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Showbiz Tonight
Dr. Phil Bailing Out An Alleged Criminal; Britney Spears` Driving Mishap; Does America Really Want More of Heather Mills?; Madonna on Cookies and Sex; Alicia Keyes Startling Theory on Gangsta Rap
Aired April 14, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: The shocking way cookies - yes, I`m talking chocolate chips, peanut butter - are having a dramatic effect on Madonna`s sex life.
And a disturbing new allegation. Did the paparazzi really give Heath Ledger cocaine so they could film him using it? I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
Startling new Dr. Phil fury. First Britney, now this. Tonight, outrage over Phil`s show bailing out of jail the alleged ring leader of the brutal videotaped beating of a teenager. What the heck were they thinking? Tonight, the fury over Phil as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT blows the lid off talk show secrets.
Say what? Tonight Alicia Keyes` jaw-dropping claim that gangsta rap was created as a plot to get black people to kill each other. Say what?
And Donald Trump insisting that America wants more of Heather Mills. More of Mills? Say what?
Plus, another Britney Spears car accident. Can this crash really be blamed on her makeup?
(MUSIC)
Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. A.J. is off. And yep, you heard that right. Britney Spears in another car accident. But was she really to blame? And when you see Britney driving your way, should you get out of the way as quickly as possible? The new big Britney drama is straight ahead.
But first, if you thought the Britney-Dr. Phil psych ward controversy was bad, wait until you hear this. There is a big and brand new double dose of Phil outrage tonight, and this one is really unbelievable. The "Dr. Phil Show" bailing out of jail a teenager who allegedly organized the videotaped beating of another teen. The Dr. Phil reasoning? So the teen could be on the show. Let me tell you this. Tonight someone is getting yelled at big-time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): It`s a dangerous, potentially career-killing affliction. TV talk show hosts who insert themselves into high-profile cases only to have it blow up in their faces. It`s TV talk show hosts who can`t stop embarrassing themselves and the people who love them.
Dr. Phil might need treatment from a TV shrink after his latest mess. Months after he humiliated himself with an awkward attempt to help Britney Spears, the talk show host is taking heat for inserting himself into another troubling matter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
ANDERSON: The case of the Florida teens who allegedly videotaped themselves viciously beating up a 16-year-old schoolmate.
MIKE FLEEMAN, "PEOPLE.COM": This beating is not just horrific. The video has become viral. It`s taken over the Internet.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you one of the eight teens charged in the attack has been bailed out of jail by staff members of the "Dr. Phil Show."
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: Say nothing.
ANDERSON: Check out the madhouse as the teen is accompanied out of the Florida jail by this young man and a gaggle of local TV reporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: They have exclusivity. Say nothing.
ANDERSON: The young man, who reportedly is a staff member for the "Dr. Phil Show," tells the teen not to answer questions, presumably so that Dr. Phil can get first crack at her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: We have exclusivity. We have signed forms.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: No, you don`t. There`s no such thing as exclusivity in this case.
ANDERSON: Once the girl leaves, things get testy as the angry reporters turn their attention to the tight-lipped employee.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Did Dr. Phil pay (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: But that`s not a no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: That`s not a no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE STAFF MEMBER OF DR. PHIL: It`s not a yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Do you think Dr. Phil`s show crossed an ethical bound? Do you think that`s ethical, to be paying for people to go on TV with you guys?
ANDERSON: The Dr. Phil bailout led to days of embarrassing headlines. Now the "Dr. Phil Show" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it`s canceling the episode it planned to devote to the videotaped beating because, quote, "In this case, certain staff members went beyond our guidelines."
FLEEMAN: It seems interesting that somebody could go to Florida, post bail, and have nobody from the show know about it.
ANDERSON: It hasn`t been Dr. Phil`s year. Back in January, he took heat for visiting Britney Spears in the hospital during one of her psychiatric episodes and then publicly confirming his visit. The fallout forced him to scrap plans for a show devoted to Britney`s problem. Even worse, he had to acknowledge his goof on his own show.
DR. PHIL MCGRAW, PSYCHOLOGIST: If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn`t say a word.
ANDERSON: And now some say Dr. Phil`s Britney blunder and the bailout blunder have dealt twin blows to his reputation.
FLEEMAN: In both of these cases it raises questions about his own ethics and his own motivation. Is he really concerned about people, or is he just trying to get ratings?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: But with another ratings ploy gone bad and another public backlash, I would have to imagine this is not a good day to be Dr. Phil.
Joining me tonight from New York is Lisa Bloom, host of "In Session," and from Miami Steve Santagati of "AskSteveSantagati.com."
Lisa, Steve, welcome. And you know, like so many others, I could not believe it when I heard it - springing an alleged teenage criminal from jail so that she could appear on your television show. Lisa, is this just plain wrong?
