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Showbiz Tonight
Britney Spears Showdown; The Golden Globes Go on
Aired January 14, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: A big Britney Spears` showdown. We are right there at a California court. Is this her last chance to get her kids back? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And my exclusive look inside the shocking, starless Golden Globes. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, breaking Britney Spears` news. Britney`s back in court, and it could be the most important day of her life. Could this be her last chance to get her kids back? Did she even bother to show up this time? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there for the Britney Spears` courtroom show down.
The weirdest award show ever. The Golden Globes go on without writers, without stars, but with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
ANDERSON: I was right there on stage announcing the winners of the controversial Golden Globe Awards. I will bring you the exclusive inside stories you will hear only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: The winners, the losers, the absolutely unbelievable scene. Plus, we`re asking the question on everyone`s mind - what`s going to happen to the Oscars? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT covers the bizarre Golden Globes like no other entertainment news show.
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Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And this has been a remarkable day of tension, of conflict and anticipation all revolving around the one-woman drama fest that is Britney Spears. Late this afternoon, Britney finally got into a car and headed to court. Take a look at this bizarre video of Britney Spears hanging out by a black SUV hours after a hearing to determine when and if she can get to see her kids had already begun. Did Britney squander her chances to get any custody and what did the judge say about the night she was hauled off on a stretcher to the hospital?
HAMMER: With us tonight in Hollywood, CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter who has been out in front of the courthouse all day long. Also tonight in Hollywood, entertainment journalist Ken Baker; Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes public relations; and Jane Velez- Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of the book, "Secrets Can Be Murder. Joining us in New York tonight, Lisa Bloom, anchor of True TV`s "In Session."
Gang, wow. What a day it`s been. Kareen, I have to start with you, because first, Britney shows up at the courthouse where you have been spending all of your time. Then Britney leaves apparently to go to church, get a coffee or who knows what? But what happened when she actually showed up?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I cannot begin to describe the spectacle, A.J. that this has become. It all took place just right here to my left, the entrance of the L.A. County Superior Court House and this is what we saw with our very own eyes. We`re not making up, I promise.
The black SUV, the Escalade, pulls up here. You can imagine the crush of media. Britney Spears comes out. It looks like some sort of lace little number from top to bottom. She`s decked out and starts screaming, "I`m scared. I`m scared." You know, "Help me."
And at that point, you see all of her handlers around her, A.J. They`re trying to - I don`t know, get her through the crowd or, you know, just get her to calm down. She runs around, jumps into the driver`s seat, driver`s seat, OK? And is ready to take off. They go after her. Convince her to go into the back.
It was just an absolute mess out here. And they sped off into the distance. I remember the days, A.J., when the worst thing Britney Spears did is show up at the gas station, you know, pregnant and barefoot.
HAMMER: Yes.
WYNTER: This is absolutely incredible what`s been going down with her.
HAMMER: I remember the days when the worst thing she did is wear something that was perhaps a little too sexy some considered for her age on stage at a concert.
I want to actually play a piece of video we have of what happened today when Britney finally arrived there at the courthouse and that melee that you just described. It was such a frenzy that it scared her if that is in fact what scared her - there are other things for her to be worried about. Take a look at this incredible video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: I`m scared. Stop it. Stop it. No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s do it this way.
SPEARS: I want to get in the car. I want to get in the car. I want to get in the car. Stop. I want to get in the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, it`s amazing seeing that especially here`s a young woman who is so accustomed to being around the crush of the paparazzi. Clearly, that was a very uncomfortable scene, Kareen. Why do you think it is that they couldn`t have that more under control for her?
WYNTER: That`s a great question. Why is it? Is it because there are so many members of the media from all over the country? Australia, Germany. Here. It`s just unlike anything we have seen before, A.J. And what`s different with today`s hearing is the LAPD - they`re fed up. They want to put a stop to this and they`re cracking down on the paparazzi.
So when we arrived here quite early this morning, they were camped out. Members of the Sheriff`s Department. And what happens throughout the days is - and I have this right here as proof - a member of the media received this, a citation for jaywalking. They were trying to chase after Kevin Federline`s caravan and, you know what? They got this.
So it just gives you an idea of what`s all going down here. And I spoke with one of the officers and they said, "She`s playing with us," referring to Britney Spears. That`s because she was trying to get into one of the entrances here and then decided to take off. So, they`re fed up with it. They don`t know what`s going on.
HAMMER: Wow. A member of the media got the jaywalking ticket. I hope it wasn`t you, Kareen because I don`t believe CNN will pay for that.
WYNTER: It`s "Seventeen Online."
