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Showbiz Tonight
Is `Moment of Truth` Too Much?; Britney`s Superheroes; Hulk Hogan`s Tragic Family; The Tell-All Business; Hollywood Men Who Cheat on the Near- Perfect Women
Aired March 13, 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: We have got the absolutely unbelievable pictures of Hulk Hogan`s son`s car crash which nearly killed his friend and more stunning outrage over FOX`s "Moment of Truth." This time around, a guy confesses he slept with one of his friend`s wives. Should this stuff even be on TV? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, look, up in the sky. It`s a bird. It`s a plane. It`s Super Britney? Tonight, Britney turns herself in to an amazing animated superhero coming to her own rescue. But wait. There are more Super Friends to the rescue. Her mom. Her dad. Even Neil Patrick Harris? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the super brand new developments about the Britney super heroes.
Shocking star secrets. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off the biggest star tell-all books. Explosive stories about cheating, drug use, sordid sexcapades. Talk about TMI. Is this too much information, and a desperate attempt to stay famous?
And Hollywood cheaters. Why in the world do Hollywood`s leading men cheat on their beautiful wives and girlfriends? Showbiz investigates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. Listen to this. How would you feel if your husband went on a TV, game show and admitted in front of you and the world that he cheated with one of his friend`s wives? Yes, think about that. That`s coming up.
But first, it`s Super Britney! Yes, tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now show you how Britney Spears is out to save herself and in her unbelievable new video, out to save the world, too. But wait. There`s more. More super heroes teaming up with Britney to finally help her turn things around.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): It`s a super hero story of epic proportions. Britney Spears transforms herself in to a futuristic action heroine in her new animated video for her song "Break The Ice."
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: I know I shouldn`t have kept you waiting, but I`m here now.
HAMMER: Britney is there all right. This is Britney`s new video already fast becoming viral on the Web. If this super hero costume of a short black body suit and knee-high boots looks a little animated, you are right.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": The decision to go animated was really smart. She`s freaking hot so no one can criticize her hair, her makeup, whether or not she put on a few pounds. She just looks like the hot, same old Britney Spears from a year or two ago, before she turned into kind of a disaster.
HAMMER: A disaster that started out with her awful performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
TANIKA RAY, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": She absolutely cannot have another performance like the MTV Music Awards. That was a disaster.
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that it`s all in an attempt to have her public disasters fade out into a galaxy far, far away. That`s because in real life, Britney has a whole team of super heroes who have been helping her get back on her feet. There`s her father and conservator of her affairs, Jamie Spears. He`s got the power.
PIAZZA: Jamie Spears has really swooped in. He`s really put her on a short leash and he`s helping her help herself.
HAMMER: And also, lending a helping hand, Britney`s Mama, Lynne Spears, a constant shopping companion and confidante who`s even singing her own ex`s praises.
PIAZZA: Lynne has also been there and really supporting Jamie and supporting Britney.
HAMMER: And let`s not forget every heroine needs a big, bad bodyguard to protect her when the going gets tough.
PIAZZA: What super hero story would be complete without a gigantic bodyguard that`s there to protect you through thick and thin?
HAMMER: Or even a pack of wild paparazzi trying to get to close to his charge.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Move back.
PIAZZA: And he takes no prisoners.
HAMMER: But the precious group of superheroes to swoop in and to save Britney`s new day, the cast of "How I Met Your Mother."
SCOOBY DOO, CARTOON CHARACTER: Huh?
HAMMER: That`s right, Scooby Doo. It appears that Spears has hit it off big time with the cast of the hit TV sitcom. The pop star is taping her highly anticipated the guest role on the show scheduled for March 24th. On the show, Britney plays a receptionist at a dermatologist`s office who falls for one of the show`s main characters, Ted, played by Josh Radnor.
RAY: Apparently, all the cast members were amazed that she showed up on time. She knew all of her lines better than their own cast members.
HAMMER: Britney told reporters she is, quote, "having a blast." And even cast member Neil Patrick Harris tells "People" magazine, Britney has, quote, "A good sense of comedy and has interesting choices." Even goes on to say that Britney, quote, "Seems to be doing very well, no strange accents."
No mild mannered welcome here. With all of the super heroes in Britney`s life swooping in to help save her, could it be? Could Britney be a wondrous new woman?
PIAZZA: I think that by portraying a super hero, she is really taking some of this power back, and saying, "Look, I can do this. I`m taking control of my life. I`m acting like a super hero right now."
HAMMER: And she has got a whole team of super heroes at the ready trying to help her make that comeback.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Well, tonight, Britney is just one of two big stories that are new right now. And as you just saw, Britney`s got the music video. She`s got the big TV gig. Is there finally hope for Britney? Please, let it be so.
