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Showbiz Tonight
Mills and McCartney Divorce Shocker; Does Father Really Know Best?; SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Awards for the Grammy Awards
Aired February 11, 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: Stars, family, hundreds of people come out for a final goodbye to Heath Ledger. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And A.J., I get caught up in another shocking, live, on-air star controversy, a controversy over the N-word. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paul versus Heather. A Mills-McCartney divorce shocker. Tonight, a dramatic new twist in one of the nastiest battles in Hollywood history as the show down goes to court. The startling thing Heather has decided to do now that she`s bared her pain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER MILLS, PAUL MCCARTNEY`S EX-WIFE: I`ve had the worst press than a pedophile or a murderer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, the remarkable way Heather thinks she can get a big chunk of Paul`s money, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the controversial question, does Heather deserve the money?
Tonight, who`s their daddy? Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan. Their sometimes estranged dads now taking drastic measures to save them. But is it too little too late? Tonight, a must see SHOWBIZ special report, "Does Father Really Know Best?"
Plus, a not so desperate housewife. Eva Longoria`s husband speaking out for the first time about the explosive claims he had a steamy affair with a woman he met at their wedding.
(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. And tonight, the great Winehouse debate. Amy Winehouse cleans up at the Grammys but did her big night seem to reward her for her out of control behavior? We`ve got that big controversy straight ahead.
HAMMER: But first, the Paul McCartney-Heather Mills divorce drama. The knockdown, drag-out fight over Paul`s fortune finally headed to court today and you would have thought Heather might be thinking, "Help, I need somebody." Get it? But instead, Heather Mills has just decided to let it be, and represent herself. And that has a lot of people asking, what in the world is she thinking?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Charles and Di, pretenders to the throne. Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, don`t even make us laugh. And Britney and K-Fed, give us a break. When it comes to bitter, contentious and downright nasty divorces, no one holds a candle to Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills.
ALICIA QUARLES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: This divorce is getting really ugly. It`s Heather Mills fighting for that money.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you across the pond for what could be the final round in this long and winding road of a divorce battle royale. It`s all going down here at London`s Royal Courts of Justice in what could be a wild five days of hearings. That`s because Heather Mills is being represented by the law firm of Heather and Mills. In other words -
QUARLES: She`s representing herself.
HAMMER: That means Sir Paul may get grilled by his angry ex-wife on the stand and when it`s all over, may find his pockets emptier. And this former Dancing with the Stars contestant may end up dancing away with the biggest celebrity divorce settlement in history.
QUARLES: This is a nasty, nasty divorce.
HAMMER: Neither Paul nor Heather had anything to say to media as they entered the court for first of five days of hearing which are closed to the public and the media. After nearly a four-year marriage that started with kisses and lovey-dovey eyes, flourished with a daughter Beatrice and ended in a flurry of published accusations and angry denials, the big issue now is how much should Heather Mills get?
QUARLES: She wasn`t even around when he made the fortune.
HAMMER: Well, the Beatles had already released nine major albums before Heather was even born in 1968. Maybe she can get some of that "White Album" money.
QUARLES: The law might say, hey, you weren`t there for the whole duration and she might just be entitled to whatever Paul made in the amount of time they were married.
HAMMER: In fact, British media reports the big quibble is over Paul`s most recent tours. Paul`s side reportedly claims those tours lost money, while Heather`s side says they made millions.
QUARLES: There has been estimate that Heather Mills could get $100 million of $200 million of Paul`s $1.6-billion fortune.
HAMMER: Enough money to potentially put these two in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s book of big star divorces. Director Steven Spielberg paid $100 million to his ex-wife Amy Irving when they split in 1989. Neil diamond forked over an estimated $150 million to his ex Marcia in their 1994 divorce. And basketball star Michael Jordan shelled out an estimated $168 million. The AP`s Alicia Quarles tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the likelihood of Mills and McCartney breaking Air Jordan`s record might be a slam dunk.
QUARLES: This divorce trumps any other divorce that we`ve ever seen. And she`s got a child. She can get a lot of money.
HAMMER: So, we`ve got to ask, with so much at stake, why the heck is Mills representing herself in this week`s hearing?
MILLS: So upset about this.
HAMMER: Look no farther than her tearful media tour where Heather took to the air waves and railed against her ex and anti-Heather media coverage.
MILLS: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murder.
HAMMER: Heather and her legal team parted ways after that display and some think Heather`s poor-me tour turned off the public, as well.
QUARLES: She just comes off as looking kind of crazy.
HAMMER: But if Heather has lost the PR battle, she`s due for one heck of a consolation prize, a multimillion dollar settlement. Only question now is, how many zeros will be on Heather`s check? And how much more dirt will we see before it`s all over?