LISA BLOOM, HOST, "IN SESSION": It absolutely is. It`s completely counter to Dr. Phil`s image, too. He`s the tough on crime, tough on bad kids kind of guy, and here he is helping out a young woman who`s been accused of assault, kidnapping, has been charged as an adult. She`s the ring leader of this thing that supposedly caused vision loss and hearing loss to this victim. This is just all wrong to be helping someone like this.
Steve, what do you think? The folks at the "Dr. Phil Show", should they be ashamed of themselves?
STEVE SANTAGATI, "ASKSTEVESANTAGATI.COM": Yes. Because even if their intentions were, quote unquote, "good" to try to help this girl you`re not going to do it on a half hour television program. OK? I think that their primary concern was getting ratings, which I don`t fault them for, but I think this is something that`s going over the line.
Because what they did is irresponsible. They released a criminal out into society. Who knows if she`s going to escape? Who knows what her psychological background is? Maybe she`s going to go attack somebody else. It was irresponsible.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, there is one report out there that this whole thing, bailing her out, was engineered in part by lower-level employees.
SANTAGATI: See, that`s ...
ANDERSON: In a statement issued to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a spokesman for the "Dr. Phil Show" said, quote, "These staff members have been spoken to and our policies reiterated." Lisa Bloom ...
BLOOM: Ooh. Ooh.
SANTAGATI: Lisa. Lisa, you ...
BLOOM: They`ve been spoken to! Policies have been reiterated! What more can you ask then? Come on.
ANDERSON: I know. Slaps on the wrist, right? You`ve been in television a long time, Lisa.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
ANDERSON: You know, this whole thing would have to have been approved by higher-ups.
BLOOM: Well, and let me say this ...
ANDERSON: I could not imagine that the lower level employees could do it on their own.
BLOOM: That`s right. Supposedly, this was a PA, a production assistant. Those folks make minimum wage or even less. OK? These are very low-level, entry-level employees.
You can see from the video the guy is quite young. I`m sure he doesn`t have $3,300 of his own in cash or collateral for $33,000, which was the bail amount. It had to start higher up, management level.
SANTAGATI: But Lisa, you guys - but Brooke, we all work in television here. Did that kid seem flustered at all? No. He seemed very seasoned. He was like no comment -
BLOOMED: Seasoned? Well, he was told what he`s supposed to do, "Don`t let her talk. We have the exclusive." Get her into the car.
SANTAGATI: Lisa, if you were that young and that new at television, you would not have handled that situation that easily. I guarantee it.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: And Everybody else on the scene, Steve. I think he was comfortable.
BLOOM: He`s a big guy. His job is, "You get the girl from the jail into the car, don`t let her talk to anyone." It doesn`t take, you know, a lot of seasoning to do that.
ANDERSON: Yes, it was pretty simple, Steve. It was. And you know ...
SANTAGATI: No, let me tell you. You guys, we`re going to argue about this, but let`s stick to the point here. The bottom line is he was a big guy. He was good to block the camera with. That`s for starters.
And the other - and the other thing is if - when I was a PA and when I was just starting in television, I think I had to answer to the janitor. I had to answer - I was at the lowest whole part of the food chain. So come on, guys.
BLOOM: Yes, but you didn`t have $33,000 to fool around with. How did this guy get that kind of money?
SANTAGATI: Not unless I stole it.
BLOOM: So you had to get it from a higher-up.
ANDERSON: Oh, yes.
SANTAGATI: Absolutely.
BLOOM: OK. That`s what I`m saying.
ANDERSON: Times have definitely changed since we were all production assistants (UNINTELLIGIBLE). And you know, as we reported, this is not the first time that Dr. Phil has been surrounded by controversy and criticized. Back in January, he had egg on his face after publicly talking about his visit to Britney Spears in the psych ward.
Steve, for somebody who does sell himself as a kind of moral authority, it seems he or employees of his show are crossing a lot of lines here.
SANTAGATI: Yes, exactly. When you`re up that high on a pedestal, you`ve got to be really careful you don`t knock the legs out of it. The thing is, you know, a lot of these major celebrities, when they are the face of a talk show, sometimes things go on underneath them that they`re not aware of.
I`m not sure if that`s the case here. So don`t shoot me. But I think that maybe this could have happened where he didn`t even know until his producers said, "Oh, by the way, guess who`s going to be on your show?" You know what I mean? We`re going to go after this exclusive.
Either way, no matter what, guys, it`s wrong. America, we have to stop it. And we have to make a big stink about this when we see it. So I think what we`re doing right now is a really good thing.
ANDERSON: And well, Lisa, you know, so much of what Dr. Phil does hinges on his viewers, his fans having trust in him.
SANTAGATI: Right.
ANDERSON: Do you think that his credibility could be in serious danger now?
BLOOM: Well, I think we need to know who exactly made this call. It is an enormous operation, Dr. Phil`s show. And so it`s very likely there`s somebody short of Dr. Phil. But that person needs to be told more than what the policy is over again and spoken to.