HAMMER: Let`s flash back to earlier in the day to a much calmer time in Britney Spears` life. Charles, if you would, put up this video because it`s very interesting to see. Britney Spears when she was just kind of casually hanging out by herself. It seemed outside of a black SUV, Out front of her house, having a smoke. Now, Ken, would it not have been better if she had been there all day long today? Because that video shot much later in the day, hours after the hearing had already begun. If she had shown early in the day, first thing, beginning of court, like I believe Kevin Federline did, all buttoned and ready to go, I have to believe that would have been a better move for her.
KEN BAKER, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Yes, absolutely. In fact, Kevin Federline showed up very promptly in a suit at 9:00 a.m., a half hour before the proceedings were to start and Britney, as you said, was in a no show. A lot of people - every time they talk about the slow speed, high speed chases with the helicopters looking above in L.A., they bring up O.J. But guess, what the more appropriate parallel here is Michael Jackson.
Do you remember the child molestation case a few years ago when he would show up late and the judge would be waiting for him? I`m sorry to say, but Britney Spears` life is becoming the spectacle that Michael Jackson had ultimately become and that`s a very, very sad place for her to end up.
HAMMER: Michael Jackson, though, also figured out how to finally show up and make the right impression on the judge. And Jane Velez-Mitchell, let me go to you on this. Because everybody was optimistic that Britney was finally going to show up first thing in the morning, being one of the most important court dates of her life so she was ready to battle for her kids. Does it seem that she waited so long in the day to get there just to show further that she`s not fighting as hard as she should given that her kids are at stake?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: That could be the understatement of the century, A.J. I don`t know if she`s on anything or not ,but clearly she is displaying the addict`s mentally. And the hallmark of addiction is defiance. You could sum it up saying, damn the consequences, and underneath that attitude is fear.
She has really snowballed her problems by continually refusing to face the consequences of her actions. So she does something bad and she refuses to show up for a deposition to talk about it. Then she`s afraid that she`s going to lose her kids. So she barricades herself in a room with one of the kids. Then she doesn`t want to deal with that mess so shows up late again, over and over again and her problems are increasing exponentially as a result.
HAMMER: True TV`s Lisa Bloom, I mean, we have seen this time and time again, not doing everything that she should to get these kids back as if that really isn`t a priority of hers.
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, TRUE TV`S "IN SESSION": Well, she clearly she has no concept of what`s required of a person going to court. You don`t show up in a thigh-high miniskirt with the high heels and no stockings. And you don`t show up two hours late.
And I mean, this is the problem with Britney. She does not get that she needs to submit to the system. She needs to dress appropriately, respectfully towards the court. She just has no understanding of what`s required of her. Sometimes I wonder if a guardian should be appointed for her because she clearly has some mental illness issues.
HAMMER: Well, she doesn`t have a guardian. She clearly doesn`t have a publicist like the great Howard Bragman to tell her how to dress, how to show up on time. Howard Bragman, I`m guessing, were Britney your client, you would have gone through the wardrobe and said, "Now, this looks good. I`m going to pick you up first thing in the morning and we`re going to be there before this thing gets under way.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, A.J., I`ve done this once or twice before in my life and I`ve taken clients to court. And what you have to do - Lisa hit it; the word is respect. The judge has to think you`re respecting him. The police have to think you`re respecting them and the LAPD will be magnificent. They will pave the way. You walk in and it will be beautiful.
As soon as you disrespect them, forget it. If she showed up at court to help herself - but she achieve the opposite. She hurt herself and reinforced everything we thought, and the word is mental illness that`s been said here today and said here before.
HAMMER: And we shouldn`t lose sight of that and there`s plenty of compassion for Britney and whatever she is dealing with. But one of the grand ironies of this whole thing that we have talked about time and time again is Kevin Federline acting in a much more appropriate way. He came to the courthouse on time this morning. He was wearing a suit. So in great contrast to Britney`s outfit, he was buttoned up and ready to go. Ken Baker, what does he seem to get that Britney does not get? Anything that may or may not be happening with mental illness aside?
BAKER: Kevin from the very beginning back in the fall when he started this custody battle, it`s been a Britney`s outfit, he was buttoned up and ready to go. Ken baker, what does he seem to get that Britney doesn`t get? Anything that may or may not be happening with mental illness aside?
BAKER: Well, Kevin from the very beginning back in the fall when he started this custody battle - it has been a tenacious, legal warfare that he has waged on Britney. And we are amid depositions by the way. There`s been bodyguards, former assistants, her friends. Everyone is submitted to depositions and I think she`s just so afraid to face the facts of what these people are giving in these depositions that she wants to avoid it entirely.