QUARLES: This is nasty and is probably only going to get worse.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So with the gloves off, how is all of this going to play out, especially with Heather Mills representing herself?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder." Also Darren Kavinoky, attorney with the Kavinoky Law Firm. All right, Darren and Jane.
We know Heather Mills fighting for the little piece, or huge piece, of Paul`s $1.6-billion fortune. Here`s where I`m confused. You`ve got Paul McCartney on the one hand represented by a woman who was Prince Charles` attorney in his divorce. Seems like a good hire. Jane, is Heather Mills just out of her mind to think that she can represent herself in what is probably the biggest celebrity divorce in history?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: A.J., it`s a horrible, terrible idea. Somebody stop her. There`s a good reason there`s an old saying, anybody who represents themselves in court has a fool for a client. Especially when, as you mentioned, she`s going up against this polished legal team that represented Prince Charles in his divorce from Princess Diana. And now, she`s reportedly said she can`t afford lawyers anymore. But that doesn`t make a lot of sense because we know that lawyers can work on contingency.
I think it is that she feels it`s her against the world at this point after she had the falling out with the PR team and her legal team. But it`s an extraordinarily bad idea to try to navigate the courtroom when you`re not a lawyer. It is like saying I`ve got some golf clubs in the garage, so I`m going to play with Tiger Woods and try to beat him.
HAMMER: Trying to navigate the courtroom when you`re not a lawyer. And there`s clearly so much emotion involved this for Heather. I`m just sitting here trying to picture Heather in a very formal British courtroom, objecting and making arguments. Darren, is it possible that we could actually see or hear about since the courtroom is closed Heather grilling Paul McCartney on the stand?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: Oh, sure, and listen. Heather representing herself makes as much sense as trying to remove her own appendix. If she does this, it really proves that she has two full scoops of crazy in her breakfast cereal. It is not a good idea.
She`s not going to get any special help from the court. But yes, if she`s allowed to do this, she will be permitted to ask him questions and that may feel great for her and cost her several million dollars. You know, go get a therapist and do it that way, but please, get a lawyer. There`s a reason for it.
HAMMER: All right. So we`ve learned two things here, don`t represent yourself if you`re Heather Mills and don`t try to remove your own appendix. It`s very good advice. Darren Kavinoky. Thank you very much.
All right. Well, we all remember what happened back in November. We all watched Heather`s major media meltdown tour. Stay with me now as I give you the sound bite that has changed the course of human history at least on our show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MILLS: I`ve had - I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murder.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Obviously, we all know she did not get a whole heck of a lot of sympathy after that. The court of public opinion, not on her side. Her PR firm, which we mentioned, quit on her after that. She also reportedly fired her attorneys. Jane Velez-Mitchell, has she basically set herself up for disaster here?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think she`s been set up for disaster. We have to give her some compassion. She is truly been painted as a monster. The articles that I was reading today, I mean, they painted her as an alleged former prostitute. There`s details of her alleged sexual proclivities. She is portrayed as this money-grubbing, ego maniac nightmare.
And I`ve actually met Heather Mills several times because we`re both animal activists. I worked in an anti-factory farming campaign. I worked in an anti-fur campaign with her. She was compassionate, down-to-earth, humble, super smart, cares enormously about people and animals. She`s done this anti-land mine campaign that has saved thousands of people by removing so many land mines. So, you know, where is this monster? I couldn`t see it when I met her and that why you can`t always believe everything you read in the papers.
HAMMER: No, there`s no question about that but as you said, the foundation has sort of been laid I think in terms of the court of public opinion. Now, on the other hand, we have Paul McCartney been laying low. He`s not been saying a word. Darren, I don`t know what you think but I kind of feel like he`s already winning the case by just doing the opposite of Heather and kind of playing by the rules here.
KAVINOKY: Yes, absolutely, and this case really highlights the difference between divorce cases and criminal cases. In criminal cases, you generally have bad people on their best behavior and in divorce cases you have good people on their worst behavior. That`s what we see from Heather right now. She`s a good person on the worst behavior having a very public meltdown and not following the advice of all of the people who are paid to give her good, solid advice. It`s really tragic and the $64,000 question or in her case, the $64 million question is going to be, can she pull out of this tailspin and actually start making some good, tactical decisions?
HAMMER: I promise you this, plenty of drama yet to come. Jane Velez- Mitchell, Darren Kavinoky, I appreciate you both being here tonight.
And now we`d like to turn it over to you for the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - McCartney-Mills divorce battle: Does Heather deserve a big piece of Paul`s fortune?
Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: A.J., while Paul McCartney and Heather Mills were married, they had to battle all kinds of claims. But I`ll tell you, I never heard them dealing with anything like what Eva Longoria and her husband Tony Parker are going through. Claims that Tony had a shocking, steamy affair with a woman he met at their wedding. Tonight, Toy and Eva are speaking out like never before about this. And we`ve got it, coming up next.
