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Showbiz Tonight
Inside Britney`s hospital; Did Heath Ledger`s Role as the Joker Play a Part in His Spiraling Down?; Oprah Winfrey Strikes Back Over Criticism of Endorsing Barack Obama
Aired February 04, 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: Oprah Winfrey fights back over criticism of endorsing Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. And Angelina Jolie opens like never before. She reveals what her number one passion is. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the battle for Britney. Tonight, a brand new and nasty court fight. Her parents raging battle for control of her fortune and her future. Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside Britney`s hospital. A revealing look at what her life may be like in the psych ward.
Heath Ledger`s startling dark side. Why Ledger`s role as The Joker in the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" is no laughing matter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATH LEDGER, ACTOR: Why so serious?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the controversial troubling question. Did Heath`s psychotic part in Batman play a tragic part in his real life downfall?
HAMMER: Plus, how Hannah Montana kicked the butts of not one but two big Hollywood stars.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And she`s back for Barack. Oprah Winfrey is coming out swinging against all the critics who say she has some nerve backing Barack Obama over a woman, Hillary Clinton, for president. Oprah`s big battle coming up.
But first, the big battle for the heart, mind and fortune of Britney Spears. Britney`s parents are now in a knock down drag out fight with her manager just as Britney`s stay in a hospital psychiatric ward has now been extended another two weeks. We`ve got disturbing details of what Britney might be going through in that ward coming up.
But first tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the battle for control. An unbelievable and dramatic fight that only seems to be getting more vicious every day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): In Britney Spears` topsy-turvy world, there`s only one thing we can tell you for certain right now. She`s not going anywhere any time soon. Days after an army of cops and paparazzi escorted Britney to the UCLA Medical Center`s psych ward for treatment for her reported mental health issues, it turns out she`s going to be there longer than expected.
KATIE DARYL, TMZ TV: Britney Spears put into the UCLA psych ward for 72 hours. That hold has been extended for 14 days so that she can get more medical attention.
HAMMER: But while Britney`s away, an all-out war has broken out between Britney`s parents and friend/manager/shopping partner Sam Lutfi over who gets to make decisions about the troubled star`s house, her medical care and her fortune, estimated at $125 million. And like the movie title says, there will be blood.
JULIA ALLISON, "STAR MAGAZINE": It doesn`t make a lot of sense, but then again, nothing in Britney Spears` life makes sense at this point.
HAMMER: It`s the drama that gets wilder by the day and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the players and the motives in the battle over Britney.
DARYL: For so many months, we are watching Britney Spears` battle to have control and take care of her own children. And now the battle has turned to who`s going to take care of Britney Spears herself.
HAMMER: On one side, Britney`s parents, Jamie and Lynn Spears. The divorced couple from Louisiana is in Los Angeles to handle the daughter`s affairs and the paparazzi.
JAMIE SPEARS, BRITNEY`S FATHER: Let me give you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) clue.
HAMMER: After Britney went away, a court gave her dad, Jamie Spears, and an attorney conservatorship over Britney and her estate.
DARYL: They get to make medical decisions and estate decisions on the behalf Britney Spears while she`s hospitalized.
HAMMER: And the court also had a little something for her so-called manager, Sam Lutfi, a restraining order slapped at him ordering him to keep away from Britney and her house. Britney`s parents were said to be happy about that.
DARYL: They think that he is controlling, he`s manipulating and that he`s hoarding money and not, you know, having Britney`s best interest at heart.
HAMMER: But Lutfi is fighting back.
DARYL: Sam Lutfi said that Britney`s family doesn`t know her and that he`s closer to them and that he is really the one that should be in charge of her life.
HAMMER: And here`s where it gets strange. The law firm of this man, Sorrell Trope, is already representing Britney in the custody battle with Kevin Federline over their two boys. Now, Trope`s firm is joining forces with Sam Lutfi to have Jamie Spears bounced as Britney`s conservator.
DARYL: They think that he`s sympathetic and compassionate towards Britney and he`s actually on her side.
HAMMER: And how does Britney feel about all this?
DARYL: TMZ sources are telling us that when Britney Spears learned that her father, Jamie Spears, was going to be one of her co-conservators in making decisions on her behalf, she basically went crazy over it. She was in the psych ward to begin with, and she started yelling and screaming and basically saying, "They can have the house. They can do whatever they want." She just doesn`t want her dad involved in her life it seems right now.
HAMMER: Britney has expressed that sentiment before. In April of last year, after her father backed efforts to send her to rehab, an angry Britney told "The New York Post," quote, "I am praying for my father. We have never had a good relationship."
DARYL: One thing we have to remember though is that Britney has been diagnosed as bipolar. So one day in one minute she likes someone and the next minute she doesn`t.
