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Showbiz Tonight
Ellen DeGeneres Lashes Out Against Homophobia; Prince Harry Pulled Out From Afghanistan; Presidential Candidates in Gossip Magazines; Breakups That Break Our Hearts
Aired February 29, 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A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Prince Harry withdrawn from serving in Afghanistan. Was it wrong to reveal that he was there? And why do Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to be in celebrity gossip magazines? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
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On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ellen`s outrage. Ellen DeGeneres startles everyone on her show with emotional and powerful revelations about an openly gay 8th grader allegedly shot to death by a fellow student.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": He was killed because he was gay. Days before he was murdered, Larry asked his killer to be his Valentine. Larry was not a second class citizen. I am not a second class citizen. It is OK if you`re gay.
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Tonight, Ellen DeGeneres with an explosive and impassioned plea demanding things have to change and why she had to speak out.
Tonight, "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts." Breaking up is hard to do. And it`s hard to watch, too, when the fairytale ended for these Hollywood couples. Brad and Jen, Nick and Jessica, Reese and Ryan. Why do we take it so personally when these relationships hit the skids? A SHOWBIZ special relationship, "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts."
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Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And tonight, the Heath Ledger investigation. We are now hearing for the first time whether two doctors might be charged in connection with the late actor`s death. That is coming up.
But first, Ellen`s outrage over the murder of a gay teenager supposedly because he was gay. In an extraordinary and a gripping plea, Ellen DeGeneres went on her show today and she let loose about the murder not only demanding that justice be served but letting all of us know that she has had it with all gay bashing. Period. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now bring you what Ellen said and reveal why she said it.
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DEGENERES: For a minute, I need to talk to you about something that`s serious and really sad.
HAMMER (voice over): Ellen DeGeneres called a timeout from the usual fun and rowdy atmosphere of her show to talk about a horrible crime, a school shooting in California.
DEGENERES: On February 12th, an openly gay 15-year-old boy named Larry who was an eighth grader in Oxnard, California was murdered by a fellow eighth grader named Brandon. Larry was killed because he was gay.
CROWD: Stop the violence!
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now show you how an alleged hate crime that sparked a national outcry has also brought an emotional reaction from a groundbreaker, Ellen DeGeneres -
DEGENERES: My heart goes out to everybody involved this horrible, horrible incident.
HAMMER: Who knows all too well the pain of discrimination which she faced after revealing she was gay more than a decade ago.
DEGENERES: Must change our country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s over. It`s over.
HAMMER: Police say the teenage victim, Lawrence King, was shot in the head in his school`s computer lab allegedly by a fellow eight grader. After King recently announced he was gay, students say he was tormented by his classmates.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They just mocked him and every time he came around, they ran and painful things - they said painful things about him.
HAMMER: But what happened next was beyond torment. He was allegedly shot by a classmate, Brandon McInerney who has been charged with murder as a premeditated hate crime. No one is discussing a motive but some students have said he was furious that King had asked him to be his Valentine. And that, says Ellen, makes this story even more tragic.
DEGENERES: Somewhere along the line, the killer, Brandon, got the message that it`s so threatening and so awful and so horrific that Larry would want to be his Valentine, that killing Larry seemed to be the right thing to do. And when the message out there is so horrible, that to be gay you can get killed for it, we need to change the message.
HAMMER: And Ellen passionately asked her viewers to examine their own behavior.
DEGENERES: I would like you to start paying attention to how often being gay is the punch line of a monologue or how often gay jokes are in a movie. And that kind of message, laughing at someone because they`re gay, is just the beginning. It starts with laughing at someone, then it`s verbal abuse, then it`s physical abuse and then it`s this kid, Brandon, killing a kid like Larry. I don`t want to be political. This is not political. I`m not a political person, but this is personal to me.
HAMMER: There`s no doubt why this topic is a personal one for Ellen. Now that she`s one of the most high profile celebrity lesbians out there, it`s almost easy to forget the explosive reaction she faced in 1997 when she came out of the closet. Soon after, her character on the sitcom "Ellen" also came out.
DEGENERES: Why do I have to be so ashamed? I mean why can`t I just say the truth?
HAMMER: And Ellen faced boycotts and bitter personal criticism. That may also seem like a lifetime ago to some, but the Lawrence King shooting has inspired Ellen to deliver a message that she feels needs repeating.
DEGENERES: Larry was not a second class citizen. I am not a second class citizen. It is OK if you`re gay.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Prosecutors in the shooting have not formally announced a possible motive in this very sad case. And they haven`t specified why the suspect is actually charged with a hate crime. Despite Ellen saying outright Brandon was the killer, we want to remind you that he is only a suspect. He has not yet been convicted.
