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Showbiz Tonight

Verdict in the John Ritter Trial; Paris Search for a New BFF; Celebrity Sex Tapes; Tyra Versus Oprah

Aired March 14, 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: A verdict in the John Ritter trial. Did the jury find two doctors negligent in his death? And did Eliot Spitzer`s reported hooker just get a ticket on the express train to Fame Town? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paris` pathetic attempt to find a new best friend. Tonight, Paris Hilton has a brand new reality TV show, so she can find a new BFF. And people are actually competing for this. Are you kidding me? Can this woman not make friends on her own? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the ridiculous revelations about how Paris is pleading for friends.

Tonight, stars` sex tapes. Paris made one. See what happened there. We got to thinking. Stars making sex tapes; does it help or hurt them? The eye-opening naked truth as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates celebrity sex tapes.

And Tyra versus Oprah. Is a big smack down coming? Can Tyra knock Queen Oprah of her throne? A surprising showbiz special report.

(MUSIC)

Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And tonight, it is all about cashing in, including how the alleged hooker in the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal may get filthy rich for her night or nights of infamy. Just one of the stories that has me saying, are you kidding me? That`s coming up.

But first, Paris` pathetic search for a new best friend. I don`t know about you. My best friends, people that I have come to know over a period of time. But no, not Paris Hilton. Tonight, we got the almost unbelievable new that Paris is going to try to find a new best friend by having them compete on a new reality TV show, which really adds a whole new meaning to the word "shallow," or maybe I should say, "desperate."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice over): Just when you thought Paris had reached a new reality TV low - like pretending a yogi had helped her find her inner self, a search that would obviously take centuries - well now, Paris has an outrageous new sizzling gig. To find a new best friend.

PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: That`s hot.

JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": It was only a matter of time. Paris is constantly on the search for a new best friend. Why not capitalize it and why not put it on television?

HAMMER: Yes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal by the grace of a great yogi and MTV, Paris Hilton is getting her own reality show so she can find herself a new best friend forever. A BFF for the ages.

PIAZZA: Twenty girls are going to be put in a house together, all competing to be Paris Hilton`s new best friend. And the winner is going to get to accompany her to these A-list events, hang out with her, probably carry her handbag and walk her dog.

HAMMER: And get a load of this - a Web site has even been set up where people are sending pictures and videos applying to become Paris` BFF.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have David Bowie on my chest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m a teacher - how to be a mature -

HAMMER: Paris, what were you thinking? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is getting the bottom of this scatterbrained idea. So let`s talk some turkey about a real turkey of an idea. A reality show so that Paris can find a new best friend?

PIAZZA: Goes through best friends faster than she goes through puppies. It`s so pathetic.

JULIA ALLISON, "STAR MAGAZINE": Nothing like meeting the old fashioned way. You know? Through a reality show.

HAMMER: Yes. Whatever happened to the good old fashioned route like making friends, you know, the way Paris made friends with Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan?

PIAZZA: When you`ve exhausted every other young woman in Hollywood, you have no choice but to go to reality television.

HAMMER: Yes, we get that. But friendship is like a pledge, a promise. And she couldn`t keep any of her promises that she pledged to Larry King after her stint in jail as a result of her DUI arrest.

PIAZZA: Paris told Larry King that she was turning her life around. She was going to do good things for the community. She was getting in touch with God.

HAMMER: Right. Paris didn`t exactly get in touch with God but there was this yogi. And, yes, that was another joke. This time, on the poor paparazzi who followed Paris` every move and are the reason Paris is famous in the first place.

Those poor guys were fooled in to believing Paris found some meaning in her life by picking the brain of a spiritual leader. It turned out the joke was on them and he was just an actor in a scene with Paris for another reality show. Get the running theme here?

ALLISON: I do think Paris, of all people, gets that Paris is famous because she is quintessentially Paris. She is a caricature and she`s OK with being a caricature.

HAMMER: Well, that`s good news because if she seriously thinks she`s going to find her new best friend from a reality show -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know the way things need to be done.

HAMMER: Then the joke might finally be on good old Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Yes, OK. So for anyone thinking of becoming Paris Hilton`s new best friend forever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to give you big head`s up based on her best friends of the past. Because - how shall I say this delicately? Paris changes best friends as often as some people change their undergarments, if they`re wearing undergarments.

With us tonight in Hollywood, investigative journalist, Pat Lalama. Also joining us from Hollywood tonight, Ken Baker, the executive news editor of "E!."

