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Showbiz Tonight

What is Going on With All These `American Idol` Stars?; Tom Cruise Scientology Shocker; Are Paparazzi Putting Britney`s Life in Danger?

Aired January 16, 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, CNN HN HOST: Britney Spears in a drugstore checking out pregnancy tests? All I can do is shake my head. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HOST: And what is going on with all these "American Idol" stars? Where are their record labels dropping them like flies? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.

HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a Tom Cruise Scientology shocker. Cruise caught on tape. A secret Church of Scientology video revealed for the very first time. And if you thought Tom`s couch jumping on Oprah was wild, wait till you see this tape. His explosive thoughts about crime, drugs, and changing people`s lives. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the Tom Cruise Scientology video that has everyone in disbelief.

Are the paparazzi putting Britney`s life in danger? Tonight, is the craziness that surrounds Britney down right dangerous? And why is Rosie O`Donnell warning that Britney might wind up like Princess Di? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT raises the disturbing red flags in a special report "Is Britney in Danger?"

Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.

ANDERSON: Hi, there everyone, I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And tonight, there are actually signs that Britney Spears may, may be trying to get pregnant again. We`re going to show you why coming up.

HAMMER: Wow. But first tonight, Tom Cruise caught on tape for the Church of Scientology. Now, for the very first time, we are getting an eye opening look at Tom Cruise and his work for the controversial church. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been working fast and furious all day long to get to the bottom of this tape and tonight, we bring you the inside story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I think it`s a privilege to call yourself a Scientologist. And it`s something that you have to earn.

HAMMER (voice-over): It`s Tom Cruise`s most talked about appearance in months and no, it`s not a movie.

CRUISE: Being a Scientologist, you look at somebody and know absolutely that you can help them.

HAMMER: Tom Cruise boldly and unapologetically talks about his devotion to the Church of Scientology, in this leaked video posted on radarmagazine.com and other Web sites.

CRUISE: If you`re a Scientologist, you see life, but you see things the way they are. In all its glory.

HAMMER: This video`s sudden leak comes at the same time a controversial biography about Tom Cruise and Scientology is hitting shelves and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it`s getting worldwide attention.

CRUISE: I`m not going to do what you all think I`m going to do which is just flip out.

HAMMER: And while the excitable Tom Cruise doesn`t exactly flip out in this video, it does provide a never before seen glimpse deep into this controversial movie star`s biggest passion.

CRUISE: That`s what drives me is that I know that we have an opportunity and -- to really help.

ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS: He believes in this religion and he wants the world to know it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call it Tom Cruise on Tom Cruise, Scientologist.

HAMMER: A church spokesman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the video is from a 2004 meeting of the International Association of Scientologists. At which Cruise was honored for his efforts in championing world literacy. The video is a tape of his acceptance speech.

CRUISE: It is the time now.

HAMMER: The church tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "While the video can be seen in any church of scientology, what hasp appeared on the Internet is a pirated and edited version of a three-hour event."

CRUISE: Being a Scientologist you look at somebody and you know absolutely that you can help them.

QUARLES: Tom`s demeanor during the video is very intense. He almost seems like a politician. I think Tom Cruise is using his acting skills to their finest.

HAMMER: With the familiar music from Tom Cruise`s "Mission Impossible" movies playing in the background, the Internet video shows Tom in full movie star mode, complete with Jerry Maguire style sports metaphors.

CRUISE: . to the spectators, you`re in the playing field or out of the arena.

HAMMER: A dash of gung ho straight from "Top Gun".

CRUISE: It is the time now.

HAMMER: And all the while Cruise flashes that famous movie star grin.

QUARLES: You can`t help but to keep watching. You might want to turn away but you`ve got to keep watching.

HAMMER: From openly talking about Scientology in interviews to hosting Scientology related events, Tom Cruise has never shied away from his belief in this controversial religion.

QUARLES: Tom Cruise is definitely the most famous face associated with Scientology. There`s other people. There`s Jenna Elfman, there`s John Travolta, but nobody has the charisma or the star power like Tom Cruise that`s in Scientology.

HAMMER: And while Tom Cruise has taken some ribbing for it, like in a famous episode of "South Park."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m a failure in the eyes of the prophet.

HAMMER: He`s also taken some hits for his role in scientology.

CRUISE: Psychiatry is a pseudoscience.