HAMMER: Such a wild story, Brooke. I think it`s totally unbelievable.
Also startling to me and many others, Britney Spears` mental health battle, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan - all of them having their own struggles. Tonight, their dads taking drastic measures to save them. It is a must see showbiz special report, "Does Father Really Know Best?" We`ll also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAS, RAPPER: The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant so there`s money being made off us poor, innocent, so-called ignorant people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, no. I am right in the middle of another live on-air controversy. First, it was Collin Farrell using the F-word. Now a huge music star uses the N-word. You know, I`m supposed to cover controversy, not be part of it. Coming up.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: I made a promise to myself. I`m not going to date anyone again until there`s someone special in her life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was the acclaimed actress Paris Hilton in her new film, "The Hottie and The Nottie." I can tell you this, that film was anything but a hottie at this weekend`s box office.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Here are two big stories that we`re working on right now and just have to tell you about. Opening weekend at the box office for Paris Hilton`s new movie was a rough one to say the least. "The Hottie and The Nottie," a total flop. The film only brought in $25,000 over the entire weekend.
Also new right now, "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria-Parker and her husband, Tony Parker, both speaking out now about the scandal that rocked their marriage. Back in December, a French model accused Tony Parker of having an affair right after he married Eva, allegations he has denied.
Tonight in Hollywood, "Extra" correspondent Carlos Diaz. And in New York tonight, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor at "In Touch Weekly." Carolina, Carlos, great to see you. And I do want to start with Paris` new film. Made just $25,000 over the weekend. Granted, her movie only opened in 111 theaters.
But to give you some perspective here, when Miley Cyrus` concert movie opened last weekend, her per screen average was $45,000, which was more than Paris` entire opening weekend. Carolina, could this have been any worse for Paris.
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, Brooke. How dare you? How dare you compare Paris with Miley Cyrus? This film was DOA, dead on arrival. Really, I don`t know what people were thinking when they thought that Paris Hilton could actually carry a movie. Miley Cyrus on the other hand, she`s got some talent. Paris, she can party. We`ll just put it that way.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: You`re right. Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus. No comparison. You are right about that, Carolina. Well, this disastrous weekend came despite Paris Hilton doing three weeks of nonstop publicity for the film including talking with me. And I asked if acting was something she wanted to seriously pursue in the future. Listen to what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: This is my first project that I really am excited about, I really worked hard for and I want to continue doing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Carlos Diaz, is anybody that hires Paris Hilton to do another film out of their mind after this? No offense, Paris.
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I don`t think we have to worry about that any time soon. I want to remind you, though, a lot of Oscar-worthy movies start slow and build an audience, all right?
ANDERSON: Right.
DIAZ: One of the big things they were missing in this film, night vision. No night vision at all in this film. And you know, how can she open a film without night vision is that my question here, you know.
ANDERSON: And she didn`t. You`re right. OK, now I do want to move on to another story that is new right now. Tony Parker, husband of "Desperate Housewives" star, Eva Longoria, speaking out for the first time about the allegations that he cheated on Eva with a woman he met at their wedding. Parker told the French news paper that he was, quote, "shocked to find himself caught in the middle of the scandal." And as we now know, Parker is threatening legal action. Carolina, this whole thing came out several months ago. Why is he speaking out now?
BERMUDEZ: Well, I think now that reportedly the model came out and said that this, in fact, was not true and that she did not get his phone number at his wedding. So I think they feel comfortable speaking out publicly about it now. But Tony needs to wake up. He is a celebrity. He`s married to a celebrity. He`s leaving himself wide open for opportunities like this to happen. There are a lot of people out there that want to make money out of celebrities and will do it any way that they can.
ANDERSON: You know, in the new issue of "In Style" magazine, Eva is also opening up about what she`s dealing with. When she was asked about the tabloid gossip and speculation surrounding the scandal, she said this, quote, "If you fight every (rumor) that comes up against you, you look guilty; if you don`t fight everything, you look guilty. So damned if you do and damned if you don`t. The bottom line is Tony and I are very much in love and we`re also tough-skinned, so we`re able to handle this."
Carolina, it would seem that this is something that they just can`t ignore and unless they do speak out forcefully, they`re never going to put it to rest.
BERMUDEZ: You know, I think that she`s got the right idea. You`re damned if you do, you`re damned if you don`t. They need to be solid and secure in their relationship. And that`s really all that matters.
Speculation is always going to happen when you`re in Hollywood. People are always going to want to say stories about you. But they don`t really know the real you. They don`t know what happens in your house behind closed doors. So I think that she and Tony have the right idea. And it sounds like they have a healthy marriage.