Well, tonight, Prince Harry is out of the line of fire. Princess Diana`s youngest son has been pulled out of Afghanistan after serving there for ten weeks. The 23-year-old heir to the British throne has been in Afghanistan coordinating air strikes. That is, until the "Drudge Report" blew the lid off his secret mission, putting the young prince and his fellow soldiers in danger.
Joining us tonight in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of "Secrets Can Be Murder." In Hollywood tonight, Ken Baker, executive news editor for "E!"
W All right. Ken and Jane, this whole deal with Harry being over there was supposed to be a secret. News organizations knew about it including CNN but we agreed to keep it quiet, of course, for his safety and safety of his fellow soldiers. Ken, are people outraged over the fact that this was leaked more than the fact that Harry, the heir to the British, Princess Di`s youngest son, was sent there in the first place?
KEN, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": Well, I think that a lot of the public thinks in this age of instant messaging and broadband and everyone knowing everything at any given time, we are supposed to know everything about anything and that includes the military.
And I think that the news organizations, mainstream news organizations, made the right decision. And I think that there was this intent interest in anything that William or Harry or anyone in the royal family does. And I think that for that reason people are sort of feeling like, "Oh, wow. How did we not know that?" I don`t think people are that upset that they didn`t know it. They`re just shocked that he could be on the frontlines in Afghanistan and we wouldn`t have any idea about it.
HAMMER: Yes, but certainly, leaking this - I mean, there is a line of responsibility there and I believe it was crossed. Now, even Harry knew he was in danger and he putting the fellow soldiers in danger just by the fact that he was there even if people didn`t know about it. I want you to listen to what he told CNN about what he`s been up against in Afghanistan. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE HARRY, HEIR TO THE BRITISH THRONE: I must keep my face slightly covered just on the off-chance I do get recognized which will put other guys in danger. I`m called the bullet magnet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, Jane, that brings up a really good question. Should Harry have actually even been sent there in the first place?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, A.J., I`m very conflicted. I totally admire Prince Harry. I totally, totally am upset with how the British military handled this in the first place. You know, there`s a huge controversy in this country, critics pointing out that the children of privilege and the rich and the elite not serving in great numbers in the war. So when you see somebody like Prince Harry beg to do what other British citizens have been asked to do, you have to applaud him.
It`s incredibly courageous but it should never have been kept a secret. The British military should never have asked the media to keep it a secret, because secrets are always toxic. They always create more problems than they solve. This has many unintended consequences - a loss of credibility on top of that. It opens a Pandora`s box.
What other government agencies are going to ask the media to keep what other secret next. And finally, when the secret is revealed, and secrets are always revealed, unless they`re protected with more lies, he`s summarily yanked and taken out of Afghanistan. That sends a terrible message. It kind of glamorizes his entire tour there because we`re left with this photo-op experience of him looking ruggedly handsome and that is not what war is. War is incomprehensible and it`s bloody. And often, people come home with posttraumatic stress syndrome. So this is not a real experience. He should have been put in a mundane capacity where could have served without secrecy.
HAMMER: No question about it. And to Ken`s point, it was hard to believe it was even kept a secret for so long. It is quite a change for him when you really think about it. Because before Prince Harry went to Afghanistan, he was known as prince the partier. He was always seen out, hanging out with strippers, fighting with photographers outside of clubs, admitting to smoking pot, you know, the kind of behavior that would really make him right at home in young Hollywood. Ken Baker, are those days over now that he`s done this, do you think?
BAKER: I mean, clearly, he`s grown up and matured immensely. But I just want to take one point that Jane said and say she said it would be toxic for them to keep a secret from everyone he was there. I`ll tell you what would be toxic. It would actually be lethal potentially for him and his fellow soldiers if word had gotten out that he was over there on the front lines. He would have become a target. Everyone around him would have become a target.
And I think that when it comes to military affairs, look, the American media has been embedded with military who`s had to kept secrets in order to protect the safety of the soldiers. And I think that`s reasonable and I think that to say it`s toxic somehow in some sort of emotional way -
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me respectfully -
BAKER: It`s just unreasonable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me respectfully disagree. Because when you start dealing with secrets - there`s a reason I called my book "Secrets Can Be Murder," because the law of unattended consequences comes in to play. For all we know, now that the media has colluded in keeping the secret, the enemy could regard members of the media as being an extension of the military and go after them. So you never know what the repercussions of keeping a secret is. It`s ultimately a lie, whether it`s a lie of omission or an outright lie and it`s never a good thing.