HAMMER: He took a lot of heat for his spat with Matt Lauer on the "Today Show" when he defended the church`s stance against psychiatry and antidepressants. And filming of his upcoming World War II movie "Valkyrie" was disrupted when officials in Germany, which considers scientology a cult, didn`t want Cruise shooting at some historical sites.

ANDREW MORTON, AUTHOR: I`m saying his life is an integral part of Scientology.

HAMMER: And this week, author Andrew Morton went on the "Today Show" to defend his new book "Tom Cruise, an Unauthorized Biography." The book claims that Cruise is secretly the de facto number two man at the Church of Scientology. The church angrily denies that and calls Morton`s book "a bigoted defamatory assault replete with lies."

CRUISE: Dammit, there is nothing better then going out there and fighting the fight.

HAMMER: And even though this video was made before all of those controversies, no one thinks this is a subject Cruise has grown any less passionate about.

CRUISE: I do what I can. And I do it the way I do everything. There`s nothing harder (ph) for me. It`s just .

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (on camera): So exactly what are we to make of the tape and should we be surprised? Joining us tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." Also, entertainment journalist Ken Baker. Ken, Jane, it`s always good to have you both here. This is fascinating. Really the first time we`ve gotten to see Tom Cruise in full-on Scientology mode. Jane Velez-Mitchell, when you first saw this tape, what were you thinking?

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, JOURNALIST: Well, I have to tell you, A.J., first of all I want to be very careful about what I say about Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, because it is indeed risky business. There are claims that he is one of the top guns in the operation, something that the Church of Scientology fiercely denies. Now, when I watched this video, I have to say I laughed out loud. Because if you`re not a Scientologist and you don`t know all the acronyms and all the phrases, it sounds like gibberish and it`s delivered with such passion and such intensity. Then they put the soundtrack of "Mission Impossible" underneath it and the end result is almost like a comedy sketch. I busted a gut. It really tickled my funny bone.

HAMMER: You weren`t able to work "Blue Thunder" in there, anyway. I`m sure you tried, though.

Maybe Ken Baker, well Ken, it is really interesting because we`ve seen glimpses of this before from Tom Cruise, but never to this extent. What were you thinking?

KEN BAKER, JOURNALIST: Well, unlike Jane, I didn`t laugh, I was scared. I mean, he was so beady eyed. He seemed like he was one clenched tooth away from jumping on a couch again. I was like -- He was very intense. But in al fairness to Tom, guys, this tape is obviously dated and I think that he`s changed. He`s softened himself. But what is clear is that he`s a fervent and some might say maniacal supporter of Scientology and we have to be careful as commentators and journalists to really respect the fact that what if he was a Christian and he was on this tape saying how much he believed in Jesus Christ and preaching the Gospel, would everyone be so freaked out? I don`t know. I am asking the question. But I think we all have to be very careful before jumping on him too much.

HAMMER: Absolutely. And I don`t think any of us are here to condemn anyone`s belief. We did mention a church spokesperson did tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the tape, it is several years old and it did come from an awards ceremony which had honored Tom Cruise for his work helping out illiterate children.

But Jane, seeing tape and how we hear him saying what he says, does it shed some light to you on his role within Scientology?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Honestly no, because it`s really hard to understand. Some things did come through, however. He talked about something I could kind of relate to saying it`s important to be a participant and not a spectator. And hey, I`m involved in a lot of causes. It`s easier to be a spectator and say there`s a problem over there but I don`t want to get involved. It`s harder to be a participant.

But some things she said were disturbing. He said as a scientologist when you go by a car accident, you know you have to help because you`re the only one who can really help. I think there`s a lot of paramedics upset with that comment. Of course he was probably using the phrase "car accident" as a metaphor for problems.

But he also said that he felt Scientology is the authority on getting off drugs and really the 12 steps is acknowledged by most addiction experts as being the way to get off drugs.

HAMMER: Ken Baker, you alluded to the passion we saw coming from Tom Cruise in the tape. Were you at all surprised by that passion or should it really come as no surprise given how much we know about how strongly Tom does feel about the Church of Scientology?

BAKER: Well, what`s really fascinating and shocking really about the tape is that you have to understand that through most of the `80s and all of the `90s, Tom Cruise was sort of cloistered behind this really iron wall of publicity and publicists that wouldn`t allow him to show his real self. And what he started to do after they year 2000 and eventually in 2004 in this video that we saw is that he started to really reveal his true self. And a lot of people were shocked by it. They didn`t think Tom was this fervent, dedicated follower of Scientology. They thought it was all just tabloid rumors. So I think what is really kind of shocking to people is that he is so passionate. He is so involved with it. Because other than that tape, we`ve really just seem him maybe chew out Matt Lauer degrade psychiatry, but we`ve never seen him in full preaching gospel mode.