HAMMER: So, as one court hammers out Britney`s custody rights, battle over who runs her affairs has been dragged into yet another court. It`s a fight that`s probably not what the doctor ordered.
ALLISON: No, of course it is not helpful to Britney to have yet another court battle. What Britney needs less of is court battles. She needs more solidarity.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So with no apparent end in sight in the war over Britney, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, could we actually see Britney surprise us all and take control of her own life once again?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Ken Baker, executive news editor for "E." In New York, Tru TV "In Session" anchor, Lisa Bloom. Hi, guys. Good to see you both. As I just mentioned, Britney`s dad was the one who was finally given control over Britney`s personal and financial affairs. Ken Baker, what do you think? Are you surprised by this given that her dad had basically disappeared from her life and had no part in it?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": I wasn`t surprised. Here`s why. Who`s in the in her inner circle? Sam Lutfi, who was given a restraining order against him on Friday. So he`s out of the picture. Adnan Ghalib, some boyfriend who`s a paparazzo who no one in the family knew and he`d only been around in the picture for about a month.
Who else was there? The mom has had more of a contentious, combative relationship with Britney in the recent times than the father has. Don`t forget when Britney put in Cedars-Sinai that first time in the psych ward on January 3rd, who was by her side the entire time? Jamie Spears, her father. And I think that what happened was they bonded at that time. It made more sense for Jamie to take over. Now, of course, we`re going to find out how long this lasts as this proceeds the next few days.
HAMMER: Yes, absolutely. It is interesting to hear your perspective on that, Ken. Because, mom, while things may not have been so good, has at least certainly been around apparently more than dad has been around. So Lisa Bloom, maybe from a legal perspective, you can help me out here. Why would Britney`s dad get control and not her mother or even both at the same time?
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, "IN SESSION": Well, that`s an excellent question. I don`t know the answer because those court papers have been sealed and this has all been so private. Perhaps mom did not want to be the conservator or simply the court found that he was more capable of being a conservator.
But don`t forget there`s another person who`s also the conservator over her affairs, and that`s a private attorney not connected with the family. And both the dad and the attorney as conservators are always answerable to the court. So they can`t go out and just make wild-eyed decisions and spend all of Britney`s money and have her drugged up. They`re always answerable to the court. They have to act reasonably on her behalf.
HAMMER: Well, back to something Ken Baker was just saying. As you suggested, Ken, you know, Britney hasn`t really always trusted either of her parents in the past. So would you be at all surprised, Ken, if we wind up seeing Britney perhaps fighting all of this and maybe saying, "You know what? I`m the one who`s going to be in control of my own fortune here."
BAKER: Well, you know, Britney`s history is to always be fighting her parents, to be fighting out some sort of rebellion like a teenager. This is always what she`s done, so I wouldn`t be surprised. However, don`t forget, Britney has been locked up in a psych ward being medicated. It`s been reported that if she doesn`t take her meds, they will force the medications on her. And she legally has to take these meds.
So, we may be dealing with an entirely different Britney Spears, at least bio chemically, and thus her behavior would be different. So it`s really hard. She used to be very predictable. You can say, "Yes, Britney, she`ll just end up being really rebellious and kick her dad and her mom out of her life again." But you know what? We may be seeing a different Britney very soon.
HAMMER: While you`re mentioning, Ken, some of the conditions she may be facing in that hospital psych ward, we`re going to be getting into that in depth in just a little bit here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. There was another development today that I want to get to. It was in the custody battle over Britney`s two kids with Kevin Federline.
Now, a judge made a very swift decision to put off any further discussion until February 19th, which is about the time that Britney could be getting out of the hospital if things go as they seem to be going right now. Lisa Bloom, my question is, what is there to discuss on February 19th? It`s not as if a judge is going to hand her back custody.
BLOOM: No. There`s always a question as to whether she could get monitored visitation. No custody or visitation order is ever final. The courts always want to see a mother of young children reunited with those children. Maybe if there`s a monitor there, she could visit them for a short period of time, because keep in mind, those kids are probably yearning for their mother. They don`t understand what`s happened to her. They don`t understand what a psych ward is or a 14-day hold. They just know they miss their mama. That`s what this is really all about.
HAMMER: That`s where -
BAKER: To Lisa`s point, A.J., it has been one month since Britney has seen her kids. That is just tragedy.
HAMMER: It`s tragic and it`s a big shame of the whole thing. And we keep coming back to that. And you brought up earlier, Ken, the manager guy, Sam Lutfi. The judge actually issued a restraining order against him. Is that basically saying, Ken, that the judge thinks Sam is a dangerous guy?
