMER: Gloria, just to clear it up for me. There`s a chance here that she may try to avoid the whole thing. I only have about 20 seconds here. What happens if she doesn`t ever show up for any deposition whatsoever?
ALLRED: She avoids it at her peril, A.J. And that could mean that she`s going to risk losing custody of her children. Not just temporarily, as is the case right now, but permanently, and that is a risk that she shouldn`t take.
HAMMER: I have said it before. I`ll say it again. I just wish she would get her act together. Gloria Allred, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you for being with us tonight.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks, A.J.
ALLRED: Thank you.
HAMMER: So maybe Britney has not learned how to show up for legal proceedings as she should. But she certainly did learn one thing very early in her career. Sex sells.
Here`s my question. Would you buy a pair of underwear because of this picture, because David Beckham is telling you to? There are actually some women on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff who had to take an extra look at that, and my crew member Duffy is looking at this picture right here of Paris Hilton, naked and painted gold, thinking it`s making him thirsty for champagne in a can. Is it making you thirsty? Coming up, the naked truth. Sex sells, but are you buying it? .
Plus, Jessica Alba`s life is about to change in a huge way. I`ve got to tell you. Nobody saw this coming, and we see a lot. You are going to be surprised as I was when this news came in. I`ll tell you exactly what is going on with Jessica. That is coming up.
And stand back. It`s the revenge of the exes, from Jessica Simpson to Reese Witherspoon. I`m going to tell you who is getting over it, and who is getting even.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, sex sells. Paris Hilton could probably write a whole book on it, but, you know, she`s not alone. Several stars are now cashing in big-time on their sex appeal, but the question is, are you buying it?
Joining me tonight from Miami, Steve Santagati, author of "The Manual." And from Los Angeles tonight, Kim Serafin, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly." All right, Kim and Steve, when we talk about sex and celebrities, naturally we think of Paris Hilton, right? And that`s for a very good reason. But now she has this provocative new ad campaign.
I mean, look at this thing. Butt-naked, painted in gold, selling Rich Prosecco, a sparkling wine in a can. But, wait, it is for a worthy cause. I should point out the profits are going to the Rich Foundation, apparently that brings fresh water to underdeveloped countries. Steve, I don`t know about you, but if you are like me, you know, I`m running out after the program to buy me some sparkling wine in a can.
STEVE SANTAGATI, AUTHOR, "THE MANUAL": A.J., look, sex runs the planet. Everything revolves around it. If you break everything down, follow the sex trail, you`ll figure it out. But here`s the thing with Paris. It kind of fits. Champagne in a can. You should be happy she got this. I know how you feel about her. I mean, you know -
HAMMER: speaking of the can, I mean, she was in jail, after all. I guess maybe there`s another tie-in.
SANTAGATI: And she is trying to do something for charity, and we all got to see her crawling around the Mojave Desert. It`s a win-win.
HAMMER: Yes. But on that note, - and Kim, let me throw this to you. When you thought Paris and charity, you know, that going together, were you thinking, "Oh, I got it, why doesn`t she do a butt-naked print ad and sell alcohol in a can at the same time?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, I think this is definitely the way that we would have anticipated Paris would do charity work. I mean that in a good way. I mean that seriously. Like, I don`t think anyone really expected her to turn her ways around, to suddenly be going into an office 9:00 to 5:00 every day sitting behind a desk with a clean, crisp pinstripe suit on, you know? I think she sort of gets it.
She knows if she does it, it`s going to bring attention to it, and I have to give her credit, at least. You know what? There`s a lot of people who have a big platform because they`re celebrities and have a great name and they don`t even slap their name on something. If she`s going to do some charity work, at least she`s using her sex appeal. It`s going to sell - it`s getting us to talk about it, just the way it got us to talk about her Carl`s Jr. ad. But least, this does have a charity element.
HAMMER: Steve, you are trying to get in there. Go ahead.
SANTAGATI: Yes, because - you know what I think has taken over sex? And it`s train wrecks. I think that now train wrecks sell more than anything. I think that we all see, you know, the Federlines and the Hiltons as train wrecks. You know, major companies want them to show up at their events because they draw our attention. It`s not so much their sex appeal. There`s a lot prettier girls out there than Paris. Models.
HAMMER: So train wrecks and sex. There is a balance and a combination.
SANTAGATI: Right.
HAMMER: We have to move on because, of course, when Paris came out with her sex tape, it was a whole other level of her fame. You know, she - her ex-boyfriend, Rick Solomon, who starred with her sold that video.
