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Showbiz Tonight
Sanjaya at a Bat Mitzvah; Women Standing by Their Men; Britney`s Weekly Allowance; K-Fed`s Reported Large Tip
Aired March 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: Janet Jackson hospitalized. We`ve got the very latest on what happened and how she`s doing. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And, oy vey. The incredible pictures of "American Idol" Sanjaya at a bat mitzvah. Plus, you flooded us with E- mails. Would you want him singing at your event? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the shocking Hollywood connection to the New York governor`s sex scandal. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates powerful men and prostitutes. Hugh Grant, Charlie Sheen - big careers, beautiful women. So, why do they put it all in danger for hookers?
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Hollywood women who stand by their men. Just like the wife of New York`s governor. Tonight, why in the world would they stick with their boyfriends, their husbands when they get caught up in sordid sex scandals?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP
KOBE BRYANT, L.A. LAKERS BASKETBALL STAR: I sit here before you guys embarrassed and ashamed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brave move or just plain ridiculous?
Plus, big Britney Spears` money news. She`s now getting an allowance from her dad. Huh? Hey, Britney. Don`t spend it all in one place.
(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 it really is amazing that Britney Spears will now have to go to her dad for a weekly allowance. And it`s actually less than her ex, Kevin Federline, reportedly just tipped a waiter. Today`s big breaking Britney news is coming up.
HAMMER: But first, the remarkable connection between the alleged sexcapades of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The kind of connection that makes me ask, what the heck were they thinking? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal that Spitzer`s sex scandal is sounding painfully and personally familiar to many Hollywood stars who, just like Spitzer, did something really, really stupid.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. ELIOT SPITZER (D), GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and that violates my or any sense of right and wrong.
HAMMER (voice over): Here we go again. Another powerful man brought down by a big, juicy sex scandal that has all of America glued to their TVs for every titillating detail.
JOHN ROBERTS, CBS CORRESPONDENT: The sex scandal that just rock the state and the nation.
HAMMER: New York`s hard-charging governor, Eliot Spitzer, linked to a high-class prostitution ring where he allegedly paid thousands of dollars for dalliance in this Washington hotel.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": There has been a long history of high-powered men, not just political types, but especially high-powered men in Hollywood, visiting these high-class call girls.
HAMMER: That`s for sure. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, well-known men from all walks of life have found themselves in the hooker hall of fame. Charlie Sheen forced to testify in 1995 in the trial of Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss about the $50,000 he spent on her employees.
Hugh Grant, busted for picking up a prostitute off the streets of Hollywood. And televangelist Jimmy Swaggart accused of consorting with a prostitute in 1988. He said he was sorry.
JIMMY SWAGGART, TELEVANGELIST: I have sinned.
PIAZZA: That was a darn good I-went-to-a-hooker apology.
SPITZER: I apologize to the public whom I promised better.
HAMMER: And as we watch these men and now Spitzer sweat their way through their prostitution scandals, one question keeps coming up -
PIAZZA: What the hell is he thinking?
HAMMER: Yes, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking - why is it that time and time again powerful, famous men risk it all for this? And, no, we`re not just talking about your average run-off-the-mill affair. You know, the kind of gets you impeached.
We are talking about the kind where cash changes hands, where secret code words like client-9 are used, you know, the kind that just might get you locked up. For starters, we blame "Pretty Woman."
RICHARD GERE, ACTOR: Vivian, I have a business proposition for you.
HAMMER: You know, the movie about a high-powered businessman played by Richard Gere and the hooker with a heart of gold played by Julia Roberts who hooked up for a week of romance and bubble baths.
PIAZZA: After seeing "Pretty Woman," these men decided they can`t just shell out $500 for your average hooker. They need to be paying at least $3,000 a night to get the high-class ladies.
HAMMER: But the movie brought up an interesting question.
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS: You`re a rich, good looking guy. You can get a million girls free.
GERE: I want a professional. I don`t need any romantic hassles this week.
HAMMER: Is it a matter of simplicity for these powerful Johns? None of them would talk to us about the issues, so we got the next best thing.
JODY "BABY DOLL" GIBSON, FORMER HOLLYWOOD MADAM: If they`re paying thousands of dollars, they`re going to expect the anonymity and the discretion.
Jody "Baby Doll" Gibson is a former Hollywood madam and author of "Sex on Internet, Super Madam Volume II." Got to love that; there`s a volume two. She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that, yes, powerful and famous men in Hollywood and all over will happily pay top dollar for the simplicity of prostitutes.
GIBSON: It`s usually a convenience factor. You know, at least with the celebrities for them, they like to avoid the drama of having to walk into an establishment and deal with a barrage of girls approaching them.
