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Showbiz Tonight
Britney News; Oprah Missing in Obama Run?; Marie Osmond Speaks
Aired February 01, 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: Michelle Williams` heartbreaking statement since the death of Heath Ledger. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And another major Hollywood actress checks into rehab. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, behind closed doors with Britney Spears. Tonight, stunning new details about what`s really going on with her in the psychiatric hospital. And brand new and disturbing information about what led to Britney being taken away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE DARYL, "TMZ TV": One of the most shocking things that Britney Spears said is when she shouted at her mother, "You want to sleep with my boyfriend."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, the inside story of what`s really going on with Britney`s crisis as the big burning Britney questions keep piling up. Should we feel sorry for Britney? And what about her poor little kids?
Paging Oprah Winfrey. Paging Oprah Winfrey. Tonight, Hillary and Obama go head to head at a star-studded debate. But where in the world was Oprah? She was all over the Obama campaign after she endorsed him. So what happened? Why has she been MIA ever since? And should she have endorsed Hillary instead?
Plus, Marie Osmond on Britney, depression and more. The interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you from Hollywood where a fierce battle exploded today. This over who should control Britney Spears. We`ve got more on that in just a moment.
HAMMER: But first tonight, Britney behind closed doors. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal what led up to Britney Spears being taken away again to a psychiatric hospital. And what may now be going on behind closed doors. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovering brand new details of Britney`s latest meltdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Is she okay, Lynn?
LYNN SPEARS, BRITNEY SPEARS` MOTHER: Yes.
HAMMER (voice over): That`s Britney Spears` mother talking to TMZ cameras about her famous daughter who`s off the streets and in this hospital for a mental health evaluation, the second time she`s been committed this month.
ALICIA QUARLES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: It`s kind of boring in Hollywood without Brit.
HAMMER: But even though Britney Spears is out of sight for once, she is definitely not out of mind. The day after the police and paparazzi spectacle where Brit was taken in an ambulance from her home to the UCLA Medical Center, everyone still has questions about the pop star, like how troubled is Britney?
DARYL: We are currently being told that Britney Spears` current state - her mental state right now is manic.
HAMMER: How does K-Fed feel about this? And the burning question, how much did all this cost? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you all the answers and details that`ll make your jaw drop. Like -
DARYL: She shouted at her mother, "You want to sleep with my boyfriend."
HAMMER: We`ll get to that one in a minute. But first, how is Britney?
DARYL: Britney Spears is being categorized as "GD," which means "gravely disabled," meaning that she`s having trouble doing basic needs and taking care of herself - things like finding food, shelter and clothing. And we`ve certainly seen the clothing one.
HAMMER: "TMZ TV`s" Katie Daryl tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, their sources say Britney threw a fit when she first got to the hospital.
DARYL: She was screaming at her mother saying, "The only reason you want to admit me is because you want to sleep with my boyfriend."
HAMMER: What? Could she be talking about her mom and the paparazzo Brit`s been dating, Adnan Ghalib?
DARYL: We don`t even know who this boyfriend necessarily is. Is she talking about Adnan? Is she in a state where she thinks she`s with Kevin Federline?
HAMMER: Speaking of Kevin Federline, a source tells "People.com" that Britney`s ex-husband feels she is where she needs to be. K-Fed has custody of their two small sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James. Britney`s not able to have any contact with them. And TMZ`s Katie Daryl tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Britney mentioned them during her hospital tirade.
DARYL: She mentioned that she misses her kids and she just wants to talk to them.
HAMMER: In the days before her psychiatrist had her committed, Britney`s behavior veered beyond its normal brand of head-shaving eccentricity and became more emotionally erratic.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE PAPARAZZO: Britney, I love your hat.
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: Could you please go away?
HAMMER: And even dangerous.
DARYL: She`s been awake for several days at a time and it just became very obvious that she was kind of about to bust and needed to be checked in. She needed help.
HAMMER: Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Britney may be about to get that help whether she wants it or not.
QUARLES: Doctors cannot medicate her without her consent. However, they can get a court injunction and make her stay for 14 more days if they feel that she`s not improving.
HAMMER: Now, we are seeing a mini-controversy over the amount of money it took to get Britney to the hospital. It all looked like a presidential motorcade. The "Los Angeles Times" reports the cost to taxpayers was a cool $25,000. The LAPD wouldn`t give SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a number but says it was all needed to keep the paparazzi away from the ambulance and to make sure no one got hurt in the transport. Still, some think it`s all a bit much.
QUARLES: This is not like President Bush was being rushed to the hospital. This is Britney Spears.