Ken, Pat, I think we need to start off with when Paris became friends with Britney Spears. That was in late 2006. These guys were seen everywhere together, including during Britney`s now panty-less partying days. Pat Lalama, I imagine you must have a Lalamanian theory about this. Maybe whoever becomes Paris` new best friend should expect that when the two of you go out, you`d better leave the panties at home.

PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Well, I think, A.J., it`s flavor of the month because she`s not about deep, long-lasting friendships. Let`s look at some of the people she`s associated herself with. Let`s see. Brandon Davis, Rick Salomon - these are some real upstanding human beings. The fake guru.

I`m going to go with what Tina Fey said from "Saturday Night Live" that she was one of the meanest, cruelest, stupidest people that the cast had ever worked with. All she would do is come in Tina Fey`s office and say, "Let`s do a skit about Jessica Simpson because I hate Jessica Simpson and she is fat." OK, this is the kind of person that we`re talking about. The fact that she`s getting another TV show makes me want to puke right here on your show.

HAMMER: Well, Ken Baker, it sounds like, you know, a potential BFF for Paris should be paying attention to Tina Fey.

BAKER: Yes, well, the Lalamian -

LALAMA: Lalamanian.

BAKER: OK. Whatever the theory is - Yes, you may be right, Pat. But I have to say that when I first heard that she was doing this reality show, we have a show here at "E!" called "Pop Fiction." And of course, Paris was on the last week and she basically put one over on the paparazzi, pretending that she had a shaman with her, this guru guy.

And I thought this was a joke. I thought this could not be real. But I knew it`s real this morning when she was talking on the Ryan Seacrest`s radio show. And she said this morning - she said that she was making everyone sign confidentiality agreements.

Now, I don`t know about you, but whenever I want to make a best friend, they always have to sign a confidentiality agreement.

LALAMA: Of course.

BAKER: I need that trust level there, you know. It gets the relationship off to a really good start. But you know what? Paris Hilton definitely does go through a lot of friends. But you know what? She loves that, because she always has to be changing her friends and her circle just like she changes her appearance. And if you believe this show is real, then you know what?

LALAMA: Exactly.

BAKER: You will believe anything.

LALAMA: Exactly.

HAMMER: Well, you know, but then don`t call it best friend forever if you`re going to let me off and not any longer going to be - You know, if she`s going to change all the time - I mean, really.

Let`s look at more of Paris` best friend history. Of course, you have Paris and Lindsay Lohan. In fact, there was that time when Paris, Lindsay and Britney were all getting together. And one newspaper called them my favorite title, "The Three Bimbos of the Apocalypse."

Anyway, after Paris was caught on tape with the posse making derogatory remarks about parts of Lindsay`s anatomy, well, that pretty much ended it for Paris and Lindsay.

So Pat, is the here that if you become Paris` best friend forever, be prepared to go to the emergency room, you might find a knife in your back?

LALAMA: Well, very possibly. But you see, this is what this is all about, A.J. This is about what a potential freak show this could be. Because I think it`s less about Paris and more about showing - spotlighting these poor, pathetic people across the country who so desperately are seeking their 15 minutes of fame for doing nothing.

And I think what the producers are probably thinking is that it`s going to be fun to sit back and watch these pathetic people, you know, on their knees appealing for her blessing. And it`s shocking to me and if it makes money, I`ll be really devastated.

HAMMER: You think that has anything to do with it? The idea of watching pathetic people applying for this job? Now, we have to keep in mind that at one time, Paris had - You know, we all knew perhaps no better best friend in the world than Nicole Richie, her co-star, and of course, best friend on "The Simple Life," that reality show.

But then, things got so bad between these guys, one season of "The Simple Life." You all remember this. It had to be shot without the two of them together. Now, Ken, they have since made up, which we`re all very happy about. But what lessons should Paris` potential new BFF learn from Paris` falling out from Nicole, do you think?

BAKER: Obviously, Paris is someone with a very warm, generous heart who is willing to forgive, OK? Particularly if it means that she gets another season of her reality show on the air if she makes up with her best friend.

Well, honestly, the thing about Paris is that it`s all about Paris. And if she can find a best friend who`s willing to be an accessory for her and ideally fit in one of those little dog purses, then that would be perfect friend for Paris.

HAMMER: Well, I`ve got to tell you guys, and I was shocked when I did this, but I went on Paris` MySpace page today. Listen to this - 173,713 friends right there, Pat. Obviously, they have learned no lessons from Britney, Lindsay and Nicole.

LALAMA: I`m telling you that those kids need to go to therapy right now. Find their parents. Call up the parents. Get them out of danger instantly because their lives will be doomed.