HAMMER: But no matter how convenient it might be, the risk of being discovered is still very real. And even though all of the big names in the hooker hall of fame recovered from their scandals, it came as a great personal and professional cost.
PIAZZA: Rich and famous men looking to go the prostitute route, I say, just don`t do it, because you know what? You`re going to get caught.
HAMMER: Considered a cautionary tale for powerful men, be they in government or in Hollywood, tempted to go to a prostitute. Chances are, it could end like this.
SPITZER: I apologize first and most importantly to my family.
HAMMER: And not in a romantic fade to black with Julia Roberts.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It really is a question for the ages, isn`t it? Powerful men from Hollywood to Washington risking everything for a prostitute. What the heck are they thinking? With us tonight from Washington, D.C., Dr. Judy Kuriansky, clinical psychologist. And also from Miami, Steve Santagati of AskSteveSantagati.com.
Guys, when the story first broke, everybody was pretty much thinking the same thing. How could the governor of New York possibly do something so stupid and be caught hiring a prostitute? And as we just saw, he has plenty of company in Hollywood. Dr. Judy, why does somebody like him risk it all? Help me understand because my head is about to explode.
HAMMER: Well your head is about to explode. But A.J., it`s not just in their jeans, as in down there, it`s also in their brains, and there are two parts to the brain. The limbic system back here is where that sex drive comes from and it can overwhelm the cortex up here which is where the men think.
And Eliot Spitzer is a lawyer. He knows right from wrong in one part of his life but as he admitted on TV and in his apology, he didn`t know right from wrong then because this part of the brain, the limbic system that has the sex drive, is taking over.
STEVE SANTAGATI, ASKSTEVESANTAGATI.COM: What are you, his publicist?
KURIANSKY: I`m not defending him.
(CROSSTALK)
SANTAGATI: I`ll try that, Judy. Next time I cheat on a girl, if ever I feel like going - I`ll never go with a hooker. First of all, using the term high class and hooker in the same sentence is an oxymoron and all it`s just around wrong. He`s not sorry. These guys are not sorry for what they did. They`re sorry only for one thing and that is getting caught.
All these apologies we hear on TV are being generated by high-paid publicists. End of story. Here`s what they think, ladies and gentlemen. Guy thinks, I`m busy; I have to go play golf. I have to do this. I`m supposed to be running the State of New York. Well, and I also want to have sex. So I`m going to pay. I`m going to put this on my list, check.
I could never get this girl the old-fashioned way, which just means I have to go meet her, seduce her, take her out on a date. That takes too much time. Instead, what I`m going to do is just pay her. I have a big problem in a lot of levels, starting with morality, Dr. Judy and A.J. And the second level is what kind of man are you that you don`t even know how to seduce a woman and tell her to keep it quiet? End of story.
KURIANSKY: Well, I have to say something that you`ll probably be very upset with me about, Steve. And that is that sadly there are a lot of women who will not engage in certain kinds of sex behavior or positions or actions -
SANTAGATI: I get it. You don`t have to tell me. Right. I get it. But the thing is -
KURIANSKY: That man want to go to a prostitute for.
SANTAGATI: Then you shouldn`t have married her. You shouldn`t have married her.
KURIANSKY: Number one is the - are you kidding? What do you mean they don`t -
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Hold on a second. All right. Wait, wait. Let me reel her back in. One name, guys, I`m going to move it along here. Because one name that keeps coming up, of course, through this whole thing since it broke is Charlie Sheen. Everybody thinks of the notorious Johns, not just in politics, but in Hollywood. Sheen, right up there, top of the list. An admitted client, of course, of Hollywood`s most famous madam, Heidi Fleiss. Now, "Newsweek" just asked her if the Spitzer scandal surprised her.
I want to read to you what she so eloquently said, "Of course not. Dude, these are men. They think about sex 98 percent of the time." Steve, do you think she has it right or do you think it`s about so much more than that?
SANTAGATI: I think it`s about so much more. I think about sex a lot too, but I don`t consummate it in that way. There`s a lot of wonderful men out there that think about sex every single second of the day, but we don`t do that. We don`t go down that road because we know it`s going to be more problematic and it`s just not right at the end of the day.
KURIANSKY: Oh, that`s very moralistic about you, but be realistic -
SANTAGATI: One of few I have, Judy -
KURIANSKY: I`m sure. But the fantasy is to have a certain type of sex. The two top fantasies men have is -
SANTAGATI: That`s laziness.
KURIANSKY: Number one is the sex that President Clinton had from Monica Lewinsky and all those other fantasies that we heard of that he did with her.
SANTAGATI: That`s such a small minority.