BAKER: Well, basically, that would mean that they had to show that there was some sort of threat to Britney. And, from everything that`s been reported, the judge had no problem finding enough evidence to issue that restraining order. It`s going to last 22 days. But I think what is clear here is that what Jamie Spears and Lynn Spears together have done is they have flushed out everyone from her life who was there previously. If you look, Adnan Ghalib has not been around that hospital.
HAMMER: No, he hasn`t.
BAKER: Sam Lutfi has been anywhere not in sight. They`re definitely cleaning house.
HAMMER: And as I mentioned, the parents are happy about that. Ken Baker, Lisa Bloom, I don`t want you to go anywhere because you need to come back in a bit so we can talk about exactly what Britney may actually be going through inside the hospital.
It is just stunning, there are reports of padded rooms, medication that she`s been given. You`re not going to believe some of the stuff that we have for you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigating what life may actually be like for Britney inside that psych ward.
Also, Heath Ledger`s dark side. You know, Heath, obviously, a great actor. Really took his roles quite seriously. He researched them. He got very deep into the characters. Tonight, we`re investigating the controversial question, did Heath`s role as the psychotic Joker in the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight" actually play a tragic part into the real life downfall? That is coming up.
Also, Angelina Jolie is opening up like never before. You will never guess what her biggest passion in life is. Well, maybe you will figure it out, but I will tell you one thing it`s not. It`s not Brad Pitt. Start thinking.
HAMMER: Now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all by downloading our podcast which happens to be totally free. You will find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast over on our website which is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also down load it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in to the search box and it shall be yours. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEDGER: Why so serious?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, new and disturbing details about Heath Ledger`s obsessive and dark preparation for his role as The Joker in the new Batman film that haunted him before his death.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, what Heath Ledger put himself through while preparing to be The Joker in the hotly anticipated new Batman film "The Dark Knight." We are now learning that Heath reportedly locked himself in a London hotel room for six weeks practicing the faces, all the voices, even the laughs of The Joker. And he even kept journals of The Joker`s thoughts. Heath later talked about how he could barely function after he finished filming.
Joining us is "Access Hollywood" weekend co-anchor Shawn Robinson in Hollywood tonight. Also joining us Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. Shawn, Howard, I do appreciate you both being here.
I mentioned this journal that Heath kept. Not so unusual for an actor but he was keeping notes about the The Joker`s psychology, some sick things were in this journal including things that The Joker might find funny like AIDS. Just truly, truly dark stuff. Shawn, really gives us an insight here into how involved Heath was for preparing for the psychotic character, doesn`t it?
SHAWN ROBINSON, WEEKEND CO-ANCHOR, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": A.J., you`re absolutely right. And Heath had just, as you said, locked himself in this London hotel room by himself for six weeks practicing different laughs, different postures and what he was trying to do is make this character go beyond the makeup. Because when we think of The Joker, we do think of that signature white face and the red lips.
But his makeup was very minimal in this movie, "The Dark Knight" and what he wanted to do was get into the mind of The Joker. And Michael Caine, his co-star, said it was the scariest thing just to see Heath Ledger on the screen. He was practicing, you know, different movements. He even said that this was - he had so much fun with this character but ironically, he said that this - he could not sleep after playing this character.
HAMMER: Yes.
ROBINSON: He couldn`t, you know, function normally. So it`s really giving us an insight into how he really immersed himself in this role.
HAMMER: Yes. And he talked about the fact that it had this great impact on his inability to sleep. He started taking sleeping pills as a result. Here`s something he told MTV about shooting "The Dark Knight," which is the darkest Batman that we`ve seen.
He said, "It was an exhausting process. At the end of the day, I couldn`t move. I couldn`t talk. I was absolutely wrecked." Howard, I mean it sounds to me like this role just got inside of his head and he just couldn`t get it out.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, this is not uncommon with actors. I remember when I worked on the film "Man On The Moon, The Andy Kaufman Story" and Jim Carey was playing Andy Kaufmann. You couldn`t have a conversation with him as Jim Carey. He became Andy Kaufman. And that`s what method actors do. They inhabit that character and sometimes it takes a psychological toll as we`ve seen along the way.
But I also think that Heath was strong enough to come out of this. I don`t want to think that this what, quote unquote, "took him down" or a situation like that because every time Heath did a film, he inhabited his character which is what made him such an amazing actor.
HAMMER: Yes, but I guess the question that`s being raised is it at least a component that contributed to whatever depression he may have been feeling or the dark moments he may have been feeling prior to dying. And I guess we may not know. We expect those toxicology reports to come out this week which will hopefully give us some answers as to what killed Heath Ledger.
We do know he did have trouble going on in his personal life. Obviously, he`d separated from Michelle Williams back in September, wrapping up "The Dark Knight" in November with the character of The Joker hanging over his head. So Shawn, do you think that The Joker getting so inside of his head may be something that he struggled with until the end?