Also new right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal the shocking new photos of Hulk Hogan`s teenage son`s mangled car. Nick Hogan is now facing criminal charges from that crash which happened last August.
Joining me tonight from the Tru TV studios in New York City, Ashleigh Banfield, the host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat." In Hollywood tonight, Michael Yo, host of "Yo on E!" You can hear that on XM and Sirius satellite radio.
Michael, Ashley, I want to get started with Britney Spears. I got to tell you, I love this. Almost seems too good to be true. Britney getting kudos from her co-stars on the set of "How I Met Your Mother." And now, we`re hearing from Britney herself.
I want to read to you what she told "People.com," quote, "Working at `How I Met Your Mother` has been so terrific. Everyone, including the cast, the crew, and the producers has been wonderful and Abby is such a fun girl to play. I`m having a blast!"
Ashleigh Banfield, got to say this is a lot better than shaving your head in public and beating up the paparazzi with an umbrella or perhaps partying without panties.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Well, yes. Absolutely, A.J. And I`m thrilled that you and I are talking about this instead of that. However, I am going to say this. Consistency is key. We are talking about kids here, as well.
So unless we see a number of these stories in a row, then it is going to be revisiting that old "David Letterman" moment where apparently Britney had shed K-Fed, shed the weight and had re-birthed herself on "Letterman," only a few weeks later to completely melt down to what we see her at today. So until she starts showing up for court on time and showing up for court, I think it`s a little early to be celebrating the newfound normalcy.
HAMMER: No, you make a good point and the one thing she has been consistent with over all this time is her inconsistency.
Now, that new music video we just showed you depicts Britney as a super hero. And as you saw, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT naming her father, Jamie Spears, one of the super heroes in her life right now, trying to bring back that consistency. So, we know the heroes, but Michael, who are those villains who are still lurking around in the background? Do you think daddy can keep up the force field around Britney or do we need to ready the Britney bat signal? Because I`m at the ready with that switch.
MICHAEL YO, HOST, "YO ON E!": You know, the Sam Lutfi guy. I don`t trust this guy. If you were talking Batman, he would be Two-Face because he`s telling Britney one thing but then he`s telling the media completely a different story.
And why is this guy so obsessed with being in Britney Spears` life? I don`t understand this. I just really don`t trust this guy. And Adnan Ghalib, if you have to compare him to somebody, I would say that he`s the Joker. You know, he is the guy who just wants to be around. He`s in the paparazzi. He`s not good for Britney either.
Let`s all say this. Jamie Spears is the key to all of this. Yes, it`s premature to say Britney Spears is back. But as long as Jamie is in the picture, Britney Spears is a lot better off. And it was his idea for her to go on "How I Met Your Mother."
Well, the Britney bat signal high on top of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT headquarters here in New York City. I`m going to keep my finger on the trigger, like I said.
Onto our next story. New right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just obtained these truly unbelievable photos of the crash that nearly killed Hulk Hogan`s son. Let`s put this up. Nick Hogan and his friend last summer - Nick Bollea - as we know, Nick`s friend broke his skull. He`s still in critical condition. Nick facing criminal charges now for reckless driving.
I mean look at these photos, Ashleigh. It is unbelievable. When you see this, the mangled metal, the crushed wheel and everything, can you believe anybody survived this thing?
BANFIELD: No. It is very hard to believe it. Those are very telling pictures. Juries don`t like to see those. And at the same time, I think Nick is extraordinarily lucky in this story that his friend is not dead. Seven months on the critical list is bad but dead is worse. This could be a vehicular homicide case; instead it`s reckless. Neither one is good, but certainly one is better than the other.
HAMMER: It is amazing what has transpired in the Hogans` life. I mean look at this. Nick, 17 years old. He was involved in this car crash. If he`s convicted, facing up to five years in jail. And as you mentioned, juries don`t like these pictures.
Michael, you know, we have the Hogans now getting divorced. We have Nick in the middle of their fight. We have him having to deal with the criminal charges. Isn`t it amazing how this once-beloved Hogan family really toured into this tragic family? And I`m still a big fan of the Hulkster.
YO: It`s true. I`m actually, personally good friends with Hulk Hogan and the whole family when we lived in south Florida. And the thing is these people are so nice. Of course, you mentioned, you know, the divorce that`s probably going to go through the pending divorce.
Then you`ve Brooke Hogan, Hulk Hogan allegedly, you know, cheating around, going around with one of her friends and then blogging back and forth about it.
It is just a sad, sad case that a good family such as Hulk Hogan`s, who`s a good person and well respected by everyone, is just in a bad situation. And Nick`s friend - it`s just terrible. It`s really terrible.