KURIANSKY: And the second is sex with two women. Not that Spitzer engaged in that, but I`m saying that there are a lot of women who will not entertain any of the things that men think about as sex. And when they get married and have kids - when they get married and they have children -
SANTAGATI: A.J. -
HAMMER: No, no. Let her -
KURIANSKY: Then they don`t think of wild sexual experiences with their wives. So this is like a whole calling card for women to say, you know what? Let me sit down and talk about what sexual fantasies my husband or boyfriend have.
HAMMER: With that, my time is up. Dr. Judy, Steve Santagati, I tell you what - I tell you what. Stay right where you are, Steve. You can continue to wear your T.J. Hooker shirt. Dr. Judy, I need your help with something else, a very controversial explosive question tonight. Why in the world would wives and the girlfriends stand by their men when they get caught up in the sordid sex scandals? We will get into that at 30 past the hour.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., Britney Spears isn`t standing by for anything. She`s heading to a big-time sitcom. That`s right. Britney who has been pretty much in lock down since getting out of the hospital psych ward is now going to be on a TV show. On paper, this sounds great, so we`re asking, is it a good idea right now? I`ve got that next.
HAMMER: Also tonight, some stunning news to tell you about. Janet Jackson hospitalized. Stick around. We will tell you the very latest on exactly what`s wrong with Janet and how she`s doing now. You don`t want to miss that.
ANDERSON: And mazeltov. We told you about "American Idol`s" Sanjaya. Remember him, the one with the Tony Hawk haircut last year? Well, he`s playing bat mitzvahs now. Tonight, I`ve got the first pictures of his performance. Oy vey. Plus, your overwhelming response to whether you`d want Sanjaya at your event, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, two stories that are new right now that I`ve just got to tell you about. First, Britney Spears got a job on a TV show. Britney will guest star on the hit CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." Now, is this funny or is this scary?
Also tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can show you the first photos of last season`s "American Idol" star, finalist Sanjaya Malakar, performing at a bat mitzvah in New York. Now, does Sanjaya deserve a Mazeltov or simply an oy vey.
With me tonight in Hollywood, Ken Baker, executive news editor for "E! Entertainment." And in New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat." Ken, Ashleigh, first, I`ve got to start with this. We all know what happened the last time Britney performed on television; that was at the MTV Video Music Awards. That was supposed to be a comeback. It was a disaster. Ken, should we be afraid, very, very afraid here?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR FOR "E! ENTERTAINMENT": I mean it wasn`t that bad. I mean she didn`t fall down and crack her head open.
ANDERSON: It was close.
BAKER: It could have been a lot worse. But she almost did. You`re right. It was pretty bad. No, here`s the difference. This show is a sitcom. It`s a very closed environment, very controlled. And they can do as many takes as they have to do to get it to work. So it`s actually a really appropriate venue for her to make a comeback.
It has a really big audience. There`s very broad audience and a chance for her to have fun, play a lighthearted role, and for the first time in months, maybe over a year, play someone other than herself. Because that role has been a very tragic one, a very sad one, a very somber one. So this is going to be fun and light hearted. It`s actually a really smart move and shows the entertainment community she is ready. Although just dipping her foot in the water, she is ready to get back to work.
ANDERSON: Yes. I`m excited about this. I think it`s something we can all be optimistic about for Britney. And I do want to ask this. Could it be that there`s more to this than meets the eye?
I want you take a look at what the star of "How I Met Your Mother," Neil Patrick Harris, said about Britney, quote, "What if she shows up on the set and she is absolutely, totally normal and that whole thing has been a big ruse? She is smoking a cigarette and says, `Oh yes, it is all a big bit. I have a master plan.`" Ashleigh, is it possible that Britney has been punking us for the last year and that yes, this is all part of a master plan?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST OF "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": I`ve got a family court case that says no chance. Ashton Kutcher is nowhere near this one. Seriously, I mean, look. Who would risk several months of seeing their children? Who would be able to get a conspiracy with the Los Angeles Police Department, the ambulances that have had to go to her house to pick her up and take her to the hospital?
I think it would be great to think it was punking because it is a really sad story that we`ve living through with this young woman but - no. No.
ANDERSON: Yes, I agree with you. Very serious circumstances surrounding Britney over the past year. And I do now want to move on to another story new right now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has photos of former "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar performing at a bat mitzvah in Long Island, New York last weekend. Ken Baker which is scarier, the fact that Sanjaya was invited to a bat mitzvah, that he sang or both?
BAKER: Here`s the dirty little secret about a lot of pop stars. People at the level of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, they do private events. They do perform at birthday parties and bat mitzvahs. Now of course, they`ll get paid like $1 million, $2 million to do it.
ANDERSON: Yes, I was going to say.