HAMMER: Jane Velez-Mitchell, only 20 seconds here. But as I said, it looks like Kevin Federline is doing everything right.
VELEZ MITCHELL: Absolutely, and that`s the irony. I mean he`s sort of a party boy. He was seen drinking some alcohol with Paris Hilton. Yet, in this context, he`s scoring an A plus and that`s just a reflection on how abysmal Britney`s behavior is.
HAMMER: All right, thanks very much, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Kareen Wynter, Ken Baker, Howard Bragman and Lisa Bloom. I appreciate you all being here.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Britney Spears: Should she still be allowed to see her kids?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Do it from your desktop, your laptop, even your Blackberry or your cellphone. Just tell us what`s on your mind.
HAMMER: Brooke, there is just so much to talk about here tonight. I mean, with Britney`s bizarre behavior, should she still even be allowed to see her kids? One of the many controversial questions we`ve got to address. Our continuing coverage of the Britney Spears` court custody showdown at 30 minutes past the hour.
We`ll also have this -
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ANDERSON: And the Golden Globe goes to -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, I was right there live announcing some of the Golden Globe winners on Sunday. I was flattered, very honored to be asked, but I have to say, it was kind of a weird experience, too. No stars. No red carpet. No huge parties. My exclusive look into what really happened when I stepped on stage, that`s straight ahead.
And you know, some big-time Hollywood stars got some very special awards over the weekend. We`re not talking Golden Globes. We`re talking babies. Coming up, I`ve got big baby news, a super singer, a "Melrose Place" star and a reformed, hopefully, party girl. All new mommies. Stay with us.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And the golden globe goes to -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That should have gone to our very own Brooke Anderson. Look at her. Looking amazing. Did a spectacle job right there live presenting at Sunday Night`s Golden Globe Awards press conference.
HAMMER: A.J., you just have a soft side. Thanks, A.J. It was a lot of fun. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Well, presenting at the Golden Globes was pretty bizarre. Because of the writer`s strike, actors wouldn`t cross the picket line and that left the show`s organizers scrambling. With no writers and no stars to accept or present awards, what could they do? Well, they really had to use their imagination.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Imagine, if you will, an awards show where there is no red carpet, no fancy designer gowns and no weepy acceptance speeches.
MALE VOICE OVER: Your next stop, the twilight zone.
ANDERSON: Yes, it does seem like something from out of "The Twilight Zone." But on Sunday, the surreal became reality.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good evening and welcome.
ANDERSON: The stripped down 65th annual Golden Globes Awards show was really a press conference where the names of the winners were announced in a very low-key fashion.
(on camera): Cate Blanchette, "I`m Not There."
(voice over): Cate Blanchette really was not there. Neither were any of the winners.
MARY MURPHY, ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: It was watching an awards show that wasn`t an awards show.
ANDERSON: Entertainment reporter Mary Murphy tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the stripped-down Golden Globes show was made possible by the two-month-old Hollywood writer`s strike.
MURPHY: Writers were going to picket. Stars will absolutely not cross the picket line so there was no show. There would be no stars. There would be no presenters.
ANDERSON: Heck, there weren`t even Golden Globes at the Golden Globes. No statuettes were on hand because no actors were there to present or accept them. So instead, envelope opening duties fell to this crew of esteemed journalists, including -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
ANDERSON: Yes, I was there, too.
(on camera): Hi there, everyone. I`m home honored and thrilled to be a part of this tonight. This may have been the most controversial, provocative Golden Globes ever. And as I stood there on stage in the thick of it announcing to the world who the winners were, I can tell you the tension was unbelievable. Fortunately, I got through my presenting duties without any major disasters.
And the Golden Globe goes to Samantha Morton, "Longford." Sure, in my awards show debut, I was no Billy Crystal, but the reviews were kind.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, if there was one highlight for me from the Golden Globes press conference, it would have to be that entertainment anchor Brooke Anderson from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Wow! She was composed. She was self-assured and, boy, did she look fantastic. They should be giving her an award.
ANDERSON: NBC which was slated to air a more traditional Golden Globes Awards show before the strike hit aired its own separate Golden Globes announcement show where "Access Hollywood`s" Billy Bush and Nancy O`Dell read the winners` names.
BILLY BUSH, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": The winner is, John Hamm from "Mad Man." Imagine a guy named Hamm being an actor.
ANDERSON: John Hamm, "Mad Man." Over at the press conference, I resisted the urge to make fun of Hamm`s name; maybe that`s why he later let me interview him about his win.
(on camera): "Mad Man" won not only for you individually but for the show as well. That must make you very proud.