HAMMER: Sad and tragic all the way around. Got to wrap it there. Ashleigh Banfield and Michael Yo, thanks so much. Remember, for the latest breaking Britney news and latest the video, only one place you need to check out. The Britney Drama section right there on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Well, I think by now, we pretty much know everything there is to know about Britney Spears. What other secrets could she possibly have? Well, tonight, we are blowing the lid off other stars` shocking secrets. Tori Spelling, Valerie Bertinelli. They`re out with explosive tell-all books.
Tori and Valerie revealing their startling stories about cheating. Valerie even admitting to using drugs. All stuff I could never have imagined. But is it TMI, just too much information? Do we really need to hear about this? Maybe it`s just a desperate attempt for these stars to stay famous. A revealing showbiz special report coming up.
HAMMER: Well, talk about your shocking tell-alls. Do you ever watch the show, "Moment of Truth"? People revealing the most intimate secrets, things about their personal lives? One guy just admitted to sleeping with one of his friends` wife.
This show has caused controversy before, but I`ve got to tell you , I think it`s just gone way too far now. Who knows? Maybe it`s all a setup. But I`ve got the outrage over "Moment of Truth" coming up next. And then of course, there are the Hollywood cheaters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YO: They say Eric Benet was addicted to sex. You have one of the best looking women in the world. Have sex with her. How do you ever cheat on Halle Berry?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Amen to that. Why is it that some men cheat on the hottest women in Hollywood? They`ve got the gorgeous successful talented women with them, but they still stray. That is something I have yet to understand. We`ll be getting in to that, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, which is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, another reality show shocker. Imagine this if you will. A guy gets asked on national TV, "Hey, dude. Did you ever have sex with your one of your friend`s wives, sitting there, watching this go down." The dude`s wife. Just to be dudely clear about it all.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, founder of 15 Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman. Also investigative journalist, Pat Lalama.
Pat, Howard, I`ve said it here before on this program. I`ve got a real problem with this show, the "Moment of Truth." That`s where this question was asked and in the show we constantly see contestants being asked painfully personal questions while a lie detector is basically determining if they`re telling the truth or not. Let`s watch what happened in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK L. WAHLBERG, HOST: Have you ever had sex with any of your friends` wives?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CONTESTANT: Yes.
WAHLBERG: That answer is true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: you guys going to be OK? It kind of makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over, doesn`t it? Pat Lalama, this is the second time in the past couple of weeks, one these outrageous confessions was made on the show, "Moment of Truth." Isn`t it just plain wrong for a TV show to basically help ruin someone`s life. Or do they get what they deserve for being so stupid and going on the show?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, let me pass along what I like to call my Lalamalian philosophy about what`s going on here. OK. Imagine the network people. Those people are pimps, OK? Now, pimps operate on supply and demand.
The supply, of course, are all these ridiculously moronic, immoral human beings willing to tell these stories, and of course, the demand is the audience because the ratings are so high.
There you have it. People can turn it off. I happen to think the people who put this up on TV are slime. But people don`t have to watch it. That would be their argument, I guess.
HAMMER: Well, Howard Bragman, let me toss it over to you and let`s see if the Lalamalian theory lines up with the Bragmanian theory.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, how can I disagree with Pat on this one? I`ve learned a long time in PR. I`ve had contests for $100 for people having to moo like a cow. I`ve done just about anything you can imagine.
People will do anything for fame in this society. And if you had fame and a few thousand dollars - people are morons. God bless these morons. And, as Pat said, if you don`t like it, turn the channel. It is a beautiful thing. Would I be proud to work there? Probably not but -
HAMMER: Not so much. No, I wouldn`t think so, Howard. You know, a little below your moral upstanding character as I`ve come know you just a little.
BRAGMAN: Just a little.
HAMMER: Just a bit. Of course, it does really fuel the fire on "The View" where they love talking about this stuff. They`re all fired up about it this morning, the idea of people exposing themselves like this just to make the money. Watch what they said this morning on "The View."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Why are the networks paying for that?
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Because you are watching it. It is your favorite -
BEHAR: I also watch what you watch, OK? I don`t just watch crap on television. I watch this show, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Back to your supply and demand theory there, Pat Lalama, hits the nail on the head, doesn`t it?
LALAMA: It absolutely does. You know, there was recently a study conducted by the BBC that showed that especially on the part of younger people these days their wishes for - in life, have to do with number one, being fame. And number two, being money.
Fame, fame, fame. Everybody wants 15 minutes and they are willing to sign pacts with the devil to get that 15 minutes and to reveal these hideous things. Who are these people? They disgust me.
