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Showbiz Tonight
Tom Cruise Back on "Oprah"; Did Wesley Snipes Deserve to Wear the Stripes?; Madonna Opens Up About Adopting David; Hollywood`s Least Shocking Divorces; Pie in the Face Moments
Aired April 25, 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: Wesley Snipes sentenced to three years for not paying his taxes. Did he get what he deserved?
And Madonna gets emotional, opening up about adopting her son from Malawi. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, here we go again. Tom Cruise is coming back to "Oprah." Will couch crouch in fear? Will Tom act over the moon or over the couch? And is this the right thing to do or risky business?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Tom Cruise is a brave, brave man. Very few people, very few actors go back to the scene of one of their biggest embarrassments.
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT answers the burning question about Tom`s return to the scene of the couch jumping crime.
The least shocking Hollywood divorces ever. Some stars` splits are a bombshell, but not these. They are the break ups we saw coming a mile away, but which divorce was the biggest no-brainer? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT counts down the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever.
And look out, upper crust, the pies are out to get you. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT whips up the best whipped cream attacks ever.
(MUSIC)
Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. A.J. Hammer is off. And tonight, we are asking, did Wesley Snipes get what he deserved? One of Hollywood`s biggest movie stars is headed to prison for three years, this after being sentenced for not paying his federal taxes. But is the punishment too harsh? Or did Snipes get what was coming to him? A heated debate is straight ahead.
But first, it`s back to "Oprah" for Tom Cruise. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the startling news that Tom Cruise is returning to the scene of the couch jumping crime, so to speak.
Nearly three years since he assaulted Oprah`s coach with the soles of his shoes in a furniture frenzy he still hasn`t lived down, Cruise still headed back to Oprah`s show. And I`m just saying but perhaps Oprah ought to think about putting out some bare bones with folding chairs as a process.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): May 23rd, 2005, a day which will live in infamy; a day in which the world`s biggest movie star became the world`s biggest punch line.
Tom Cruise jumped -
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: I`m in love.
ANDERSON: Beamed -
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Have you ever felt this way before?
ANDERSON: And jumped again on the Oprah Winfrey show to celebrate new girlfriend and now wife, Katie Holmes. And the result? Near total career self-destruction.
QUARLES: After this day with Oprah episode, it was kind of the beginning of his downfall.
ANDERSON: And now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Tom Cruise is going back on Oprah in May, just enough time for Oprah to have the couch reupholstered.
QUARLES: Tom Cruise is scheduled for two appearances on "Oprah Winfrey." The first show, she`s going to be with him in his Telluride, Colorado home talking about family and personal life. And the second appearance will be in her studio and they are talking "Risky Business," the 25th anniversary.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking -
WINFREY: What has happened to you?
ANDERSON: Why in the world would anyone go back to the scene of his biggest, most humiliating moment? That would be like Napoleon returning to Waterloo, the Persians returning to Thermopylae or Britney returning to the VMA.
QUARLES: Tom Cruise is a brave, brave man. Very few people, very few actors go back to the scene of one of their biggest embarrassments.
ANDERSON: And embarrassing it was. Tom`s Oprah antics turned him into a national joke. He was spoofed in "Scary Movie 4." And Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Cruise`s Oprah appearance kicked off a run of bad luck that did serious damage to his A-list status.
QUARLES: He got bounced from Paramount Pictures. He got into a fight with Matt Lauer. A couple of his movies bombed. It was really the beginning of his decline.
ANDERSON: Of course, since the disaster at Oprah, Tom Cruise has managed to begin repairing the damage. He, Katie and their daughter Suri have become a picture-perfect Hollywood family. Tom is running his own studio, United Artists. And he`s working on a new film, next year`s World War II drama, Valkyrie.
But as he prepares for his return trip to Oprah`s stage, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is telling Tom Cruise that he`d do well to remember a piece of advice.
QUARLES: Keep your love for Katie to a minimum. We know that you love her, but we don`t need to hear it reverberated over and over and over.
ANDERSON: And whatever you do, Tom, make sure you remember one more thing.
QUARLES: Keep your butt glued to the couch.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So all that said, here`s what I`m wondering. Should Tom even be doing this in the first place?