Now, this chain of celebrity sex tapes continues when Rick married Pam Anderson who made a sex tape of her own, of course, her ex, Tommy Lee. Now, stay with me. It`s a little complicated, but Pam and Rick are reportedly in talks for a reality show based on their lives. Steve, living proof right here that, yes, not just sex appeal, but sex can actually boost somebody`s career.
SANTAGATI: I just want to know what channel that`s going to possibly appear on. I think it`s way beyond VH1 for starters. I don`t know. I think that, again, I`m going to go back to train wrecks. Poor Pam, and Pam is like - Pam is a mess. And Solomon - I don`t even want to go near that one physically or literally. I just think - I think that, like, the train wrecks and the sex and the stuff, it`s provocative. Because in America, sex is a very taboo topic.
HAMMER: All right, Steve, I`m running out of time, and I need to get to this ad with soccer star David Beckham. Not quite as controversial. He is selling this underwear. Let me ask you, Kim, are women going out to buy the underwear because they think their guys are going to look like him, and please resist any bend-it-like-Beckham jokes here.
SERAFIN: You know, of course a lot of the appeal of the Beckhams, both Posh and David, is that they are talented, but also there`s sex appeal. And they seem to embrace it. You know, you`ve got to at least give them credit.
You hear so many people in Hollywood saying, "Oh, it`s so tough to be beautiful in Hollywood. It`s so hard." So at least they embrace it. They seem to know that they`re good looking. They pose for ads.
HAMMER: And some things will never change. I`m out of time, guys. Kim Serafin, Steve Santagati, thanks a lot.
SANTAGATI: Thank you.
SERAFIN: Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, it is that time of year again. We pick our most controversial celebrity of 2007. No slim pickins this year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I feel like, you know, being in the spotlight I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, yes. Will it be Paris? Well, made our list of final is, checked it twice, but who deserves the top honor? The most controversial celebrity of 2007. A fired-up panel ready to debate, coming up.
Plus, Jessica Alba`s life about to change in a huge way, and I got to tell you, we did not see this coming. You are going to be as surprised as I was when this news came in. I will tell you what`s up with Jess, coming up next.
Please, stand back from the TV. It`s the revenge of the exes. From Jessica Simpson and Reese Witherspoon, I`ll tell you who is getting over it and who is getting even. You won`t want to miss it, coming up on show biz tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You know, there`s always so much speculation about baby bumps. Everybody always asking is this star or that star pregnant? But we have to admit we didn`t see this one coming.
Jessica Alba is pregnant. Jessica`s rep says Jessica and her boyfriend, Cash Warren, are expecting a baby in late spring or early summer. Jessica is 26 years old. Cash, 28. They`ve been dating for about three years after they met on the set of Jessica`s movie "The Fantastic Four" where Cash was a director`s assistant. So, congratulations, Jessica.
Jessica Alba, of course, just the latest in what really seems to be a trend in Hollywood, couple who are having kids without being married. There, of course is Brad and Angelina. There`s Halle Berry, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden. So, we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Jessica Alba pregnant: Does it bother you when stars have kids out of wedlock?"
Please vote by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can e-mail us, our e-mail address is showbiztonight@CNN.com. You can do it from your desk top, your laptop, even your Blackberry or your cellphone because we want to hear whatever you want to tell us.
I got to give Jessica Alba a lot of credit. She really seems to stay out of trouble. But I definitely can`t say the same for our five finalists in the running to be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of 2007, but who deserves the top honor? Well, we have a very fired up panel. They are ready to debate it, and that is coming up.
Also, revenge of the exes. You know, when it comes to Hollywood, breakups, they`re basically two ways to go. You can get over it, or you can get even. I`m going to tell you how stars like Jessica Simpson and Reese Witherspoon fit into those categories. You won`t want to miss that. Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Well, I was nervous. I was really, really nervous. I don`t get nervous, but I was nervous. Let me tell you. I was nervous there tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What in the world could possibly make Oprah Winfrey, of all people, nervous? Oprah reveals her secret to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That is coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the most controversial celebrity of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: I feel like, you know, being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Paris definitely one of them, but there are plenty of others. So many stars out of control doing wild, over the top things. Tonight, it`s a blockbuster event you will see only right here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picks the finalists for the most controversial celebrity of the year.