You know, we need to know exactly what`s going on. It is a cutthroat world booking for talk shows, for the morning shows, for the daytime talk shows. They go all out, but still, they have to adhere to certain ethical standards. They clearly crossed them in this case.
ANDERSON: Steve, ten seconds. Do you think it could hurt his credibility? Go ahead.
SANTAGATI: Yes, it hurt his credibility definitely. And exclusivity is an outdated word. Forget it. We get it an hour later on the Internet or whatever. Who cares?
ANDERSON: Great point. Lisa Bloom, Steve Santagati. Thank you both. Good to see you.
And remember, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. We are always posting new things there for you to watch. That`s at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Well, almost everybody I know wants Heather Mills to take her $50 million divorce settlement from Paul McCartney and just go away. Oh no, but not Donald Trump. He thinks we want more Heather. But I`ve got to say, say what?
And how about this? Alicia Keyes` jaw-dropping claim that gangsta rap was created to get black people to kill each other. Say what? Our fired- up panel is ready to tear into these outrageous stories.
And you know what else I think is outrageous? Britney Spears` driving skills. She just got into another startling car accident. And you won`t believe this. Can this one really be blamed on her makeup?
Madonna is blaming a dramatic change in her sex life on cookies. Yes, as in chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin. I know Madonna is no stranger to controversy. But what in the world is she talking about? That is straight ahead.
But first, it`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Now Paul McCartney`s ex, Heather Mills, was a judge at the Miss USA pageant this weekend. She actually got booed, though. So, "Heather Mills: Do you want to see more of her on television?" Vote, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an e-mail that`s at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
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ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, big Britney Spears drama. First, oops, she did it again. Another Britney Spears car accident. And it got us wondering, should Britney be allowed behind the wheel?
And about-face. Neil Patrick Harris is now completely backpedaling on the outrageous remarks he made about Britney`s appearance on his show, "How I Met Your Mother."
Joining me in Hollywood tonight, Carlos Diaz, correspondent for the TV show "Extra" and Christina Gibson, columnist for "E! Online."
Carlos, Christina, Britney`s accident, as we know, happened Saturday night on an L.A. freeway. It was a minor accident. She rear-ended another car in traffic, and then that car bumped into another car. Fortunately, nobody was hurt.
But Carlos, between previously driving with her kid in her lap, smashing into another car, getting caught driving without a valid license, is it time for California to pass a law to keep Britney off the road?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I think it`s way about time. And the fact is, there shouldn`t be any celebrity driving right now because if you`re a celebrity and you`re making big-time money, you can afford a driver. You get in the carpool lane, it`s all good.
The thing that amazes me about Britney is, as you said, she has a laundry list of things that have gone wrong on the road. Why doesn`t her dad, who`s been a great influence in her life, say, "Listen, Britney, I`m sorry, but your bodyguard`s in the car with you. We`re going to add one more person, it`s called a driver. And then you can text and put makeup on and do whatever you want while you`re in that car."
ANDERSON: And avoid the frightening thing that is the L.A. freeway out there. You don`t have to do it, Britney. But you know, something positive did come out of this, I have to tell you, that TMZ is reporting. She took a sobriety test and passed it with flying colors. So Christina, what do you think? That maybe we shouldn`t be too harsh on Britney despite her previous driving mishaps?
CHRISTINA GIBSON, COLUMNIST, "E! ONLINE": I don`t think we should be too harsh on Britney. I mean, look at Lindsay Lohan. If we`re going to take anybody off the road, it should be Lindsay. She has had far more serious car accidents with injuries.
Nobody`s been injured in Britney`s car accidents. And she was sober. She didn`t hurt anybody. I do think she should use a driver, though, until this all calms down. Just get a driver and make it easy, that way you can text or do whatever else you want to do when you`re on the road. But car accidents are common in L.A. They happen all the time.
ANDERSON: Yes. Unfortunately, that`s true. And speaking of the distractions while on the road, one eyewitness reportedly saw Britney in her car applying makeup well before the crash. And as we know, in the past, Britney has been photographed text-messaging or on the phone while driving. You know, we all have done it, basically being distracted behind the wheel.
Carlos, when she`s in the car, though, does she just need to put everything else aside and concentrate on driving or, like you say, get that driver 24/7?
DIAZ: How would you like to be the "CSI" member of that team there? How do you know Britney was putting on makeup? It could be the lipstick that went from here to here after the wreck. I don`t know.
The thing is, though, with Britney - hold on, now. It`s not only that she was putting on makeup, but now there`s new video where after the wreck, she climbs over the driver`s seat into the passenger seat. Maybe making a little switcheroo with the bodyguard that was in the car. So she did a few things wrong right after the wreck there.
ANDERSON: Yes, she certainly ...