Joining us tonight from Hollywood, "E! News" correspondent Jason Kennedy. And in New York, founder of Spotlight Communications, Maggie Gallant. Jason, Maggie, great to see you both.
Maggie, I`ll begin with you. What do you think? Is Tom doing a smart thing here or is he just stirring up trouble for himself?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: Well, I think, Brooke, that avoiding the "Oprah Show" for the rest of his career would be a mission impossible for Tom Cruise. He`s not going to do that. She has millions of viewers. He`s going to go back to show. He`s going to make light of what he did. He`s going to move on and is going to make it about his career and where he`s headed next.
ANDERSON: Jason, what do you think? Good idea for Tom?
JASON KENNEDY, CORRESPONDENT, "E! NEWS": I totally think it`s a great idea. When you look back, he`s had some movies that struggled. The Scientology video that he did recently got him a lot of heat. And constantly his private life is under speculation. People are always making jabs about what goes on in his private life.
So I think it`s a good idea, and I think he has enough good intentions. But you must - I repeat - you must bring up the couch jumping incident. And I think Oprah is going to do that or it will be the elephant in the room. It`s going to be weird if they don`t.
ANDERSON: You`ve got to bring it up. And you know, we are all kind of waiting to see whether or not that will happen, if she`ll go there are, if she`ll replay that infamous couch jumping incident.
Maggie, is this what Tom should actually have Oprah do so, as you said, he can laugh at himself, finally move on from it? Or is there a danger that he would maybe reinforce the negative perception?
GALLANT: Well, I think what we`re going to see from Tom is - and keep in mind too, he`s friends with Oprah. So she`s not going to make a big joke out of him either. He`s going to use his signature Tom Cruise smile. He`s going to make a joke about it and he`s going to move on. Just like Jason said he`s going to bring it back to his career.
He`s not going to make it all about the circus and his private life. He`s going to bring it back to his career. And he`s also going to have very important third-party endorsements from other people in the Hollywood community. Because the rumor is they are going to be taping pieces on the show, talking about how fabulous Tom Cruise is. So he`s going to try to remind all of us why we became fans of his to begin with.
ANDERSON: Yes. And I think being self-deprecating sometimes is the best approach. And as we mentioned, Oprah is actually doing two shows on Tom; one, at his Colorado home. Jason, should he make Katie Holmes and their two-year-old daughter Suri maybe a big part of the show to prove that once and for all, despite the speculation, his marriage is not in trouble and Suri is not an alien from outer space. You remember those tabloid headlines got out of control.
KENNEDY: Yes, Brooke. I think week after week, you see those tabloids. People are smart enough to know what`s true and false especially when it comes to alien babies. I mean people know the truth there. But here`s the thing, I think Katie will be a part of it and it could be a good thing. I mean Oprah - if anybody can pull this off, Oprah can do it.
You mentioned earlier that they are friends, so I don`t know about Suri. She`s very young and they`ve always been very, very cautious about bringing her around the paparazzi and into the spotlight. So I don`t think that Suri is going to be a part of it. But bringing Katie around and, you know, them talking on camera, just seeing what the relationship is like. I think it would be a good idea.
ANDERSON: Yes. And you can`t blame them for protecting their two-year-old child from the public and the publicity and the exposure. And well, Tom is doing this to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the movie that made him a star, "Risky Business."
I can`t believe it`s been 25 years. But Maggie, do you really believe that that`s his only motivation for doing this? Or is there something else going on here? Is he trying to counteract all of the negative publicity he`s received?
GALLANT: Well, it`s great timing for Tom because it`s time for him to bring back what we used to love about Tom Cruise. Now, he`s had a few rocky years, but he`s now surrounding himself by a very strong management team. He`s got some great projects lined up. And he`s had a very successful career. He`s not a one-hit wonder like many of the people in young Hollywood. And he`s going to remind us all why we loved him to begin with. And that`s what the show is going to be about.
ANDERSON: Jason, do you think it`s mainly about the 25th anniversary of "Risky Business" or will there be, oh so much more?
KENNEDY: All right. Can we have a little honest time right now?
ANDERSON: Let`s have it.
KENNEDY: It`s a two-part series, that`s two hours of, you know, stuff that they need to fill. They are not going to be talking about "Risky Business" for two hours. There are other intentions here. But I think at the end of the day, it`s only going to benefit Tom Cruise.