JOHN HAMM, GOLDEN GLOBE WINNER FOR "MAD MAN": It makes me incredibly proud. The entire experience working on the show has been nothing but warm and wonderful from the beginning, right up to now.
(voice over): And that`s pretty much how it went throughout the ceremony. Announce the nominees. Read the winners.
ANDERSON (on camera): Jeremy Piven, "Entourage."
(voice over): Skip the acceptance speech. And repeat.
JULIA ALLISON, "STAR" MAGAZINE: I`m sure never in a million years did Jeremy Piven think that he was going to be giving an acceptance speech to his cat. It`s like, "Thank you, thank you so much, wastebasket. I`d like to thank you and I`d like to all of my three friends who are here at home."
ANDERSON: But on the bright side, it all made for a brisk ceremony. Last year`s Golden Globes lasted three hours. This year`s, 32 minutes. And for some, that was cause for celebration.
ALLISON: So they didn`t have the three-hour bloated, boozy infotainment- esque thing that they usually do. But other than missing out on the fashion, I don`t think anyone in America really cared. Everyone would just prefer that the stars get all dressed up, walk up the red carpet and then walk right back down. Just get dressed up, smile, and then leave.
ANDERSON: Now that the Golden Globes are over, the big question is - what about the Academy Awards scheduled for February 24th?
MURPHY: If the writers` strike keeps going on, this is exactly what will happen to the Oscars.
ALLISON: Don`t cancel the Oscars. OK? You don`t mess with the Oscars.
ANDERSON: A starless Oscar show. That would be a tragedy that no one wants to see. But just in case, I`ll be sure to keep my schedule open.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Well, the Golden Globes show was a thrill for me but not so much for NBC. Early ratings for Sunday`s one-hour Golden Globes announcement were down about two thirds from last year.
HAMMER: Definitely, Brooke. Those Golden Globes are kind of bizarre the way it all went down. I`ve got to tell you, the scene at an L.A. County courthouse today also very bizarre. We were right there for Britney Spears` custody showdown. You know, this could be her last chance to get her kids back. I`ve got a very fired up coast to coast panel. They`re coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
We will also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: This particular incident was like a little too far and so false that Tony felt like, "OK, that`s enough."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I go one on one with Eva Longoria-Parker and she opens up about those shocking explosive rumors about her husband, that he had an affair with a woman he met at their wedding. This is an absolutely unbelievable story. And let me tell you, Eva and hubby, NBA star Tony Parker, are really fighting back. That`s straight ahead.
And there was a Hollywood baby boom this weekend. Three huge stars all give birth. An amazing singer, a "Melrose Place" star and hopefully reformed party girl. I`ve got that coming up next.
HAMMER: So, you like what you see? Well, now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all by downloading our podcast which is absolutely free. You`ll find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast by surfing over to our Web site which is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. New ones up there all the time. It`s also on iTunes; just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: OK. So the Golden Globes are kind of eh. No stars. No red carpet. No huge parties. But three big-time Hollywood stars were all smiles in weekend. They got their very own awards. New babies.
Christina Aguilera and her music executive husband Jordan Bratman welcomed a baby boy this Saturday night in L.A. The boy named Max weighs six pounds two ounces, about 20 inches long. It`s the first kid for the couple. Everyone is resting and doing well.
Former "Melrose Place" and current "According to Jim" star Courtney Thorne-Smith also has a baby. She delivered a boy named Jacob Emerson, also her first, in L.A. on Friday. The father is Thorne`s media consultant husband, Roger Fishman. The 40-year-old mom and baby are healthy and well.
And Nicole Richie is our third new mom of the weekend. The "Simple Life" star gave birth to a little girl named Carla Winter-Kate on Friday. The dad is "Good Charlotte" rocker Joel Madden. And you know, I`m really rooting for Nicole . This party girl seems to have turned it all around after being convicted of driving under the influence of drugs last year. Congrats to all of them.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. I`ve got to tell you that I`m really one who`s very happy to see that Nicole Richie has actually cleaned up her act. Of course, sadly, we can`t say the same for Britney Spears. Tonight, a Britney court custody showdown. You know, this could be the last chance for her to get her kids back. We`ve got all the new developments covered like no other entertainment news show. I`ve got a very fired up coast-to- coast panel ready to tear into this. Coming up next.