BAKER: But Sanjaya just sort of showed up which is kind of weird but also understandable. He`s really last year`s news. I`m really surprised that his 15 minutes has stretched out into this long. And it was just kind of strange. You`re sort of ready even as - I`m a big fan of "American Idol" fan. I`m ready to put Sanjaya aside and let`s focus on some other people like, you know, some of the strippers in Arizona, you know, or whatever it might be. We`re ready to move on.
ANDERSON: Well, I admire his determination, though. And I do want you to know that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - we asked our viewers a very important, pressing question. He performs at a bat mitzvah. Would you invite him to perform at your affair? Only eight percent said yes. Ninety-two percent said, no way, Jose. Ashleigh, shocked at the results?
BANFIELD: No. But I will second this idea that bat mitzvahs - the bar mitzvah circuit`s actually pretty lucrative. Aerosmith performed at one that made some papers. Unfortunately, the guy paying for it for his kid ended up in the slammer for stealing the money. But no, I think you are right. I don`t think that anybody would pay a whole lot of money to see Sanjaya. And by the way, yes, I think we`re all ready for Danny Noriega. He`s the new 15 minuter, and he might hit the circuit pretty soon, now that he`s off "American Idol."
ANDERSON: Danny Noriega, Sanjaya Malakar, we wish you both the very best.
BANFIELD: Oy!
ANDERSON: Ken Baker, Ashleigh Banfield, thank you both. And hey, remember, for the latest breaking Britney news and latest video, there`s only one place you need to check it out. The Britney Drama section of our Web site at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. That`s CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
And you see this? Chuck Norris is huge in Iraq. I think this is pretty great. Chuck, who, of course, we all know as the long-time tough guy. "Walker, Texas Ranger" and of course, all those Bruce Lee martial arts films.
He is an inspiration to both U.S. and Iraqi troops. They`ve even built a shrine to Norris in Fallujah. He`s visited troops stationed in Iraq before.
Now, the shrine is filled with a whole bunch of sayings. One is - I love this - "There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Chuck Norris lives in Oklahoma." Even Iraqi police look up to Chuck. They even named one of their own Chuck Norris because he`s got a mustache and looks just like him.
HAMMER: All right. Tonight, here`s something I really need to know. Are women who stand by their cheating men brave or ridiculous?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DINA MCGREEVEY, JIM MCGREEVEY`S EX-WIFE: We all do it for very personal reasons. I did it because he was my husband. I had always supported him. I loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. That`s former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey`s ex-wife there. Now, her husband of course came out and admitted to being gay. It`s a long list - Liz Hurley, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kobe Bryant`s wife. I don`t get it. Coming up, a showbiz special report, "Stand By Your Man."
ANDERSON: A.J., Britney Spears wants her man to stand on his own. Tonight, breaking Britney news, a nasty fight with K-Fed over money. Plus, Britney gets an allowance from her dad. Last time I checked, she wasn`t a teenager anymore. You got to stick around for this, coming up.
And sit right back and you`ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip of "Gilligan`s Island" star Dawn Wells, Mary Ann, getting caught allegedly with marijuana. Uh-oh. Stick around for that, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson and here are some more stories that are new right now. Janet Jackson is feeling kind of nasty. Her rep tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Miss Jackson did go to a Los Angeles hospital battling the flu. She wasn`t admitted and is recuperating at home.
Her rep also says Janet`s "Saturday Night Live" appearance for this weekend is canceled and we can also tell you that Janet`s writing a book about her shocking weight gain and loss and how she`s been an emotional eater.
All right. Sit right back and you`ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip about "Gilligan`s Island" star Dawn Wells. This trip started when Wells was driving back from her 69th birthday party. She was busted with allegedly having marijuana in her car. Wells claims hitchhikers left it. She was sentenced to five days in jail and is now serving six months of probation.
And analyze this. Billy Crystal has signed with the New York Yankees. That`s right. Crystal, a huge Yankees fan has signed a one-day contract and will play in Thursday`s exhibition game. He`ll wear number 60, the game is one day before his 60th birthday.
HAMMER: He`s got to be over the moon about that.
All right. I really don`t get it. All of these Hollywood women who are standing by their man. Just like the wife of New York`s governor when they get busted in sordid sex scandals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. MCGREEVEY: We all do it for very personal reasons. I did it because he was my husband. I had always supported him. I loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Former New Jersey governor`s Jim McGreevey`s ex-wife there. Her husband came out and admitted to being gay. Of course, you have Liz Hurley, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kobe Bryant`s wife. Coming up, you will not want to miss a showbiz special report, "Stand By Your Man."
ANDERSON: A.J., Britney Spears wants her man to stand on his own. Tonight, breaking Britney news, a nasty fight with K-Fed over money. You`ve got to stick around for this. Coming up.
HAMMER: And listen to this. How did Madonna get Justin Timberlake to drop his pants for her? Better yet, why did he do it? You`ve got to hear this, coming up.