ANDERSON: I agree with you. We`ll have to wait and see what happens. Maggie Gallant, Jason Kennedy, good to see you, thanks.
KENNEDY: Thanks.
ANDERSON: And now, we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Tom Cruise Going Back to Oprah: Is it a good idea? Vote, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us, the address: showbiztonight@cnn.com.
So when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman announced their divorce, it was like a bombshell. I was stunned. A lot of people were. And then we have these couples. We saw their divorces coming from a mile away. But which was the biggest no-brainer? Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT counts down the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever.
ANDERSON: Also, Madonna speaks out about adopting her son from Malawi. I think she did an admirable thing. But she really took a lot of criticisms for the adoption. Now, a very emotional Madonna is answering those critics, coming up.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The truly classic pies in the face get thrown over and over on the Web.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Come on, what`s better than a pie in the face? Who would have thought something from a "Three Stooges" episode could happen in real life over and over again? We are whipping up the best pie attacks ever, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, a heated debate. Does Wesley Snipes really deserve to go to prison for three years? A judge has just told one of Hollywood`s biggest movie stars that`s where he`s going, giving him the maximum sentence for failing to file his federal taxes for three years in a row. But does the punishment really fit the crime?
Joining me from Atlanta tonight is Atty. Darren Kavinoky of the Kavinoky Law Firm. And from Chicago, Judge Greg Mathis of "The Judge Greg Mathis Show."
Welcome Darren. Welcome Judge Mathis. And Judge Mathis, I want to begin with you. Because along with some of Hollywood`s biggest actors like Denzel Washington and Woody Harrellson, you actually wrote to the judge in the Snipes case asking for leniency.
You wrote, "I strongly believe that jail time would not benefit Wesley and respectfully request leniency from the court. Unfortunately, it was his honest nature that forced him into these legalities."
Judge Mathis, he didn`t pay his taxes for three years. He broke the law. Why shouldn`t he go to jail?
JUDGE GREG MATHIS, HOST, "THE JUDGE GREG MATHIS SHOW": Well, first of all, I believe that the sentence is excessive. And I don`t think he should go to jail because it doesn`t benefit society at all. Society doesn`t gets its money for the next three years. I think what should have happened is he should have been placed on probation and attached any future wages like they`ve done many others in the past, like they did Willie Nelson.
Willie owed $32 million for tax evasion. They attached his future wages. Wesley gets $10 million per movie. I believe society would have preferred to get that $10 million, perhaps $30 million over the course of the next three years.
ANDERSON: Well - and defense attorneys were pushing for probation. Darren do you agree with Judge Mathis that the sentence is excessive, that Wesley doesn`t deserve to go to jail at all?
ATTY. DARREN KAVINOKY, KAVINOKY LAW FIRM: Well, this is a little bit awkward because I spend most of my career actually begging for leniency.
ANDERSON: Right. You`re a defense attorney.
KAVINOKY: I am. I am. But I`ve got to disagree with the judge on a couple of points. I don`t think that this is a situation that was motivated by Wesley`s honesty. I don`t think it`s his honest nature that got him into this problem. And that`s something, I think a lot of the folks would have difficulty swallowing, especially as we`re hearing April what the honest folks are doing is paying their taxes or at least filing an extension. And by not filing for three years, I don`t think he was taking the honest path. I do agree ...
MATHIS: What I meant by ...
KAVINOKY: I do agree jail wouldn`t serve him as it doesn`t most people except the career criminals that are going there to make new colleagues and perhaps learn new trades.
MATHIS: I said it doesn`t serve society. And it doesn`t serve society because he`s not a danger to society. And society needs his $30 million, particularly in an economy as we have today.
But what I meant honest, I said his honest nature, meaning he trusted in the professional advice he received from those tax protestors who had interpreted the constitution in the manner which they construed that he did not have to pay.
And indeed, three tax protestors in the past have won in court over those constitutional arguments. So he had even a motivation to think that those who were advising him on that construct of the constitution may have had a point.
KAVINOKY: Well, he may have relied on those folks and certainly, he did so to his detriment. But my experience in defending people who are accused of financial crimes is that they`re motivated by fear of financial insecurity or greed.