HAMMER: Doomed indeed. Ken Baker, Pat Lalama and your Lalamanian theory. I thank you very much. Now, Paris had no problem making friends with her ex, Rick Salomon. If I remember correctly, they even put some of it on film.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: I think that tape 20, 30, 40 years ago would have clearly ended somebody`s career. And instead, it made her one of the biggest stars in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Paris` sex tape really did put her on the map. So you know, I got to thinking about this. Are sex tapes bad for a career or actually really help? We have got the naked truth you won`t want to miss when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates celebrity sex tapes. All that, still ahead.

Plus, in this corner, Tyra Banks. In that corner, Oprah Winfrey. Is there a big smack down brewing in the battle of the talk show royalty? I`ve got to know, can Tyra knock Queen Oprah off her throne? We`re asking, is Tyra the new Oprah? That is coming up in the showbiz special report.

Also, there`s a verdict in, in the very emotional John Ritter trial. Did the jury find two doctors negligent in his death? We`ve got that stunning verdict still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Well now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all. All you have to do is download our podcast which is absolutely free. You`ll find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on the website at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or download it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in 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. And if there`s one thing all of America is talking about right now, it`s sex scandals. Yes, one sex scandal may have brought down a governor, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is letting you in on a little showbiz secret. Sex scandals can actually help. And let me tell you how. They can actually help a nobody become a somebody.

Paris Hilton, anyone? Now she`s not the only celebrity to get caught with their pants down on tape, sort to speak. Famous, infamous - it`s all the same. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICK SALOMON, PARIS HILTON`S EX-BOYFRIEND: You look gorgeous.

HAMMER (voice over): This is the tape that not only put Paris Hilton on the map, but catapulted her from socialite to superstar.

HILTON: Eww.

HAMMER: This tape with then-boyfriend Rick Salomon will probably as the biggest movie of her career.

BRAGMAN: I think that the sex tape catapulted her in a way no one could have ever imagined. I think that tape 20, 30, 40 years ago would have clearly ended somebody`s career. And instead, it made her one of the biggest stars in the world.

HAMMER: Paris and her billionaire family originally tried to stop the footage from being released, but then, later agreed to take a cut off the sales.

DAVID CAPLAN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Paris decided to share the profits with Rick Salomon basically because the video couldn`t be stopped. And she really had the mentality that if these videos may be out of me at my most discreet moments, I`d better get a cut in it. And that`s the simple answer.

BRAGMAN: In this day and age, you can`t stop something from getting out. You can`t put it back in once it`s out on the Internet.

HAMMER: Nobody knows that better than "Bay Watch" beauty, Pam Anderson, and then husband Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee. Their 1998 honeymoon footage took the Web by storm and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, it remains one of the most downloaded celebrity videos ever.

PAM ANDERSON, ACTRESS: I love you.

TOMMY LEE, MOTLEY CRUE DRUMMER: I love you so much.

HAMMER: Even though the couple wanted to suppress the tape, it only upped their celebrity ante. The truth is, times have changed, and so have attitudes. Actor Rob Lowe`s career came to a screeching halt after videotape emerged showing him having sex with two young women back in 1988. One of the girls turned out to be only 16 years old.

CAPLAN: Rob Lowe`s career took a nosedive. He had problems getting projects. Plus, he went to rehab for sex addiction and alcohol.

BRAGMAN: When the Rob Lowe tape came out, we weren`t as, quote, unquote, "liberated" as we are now. And I think really did hurt his career. He really had to do some resurrection to get beyond that point in his career. And to his credit, he did a really good job of that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I come in or no?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

HAMMER: Flash forward to today. This 45-minute tape SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained, shot on a tour bus in 1999, gives us a glimpse into the private lives of rock stars and groupies. You probably recognize Kid Rock. The other guy is Scott Stapp, the former front man of the Christian rock group, Creed. Kid Rock told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the video was Stapp`s idea.

KID ROCK, ROCK STAR: He came to the room with his camera and I`m standing there. And these girls were with me and he`s kind of getting his camera going, "Dude, what`s with the camera?" Or something, and he`s, "Oh, no. No, it`s just (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I`m like, whatever. Whatever. I don`t know. I might not have been exactly sober at the time.

HAMMER (on camera): I understand. I understand. It`s rock and roll.

ROCK: It`s rock and roll, man. I`m not making any excuse. I was there. I was involved. I had a lot of fun. Do I want to put the tape on? No, I don`t really want the tape come out. If it comes out, do I care? No, I really don`t care.

HAMMER: Just give them a piece of action.

ROCK: You know what? I would say impeccable timing, though, with my record coming out.

HAMMER: Right. Hey, amen.

ROCK: It`s going to come out, perfect timing.