HAMMER: Well in this case, the devil I guess would be the network which goes to the other side of this. And Howard, what do you think about this? I mean, obviously, a lot of TV shows go to the lowest common denominator. But does Fox bear any responsibility of seriously damaging people`s lives here?
BRAGMAN: Honestly, they don`t. If you go on the show, you know what you`re getting into. You sign a release. You can watch the show. You have to own it, baby. You choose to go on there and you can win $10,000 but you lose your marriage. Not a very good bet for me. You know, I`d stay in the relationship if it`s working.
LALAMA: But Howard?
HAMMER: You know, Pat, I`ve got to end it with Howard there because I`m out of time.
LALAMA: OK>
HAMMER: But I loved all of your theories tonight. I`d like to tell people to just turn it off, but that`s like telling them to not look at a car crash when they drive by.
LALAMA: Right.
BRAGMAN: Exactly.
HAMMER: Pat Lalama, Howard Bragman, I thank you.
LALAMA: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Did you see this? Talk about a dream come true. I`ve got to say I`m a little jealous. Billy Crystal got to play with the New York Yankees. So cool. He signed a big, one-day contract. I mean a real live game at spring training on Thursday.
And here`s how he did. He led of as the designated hitter right at the beginning of the game, bottom of the first inning. He called himself the designated Hebrew. He`s got the counts at three and two. Not so bad. He even tapped off a foul ball.
Eventually though, Billy struck out. But not too bad for a guy who`s just one day short of his 60th birthday. His buddy, Robin Williams, even showed up to cheer him on. Now, Billy has been a lifelong Yankee fan and was actually a star second baseman in high school. He could have played in college if he didn`t go in to show business. Nice going. Happy birthday, Billy.
HAMMER: Well, it`s never been a secret that Billy Crystal, of course, is a big Yankees fan. Tonight, Tori Spelling is revealing one of her deep, dark secrets - that she cheated on her husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TORI SPELLING, ACTRESS: That was the hardest thing for both of us is that there were children involved. There were two other people innocently involved. Still, at the end of the day, people were going to be hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off the biggest star tell-all books. Explosive stories about cheating, drug use. But talk about TMI. I mean is this too much information and desperate attempt to stay famous? A revealing showbiz special report.
HAMMER: And speaking of cheating, why is it that men cheat on some of the hottest women in Hollywood? I mean they have these gorgeous, successful talented women by their sides but they still stray. I don`t get it. We`ll investigate that. These dogs. Coming up.
HAMMER: Oh, and we`ll stay on the cheating thing. Why not? Would you believe there`s a startling connection between the prostitute at the center of Eliot Spitzer scandal and Paris Hilton? Yes, I said Paris. You`ve got to stick around to find out what that connection is. It`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Here are some more stories that are new right now. It sure was a thriller, but now it looks like Michael Jackson has in fact saved his Neverland Ranch. His lawyer says he has worked out an agreement with an investment group. Neverland was scheduled to be auctioned off on March 19th because Michael owed more than $24 million on it.
All right. So will Aretha Franklin lose her Detroit mansion? Well, the "Detroit Free Press" says, Aretha owes about $20,000 in back taxes. She`s blaming a lawyer, though and claims his mistake cost her $700,000. Her house is slipping to foreclosure, over just $400 in taxes and late fees. Aretha says she will R-E-S-P-E-C-T the judgment and pay up by the end of the month.
HAMMER: And Harry Potter is splitting himself into two. No, it`s not a magic spell, but Warner Brothers is splitting the last Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows," into two movies. One is going to be out in November 2010; the other in May 2011. I think, nothing really wrong with milking a hit franchise, right?
Well, you are going to have to wait a little while for secrets from those Harry Potter movies. But tonight, you`ve definitely come to the right place to hear some of the juiciest, shocking star secrets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): You were together for 20 years and the infidelity happened pretty early on in the marriage.
VALERIE BERTINELLI, ACTRESS: You know, I was surprised actually. I didn`t remember it that way until I went back over my journals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You have to go back for that stuff? I`ve got to tell you, I couldn`t believe Valerie Bertinelli`s cheating, drug use. Tori Spelling`s cheating. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off the biggest star tell-all books. But talk about TMI. I mean, is this too much information or even perhaps a desperate attempt to stay famous? A revealing showbiz special report, coming up.
And speaking of cheating, why is it that men cheat on some of the hottest women in Hollywood? Here they have these gorgeous, successful, talented women, but they still stray. I got to tell you, I gust don`t get it. That`s coming up.