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s difficult to avoid those rumors and the speculation. I did speak with Eva when she was promoting her new film "Over Her Dead Body." I asked what she thinks about that speculation. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA-PARKER, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" STAR: These Web sites have to be held accountable because even if they do a retraction or whatever, you know, the damage is done. It`s reached the world within a day. And it`s, you know, a shame that nobody`s held accountable for it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Proof you can`t always believe what you read or what you read or what you hear. Carolina Bermudez and Carlos Diaz, we will leave it there. Thank you both.
And to see more video of the Eva Longoria-Tony Parker photo shoot, go to InStyle.com/ClickToPlay. And the new issue of "In Style" magazine with Eva on the cover on newsstands right now.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, obviously lots of drama there. And tonight, I`ve got some more big-time drama. Talking daddy drama - Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, Lindsay Lohan. Their fathers have taken some drastic measures to save them. I don`t know about you, But I really think these parents can make a huge difference. You must stick around for this special report.
Also, our own Brooke Anderson gets caught up in some serious drama of her own, live on the air.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAS: The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant, so there`s money being made off of us poor, innocent so-called ignorant people.
ANDERSON: A.J., why does this always happen to me? First it was Colin Farrell with the F-word. Tonight, a huge music star and the N-word. You`ve got to see what happened to me at the Grammys, coming up.
And hey, lots of other big Grammy shockers. I really think it was a bizarre night like Amy Winehouse winning for and performing her hit "Rehab" while she`s been in rehab. What`s up with that? We are giving out the controversial SHOWBIZ TONIGHT awards for the most bizarre Grammy moments, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And here are some more stories that we are working on, new right now. Family, friends, stars, hundreds of mourners, came out to say goodbye to Heath Ledger this Saturday. It was at a memorial service in his hometown of Perth, Australia. His ex-fianc'e Michelle Williams, the mother of his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, was there. She`s there on the left with Heath`s older sister, Kate. Ledger`s "I`m Not There" co-star Cate Blanchett also attended.
"Jaws" star Roy Scheider has died. He was a two-time Oscar nominated actor but we, of course, knew him as the role as the beach town police chief in Stephen Spielberg`s 1975 scary shark hit "Jaws." Scheider died Sunday at a hospital in Arkansas. He was battling multiple myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow, for several years. Scheider was 75.
And new TV could be coming to a small screen near you. That`s because a tentative deal has been reached in the three-month old writers` strike. The writers` guild is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to lift the strike. That vote could put everybody back on the job as soon as Wednesday, which is great because I know a lot of folks out there are getting sick of this reality TV. Ratification of the contract will take a week or a bit longer.
HAMMER: Well, let`s move now from drama on the picket lines to some serious daddy drama. Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse Lindsay Lohan, all battling some serious, serious problems. I mean, can anybody help them? Well, tonight, their dads are taking some drastic steps to save their daughters. You want to stick around for a revealing showbiz special report, daddy drama.
And Brooke, I saw you had little drama of your own.
ANDERSON: Oh, A.J., you are so right. First, it was the Colin Farrell with the F-word. And tonight, it`s a huge music star and the N-word live on the air. You`ve got to see what happened to me at the Grammys, straight ahead.
Lots of other Grammy shockers. I think it was a really bizarre night like Amy Winehouse winning for and performing her hit "Rehab" while she`s been in rehab herself. What`s up with that? I`m giving out the controversial SHOWBIZ TONIGHT awards for the most bizarre, weird Grammy moments, coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Does Father Really Know Best?" For Britney, Lindsay and Amy Winehouse, it`s dad to the rescue. Their fathers are all taking drastic steps to help their out of control kids but can these daddies really save their daughters? Tonight, it`s a showbiz special report, daddy drama.
And the Grammys are over but the awards are just starting. I want you to stay right where you are to hear the winners of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT awards. You`re taking a look at the most memorable moments from the ceremony and handing out awards for the most the most insensitive, most bootyliscious and the finest wine moments at the Grammys.
(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 to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, a showbiz special report, young Hollywood`s daddy drama. Amy Winehouse never made it to the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, but she was there via satellite from London on Sunday night, accepting her award for Record of the Year after singing the smash hit "Rehab." Who did she thank?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY WINEHOUSE, SINGER: To my mom and dad. To my Blake. To my Blake incarcerated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Amy, you can thank daddy for getting you back into rehab, too. And Amy`s daddy is not the only star dad taking drastic steps. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan`s daddies also trying to come to the rescue. But is it too little, too late?
Joining us tonight in New York, psychology expert and author of "The Cult of Perfection," Cooper Lawrence. In Hollywood tonight, Ken Baker, executive editor for "E!" Also in Hollywood, Howard Bragman, the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations."