HAMMER (voice over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that not every sex tape is a guaranteed money maker. Just look at the bedroom bombs starring former figure skater Tonya Harding and her now-ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, the same guy that conspired to club Nancy Kerrigan.

JEFF GILLOOLY, EX-HUSBAND OF TONYA HARDING: Nice.

HAMMER: Ala Pam and Tommy, the couple filmed themselves on their honeymoon. But unlike Pam and Tommy, they then leaked the footage to the Internet and packaged its sale.

CAPLAN: Why? Because this girl was hungry for publicity. She was desperate. And when a celebrity is desperate for attention, what do they do? Mysteriously, a sex tape lands on the Internet.

BRAGMAN: Tonya Harding didn`t have the goods in terms of being a sexpot in somebody that we all wanted to see, number one. And number two, we didn`t feel like it was kind of quote, unquote, "leaked." We felt like it was something very contrived, very controlled. People have a really good antenna for that. If they think they`re seeing something they`re not supposed to see, that`s exciting. If they`re seeing something that was created and produced with them in mind, not so exciting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is bath time.

HAMMER: Justin Diamond is still mum about whether he had anything to do with this sex tape`s release. The former "Saved By the Bell" star, still known as Screech more than a decade after the TV show went off the air, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he was livid when he found out footage with him and two women had made its way online.

JUSTIN DIAMOND, ACTOR: I`m going to see to it that you shut down. I`m not like other celebrities. I`m going to fight this tooth and nail.

HAMMER: Well, the fighting didn`t last long. Heavily in debt and with a flagging career, Screech ended up authorizing the sale of the tape a few months later.

BRAGMAN: I read recently in an interview by a male and he said, "Well the only reason we videotape sex is if you want somebody to see it. And or if you wanted to get out on the Internet." And I think there`s some truth to that. Celebrities with brains do not let video cameras roll while they`re having sex.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, Hollywood bad boy, Collin Ferrell, also found himself in the center of a steamy sex tape scandal. He ended up suing his ex-girlfriend, a Playboy playmate, when she tried to release some of their footage. And the two ended up settling out of court. The tape, however, is settling on disk drives everywhere.

HAMMER: Well, I`ve got to tell you, there is so much about Paris Hilton that makes me say, are you kidding me? But this one takes the cake. She`s actually begging for friends online and on a reality TV show. That is right. Paris needs a best friend. But she has to have a TV show to find one? Are you kidding me?

And then we have Miss Kristen(ph) reported hooker for client number nine himself, Eliot Spitzer. But only in this world of MySpace and instant fame could I possibly say this, this whole big scandal could actually make this woman a star. Yes, I`m talking magazines, a record deal, a book. It`s all out there. Are you kidding me? That is coming up next.

Also ahead, could Tyra Banks be the new Oprah? I`ve got to say it looks like she has the whole connecting with the audience thing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TYRA BANKS, TV TALK SHOW HOST: It`s my responsibility to show myself un- retouched, to come out on my talk show with my face washed, to show my cellulite, to show the back fat on my the bra.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right. Frankly, I`m not sure that anyone could actually take the crown from Oprah, but it sure looks like Tyra is giving it her best shot. But will there, in fact, be a big smack down? A Tyra Book Club, maybe? I`m asking, is Tyra the new Oprah? That is just ahead in a surprise showbiz special report.

But first, I`d like to hear from you on this very subject. Here`s what we`re asking for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Tyra Banks: Is she the next Oprah?" Let me know what you think at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail me at showbiztonight@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Here`s some more story that are new right now. There is a verdict in the John Ritter trial. A California jury has cleared two doctors of negligence in the death of Ritter. Their vote was nine to three. Ritter`s family had sued the doctors for $67 million.

Some star baby news. Minnie Driver is pregnant. Now this is her first child. She says that she loves being pregnant but she doesn`t know why they call it morning sickness because she is sick morning, noon and night. Driver has not revealed who the father is.

If Diddy has anything to say about it, we may soon be seeing less celebrity DUIs. That`s right. Diddy is working to launch a car service for A-listers who are too drunk to drive. His rep tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that since he`s partnered with a vodka company, he wants to make sure everyone is partying responsibly.

Well, I sure hope Paris Hilton will use that service. You know what they say, friends don`t let friends drive drunk. Maybe that`s the problem, Paris needs a friend.

I just can`t believe she is using a reality show to try to find one. Seriously, can`t this woman make friends on her own? Are you kidding me?

Well, maybe Eliot Spitzer`s hooker would make a good friend for Paris. Think about this now. They have a lot in common. They`re aspiring singers. They don`t mind getting naked. I could be on to something here.