Revenge of the exes. Nick and Jessica. Reese and Ryan. Uma and Ethan. All split. But tonight, who has really moved on? Who just can`t let go? I bet this is going to get ugly. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT opens the ex files.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Well, tonight, who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most controversial celebrity of the year? So much competition out there, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is only going to choose one.
Let`s get right down to our nominees. Here they are. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Rosie O`Donnell, Anna Nicole Smith. Well, you think about it. But you`re probably still wondering who will be crowned SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year.
We have a fired up coast-to-coast panel to take us through it. Joining me tonight in Hollywood "UsMagazine.com`s editorial director, Ken Baker. Also with us tonight, investigative journalist and author of "Secrets Can Be Murder," Jane Velez Mitchell, back on program. With me in New York, "Star" magazine`s editor-at-large Julia Allison.
All right, gang. I have been working hard with my abacus and all my papers here. And obviously, a lot of controversial celebrities in 2007. But, you know, we`re deciding based on which celebrity was consistently out of control through the whole year. So keep that in mind as we roll through these nominees.
And our very first one for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year - Paris Hilton. Let`s face it, she brought America whole lot of drama in 2007 in a hail of tears. Hilton served 23 days out of a 45-day jail sentence. Ken, America watched this unfold in awe. Now, is it just me, or is it true that it was the first time we ever actually saw Paris Hilton with any kind of actual facial expression?
KEN BAKER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, "USMAGAZINE.COM": I think it`s a good point. Never thought of that. But you know what? Paris was great in the summer. Paris is always good in the summer. Paris was especially great this summer because that jail was just so obscene, was so ridiculous, and truly controversial.
I just have to say I have to commend everyone at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the fantastic five. That nomination - these fantastic five nominees for the most controversial is absolutely right on spot. And Paris has to be considered at the top of the list because this drama stretched on all year.
Not only was it leading up with the DUI and then she was pulled over and she didn`t have the proper papers. And then she went to jail, then she was out of jail and back in jail. But then afterwards, of course, was the Larry King interview. That was memorable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. It was after that whole jail fiasco, she goes on "LARRY KING LIVE" and then she proclaims that she`s going to be a new and reformed woman who wants to do good for others. In fact, we can show you that right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: That`s something I was actually thinking a lot about in jail. I feel like, you know, being in the spotlight, I have a platform where I can raise awareness for so many great causes, and just do so much with this instead of superficial things like going out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, all right. Jane Velez Mitchell, would you indulge me? Would you help me out for just a moment? Please highlight for me some of Paris`s most recent humanitarian efforts. Because the only time I`ve seen her going out - to the club scene is all I have seen.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Promises, promises, promises, A.J. This is a tragedy because this young woman actually had the whole world`s attention, and she completely squandered it. She could have used that focus as a force for good.
Instead, she goes around the world and when asked what are you promoting? World peace, saving children, ending hunger? No, I`m promoting my fragrance. Just what the world needs, another celebrity fragrance. You know, it`s a travesty because very rarely in life do you get that kind of attention, and it could have been a force for change. She really could have had some meaningful change.
She made so many promises, a halfway house for the women getting out of prison so they could have productive lives. Whatever happened to that? Whatever happened to any of her promises?
HAMMER: Well, we can dream. Yes, go ahead.
ALLISON: If I may say, she did dress in an army uniform for Halloween, and she said it was to support the troops. Let`s not forget about what Paris has done for our troops.
HAMMER: And I believe at some point recently she saved an oompa loompa as well.
Let`s move on to our next finalist for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT most controversial celebrity of the year - Lindsay Lohan, our favorite party girl. Well, she can party no more, truth be told.
Crazy antics like that car chase through the streets of L.A., crashing a Mercedes into a tree. Well, it landed her in rehab three times. She even went to jail for a whole 87 minutes. Julia, does she stand a chance at the title this year?
ALLISON: Well, you know, I think that she had an admirable effort because when she went to jail - if you remember when she got pulled over for that crazy car chase, she was also carrying cocaine in her pocket. I mean, she gets serious points for that.
HAMMER: Let`s move on now to our next finalist and see what kind of points she scored for her antics this year. For SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year, another finalist is Rosie O`Donnell. Now, I don`t believe we have enough time left in the program to really truly cover all that Rosie has done. But let`s take a peek at one of the many controversial things that Rosie got into while she was co-hosting "The View" over the past year. It`s the now-infamous fight with Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I have told you. I support the troops.
HASSELBECK: I have done the same for you.