ANDERSON: A.J., I wish I could say things were really fired up at Sunday night`s Golden Globes. Yep, that`s me up there. I was one of the presenters. Now what turned out to be a bizarre night. Coming up, my exclusive look into what really happened when I stepped on stage. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LONGORIA-PARKER: This particular incident was like a little too far and so false that Tony felt like, "OK. That`s enough."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria-Parker is fighting back. Tonight, she opens up to me about those startling, nasty rumors that is her husband had an affair with a woman he met at their wedding. My revealing interview with Eva straight ahead.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a big day in Britney Spears` custody battle. But did she actually show up to court this time? And at this point, is there any way she can see her kids? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the late-breaking developments in Britney`s custody battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Here are the nominees for best supporting actress in a series, mini series or TV movie. And the Golden Globe goes to -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson right there on stage announcing the Golden Globe winners in a ceremony that was really unlike any other. No red carpet. No script. No stars. Is this what we can expect from the Oscars, too? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with full coverage of the most bizarre Golden Globes ever.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you non-stop coast to coast coverage of Britney Spears` big custody show down in court today and what a day it has been.
Paparazzi swarmed the courthouse today in anticipation of getting just a glimpse of Britney going into the courtroom. Britney`s ex Kevin Federline showed up at court bright and early in a snazzy pinstripe suite, looking the part of a responsible dad. Britney, on the other hand - she showed up late, of course, decked out a sexy, well, let`s call it inappropriate little number, and let me tell you, chaos ensued.
HAMMER: Joining me tonight on the scene in front of the courthouse, CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter. Tonight, in New York, victims` rights attorney Gloria Allred. Tonight, in Hollywood, entertainment journalist Ken Baker. Also in Hollywood tonight, founder of Fifteen Minutes PR, Howard Bragman and investigative journalist Jane Velez- Mitchell.
All right. Let me go to Kareen, first. It has truly been some kind of a Britney day. You have been there on the scene at the courthouse all day long putting up with everything that`s been going on with the Britney frenzy. What`s been going on? Set the plate for us, Kareen.
WYNTER: You know, how can we have drama, and she didn`t make inside the courthouse. It really started early in morning with the speculation and everything leading up to it, A.J., as you can imagine with Britney Spears. She`s a wildcard. She is so unpredictable. But people actually thought that she would show up today. Not legally required, but hey, your children are at stake. That`s what you`re playing with here. And Kevin Federline showed up quite early. So, you know, they broke for lunch in the middle of the day.
We got word that Britney Spears would be showing up and it all took place right to the left of where I`m standing. The black Escalade pulls up. You see the media just flock to the left. Police are up in arms and they don`t know what to do. OK? They`re trying to keep order out here but it`s not working because they`re outnumbered.
Britney Spears exits the SUV and started screaming like a helpless little child saying, "I`m scared, I`m scared." But who wouldn`t be, you know, with all of the crush of attention out here and then she just gets around and goes around the corner. Her handlers are yelling, "Get her, get her." Because is she going out into the traffic? Is she going to try to drive off in the sunset with the SUV? It`s just been unbelievable. But bottom line, you know, a no-show.
HAMMER: Well, just when you think she`s somebody who would be accustomed to all of the crush of the paparazzi, it is frightening. I want to watch this up close so we can see exactly what happened when Britney finally arrived at the courthouse. This frenzy being greeted by all of these paparazzi. And it did scare her and did force her to have to take off again. Let`s watch this video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: I`m scared. Stop it. Stop it. No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s do it this way.
SPEARS: I want to get in the car. I want to get in the car. I want to get in the car. Stop. I want to get in the car.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ken Baker, let me go to you. I mean it`s just incredible watching that. I feel badly for her. I would like to have thought she could have been there earlier today. But it just has gotten so out of hand, hasn`t it?
BAKER: Yes, it has. But what you just saw there, the same thing happened out in front of a Macy`s yesterday in the valley. I mean, this is her life. She is used to this. And this is no excuse for her not to go inside the courtroom. I`m sorry.
But when you look at that video, the two people that you see around her, those two men, Adnan Ghalib, the guy in the glasses and Sam Lutfi, that`s the fellow in a baseball cap. This is her core inner circle of people.
Now, Adnan - he`s a paparazzo. Now, he may be talented one, but I don`t know if he knows about legal matters or if he knows how to manage someone`s career. Sam Lutfi has no experience managing anyone, or like Howard Bragman, knowing how to tell them how to behave in court.
So I think that she is getting obviously bad advice. She has shut out everyone in her life. She is not talking to her family. And let`s put this into perspective, guys. This is day 11 of Britney Spears not seeing her two little children. A two-year-old and a one-year-old.
She`s not able to have any contact with them whatsoever. And guess what? This is no longer a custody case. Custody is thrown out the door. She is not going to get that back. This is going to be a fight for visitation at any level and I think she`ll be lucky just to get that.