GIBSON: But then, she didn`t try to say that she wasn`t driving. So she apparently changed her mind. If she was thinking about doing that, she decided to do the right thing and own up to it. So we`ve got to give her credit for that.
ANDERSON: Did the right thing in the end. Good for her.
Well, you know, there are other big Britney stories to tell you about tonight. As we reported, Neil Patrick Harris is now backing off his criticism of his show hiring Britney Spears to guest-star. Initially, you may remember, he was opposed to stunt casting even though it dramatically increased the ratings. Now, he`s doing that old I`m clarifying my remarks thing and put out a statement telling "Entertainment Weekly," quote, "My job description is to act, and I should really do just that." Christina, what do you think happened? Do you think he got taken to the woodshed for his initial comments?
GIBSON: I think he`s regretting what he said a little bit now. But you know, he`s an actor. He`s been on this show for a long time. No actor wants to feel like they have to bring in big name celebrities and paparazzi and tabloid magnets to get ratings. They want to feel like, "I`m an actor, I show up, I do a good job, and people should watch it." You know, they`re all about the craft.
So of course actors don`t like stunts. But I do think he said Britney did a good job. They`d be happy to have her back, but he just doesn`t like that they have to bring this all these names. And it`s not the first time they`ve done this. It`s just the biggest star that they`ve had thus far.
ANDERSON: Well, Carlos, do you buy his claim that the Associated Press writer who initially interviewed him took his words and speculated an opinion about the intent? I mean, he couldn`t have said it any more clearly, that he`s against stunt casting. I don`t get it.
DIAZ: Yes, you know, that Neil Patrick Harris, he hates that stunt casting, doesn`t he? What happened with "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" when you played Neil Patrick Harris? Stunt casting? You`re the poster child for stunt casting. Come on, dude, get with it. You`re in the sequel that comes out in two weeks. You`re killing me!
GIBSON: He`s against stunt casting. He didn`t say he`s against Britney Spears. He said stunt casting. So you know, they have -
DIAZ: Yes, I mean ...
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: It was pretty obvious.
DIAZ: All you`ve done is stunt cast in movies. Come on. That`s very ...
ANDERSON: And I do have to say, you know, he did do a little backpedaling. He does know where his bread is buttered, and he did say he hopes she returns soon to reprise her role. We`ll have to see if that happens. Carlos Diaz, Christina Gibson, thank you both.
DIAZ: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And remember, for the latest breaking Britney Spears news and video, check out the Britney Drama section of our Web site. We`re always posting new video for you to watch at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
All right. So I`ve got to say, I`m so tired of hearing about and seeing Heather Mills. But Donald Trump just hired her to judge his Miss USA pageant. She even got booed. And he may not be done with her yet. The Donald thinks we want more Heather. More? Say what?
And listen to this. Alicia Keyes, who I think is an amazing performer, such ability, is shocking everybody with this startling allegation, that gangsta rap was created as a conspiracy to get black people to kill one another. Say what? These outrageous stories have got me and our panel all fired up. You want to stick around for that.
And I`ve got to say, say what about this too. Madonna, never afraid to speak her mind, especially about sex. But you`ve got to hear this though. Madonna is speaking out about her sex life like never before. She`s blaming a dramatic change in her sex life on cookies. Yes, I`m talking chocolate chips, macadamia. What in the world is she talking about? That is straight ahead.
Also, a startling new Marilyn Monroe sex tape. It`s graphic, it`s hardcore. There`s somebody else on it. But the world may never get to see it. Stick around for the details surrounding this explosive discovery, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson, and here are some more stories that are new right now. A late-breaking Richie Sambora shocker. "People" magazine reports that police have recommended to prosecutors that the Bon Jovi guitarist be charged with both DUI and child endangerment. Richie was arrested for driving under the influence in March. His girlfriend and 10-year-old daughter were in the car.
A disturbing Heath Ledger twist. A new lawsuit claims that two paparazzi from the Slash Photo Agency gave Ledger cocaine so they could secretly videotape him snorting it in a hotel room two years ago.
Now, the paparazzi didn`t tape Heath using any drugs, but there was a lot of outrage when "Entertainment Tonight" advertised the footage a few months back, but later backed down from airing it. Ledger died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January.
And listen to this - startling Marilyn Monroe story. Tonight, I can tell you that there`s a graphic sex tape showing Marilyn Monroe with an unidentified man. We`ve learned that the New York businessman who just bought the tape for $1.5 million won`t release it out of respect for Marilyn. Monroe died in 1962 from an overdose of prescription drugs.
Well, you know, Donald Trump always gets wrapped up in controversy. There was Miss USA, Rosie O`Donnell, his hair. Tonight, he thinks we want more Heather Mills. That`s right. The same Heather that so many people just want to go away. Hey, Donald, say what?