HAMMER: So Jane, to that point, you`re clearly saying, you know, as long as he was going to be there, it should have just been out and open?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And he should have been put in a capacity that was more mundane instead of patrolling. He should have done something perhaps a little bit more boring, a little less glamorous but something he could have done without it being kept a secret.
HAMMER: Ken, back to my earlier point - I`ve got 20 seconds for you to answer this, but do you think we`re now really going to see a change with Prince Harry and maybe the wild partying days are over?
BAKER: Well, I think, certainly the perception has changed. Now, whether he is going to change himself, I`m sure he will. Look, he`s 23 years old. He`s learned a lot and he was basically a teenager when a lot of this stuff was going on with him out partying. And I think that he definitely matured and you would expect that to happen. He`s been in war. He`s going to come back and probably be a different man.
BAKER: Yes. Hopefully, young Hollywood will look to his example. Ken Baker, Jane Velez-Mitchell, I appreciate you both being here tonight.
Now, we want to turn it over to you. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Prince Harry: Was it wrong to reveal he was in Afghanistan?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, there`s so many ways presidential candidates can get their message out. Here on CNN, those debates. All those campaign speeches. And in celebrity gossip tabloids. Yes, you heard me right. The presidential candidates are just like us. So why are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton going not just to "Time" magazine but to "Us Weekly"? I think it`s a great idea. You`re going to see what it`s all about, next.
Breaking up is hard to take. I want to know, why do we get so upset when Hollywood`s fairytale romances end? That is just ahead in the SHOWBIZ special report, "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts." We`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: After years of living in the city, I assumed that if my friends and I ever got our fairytale ending, that would be the end of the story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, it`s finally happening and you are not going to want to miss it. And you will see it first. Your showbiz first look at the "Sex and the City" movie. Coming up.
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FRANK, LAUREN CLERI`S BOYFRIEND: Do you believe I am the man you should be married to?
LAUREN CLERI, "MOMENT OF TRUTH" CONTESTANT: Well, wow. I`m going to be honest and say, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh boy. A now infamous moment from the game show, "Moment of Truth." The guy who asked the question, Frank, was the contestant`s ex- boyfriend and her husband was sitting right there. Now Frank says he made a mistake appearing on the show. He says he`s sick about it and never meant to break up a marriage. Both Frank and his ex are aspiring actors, by the way. I`m just saying.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. All right. Have you noticed anything a little bit different about the celebrity gossip magazines lately? Believe it or not, there in between the breakup stories and Hollywood diets, you will find the presidential election. That`s right. It turns out Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are not only political stars, they`re just like us, or at least that`s what they`ve come up with as a clever way to get their message out. Here now CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Open a bag of chips, curl up with a dishy talk show and a tabloid-y celebrity magazine, turn to your favorite section. Stars, they`re just like us. Yes, well, so are presidential candidates. Barack Obama jokingly asks "Us Weekly" -
LAURA COHEN, NEWS DIRECTOR, "US WEEKLY": Don`t show my cellulite. No embarrassing pictures of me.
MOOS: He really is just like us. "I pick up groceries. I ride with my kids." At least they didn`t show him didn`t show him yawning with his mouth open like they did Kurt Russell. Instead, they showed him spicing up his gumbo. Thanks to "Us Weekly," we now know answers to questions like -
(on camera): His favorite show on TV?
COHEN: Oh, it`s the "The Wire." He told me that his favorite food was chili.
MOOS (voice over): Favorite ice cream? Mint chocolate chip. The celebrity magazine is the latest frontier in presidential campaigning allowing candidates to show themselves -
COHEN: Looking like human beings instead of just a consummate politician.
MOOS: And gaining access to 12 million mostly female readers. There`s Barack sandwiched between Brangelina and Owen and Kate dating again. And look who else showed up in "Us Weekly" back around Super Tuesday. "My Worst Outfits Ever" featured Hillary playing fashion police on herself. She supplied the self-deprecating captions - "Now you know why I stick with pantsuits."
COHEN: You can`t really go wrong with that carpet coat right there.
MOOS: Captioned, "I`m a big believer in recycling, even carpet." Hillary`s campaign did "Us Weekly" but blew off "Vogue." Columnist Liz Smith says the campaign thought "Vogue" would be too elitist and too glamorous. Nothing glamorous about this.
And here`s Barack Obama answering questions like, does wife Michelle have a celebrity crush? Yes, on Stevie Wonder. Obama says he`s been teasing his wife about pushing the performer off the stage ever since Stevie Wonder fell at an Obama rally. And then there was the question the "Us Weekly" interviewer saved for last.
COHEN: It was an interview ender.
MOOS: A question bill Clinton probably regrets answering.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We would like to know, is it boxers or briefs?