And listen to this. There`s a strange but startling connection between the Eliot Spitzer prostitute mess and Paris Hilton. You`ve got to hear this coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, stay on top of the latest, most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, outrageous star secrets from drugs to sex to cheating.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPELLING: That was the hardest thing for both of us is that there were children involved. There were two other people, innocently involved. Still at the end of the day, people were going to get hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Tori tells all with nothing off limits, even the two marriages she broke up by hooking up with her new husband. And she is not the only star spilling dirty, little secrets about their lives. But why do they do it? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the most outrageous star secrets ever.
Hollywood`s cheating hearts. I wanted to know, why do men cheat on some of the most beautiful, most talented, most successful women on the planet? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates Hollywood cheaters.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, a showbiz special report, "Outrageous Star Secrets." What is the deal with more and more Hollywood stars now spilling their guts on pages of tell-all books. It seems that it`s going on all the time, from cheating on their mates to drug abuse. Is this way too much information? It is the showbiz special report, "Outrageous Star Secrets."
Joining me once again tonight from Hollywood, investigative journalist Pat Lalama. Also in Hollywood tonight, host of "E!" satellite radio, Michael Yo. And in New York, founder of Spotlight Communications, Maggie Gallant.
Gang, let`s get right into it with Valerie Bertinelli. She was one of America`s sweethearts on "One Day at a Time," that big hit sitcom back in the `70s. And now, she`s telling these very personal stories in her new book. And I want you to listen to what she told me about cheating on her rock star hubby, Eddie Van Halen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): You were together for 20 years and the infidelity happened pretty early on in the marriage.
BERTINELLI: You know, I surprised, actually. I didn`t remember it that way until I went back over my journals. And it was only four years in to our marriage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I don`t quite understand the part where you have to go back into your journal to remember something like that, but OK. Pat Lalama, stars always tell me that they want to get the truth out there. They write these things so it`s all out there for you to see but your most intimate secrets? Come on.
LALAMA: Yes, yes. No. They want the stuff out there when there`s a pay back for them. I mean, let`s face it. I always liked Valerie Bertinelli and everyone did. She was like America`s sweetheart for a long, long time. But then, where did she go, right?
Well, now she`s got something to sell. Now, she`s trying to get back on to our radar screens. And so when there`s something to talk about when there`s money to be made, where fame can be regained, oh sure, now`s the time you want to bare all.
And I think - I mean, look, I`m all for people being honest about their lives and maybe us learning lessons from it. But I`m just a little dubious about the timing on this one.
HAMMER: Well, yes. And of course, it is always the most salacious stuff because that is what sells. Sex sells as we know, with the cheating. She talks about drug use. Everybody wants to know about the stars doing the drugs.
She admitted to doing cocaine. Even when she went to meet the priest, she had cocaine on her. She writes about that. Michael Yo, let me go to you. Why do they feel that they have to share secrets like this? You know, it seems like tell-all is a last gasp for fame or something.
YO: Oh, it is. Nobody really cares about them, that`s why they`re trying to be relevant again in pop culture. And the only way they can be relevant is to dish all their dirt.
It is sad but in today`s society, if you dish dirt on yourself, that`s the only way to bring your career back because before that, nobody really cares about you. You fell off the face of the earth.
LALAMA: That`s right.
YO: And rumors are is that she now is in talks with CBS to take a position as a talk show host just because she`s dishing all her dirt and she`s being relevant in pop culture. So it`s all about dishing the dirt and that`s how you become famous today.
HAMMER: It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction comes from Tori Spelling`s big tell-all. And Tori admits that, you know, she does these things for the money.
Of course, we remember her from playing the virgin on "90210." In real life, she admits, in her new book, she cheated on her first husband while she was married with a married man who had children, and then married him, if you followed along. Here`s exactly what Tori told me about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPELLING: That was the hardest thing for both of us is that there were children involved. There were two other people innocently involved. You know, whether they were happy marriages, whether they were meant to work out, it still at the end of the day people were going to get hurt. And that was the hardest thing about that whole situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Now, let`s keep in mind Tori`s break-up was very public when it happened. But for some reason, she felt it necessary to tell us all these details including the fact that they slept together the first time they met.
Maggie Gallant, over to you. I hate to admit it but do we like stars more when they share their outrageous secrets with us?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: I don`t think we like stars more when they`re telling us about marriages they have broken up. Let`s be honest. I think that`s when it becomes TMI, too much information for all of us.
It depends when telling story how sympathetic a character you are going to be. And unfortunately, Tori not so sympathetic. But one more thing I wanted to add. There is one other way to become famous in our culture. Remember actually doing an amazing job in a film and actually having a great role. Remember those?
HAMMER: Oh, Maggie, stop it. Cut it out. I don`t want to hear any of this garbage.
LALAMA: Amen.