HAMMER: But what`s done is done and now the hope is that the second time Britney got committed will be the last.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): And there is more late-breaking Britney news tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that in a dramatic move, Britney`s parents rushed to a court today to gain control of Britney`s medical and financial decisions. Big deal.
In New York tonight, Ashleigh Banfield host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat." And in Hollywood tonight, investigative journalist Jane Velez- Mitchell, the author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." Ashleigh and Jane, it would seem that Britney`s parents have gone to war with Britney`s Svengali manager, this guy Sam Lutfi over who actually has control over her and decisions being made about her. What do you think, Jane? Could this get anymore dramatic?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: No. This is an epic Hollywood battle, A.J. It`s absolutely wild. But I have to tell you. In this particular instance, I`m siding with Sam. I don`t think her parents have her best interest at heart. I think this is a betrayal to go for a conservatorship. I spoke to a psychologist who deals with hundreds of conservatorships and she felt it was premature. Usually, this happens after you`ve tried everything else, five to seven hospitalizations, not two hospitalizations.
And literally, this is for people who cannot feed themselves, who cannot put clothes on their body, who are totally incompetent, dribbling and rolling on the floor. And I think that Britney is functional, more functional than that. She may not be functioning in the way we want her to function but this drastic measure, I think, is uncalled for.
And I think it could really backfire because if she ultimately wants joint custody of her kids, proving that she can`t feed herself or clothe herself certainly is not the way to do it.
HAMMER: All right. Well, you think that Sam is actually doing the right thing. Ashleigh, I`m curious to get your take because Sam has repeatedly claimed that Britney`s parents, whom she has been estranged from in the past, don`t have her best interest at heart. But that said, Ashleigh, and here`s where I`m a little confused, wouldn`t the court automatically side with the parents, or is it just not that simple?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, TRU TV`S "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Well, there are two issues here, and they`re crucial. Number one is, there`s more to it than just being fed or clothed. Is she dangerous? Has she done something that we don`t know about? There`s a lot we don`t know here. Has she held a knife to someone`s throat? Has she threatened to swallow a bunch of pills.
So feeding, clothing and rolling about is one thing. But also being dangerous to herself or others can actually be the grounds for a conservatorship. But, let me tell you this, A.J., the standing is enormous for this. The bar is higher than it`s ever been because there`s a little thing called the Constitution of United States that guarantees you your liberty.
So it`s just not enough that you raced around in your car and show your underwear or lack thereof. You really do have to be dangerous. Now, when it comes to who can go for the conservatorship, there`s the standing issue. I don`t think Sam Lutfi has standing. You have to live with someone and he does not, or you have to be an interested party. And being a manager or a friend doesn`t necessarily rise to that level.
HAMMER: Even though Britney supposedly employs this guy to make decisions with her and for her?
BANFIELD: It depends on if she signed something, durably signed something. It depends on her state when she signed it. That changes everything. But until we know all of that - by the way, we could get a lot of ugly details in a public court unless a judge decides to seal everything.
HAMMER: Well, the parents are at least making it look as if they`re doing it for the right reasons, Jane. TMZ reporting that Britney`s folks actually want an independent person to be appointed by the court to be the one to oversee Britney`s fortune. That way, it doesn`t have the appearance that they`re in it for the money. Doesn`t that kind of make sense, Jane?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it kind of makes sense, except they`re thinking about the money and conserving the money. And right now, they should just be thinking about her mental health. She`s in the hospital safely ensconced, still within the 72-hour period. If they had concerns, they could always go for the court injunction to extend her hospitalization for 14 days.
I would have said that`s a reasonable move. Go for it. But to go for the drastic action, I really think it`s absolutely unfair. And, you know, now we know why Britney doesn`t trust her parents. We`re starting to see the back story. She didn`t want her parents to come in.
Obviously they didn`t wake up this morning and just think, "Huh, we`re going to go to court and get the conservatorship." This has probably been in the planning stages for a while so this entire strategy is starting to emerge. And I think it may show why Britney is so skeptical of them.
HAMMER: All right. So if somebody else does get control of Britney, you say it should be Sam, Jane. Ashleigh, I`m curious if you would agree, or do you think that Sam might actually be in this for the money?
BANFIELD: You know, my opinion means nothing. The only thing that matters is the fact. And listen, when she was hauled away the first time, we wanted to know why. Why did someone call 911? There were some rumors about her being in the closet with the kids.
But I think there may be a lot of details we`re missing. Has she tried to commit suicide? Has she done things like that? Because then all bets are off and this conservatorship is entirely appropriate to save her from herself or to save others from her.