ROBINSON: Well, you know, as Howard said, it is all purely speculation. And of course, getting into the mind of a character like The Joker probably does not help when you`re going through personal problems with your relationships. But as Howard also said, that Heath was a very strong actor and he, you know, he kind of got into the mind of all of his characters.
So we really don`t know and it`s really hard to speculate at this point. We know that, you know, obviously, the breakup of the relationship was taking a big toll on him. And, you know, it`s really sad to think that this character may have contributed to his downfall. But we really don`t know. It`s definitely a speculation.
HAMMER: No, you`re right about that. It is speculation. And Howard, as you said, it is not uncommon for an actor to get so caught up with the character. But from your experience, and you`ve worked with a lot actors, is it unusual for an actor to be haunted by a character long after they`re finished playing it? You have about 20 seconds here for me.
BRAGMAN: I`m not convinced that he was haunted. He was already on to his next movie and the kind of actor Heath was, he was on to the next character. But you know, the whole essence of method acting is taking your personal pain and your personal experience and translate it to the screen. So part of that had to come from his dark places, certainly.
HAMMER: Well, no denying whatever his method was, it made him a fine, fine actor. Shawn Robinson, Howard Bragman, I do appreciate you both being here.
Well, tonight, Britney Spears may stay in a hospital for a lot longer than we originally thought. Two more weeks is the current plan. I hope that the treatment, whatever she is getting, is working for her. But just what exactly is she going through? There`s talk of padded walls, medication. Coming up, we`re giving you a revealing look at what Britney`s life could be like inside the psych ward.
All right. Don`t know about you, I love this story. Miley Cyrus, Disney`s Hannah Montana kicking the butt of two of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Yes. You know, Miley is just a teenager but she really smacked down a couple of grown ups. A fired up panel right here with this amazing story of how Miley did it on the way.
And Oprah fighting back. You know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been saying, where did Oprah go? You know, she supported presidential candidate Barack Obama but then it seemed that she kind of disappeared. Tonight, I can tell you she is back. She is fired up. And she is taking on the critics that say she has some nerve backing Barack over a woman for president. That is coming up.
Well, I know the presidential primaries are in full swing. Make sure you get out and vote. But also, you should cast your ballot for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday." I`ve been asking you to vote online on different questions about Hollywood`s biggest stars every day. We will reveal and debate the results on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Superstar Tuesday. " It`s our own super Tuesday.
Here`s what we`re asking you to vote on right now - Celebrity endorsements: Do they influence your vote? Please go online to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, whatever my influence may be there. You can also E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Tune in for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Here are three big stories new in Hollywood right now. Amy Winehouse is just out of rehab but only for a second. She stopped by the U.S. Embassy in London to talk about renewing her visa. So why is this such a big deal? Well, the Grammy Awards are this weekend. She is nominated for six but it really seems there would be no way that Amy could actually show up in L.A. for the awards because she`s in rehab. Rep says that no decision has been made just yet.
"People" magazine reports Katharine McPhee got married on Saturday in Beverly Hills. She was of course, the fifth season "American Idol" runner up to Taylor "Mr. Soul Patrol" Hicks. Katharine`s husband is producer Nick Cokas. She is 23; he is 42.
And straight up now tell me, you must have seen this a billion people who did watch the Super Bowl. "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul`s got this new album coming out this summer. And at Sunday`s game, she set out to prove she is forever your girl performing for the first time in more than ten years.
(VIDEO CLIP OF PAULA ABDUL PERFORMING AT THE SUPER BOWL)
HAMMER: All right. She`s lip syncing there. But I`ve got to say, Paula, not too bad. By the way, as I said, that wasn`t quite a billion people but more than 97 million people watched this Super Bowl making it the second most watched TV show of all time behind the "M.A.S.H." finale - 106 million tuned in for that in 1983. Congratulations, Giants.
Well, a lot of people are watching Britney Spears lately. Her stay at an L.A. psychiatric ward just extended now by two more weeks. I really hope this treatment is exactly what she needs to be getting because we all want to see her getting better. But tonight, just what is her life like inside the hospital? There`s talk of padded walls, medication. Well, coming up, a revealing look you won`t want to miss, just what Britney might be going through.
Also, Angelina Jolie opening up like never before. I can`t believe what her biggest passion is. I`ll give you a hint, though. Not Brad Pitt.
And I love this story. Teenage Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana kicking the butt of two huge Hollywood stars, grown ups here. I`ve got a fired up panel to explain just how she did it.