HAMMER: You know, I don`t want to be too cynical here but you bring up a good point, Ken. Jane Velez-Mitchell, I`m curious to get your thoughts on this. It almost seems so convenient that Britney sort of had this excuse to not hang around the courthouse facing a media crush to be sure, but again, not one that she hasn`t seen the likes of before.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, A.J., this reminds me of the tragic story, "The Sheltering Sky," when a woman loses all bearings and is literally flying through life with no compass. And what makes it worse is that she had so much money. She makes more than $700,000 a month. So she`s got tremendous power to fly directionless and to exhibit self-destructive behavior. It is like giving somebody who doesn`t know how to fly a leer jet and she is literally heading for a crash.
HAMMER: There`s so many fragments of this story and what we really need to keep in mind is at the heart of it, the point of today, was this incredibly important child custody hearing, one of the most important court dates of Britney`s life, if she has a shot of visitation rights given her recent breakdown. Gloria Allred, let me feel this one right to you, is this entirely a lost cause at this point?
GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS` RIGHTS ATTORNEY: It is not looking great for Britney. You know, if her lawyers, A.J., said show up at the courthouse, guess what? Britney, that doesn`t mean drive up, get out of the car and get back in and drive off. It means come into the courtroom.
And really, even if she weren`t ordered to be there and reportedly she didn`t have to be, she wasn`t required to be, she would have been well advised to be there. Because the court is hearing from firefighters, from police officers, from paramedics, from people who were there with her last week. And trying to decide whether it`s in the best interest of the children for her to be able to even have monitored visitation again. She should have been there and I just don`t buy all these excuses. I`m sorry. It`s not good for her.
HAMMER: There was a calmer moment in her day. It came a couple hours before she showed up at the courthouse. I want to take a look at this video. She is hanging out outside of her home. That right now, if you saw a wider shot, you`d see the driveway and the gate to her house. She is decked out in the hot little number, and doesn`t look like she`s getting set to go up to court. She`s casually hanging out and having a smoke. Howard Bragman, it looked like she just didn`t have a care in the world or wasn`t in a rush to get to court.
BRAGMAN: You know, she doesn`t have a care in the world and that`s the problem. When you choose to become a parent, everything else in your life becomes number two. Your career. Your dresses. Everything else. And unfortunately, her kids are not number one with her and the message she`s sending.
She`d rather have a cigarette. She`d rather look hot. She`d rather do almost anything than save her kids. I think she showed up in court at least outside because there were paparazzi there. I don`t think she could stay away. It was a moth to the flame. And she harmed her case and when do - who gets to institutionalize this?
Gloria probably knows this. But at what level do we say she`s truly mentally ill and she`s incapable of handling her affairs? Because I think we`re there, A.J.
HAMMER: Gloria?
ALLRED: Well, A.J., in order for a guardian to be appointed as Lisa suggested earlier, the burden is very high and there`s going to have to be a showing that, in fact, she is not competent to care for herself. And it may be that that burden cannot be met so it may be that a guardian would not be appointed at this point.
But she is harming herself. This commissioner has gone out of his way to do everything possible to make sure that she still has a connection with her children. But she is preventing him from really reconnecting her with the children by her own conduct. And that is the problem.
By the way, she`s gotten special treatment all along. For anyone else, this case would be in juvenile dependency court a long time ago. You wouldn`t have a clue as to what was happening but she`s got the special treatment of allowing the family court to continue to have this case. And yet, look what she is doing. She`s thumbing her nose at the commissioner.
HAMMER: She sure is. And of course, today, the commissioner today was going to hear some, I guess, a scary testimony about the fateful night about a week and a half ago when Britney lost it. The standoff with police. She was going to be hearing from various people involved with that incident. Ken Baker, you know, that could not possibly bode well for whatever the outcome of the day was.
BAKER: Well, obviously, Britney has a lot of anxiety concerning these sort of legal matters where she is going to be questioned or there`s a threat of questioning. Now, if you recall, that Thursday night, that fateful night, as you said, taken away on the stretcher to Cedars-Sinai, that was the same day that she had to finally face a deposition by Kevin Federline`s attorney -
HAMMER: I`ve got to wrap you there because I`m out of time. But obviously not a good scene all around. Kareen Wynter, Gloria Allred, Ken Baker, Howard Bragman, Jane Velez-Mitchell. Thanks so much.
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is this, "Britney Spears: Should she still be allowed to see her kids?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an E-mail at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Hey, you can do it from your desktop, your laptop, your Blackberry, your cellphone. Just tell us what you`re thinking about.
HAMMER: Let me just say this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s own Brooke Anderson, the hardest working woman in Hollywood. Yes. She`s right there. Shining on stage as a presenter at the very unusual Golden Globe ceremonies Sunday night. We`re going to hear about that from Brooke coming up. She was all over Hollywood this weekend interviewing the biggest stars on the planet.