But first, you can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just head on over to our Web site; it`s CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. All you need to do is click on the "sign up for newsletter" link right there at the bottom of the page. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming straight back.
(NEWSBREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Stand By Your Man." In Hollywood and politics, you know, it isn`t just a Tammy Wynette song.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. MCGREEVEY: We all do it for very personal reasons. I did it because he was my husband. I had always supported him. I loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. And former governor Jim McGreevey`s wife not alone in this dubious club. Hollywood is just filled with examples of women standing by their man after cheating and the most explosive scandals. But why the heck do they do it? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the "Stand By Your Man" phenomenon that everybody`s talking about.
Big Britney news. Suddenly Britney Spears has a lot in common with the 10-year-olds who made up her fan base. She`s getting an allowance from her daddy. What?
Plus should Britney pay K-Fed`s legal bills when he`s dropping $2,000 tips at restaurants? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the big news about Britney`s bottom line.
(MUSIC)
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: Well, tonight, a showbiz special report, "Stand By Your Man." Just like the wife of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer standing by his side as he basically admitted he was paying for prostitutes.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now tell you that Spitzer`s wife would find plenty of company in Hollywood with women who also stood by their man. But why? Oh why, do they do it? It is tonight`s showbiz special report, "Stand By Your Man."
Back with me tonight from Washington, D.C., clinical psychologist, Dr. Judy Kuriansky. Also back tonight from Miami, Steve Santagati from AskSteveSantagati.com. And here in New York, the founder of Spotlight Communications, Maggie Gallant.
All right, gang. We`ve got to take a look back at just a few famous and scandalous men and women who stood by their sides. Let`s run these things down because you all remember in 1995, Hugh Grant busted picking up a prostitute in Hollywood, and his then girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley, standing by right by his side for several years until they finally broke up.
In `97, Kathie Lee Gifford stood by her man, Frank after his admitted affair with a flight attendant. They`re still together. And in 2003, L.A. Lakers guard, Kobe Bryant, gave that teary press conference we all remember about the tryst with a Colorado hotel worker and his wife Vanessa, yes, right there by his side. Dr. Judy, let me start with you. I mean, Liz Hurley, Kathie Lee, Vanessa Bryant, why do all of these women stand right there just kind of like Silda Spitzer did in what must be the most humiliating moments of their lives?
KURIANSKY: It is humiliating. It is embarrassing. Those women were angry as can be. Hurt. Worried. What`s wrong with me? What`s wrong with our sex? What`s wrong with our relationship? Why doesn`t he love me? I`ve heard that story so many times from those kinds of women who are rich and famous, but also from real women.
And often times really, A.J., I`ve given advice. Leave the jerk. What are you doing? But why? You have to examine what`s in the relationship? In all those that you have mentioned, you know, Liz Hurley was together with Hugh a long time. That was a one-time thing he did with that prostitute and getting a $60-trick at that time, OK, that we know of. But -
SANTAGATI: What`s the point, Judy?
KURIANSKY: My point is that you shouldn`t always dump the guy. And when -
SANTAGATI: Well, all right.
KURIANSKY: And when the women are in shock, then that`s the time to say, OK. Maybe I can forgive you. Let`s figure out what`s going on. Don`t tell me any different, Steve.
SANTAGATI: All right. Listen, Judy, A.J. and gang. The fact of the matter is that these women - I think, when they start going out with these guys, this kind of behavior is par for the course. We`re talking about high level people here and celebrities. We`re not about you and I or regular people, if you will.
So I think that they stand by their man for what Judy said, believe it or not, because they don`t want to look bad. Not me. This is just a one- time deal him going out with this girl, cheating with this flight attendant, and what have you. I think the Spitzer thing is a little bit different -
KURIANSKY: It is.
SANTAGATI: And I think we`ll get into that later. The prostitute thing is - I don`t see why any woman in her right mind would stand by a guy in that type of situation.
HAMMER: Listen to that.
SANTAGATI: She`s stupid. Just dumb.
KURIANSKY: That`s - I don`t think that`s true. You find out what is in it for him with the prostitute. What is going on there that he needs?
SANTAGATI: Judy, come on! Let`s cut to the chase. Judy, guys aren`t that complicated. OK? Some women are just stupid to stand by their guys. So just cut to the chase. Come on, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. A man`s perspective there from Steve Santagati. Some women just stupid to stand by their guys. Of course, everybody`s talking about this. I don`t know about where you guys have been but everywhere on the streets, on TV, all over the place and of course the ladies of "The View" were having at it. Let`s see Whoopi Goldberg`s take on why women stand by their man. I think it will be different from Steve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I believe that this is the easiest way to keep the press off of her and away from the kids, is if she`s standing there. He can say no questions. She`s been seen with him and then she can say, you know what? I`ll see you around the back of the house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Let me get Maggie Gallant involved in the conversation here. Maggie, meet you around the back of the house. For what? A good butt kicking or what?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: Right. I think that is what she meant. Well, she has a really good point because this is absolutely the best way for them to keep the media scrutiny off what`s going on in the marriage. If she presents a united front at that press conference, she is saying, look, I`m supporting him in this moment.