But here`s another story that made me say, are you kidding me? So called Kristen(ph) may actually be on the fast track to fame. That`s right. We may soon be hearing and seeing a lot more from her. That is coming up next.

Also this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLISON SAMUELS, "NEWSWEEK": Tyra`s very much like Oprah in the sense that Oprah likes to have control over every aspect of her business, of her TV show, of anything that she`s doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Is Tyra Banks the new Oprah? I`m not sure anyone could actually take the crown from Oprah. But it sure looks likes like Tyra is giving it her best shot. Will there be a smack down? That is just ahead in a surprising showbiz special report.

But first, you need to know that you can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. If you want to get this thing every single day, and I know you do, head on over to our Web site, which is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. If you click on the "sign up for newsletter" link right there at the bottom of the page, you`ll find it in your inbox, comfortably resting every single day. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming straight back.

(NEWS BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paris Hilton is looking for a new best friend. And tonight, my friends, it could be you. That`s right. Paris has a new TV show where people actually compete to be her friend. How pathetic is this? Are you kidding me? Plus, is a battle brewing between Tyra and Oprah?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BANKS: It`s my responsibility to show myself un-retouched, to come out of my talk show with my face washed. To show my cellulite. To show my back fat on my bra.

HAMMER: I think that sounds kind of like a page right out of the Oprah play book. So is there a Tyra-Oprah smack down coming? I`ve got to tell you, I don`t want to be in that room if it happens. It`s a surprising showbiz special report.

(MUSIC)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. Tonight, two outrageous stories that just had me saying - are you kidding me?

Now that new mom Nicole Richie is just too busy doing diaper duty, we have just learned that Paris Hilton will be looking for a new best friend many in a brand new MTV reality show called "My New BFF." Are you kidding me?

And it is unbelievable how the 22-year-old call girl in the middle of the sex scandal that brought down New York Governor Spitzer and seen on MySpace is now getting ready to cash in big time. Hey, can you blame her? Are you kidding me?

And our fired up coast to coast panel cannot wait to get their hands on these ridiculous stories. Joining me tonight here in New York, entertainment columnist for the "Village Voice," Michael Musto. In Hollywood tonight, Howard Bragman, the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations and the author of the upcoming new book, "Where`s My 15 Minutes?" And with us once again, investigative journalist, Pat Lalama.

All right. Guys, let`s do this thing, and I`m little sickened by this first story. It really made me say, are you kidding me? Paris Hilton, doing a reality show. Men and women will be competing to be her new best friend forever. Now, hopeful contestants are already posting their audition videos on something called "ParisBFF.com" and you`ve got to take a look at these.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am definitely the best candidate to be Paris` friend because I`m fabulous. I am fierce and Paris is going to love me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I would be an awesome best friend to you because I love fashion. I love to party. I love to have fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that I would be one of Paris` bestest friends she`s ever had because I have David Bowie at tattooed on my chest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Right there. Pat Lalama, you know, Paris kind of has this rep for stabbing friends in the back. Is there nobody left in Hollywood who`s willing to hang with Paris Hilton? Now, she has to stoop to find a best friend forever on a TV show?

LALAMA: A.J., that`s it for me. I`m taking the family and we`re going to go hang out with Buddhist monks. I can`t take it anymore. You know, when she showed up with the fake guru the other day, and when it turned out that he wasn`t a guru. He was, in fact, you know, some wannabe actor, I thought this girl is so pathetically in need of the attention being brought to her. Because she hasn`t, in my mind, been in the spotlight that much lately.

I thought, hah hah, she`s not getting the attention anymore. And then I realized they`re making yet another TV show with this woman. She has no true soul mates. This woman isn`t about really bonding with human beings. This is just another way for some television network to get rich and to keep her worthless, mundane persona on camera. Could I be any angrier? I don`t know. Ask Howard; maybe he can tell you.

HAMMER: Actually, I want to know if Michael Musto is just waiting for this thing to show up on the air. Is this right up your alley, Michael?

MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNIST, "VILLAGE VOICE": Well, first of all, I`ll pick the contestant who said, "bestest." He sounds like he has a grasp of the English language that Paris would like.

Now, look, Paris can`t make a good friend. She`s too wrapped up in the Bible and her charity trips.

HAMMER: True. True.

MUSTO: Kidding. She can`t make a good friend because she doesn`t strike me as a kind of person who often says stuff like, so how are you? Let`s talk about you. Still, I think it is a very good gig for whoever gets it, because you get gift bags, you get photo-ops. And when she goes to jail, you get her mansion for a week.