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LONGORIA-PARKER: This particular incident was like a little too far and so false that Tony felt like, "OK. That`s enough."
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ANDERSON: I talked to Eva Longoria-Parker about those nasty rumors that her husband had an affair. Find out what Eva told me about that. Coming up.
HAMMER: Brooke, also talked to another major star in a very high profile marriage. Katie Holmes. What did Katie have to say about all the paparazzi attention that her family receives? Got to be so much pressure. But I`ve got to tell you I think Katie handles it like a pro. That is just ahead. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
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HAMMER: No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is truly our own Brooke Anderson ,center stage, letting Hollywood and really the rest of the world know who some of the Golden Globe winners were on Sunday night.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And in Hollywood, let`s welcome once again, the hardest working woman in show business, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson. Wow! Brooke, I got to say, to say that you had a wild weekend would be an understatement.
Of course, Sunday night, we just saw it. You were right there. I was watching with a big smile on my face as you were onstage in Beverly Hills. You were announcing to the world who were some of the winners of the Golden Globes. And it really was at least compared to what we come to expect from the Golden Globes, a strange kind of event.
But that`s not all. Also, over the weekend, you sat down with this lovely young woman, "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria-Parker who opened up to you about all those wild accusations that her husband was having an affair.
And if that was not enough, well, let`s take a look at who you`re with next, none other than the lovely Katie Holmes with her new hair cut. She`s been dealing with wild stories about hubby Tom Cruise in the unauthorized biography. We`re going to be hearing from Katie and Eva in just a moment.
But first, Brooke, let`s talk Golden Globes. Let`s talk about Sunday night. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association reached out to you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s own Brooke Anderson, because they wanted you among those announcing winners of the Globes this year. I think you did the best job. I`m not just saying that because I`m impartial.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
HAMMER: I think you did the best job of everybody up there. Of course, the regular glitzy ceremony was canceled because of the writers` strike. It was, at least compared to what we expect from the Golden Globes just kind of a strange night, wasn`t it?
ANDERSON: Absolutely. It was very bizarre. And I was sitting on stage next to Jim Moret from "Inside Edition." And at one point, we looked at each other and we said this is surreal. You know, we were thinking, what are we even doing? What is this?
But, yes, it is an unusual circumstance. And organizers even told us beforehand, "Hey, this is a first for us, too. Let`s forge ahead together and get this done for the nominees and for those who are deserving of this recognition." One of the organizers told me it`s such an emotional roller coaster for them and that they`re so sad. They`re stuck in the middle of this dispute between the writers and the producers` alliance.
A.J., you can see the tension on their faces all day long. But you could also see the relief that, hey, the day has finally arrived and we will announce these Golden Globe winners and then we can focus on the future.
HAMMER: Yes. And in the end, they got the job of announcing the winners done with class. I also mentioned you got to speak with "Desperate Housewives" star, Eva Longoria-Parker over the weekend. I love that she`s now using Parker as her last name finally.
ANDERSON: She has changed her name. She said she`s very traditional and it was very important for her to legally change her name to Eva Longoria- Parker. She`s out promoting her new film about to come out called "Over Her Dead Body."
And I`ve got to tell you, Eva`s whole attitude over a woman`s claim that she had an affair with Eva`s husband, basketball star Tony Parker. It`s kind of like, "Oh, yes? Over my dead body." Eva and Tony are actually taking legal action over this and she really opened up to me about it. Listen to this.
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LONGORIA-PARKER: Well, we don`t really deal so much with rumor control because every day there`s something written. You know? But this one was - this particular incident was, like, a little too far and so false that Tony felt like, "OK, that`s enough." And especially regarding the - that`s why we decided to sue and he really wanted to, you know, straighten the record and go, find this person. Because there can`t be anybody not held accountable. And I feel like with the Internet, I mean with the blogging nowadays and with, you know, all the messages you can post, I mean, that - you know, is really, really - has consequences. And I think people don`t really realize that when they`re throwing junk on the wall to see what sticks.
ANDERSON: Does it amaze you how out of control these stories can get?
LONGORIA-PARKER: I`m still amazed at the Internet how fast it spreads. It can be in China in 30 seconds and all over the world. And that`s I feel like these Web sites have to be held accountable because even if they do a retraction or whatever, you know, the damage is done. It`s reached the world within a day and it`s, you know, a shame that nobody`s held accountable for it. And then real journalism is kind of, you know, ignored. Nobody wants the gossip and the juiciness and that like, no. Not true. Sorry to say.