HAMMER: Maggie, I`m sorry. I`ve got to cut you out. That just doesn`t fly. Nobody does that anymore. What do you think, Pat Lalama, though, about the TMI factor here? I mean, really, is there a limit to this? Do we like stars more because they`re telling us that they slept with their guy that they were cheating with on the first date?
LALAMA: Well, before I answer that, did I hear you say that Tori Spelling admits she does it for the money? Tori Spelling needs money? Well, let`s get back to your question. Let me put it this way.
I was at the hair salon and my stylist is telling me about how some big, big, big mega investment guy banker-type mogul guy was sitting in the chair reading "Star" magazine and saying, "This is my little guilty pleasure.
So yes, there`s an appetite for it. I don`t care what anybody says; people want to hear the dirt. They know it sells. And isn`t it interesting that Tori Spelling and Valerie Bertinelli are both in those diet. You know, what is it? The ads for losing weight and now purging the stink from their souls, I guess, as well.
HAMMER: All right.
YO: I love that Tori Spelling is actually going out there and putting her business out there, because if I lost out on $500 million, I would be writing a book every month to get paid. I mean that`s my take on that. Good for Tori. She needs to do that. So I got her back on that one. I like it.
HAMMER: Well, let`s look at the flip side of this, gang. Jodie Foster is talking about the downside of people wanting to know every single detail of a star`s life. She does this in the upcoming issue of "Parade" magazine. I want to read a quote form this.
She says, quote, "I don`t think there`s any good thing about fame. In this business, in order to care for yourself and the people you love, you have to separate your professional from your personal life.
Not anything that she wants to put out there like the other people. Pat, seems to me - or Maggie, let me go to you on this, based on how she feels about celebrity privacy, these tell-alls are really a bad move.
GALLANT: Well, she`s the kind of celebrity I was just talking about. She is somebody who`s famous because she`s had amazing acting roles and she`s really wowed us through her professionalism. But she, very much like Tori and Valerie - what they all have in common is that they were all in the spotlight at a very early age. So this is nothing new to them.
But she is somebody who, very early in her career, she never flirted with the paparazzi. She made it very clear that exactly her professional life is very separate from her personal life. And she`s never going to let people in.
HAMMER: Man, I have a lot of respect for that attitude. And now, of course, sometimes the stars have to tell all because they`re forced to tell all. You know, we have this whole deal with Lisa Marie Presley when several tabloids were reporting about her weight gain. In reality, she was pregnant. She wasn`t ready to tell the world that she was pregnant.
She was furious about this. So was Lisa Marie`s mother who comes to her daughter`s defense in an interview with "Access Hollywood." She says, quote, "I think it`s cruel what`s happening today with celebrities and parasites out there trying to take you down and bring you down."
Pat Lalama is one of the benefits putting it all out there, sharing your outrageous secrets, that you`re getting the garbage out before anybody can dig it up?
LALAMA: Yes. Sort of like a pre-emptive strike. And I give it to - My hat goes off to Lisa Marie because what kind of a society have we become where you`re standing at the Ralph`s checkout line - that`s a grocery store in Los Angeles. And you see the cover stories about, oh, does she have an eating disorder? Is she going to die like her father? That is so cruel, and so tormenting. And I say hats off to Lisa for giving it back to the sick people, the vultures. I love this stuff.
HAMMER: I agree, and I could tell you one thing. The outrageous star secrets, they will just keep on coming.
Pat Lalama, Michael Yo, Maggie Gallant, thanks for being here tonight, gang.
LALAMA: Thank you.
HAMMER: I want you to know that you can now watch video reports from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you`d like. You`ll find them on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Stars Writing Tell-All:" - but what do you think? "Are they just desperate for fame?"
Continue to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us your thoughts at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
Well, for my money, nothing puts the all in tell-all like a good old cheating scandal. But, you know, some of them, they`re down right bewildering.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YO: They say Eric Benet was addicted to sex. You have one of the best looking women in the world. Have sex with her. How do you ever cheat on Halle Berry?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I never really could figure that one out. So I got to ask - why do men cheat on some of the most beautiful, talented, successful women in Hollywood? Why, oh why? Well, we went looking for answers. You`ll hear what we found out, next.
Speaking of cheaters, everybody`s still talking about Eliot Spitzer`s prostitution scandal. The 22-year-old hooker at the heart of it, they`re talking about her, too. And now, I can reveal the shocking connection between that hooker and Paris Hilton. Yes, I said Paris. That is still to come.
One of my favorite young stars, Hayden Panettiere. Hayden says she thinks that people are just waiting for her to become one of those big time, messed up party girls. So how does she really feel all of this?