O`DONNELL: I asked you if you believe what the Republican pundits were saying.
HASSELBECK: Didn`t I say yes.
O`DONNELL: You said nothing and that`s cowardly. Nothing, Elizabeth.
HASSELBECK: No, no, no. That is not - Do not call me a coward because, number one, I sit here every single day -
O`DONNELL: So do I.
HASSELBECK: Open my heart and tell people exactly what I believe.
O`DONNELL: So do I, Elizabeth.
HASSELBECK: Do not call me a coward, Rosie. I did not hide. It was not cowardly. It was honest.
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HAMMER: Jane, controversy just in Rosie`s DNA, isn`t it?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And everybody loves to beat up on Rosie. But I`m going to praise her for being controversial because she articulates our unarticulated rage. Or put simply, she says the things that a lot of us think but are afraid to say. And she says them in the most provocative way, the most politically incorrect way possible because she knows that is the only way it`s going to get covered. And really, that says more about the media today than it says about her that you have to say something in a rude and super controversial way to get a real important issue on the table.
HAMMER: Scary, scary stuff. But great material. Moving on it our next nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year. Well, yes, of course, the lovely Britney Spears.
Really difficult to determine exactly where to start with this one. She shaves her head. She pulls a hit-and-run. She`s in and out of court battle for custody of her kids that she temporarily lost so far this year. And of course, we`ve seen countless photos of Britney going commando. Julia, just our most controversial celebrity of 2006. Do we see a repeat coming here?
ALLISON: Oh, yes. Britney`s raised the bar for controversy in general. And I think that she doesn`t show any signs of stopping any time soon. 2008 is going to be her year.
HAMMER: Ken Baker, if you had to choose just one controversial thing that Britney did this year, more outrageous than anything else, is it even possible to do that?
BAKER: No, it`s impossible because it`s really - it`s really a conglomeration of a lot of things - drugs, dysfunction, desperation and divorce. She`s got the four Ds. She has to be the frontrunner. She has to be the frontrunner in this contest. I`m telling you.
HAMMER: The big D with the four Ds. All right. Moving on now, we got to get to our final nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most controversial celebrity of the year, Anna Nicole Smith.
Of course, her tragic death caused some truly unforgettable antics from all the people in her life. It was a media circus going on that I really think would even make Britney Spears jealous. We had the paternity suit. All the drama with the judge. Let`s see. Who shall I go to? Jane, what do you think? Just crazy like a train wreck, you couldn`t look away.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and she is, unfortunately, the Marilyn Monroe of our era, and that says a lot about us. She epitomized all the struggles that Americans are going through with over consumption - over consumption of food, over consumption of drugs, over consumption and over obsession with money. She struggled with all of that, and, unfortunately, it had a very, very bad end.
HAMMER: And it`s not over yet because things are still going on. Ken, Jane, Julia, thank you very much. And there you have our finalists, but who is the most controversial celebrity of the year? Well, make sure you come back Thursday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to find out.
Well tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Ike Turner is dead. His manager tells us he died Wednesday morning at his home just outside of San Diego. Ike was the ex-husband, of course, of music legend Tina Turner. They had a truly rocky relationship. And though Ike is credited with helping Tina turn into a huge star, he often beat her and he never really shook that awful image that people had of him.
Ike, a member of the Rock `N` Roll Hall Of Fame, did win a Grammy this year in the traditional blues category for his album "Rising with the Blues." And right now, we don`t know what Ike died of. Ike Turner was 76.
Well, Oprah Winfrey does not strike me as someone who gets nervous. I mean, she obviously does her talk show. She speaks in front of so many people all the time. But tonight, she`s revealing to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT something that put her on the edge, made her more nervous than anything ever before. Really, Oprah? Yes, I`ve got that coming up.
And talk about nerves. I know break-ups are never easy. No, they`re not. But doing it in the public eye? Talking about Nick and Jessica, Reese and Ryan. Tonight I`m investigating what has happened to these couples since they split. It`s the revenge of the exes. Who moved on? Who just can`t let go? You`ve got to stick around for that. Also this.
A holiday tradition. Some say it is totally ridiculous, though - a dancing cop directing traffic. What`s the deal with this guy? He`s doing some kind of police polka. Well, I`m going to be putting on my dancing shoes. Well, maybe not. But I will have this fantastic story for you that is so ridiculous, coming up next.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a little story that made us say -
CREW: That`s ridiculous!