HAMMER: Yes. And certainly, it will last forever, gang. I mean, really. Now, to be fair, because I said she`s been a back stabber in the past. But she insists she is the one who has those knife wounds from being stabbed in the back. And I want you to listen. No, no, really listen to what she says as she said this on Ryan Seacrest`s radio show this morning. Roll that, Charles.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

HILTON: Well, in the past couple of years I`ve been hurt by some girls. A lot of people think it`s me and I want to find someone I could really trust and someone that`s going to be a real friend.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: Give me a break. Howard Bragman, let me go to you here. Paris is really into this. Do you think that she genuinely believes that the people competing to be on the show are actually going to be the kind of authentic, genuine souls that she`s looking for in a BFF?

BRAGMAN: Tragically, I think she does. I think her life is that pathetic. And I think, Pat used an interesting word. Soul mate. Don`t you need a soul to have a soul mate? That`s what I want to wonder here. I think that her life is so messed up that this may work for her. Let`s be real. Where is she going to meet somebody, the Mensa meeting? I mean, come on.

LALAMA: Oh, Howard.

HAMMER: Yes. Well, Pat, you know, you were saying earlier, you`re angry. I know you`re really just masking the fact that you`re going to be applying for this show. So rather than have you go on to their website, I want you to look right into the camera, Pat. And I want you to tell Paris Hilton why you should be her best friend forever. Let`s see her application.

LALAMA: OK. Paris, I think I should be your best friend because I could save money by not having to buy underwear anymore. And you can help me market a new line of mid-life sex tapes and Howard could be my publicist.

HAMMER: Well, I think they can stop the search right there. "BFF with Paris Hilton." Pat Lalama, ladies and gentlemen.

Let`s move on to the next story that had me saying - are you kidding me? You know, may pay to be the alleged hooker for governor caught with his pants down. Get this. Ashley Dupree, the call girl who New York Governor Eliot Spitzer allegedly spent lots of cash to get it on with, now making tons of money off this, or at least stands to. Seven million hits to her MySpace page already.

People are buying her music. Her song is playing on the radio. "Penthouse," "Hustler" magazines - they`re offering more cash for her booty. Michael Musto, over to you. Do you think hookers everywhere should take note?

MUSTO: Absolutely. This girl is brilliant. She`s a prostitute. She knows how to sell herself. She is already on her second single, OK? And there will be a inevitable book called "Mayflower Deflowering." There will be the TV movie called, "Love Potion Number 9," with Ashley Olsen as the other Ashley, the hooker with a heart of gold bullion. And there will be a game show called, "So You Want to Be a $4,300 Hooker?" She`s got a bright future. Take note, everyone - Heidi Fleiss, Divine Brown.

HAMMER: Oh, yes. The career is ascending. Pat Lalama, what do you think? I mean, really, anything wrong with cashing in? It`s good old American capitalism. And I was thinking about this, at least she`s going legit in this case.

LALAMA: Well, let me just add one more potential reality show, "My Life With The Pole." I don`t mean the stripper pole; I mean "pole" being the politicians. I mean, let`s bring down the poles. So you know that`s going to happen eventually.

Look, here`s the thing. I`m really sorry she is a prostitute. I mean, what are we teaching our daughters with this? I`m sorry, but that`s her choice. I`m really sorry she thinks she is a singer. Have you heard her song? It`s a - hey, do you want me? Can you handle me? Thin, overproduced, you know, no talent pieces of crap that so many people are making records with now.

But what really makes me upset is that someone says that she deserves a record career because she is a prostitute. I`m going to go with the head of Capitol Records who said today, "I would never give her record deal because the song is awful." She is not talented and because she`s helped destroy so many marriages. I`m going with him. He is my hero.

HAMMER: All right. Well, Pat Lalama, that`s exactly why we call this segment - and please stand by with our animation one more time - are you kidding me? With the sound effect included. Pat Lalama, Howard Bragman and Michael Musto, I thank you all, my friends. My best friends forever, all of you, really.

Remember, now you can find SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video reports online 24/7 where we always post new ones. You can check them out on the website, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

All right. So we`ve now heard Paris Hilton looking for a new BFF. I will tell you this. I don`t know how friendly Tyra Banks and Oprah Winfrey will be much longer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMUELS: Tyra is like Oprah in the sense of Oprah likes to have control over every aspect of her business. Of her TV show. Of anything that she is doing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes, that`s what they say. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That`s what they say. Maybe it is. But I`ve got to think there might be a nasty TV talk show smack down brewing. Is Tyra trying to knock Queen Oprah off her throne? A fired up revealing special report you won`t want to miss. Coming up.