HAMMER: Very, very true. And also hard to ignore the perhaps coincidence if we can call it that of this clip suddenly surfacing on the Internet the same week that the new unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise which strange allegations about the church and Tom is coming out. We`ll wrap it up there. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ken Baker, thanks for being here tonight.

ANDERSON: Well, Tom Cruise talks about being able to help people to save them in that wild Scientology video. But what do you think, could Tom actually help Britney Spears?

Now, I know Britney has got to take responsibility for her own stupid behavior, but I got to ask, are the paparazzi putting Britney`s life in danger? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT raising the danger of disturbing red flags in a SHOWBIZ special report, "Is Britney in Danger?"

HAMMER: Hey, Brooke, did you see this? Britney Spears at a drugstore picking up a pregnancy test, or at least looking at them. I`ve got to say, I have no words for this, except to say, well, the apocalypse may be upon us. That is coming up at 45 past the hour.

ANDERSON: All right, I`m a fan of "American Idol." It`s a tremendous hit. So why are the winners and the runners-up having so many problems after they are off the show? Why are they getting dropped by their record labels? Doesn`t make any sense. Next, I`m investigating fallen idols.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(SINGING)

ANDERSON: Were they serious? All right. As the seventh season of "American Idol" begins, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking is the "Idol" dream a hopeless fantasy? Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Sure, a lot of "American Idol" winners become huge stars and that`s why we see all of those people ling up for their shot at fame and fortune. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal that winning is not a guaranty of great success.

In Hollywood tonight, Kim Serafin, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and entertainment journalist Mary Murphy as well in Hollywood. Great to see you both. Mary, Kim.

And I want you both to take a look at this. Season five winner Taylor Hicks and season five runner-up Katharine McPhee have been dropped by their record label. Season six`s winner Jordin Sparks had the lowest debut album ever of an "Idol" winner. And last year`s "American Idol" live tour only saw 68 percent of the crowd`s capacity. Kim, is the shine off the "Idol"?

KIM SERFAIN, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": You know, I don`t think so, because for every one of the people you just named there`s a Carey Underwood, there is a Kelly Clarkson and there is even someone like a Jennifer Hudson who even though she didn`t win went on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe. So certainly the exposure that people are getting from this show, whether they`re the winner or whether they`re just in the top 10 is beyond anything that they could have gotten otherwise.

ANDERSON: Mary, what do you think about the whole thing?

MARY MURPHY, JOURNALIST: I think that Kim`s absolutely right. This is the way to the American dream. They`re household names. So a few of them drop by the wayside at the moment. We have the biggest stars in contemporary music coming out of "American Idol" and every kid in America who wants to make it as a singer is going to do it. They could not have been stars if they hadn`t gone to "American Idol."

ANDERSON: You know, past "Idol" contestants really understand how tough it is out there in the music business. Listen to what happened on "The View" when Elizabeth Hasselbeck asked last season`s runner up Blake Lewis whether he`s worried.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, "THE VIEW": Katharine McPhee, Taylor Hicks, Ruben Studdard, all dropped by their record tables in the past couple of weeks or months. Do you worry that that could happen to you?

BLAKE LEWIS, "AMERICAN IDOL" RUNNER UP: The record industry is tough right now. EMI is laying off a lot of their people. You know, it`s just a tough industry right now with digital mediums. And who knows. I`m going to work this record and hopefully I`ll get another one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: All right, Kim. While "American Idol" does offer great opportunities for a lot of people, do you think it also at the same time raises the hopes of too many young people and in the end the success from the show could be just a delusion?

SERAFIN: Well, I think in the music industry as a whole, there`s a lot of one-hit wonders that didn`t come from "American Idol." so you have to have the staying power. Sometimes you are a great personality and a lot of fun on the TV show but that might not translate into selling lots of records. You go back and look at Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken contest. Everyone was talking about that yet neither have really gone on to superstardom. Although Clay Aiken is now going to be staring on "Spam-a-Lot" on Broadway.

You know, that I think was a lot of the hype about the show. But when you look at Carrie Underwood or even look at a Chris Daughtry who as I said before didn`t win but has really staked out a place for himself. Fantasia, who starred in "The Color Purple" on Broadway. So if you have the staying power, you have it. If you don`t, you don`t.