But first, you can stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Click on "newsletter" at the bottom of the page and we`ll send it to you every single day.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, inside Britney Spears` psych ward. For the very first time, we are learning shocking details about what may be happening to Britney in the hospital. Can she have visitors? Make phone calls? Is she being restrained? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has brand new details about Britney`s life in the hospital.
Angelina Jolie unplugged. Angelina is speaking out about her greatest passion, and no, believe it or not, it is isn`t Brad Pitt. Tonight, it`s Angelina as you`ve never seen her before.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And I want to get you up to date on the very latest developments of Britney Spears` hospitalization.
Britney`s father has been given control over her estate and medical decisions. But her manager Sam Lutfi is fighting in court for control over Britney and her money. And while that`s going on, Britney`s 72-hour hold at the hospital has now been extended for 14 days so she can get more medical attention.
As Britney prepares to spend another couple of weeks in the hospital, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now opening the door and bringing you a clearer and sometimes disturbing picture about what Britney`s life may be like inside that psych ward.
Joining us once again tonight from Hollywood, executive news editor for "E!", Ken Baker. Here in New York, clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky. And also back with us tonight in New York, anchor of Tru TV`s "In Session," Lisa Bloom.
All right, gang. So we know "People.com" has now painted this rather bleak picture of what Britney may be going through in this psych ward, including possibly being put in a padded room if she gets too out of control. I saw this, Dr. Judy, a padded room for Britney Spears and I`m wondering could she possibly be that bad given what we know?
DR. JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Exactly. She`s shown a lot of oppositional defiance as we call it in - as in the Diagnostic Manual of Behavior. She could be in the padded room because she could be banging on the doors. She could be hitting her head.
You know she`s been very upset saying, "I`m not crazy." And that could lead to her acting out a lot. Besides that fact, the padded room could help the other patients on the ward and the staff from her screams because, remember, she is not on alone. She is on a ward where there are other people.
On top of that, if things get really bad, she can be restrained. And even beyond that if it gets really bad, A.J., they can give her a shot in the arm, literally and figuratively. That would be, however, a sedative that would calm her down and stop those kind of outbursts.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, we use the word "shocking" a lot when we`re talking about the plight of Britney Spears. I never in my wildest dreams imagined I`d be saying Britney and padded room in the same sentence in a very serious manner. And I`m not taking it lightly at all. And we have to remember that she hasn`t even been legally committed here.
So Lisa Bloom, you`ve got to help me out on this. What if after a couple of days in the hospital, even is she`s in a padded room, even if they want to put her in leather restraints as "People.com" reported, what if she says, "I want out of here," and she wants to leave the hospital and demands, "You`ve got to let me out?" Can they even keep her against the will?
BLOOM: She has the right that we all have to not be involuntarily committed without a good reason. She would have the right to have a hearing to show that she`s not gravely disabled anymore, that she`s able to care for herself, that she`s not a danger to herself or a danger to others. So she would have a right to have a prompt hearing if she demands it. She hasn`t demanded it so right now, she`s in there for 14 days.
HAMMER: Which makes the idea of a padded room all the stranger to me. You know, if she`s not truly a danger to herself. Now, the picture that is painted of what`s going on inside the psych ward is of a place certainly not an environment she`s been accustomed to in the past. We`re talking about pay phones. We`re talking about sitting down for a group lunch.
Now, before entering the hospital, we know that Britney and her cell phone for all intents and purposes, inseparable. She would spend her days cruising around on her own schedule going to Starbucks and the fastfood joints and gas stations every five minutes.
Ken, I have to imagine, and this is keeping in mind that we believe she is getting the help that she needs. But has to be unimaginable for her. She`s got to be miserable in this environment.
BAKER: well, you know, actually, my two kids were born at UCLA Medical Center. While a fine place to give birth I`m told by my wife, I don`t think I`d want to spend 14 or even 17 days total maximum, it seems, it could happen there. I think this is a total culture shock to her.
I think Britney must be - look. The Britney we have seen heretofore is someone who is manic, someone who`s running around, bouncing off walls literally, most of the time. And so what I think she must be going through in this phase is really difficult. And my understanding is that this is a very secure place that she is in. There, she is not allowed to see any visitors.
And probably the best thing for her is to isolate her because I think when you look back, guys, last Monday, this is what has been lost. Last Monday, she was given the right to talk to her kids. The unraveling began when she began that right to talk to her kids over the phone. And I just can`t imagine that any outside contact right now is going to really help her.
HAMMER: Wow. I can`t get away from what a change this is for her. Dr. Judy, we`ve talked a lot about stars going into rehab and having to adjust to living in that environment which is often a very plush sort of environment. So how does somebody like Britney Spears who`s accustomed to this lavish life style adjust to such a radical change?