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HAMMER: Yes. So you can understand why they did what they did. And I think it`s really interesting that besides Eva, you also got to talk to Katie Holmes over the weekend. Katie, of course, has been dealing with her own rumor control.
ANDERSON: She sure has, A.J. She`s out promoting "Mad Money," her first big film since she and Tom Cruise got married. And you know, a new unauthorized biography of Tom and their family makes ridiculous obviously untrue claims about them and I sat down with Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton and I asked Katie about that.
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ANDERSON: Do stories anger you, Katie? Or do you just brush them off? Because you`ve had to deal just recently with some obviously untrue things.
DIANE KEATON, ACTRESS: I think she brushes them off. You know? It`s not - the question was not asked of me but I think you have to. Otherwise if you`re going to actually take it on, it`s going to destroy your life.
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: Yes.
ANDERSON: How do you handle it?
HOLMES: You know what? You focus on creating and you focus on - Tom and I both love making movies. We love our family. And we know each other. And we know our - you know, we obviously know our children. And our friends. And that`s what`s important to us, and any time that is taken away from that is not OK. So, you know, I`m here to make movies and to make the best of life. Right? Aren`t we all?
ANDERSON: It`s a great perspective.
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HAMMER: Yes. It is a great perspective, Brooke. What Katie told you really makes perfect sense. So much has been made over the fact she`s really been in Tom`s shadow for really as long as we know that they have been together. Does she appear very much now to be her own woman? Is Joey from "Dawson`s Creek" all grown up?
ANDERSON: You know, she appears very confident, A.J. She`s cool, calm, collected. Very comfortable in her own skin. And, you know, a lot of people say with motherhood comes maturity and I really see that with Katie. She`s mature, she`s serene. She seems very happy with her life and also seems to be settled in the role as wife and mother.
And A.J., she`s very kind. It was a pleasure to sit down with Diane and Katie. They were energetic. They were warm. And you know, a lot of stars get cranky at the junkets because sometimes they`re long and tedious. Hours and hours of interviews. But they were a pleasure. Yes, you and I both know, but they were a pleasure and both very sweet. I enjoyed it.
HAMMER: What a weekend, Brooke Anderson. Nicely done.
ANDERSON: Thanks. It was fun. All right. Thanks, A.J. Remember this? And hey, remember this, when "Maxim" magazine put out its list of the un- sexiest women in Hollywood. It caused a huge controversy. Outrageously, Sarah Jessica Parker at the top of the list. I found the whole thing to be extremely offensive. But what did Sarah Jessica herself think about it? For the very first time, she is speaking out about what it felt like to be called the un-sexiest woman in the world. You don`t want to miss that. It`s coming up next. Stay with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. OK. This was something that got everybody worked up. Remember when "Maxim" magazine came without the ridiculous list of un-sexiest women? And do you remember who topped that list? Sarah Jessica Parker.
Here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we really took issue with the whole thing and some of the other women on the list were Madonna and Sandra Oh. They said some really nasty things about these women and we thought the list was pretty awful, pretty offensive.
Now Sarah Jessica is speaking out for the first time about what it felt like to be on it. In an interview with "Allure" magazine, she says her first reaction was, "My god, I`m the un-sexiest woman in the world?" She said that felt very personal and she wanted to know who the judges were and ask them what they found not sexy about her. Was it her figure, her brain?
Yes, we wanted to ask about that, too. She`s got an amazing body. She`s a very bright person. Well, Sarah Jessica says her publicist told her it`s because she doesn`t have a fake nose and fake breasts and collagen and Botox. And she came to the conclusion that any man who prefers air brushing and fakeness to a real woman is, well, kind of boring.
She says, quote, "My impression is that what they find sexy doesn`t make them very interesting or unusual or special. That makes them common. And I have to say, Sarah Jessica, we couldn`t agree more. For more with Sarah Jessica Parker, pick up a copy of "Allure" magazine. It`s on newsstands in New York and L.A. Tuesday, and everywhere on January 22nd.
HAMMER: Look at that beautiful smile. Well, on Friday, we asked you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Britney Spears: Can she ever have a healthy relationship?" Most of you don`t think so. Here`s how the vote came down - 36 percent of you said yes; 64 percent of you said no.
A lot of E-mail came in, too, including one from Tara in Nova Scotia. Tara writes, "Britney could have a healthy relationship if she picks someone who is not in it for the fifteen minutes of fame."
We also got one from Lori in New York. Lori writes, "She needs to get herself healthy first, then get her priorities in order."
Daniel from Kentucky, "It`s unfortunate that she chooses not to get the help she needs, and try to build that healthy relationship with her family."
HAMMER: Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Keep it here. Take care.
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