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Usually briefs.
MOOS: Obama kept it brief saying he doesn`t answer those humiliating questions but that looks good in both. When asked if he`s a cool dad, he said, pretty cool, citing his dancing a while back on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." And now, he`s busted a move again on "Ellen." He`s just like us, except we`re not trying to dance to the White House.
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HAMMER: Yes. Just like us. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, a Michael Jackson shocker. Or should I say thriller? Jackson has missed a bunch of mortgage payments and I`m not just talking about Neverland ranch as you have been hearing. Public documents showed that Jackson has repeatedly failed to make payments on a home in Los Angeles. He`s behind by, get this, almost $154,000 on a $4-million mortgage. Jackson`s Neverland ranch, meanwhile, could be auctioned off in just a few weeks if he doesn`t fork over missed payments on that property. But a source close to Jackson tells CNN, he is about to finalize a new loan for Neverland.
Well, if Michael`s sister, Janet, has anything to say about it, Michael will be living in a tour bus with the rest of the family. Janet Jackson has a brand new album out called "Discipline" and on "LARRY KING LIVE," the subject of possibly doing shows with her brothers came up.
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LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": Would you like to tour as a family again?
JANET JACKSON, POP STAR: Oh, I would love to. I get my brothers on the phone all the time. I`m the biggest fan of the Jacksons - Jackson 5. And I have conference calls all the time pushing them to do a huge tour and told them if they did, I would love to open for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to say, that would be pretty cool. Janet Jackson opening up for a Jackson 5 reunion. Very cool indeed. Definitely sounds like Janet wants to do that. We`ll definitely keep you posted if we hear anything. We tend to hear those rumors first.
Tonight, stunning news that Prince Harry is being withdrawn from Afghanistan after a Web site leaked the news that he was there. A short but brave deployment cut short - but the question is, was it wrong for his deployment to be revealed in the first place? And should he have been there in the first place? So many provocative questions - we`re getting into all of them, coming up.
Also, do you remember the day that the music died? Of course, I`m talking about when Brad and Jen announced their divorce. I know I shed a tear or two or three but I want to know, why do we get so upset when Hollywood`s fairytale romances end? You know what I`m talking about. You felt it, too. That`s just ahead in a showbiz special report, "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts."
We`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CYNTHIA NIXON, ACTRESS: The only choice for women - witch and sexy kitten.
PARKER: You said a mouthful there.
HAMMER: I`ve got to love this. Finally, the "Sex and the City" movie is nigh. Yes, that`s right. I said nigh. And we have got your very first look. You won`t want to miss this. There are things revealed about Carrie and Mr. Big that will not disappoint. That is still to come in your showbiz first look.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Here are some stories that are new right now. Whitney Houston`s comeback train may soon be leaving the station. Whitney is heading to London in May for a rare live performance. I`m sorry about this, but you can`t get tickets. This is for a private event for a children`s charity but hopefully we`ll see Whitney on stage again soon.
Well, some good news for Amy Winehouse. Her spokesman said London police are not investigating her in the witness tampering case involving her husband. Winehouse doesn`t have to undergo anymore questioning in that case.
Also, two doctors who are being investigated in connection with Heath Ledger`s death reportedly have been cleared of any wrongdoing by federal investigators. The DEA says those particular doctors, one in California and one in Texas, weren`t the sources of the OxyContin and Vicodin found in Ledger`s apartment. And the investigation goes on.
Well, tonight, stunning news that Prince Harry is being withdrawn from Afghanistan after a Web site leaked the news that he was there - short but brave deployment cut short. Was it wrong for his deployment to be revealed and should he have even been there in the first place? There are so many provocative questions. We are getting into all of that, coming up.
Also, you know, breaking up is hard to take. Between Brad and Jen`s breakup, the end of Reese and Ryan. Frankly, it`s a wonder we can get out of bed in the morning. I wanted to know, why do we get so upset when Hollywood`s fair fairytale romances end. It just makes me crazy. That`s just ahead in the special report on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts."
We`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARKER: After years of living in the city, I assumed that if my friends and I ever got our fairytale ending, that would be the end of the story.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, no. It`s not the end. It`s just the beginning of the story for Carrie Bradshaw and company. You are definitely going to want to stick around for this. It`s your first look at the "Sex and the City" movie. That`s coming your way on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, you`ve got to know that you can stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. All you have to do to get it head on over to our website, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Click on that "sign up for newsletter" link at the bottom of the page so we can send it to you every single day. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming straight back.