KURIANSKY: Well, it`s not fancy - let`s say that. But please, let`s not think that a psychiatric ward is like a prison. Most people do think that. This is a safe place for her to be. It`s very controlled and it`s a good place for her to be because it`s going to take at least those 14 days, A.J., for her to be evaluated to get all the tests she really needs.
They`re going to be asking her questions, even like - get this, since it`s election time - "Who`s the president?" And putting blocks together to match them. All these to test her personality, to see all kinds of personality disorders she may have, and to test what kind of medications are really going to work.
It`s not even going to take a short time. It takes weeks to stabilize on a kind of medication she may need if they decide she is bipolar. So all that testing is going to take very smart psychologists and psychiatrists. They`re going to meet together in staff meetings a lot. They`re going to be interviewing her. She`s going to be very busy and being asked a lot of questions. And it`s a great place for her to be and 14 days isn`t even enough. And let`s not think this is a bad place for her to be. She`ll be safe. She`ll be well taken care of. She`ll be supported. She`ll be given a lot of care.
HAMMER: And all of that said, Dr. Judy, Lisa Bloom pointed out moments ago, she also can say, "You know what? I don`t want to be here anymore," and walk out the door, which is separate from the question of control of her life. This is all happening against the backdrop of Britney`s parents fighting to retain control over her fortune, and her - and what she is doing. So, Lisa Bloom, again, given that she has not been legally committed here, could she say, "Hey. You know, I want to be the one to start pulling the strings as far as to what happens in my life?"
BLOOM: She could say that, but it`s a different question. The question is, is she capable of managing her affairs? I think the answer to that right now is a very clear no. So she needs a conservator to take care of things. A parent would be the most likely person.
Right now, it`s her dad and an attorney. They`re answerable to court. They`ve got to manage her money, which is a big job because it`s $125 million. They`ve got to manage her medical treatment which is also a big job because she`s bipolar and so far she hasn`t gotten any good treatment. That`s why she is where she is.
So she needs to have a conservator looking out for her. It doesn`t matter whether she`s legally committed or not. That needs to continue.
HAMMER: OK. So that`s a whole different issue. Now, how did we wind up where we are with her right now? Well, that`s a very complicated and elaborate puzzle. But there has been speculation that the never ending focus of paparazzi could have played some part into Britney`s meltdown. Ken Baker, let me toss this one out to you. When she gets out of the hospital, she just needs to get the heck out of town, doesn`t she?
BAKER: Well, you know, it`s been reported that Britney`s parents wanted her to move back to Louisiana. But you know, her kids are right now with Kevin Federline in Los Angeles. And from what I`m told, Kevin Federline has no plans to leave Los Angeles. So I don`t know if getting out of town is going to be the best thing for her in terms of being a mother. Now, just for her own sanity, yes, probably. Get her out of here. Get her away from all the attention.
BLOOM: A.J., can I just say something real quick? How about a law that says paparazzi can`t block ambulances or can`t chase ambulances. I mean why should Britney have to leave town?
HAMMER: Well, I will tell you that just today or in the last couple of days, there`s councilman out there in California who`s trying to introduce legislation to perhaps have some movement as far as all that`s concerned -
BLOOM: Here, here.
HAMMER: Before somebody gets hurt or killed because of the paparazzi. So we`ll see where that goes.
BLOOM: No one should be allowed to chase an ambulance.
HAMMER: That is absolutely true. I`m out of time here, guys. But thank you so much for your help tonight. Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Lisa Bloom and Ken Baker. I do appreciate you all being here.
Well, Angelina Jolie is speaking out about her greatest passion in life. Guess what? Not Brad Pitt. I`ll tell you what it is coming up.
Also Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus annihilates two of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. All right, annihilate might be a little bit of a strong word to use here. But she definitely has kicked some butt, namely the butts of Eva Longoria-Parker and Jessica Alba. And we have a very fired up panel ready to go on both of these stories. That is coming up.
And did you see this? You`re seeing a glimpse of it. Now, strange things happen in New York every day. I can tell you. I`ve worked with a bunch of strange people. But check this out. Hundreds of people frozen in place at Grand Central Station, one of the busiest places in New York City. What in the world is going on here? If you stick around, you will find out coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer. Did you see this? We have got a video for you tonight that is so incredibly cool. Imagine this. You`re at Grand Central Station, obviously, one of the most crowded, busiest places in the world. And hundreds of people just freeze in place. Yes. That`s exactly what went down courtesy of a group called Improv Everywhere. Needless to say, it left a lot of spectators wondering what the heck was going on. About 200 people took part in this. They froze in place for five minutes and then they unfroze, just kept walking like nothing had ever happened. The Improv Everywhere group stages these kinds of scenes periodically including one of my all time favorites, a no-pants-on-the- subway day every year. That`s a big, big day here in New York City.