There was something that was calling on him to look for ways to avoid paying that money to the government. And so that`s where I take issue with the idea that he got into trouble as an honest man. But I certainly agree with you that society is not well served by the idea of Wesley Snipes or other non-violent offenders being locked up in prison. There are certainly better ways that we can benefit as a society.
MATHIS: And that`s my primary point.
ANDERSON: Go ahead. Yes. And Wesley did say that he did have bad advisors and he trusted them. Judge Mathis, do you feel that maybe the judge is using him as an example here?
MATHIS: Absolutely. It is well known that the IRS, for example, has used high profile celebrities to prove a point and to send a message. And I think the judge was also doing such.
And that is quite frankly illegal and unconstitutional in and of itself. You can`t target people because they are high profile and public figures and prosecute them or give them an excessive sentence. That`s called a violation of the Equal Protection Law, the 14th Amendment, equal protection for everyone under the law. Equal justice for everyone. And that`s all I`m saying is that the sentence was excessive.
You know, we are the only country in the world that would have sentenced him to prison. The reason we have the highest prison rate in the world, 2.3 million people, is because we`re one of the very few, if not the only one, that sentences people for crimes that are nonviolent, and particularly economic crimes.
It was an article in "The New York Times" just this week that talked about that. So I`m just not talking off the top of my head, I`m indeed stating a fact that has been demonstrated.
ANDERSON: Well, Judge Mathis, we don`t think you ever just talk off the top of your head. But you know, we know you know what you`re talking about.
And Snipes, as you mentioned a little bit earlier, is certainly not the first star to get in trouble with the IRS. And there really seems to be no rhyme or reason for what happened. For example, the winner of "Survivor," Richard Hatch, currently serving a 51-month sentence for failing to report his $1 million prize. That is a longer sentence than Wesley for less money. And then in the `90s, Willie Nelson had to pay $16.7 million in back taxes. He never went to jail.
Darren, how do you explain it?
KAVINOKY: Well, it`s tough to reconcile. You do have sentences that are all over the map. And Judge Mathis and I agree on one thing, this was a very, very harsh sentence in that the judge gave the maximum that he could. I don`t think it was entirely unpredictable though, because Wesley did win an acquittal on the more serious counts. And in a situation like that, it`s not unheard of that a judge is going to get every ounce of flesh that he can when it comes the time to sentence him.
ANDERSON: Yes, he was acquitted of five other charges including felony tax fraud and conspiracy, so he could have spent much more time in jail.
MATHIS: Indeed.
ANDERSON: Judge Mathis, we`ve only got about 10 seconds. But do you think an appeal is inevitable here and could possibly keep him out of jail?
MATHIS: He should certainly appeal the sentence and perhaps the case. I don`t know the details of the case. But let me say he was convicted of misdemeanors, not felonies.
ANDERSON: That`s true.
MATHIS: He`s going to jail for three years for misdemeanors. I think it`s unjust. And if you - the facts you`ve told me about the "Survivor" gentleman got 51 months, I think that is a terrible injustice as well.
KAVINOKY: And Brooke ...
ANDERSON: Judge Greg Mathis ...
KAVINOKY: I`m sorry, Brooke. This is going to be no Paris Hilton stint in jail. He`s actually going - he`s going for a couple years plus.
ANDERSON: OK. All right. Darren Kavinoky ...
MATHIS: And by the way, those ladies drive drunk. They drive drunk and endanger lives.
ANDERSON: Totally different situations there. Judge Greg Mathis, Darren Kavinoky. Thank you both so much.
All right. Coming up, the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever. Some star splits are a bombshell, but not these break-ups that we saw coming a mile away. But which was the biggest no-brainer? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT counts down the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever.
ANDERSON: Also, Madonna speaks out about adopting her son from Malawi. She did a terrific thing, but really took a lot of criticism. Now, a very emotional Madonna is answering those critics.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: The good news for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman is that he took off his nice jacket. The bad news, is he`s about to get hit with a pie.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Pie attacks. Come on, what more do you need to know? It`s people getting hit with pies. We`ve got the best pie attacks ever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey there. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson and here are some more stories that are new right now. Singer Amy Winehouse has been arrested in London on suspicion of assault. Tabloid reports say Winehouse allegedly hit a man while she was playing pool at a bar in London, and then head-butted another man early Wednesday morning. Her rep tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that Amy voluntarily went in for questioning.