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HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, royal outrage. Tonight, the startling new that is Britain`s Prince Harry, one of the late Diana`s sons, is serving in dangerous Afghanistan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCE HARRY: I just keep my face slightly covered just on the off-chance I do get recognized which will put other guys in danger. I`m called the bullet magnet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The fired up debate. Should the media have revealed where he was? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes right to the front lines to speak with Harry himself.
"Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts." Breaking up is hard to do. But why is it that when big star couples like Brad and Jennifer, Nick and Jessica, even Reese and Ryan, break up, we take it oh so personally? Tonight, a showbiz special report. "Star Breakups That Broke Our Hearts."
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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. You`re watching TV`s most provocative I entertainment news show.
Tonight, outrage that Prince Harry, third in line to the British royal throne, son of the late Princess Diana, had his cover blown by the media. Now, he was secretly serving in combat in Afghanistan, a brave move to be sure, because he wanted to be in his own words, quote, "normal." We`re going to get into that fired-up debate on whether his secret should have been revealed, in just a minute.
But first, I`m going to show you an interview that Harry did in Afghanistan that was kept a secret all this time. Hear from him in his own words before he was just pulled off the front lines. Here`s CNN`s Nic Robertson for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fighting on the font line in Afghanistan.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop it!
ROBERTSON: British royalty, 23-year-old Prince Harry. Five Taliban fighters are attacking his outpost. Rockets are fired. Bombs dropping. This place is exactly where he wants to be, fighting for his country.
PRINCE HARRY: It`s good fun to be with just, you know, normal bunch of guys.
ROBERTSON: The warrior Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, has been far from normal. His tour of duty, a carefully kept secret until now. Few knew that for the last ten weeks he`s been in combat. His main mission, a sort of ground traffic controller for air traffic, talking to pilots, calling in air strikes to protect British troops from enemy fighters.
PRINCE HARRY: I`m in the office room. I`ve got OC next to me so if I need - in a worst case scenario, if I have to drop a bomb to get these guys out of contact or other guys on the ground out of contact, I turn around, knees on my shoulder and say, "Look, can I drop?" He`ll say, "Yes, drop."
ROBERTSON: Using a monitor linked to high flying and silent spy planes, he tracks unsuspecting Taliban forces.
PRINCE HARRY: Terry Taliban and his mates, as soon as they hear air they go to ground, which makes life a little bit tricky, something that gives us a visual feedback from way up means that they can carry on their normal sort of pattern of life and we can follow them.
ROBERTSON: It`s been a struggle for Harry to get here. Last year, he threatened to quit the army when Britain`s top general told him he couldn`t go to Iraq. As for the extremely secrecy surrounding his combat tour, there`s a fear that his royalty would mark him out as the Taliban`s most wanted. Imagine the prize for taking him out. Imagine the danger it would mean to his comrades.
ROBERT JOBSON, JOURNALIST: Prince Harry is and was a target of the insurgents. They specifically said that he would be targeted even for kidnap or assassination.
PRINCE: I just need to keep my face slightly covered just so on the off- chance I do get recognized which will put other guys in danger. I`m called the bullet magnet.
ROBERTSON: Warrior Harry is quite a leap from the playboy Harry that people thought they knew. In recent years, Harry`s image took a fall. He was seen drunk and sometimes aggressive, leaving London nightclubs. But in Afghanistan, he`s regained respect. Out here, none of the comforts of Buckingham Palace.
PRINCE HARRY: I rarely had a shower for four days. I haven`t washed my clothes for a week, and everything seems completely normal. I don`t honestly know what I miss at all. Music, we`ve got music. We`ve got light. And we`ve got food and we`ve got drink. No, I don`t miss booze if that`s the next question.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Nic Robertson for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, I want to now turn to someone I know who can help us understand this a little bit better. CNN`s Richard Quest, our royals expert, joining me tonight by phone where he is on the road reporting for CNN. Richard, always good to speak with you. This is something that has really struck a nerve. Is that because Harry is always going to be seen as a context of being the son of Princess Di and her tragic death, and he was put in the line of fire himself now?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN`S ROYALS EXPERT: You have to remember that Harry is known as the spare. Diana gave Britain an heir that is William, and a spare, that is Harry. From Harry`s point of view, that can often be regarded as a life with no purpose.
And very often, the spare does go into the military and that is where they find their role. They are treated as normal people, as normal as you can treat a man with the royal family. They have a purpose. They have a duty. They can get on with their life, well, also with a degree of security and safety.
So Prince Harry found that. He enjoyed it in Afghanistan, and I suspect tonight, he will be flaming furious that what has happened is he`s had to be pulled out because the secret`s been revealed.