Always good to see all of you, gang. And I want to start off with Amy Winehouse. Seems to me that she is working hard to get her act together, finally going into rehab despite the fact that she sings no, no, no. Cooper Lawrence, I don`t know about you but I was encouraged that her father was the first one to run onstage and give her a big old hug at the Grammys.
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT: Well, here`s the best thing about her dad. Here dad has been there for the literally the ups and the downs. He`s been there for when things have been horrible for her when she really needed the rehab.
And now, when she`s at the top of her game. So these are people that aren`t - they`re not good time Charlies. There not there just to capitalize on her fame and to just be there to get their daughter to buy them stuff like them other dads we know. But they are actually there for the good and the bad times and it`s really foundation that she has and she knows it. I think that`s going to help her get through the rehab hopefully this time.
HAMMER: Yes. It seems to me and I don`t know much, but consistency does apparently seem to make a big difference and we`ll talk more about the stars who maybe haven`t had that consistency. And Amy`s dad has spoken out publicly about his daughter`s drug problems and how it got worse when she married her husband, Blake. He`s now in jail. I want you to listen to what Mitch Winehouse, Amy`s dad, said why he thinks it got so bad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITCH WINEHOUSE, AMY WINEHOUSE`S FATHER: She was proud of the fact that she didn`t use class-A drugs. We know it was well documented about her smoking weed or whatever she did and her drinking. But it seems to me in the last three or four months, however long Blake and Amy have been married. You know, I`m not blaming Blake for this. I mean, it`s Amy`s responsibility. But that`s when the problems really started.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, as Cooper Lawrence pointed out, he obviously has been there from the beginning with Amy and he was well aware of her marijuana use. But Ken Baker, correct me if I`m wrong, have we not heard this before? Star parents seeming to make excuses for their kids behavior until it reaches a crisis stage?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "E!": Yes. I think at the beginning, they`re becoming famous. They`re generating income. Perhaps it helps everyone`s life and situation in many ways and if people are willing to - parents are willing to turn an eye from it and avert an eye to things that are really unseemly.
However, you know, the legend behind Amy Winehouse`s song "Rehab," her big hit, is that her management had told her, "You need to go to rehab. You need to get help." And she called her daddy and daddy said, "No, you don`t need rehab." So she fired the management and moved on and wrote her song and became a Grammy winner. So the father has been around in the picture a long time and I think - I don`t know, maybe the word that Cooper might use is codependent. I`m not the expert here, but it certainly seems that that`s fitting.
LAWRENCE: I`ll go with that, Ken. Yes, I`ll give a "yes" on that.
HAMMER: I will let you use the terminology, Ken. Howard Bragman, let me turn to you for the PR terminology, because certainly, you`ve had to navigate the waters of clients dealing with drug issues before, and daddy perhaps stepping in. But sometimes just kind of making excuses in the early stages.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, what you have to understand, A.J., is this is a first generation of parents that smoked pot and drank. OK? Well, parents before drank certainly. But it`s the first generation of parents who smoked pot. How do you say to kid, "Oh you smoked a joint. You`ve got to go to rehab?" But that doesn`t happen so much.
A lot of parents say I`d rather know what`s happening. I`m glad he stepped in when he did. There`s a big leap between the class A drugs he talked about and some of the alcohol and the other casual things he was doing. And I`m glad he`s stepping up to the plate with his responsibility. So he`s not as - he`s a lot better than a lot of dads out there from what I`m seeing.
HAMMER: Well, speaking of which, Howard, let`s move on to someone where consistency has not necessarily been a big factor. Britney Spears, what a difference, though, that her daddy is trying to make. You know, since Britney`s release from the psych ward, her estranged dad, Jamie, has been put in charge of, you know, basically all the legal aspects of her estate. Now, he has not been there for a long time. Now, Cooper, before we condemn him, is it good enough or is too little, too late?
LAWRENCE: No, no, no. The best thing about development is it`s an entire process. It`s a life span. So it`s never too late. Any time that you need your daddy and he`s willing to come there and be part of your life, it`s always good. You can always repair the relationship. And she needs it now. The age that she`s at, 25, 26, very, very pivotal in development. Great time for her dad to step in and finally say, "I`m there for you. Let`s repair this relationship." And hopefully, it will help her move forward. I think it`s a really good thing.
HAMMER: Well, no big surprise. We do have video of potential progress, potential moving forward. Charles, roll the TMZ.com video that we got because the cameras caught Britney going to a Starbucks this weekend. If you look closely at this video now, you`re going to see this big security guard. There he is - protecting Britney from all the paparazzi. This is a change. Now, Howard Bragman, we have been saying all along that Britney needs security around her in her life. Yet another good sign that daddy is getting things right on track?