And that`s like the music industry as a whole.

ANDERSON: Well, certainly, there are a lot of people who have hit it huge from "Idol." We mentioned Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson and I should point out again that not all of them actually won the competition. Mary, is it crucial for them to win or is it just important to make it to say the top five, get their faces out there?

MURPHY: It is not crucial to win, as we have seen by Chris Daughtry and many of the others. But what is very important is that over 30 million people in America are now paying attention. People who just started out now, we know their names. People who go on in the top 10, it`s important you can never ever, this is the biggest star-making machine that we have ever seen and it maintains strong, even though the ratings are down, I would say within the context of the writer`s strike, over 30 million people viewing a television show today is a major score.

ANDERSON: Right. Even though the ratings are down, the numbers are still enormous. Kim, what do you think, is winning the name of the game here? Or should they just have it in their mind, make it as far as I can, hopefully the finals, get myself out there?

SERAFIN: Absolutely. And please, you can be William Hung who was on just one of the auditions who made a name for himself and had a career, at least had his 15 minutes of fame. So it`s getting out there, getting the exposure and really letting America see you. Again, it is a different word. You had that clip from "The View" digital music these days, YouTube is going to get you a lot further than maybe just playing in clubs around the country. If you`re out there, 30 million are seeing you, your clip is being played on YouTube, that`s a heck of a lot better than anything else you can hope for.

ANDERSON: Get a lot of exposure from that. And we know that record label cuts are common. They happen. And it`s not the end of their careers. If they`ve got the talent and the drive. Mary Murphy, Kim Serafin, thank you both.

SERAFIN: Thank you.

ANDERSON: All right. So switching gears here for a minute, A.J., this Britney Spears stuff, you know sometimes I feel sorry for her and sometimes I don`t.

Such a scary scene there. I mean, she`s got to step up and take responsibility for her ridiculous actions, right? But tonight, I`ve got to ask are the paparazzi putting Britney`s life in danger? I`ve got a revealing SHOWBIZ special report coming up.

HAMMER: That is a real concern, Brooke, but did you see this? I really don`t have any words to describe it. Britney Spears in a drugstore checking out pregnancy tests. Oh, my goodness. You`ve got to stick around. It is an unbelievable new Britney story coming up at 45 past the hour.

And a frightening scare for a "High School Musical" star. I`ve got the latest on why he was rushed to the hospital. That is coming up next. Now we want to hear you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We`re asking, Britney spears, are the paparazzi putting her life in danger? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com from your desktop or your laptop, Blackberry, whatever you`ve got, even your cell phone. Just tell us what`s on your mind.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Some other big news in Hollywood right now you need to know about, including a shocking and tragic death. Twenty-five-year-old actor Brad Renfro who you are seeing here was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Tuesday. An autopsy is planned for Thursday, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Renfro`s roommates told investigators that he was drinking alcohol and taking the anxiety drug Xanax. Renfro had been battling drug addiction. He starred in "The Client" and "Sleepers."

"High School Music" star Zac Efron underwent emergency surgery Tuesday to remove his appendix. The 20-year old was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Efron`s publicist says he is recuperating and by the way if you haven`t heard, Disney has just announced that all of the major "High School Musical" stars will be back for a third "High School Musical" movie.

You may want to hide the kids. Kevin Federline is singing again.

(MUSIC)

HAMMER: That`s enough. Could you bring it down a little bit, please? Britney Spears` ex is indeed guest starring on a few episodes of the CW`s "One Tree Hill." He is the lead singer of a new band. I am happy to report this is not real life.

ANDERSON: Well, the day after day paparazzi crush Britney Spears has to deal with is very real. I mean, I know she`s got to get herself together. But tonight I`m asking this very controversial question, are the paparazzi putting Britney`s life in danger?

Tonight, is the craziness that surrounds Britney out of control? I`ve got a revealing SHOWBIZ special report "Is Britney in Danger?" Next.

HAMMER: Brooke, I got to tell you, the whole world might be in danger if there`s anything to these pictures I`ve seen. Did you see this, Britney Spears with her new boyfriend in a drugstore checking out pregnancy tests? Please make it stop. That`s coming up at 45 past the hour. And I remember that when John Mayer and Jessica Simpson were dating, things weren`t always so smooth between them. But tonight, I really like what John is doing. He is really sticking up for his ex. Find out why he`s got her back. Coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Britney Spears paparazzi frenzy.