Well, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton may be good at a lot of things, going out, for example. But a new book says owning pets is not one of their strong suits. The book says Paris goes through dogs faster than mojitos(ph), and that Britney has made impulse purchases of four dogs and a parakeet. The book is called "Thanking the Monkey: Rethinking the Way We Treat Animals."
And Pamela Anderson wants congress to rethink the way we treat animals. Pamela was on Capitol Hill for PETA, urging the government to replace animal testing with modern non-animal technology that`s already being used in Europe.
Well, Pamela Anderson, not just an animal activist, there`s one area where I daresay she has even more expertise - how to get divorced. That`s right, she`s a serial divorcer.
I can`t say I was too shocked when Pam broke up with, well, everyone. And come to think of it, there are plenty of star divorces we saw coming from a mile away. But which is the biggest no-brainer? That`s coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT counts down the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever.
Also, Madonna speaks out about adopting her son from Malawi. I think what she did is wonderful but she really took a lot of criticism for her adoption. Now, a very emotional Madonna is answering those critics, and that is straight ahead.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: The truly classic pies-in-the-face get thrown over and over on the Web.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Come on, what`s better than a pie in the face? Who would have thought something from a "Three Stooges" episode could happen in real life over and over again? We are whipping up the best pie attacks ever. Coming up.
But first, stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just head over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to get it.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever. Now, I know hooking up in Hollywood isn`t always easy, but I`ve got to say I wasn`t surprised when these stars ended their marriages. Carmen Electra, Pam Anderson, Star Jones. But which divorce shocked us the least? Tonight, I`m counting down the top four least shocking divorces ever.
And new right now, Madonna really opening up about her dramatic battle to adopt that African baby boy. Would she do it all over again?
And my exclusive interview with Bobby Brown. His explosive revelations about his marriage to Whitney Houston.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood with TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. A.J. is off tonight.
Tonight, a showbiz special report. We`re counting down the four least shocking Hollywood divorces ever. Now, we started thinking about this when we got the news this week that Star Jones was divorcing her husband, Al Reynolds. Frankly, we weren`t surprised which is why we`re counting down the best of the worst.
With me in Hollywood tonight, "Extra" correspondent Carlos Diaz. Also in Hollywood, entertainment journalist and host of "LX-TV," Shira Lazar. And in New York, Associated Press reporter, Alicia Quarles.
OK, guys, let`s kick this thing off with the number four least surprising divorce. Still making headlines, hot off the press, Star Jones and Al Reynolds. You know, we can`t forget that totally over-the-top wedding. Star even openly got sponsors to pay for the lavish affair.
And rumors of Al Reynolds sexuality really dogged the couple from the start. Carlos, question - did you guys have an office pool there that said three years, four months, out. Done.
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Yes. I totally nailed at office pool, by the way. And in true Star Jones fashion, I got this nice Hugo Boss suit. So I want to thank her for that. It`s very nice. Well, you know -
ANDERSON: You have a good sponsor for the pool.
DIAZ: You can - and listen. Here`s the thing, too. You know, when that picture came out of Al Reynolds with a girl in Miami, usually, that`s a death sentence for a marriage. But in this case it`s like, a girl? Well, this marriage has got a shot after all. So, kind of a cool thing.
ANDERSON: Right. They had had to deal with speculation for a long time about that. And Shira, when you heard the news that Al and Star broke up, were you in disbelief saying no, it can`t be possible.
SHIRA LAZAR, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: I`m not as surprised as I was when they got married, and that was a big surprise. I mean I just dropped my cappuccino when I found out that they were getting divorced.
But Star is the queen of leaving us in suspense. I mean she wouldn`t tell us about her weight loss. This could have happened a while ago and now it`s only coming out.
ANDERSON: Right. She actually did file for divorce a month ago and now it`s just becoming public. Alicia, were you surprised by the whole thing?
QUARLES: I must say I really wasn`t that shocked. When you advertise your whole wedding on TV and talk about this lavish affair - I mean come on now. I think that it lasted a lot longer than most of us thought.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, number three - let`s move on to that on our list of least shocking divorces. This one kind of complicated because it`s one woman with three ex-husbands. We are talking about Pamela Anderson and fill in the blank - Tommy Lee, Kid Rock or her most recent two-month union with Rick Salomon. Rick Salomon, as we know, famously starred in the Paris Hilton sex tape.