BRAGMAN: Well, even more than security, somebody needed to be in charge of her life. Somebody needed to make sure she got to places safely. She wasn`t driving. That she had somebody to handle the security issues. That she`s not screaming at the fans as we`ve heard about. So yes, I think this is a good step. It`s one step of thousands that need to be taken in the right direction. But I want to give her a little credit because I want this to turn out like everybody else does, A.J.
HAMMER: That is indeed the truth. And we want to move on to another daddy drama, Michael Lohan`s public apology to his daughter Lindsay Lohan on "LARRY KING LIVE." This was after she was arrested for DUI. And I want you to listen to exactly what he said when he was asked if he holds himself responsible for Lindsay`s out of control behavior. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S FATHER: Of course I do. If I didn`t, I`d be a liar. I mean, everyone around Lindsay, especially her parents, have a direct bearing on her life. And I made some really stupid choices in my life. I made some mistakes. And I can - I can definitely identify with what she`s going through because when I was torn from my family, I reacted the wrong way.
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HAMMER: Well, since that appearance and Lindsay getting out of rehab, Michael, her dad, has tried to be there for her. Ken Baker, let me go to you. It seems that the appearance on "LARRY KING LIVE" was genuine. It looked genuine to me and certainly an important first step.
BAKER: Michael Lohan is clearly someone who`s trying, you know, and he`s been trying for a long time to repair a lot of wounds that frankly he probably inflicted on this whole relationship. And I think that, look, he is an admitted alcoholic who`s in rehab and been in rehab several times himself. He`s in recovery. It`s a very complex relationship that he has with his daughter. They were fighting very much before she went to rehab. Then she went and he went to visit her in rehab and help her. And he`s tried to be part of her life. But I think he also bears a lot of responsibility for contributing to what got her there in the first place. So it`s a very complex relationship.
HAMMER: It certainly is. But hopefully, it serves as a good wake-up call for other celebrity parents out there. Howard Bragman, Cooper Lawrence, Ken Baker, I thank you all for being with us tonight.
All right. Such a huge night at the Grammys. I was right there on the red carpet for the thrills, the spills and some controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAS: The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant so there`s money being made off of us poor, innocent, so-called ignorant people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That`s Grammy nominated rapper Nas who showed up on the ret carpet wearing a t-shirt that really got a lot of people talking. I asked him what message he was trying to send. What he told me, straight ahead.
And probably the most anticipated moment of the night, a performance from Amy Winehouse. Amy won the most awards at the Grammys. And coming up, we`re giving her some more, we are calling it the fine wine moment.
And for the most insensitive moment at the Grammys, the showbiz award goes to the people who tried to cut off Kanye West`s tribute to his mother. You don`t want to miss it. That`s still to come right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, first, we have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "McCartney-Mills divorce battle: Does Heather deserve a big piece of Paul`s fortune?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAS: The meaning of the word is supposed to be ignorant so there`s money being made of us poor, innocent, so-called ignorant people. So no longer are just black people (EXPLETIVE DELETED) today, it`s also me and you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson right at the center of a red carpet shocker at the Grammy Awards. Why was rap star Nas wearing a shirt that had the N-word on it? We`re about to find out.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Brooke off there in Hollywood. And first of all, Brooke, I do have to point out, you looked stunning as usual right there at Grammy Awards.
ANDERSON: Oh, very kind of you. Thank you.
HAMMER: I need to know what`s going on with you and the live interviews lately. Last month, we had that Collin Farrell dropping the F bomb on you during an interview at the Sundance. Now, Nas, right there on live TV wearing the shirt which I might add, was not blurred out at the time the interview was taking place. What was he thinking?
ANDERSON: You know, first of all, I just can`t catch a break, A.J. I`m kidding, though. But, you know, Nas obviously really wanted the make a statement with his shirt and I felt it was necessary to address that. Otherwise, our viewers at home would be curious as to why he had that word emblazoned across his chest. And he, his wife and a few other people had shirts with that word on it and they were walking back and forth up and down the carpet. So they wanted to send some sort of message.
HAMMER: Yes. Message received, I guess. And we saw his wife, the lovely Kelis, the rap singe, "milkshake brings all the boys in the yard," right behind him. And mentioning her, as if that wasn`t enough, when the interview with Nas over, Kelis stuns you with another shocker. Let`s watch what happened here.
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ANDERSON: It`s going to be an exciting night. You got people like Nas here. You`ve also got electrifying performances.
KELIS: By the way, John Lennon had a song called, "Woman are the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) of the World." That was many years ago. It hasn`t changed.
ANDERSON: Everyone sending message here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I don`t think she was following protocol there, Brooke. What was going on there?