HAMMER: But this kind of dramatic action seeking this conservatorship doesn`t usually happen so suddenly. Jane, let me throw this to you. Doesn`t that make it seem that Britney`s parents have been planning on this? Or am I wrong? Is it not so unusual for courts to act so quickly if it seems to be an urgent matter?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, yes, absolutely. Again, they didn`t just wake up this morning and go, "La di da. We`re going to court." They obviously have been thinking about this for a while. And there are so many other steps that could be taken first.
I spoke to another psychologist who said that bipolar disorder, which is what people believe she has, can be exacerbated by stress and pointed out that the greatest stress you could have is have hundreds of paparazzi following you every day -
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Snapping photos of you. It`s liable to drive any of us crazy. So maybe the first step should be talk to the paparazzi, have a news conference and say, Step off, guys. You are making her crazier."
HAMMER: Put an end once and for all. Absolutely. Ashleigh Banfield, Jane Velez-Mitchell, I thank you both. And there is late word that a judge has now appointed Britney`s dad as the temporary conservator to oversee Britney and her estate. But there`s more. That is not it. The judge also put a temporary restraining order against manager Sam Lutfi.
Obviously, there is so much more to get to, so many questions that need answering tonight. And I think one thing we have to start asking now is should we feel story for Britney? And you know, what about her two little kids caught in the middle of this thing. How hard is it going to be for them growing up? We are getting into that, still to come.
ANDERSON: Plus, Michelle Williams is speaking out for the very first time since the death of Heath Ledger, the father of her child. It`s a really heartbreaking statement that she made. We`ll be talking more about that straight ahead.
HAMMER: And has anybody seen Oprah? You remember when she announced she`d be campaigning for Barack Obama? Well, where has she been since then? Lots of stars showed up for the Obama and Hillary debate. But, you know, Oprah? Not among them. What in the world happened? We`re investigating the Oprah factor. Coming up.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a testimony to the Democratic Party and it is a testimony to this country that we have the opportunity to make history because I think one of us two will end up being the next president of the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was the very optimistic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at the star-studded CNN Democratic debate with Hillary Clinton Thursday night at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And I was right there Thursday night in the audience for the debate. And let me tell you, there were so many stars around me it could have been the Oscars. Everyone was there from Jason Alexander, Diane Keaton, Steven Spielberg - even the Stevie Wonder showed up. But the big question, where in the world was Oprah Winfrey?
With us tonight in Hollywood, Tanika Ray, weekend co-host of "Extra." Also with us tonight in New York, author and former adviser to President Clinton, Suzan Johnson-Cook. Ladies, great having you here.
And hey, it was over a month ago that we saw Oprah Winfrey come on like gang busters campaigning for Obama in Iowa, in New Hampshire, side by side but we haven`t seen her publicly with him since. We haven`t heard anything from her about Obama. And last night, at arguably the highest profile event yet, there was no Oprah. Dr. Sue J., that`s what most people call you, right?
DR. SUZAN JOHNSON-COOK, FORMER ADVISER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON: That`s right. Yes.
ANDERSON: Dr. Sue J., what do you think? Has Oprah abandoned Obama?
JOHNSON-COOK: I think so. I mean, where was Oprah? I think she found out there was really a formidable candidate in the race and that race could not be the determining factor for the highest office in the world, and not just in the United States. Where was Oprah? I think she has abandoned ship.
ANDERSON: That was the big question. You know, we have not seen her since she was stumping for him so often. It was a huge deal that she publicly endorsed him. Tanika, what do you think has happened?
TANIKA RAY, WEEKEND CO-HOST OF "EXTRA": Well, I think Oprah, you know, she is a secret weapon. You don`t want to abuse that secret weapon because then it would become ineffective. So, I think they`re doing the right thing if they want Oprah to stump for Obama. I think she`ll come out a little bit later, maybe in a couple of months after Super Tuesday. You want to use her in bits and pieces. Therefore, her effect will be powerful.
I think what they`re doing is perfect. It`s not Oprah running for office. It`s Obama. Obama does not need Oprah exclusively to win this ticket. So I think they`re making that point as well. If it becomes too much about Oprah, it takes the focus off of Obama. I think he is doing just fine on his own.
ANDERSON: Well, since announcing her support for Obama, there`s actually been a big backlash against Oprah from women, some of whom were saying, "Hey, wait a second. You had the opportunity to get the first female president elected and you blew it. Why did you choose Obama?" Some say Oprah chose race over gender. Dr. Sue J., is that fair, that criticism?