Plus, she has some really wise beyond her years things to say about her own body image. You won`t want to miss Hayden, in her own words, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELIOT SPITZER (D), GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK: I am deeply sorry that I did live up to what was expected of me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, of course, apologizing for the sex scandal that forced him to resign.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, showbiz investigates Hollywood cheaters. Everybody`s wondering what was going through Eliot Spitzer`s mind when he cheated on his wife with a prostitute.
Hard to believe someone would actually do that, but it does happen. And, of course, it happens in Hollywood all the time. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, why do men cheat on some of the most beautiful women in the world? Here now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBIN GIVENS, ACTRESS: You know, I`m sick and tired of men using love like it`s some disease you just catch. Love should have brought your ass home last night.
ANDERSON (voice over): When it comes to cheating, it`s not just in movies like "Boomerang." It`s an ongoing mystery in Hollywood, men who cheat on their near perfect women. Halle Berry. Sienna Miller. Elizabeth Hurley. Even legendary cover girl Christie Brinkley. All stunningly gorgeous. All incredibly successful. But they have one unenviable thing in common - they have all been cheated on. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, why do men cheat on the topnotch ladies of Hollywood?
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: There are several reasons why a guy would cheat on those gorgeous, famous and rich Hollywood stars. It could be due to his low ego. Could be due to a mid life crisis. Could be he`s got a sex addiction. Or it could be that he splits women and has what we call a Madonna-Prostitute syndrome. Not Madonna the rock star but Madonna the Virgin Mary.
YO: Stars cheat on their beautiful Hollywood women. Well, it`s simple - it`s because they can.
JAY LENO, TALK SHOW HOST: What the hell were you thinking?
ANDERSON: It`s a moment we`ll never forget. A humiliated Hugh Grant on "The Tonight Show" getting grilled after cheating on girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley.
HUGH GRANT, ACTOR: I think you know in life pretty much what`s a good to do and what`s a bad thing. And I did a bad thing. There you have it.
ANDERSON: Yes, a really bad thing. In 1995, Hugh and Elizabeth were the toast of the town until he was caught doing a little hanky panky with prostitute Divine Brown.
YO: Hugh Grant, we need to talk. Seriously. You have one of the best looking women in the world. You did have Elizabeth Hurley. But then, you go and cheat with a prostitute? And not only is the prostitute not attractive, she looks like a crackhead. Seriously.
KURIANSKY: When a guy has sex with a prostitute and he`s got a hot woman at home, usually he`s got what`s called the Madonna-Prostitute syndrome. He has to have wild, erotic sex with a prostitute and he keeps the gorgeous woman at home as pure and separate from his erotic fantasies.
So it`s likely that Hugh Grant has some sexual fantasies and acts that he didn`t want to ask Elizabeth Hurley to act out with him as if the woman who he`s really with would say, "What? I wouldn`t do that."
ANDERSON: Well, from one very bad decision to a broken fairytale. Halle Berry was already a Golden Globe winner in 2001 when she married R & B singer Eric Benet. It was all but a dream realized until Eric cheated on Halle and couldn`t stop.
YO: They say Eric Benet was addicted to sex. You have one of the best looking women in the world. Have sex with her. How do you ever cheat on Halle Berry?
KURIANSKY: Halle Berry could stand on her head. She could be the sexiest woman alive, which she is. It doesn`t matter. If a guy like Eric Benet has what we call a sex addiction, he just can`t keep his pants on.
ANDERSON: If sex addiction was Eric Benet`s excuse for cheating on Halle, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, what was Jude Law`s excuse for cheating on Sienna Miller?
SIENNA MILLER, ACTRESS: What is your name?
JUDE LAW, ACTOR: Alfie.
ANDERSON: Jude met the beautiful and talented Sienna Miller on the set of a movie "Alfie," a movie where Jude played, of all things, a womanizer.
MILLER: Don`t worry. I`m already gone.
ANDERSON: Sienna was definitely gone after Jude admitted to cheating on her with his children`s 26-year-old nanny.
YO: Let`s think about this, Jude Law. Your girl, Sienna Miller, who was in every magazine, looking sexy, looking beautiful. Has a great career. Has a lot of money and you throw it all away for a nanny?
KURIANSKY: Some guys are really threatened by a woman who is equal to them. They want to go for something that`s easy. What could be easier than a nanny who adores you?
ANDERSON: What was easy for Jude Law was also easy for Christie Brinkley`s husband, Peter Cook. In 2006, Mr. Brinkley admitted to cheating on legendary cover girl Christie Brinkley with a then-17-year-old girl.
YO: I`m just thinking about Peter Cook`s pickup line to the little girl. It was like, "Hey little girl. Want some candy?" I mean, ugh.
KURIANSKY: He`s the Mr. Christie Brinkley. It insults his ego. His narcissism is truly hurt and as a result, he looks elsewhere.