All right. Apparently everybody`s still wearing their pants in Hollywood right now as far as we know. But tonight, there are three other big stories that are new right now. We`ve just got to talk about them.
Angelina Jolie is opening up like never before about her number one passion in life. I`ll give you a little hint. Brad, sorry. It`s not you.
Tonight, "Hannah Montana" star Miley Cyrus kicked Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria-Parker`s butts. And yes, we are loving it.
And on Friday, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was asking, where the heck is Oprah Winfrey? Well, she`s back. And she came out swinging against all the heat that she`s been receiving for endorsing Obama over Hillary.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Kim Serafin, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly." And Tanika Ray, weekend co-host for "Extra." Ladies, it`s always good to have you both here. You know, Oprah Winfrey has been taking a lot of heat for backing Barack Obama, not Hillary Clinton. The critics have been speaking out, saying, "You know, here was your chance, Oprah. Empower women. Put the very first woman in the White House." She was at a rally, Oprah Winfrey, over the weekend in California for Obama. I want you to listen to what she said there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST AND CELEBRITY: You know, after Iowa, there was some women who had the nerve to say to me, "How could you, Oprah? How could you? You`re a traitor to your gender." Yes. That`s how I felt. So I say, I am not a traitor. No, I`m not a traitor. I`m just following my own truth and that truth has led me to Barack Obama.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, there you go. She made her case. Kim, she says she is not a traitor. So is all the criticism of Oprah really been unfair?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, wow. Watching that, it makes me think that Oprah should be running for president. I think she is a great speaker. And you know, I think she knows how to make a good entrance as well, you know. She`s not out there everyday. She waits a little while. She comes back. Everyone is excited to see her. And I don`t think people really doubt Oprah. You know, I think she`s got power and she`s out there with Maria Shriver, with Michelle Obama. I mean she knows how to make an entrance. She knows what she`s doing.
HAMMER: Yes. And a lot of people do think maybe Oprah should be president. We actually get in to that on our "Superstar Tuesday." But more on that later. Tanika, let me go to you on this, because it really seems to me when you look at the situation, Oprah is kind of in this no-win situation. She`s damned if she backs Obama. Damned if she backs Hillary. What do you think? All the criticism just unfair?
TANIKA RAY, WEEKEND CO-HOST, EXTRA: Yes. I think it`s silly. I think it depends on who you ask. I don`t think she`s a traitor one way or another. She follows her heart. That`s what Oprah has told the entire world over and over on the shows. Follow your passion.
The thing that was brilliant - I was at the rally on Sunday. She not only said what she said what you guys just aired, but she also said, "I don`t support Barack because he`s black. I support Barack because he`s brilliant," and everybody erupted in applause. She was unbelievable.
And I have asked her on numerous occasions would she ever run for office and a resounding no, like a loud no in the ear. She`s never going to run. People, give up. She`s a lot more effective where she is. But who else was brilliant that day was Michelle Obama which made me love Barack even more. And I`m still undecided these days, but if he is married to a woman like that, he`s got to be a genius. Really, she was outstanding. It was seriously like the best concert I`ve been to in a long time.
HAMMER: Yes. You know, no matter who support in this whole race, wouldn`t it be nice if people just voted for who they think would be the best and not because of who they are based on gender or race? I mean, obviously.
RAY: Isn`t that the way it`s supposed to be?
HAMMER: If it is, you know, I don`t know what`s going on.
(CROSS TALK)
SERAFIN: And you know, with all the different celebrities endorsing different candidates, I think Oprah is probably the one celebrity that people actually pay attention to.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean there`s been a lot of talk about that and certainly more than others. We have to move on because there`s this other big story that`s percolating in Hollywood right now. Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus beat the pants off of Longoria-Parker and Jessica Alba at the box office. I mean this is unbelievable. Miley`s 3D movie -
RAY: Let`s expound - Let`s expound on how much she beat her butt.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: I`m getting into that, Tanika.
RAY: Go for it.
HAMMER: Of course, this is the movie that`s based on her "Best of Both Worlds" concert. $31 million. Jessica Alba`s new movie, "The Eye." 12 million. Eva Longoria`s movie, "Over Her Dead Body" flopped, only 4 million. And yet, Tanika, as you said, it was in so many more theaters, the other films, while Miley`s movie in so many less. Let me start with you, Kim. Should Jessica and Eva be a little embarrassed right about now?
SERAFIN: Yes. You know, they shouldn`t be embarrassed. But I think who should really be embarrassed is U2. Because they have other 3D concert movie out, and they`ve made about $2 million. And they have been out for I think two weeks. So that, I think, should embarrass most people. You know, she - don`t underestimate the power of Hannah Montana. I mean it is a huge phenomenon. We saw what happened with tickets for Miley Cyrus` concert and if you couldn`t get tickets to the concert - we know a lot of people couldn`t - they went to see the movie.