And you know, a lot of people are saying she`s sending the wrong message to women that they should stand by their man when they are done wrong but I absolutely disagree. She has a family that she`s thinking about -
SANTAGATI: Oh, come on. She is thinking about money.
GALLANT: And relationships are extremely complicated. And that`s a good point, too. And they both have a lot to lose. Absolutely, that`s part of it.
KURIANSKY: So what? If she`s thinking about the kids, that`s great. If she is thinking about money, that`s OK, too. That`s why I say what are the circumstances? She may -
SANTAGATI: Maggie, sorry for interrupting you.
KURIANSKY: She may gain from standing by her man. There`s nothing wrong with it.
HAMMER: Dr. Judy, let me ask you as our clinical psychologist on our panel tonight, how is it even possible that these women are thinking rationally when their worlds are basically imploding here?
SANTAGATI: Exactly.
KURIANSKY: Well, OK. They`re in shock.
GALLANT: They`re not.
KURIANSKY: That is the - let`s think about this. Wait a minute. When the trauma happens, there`s a whole wave that goes on and the first - in the first beginning when it`s hit you in the face, you don`t really know what you`re doing. That`s why she had that kind of glazed and depressed look.
(CROSSTALK)
SANTAGATI: You think women are that stupid, Judy? You think women are that stupid they don`t see this? Women I`ve cheated a hundred times - they could always see it.
KURIANSKY: It`s a matter of being in shock. And have you ever been in shock over something that happens when you finally get it?
SANTAGATI: Tonight, I`m in shock listening to you.
HAMMER: Dr. Judy -
KURIANSKY: OK. And then you don`t exactly know what to do. Then comes the depression. Then comes the sadness and then you can figure it out.
SANTAGATI: Poor Maggie. Let Maggie talk.
GALLANT: Well, I was going to say that people that are not in shock are his representatives. May made a very keen PR move by making sure that she was front and center with him at that press conference. So no matter what the emotions are going on with either of them within their marriage, what`s important right now for him, for his representatives is politically speaking what`s best for them.
HAMMER: Look at it - hold on, guys. I want to bring up an entirely different situation and set of circumstances to try to get a perspective because these women are standing there. They`ve done it in all sorts of circumstances.
You know, I mentioned Hugh Grant earlier. He didn`t hold a press conference when he got busted with the prostitute, you know, Divine Brown who`s now famous because of it.
KURIANSKY: And rich.
HAMMER: Instead, well, you know, he is in Hollywood. So he went on Jay Leno for his butt kicking. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: Let me start with question number one. What the hell were you thinking?
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: Something like that, you know, I think you know in life pretty much what`s a good thing to do and what`s a bad thing and I did a bad thing. There you have it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So difference of circumstances here. But even after that, Elizabeth Hurley, who I think we can all safely say, one of the most beautiful women in the world. She was right there standing by her man, Hugh Grant, for years. Steve, is that the answer to keeping her? Just fess up and say, "Baby, I did a bad thing?"
SANTAGATI: Well, hey, like I was telling one of your producers today on the phone that with men, excuses are like money. We`ll only give you as many as you need.
HAMMER: Yes.
SANTAGATI: You know, and if Elizabeth Hurley bought that, then fantastic. But the bottom line is that Hugh Grant - I mean, he just copped out with an English accent and that one line, you know, excuse. I don`t think - I think there`s more to it than that. I think there`s a lot of - bad choices. It is a bad choice. He is right on that but where it comes from is a dark place, A.J.
HAMMER: Let me get to another example, guys. I mentioned, of course, Frank Gifford getting busted. Kathie Lee Gifford let him stick around after he got caught having the affair with -
SANTAGATI: Hillary.
HAMMER: Yes. There`s another one. Maggie, let me go to you as a publicist on this, is the advice that you would give a celebrity spouse to stand by their man to help save face or do you think, you know, like in the case of some we`ve seen in the past, they should kick their man out the door?
GALLANT: Well, Kathie Lee was a great example because she actually became a lot more sympathetic to all of us. I think we have the sense that she has a perfect life with a perfect family. She talked about it in the morning. We all just wanted to be a part of her life.
And then, you know, we started realizing that everybody could relate to her a little bit more and we started thinking that just because these people are gorgeous and they have these amazing lives on television and the movies, even their romances aren`t exactly a fairytale.