ANDERSON: Eric, Jude, Hugh and Peter have all publicly said they`re sorry. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know if these ladies of Hollywood can`t keep their men at home, do the rest of us even stand a chance?
KURIANSKY: They can`t be more beautiful, or richer, or more famous in order to tame that man and make him only want her. It is not her problem.
YO: To the ladies of Hollywood, if you don`t want your hot, Hollywood men cheating on you, it`s very simple. Don`t let them go outside.
ANDERSON: Well, in Hollywood, that seems easier said than done.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, I have to say luckily the women moved on but not without bearing scars. In fact, after divorcing Eric Benet, Halle Berry stated publicly even though she doesn`t hold any negativity towards Eric, she will never, ever get married again.
Well, Hayden Panettiere says she is not going to become one of those Hollywood party girls, but she does occasionally drink. Yes, Hayden`s only 18 years old. And in an interview with "Cosmopolitan" magazine, she was pretty coy about whether she`s dating her 30-year-old co-star Milo Ventimiglia, but she did talk about the partying.
Hayden said, quote, "I think that people look at me as just another one of those girls who`s going to screw up, like `She`s going to get into drugs, and she`s going to get into the parties.` I have the occasional glass of champagne when I`m celebrating something, but generally, I don`t drink. I`m a pizza and movie girl."
Now, Hayden also said she does not have a model`s body but doesn`t think she is fat. She said she can rock the body she has. Those are her words. Not mine.
For more with Hayden Panettiere, grab a copy of "Cosmo." It`s on newsstands this week.
You`re not going to want to miss this. The shocking connection between the high-priced hooker right there at the heart of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal and Paris Hilton. Yes. That`s coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But first, here`s a look at what`s new at the movies, brought to you by Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. Opening Friday, Jim Carey and Steve Carell get animated in the Dr. Seuss classic, "Horton Hears a Who." Also Friday, Naomi Watson and Tim Roth star in the crime thriller "Funny Games." And finally, Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson star in the family drama "Sleepwalking," in theaters, Friday. That`s what`s new at the movies brought to you by Pillsbury Crescent Rolls. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, the shocking connection between Eliot Spitzer`s high-priced hooker and Paris Hilton. Now, on "The View," the co-hosts got talking about the 22-year-old New Jersey girl who`s right there at the heart of the Spitzer prostitution scandal. And this led to quite an interesting debate about how this young woman compares to Paris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: I feel sorry for this girl. I do. Sort of. But I don`t feel sorry for Paris Hilton.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Why? Why? I`m just -
(CROSS TALK)
ELIZABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I tell you why.
BEHAR: Tell me why I`m a bad person now.
HASSELBECK: Paris Hilton has been in the lap of luxury and you think this girl obviously has -
BEHAR: More than the lap of luxury.
WALTERS: I don`t think there`s a comparison to be made.
GOLDBERG: Why not?
WALTERS: Because there isn`t. One girl is a girl who is earning her living hooking and Paris Hilton is a girl who goes to parties and too many things and finally paid some responsible price. And I don`t think that they`re in the same category.
BEHAR: Well, but she did a sex tape and that got out.
GOLDBERG: Yes, but that`s different thing. That`s a different thing.
BEHAR: Maybe I`m mad at the society that rewards somebody who has a sex tape.
HASSELBECK: Is that illegal, though?
BEHAR: No, no. Legality. We`re not talking legality.
HASSELBECK: You just push that aside, the legality.
BEHAR: Let`s not pretend this is about legality, Elizabeth. This is morality and you know it.
HASSELBECK: Wait a minute. It is about both equally. I mean if you want to talk Eliot Spitzer, he could be facing -
BEHAR: Well, yes. That`s why he`s really in trouble.
GOLDBERG: Not because he had sex but because transported the sex across state lines.
HASSELBECK: And potentially covered the wiring of money.
GOLDBERG: I don`t know about the wire, but I know they`re pretty angry at him for the Mann Act. That`s where they`re grabbing them on.
(CROSS TALK)
WALTERS: Kind of hard to commute like that. That`s really over the top.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: By the way, Spitzer`s hooker also an aspiring singer, something that she has in common with Paris. The aspiring singer part, that is.
Well, on Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Hollywood Sex Scandals: Is it harder for powerful people to stay faithful?" Almost split - 56 percent of you said yes; 44 percent of you said no.
A lot of E-mail came in on this one. From Megan in Florida who writes, "No, they are human, just like everyone else. The problem is it is easier for them to get caught!"
I also got one from Steven in Indiana. Steven writes, "I think that power is just an excuse. Either you do the right thing or the wrong thing." Well, put Steven.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And remember you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the elevens: 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next.
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