And then there`s Alicia Keyes, one of my favorite artists. Listen to this. Tonight, she says that gangsta rap was actually created as a government conspiracy to get black people to kill each other. Say what? These outrageous stories have got me and our panel all fired up. Stick around for that.
And you know, I don`t know what Dr. Phil or his staffers were thinking when his show bailed out the alleged ring leader of a brutal videotaped beating of a teenager. So much outrage over this. But is it really surprising that a talk show would do this? And will this hurt Phil`s pal, Oprah?
And also, I`ve got startling details about Madonna`s sex life. Why cookies, yes cookies, are having a dramatic effect on what goes on in her bedroom. That`s straight ahead.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, say what? Shocking statements from the stars. Alicia Keyes says gangsta rap was created to get African-Americans to kill each other. Say what?
And Donald Trump insists America wants to see more of Heather Mills. Tonight, the star chatter that made us say, "Say what?"
Fury over Dr. Phil. Employees from his show bail out one of the teenagers in the videotaped beating scandal. But should we really be surprised, and should Oprah Winfrey be concerned? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals secrets of the talk show world.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J. Hammer has the night off. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Tonight, the outrageous stories coming out of Hollywood that are making us say, "Say what?" Alicia Keyes has just made jaw-dropping claims that gangsta rap was created, listen to this, as a plot to get black people to kill one another. And she`s claiming the killings of rappers Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls was a government and media conspiracy. Say what?
And Donald Trump is insisting that America wants more of Heather Mills. More of Mills? This after she was booed at the Miss USA pageant she was helping judge. Donald Trump, say what?
We`ve got an amazing panel all fired up to talk some smack. Joining me in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, correspondent for "Extra." also in Hollywood, Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. And in New York Janelle Snowden, VH1 news and red carpet correspondent.
And guys, listen to this. In the brand new issue of "Blender" magazine Alicia Keyes is claiming "Gangsta rap was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. Gangsta rap didn`t exist." She said this as part of a discussion about her favorite rapper notorious B.I.G. Who was murdered in 1997. Janelle, say what? That`s all I can say here.
JANELLE SNOWDEN, VH1 NEWS AND RED CARPET CORRESPONDENT: Once again, I think that this is being blown way out of proportion because we don`t know the full context of the article. Of course that`s not going to be reported. What`s going to be extracted is just that one like seemingly outrageous comment.
Now, what`s shocking to me is not that Alicia said this but maybe just that it would be coming from somebody like her. I`ve heard these kinds of theories before, everything from the government put AIDS and drugs into minority communities.
I mean those kinds of theories have existed. It`s just that I think what`s shocking people the most is that Alicia, who`s normally a very carefully spoken artist would say something like this.
I mean this is the same Alicia Keyes that is the founder of the Keep the Child Alive Organization where she helps to save people in Africa who are suffering from AIDS. I mean this is the Alicia Keyes that was chosen by Oprah to be a young legend when she honored the legends versus the - you know, the legends in the making.
I mean this is a very smart woman. So I can`t imagine that she would make a comment like this without having what she feels is evidence to back it up. So I think before we jump down her neck, we need to hear her out.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, there`s no problem with anyone being outspoken about their beliefs. But as you say, this is out of character for Alicia Keyes. Howard, were you surprised by her comments, these conspiracy theories?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: You know, anytime a celebrity gets involved in conspiracy theories, it`s just a recipe for disaster, Brooke. And particularly somebody who is not someone we think of as political. I mean, as I always say, stick your toe in the political water before you stick your foot in your mouth.
And I would have maybe liked to hear, "Here`s who I support in the presidential race. Let`s get everybody to vote." Not conspiracy theories. They just don`t work, and they`re a mess to clean up, as I can tell you. I`ve cleaned a few conspiracy theories up for my clients. Not fun.
ANDERSON: So you`re saying test the waters a little bit before you just dive in.
BRAGMAN: Shallow. Shallow waters. Warm water.
ANDERSON: Well, you know -
SNOWDEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) almost make for great artists. That`s my - I mean seriously, when you think about some of the people whose work we admire the most, some of the people whose songs we`re still singing, we don`t admire them because they were safe, per se.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s a very good point.
BRAGMAN: Yes, but this is ...
ANDERSON: Go ahead, Howard. She certainly wasn`t safe.
BRAGMAN: But this is not - this isn`t a girl who`s consistently been political. You know, if Madonna said something, we might pay attention to it. This is somebody who`s never said anything political, and all of a sudden we`re dealing with the government and the media have a conspiracy. Brooke, did you talk to Cheney`s office today? Is there? Tell us.
SNOWDEN: I think that Alicia has been political but she`s just been more so in her music and maybe we haven`t heard as much from her like in spoken word in magazines. But I think she`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ANDERSON: Certainly not these sorts of shocking claims that she made to "Blender" magazine. And Carlos, she also says that Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur were both assassinated by, quote, "the government and the media to stop another great black leader from existing." Carlos, why do you think she would even go down this road?