And how does Tori Spelling make her second marriage work? You`ve got to stick around to find out. But I`m going to give you a little tease, something that you`ll definitely want to stick around for. One of her secrets has to do with her feet. That`s on the way.

.

And I am psyched for this amazing feat. There`s a brand new "Incredible Hulk" movie coming out now. I know they tried this before. Kind of bombed. This one looks a whole lot better. You`re not going to want to miss your first look, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, a showbiz special report, Tyra versus Oprah. Now, taking on Oprah Winfrey, a lot of people would say, "If you do that, you`re out of your mind,"

But one brave soul, Tyra Banks, seems to be doing just that. She`s building a media empire to rival Oprah`s. So I`ve got to ask, is an Oprah- Tyra smack down just around the corner?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BANKS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

HAMMER (voice over): Watching former supermodel Tyra Banks whipping the audience into a frenzy on her hit daytime talk show, "The Tyra Banks Show." The scene seems vaguely familiar. Remember this?

WINFREY: Everybody gets a car!

HAMMER: OK. So Oprah gives away cars and Tyra gives away Vaseline. But you have to admit, the parallels between Oprah and Tyra are heir apparent.

BANKS: Hi. I didn`t want to interrupt you.

HAMMER: It took ten years but Tyra Banks has transformed herself from top model to top mogul. Whether it`s her hit reality show, her production company or her Oprah-esque daytime talk show, Tyra is definitely making her mark. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, is Tyra the new Oprah?

TIM STACK, "ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY": Comparisons between Tyra and Oprah inevitable. They both believe in philanthropy. They`re huge philanthropists and also very, you know, involved in issues with young women. And then they also both have very public battles with their weight.

SAMUELS: Oprah likes to have control over every aspect of her business. Tyra supposedly is the very same way.

HAMMER: Tyra Banks tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she loves her some Oprah.

BANKS: I think she probably sees herself as a vessel to communicate beautiful things and to change - I think there`s no ego. It`s not about fulfilling herself. And I think that`s what makes her so special.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Tyra`s transition plan to go from model to mogul wasn`t easy, but it certainly helped that it started with Oprah herself.

STACK: Tyra got her start as a youth correspondent on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" in the late `90s and like early 2000.

SAMUELS: I think that that was something Oprah had in her mind that maybe Tyra would be able to sort of do her own show.

HAMMER: Tyra has certainly come a long way since those days. But is she ready to oust Oprah from her media mogul throne? Well, according to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s O-ccomplishment chart, Tyra has made impressive strides.

BANKS: Take them off. Take them off.

HAMMER: Oh, yes. That would be O-ccomplishment number one, get your own talk show. Oprah`s got the "Oprah Winfrey Show" going on its 22nd year. But the Tyra Banks show has got something Oprah might want - a fast- growing, much younger audience.

STACK: It is not, you know, a blockbuster by any name but it reaches a very, you know, targeted demo of women 18 to 34 which is what advertisers love because those are the women who are out shopping.

HAMMER: Two different audiences but Tyra and Oprah share one common quality that make them both successful at daytime talk.

BANKS: Well, it`s my responsibility to show myself un-retouched, to come out of my talk show with my face washed, to show my cellulite and the back fat on my bra.

HAMMER: When SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sat down with Tyra, it was clear she completed accomplishment number two, be relatable.

SAMUELS: Oprah certainly has made that very clear in her struggles with weight. And I think Tyra, who, as I said, told me that`s one reason she wanted to get out of the modeling business because she did not want to worry constantly about her weight.

HAMMER: But like Oprah, Tyra became the target of tabloid scrutiny when the former "Sports Illustrated" cover girl was caught by the paparazzi looking heavier than ever in a swim suit.

STACK: And she went on her talk show and appeared in the same swim suit, and basically gave this whole long speech about how offensive it is that, you know, the media`s so mean towards women that have, you know, fuller figures.

BANKS: I have one thing to say to you. Kiss my fat ass!

STACK: She was, you know, teary-eyed and very real. And I think that really kind of solidified her as Tyra the girlfriend, the one that we want to like have coffee with.

HAMMER: A girlfriend whose blossoming empire wouldn`t be complete without O-ccomplishment number three - create your own production company. That way, you own the show.

STACK: They both have their own production companies. Tyra has Bankable, Oprah has Harpo. They both now have reality series. Tyra obviously created and stars in "America`s Next Top Model." And now, Oprah has "Oprah`s Big Give" on ABC.

BANKS: And you`re running towards becoming America`s next top model.