It looks like she has a shadow of dozens of men screaming at her, taking her picture as she buys coffee, goes to gas stations, smokes cigarettes. But is all of this attention getting out of hand and could they actually be putting Britney`s life on the line? Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report "Is Britney in Danger?"

And did you see this? Britney and her paparazzi boyfriend go shopping for a pregnancy tests. Yeah, it`s the photo that`s raising all sorts of questions. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Britney pregnancy test shocker.

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, a SHOWBIZ special report, "Is Britney Spears in Danger?" Rosie O`Donnell is raising the red flag warning that Britney`s wild dance with the paparazzi every day could be the end of her. Shocking comments on her blog, Rosie compared, in these comments Rosie compared Britney`s situation to what happened to Princess Diana. She wrote "I remember the tunnel, between the cement tall pillars was a heap of twisted metal. I saw it then and I can see it now. Diana dead. She will be trying to get away but they will chase her." Rosie goes on to say, "The tunnel is crowded now. There are only inches of separation between vulnerability and disaster."

So is Rosie O`Donnell right, could Britney Spears be the next Princess Diana? Tonight, it`s our SHOWBIZ special report, "Is Britney Spears in Danger."

With us tonight in Hollywood, entertainment journalist Ken Baker. Also in Hollywood tonight, investigative journalist Pat Lalama and from the True TV studios in New Your, Ashley Banfield, host of True TV`s "Hollywood Heat." Pat, Ken, Ashley, great to see you all.

Ken, I`ll toss this first one to you. What do you think, is Britney a disaster waiting to happen like Diana as Rosie O`Donnell says?

BAKER: Well, she is a disaster, and it`s not waiting to happen. But comparing Diana`s paparazzi situation to Britney`s paparazzi situation is like comparing Katherine Hepburn to Lindsay Lohan. There is no comparison. Britney courts this. She embraces the paparazzi. Literally. That paparazzi boyfriend has moved in with her. She courts this stuff.

Now, of course, we all see it getting out of control. If those paparazzi are endangering others and swerving and creating traffic messes that are going to put people`s lives in danger, that`s a problem. But Britney has brought this onto herself. There`s a lot of things she could do to tone it down. And I`ll tell you what, staging photos and looking at pregnancy test kits at a drugstore is not going to get the paparazzi off her back.

ANDERSON: A head of one of the big paparazzi agencies told me she actually calls them or texts them to tell them where she`s going to be so they can be there with their cameras ready.

Pat, but we do every day see new video of the paparazzi chasing Britney in their cars, Britney driving completely erratically. Should we be worried about her life?

PAT LALAMA, JOURNALIST: I do think -- I agree with a lot of what Ken says but I do think we have to remember that the era is a different one now. I remember back in the late `80s and `90s we thought the paparazzi were a little nuts but I`m looking back now on them thinking they at least had their guidelines. Now Brooke, here`s the problem, nobody wants a red carpet picture, nobody wants a picture of someone just eating dinner, they want the salacious, they want the picture that is going to get them the big bucks. All bets are off now. All lines will be crossed. So this rabid, rabid, erratic desire to get the right picture makes for a dangerous situation.

She is also mentally unstable. So put the two together, it`s obviously combustible. I predict something really bad is going to happen.

ANDERSON: You`re right. You make a great point. It isn`t enough now for the paparazzi to take a picture as a controlled event such as a premiere or a movie junket or something like that. But I want to now read more from Rosie O`Donnell`s blog. She says this. "She will be trying to get away, but they will chase her, just as they chased her into that church yesterday. There were dozens of them jostling their way into sanctuary, elbowing past each other, just to creep closer to her. Even her last- minute, folded-hand prayers can`t be kept sacred."

What do you think, Ashleigh, should we be praying for Britney?

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, TRUTV`S "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": I think yes. But less because of the paparazzi, although it`s entirely possible there`s an accident that results from this. I`m more concerned about the mental health issues of Britney and whether we`ll be facing headlines about her suicide. And I`ve been concerned about that for a very long time. Usually it takes something like the rock bottom to bring you to your senses if you have your senses. No one would deny that losing the right to even see your children for more than a month would be considered rock bottom, yet it hasn`t seem to have fazed this young woman at all. So my concern is that the adults around her could be profiting from her and those that need to be around her in an intervention like her family and maybe others aren`t. And my concern is she`s the biggest danger to herself.