DIAZ: That`s what confuses me. I mean, I`ve interviewed Alicia Keyes several times, and she`s always been very courteous. And it seemed like she was, you know, always very levelheaded. Here`s someone who doesn`t need the controversy. Her career is going great, both in music and in film. She`s trying to make, you know, a crossover into film. She`s trying to do more films that are more appealing to the masses.
So this would come out of someone whose career is in jeopardy, who needs the controversy to get back on the circuit. Alicia Keyes doesn`t need that right now. That`s why it`s so confusing.
ANDERSON: Yes, and I`ve also interviewed her numerous times. Go ahead, Janelle.
SNOWDEN: I`m sorry. Can you see I`m passionate about this?
ANDERSON: Yes, keep going, girl. Tell us how you feel.
SNOWDEN: Seriously, let`s think about who Alicia Keyes is as an artist. She`s already sold three million copies of her album that just came out in November. She has 11 Grammys. Like you said, she doesn`t need the publicity. So I don`t think this is a stunt.
I think this is something she obviously feels very passionate about and I think she`s way too smart of a woman and an artist to say something she doesn`t feel she can back up. I think again, we need to read the entire article before we just extract those quotes and go overboard.
ANDERSON: Well, that was "Blender" magazine publishing those quotes from their full interview. And I do want to say I have always enjoyed speaking with Alicia but I was surprised because she`s normally so mellow. But she is a legitimate talent and I have a lot of respect for her.
And I do want to move now to the next story that is make us say, "Say what?" Heather Mills, fresh off her divorce from Beatle Paul McCartney, judged the Miss USA pageant in Vegas on Friday. Donald Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant, said afterwards, "I think America wants more Heather Mills." More of Heather Mills, one of the most despised women these days? Howard, say what?
BRAGMAN: You know, Brooke, we`ve talked about it before. The hardest thing a PR guy has to do is tell their clients when to shut up. They all think they`re glib geniuses who can go out there and charm the American people.
Guess what, Heather? We`re over you. We would like a moment of silence, which lasted about 18 months, OK? And Donald Trump saying, you know, America wants more of Heather Mills, about as much as we want more of Donald Trump, OK?
ANDERSON: Aww. Well, you guys, I want you to take a look at what Heather Mills was doing while the show`s host was talking to fellow judge Joey Fatone. She actually kept pushing her face into the video. Here she goes. Here she goes. Carlos, it seems to me that maybe Heather Mills wants to see more of Heather Mills. What do you think?
DIAZ: The thing we have to understand here, and I interviewed Heather Mills that day or you know, that weekend, and she`s very nice just to talk to face to face. She`s a very nice person. But just because a person`s on TV doesn`t mean they know how to be on TV.
I mean just because a person is well known doesn`t mean that they know how to be a star. And obviously, that`s the case here. She`s well known because she was married to Paul McCartney and took a lot of his money. She`s not well known because she`s a great entertainer.
Howard will back me up here. How many times, Howard, have you had a client where they seem like they have talent but then you get them live and they don`t know what the heck they`re doing? And that seems what happened with Heather in this case.
BRAGMAN: Well, it looked like she was trying to hog the spotlight from Joey. And yes, they were on "Dancing With The Stars" together, and that`s really great. But again, you know, we like Paul more. I`m sorry. We voted. Paul wins. You lose.
ANDERSON: He`s a Beatle.
BRAGMAN: He`s a Beatle.
ANDERSON: And you know, Donald Trump is saying he thinks people want to see more, as I said, of Heather Mills. Howard - actually, I`ll give this one to you, Janelle. Do you think Donald is maybe actually casting the second season of "Celebrity Apprentice" and that he`s thinking "Heather, you`re hired." He`s a sharp, savvy businessman. People might watch her.
SNOWDEN: No. Donald doing something for publicity? I`ve never heard of such. I mean, come on. Like he`s one of the smartest ever at keeping his name in the news, and he knows this is a way to do so. He knows how Americans feel about Heather Mills. And to say something like they knows he`s going to get press and he knows that people like us are going to be talking about it. So mission accomplished. You go, Donald.
ANDERSON: Yes. Here we are giving it exposure. Janelle Snowden, Howard Bragman, Carlos Diaz, we`re out of time. Thanks so much, guys.
And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Heather Mills: Do you want to see more of her on TV ?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an e-mail at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Tonight, there is fury over Dr. Phil. I think it`s so out of line that employees from his show actually bailed out one of the teenagers in the videotaped beating scandal. But should we really be surprised? Straight ahead, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals secrets of the talk show world. And I want to know, should Oprah be concerned?
Also, Madonna talks about sex. OK. OK. I know that may not be anything new. But this time she`s spilling the beans about what made her husband, Guy Richie, not want to have sex with her. That`s next.