HAMMER: That`s Tyra`s longest running gig yet. "America`s Next Top Model brings us to Tyra`s fourth big O-ccomplishment - use that production company to create a popular reality show. And when it comes to reality, Tyra may have a fashionable edge over her mentor.

STACK: She, you know, created "Top Model" which is hugely successful. And, you know, it is in like over 100 countries and, you know, it is all over the world. And, you know, franchise and it`s the CW`s most popular show at the moment.

HAMMER: So in the end, Tyra charted really well on our O-ccomplishment chart. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, is Tyra Banks the new Oprah?

SAMUELS: I hate to compare her to Oprah exactly because I think Oprah`s world and Oprah`s sort of, you know, the way that she became famous is so vastly different from Tyra`s that I can`t say that I think that she`s exactly like Oprah. But I do think she has the opportunity.

STACK: I mean Oprah, you know, is a phenomenon and icon. You know, I don`t know - I don`t know if we`ll see someone that can kind of reach everyone the same way that Oprah did.

HAMMER: The moment of truth is almost here, Tyra. So no need to be jealous of Oprah, right?

MARK L. WAHLBERG, HOST, "MOMENT OF TRUTH": Tyra, are you jealous of Oprah Winfrey?

BANKS: My answer is, no. I`m not jealous of Oprah Winfrey.

WAHLBERG: Of course not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That answer is false.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, I can tell you that just after Tyra admitted that she was jealous of Oprah, she said she`s mainly jealous of Oprah`s money. Hey, who isn`t?

Remember, now you can find SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video reports online 24/7. We`re always posting new ones. You want to check them out on our website at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I really want you to sound off on this - "Tyra Banks: Is she the next Oprah?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.

It`s time now for "Making It Work." This is where we get the biggest stars to reveal the secrets to making their relationships work, which, you know, in Hollywood not an easy thing to do.

Tonight, former "Beverly Hills 90210" star Tori Spelling. Now, I know the way that Tori hooked up with her second husband Dean McDermott - to say it`s controversial probably an understatement.

She met Dean while filming a movie. They were both married and cheated on their spouses with each other. So definitely not the best way to do things. But Tori tells me she did learn something from her last marriage and this one going really well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (on camera): You and your husband, Dean, coming up on two years of marriage.

SPELLING: Yes.

HAMMER: You`re going to have two kids in the household.

SPELLING: Yes.

HAMMER: Pretty exciting. What for you guys is the key to making it work despite the pressures that you face?

SPELLING: For us, personally, what makes it work is we do everything together. You know, I know every relationship is different. Some people need their alone time. We kind of do everything. I mean, I go to sporting events with him. He goes to get pedicures with me.

He`s my best friend. I tell him everything. He tells me everything. We have a very open line of communication and that is so important. And, my whole life I never had communication with my family, with ex-boyfriends, husband. I just - it was really important with Dean that I worked on that and kind of shared everything with him.

HAMMER: You guys made a commitment to -

SPELLING: Yes.

HAMMER: Having it all out there on the table.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Hey, you`ve got to do it. As I said, Tori is expecting her second child. I only wish her the best with that. And you can also check out her revealing new book. This is it - "sTori Telling." It`s out right now.

All right. Well, here`s a guy who has got some story to tell. I`m talking about "The Incredible Hulk." He`s big. He`s green. Man, does he have a temper. This was definitely one of my favorite comic book heroes growing up.

Now they`re taking another shot at the movie. Ed Norton and Liv Tyler are in it this time around. Your first look at "The Incredible Hulk," coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And I want to let you in on a little secret about me. Don`t get me angry. You won`t let like me when I`m angry. I might turn all green and muscley(ph). Well, I won`t but "The Incredible Hulk," he will. The big green guy is back for a brand new movie. Now, the last one - it kind of tanked. But by the look of it, this one with Ed Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt - this will not leave you feeling green. Here`s your showbiz first look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EDWARD NORTON, ACTOR: I`ve got a problem. There are aspects of my personality that I can`t control.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: See a shrink.

NORTON: It`s little bit more complicated than that.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Bruce, trust me when I tell you I`ve heard them all.

NORTON: Not this one.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We have never seen anything even close to your levels of exposure. But you survived an event like that. It`s beyond my comprehension.

NORTON: I don`t want to control it. I want to get rid of it.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: As far as I`m concerned, that man`s whole body is property of the U.S. Army.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: They want it as a weapon. If we let it go, we will never get it back.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What was that?

NORTON: There`s only one thing that can fight that is in me. Maybe if I can control it, I can use it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: That looks incredible. "The Incredible Hulk" opens on June 13th. And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. 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," coming up next.

END