JOHNSON-COOK: It`s fair criticism. I mean Oprah`s entire branding, her whole show has about inspiring and empowerment of women, her whole branding all of her life. Here you have the chance to have the first woman president and she jumps ship. I think you have to be consistent. I think that she`s like Aretha Franklin`s song, Think about what you`re trying to do to me." We have a chance for a woman to be there. It`s a woman`s time and a woman`s term.
ANDERSON: Interestingly, Lifetime Television and Zogby took a poll of about a thousand women and asked their reaction to Oprah`s support. One in three women under 30 said they were less likely to support Obama because Oprah was supporting him. Seventeen percent of women over 65 said Oprah`s support actually lowered their opinion on Obama. Seventy-three percent of women say Oprah didn`t affect their opinion of Obama at all. Tanika, these are interesting results to this poll. Is it possible that, you know, Oprah may be lying low afraid she may have done more harm than good in announcing support for Obama?
RAY: No. I don`t know. It`s confusing here. These polls - I always wonder who did they poll? I wasn`t polled. So I don`t really believe polls all in all. I just think that they kind of go to a mall in Iowa or somewhere and take like 25 people and decide that that is the country. I think that`s a little ridiculous.
I think ultimately Oprah has made it very clear she is not interested in running for office, no matter how many times I ask her, and no matter how many times I think the country needs her, she keeps saying that she is the most effective on her show, which I think is correct. So she does not want to get it confused. She just wants to make it very clear. She is not on anybody`s ticket. She doesn`t want to be in anybody`s ticket.
But I think to have her choose race over gender is a ridiculous statement. The woman is a black woman. For her to have to choose whether or not she`s female over being black is absolutely ridiculous. Let the woman choose who she decides to choose for because she likes their agenda, and Oprah`s made that very clear, too.
It is not about the person or the race or the gender. It is about whose campaign she believes in the most. And she`s got - not that she doesn`t know Hillary. She`s gotten to know both and she decided that she liked Obama`s campaign better.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: Go ahead, Dr. Sue J.
JOHNSON-COOK: I think, you know, I mean, she has a wonderful show which is a great platform. She doesn`t have to run for office and she doesn`t need to make a choice either. I think she to be, though, consistent in the branding and I think she`s always spoken up for women. Let her make her choice at this particular time, too. It`s also not documented whether a celebrity really helped. It may actually damage the campaign.
ANDERSON: True. Yes.
ANDERSON: Great points by you both. Yes. I`m sorry. I have to jump in here. We are out of time. Great points. Tanika Ray, Suzan Johnson-Cook, we appreciate your time. Thanks.
RAY: Thanks.
JOHNSON-COOK: Thank you for having us.
ANDERSON: And late word today - it`s interesting to note that after the debate and two-month absence, we`re hearing that Oprah has announced a Sunday campaign stop for Obama in California.
HAMMER: Well, I don`t know what you`re thinking of for your vote, but the countdown is on to Super Tuesday, the presidential primary. But we want you to get ready for the other Super Tuesday, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday."
We`re asking you to vote online on a different question about Hollywood`s biggest stars every day. We will reveal and debate the results on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is February 5th, our Superstar Tuesday. Here`s what we want you to vote on right now - Oprah Winfrey: Should she have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama? Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: There are so many questions about Britney Spears` latest crisis and hospitalization. I think one of the big questions we have to start asking now is, should we feel sorry for Britney? And what about her two little kids? How hard is it going to be for them growing up? We`ve got a fired up panel ready to go on this, coming up.
We`ll also have Marie Osmond`s thoughts on Britney`s situation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIE OSMOND, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I`ve said from the beginning, has anybody checked into postpartum?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Marie Osmond has certainly been there, growing up in the public eye and of course her own struggle with depression. And she really opened up to me about Britney`s crisis. Marie Osmond, coming up, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: There are three big stories that are making headlines in Hollywood right now. "Ghost Rider" star Eva Mendes has reportedly checked herself into rehab for a substance abuse problem. Her rep will only tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she is taking some time off to attend to some personal issues. TMZ is reporting that for several weeks now, she`s been at the famous Cirque Lodge in Utah, where Lindsay Lohan went to rehab.
HAMMER: Well, there`s good and bad news for actor Wesley Snipes. A jury has found him not guilty of federal tax fraud and conspiracy charges, but guilty of three misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return from 1999 to 2004. He could be sentenced to three years in prison which is better than the possible 16 years he originally faced.
And Paul McCartney says his heart is just fine. Now there have been some reports floating around that the former Beatle had angioplasty surgery. Well, Paul says that`s completely untrue and he passed a recent physical exam with flying colors. But he also says he has secretly been enjoying all the sympathy that he`s been getting because of the false reports.