And Ivana Trump walks down the aisle for marriage number four. But wait until you hear where she tied the knot this time. I found it really surprising. And you`re not going to believe how old her new husband is. Or should I say, how young. That`s coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Madonna is speaking out about her sex life with Guy Richie. And the one thing that really puts the brakes on. Madonna`s new record "Hard Candy" comes out in two weeks, and there`s a song on it called "Incredible." In the song, Madonna sings, "Sex with you is incredible," which she says is a reference to her husband.
But on the "John Jay and Rich Show" on a Phoenix radio station, Madonna said there is one thing that brought her sex life to a screeching halt - a crash diet. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MADONNA, POP STAR: My husband went on that cookie diet, and it was such a turnoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: You know what? I heard that your husband went on -
MADONNA: Because he didn`t want to have sex.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Oh, my god, that`s just like me.
MADONNA: He`s not on it anymore, thank god.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Did he lose weight?
MADONNA: He did, he did. But he didn`t really need to lose that much weight. I think he just did it because his friends were doing it and he wanted to see if he could do it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So Madonna says there`s no truth to rumors that her marriage is on the rocks and insists that they have a very healthy sex life. Now that the diet is over, I guess.
All right. Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S continuing coverage of Dr. Phil under fire again. Tonight, there is absolute outrage over what the "Dr. Phil Show" did, bailing out the alleged teenaged ring leader of the notorious videotaped beating of another teen in Florida.
The video has enraged people from coast to coast. Staff members of the "Dr. Phil Show" flew down to Florida and put up the $33,000 bail to get the alleged ring leader out of jail so she could then appear on the "Dr. Phil Show."
And of course this comes on the heels of Dr. Phil`s controversial statement after his visit to Britney Spears in the psych ward. So was this an unethical move to get an exclusive interview, or is this all part of the guest-wrangling game of talk shows?
In New York, Lisa Bloom, host of "In Session." In Miami, Steve Santagati of "AskSteveSantagati.com."
Lisa, Steve, some would say there is nothing with what these Dr. Phil staffers did. So the "Dr. Phil Show" pays guests to come on. Some people would say so what? Steve, you`ve been on the inside of the talk show world. Should we be shocked about all of this, paying for expenses, even posting bail? Is all of that fair and considered the norm in the cutthroat part of the talk show world?
SANTAGATI: I think paying for guests in one way or another, whether you pay them a lump sum to come on your show to generate ratings so that you can get more advertising dollars is completely fair. I think what all hit - what hit America is the visceral fact that this was just wrong, that if you pay bail for someone that`s an alleged criminal caught on tape brutally beating somebody, then where does it stop?
Not only that, the judge placed this bail, Brooke, because he wanted to keep this person behind bars because there`s a flight risk. We don`t know what the psychological profile of this person is. I think it wasn`t necessarily Dr. Phil but it was someone on his staff is responsible for this and it was just wrong in my opinion.
ANDERSON: Well, I do want you to take a look at the video of the teenager being released from jail over the weekend, walking with someone claiming to be a "Dr. Phil" employee who seems to be calling all the shots. Take a look at this.
SANTAGATI: Right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Hey, Mercedes, do you have anything to say to the girl you did this to?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "DR. PHIL" EMPLOYEE:
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Anything to say to this girl? Anything to say to Victoria?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "DR. PHIL" EMPLOYEE: Say nothing. Say nothing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Did Dr. Phil pay for the bond?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "DR. PHIL" EMPLOYEE: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: But that`s not a no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "DR. PHIL" EMPLOYEE: No comment.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: That`s not a no.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE "DR. PHIL" EMPLOYEE: It`s not a yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lisa, is there anything that can justify what they did?
BLOOM: Now, from the point of view of journalistic ethics, this is absolutely inappropriate. I defended Dr. Phil before, but this time the show was all wrong. The first rule of journalism is you don`t become part of the story.
They changed this girl`s legal status from somebody who was incarcerated to somebody who was free. They helped her get out of jail, essentially giving her a get out of jail free card. That is absolutely inappropriate. Very different from paying for a plane ticket, paying for a hotel. Just 180 degrees different.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And show business - go ahead, Steve.
SANTAGATI: The other thing, Lisa, though, this is not journalism. Talk shows are entertainment. And even in the entertainment realm, this was completely wrong. I mean, who are we going to bail out next? Serial murderers just so we can get their story?
BLOOM: Yes.
SANTAGATI: We have to draw the line somewhere.
ANDERSON: But even if talk shows are considered entertainment, there do need to be journalistic standards. I agree with you, Lisa.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached the folks at the "Dr. Phil Show" today, and here`s what they told us, quote, "We have helped guests and potential guests in the past when they need financial assistance to come on the show, assisting with clothing allowance, lost wages, accommodations, travel, and necessities. In this case certain staff members went beyond our guidelines. These staff members have been spoken to, and our policies reiterated."