ANDERSON: It was quite obvious that I was live, A.J. I was really incredulous. First of all, that someone would grab me from behind by my shoulders and then hijack the mike like that. Not so surprised about what she said because I knew she was intent on making a statement just like Nas. She was determined to say something. I`m still a little bit unclear about the point they were trying to get across. Maybe when the new album comes out, A.J., we may get some more clarification.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: And it`s just it was strange coming from Kelis because I remember when she first came out a couple of years ago, it didn`t seem like that was the type of thing she would do. I don`t know.
ANDERSON: All right. I know. She was sweet. OK, A.J. You know, the controversy spilled from the red carpet right inside the Staples Center. You know, there were a lot more shocking moments at this year`s Grammys, some memorable moments. Others, a little bit questionable. And we`ve got our own SHOWBIZ TONIGHT awards to give out.
Joining us from Hollywood, weekend co-host of "Extra," Tanika Ray and from New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly." Tanika, I want to throw it out to you first. What was your reaction to Nas?
TANIKA RAY, WEEKEND CO-HOST, "EXTRA": I was really disappointed. I actually spoke to Nas and Kelis also. And I was really - I told them, I was very clear that it was repulsive what they were doing. I just think that`s something you don`t put on the shirt in Swarovski crystals.
It wasn`t just the shirts. It was on the back of her bomber jacket in metal grommet. And it wasn`t just them. They were also accompanied by Dania Ramirez, who`s one of the new characters on "Heroes" who also had the word emblazoned on her shirt.
I just thought it was the wrong form. I was completely stunned that they did that. And yes, they wanted to make a statement but it was the wrong venue to do it. I just thought it brought the whole mood down. And you know, pick you moment. They actually went to the after party of Sony BMG after party and they were dressed beautifully, like a perfectly civilized couple. So I don`t understand why they didn`t flip flop it. Make your statements at the after party, not at the big show. I thought it was disgusting.
ANDERSON: I think you and I can agree that it was pretty inappropriate. All right. Moving now to Amy Winehouse. She really owned the night of the Grammys with her five wins. And as we know, she couldn`t make it to the show because of the last-minute debate over whether or not to grant her a visa. But let`s watch as Amy finally does get some good news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRESENTER: And the Grammy goes to Amy Winehouse.
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ANDERSON: All right. Carolina, she really looked genuinely shocked, didn`t she?
BERMUDEZ: Definitely. She did look shocked. And I think that everybody else was just waiting for this to happen. I mean she was live via satellite. She just got done performing. So it seemed like it was fitting for somebody who`s through a year of turmoil in front of everybody else`s eyes. It was nice to see her finally be able to accept a ward.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you know, speaking about turmoil, look at what she`s been through. Her husband thrown in jail. Her being seen stumbling incoherently through the streets of London, to her finally entering rehab. She really looked more together than we`ve seen her in a long time. She sounded great in my opinion and here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT we are giving Amy the finest wine award for the night.
BERMUDEZ: Nice.
ANDERSON: Because it looks like Amy Winehouse is finally getting her act together. Do you agree, Tanika?
RAY: Yes. I hope so. Because I think she is such a phenomenal talent. And I was rooting for her regardless of what state she is in. You know, Natalie Cole had a couple of problems with her receiving those awards because she is in rehab and she`s having some problems with drugs. But I really do look at these artists as artists first. Whatever is going on in their personal lives, that`s separate from what they contribute to the world of music. I think she is such a talent and so I was really pleased she won last night. Thrilled.
ANDERSON: You know, here`s a big point of controversy. There are some who believe that Amy Winehouse is being rewarded in a way for bad behavior.
RAY: I don`t think it`s that.
ANDERSON: Last night, she even she sang - well, she sang the song "Rehab," still with the lyrics "No, no, no." Carolina, what do you think? Should she have changed the words to "Yes, yes, yes?"
BERMUDEZ: Absolutely not. No, no, no, no. You`ve got to have to protect the artistic integrity of that song. And, really, you know that whole album just resonated with everybody. If it wasn`t that strong, it wouldn`t have been nominated for six Grammys last night. You know, I think she made the right decision. She had a little bit of fun with it, too if you saw her at the beginning.
RAY: Totally.
BERMUDEZ: I think she did a great job last night.
ANDERSON: She certainly did.
RAY: She was winking, winking all the way through that song. Like, hah hah. She was coherent. You could understand her. Thank you.
BERMUDEZ: Yes. Totally.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was an entertaining performance and those dancers she`s got are fantastic. Aren`t they?
RAY: Unbelievable, unbelievable show.
ANDERSON: All right. You know, another memorable moment from Sunday night, Kanye West performing "Hey Mama." It really was a touching tribute to his mother who died suddenly last November from complications after having cosmetic surgery.