ANDERSON: There`s one very important person in Heath Ledger`s life who hasn`t spoken out since his death until now. For the first time, Michelle Williams, mother of his child, has released a statement and I have to tell you, it is heart breaking. We`ve got it coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: There are so many questions surrounding Britney Spears` latest crisis. I think one thing that we all really need to start asking ourselves now, should we feel sorry for Britney and what about her two little kids? I mean, how hard is it going to be for them growing up? A fired up panel ready to sound off on it, coming up next.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSMOND: And I`ve said from the beginning, has anybody checked into postpartum?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Marie Osmond has certainly been there, growing up in the public eye, her own struggle of course with depression. She really opened up to me about Britney`s crisis. You won`t want to miss this. Marie Osmond, coming up in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, we want you to always be on top of the most provocative entertainment news. And you can do that with TV`s most provocative entertainment news show and the daily newsletter. Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You click on "sign up for newsletter." It`s the link at the bottom of the page. And we`ll send it to you everyday. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Britney Spears hospital drama. Tonight, as she`s treated for mental illness, startling new questions. After all she`s been through, is it about time we feel sorry for her? I mean, after all, she is sick. Plus, what about her poor kids? What are they going through not seeing their mommy? What`s going to happen to them?
Michelle Williams speaks out. Tonight, for the very first time since Heath Ledger`s shocking death, Michelle opens up about her ex-fiance, her emotional and heartbreaking words that you have not heard before, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s get you caught up on the latest on Britney Spears` hospital drama. Britney Spears` parents, Jamie and Lynn, made a surprise appearance in an L.A. court today to fight for control of Britney Spears and her estate. And late today, a judge named Britney`s father as a temporary conservator and also issued a restraining order against Britney`s manager, Sam Lutfi.
TMZ also said that Britney has been classified as, quote, "GD," gravely disabled. This means basically that she`s unable to take care of basic needs like getting food, clothing or shelter. TMZ also reports she`s fallen into a manic state due to her bipolar disorder. And the "L.A. Times" reports that the early Thursday morning intervention to get Britney to the hospital - you know, the ambulance, police escort - it all cost $25,000, though the LAPD won`t confirm this and they tell us they had no idea where the "L.A. Times" got that figure.
ANDERSON: Those are the big headlines and there are also more big, burning questions about Britney tonight. Joining me in New York, Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman. Back with us again from New York, too, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat," Ashleigh Banfield, and in Hollywood, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author.
Howard, Ashleigh, Jane, as we know until now, Britney was just seen possibly as an out of control train wreck. Now that we are learning that she may be struggling with a very serious illness, Jane, what do you think? Should we feel sorry for her?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. We should have compassion for her. Mental illness is not a character defect. It`s something that happens to a person, not something that they choose to have. So we should have compassion and empathy, not be ridiculing her and making fun of her which is precisely what it seems the entire world is doing right now. That is only increasing the stress on her.
Psychologists say people with bipolar disorder can learn to live with it and be productive citizens if they get the treatment and the medication and get out of the eye of the storm. She needs to stay hospitalized and when she does get out, she needs to leave Hollywood, get the paparazzi to step off and get to a safe place where she can get treatment.
ANDERSON: Take a step back. Ashleigh, do you agree that we should all have sympathy for Britney Spears at this time?
BANFIELD: Oh, I think even when the story began in this supposition that she was on drugs, I think we have to be sorry for anybody afflicted with any of these kinds of conditions.
I think the people I feel the most sorry for are these two little boys, if not now, later in life. This is awful. This is traumatic. And I don`t know how much they`re shielded from any of this, but I sure hope that they`re being cared for well and someone is out there protecting them.
ANDERSON: Britney`s mental state is something that everybody is talking about. More reason to be sympathetic, in fact. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talked to TV personality Steven Cojocaru who has interviewed Britney dozens of times. Take a listen to what he had to say about all of this.
STEVEN COJOCARU, TV PERSONALITY: I feel incredibly sorry for her and I think there`s been a huge mistake made in the media. I think it`s obscene and irresponsible, all these people who have put Britney on suicide watch. That`s not a word to be just thrown out. You`re almost baiting her to do it. So I thought that was very wrong.
I do feel sorry for her and I`m glad - I think things have shifted where people - I mean, look. She does something crazy and tomorrow it will be all over her. It`s almost like she`s being fed to the lions. There`s something sick and we have to all take responsibility for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Howard, do you agree with Cojo that everybody just needs to get off Britney`s back?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Well, I don`t think that`s going to happen so much. She`s still good TV. She`s still copy. But I do think that he hit on something and I do think that the coverage is much more sympathetic the last few weeks. As we realize, these aren`t cute Hollywood antics. This is true mental illness playing out.