So Steve, this makes it sound like it was all some sort of renegade operation by some low-level employees. You`re talking about more than $30,000 in bail. How does that happen?
SANTAGATI: Can I walk out of HEADLINE NEWS tonight with $33,000? No. There`s going to be questions. And the bottom line is they said they spoke with them. They didn`t say they were fired. If someone did that on my staff, they would be gone, no questions asked. Public stoning. End of story.
ANDERSON: Public stoning. Well, it does sound like maybe they were just reprimanded at this time. And you know, guys, all this is happening just months after Dr. Phil visited Britney Spears in the hospital, the psych ward, and then issued a statement about his visit, and then he had to make a very public apology on his show. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCGRAW: If I had it to do over again, I probably wouldn`t say a word. I wouldn`t make a statement to anybody about anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He learned his lesson. Lisa Bloom, should we expect another Dr. Phil apology down the road here in this case? Or more importantly, should we demand a Dr. Phil apology?
BLOOM: Well, I think we should because Dr. Phil, who I respect greatly, and I`ve been on his show a couple of times - by the way, all I got was a plane ride and a hotel. It`s all about accountability.
SANTAGATI: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
BLOOM: He`s all about accountability. He`s all about accountability, OK? If he did something wrong, and I don`t think this low-level staffer did come up with the $3,000 cash and $33,000 in collateral all by himself.
I think it went up to at least the management level if not the Dr. Phil level. Then I think we all need Dr. Phil to come clean if he made a mistake, we all make mistakes. And explain that he did and apologize. And it will be game over.
ANDERSON: Yes, and even if he wasn`t involved in any way, he does lead that show. He`s the face of that show. I agree. Come out and just say what happened. And you know, the Dr. Phil show obviously, we know, launched by Oprah Winfrey`s production company, which is pretty much the golden endorsement by Oprah herself.
And she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she has no comment about this story. But I would have to imagine, Steve, that she`s got to be pretty embarrassed by what has happened here.
SANTAGATI: No. I think that, you know, when Harpo granted Dr. Phil his own talk show, it`s like a parent having a child. Once that child leaves the home, the kid`s on his own. The onus is on Dr. Phil and his production staff to make sure they conduct themselves in an ethical way.
It has no reflection on Oprah or Harpo Productions for that matter. It has everything to do with the people that made that poor decision, in my opinion, to post bail for that criminal - or alleged criminal.
ANDERSON: Yes, I don`t think this impacts Oprah`s credibility or Harpo in any way. Lisa Bloom, Steve Santagati, thank you both. We`ll leave it there for now.
And hey, remember, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video any time. We`re always posting new stuff for you to watch. That`s at our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Check it out.
OK. Will the fourth time be the charm for Ivana Trump? That`s right. Donald`s ex has gotten married again. I give her credit for her persistence, don`t you?
But wait until you hear where she tied the knot this time around. I found this really surprising. And you`re not going to believe how old her new husband is, or should I say how young. That`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You don`t want to miss it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Ivana Trump is off the market again, and wait until you hear where she tied the knot this time.
For her fourth marriage, Ivana walked down the aisle at her ex-husband Donald`s seaside mansion in Palm Beach. I`m sure it was beautiful. And Donald himself was there among the 600 guests.
Ivana is 59 years old. Her new husband, an Italian entrepreneur, is 36. They have been together for about six years. Congratulations to them.
So I think that age difference, 23 years, definitely qualifies Ivana as a cougar. And that got us thinking about a "Saturday Night Live" bit that had us in stitches. Over the weekend "SNL" had a sketch called "Cougar Den" featuring Ashton Kutcher, who knows a thing or two about being with an older woman. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMY POEHLER, ACTRESS: Kiki, I heard you brought your new boy biscuit.
CAMERON DIAZ, ACTRESS: He was my tennis coach, and now he`s my little cougar cub.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Please bring him out. Please welcome Jaden, everybody.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Oh, Jaden.
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: OK. OK.
POEHLER: Jaden, what is it like dating an older woman?
KUTCHER: I love it.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: We can see that.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You guys can`t keep your hands off one another.
POEHLER: So what`s the attraction? The sex?
KUTCHER: There are so many reasons I prefer older women. Like they usually have tricked-out kitchens and sometimes they`ve got those donut makers. Those are good. Oh, and their ex-husbands have been pretty cool so far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, he`s got a good sense of humor about it. So funny. And if you didn`t recognize her, that was actually Cameron Diaz playing Ashton`s cougar.
All right. On Friday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this - "Rob Lowe`s Nanny Scandal: Did he make a mistake by going public?" Thirty-three percent of you say yes; 67 percent of you say no. And here are some of the e-mails we received.
Nash from Texas writes, "Going public was a huge mistake for Rob Lowe. His career went downwards after his original escapade."
Kizzi from Florida says, "In my opinion, him coming out actually makes me feel like he has nothing to hide."
We appreciate your E-mails. That`s a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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