Carlos, are we not shocked here? Because, maybe after they all stopped swapping sex tape stories, they had nothing to talk about?
DIAZ: Brooke, I`m sorry. But guy code does not allow me to talk bad about Rick Salomon. Because he has had sex with Pam Anderson and Paris Hilton, two girls that are out of my league. So guy code prohibits me from doing that.
But I can tell you that Pam Anderson has gone from Tommy Lee, down to Kid Rock, down to Rick Salomon. So I`m thinking I`ve got a chance. So I`m seeing it right here, you know.
ANDERSON: You do. You do. Your friends are going to be anxiously awaiting that, guy code or not, Carlos. You know, Pam and Kid Rock. I want to talk about them. They had four marriage ceremonies around the globe. They got hitched in L.A., Saint-Tropez, Detroit, Memphis. Then they broke up after four months.
Shira, I had hope for these two. But did you? Was there anything that made you think it would work?
LAZAR: Well, maybe if they went on to wedding number seven. I think at number seven, they could have really made it work. I mean this was not a surprise at all. For them to make their marriage into basically a media circus, that raises eyebrows right off the bat.
ANDERSON: Yes, it was like they wanted just more and more attention and nothing about it was private.
I do want to move now to number two on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s least shocking divorce list. Carman Electra and Dennis Rodman. Carmen and Dennis married in 1998 and nine days later, Dennis wanted it annulled because he said he was drunk during their Vegas wedding. Carmen and Dennis ended things permanently six months later.
Carlos, did anybody really believe a cross-dressing NBA bad boy could settle down with a former playmate and "Bay Watch" babe?
DIAZ: I`m from Vegas and let me tell you, if they had every drunken marriage annulled, there would be no Vegas marriages to talk about. I`m telling you right now. But what was really impressive with Dennis Rodman when he married Carmen Electra, he was playing in the NBA. And the fact that he could palm a basketball, really - it really improved. It`s really one of those things where the technique is much better.
ANDERSON: You are terrible, Carlos.
QUARLES: Oh, Carlos.
ANDERSON: You`re terrible.
LAZAR: That`s nasty.
ANDERSON: OK. Let`s bring the females into this now.
LAZAR: Yes.
ANDERSON: You know, they were not exactly Ozzie and Harriet, Alicia. But did you think that it would even last six months?
QUARLES: Absolutely not. I`m surprised it lasted six weeks. I mean these are two people that were arrested for allegedly assaulting each other. The charges were dropped. But he`s a freak show. He`s tattooed. He cross- dresses. She`s a "Bay Watch" babe that posed for "Playboy." This had no chance of working at all.
ANDERSON: Shira, we just learned that Carmen is getting married again to another musician. How long do you bet this one lasts?
LAZAR: Well, as long as they don`t do a reality show, keep their make up and clothes separate, it could last a bit longer than usual.
ANDERSON: Keep the camera`s out. Keep the toiletries separate. Great advice.
All right. And now, finally, the number one SHOWBIZ TONIGHT least shocking divorce ever. Charles, drum roll please.
(DRUM ROLL)
It is Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley. Who could forget when the King of Pop married the daughter of the King in 1994? Then they kept going public, declaring their love over and over. And then, 20 months later, it was over. Carlos, come on. Nobody ever really bought into this, did they?
DIAZ: I was shocked. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
ANDERSON: You did. You did.
DIAZ: I was shocked and amazed because of the fact that whenever Michael Jackson kisses a woman, I`m thinking back to Iman and "Remember the Time," the video when they kissed in that video? That was pure magic. And then when Michael walked out with Lisa Marie, she kicked off the MTV Video Music Awards. That kiss was pure passion. And for those kids to have not made it - it`s a tragedy is what it is.
ANDERSON: Shira, what do you think? Was it a tragedy? Were you shocked and disappointed?
LAZAR: I`m just shocked by imaging that kiss on stage that Carlos just mentioned. I`m shocked that it even happened. I mean she could have done so much better. Maybe she did that crazy moonwalk a lot for her. Who knows? I don`t know what brought them together, but all I`ve to say is Elvis was rolling in his grave at that one.
QUARLES: Agree.