But here`s what I don`t get. When he was accepting the award for best rap album, he got off the stage. Music started playing. Kanye seemed to have steam coming out of his ears, ordered them to stop. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KANYE WEST, RAP ARTIST: Let me say something about my mother. I appreciate all the support. I appreciate all the prayers. It would be in good taste to stop the music then.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know, I have to say, it did seem a little out of line to start the music. So we`re going to give the Grammy producers the most insensitive award for that. Tanika, couldn`t they have given the guy a few more seconds knowing that he was going to talk about his mom?
RAY: Absolutely. But you know, you have to understand how these big shows run. There`s just a person that sits there with a stopwatch, who knows that regardless of who it is on the stage, after one minute and thirty seconds, or whatever the time is, they push the music button. So, you know, they had to go through the reins of command in order for them to figure out. Insensitive might not want to ring off this guy. He needed a moment. He came to the show and performed such a beautiful tribute to his mom. He should have been given any time he needed to say what he wanted to say to his mom. But at the same time, the attitude is unnecessary. But you can`t never change arrogant Kanye. That`s always going to be there.
ANDERSON: That`s right. He is never going to change his way. Carolina, what do you think? Because I`m sure the producers were stuck in a difficult position at that moment.
BERMUDEZ: Well, definitely. I mean you have to understand the producers have their finger on the button, also. You never know what`s going to come out of Kanye`s mouth. So I can kind of see where they were with that. But I mean they knew he was going to come out and give a tribute to his mother. Why not let him go on a little bit longer? It`s not the Grammys always end at 11:00 p.m. on the dot. So, you know, they could have given him a little extra lee way on that. So definitely the award is definitely deserved for the producers there.
ANDERSON: There was so much more controversy at the Grammys and we can hardly believe it. Tanika and Carolina, stay right where you are. We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And I`m joined again by Tanika Ray and Carolina Bermudez to discuss more of Grammy`s controversial moments. OK, guys. So what may have been truly the most shocking moment of the night came at the very end. Herbie Hancock wins album of the year for "River: The Joni Letters," a tribute album to Joni Mitchell, beating out Amy Winehouse, beating out Kanye West, Vince Gill, Foo Fighters. Well, a lot of people were very happy to see him win.
Herbie Hancock`s win gets the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT What Were They Thinking Award. Tanika, were you as surprised as everybody else that Herbie won?
RAY: Are you kidding me? Of course I was. You could hear it. Like he was even surprised. He almost couldn`t get out of the chair. It was out of control. It was one of those moments where you`re like, obviously it`s going to go to Kanye or obviously it`s going to go to Amy. It was one of those moments where you almost wished that the Grammys catch up to modern day. Almost a little antiquated but God bless Herbie. He`s an amazing talent. It just didn`t feel like it was his year. That`s the Grammys for you.
ANDERSON: Well, maybe it was an award for all of his previous work, right?
RAY: Exactly.
ANDERSON: Carolina, what do you think?
BERMUDEZ: I could not believe it. I was in bed. I sat up. I mean I really thought hands down Kanye or Amy would have gotten the award.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: But, you know, also, Herbie is a staple of the academy. I mean he`s been around for years and he is a very skilled musician. So I think it`s apropos that he got the award. But I could have seen it going to Kanye or Amy a little bit more easily.
ANDERSON: Herbie, I just want to say we all love you. Congratulations.
(CROSS TALK)
RAY: No disrespect. We love you.
ANDERSON: We were a little bit surprised like you were.
RAY: Right.
ANDERSON: Tanika, I want to get your favorite Grammy moment from the evening.
RAY: Hands down, I mean, you see my hair here? I`ve always been called a little mini Tina Turner. So hands down, Tina Turner doing "Anything Rocks My World." She was so phenomenal age 70 whatever. She totally could catch up with Beyonce. And I just loved that performance.
ANDERSON: It was like a passing of the torch moment.
RAY: It was.
ANDERSON: Tanika, you wear that hair very well. Carolina, your favorite Grammy moment.
BERMUDEZ: I`m not going to disagree with you. I think that Tina - I am not mad at Tina Turner. She worked it out last night. And even Beyonce, you can kind of see her taking a little step back and say, "This is the queen right here." It was a great moment for everybody. I`m sure it was awesome for Beyonce. But just to watch the two of them perform together. It was a great moment.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. I loved that one -
RAY: Brooke -
ANDERSON: Go ahead. Very quickly.
RAY: We said who had the best legs, Tina Turner or Beyonce? Everyone said hands down Tina Turner and even Jay-Z. Even Jay-Z.
ANDERSON: Even Jay-Z, That`s saying something, right? I loved that one and also Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban. So many great moments. Tanika Ray, Carolina Bermudez, thank you.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "HEADLINE NEWS" news, next.
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