ANDERSON: It`s baffling that people she`s letting into her circle, the ones she`s letting be close to her are not getting her help. It would appear when Britney tried to go to court earlier this week, she did appear at times to be frightened by the crush of all the paparazzi. Take a look at this.

And some said she wasn`t really scared but what do you think? Do you think Britney feels as if she`s threatened and in danger?

BAKER: I don`t think she`s scared and I don`t think she was scared when on Monday afternoon she was squatting down, looking at the pregnancy test kits with her boyfriend and guess who is taking the exclusive photo of that moment? Her boyfriend`s paparazzi agency. What a coincidence. How did they get there?

So I`m not accusing anyone of staging or setting up anything. But you know what? It`s just highly suspicious to me. She is in cahoots with them the whole time. I hope no one gets hurt in this big game that she`s playing, but unfortunately it`s too late. A lot of people are hurt. Two of her kids who she hasn`t seen in 13 days.

LALAMA: Brooke, let me just add to that. I have covered every single courthouse in Los Angeles County. I know the deputies. I know how these things operate. If she wants help, they`ll make it happen for her. They can come up with a plan where she can secretly come in and out. Believe me. I`ve been there chasing celebrities around every one of these courthouses. This is a sick co-dependent relationship she`s involved in. Talk about sick Hollywood marriages. Her and the paparazzi, that`s what this is. It`s sick.

ANDERSON: Kind of on that same note, Pat, it hasn`t gone unnoticed that Britney doesn`t have any authorities or security around her and in the past when things were less crazy, she always had these big beefy security guards around her. And now when things are even more crazy, completely out of control, she has no one. Pat, doesn`t she need someone there to protect her at all times?

LALAMA: She is a moving target. We`re talking about A, a celebrity. B, an emotionally unstable celebrity. And C, one who had her children with her and no protection and people driving -- I`ve watched this happen where these teams of paparazzi going flying down Wilshire Boulevard or Sunset or Robertson and you have to step out of the way. There`s no control over it. Something bad is going to happen.

Eventually and I hope to God it doesn`t, but I can`t see any other way.

ANDERSON: Let`s all hope it doesn`t but I can`t help but note the irony here that the person who is now her boyfriend whom she is with all the time and Ken mentioned this is a paparazzo who followed her around for years. I do want you to listen to what "Medium" star Patricia Arquette told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about Britney and her dysfunctional relationship with the paparazzi. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICIA ARQUETTE, ACTRESS: She`s constantly been under this microscope and now you see these weird little snippets of her talking to paparazzi like, oh, get away from me and suddenly like, come on, guys, it`s OK. It`s like a Stockholm syndrome like you`re sort of identifying with your captors. Anyone would crack under that pressure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Ashleigh, do you think that Patricia has a point, that she`s starting to feel sympathy for her captors and relate to them and then keep the paparazzi close or is it more like the old expression, keep your friends close but your potential enemies maybe closer?

BANFIELD: I`m not sure that I would give that much credence to Britney`s ability to strategize at this point. Because again, I keep coming back to the idea that she`s not strategizing enough to get to see her kids, let alone custody of her own kids. So no, I`m definitely going to walk from that one. But what I will say is what could help Britney at this point is if she just were to lay low. This all has a way of calming down if she were to stop going out to Starbucks and gas stations and pregnancy tests at the drugstores and get herself out of the press for a little while.

So that everybody can take a deep breath, back off the story and find another Britney to go after. At this point, as many people has attested to, she makes her own phone calls, she has her own plan to get the press out there. And then strangely enough suggests she`s afraid of the monster that she creates herself. I think this is a terrible mental health issue and we`re all partly to blame.

ANDERSON: Well, let`s just hope, Ashleigh, as you say, she can find it within herself to be able to take a step back from it all. Ashleigh Banfield, Pat Lalama, Ken Baker, thank you all for your insight.

HAMMER: All right, Brooke, hate to do it. I got to throw another wrench in the works here. Could Britney be pregnant again? Did you see this? A photo of Britney and her paparazzi boyfriend looking at pregnancy tests at a drugstore. It`s unbelievable. We`ll get into that next.

ANDERSON: And try this one on for size. Is David Spade really going to be a dad with a "Playboy" playmate half his age? Yikes. That`s next, too.