KURIANSKY: I must say -
HAMMER: You know, Dr. Judy, I`m out of time here. But the bottom line is whatever the situation, makes for great TV, doesn`t it?
SANTAGATI: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Dr. Judy Kuriansky, Steve Santagati, Maggie Gallant, I do appreciate you all being here tonight. And remember, we want you to know that you can now watch video reports from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you`d like right there on our Web site. You`ll find it all at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Punch into your Web browsers, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: Hey, Britney Spears reportedly makes more than $700,000 a month. So, why in the world is she getting an allowance from her dad? And wait until you hear how much it is.
Plus, should Britney have to pay Kevin Federline`s legal bills when he is, according to Spears` lawyer, dropping $2,000 tips at restaurants? We`re debating all the big Britney news still to come.
HAMMER: You know, a lot of people give Jessica Simpson a hard time. I think it`s terrific that she go on a plane, went to Kuwait to entertain the troops. But did she demand all sorts of first class accommodations along the way? You know, private jet, refusing to stay in the bar racks? Well, that`s the rumor floating around. The showbiz truth squad on the case. We`ll get to the bottom of that, coming up.
ANDERSON: And this sounds like the start of a joke, I know, but I`m not kidding, I promise. What did Madonna say to Justin Timberlake to get him to pull his pants down? We have the story of why Justin brought his sexy backside all the way to London and showed it to Madonna. That`s straight ahead. Stay with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Britney Spears better be good to her daddy. He`s now going to give her an allowance.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, big Britney court news a judge tells Britney that she can now get a weekly allowance of $1,500. She can spend it as she pleases. And Kevin Federline wants some of his ex-wife`s money to pay for his legal bills. But Britney`s lawyer is saying, no way.
With us tonight to talk about Britney`s freaky finances, from the Tru TV`s studios in New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat." And in Hollywood, Ken Baker, executive news editor for "E!". Ken, Ashleigh, great to see you again.
And hey, Britney Spears worth an estimated $100 million. Now, she`s got to go to her father who is the conservator of her estate, for a weekly $1,500 allowance. On the surface, this may seem ridiculous. But Ken, it is a sign of progress, isn`t it?
BAKER: It absolutely is. And in fact, Jamie`s attorneys who argued to allow her to have this allowance yesterday in court called it essentially fun money. They wanted her to, quote, "enjoy herself." And that`s what Britney likes to do. She likes to go out and shop and go out to dinner, go out to lunch - that`s how she enjoys her time when she is not dancing or exercising but that`s basically it.
And I think the $1,500, just so you know, I tallied that up. That`s essentially comes down to two quick little trips to Fred Siegel. That comes down a lunch at the Ivy and she can go out to Katsuya for some sushi and she pretty much will have met her $1,500. Now, that`s not with tips, so they might want to increase it for her.
ANDERSON: You know, I was going to say this isn`t the kind of fun or the amount of fun she may be accustomed to. She used to be able to drop $1,500 maybe in five minutes at Barney`s, but this weekly allowance does come out to about $78,000 a year. Ashleigh, she`s not going to get much sympathy from people here, is she?
BANFIELD: No. And I just want Ken to know that that works out to a couple of cab fares up Madison Avenue here in New York City. I don`t know about your town but ours is real expensive.
Hey, listen. I think part of the problem with Britney to start with - admittedly, I never lived in her home. But she has a lot of homes and she was using a lot of hotels rooms and she was buying a lot of expensive Mercedes. And she had a manic exuberance to herself. She blowing through staff when maybe they didn`t agree with her.
And perhaps the reins that have been put on her have been able to at least calm her down in one area of her life. And it seems just by the media reports or lack thereof that it seems to be working. So, sure, maybe she can go to Fred Siegel and get herself a skimpy little outfit, but at least she`d be wearing the underwear.
ANDERSON: Oh, good point, Ashleigh. It all seems very promising, especially that. And speaking of money, and maybe excessive spending, at the latest court hearing, regarding Britney`s affairs, her lawyer said that Kevin Federline tipped a waiter $2,000 on a $300 bill. If this is true, Ken, it seems to me if you can tip a waiter 700 percent, maybe you can afford your own legal bills.
BAKER: You would think that, for sure. What was going on there was that the attorneys for Britney Spears were basically saying, yes, we get it. We have to pay up to $400,000 or $500,000 in legal fees but what we`re saying is this guy is wasting a lot of money.
They`re over-billing by the way. They claim that Kevin Federline`s attorney over-billing. And so, essentially, what I`m told is going to happen is that the judge is going to deliberate a little bit. He`s going to come back and he`s going to say, yes, she does have to pay some of Kevin`s legal fees. But it`s not going to be $500,000. And by the way, stop spending all your money on $2,000 tips. I mean, that`s just kind of ridiculous.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: And not surprising but ridiculous nonetheless.