HAMMER: Well, a holiday legend is back. I`m not talking about Rudolph. I`m not talking about Frosty or even old Saint Nick. I`m talking about the dancing Rhode Island traffic cop. Just puts me in the holiday spirit. Tony Lepore gets everybody moving with his moves.
Now, this guy is a retired cop from the force, but the Providence mayor has brought him back every year for the past 10 years to do what you see now, the Traffic Tango. Call it the Spotlight Samba during the holiday season.
Got to wonder if Tony was inspired by one of my favorite shows from the 1980s. Do you remember "Cop Rock?" Oh, that was the early `90s, wasn`t it? And I knew it didn`t last very long. Singing cops and lawyers. It was brilliant. Well, maybe, that wasn`t his inspiration, but to the dancing cop and the singing TV cops that I remember so poorly, you both get a "That`s ridiculous!" But happy holidays.
HAMMER: Well tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the revenge of the exes. We know that breaking up in Hollywood is hard to do, and that has happened a lot this year, hasn`t it? The upcoming new issue of "People" is now revealing who is coming out on top, who is having the last laugh, and who is crying?
Joining me tonight in New York, the always smiling David Caplan, staff editor for "People" magazine. All right, David. Let`s get down to it, and start off with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, featured prominently in this issue of "People" magazine.
Jessica has been dating, well, a whole bunch of different stars, including her current flame, the Dallas Cowboy quarterback, Tony Romo, since she got divorced from Nick Lachey. Nick, on the other hand, has been a pretty consistent guy, finding love with Vanessa Minillo. So David, it seems to me Nick has found the one, while Jessica still can`t seem to find Mr. Right.
DAVID CAPLAN, STAFF EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Definitely. Nick has been very lucky here because he`s been with Vanessa for a while. And a lot of people didn`t think they would stick together, but they`re really a great come couple. They`re a sexy couple. They get along. They have similar interests.
But Jessica, on the other hand, has been a bit unlucky in love. She`s with John Mayer for a bit, and she`s been linked to all these other guys, everyone from Owen Wilson to all these other random celebrities. But it looks like she may have found a keeper in Tony Romo.
HAMMER: But why do you think it hasn`t happened for her yet? I mean, it may have happened here with Tony, but this whole unlucky in love thing really has been a pattern since the divorce.
CAPLAN: Yes, absolutely. And I think the reason is - it`s almost a cliche and it`s almost a little nauseating to say, but she really did love Nick, and then Nick was pretty good to her.
Then all these other guys she`s met afterwards, they`ve always had rocky relationships. They`ve been guys that didn`t want to commit. Their relationships were always so in the news.
But with Nick, it was her first boyfriend, first serious boyfriend and then, of course, husband, and they just had this connection. She just has not found that since then, which shows you she still has some feelings for Nick.
HAMMER: Well, maybe it will be it for her and Tony. Best of luck for them. We want to see them happy. Let`s move on to Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. Here`s a couple that when they announced their separation back in October of 2006, everybody was shocked.
Now, Reese reportedly is with Jake Gyllenhaal these days, her co-star from the movie "Rendition." But who in this couple has been luckier in love since they split up?
CAPLAN: I would say Ryan, actually, because he has been spotted very recently, in fact, the last couple of weeks with Abby Cornish. Remember, she was the Australian actress who he was in that movie with "Stop Loss." And actually, there were reports and rumors that she was the reason that Ryan and Reese split.
So, Ryan has been having this sort of slightly clandestine relationship with Abby, and he has been doing pretty well. He is getting along well with his kids. In fact, Abby has been spending time with his kids, with Reese, so he is pretty good.
But at the same time, you know, listen, Reese is dating Jake Gyllenhaal, so not many people would complain there. It`s difficult, I think, to have a clear cut winner there. Depending what team you are on. A lot of people wouldn`t mind dating Jake and Abby Cornish is a great actress and a great person. So, they`re doing well.
HAMMER: It`s really interesting to see that Ryan has basically been able to stay out of the magazines with that whole thing with his current relationship. It`s interesting that he can kind of lay low a little more than Reese has been able to.
Want to move on to Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Now, after these two split up, Ethan said it`s unfair when one person`s career is taking off and the other is really suffering. Seems to be some hard feelings going on here. So is Ethan the one crying in this situation?
CAPLAN: Ethan is definitely the one crying, and obviously that comment reflects there`s a little bit of sour grapes there going on. His career didn`t do to well, and he wasn`t really romantically linked to many women after their split. He was a little bit unlucky in love, unlucky in his career, but now it`s coming out to make it even more scandalous that he has been dating the ex-nanny, which doesn`t make him look like the most upstanding guy.