HAMMER: Yikes indeed. And you know all that chatter about a Jessica jinx, that Jessica Simpson is the reason that her boyfriend quarterback Tony Romo hasn`t been playing well? I got to tell you I just think it`s nuts and it`s not just me, one of Jess` famous exes is coming to her defense as well. I`m going to tell you who is stepping up in Jess` honor, still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, did you see this? Britney Spears going into a drugstore looking at, uh-oh, looking at pregnancy tests. Yeah, cameras caught Britney shopping at a Hollywood Rite-Aid and pictures taken inside show her and her paparazzo boyfriend perusing the many brands of the pregnancy tests that are out there. Just one of several stories that caught our eye and made us say wow, did you see this?

Joining us tonight, in Hollywood, commentator and actress Alexandra Wentworth who stars in the show "Head Case" on Starz Entertainment and makes its return on January 23rd. Tonight in New York, "Star Magazine" editor at large, Julie Allison.

OK, Ally, Julia, just a few days ago we know that a judge ruled that Britney cannot see her two sons at least for now. You look at the images of her in the drug store checking out the pregnancy test, not exactly sure what is going on, but Ally can you imagine Britney pregnant again? It just seems wrong on so many levels.

ALEXANDRA WENTWORTH, COMMENTATOR: On so many I can`t even go there. But there`s a lot of photographers for example following Hillary Clinton around right now and something tells me that if Hillary wanted a pregnancy test, she might get a P.A. or assistant to go to the drugstore and get it. I don`t understand why Britney doesn`t understand one of her handlers get the test. And I`m not worried about the pregnancy test, I want to know what she bought with it. Because that`s the real story.

HAMMER: Right. Because you always buy something along with that. And I have to tell you, if Hillary Clinton needed a pregnancy test, we would be having a whole different discussion. Or at least Wolf Blitzer would. Julia Allison, given what`s going on with Britney and the kids so far, thinking about the idea that Britney could actually be pregnant, I don`t know, I`m a little scared.

ALLISON: Well, I think Britney thought to herself if I`m going to lose custody of my first two kids, why not just have another and start fresh? I think it`s important to note obviously, Britney is not making rational decisions right now, nor has she been for the last three years. But she`s not stupid. She knows full well that she`s being followed by photographers and it is notable that the photo agency that distributed this photo is the same one that her sketchy boyfriend works for. So is that really a coincidence? I think not.

HAMMER: And to that end and perhaps I`m going to come off as a little cynical here, but this has been floating around, we`ve been talking about this at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all day, is it possible that Britney is playing us? She said to her boyfriend, as you mentioned, his agency took these pictures. You know, here`s a way for us to make some money. Keep our story interesting. Ally, do you think she said, they want a good story, I`ll give them a story?

WENTWORTH: Well, I mean, you know, if what I hear on your show is true, that she calls in paparazzi and everything, then, you know, maybe so. Like I said, you would have somebody else get the pregnancy test if you really thought you were pregnant. And my feeling is she should have to walk around with a hard boiled egg on a spoon before dropping it before she even attempts to have another baby.

HAMMER: Point well made.

Let`s move on, the, to another story. Did you see this, it`s a Tom Cruise Scientology tape, leaked out onto the Web, showing his acceptance speech for a Scientology humanitarian award and in this tape, we`re going to see him talk very passionately about the importance of his religion. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUISE: We`re there to help but also the public, you know, we have a responsibility. It`s not just in words, it`s not just (inaudible). It`s not just me. It`s you, it`s everyone out there, kind of rereading KSW and looking at what needs to be done and saying, OK, am I going to do it or not? Period. And am I going to look at that guy or am I to afraid to because I have my own out ethics to put in someone else`s ethics. And that`s all it comes down to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: No question about it, he is pretty intense in that tape. What do you think, Julia? There`s no doubt he`s a very passionate guy.

ALLISON: Oh, he`s passionate all right. He has lots of ideas about SPs and KSWs and -- what was he talking about there? I thought I was watching a preview for a new movie, but apparently no, that`s really Tom Cruise. I would like to make one point, he looked really good.

HAMMER: There you go. You got to glean something from that. Now, the Church of Scientology says no, this is not a preview for a new movie. This tape was pirated and editing down from an original three-hour version. Ally Wentworth, we are seeing a side of Tom on this tape we haven`t seen before. Does it in any way change your opinion of him?

WENTWORTH: By the way, if this were a trailer of a movie, I would go out and see it immediately. And the other thing is, I wasn`t afraid. Nothing scared me about this tape. He just seemed passionate about it. You know, talk to me about Jon Bon Jovi and mint chocolate chips and you may get the same reaction.

HAMMER: Fair to say.