HAMMER: Yes. This, no doubt, has made him a changed man. Now here`s what you can help me out in a big way, Richard. Are people in the U.K. angrier over the fact that Prince Harry was put danger or the fact that his mission in Afghanistan was leaked and made public?
QUEST: They certainly will not be angry that he was put in danger. They recognize he`s a soldier and he wanted to go to Afghanistan. Remember, he was denied the chance to go and fight with forces in Iraq, because he is, as he called it, a bullet magnet. Afghanistan, in part, where he was fighting, a lot more secret, a lot quieter.
The British will be certainly, put out that there was an American Web site that ultimately did reveal the secret, a secret frankly that anyone who covers the royal family, myself included - we all knew he was in Afghanistan. But our media organizations had agreed that we would not reveal this detail until he was back out of harm`s way. And importantly, A.J., the troops he was serving with were not in any greater danger because of it.
HAMMER: Yes. I`ve got to say it is shameful that it was leaked. CNN`s Richard Quest - I thank you for being with us tonight.
Well, here`s something that I want to know. We`ve all had relationships. Of course, some work. Some don`t. But when big stars break up - Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. Well, we for some reason take it personally. I mean, even though 99 percent of us have never met them, it still hurts. So tonight, I have to investigate this, "The Star Breakups That Break Our Hearts." A revealing showbiz special report coming up next.
Speaking of hookups and breakups -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIXON: The only two choices for women, witch and sexy kitten.
PARKER: You said a mouthful there, sister.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. A lot of people are psyched for this. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte back. Your first look at the "Sex and the City" movie, coming up.
And did you se this? I got say, Larry King, you know I`m a big fan but your dance moves - well, you`ve got to see Janet Jackson try to get Larry to bust a move. Coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. OK. So tonight, we told you how Larry King just sat down with Janet Jackson for this revealing, exclusive one-on-one interview but did you see this? Janet trying to teach Larry King how to dance. Now, they talked about all kinds of serious stuff but at the end they had a little fun. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKSON: Take your chest and push your arm out.
KING: Same arm?
JACKSON: Yes. And let that leg go out at the same time. There you go. Bring this leg in and put that hand down. Hit your chest and push it out. And let this - no. Stick this out -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Larry. You know, I love you but that wasn`t exactly rhythm nation, although he almost had that move down. Almost.
Well now, a showbiz special report, heart break and heart ache. Here`s what I have truly long wondered. When big star couples break up, you know, like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, for example. Why do we hurt for them? Why do we feel so bad as if, you know, it happened to us or a good friend of ours? Two gorgeous Hollywood superstars meet. They fall in love and they`re supposed to live happily ever after, right?
Well, happily ever after until, of course, the divorce papers are served. "Star Breakups That Truly Break Our Hearts," it is tonight`s showbiz special report.
Joining me in New York, senior editor of "In Touch Weekly," Carolina Bermudez. And in Hollywood tonight, "Extra" correspondent, Tanika Ray. Carolina, Tanika, we know how we feel when these breakups happen. It can be a terrible thing. And I want to start of with one couple -
TANIKA RAY, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: Heart breaking.
HAMMER: That really typifies this - Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. These were young lovers with two adorable kids. She, of course, America`s sweetheart. The same year that Reese wins her first Oscar - splitsville. Seems to come out of nowhere and it totally breaks our hearts. Tanika, let me start off with you. Why did we take this so personally?
RAY: Well, you know, you said it at the top of this show. They are like our fairytale couples. The Cinderella and we want the see them last forever. Our relationships are just normal, every day, relationships. We look at celebrities that way.
And on every magazine, we kind of idolize in a way their unions. They`re pretty people. They always look pretty in the outfits. They always go to the most glamorous places. They`re always going to balls. I think we sort of look up to them in that way.
And when they break up, if they can break up, what luck do I have for love? I think we take it a little too seriously. But we all fall victim to that, don`t we? They were way too young when they were married. They were way too young when they got married. And you know how men are, A.J. A man can`t handle a woman that`s got more power than him.
HAMMER: That can be true. You know, I don`t know from personal experience. Carolina, let me ask you. Because, Carolina, I distinctly remember listening to you on the radio after this breakup happened, and you seemed genuinely upset and so did your listeners.
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I did. You said it yourself, A.J. Reese Witherspoon is America`s sweetheart. She`s a little southern belle and she can do no wrong. She`s an awesome mother. Never been to rehab or prison and she`s an amazing actress. So you don`t want to see bad things happen to good people, especially in Hollywood.
HAMMER: That is another good point to make. I want to get to another star breakup that it seems like we`re obsessing about even three years later. Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Of course, she was the hottest thing on TV with "Friends." He was on a role on Hollywood. Enter, of course, Angelina Jolie and Brad co-starring in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," and well, we know the rest of the story.