And I do think we all have to be concerned with what we`re saying and I don`t think talk of suicide is irresponsible. I think talk of suicide is what a lot of people felt in their hearts. And I think it was a real potential and I think when you see her family take her away to the hospital like that, I don`t think those of us that talked about us were real far off. So would it be nice to leave her alone? Yes. Is that going to happen? Not so much.
ANDERSON: You know, it`s unfortunate and I do want to mention that it was not confirmed that there was any sort of suicide attempt by Britney.
OK. We know that she is suffering but as Ashleigh said of course, we cannot forget her two small boys, Sean Preston, two years old, Jayden James, one year old. They have not seen their mother in a very long time and who knows what they`re being told? Jane, we should also be worried about these kids, shouldn`t we?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: We should but children are incredibly resilient. I think of Michael Jackson`s kids and I spoke to people who are very close to those kids and say they have turned out just fine. So, kids can bounce back from almost anything and the good news here is that these boys are very young.
When they`re preverbal, they may not remember a lot of what happened. And even if they do, they`re going to have to deal with this sense of life is chaotic and sort of a nonverbal cues they have gotten that this is a dangerous world. Things can turn bizarre at any second.
But a lot of people, millions of kids grow up suffering from that, children of alcoholics and drug addicts, children of the mentally ill. There are support groups out there that these kids can use and also therapy when they get older and have to deal with all of this.
ANDERSON: Yes. Hopefully, this won`t have long-term effects on them. And we have another story now that really breaks our hearts as well. Michelle Williams, the ex-fiancee of Heath Ledger and mother of their 2-year-old daughter Matilda, has just released a statement. Listen to this.
It reads, quote, "Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high- spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up in the best memories of him."
Howard, it`s really hard to even read that. It`s so gut-wrenching and you know in the past, we saw them together as a loving family. This is simply devastating, isn`t it?
BRAGMAN: It is devastating but it`s also - there`s a kind of beauty to it. And there`s a kind of beauty in that I know that this child has a wonderful, loving mother, is going to have wonderful memories of her father, and is going to have the spirit of her father in her life. And Michelle`s committed to this and I think it was a beautiful, well-timed, nonvolatile statement and I`m really proud of her that she came out with that.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. She does seem to be taking this incredibly hard at the same time. There are reports that she may pull out for good of the Martin Scorsese film she was working on. Ashleigh this shows that, you know, even though she and Heath were broken up, they were still very close, had an unmistakable bond that, you know, parents of a child have, right?
BANFIELD: Well, you know what they say. Sometimes other outside influences work their way in between those bonds. And if any of the reporting up until now is true about Heath Ledger`s drug addiction problems, which, by the way, have not yet been knocked down entirely by Michelle Williams, that could very well be the wedge that drove them apart as opposed to a loss of love. I tend to think that she`s very much in love with him still and it was a drug issue. I think we`re going to find out, Brooke, though, once the toxicology comes back.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And to that end, we`re hearing that, you know, the funeral services are expected to take place next week in Australia. Also, next week is when we`re expecting to get those results from the toxicology tests, where we will learn hopefully, you know, what killed Heath and the specifics surrounding his death. Jane, from what we`ve heard so far, are you expecting any surprises?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we don`t really know what to expect except that the probability is that, given the that there were half a dozen prescription drugs found in his home and given he was an otherwise healthy, young man, those prescription drugs may well have played a role in his death.
But there`s a very big difference between prescription drugs and illegal drugs and we certainly should not make that leap. And I would just like to say for both of these cases, the Heath Ledger case, and the Britney Spears` case, let`s back off with the paparazzi and the tabloid speculation. It`s gotten hurtful and everybody needs to step off and take a step back.
ANDERSON: Well said. We will leave it there. Howard Bragman, Ashleigh Banfield, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you.
HAMMER: Well, Britney had some big star company in the hospital this week. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Justin Chambers, the guy who plays Dr. Alex Karev on "Grey`s Anatomy" checked himself into the same UCLA Hospital as Britney Spears.
Chambers checked in on Monday and out on Wednesday. Now, his rep says he was suffering from a preexisting sleep disorder and popped by voluntarily. Chambers, who is married and has five kids, missed Britney`s arrival by just a couple of hours.
Well, like Britney Spears, there are actually a lot of stars who have battled or are battling mental illness in Hollywood. Marie Osmond, one such example.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OSMOND: And I said from the beginning, has anybody checked into postpartum?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Marie has been very open about her fight with postpartum depression. And tonight, Marie really has a lot to say about what Britney is going through. You definitely will want to stick around to hear this. It is my interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up next.