Moving on, did you see this, comedian David Spade may have actually fathered a love child with a former "Playboy" playmate by the name of Gillian Grace. Spade says he will certainly support Grace and the child provided there is a paternity test. What do you think, Julia, did you take David Spade for the kind of guy who would get a "Playboy" bunny pregnant.

ALLISON: I just hope the child looks like her and less like him. He`s 43, the "Playboy" bunny is 22. Eww. But yeah, I think he`s known for this kind of thing.

HAMMER: Ally Wentworth, I`ve got about 10 seconds for you. Shocked?

WENTWORTH: Yeah.

HAMMER: Are you?

WENTWORTH: It`s Los Angeles. Old men impregnate "Playboy" bunnies. That`s the norm.

HAMMER: As long as we know that`s the norm and I`m going to mark that down. Appreciate you being here, Julie Allison, Ally Wentworth. The new show "Head Case" airing on the Starz network back on January 23rd.

ANDERSON: Matthew McConaughey is going to be a dad and he`s stoked about it, his words, not mine. Matthew announced his impeding fatherhood on his Web site. He says he and his Brazilian model girlfriend quote, "made a baby together." Matthew writes "It`s three months growing in her womb and all looks healthy and lively so far. We are stoked and wowed by this miracle of creation and this gift from God and so excited for the adventure that will come in raising this child. Congratulations, Matthew.

HAMMER: Congratulations, indeed. One of my favorite guys John Mayer is sticking up for Jessica Simpson. Jessica has been getting a lot of heat from some Dallas football fans. Quarterback Tony Romo didn`t do all that well toward the end of the season. Some fans say because he`s dating Jessica. But Jessica`s ex says that`s crazy. I`ve got to say I agree with him.

Jessica is from Texas herself and on his Web site John Mayer writes, quote, "That girl loves Texas more than you know. It`s one of her most defining traits so please don`t try and take that away from her."

John also writes that it is too bad if people think that he`s out of line for going on record like this. He says it is entirely worth a bad day`s press if it means sticking up for a good soul. Who says chivalry is dead? Got to love John.

ANDERSON: Former Olympic star Marion Jones is speaking out for the first time since she was sentenced for lying about her steroid use. I have to say, some really powerful moments on "Oprah" today. Oprah didn`t let her off easy on why she lied for so long. You`ve got to stick around to hear what Marion had to say, coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You do not want to miss that.

HAMMER: Now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all. So you don`t have to miss us. All you have to do is download our podcast, best of all it won`t cost you anything because it`s totally free. And it`s for free, it`s for me. You`ll be able to find our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast simply by hopping on to the World Wide Web, type cnn.com/showbiztonight into your Web browser. We`re adding new ones all the time. You can also download it on iTunes if that is your method of choice. Just type SHOWBIZ TONIGHT into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Former Olympic star Marion Jones is speaking out for the first time sense she was sentenced to jail for lying about her steroid use. Jones won five track and field medal in the 2000 Olympics. Last week she was sent tensed to six months in jail after pleading guilty to making false statements denying she used performance enhancing drugs. On "Oprah" Jones said everyone makes mistakes and she`s trying to move forward. And Oprah asked her why she lied about the steroid use in the first place and why for so long.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARION JONES, ATHLETE AND PERJURER: I made a mistake. You know, I made the choice to -- at that time, to protect myself, to protect my family. And, you know, I`ve paid the consequences dearly.

OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: What made you finally decide that you were going to -- that October 5th plea, when did you decide I`m going to come clean?

JONES: It`s been a long journey, Oprah, and the weight and the baggage of many years of knowing that, you know, I`ve been blessed with a super amount of talent, but I cannot go on anymore with this baggage, lying to the world, lying to God, and, you know, I realized that people might not forgive me but God forgives and if he can forgive me and if I can forgive myself, then I will be OK. And when I made that realization then I knew that the time was now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Marion Jones also said that the pain that she has put her family and friends through was worse than giving back all her Olympic medals.

HAMMER: On Tuesday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Britney bails on court, should she lose custody for good? Most of you who voted think so. Seventy three percent said yes, 27 percent said no.

We got an e-mail from Dee in New Jersey. Dee writes, "Britney needs to see her kids supervised until she straightens out. Keeping them away will worsen their mental health."

We also heard from Kristina in Florida who writes, "Britney has chosen to abandon her babies. She has chosen to party and shop and neglect what should be the two most important aspects of her life."

Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks 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. Take care.

END