ANDERSON: Oh. Alicia, in the end, what do you think? Do you agree Elvis was rolling in his grave?
QUARLES: Yes.
ANDERSON: Do you think it was all a ridiculous publicity stunt?
QUARLES: It was a bad memory that I`m still trying to clear out of my head. It was a bad publicity stunt. I remember when they kissed and it was not good. I`m still scarred from it. Don`t do it again, please. Spare us.
ANDERSON: Well, there they are - the least shocking Hollywood divorces ever. Carlos Diaz, Shira Lazar, Alicia Quarles, thank you all so much.
All right, so throwing a pie in somebody`s face, that`s totally old school comedy, but oh, no, it`s not always a laughing matter.
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MOOS: The good news for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman is that he took off his nice jacket. The bad news is he`s about to get hit with a pie.
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ANDERSON: Come on, is that really a way to treat a prize-winning author? You`ve got to see these, the most shocking, the most over the top pie in the face moments. And they were all caught on tape. Sorry, calories are included.
OK. I think Madonna is really dumping her career, her charity work. Tonight, she`s opening up about something very personal, very emotional, her battle to adopt her African baby. You know, she`s really taking a lot of heat for this. I really don`t understand why, though. That`s coming up next.
ANDERSON: Also, new right now, my exclusive interview with Bobby Brown. You cannot miss this. I get Bobby to reveal some explosive things about his rocky marriage to Whitney Houston. It`s the interview you`ll see only right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Keep it here.
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MOOS: The good news for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Thomas Friedman is that he took off his nice jacket. The bad news is, he`s about to get hit with a pie.
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ANDERSON: Oh, pie. I mean, oh my. Now, is that any way to treat an award-winning journalist? Well, there have been so many of these outrageous moments. The most over the top pie in the face shockers all caught on tape. I`ve got them, coming up.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Those shocking pie in the face moments in just a bit.
But first, there are two big stories that are new right now that we`ve just got to talk about. Only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - my exclusive interview with Bobby Brown. He`s setting the record straight once and for all about his tell-all book about his marriage to ex-wife Whitney Houston.
And Madonna is opening up tonight about her grueling adoption process in Malawi for baby David. And why she wouldn`t hesitate to do it all over again.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Howard Bragman, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. In New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Tru TV`s "Hollywood Heat."
Ashleigh, Howard, I want to begin with Bobby Brown and his son, Landon. They have been starring on MTV`s "Rock the Cradle." This reality show features kids of famous music stars competing for a record deal.
I just spoke with Bobby and he exclusively set the record straight about his upcoming autobiography that reportedly includes some wild claims about his ex-wife, Whitney Houston. Listen to what he says.
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BOBBY BROWN, MUSICIAN: This book is therapy for me. It really has nothing to do with my ex-wife. She`s mentioned, but it`s not in a negative way at all. Because I don`t feel we have a negative marriage.
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ANDERSON: That`s good to hear. But Howard, how can he say it has nothing to do with his ex-wife when she was such a major part of his life for so long?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Well, I think he said it. I think he said it his book. It`s his point of view and it`s his perspective. And while there`s two people in any relationship, Brooke, or more, in this case, he`s talking about his point of view and how everything went through his head and is filtered.
So I think he has the right to do that. I think he has a right to take this moment and say, "Here`s my take on my life, my relationship and my marriage." And it`s a very personal and as he said, a very cathartic thing. So I respect that he`s doing that.
ANDERSON: Yes, he was very forthcoming about it. And in my exclusive interview with him, I also asked him about his comments saying his marriage to Whitney was doomed from the very beginning. Listen to what he had to say about that.
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BROWN: In other people`s eyes, that`s what it was, you know. You`ve got to read - like I just said, read the book because you`re just picking pieces out of what I said. There`s other parts to it, you know, that connects it and lets you know what I mean by doomed from the beginning.
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ANDERSON: Now, Whitney is refusing to comment on the reported details of the book. But Ashleigh, I would have to imagine that after this thing comes out, she may feel a little pressure to do an interview to tell her side of the story. What do you think?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, "HOLLYWOOD HEAT": Well, as much as I would love to hear from her as a journalist, I really don`t want to hear from her about this. Because there is a 15-year-old daughter here. And I wish Bobby Brown would shut his trap.