Uma, meanwhile, has been looking great. Her career is doing well. And she`s been having these serious relationships. They`re solid. She definitely emerges as the winner in this ex-war.
HAMMER: Nice to see. Uma Thurman, luck in love. Really quickly, Bridget Moynihan and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. I only have a few seconds, but, man, this was a messy split-up. And she was pregnant when Tom Brady moved on to his next girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen. Only ten seconds here, David, but he really ended up looking like the bad guy to me here.
CAPLAN: Definitely looked like the bad guy and looks like he just dumped her. And then he`s with his new girl, meanwhile, leaving Bridget without a dad for her kid, at least in Los Angeles. Bad guy.
HAMMER: Let`s wrap it up. David Caplan, I thank you, as always. A scintillating read. You can read more about the revenge of the exes in "People" magazine on newsstands, Friday.
Well, Kiefer Sutherland reportedly only brought two books to jail, but he`s got tons of letters to answer. The "24" star is currently serving 40 days behind bars in a Los Angeles jail for his second DUI conviction. He`s going to be spending Christmas and New Year`s there. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you he`s got plenty of fan mail keeping him busy.
` A spokesman at the Glendale jail says Kiefer is getting nearly 100 letters a day. No word yet on whether any of those are birthday wishes. Kiefer is also celebrating his birthday in jail, December 21st. He will still be in lockup.
Well, Jessica Alba and her boyfriend split, but got back together, and now she`s expecting. We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. "Jessica Alba pregnant: Does it bother you when stars have kids out of wedlock?" You can keep voting by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
Oh, yes, obviously having a baby is very exciting. It can also make somebody very, very nervous as well. Oprah Winfrey, not having a baby, but I can tell you that tonight she`s really nervous about something.
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WINFREY: Well, I was nervous. I was really very nervous. I don`t get nervous, but I was nervous. Let me tell you. I was nervous here tonight.
HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey on the edge. I don`t know. She`s usually as cool as a cucumber. Tonight, she is revealing her secret to us of what got her so spooked. That`s coming up next.
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HAMMER: Oprah Winfrey has been in front of so many crowds throughout her life. But tonight, she`s revealing the one thing that finally made her nervous. Now, you might have heard that Oprah Winfrey has hit the campaign trail for the guy that she wants to elect president in 2008, Democratic Illinois Senator Barack Obama.
Well, thousands came out this past weekend to hear her speak during events with him in Iowa, South Carolina, and in New Hampshire. When we caught up with Oprah in Hollywood at the premier of her new movie, "The Great Debaters," Oprah told us this was like nothing she`s ever done before.
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WINFREY: I have never experienced anything like this kind of excitement in the political arena, and so it was a wonderful - I was nervous. I was really very nervous. I don`t get nervous, but I was nervous, let me tell you. I was nervous there tonight for the first time.
By the time I got to Cedar Rapids, I was loosening up a bit. By South Carolina, I hit my groove. But I was nervous because this was a different arena. I wasn`t really sure what`s going to happen. They had warned me you are going to have hecklers and what to do with a heckler. There is - heckler notes you get for how to handle it. And none of that ever really happened. It was a great process, and I would like to see it continue.
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HAMMER: Surprised to see her get nervous over that. And I agree with her, even if you aren`t behind her guy, if it gets you involved in the process, that is terrific. By the way, this movie that she produced "The Great Debaters" stars Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker, and it opens up on Christmas day.
Well, on Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. There`s a push in Germany to ban Tom Cruise`s religion, Scientology? So, we were asking, "Tom Cruise: Do you care that he`s a Scientologist?" Twenty-seven percent of you said yes. Seventy-three percent, no, you don`t care.
Some of the e-mails we got included Lynn from Florida writing, "Didn`t I read somewhere about `Freedom of Religion.` I feel his religious beliefs are his own business."
Vinny from New York writes, "I don`t care if Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, but it is entertaining to see how loony he went now that he is one."
Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Thursday, a huge day here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, tonight we introduced you to our five finalists for our most controversial celebrity of the year - Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rosie O`Donnell, Britney Spears, and Anna Nicole Smith. Thursday we pick the winner.
I guess you can call her a winner. I don`t know if they want the title. We will name the most controversial celebrity of the year. You can`t miss this. And you can find out who it is only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next.
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