Now, even though Brad and Angelina have been together now for three years, they have four kids with each other and reportedly another one on the way. Tanika, why are so many people still divided between team Jolie and team Aniston?
RAY: Well, let`s think about that. Exactly, what you said, A.J., we took sides on this relationship like it was a sporting event. We really were emotionally invested in this relationship. It was the little girl who came up with nothing with a cute hairstyle that got the hottest guy on the planet. We all wanted them to make it. And we thought maybe they would make it.
Unfortunately, when it happened, it hit us all by surprise. Even my mother - I grew up in L.A. - called me and said. "Tanika, what happened to Brad and Jennifer?" "Mom, I don`t know." Wow. You`re getting -
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Even your jaded L.A. mother.
RAY: Totally.
HAMMER: Carolina, what do you think? Because truly, I believe a lot of people felt like their friends, who they thought would stay together forever, were splitting up.
BERMUDEZ: This is devastating. I mean it was like they were Ken and Barbie of Hollywood. You can`t break up a Rachel Green. She`s perfect. Everybody really was invested in her character. Jennifer Aniston, another person that people just really revere in Hollywood. She`s a good girl and then you have the home wrecker Angelina coming in and stealing her man. People were very sympathetic to her.
HAMMER: Yes. I think people also related to the situation much even stars were upset that Brad and Jen broke up. I want you to listen to what Jessica Simpson has to say about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA SIMPSON, ACTRESS: We`re sad about the Brad and Jen thing, but you know, we wish them the best and I mean, obviously. We know how hard it is to be in the public with a relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. You sure do. That leads us to Jessica Simpson herself and getting divorced from Nick Lachey. Now, we were with them from the very beginning, of course, on the reality show "Newlyweds." For the very first time we heard Jessica ask, "Is it chicken or tuna?" we were rooting for them. And then, bam. No more "Newlyweds."
Carolina, only about 20 seconds here. But there were rumors, of course, about their split months before it happened. But did we take it so personally because we felt like we knew them from their show?
BERMUDEZ: Absolutely. We saw Nick Lachey. He had to deal with so many things with Jessica`s career, her family. He was a good old boy from Ohio. You really wanted to see them make it and unfortunately, they didn`t. So I think a lot of people supported Nick at the end of the day. And that`s why his album went gold right after the breakup.
HAMMER: Wow. And we still feel it. We still feel it right here.
BERMUDEZ: Team Lachey.
HAMMER: Carolina Bermudez, Tanika Ray, I thank you for being with us tonight.
Well, now I want to move on to the shocking marriage secrets of Gary Coleman. Yes, I said Gary Coleman as in Arnold, "What`chu talking about Willis?" drumming from the hit `80s sitcom "Different Strokes." Tonight, Gary reveals that his new marriage that everybody`s been talking about, is not so new after all.
I just sat down with Gary who`s promoting an online game show created by I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter. You can actually win a million bucks on that thing. But before we get into that, Gary opens up about his amazing story of how he met his wife Shannon and just how much he loves being married.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY COLEMAN, ACTOR: You know what? I couldn`t be happier. I love the challenge. I love the dimensions and the diversity and the - just all of it. You know? It gives me a reason to get up in the morning.
HAMMER: Well, that`s - can we see Gary and his lovely bride? There you are.
COLEMAN: There you go. That`s Shannon. That`s my wife.
HAMMER: Wow. You look happy. How did you guys meet?
COLEMAN: I met her when I was shooting a film in Salt Lake called "Church Ball." I was going out to get a snack from the snack truck and she was coming in because she was curious and they needed people to sit in the basketball court audience. And I just looked at her and I said, "You`re too beautiful to be here. You need to go." And that`s all I said to her.
HAMMER: Nice. Gary, let me ask you something, though. Because you said - now, how long has it been, officially?
COLEMAN: That I`ve married Shannon?
HAMMER: Yes.
COLEMAN: August 28th last year.
HAMMER: Because there was that whole little buzz that it was like nobody knew about it.
COLEMAN: That`s the point.
HAMMER: It was kind of this secret and then all of a sudden everybody knew about it. Why all that happened?
COLEMAN: I don`t know. You know what? I guess the word got around.
HAMMER: But why did you want the keep it a secret?
COLEMAN: Because it`s nobody`s business but ours.
HAMMER: All right.
COLEMAN: There are things in peoples` lives, no matter what their professions are, where it is their business, it is their thing. It is special to them.
HAMMER: So you`re involved with an online game.
COLEMAN: Yes.