ANDERSON: Excessive for sure. And her lawyer said, you know, his side is maybe entitled to about $150,000 to $175,000. Ashleigh, do you think Kevin deserves that money? Should Britney be paying his legal bills? I know it is common practice at times.
BANFIELD: Well, first of all, I`d like to know where he was when I was a waitress. Because I got $20, and that was about the best I did in the mining town I was working in. Anyway, yes, here` the deal. California does have something called family law code and it does favor an even playing field. So if Britney`s spending upwards of about $1 million on her case, the law does say that it`s only fair he has that opportunity, as well. Notwithstanding a stupid $2,000 tip and P.S., that`s the kids` money in my opinion.
ANDERSON: Right.
BANFIELD: But here`s the deal. You know, she is causing a lot of what goes on in court by buzzing off to psychiatric wards and buzzing out of wards and creating a lot of havoc. He`s having to respond to a lot of her actions in court for the safety of the kids. So what they`re saying - what K-Fed`s attorneys are saying, "Look, we are in court because she`s forcing our hand, not because we`re coming after her constantly." So they do have a point.
ANDERSON: Yes. K-Fed`s attorney has said he`s been dragged in to court numerous times over the past few months and he`s had to spend a lot of time and attention on this and it is not excessive billing.
We will have to see what happens. Ken Baker, Ashleigh Banfield, thank you both for your insight. For the latest breaking Britney news and latest video, you can always go to the Britney Drama section of our Web site any time. You`ll find it at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. That`s CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: It is time now to call in the showbiz truth squad. This is where our crack team of celebrity investigators sets the record straight on Hollywood`s biggest mysteries.
And tonight, we open up our case file on Jessica Simpson. Now, Jessica went to perform in Kuwait for the U.S. troops. Great, great move for her. But rumor had it she was acting all diva`ed-out about the whole thing.
Reports flying around she was demanding private jets, first class accommodations and taken a huge entourage along, including her high-priced hairdresser.
Well, the truth squad can put an end to the rumors. Jessica rep tells "People" magazine that Jess flew commercial is staying in the barracks and eating meals with the troops. The rep also says that she has scaling back her entourage significantly but points out she did have her hairstylist and makeup artist go with her. So there you have it, the showbiz truth squad setting the record straight once again.
And speaking of getting the bottom of things, Justin Timberlake says Madonna took a good long look at his naked butt. Kind of gives you a whole new meaning to bringing sexy back, don`t you think? Coming up next, what Madonna said to make Justin drop trousers. Trust me. You definitely do not want to miss this. It`s coming, next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all by downloading the podcast. Totally free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast right there on our Web site which happens to be CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. If you`d like, you can go to iTunes, download it there, and just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Well, the innuendos were just flying as Justin Timberlake inducted Madonna in to the Rock and Rock Hall Of Fame. Now, Justin co-wrote half of the songs in Madonna`s upcoming album, "Hard Candy." And in introducing her at the ceremony, Justin said there are tons of Madonna wannabes and that he had even dated a few. I wonder who he was talking about. Britney.
But the best moment came when described a recording session with Madonna where he showed up sick and she, Madonna, pulled out a B12 vitamin syringe right out of her designer handbag. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTINE TIMBERLAKE, POP STAR: And then she looks at me with that face that she looks at people with and she says to me, drop them. You know, I don`t know what you say to that so I immediately dropped my pants. She gives me the B12 shot in my ass. And then she looks at me and she says, nice top shelf. And that was one of the greatest days of my life.
MADONNA, POP STAR: Everything he said is basically true but I didn`t say drop them. I said pull your pants down. OK. I`d just like to be accurate. As you know, I am a control freak.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: If Madonna tells you to drop your pants, you drop your pants. Some great song writers also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Leonard Cohen and John Mellencamp among them.
Now, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Madonna: Does she deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?"
Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: On Monday, we told you about former "American Idol" finalist Sanjaya, performing at a girl`s bat mitzvah in New York. And we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this - "Sanjaya performs at bat mitzvah: Would you invite him to perform at your affair?" Only eight percent of you say yes. Sorry, Sanjaya. Ninety-two percent of you say no. And here are some of the E-mails we received.
Aaron from Washington writes, "I would never invite Sanjaya to any social event as a singer. As a comedy act, now that`s a different story!"
But Veera from Massachusetts has Sanjaya`s back. She writes, "He`s one of the most fascinating people to ever come out of `American Idol,` and contrary to popular belief, the boy can sing!"
HAMMER: Yes. I`ll hire him for my next event.
ANDERSON: He`s got potential.
HAMMER: Oh, well, you know. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the elevens, 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next. Take care.
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