HAMMER: Well, we should not forget the fact that she is this enormous phenomenon as you said and the tween world. So you can`t really fight with that.
Also new right now, Angelina Jolie told an audience at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Saturday night what her number one passion in life is. I`m here to tell you, it is not her charity work. It is not her husband, Brad Pitt. It is not her career. It`s motherhood. What do you think, Tanika? Should Brad feel a little insulted by this news?
RAY: No. I bet you if you ask Brad the same question, he would have the same answer. That`s what works between the two of them. Brad made it very clear even before he broke up with Jennifer Aniston that he wanted to be a dad. And Angelina loves being a mom so that`s a perfect little union and it doesn`t surprise me.
I think if you have your kids as number one in your life, which seems to work for them, that`s going to be a solid union. So no, it`s not shocking, and Brad shouldn`t have his feelings hurt. Angelina is the new Mother Goose, I guess. She`s going to keep having children until she takes over the world.
HAMMER: Angelina, the new Mother Goose. Tanika, I`m writing that one down and I`m going to credit you with that title every time I use it.
RAY: I want 10 percent, partner.
HAMMER: All right. Tanika, Kim Serafin, thank you very much for joining us. I appreciate it.
Well, the countdown is on to Super Tuesday. But you know, we have to get you ready for the other Super Tuesday. It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday." I`m telling you, this is lining up to be a major show down. We have been asking you to vote online every day on a different question about Hollywood`s biggest stars. We`re going to reveal and debate the results on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, not to be missed. It`s on Tuesday, our "Superstar Tuesday."
Here`s what we`d like you to vote on right now - Celebrity endorsements: Do they influence your vote? To vote, go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Polls are open right now. Come on in and swing a lever. And the results revealed on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Superstar Tuesday."
Well, so now that Britney Spears is in a hospital, obviously, hopefully, getting the help she needs, what do you think her former party pal Paris Hilton has to say about her situation?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, FRIEND OF BRITNEY SPEARS: She`s a very sweet girl. She has a big heart and I love her and, you know, I just wish her the best. That`s scary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s scary. You say, Paris. Well, there`s one thing Paris Hilton is an expert on, it`s scary. Paris has more deep thoughts on Britney and the paparazzi, coming up next in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you`d like. All you have to do is download our absolutely free podcast which you will find on our website CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also download it on iTunes by typing "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back.
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HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, Paris Hilton is speaking out about Britney Spears and the paparazzi. Paris is starring along with Christine Lakin in the new movie called, "The Hottie And The Nottie."
Well, Paris says she learned a lot from Christine who`s been acting since she was a child. You may remember Christine from "Step by Step," that Suzanne Somers sitcom. Well, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson sat down with Paris and Christine, they both said that the whole paparazzi situation has gotten out of control.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: You know, it`s gotten out of control that so may people are like now taking that job. And, you know, there`s a time and place for it. It should be at movie premiers or award shows, you know, when we`re there to be promoting or working. But, you know, every morning waking up until I go to bed at night - it`s not right. It`s kind of crossing the line when you have no privacy.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And someone who has had to deal with the paparazzi a lot recently hounded is Britney Spears. You know her. You have hung out with her. What`s your take on when`s going on with her? It`s tragic and sad.
HILTON: You know, she`s a very sweet girl. She has a big heart. And I love her. And, you know, I just wish her the best. It`s - that`s scary. But I hope that she gets better.
ANDERSON: Do you feel sorry for her?
HILTON: Yes. Of course. I don`t - I don`t know what she could be going through right now ,but I can imagine it`s very hard for her and her family.
ANDERSON: Yes. How about you from what you have seen is happening - do you feel sorry for her? Because it would be hard not to.
CHRISTINE LAKIN, ACTRESS: Oh, of course. I mean, you know, when I grew up in the business it wasn`t like this. I think I was in "Tiger Beat" and "Teen Beat" and "Fifteen" magazines. You know, there was no paparazzi at an early age. And you know, I think everybody goes through parts of their lives, mine was college, that you don`t really necessarily want photographed.
ANDERSON: Right.
LAKIN: You know? Everyone has to go through their growing pains. Unfortunately, I think it`s gotten to a place where it`s not just growing pains. She`s just quite clearly has, you know, a lot of personal issues to deal with, and doesn`t really have the privacy to deal with them effectively. And I think that`s where somebody crosses the line into somebody`s life, for the worst. I think that`s a real problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can see Christine Lakin and the always eloquent Paris Hilton in "The Hottie and the Nottie" in theaters February 8th.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS," coming up next.
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