ANDERSON: A.J., Brooke Shields battled postpartum herself. I think she really has made a difference for a lot of women out there. Tonight, she`s opening up like never before about getting pregnant and how she had to stop her husband from beating up the paparazzi. Straight ahead.
HAMMER: You know, Brooke, seems like we`ve got a little theme going on here. Famous young stars and here`s something you are not going to want to miss. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. This is unbelievable, this amazing video. You haven`t seen it before. It`s Miley auditioning for Hannah Montana. Incredibly cute. You will definitely want to stick around for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you, Brett. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, it`s Marie Osmond unplugged. We know her most recently of course from "Dancing With The Stars." But you`re soon going to be seeing a lot more of Marie. She just announced her brand new talk show that`s scheduled to make its debut next year.
And not only that, she`s the spokesperson for the National Heart Association, an amazing organization, very close to Marie since she lost her mother and father to heart disease. Well, she stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to tell us all about that, plus her thoughts on just what she thinks may be the real reasons behind Britney Spears` shocking meltdown.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Well, you know, I mean, I`ve said from the beginning, has anybody checked into postpartum? You know? There`s various types of it. You know, there`s so many - there`s so many variables. I mean, give her a break. You know, her life - for me, I had amazing support system. I had great parents. I`ve always said that. You know, I had the perfect stage parents. They were there for every stage of my life, not that she doesn`t. I`m just saying there`s so many things. I feel bad for her. So, you know, I`m not an expert but I can talk from experience, you know.
HAMMER: Well, you have the experience which is why I`d be curious if you were to be alone in a room with her and was able to coach her. Not even necessarily advice but, you know, you do have a history of going through a lot of the same things.
OSMOND: You know what? This is the thing. The show - I`m not going to, you know - knowledge? No. This is about discovering. One of the things that I have learned through my life is that no one can tell you anything. You have to learn it yourself. And it`s the discovery process that is so fabulous.
You know, at this point in my life when ladies finally get in the 40s, you finally get smart. You finally start figuring out a few things and life is good. I - you know? Life isn`t where I would have wanted it to be at this point in my life but I feel all the joy that I have and that`s what I love about it. So, you know, for her, I hope that she`ll - it`s really self evaluation. If we just quit pointing and start looking inward, you can find much happiness in your life, you know. It`s fun.
And part of the pressure, of course, for her or for you is dealing with whatever you`re dealing with in your private life ultimately in to some degree a very public way. And you certainly have had -
OSMOND: What`s going on in your life?
HAMMER: Well, this is not about me, Marie. We can talk about that after the show. But, you know, we`ve all reveled in your highs this year and we`ve been right there with you with your lows.
OSMOND: What, when I hit the floor?
HAMMER: Well, the hitting of the floor thing -
OSMOND: Yes.
HAMMER: We are worried about you. "Dancing With The Stars," though, was a great thing to see you on. We all had our collective hands on your shoulders when your father passed away.
OSMOND: I designed a doll in that outfit. It doesn`t come with a stand.
HAMMER: Does it lie down?
OSMOND: It`s to be displayed on the floor. Yes. No.
HAMMER: But in all seriousness, Marie, with all you had to deal with in the past year, you know, including your son going into rehab and everything else, how do you manage? And how difficult is it to deal with these real life issues so publicly but with such grace and dignity as I believe you have?
OSMOND: You`re sweet. You know what? We all deal with it. It`s something that any woman out there right now, maybe not everything, but everybody has things they have to deal with. You know? God is not a respecter of persons. Everybody has their stuff.
I don`t have a bazillion nannies. I am a single mom. I love taking care of my kids. You know? I choose to be alone - I want to be there for my kids. I don`t want that side of my life - I mean it would have been nice to have that kind of relationship. But my son needs me and my kids need me and that`s where I need to be is for them.
I`m so proud of him. This is something that affects every single family now. It`s like 25 percent of the kids end up having these problems nowadays. And so, you know, the way he`s dealing with it with the things that he`s been through, I`m just proud of him. And I`m there for him. That`s what we have to do is to be positive.
And if there was nothing else that I learned through my life is to always to choose that and to find hope out there. And so, maybe I`m just an overly positive person. I don`t know.
HAMMER: No. I`m right there with you. And I think that`s a great example for people -
OSMOND: What do you do? Do you fall on the floor and melt? Do you give up? No.
HAMMER: No. I think you set a great example for people who are going through tough times. Err on the side of positivity. There`s only one (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as you go.