HAMMER: Where somebody is going to win a million bucks.
COLEMAN: Yes, yes.
HAMMER: What`s the deal? What are we going to see here?
COLEMAN: OK. I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter -
HAMMER: So how is somebody going to win this money?
COLEMAN: They put this game together because they wanted to educate people about the health of the product. Public gets to log on to NowYouKnowBetter.com and play me on this trivia game. It`s a trivia game about the `70s and `80s as well as the health questions about I Can`t Believe It`s Not Butter. And if they are successful in trying to beat me or beat other players out there in Internet land, they get a million dollar annuity.
HAMMER: Not a bad deal.
COLEMAN: No. Not at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love Gary Coleman. Be sure to check out NowYouKnowBetter.com. There`s some really cool games in there. All kinds of trivia from entertainment to eating healthy.
HAMMER: It is time now for "Making It Work" where SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes right to the stars to find out just how they made their relationships work, which, you know in Hollywood, not easy to do in Hollywood.
Tonight, country superstar LeAnn Rimes. It`s hard to imagine, but LeAnn, who basically grew up before our eyes is now 25, the same age as Britney Spears. Of course, unlike Britney, LeAnn has been able to stay out of trouble with a career that gets better by the day and six-yearlong marriage that has remained strong. That`s her husband Dean with her.
LeAnn`s latest album is appropriately called "Family," and much of the album is emotional scars LeAnn has had through the years. She turned to her husband Dean for help writing the songs. When I spoke with her, I just had to ask, what`s your secret to maintaining a strong marriage and family?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEANN RIMES, COUNTRY SUPERSTAR: I don`t really have one. I just think we really enjoy spending time with one another. He travels with me, so we spend a lot of time together and, you know, working together. I mean it gets heated because we are both very passionate people. But we both respect each other`s opinions and views.
We work together but our lives don`t depend on - our income doesn`t depend on it. We can really separate that. When we want to work together, we work together.
I adore him, and we laugh a lot. He`s hysterical, and he keeps me on my toes, and I think kind of where - we`re a good balance where we both, you know, leave off, the other one picks up. So it`s great to have him around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: LeAnn Rimes` latest album, "Family," is in stores now.
Well, the "Sex and the City" family is back. I`m talking about Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. A lot of people have told me they can`t wait for this movie. And tonight, you won`t have to. I have your very first look at one of the most anticipated films of the year. I want you to grab a Cosmo, put on some expensive heels and stick around. The first look at the "Sex and the City" movie coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, you may want to throw on your Manolos, pour yourself a Cosmo because Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte are back. You know, it`s been five long years since their HBO show went off the air. But tonight, here now your first look at the "Sex and the City" movie.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PARKER: Give me a kiss good night. It`s the last single girl kiss.
KRISTIN DAVIS, ACTRESS: The ultimate single gal, Carrie Bradshaw, will be married to John James Preston come fall.
CHRIS NORTH, ACTOR: Should we get your diamond?
PARKER: No. Just give me a really big closet.
After years of living in the city, I assumed that if my friends and I ever got our fairytale ending, that would be the end of the story.
Hello.
NORTH: Welcome home, baby.
DAVIS: I always knew she`d marry Big.
KIM CATRALL, ACTRESS: You thought that after the second breakup?
PARKER: Yes.
CATRALL: After the 15th?
PARKER: Yes. We broke up a lot.
But real life -
NORTH: Two-hundred people?
PARKER: But don`t you want -
NORTH: I want you. That`s what I want.
PARKER: Always has a twist.
NORTH: We`ve got a problem.
PARKER: I can`t believe I was running around New York thinking I`m finally getting my happy ending and let the wedding get bigger than big.
PARKER: Have you ever been a personal assistant?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: No.
PARKER: Then why did you move to New York?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: To fall in love.
DAVID EIGENBERG, ACTOR: It didn`t mean anything. It just happened once.
DAVIS: I`m pregnant.
PARKER: Oh my god!
CATRALL: You know me. I don`t really believe in marriage. Now, Botox, on the other hand, that works every time.
PARKER: I can`t believe you`re even dressing up.
NIXON: The only two choices for women, witch and sexy kitten.
PARKER: You said a mouthful there, sister.
CATRALL: Have you waxed much?
NIXON: When you`re married, you have a different set of priorities.
CATRALL: This one is married and she`s not growing a national forest.
PARKER: Life doesn`t always turn out to be your fantasy. That`s why you need friendships that are real to get you through it all. And Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after. You know, things don`t always happen like this in real life. I just think you should know that now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: "Sex and the City" hits theaters May 30th. Well, that is it SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Thank you for watching. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS," coming up next.
END