(CROSS TALK)
OSMOND: I`m positive that I`m going through hard times. No. But it`s OK. It really is, because if you choose to learn from it, then you arise and awake out of it, and that`s the key, you know. You do something about it.
HAMMER: Well, you certainly are doing positive work for the American Heart Association.
OSMOND: Well, I don`t know. I try.
HAMMER: You`re the national spokesperson for their "Go Red" campaign for heart disease awareness. I know this is something that is very personal for you and really strikes close to home.
OSMOND: Well, when I started with them a year ago, my oldest boy, Steven(ph) - I was doing some rehearsals backstage and I was kind of panting and out of breath. And he said, "Mom, you know, it would really be nice for you to be here for my kids." And it just kind of wow, hit you right in the face but still, women.
My gosh. I don`t know what it is about us. We don`t want to look at us. We want to help everybody else. And I took a hard look and said, he is right because I lost my grandmother from heart disease. I lost my mother prematurely from heart disease. I lost my dad from it. And I was a ticking time bomb. I was showing all the effects of it.
And so, I said, that`s it. So I - over the eight years I was taking care of my parents, I put on probably five pounds a year and found myself 40 pounds overweight. So I took off the weight and I feel better than I did when I was 30. And, so, that`s amazing since I`m 29.
HAMMER: How did you do that?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: We love Marie Osmond. And to learn more about her terrific "Go Red" campaign, just log on to GoRedforWomen.org.
It is time now for "Making It Work," where we put the focus on couples who are keeping their relationship strong in the Hollywood spotlight. And tonight, Brooke Shields opening up like never before about her struggles to get pregnant and how she makes her marriage work even when her husband wanted to punch out the paparazzi.
In a revealing interview in "Parade" magazine, Brooke, who has two young daughters with her husband of seven years, Chris Henchy, says that she had to control him because he had a hard time dealing with the fame at first. "He`s Irish and he`s got a real temper. He wanted to punch every single paparazzo and I`d be like, `Who do you think they`re going to write about? Me. So let`s just be kind here.`"
Brooke also reveals she went through a very tough time trying to conceive. She says, "There was a period when I was working but I couldn`t get pregnant, and I felt like a complete failure. Then all of a sudden I got pregnant and I was scared that I was never going to work again." You can read more in "Parade" magazine this Sunday.
Well, just like Brooke Shields was, Miley Cyrus is a super successful young star. And tonight, I`ve got the amazing video you haven`t seen before. You`ve just got to check this out. Miley auditioning for Hannah Montana and there`s a surprise guest that shows up. Want to know who it is? You will definitely stick around for that.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, we have for you a never before seen look at Miley Cyrus. You know, this Hannah Montana craze that shows no signs of slowing down. I mean her tour - it was the toughest ticket in town. And now, Miley Cyrus` brand new 3D concert movie is out and selling out everywhere.
Well, tonight, you`ve got to see this. We got our hands on Miley`s audition tape when she was trying out for the Disney "Hannah Montana" show when she was just 12 years old. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILEY CYRUS, STAR OF "HANNAH MONTANA": I`m Miley Cyrus. I`m with CED and auditioning for the role of Zoe in "Hannah Montana." And yes, it`s your red sweater, but you`ve got to admit. It looks better on me than you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s too much, Zoe. And if you think my sweater looks way better on you, why did you give it to me for Christmas?
M. CYRUS: Because you`re always borrowing my clothes. And I feel bad because I never borrow yours because you have nothing I like. So I got this for you so you have something I like and I could borrow it and make you feel better.
BILLY RAY CYRUS, MILEY CYRUS` FATHER: A hand shake while we`re at it?
M. CYRUS: Yes.
B. CYRUS: Okay. A-hoo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is fantastic. Of course that`s dad Billy Ray Cyrus there. They have a super secret handshake apparently. So incredibly cute and it seems like it`s so long ago. But keep this in mind, she is now just 15 years old.
ANDERSON: Well, the countdown is on to the biggest day of the presidential primary, Super Tuesday. But you should also get ready for the other Super Tuesday. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday." We`re asking you to vote online on a different question about Hollywood`s biggest stars every day. We will reveal and debate the results on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tuesday, February 5th, our "Superstar Tuesday." Here`s what we`re asking you to vote on right now - Oprah Winfrey: Should she have endorsed Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama?
To vote, go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. The polls are open right now. And the results will be revealed on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday," February 5th. You don`t want to miss this.
HAMMER: Yes, you don`t want to miss it. And I`ve got to tell you, Brooke, the gang here very excited about "Superstar Tuesday." Get pumped up for it.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks so much for watching. We`ve got the latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS," coming up next.
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