This is mean. Listen, they may have some private issues, but there`s absolutely no need to air dirty laundry like this. And with all due respect, I love you, Howard Bragman. But I really think that when he comes out and he says he married her and she married him for different reasons, specifically she was a lesbian to cover up. There is a child here. And it`s devastating to see this. I hate it when stars go public with their private lives like this.
ANDERSON: But Howard, you disagree even though they are parents of a teenage girl?
BRAGMAN: You know, everybody has their right to say their point of view. I`m not sitting here saying, go out and get the hateful personal information out there. But what I`m saying is tell your point of view in an appropriate way. And if he said something that is not true, he`s going to have to defend that, I suspect, in a court of law.
And I think it`s sad that it`s deteriorated to the point that he needs to talk about this in a book. And I think that`s the saddest part. I think catharsis, while it may be good, it`s something probably best done in the therapist office as opposed to in a bookstore.
BANFIELD: Amen. Absolutely.
ANDERSON: Maybe not on the bookshelves. All right, well, we`ll leave that there for now. I do want to move on to another story that is new right now.
Madonna was in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival to premiere her documentary, "I Am Because We Are." It`s about children in Malawi who are orphaned because of AIDS. Now, she really opened up to Ann Curry about her grueling adoption of baby David. Listen to what she said.
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MADONNA, POP STAR: For the last 18 months, I`ve been a foster parent. I have been visited by social workers who come in to the house and make sure that you are being a good parent, ask you all kinds of invasive questions. And you have to put up with it and endure it. And you know, I`ve been fingerprinted about 20 times and undergone psychological evaluations.
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ANDERSON: Ashleigh, 10 seconds. Do you think this will finally put to rest the speculation by all those nay-sayers who say Madonna did it for a publicity stunt?
BANFIELD: No, I`ve never appreciated the people who said that. I think she`s a great woman. I think she`s doing great things. And she`s bringing a wonderful light to this very needy cause.
ANDERSON: I concur. Ashleigh Banfield, Howard Bragman, thank you both.
All right. Well, some people like to make pies, some like to eat them and then others, well, like to throw them. Personally, I like the eating. But tonight, it`s all about the throwing. You`ve got to see this. I`ve got the most outrageous, the most over the top, pie in the face moments all caught on tape. Let me tell you, this is no pie in the sky story. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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MOOS (voice over): The good news for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Friedman is that he took off his nice jacket. Bad news is he`s about to get hit with a pie.
(on camera): You know, it wasn`t really a pie. It was more like a pie shell filled with whipped cream colored green on her birthday.
(voice over): Environmentalists calling themselves "The Green Washed Gorillas" carried out a pie toss at Brown University and posted it on the Internet. A female student got caught, the man did not. What Thomas Friedman got was a sympathetic round of applause.
He also got a laugh for trying to make light of the incident while you could tell he was really mad by the way he tossed that hanky. This pie throwing hanky panky has been going on forever. Targets range from then- head of Proctor and Gamble -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Proctor and Gamble poisons the animals. Shame on you.
MOOS: To the then -secretary of agriculture.
DAN GLICKMAN, FORMER SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE: It wasn`t a very balanced meal she threw.
MOOS: The truly classic pies in the face get thrown over and over on the Web. Do they direct it at Bill Gates` sore need of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), after he used to campaign them.
ANITA BRYANT: Well, at least it`s a fruit pie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let`s pray for him right now, Anita. Let`s pray.
BRYANT: Father, we want to thank you.
MOOS: First, her husband prayed, then we went out splattered one of the pie throwers with their own pie. Protesters love to post the pie jobs on YouTube and hid the face of the person throwing the pie. And a Fox reporter, covering anti-Iraq War demonstrations. Reporter Jennifer Jolly was anything but -
JENNIFER JOLLY, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Who`s the coward? Who did that? Why don`t you come and talk to me in my face!
MOOS: Usually, it`s the pie throwers who tend to be left leaning and going after conservatives like Anne Coulter.
COULTER: You`ve taken away the terrorism and liberals with me.
MOOS: Which was what made the attack on "New York Times" columnist Thomas Friedman different. He tends to be a hard-to-label, hawkish liberal. Friedman did finish his speech. But he didn`t do what Ralph Nader once did, give his attackers a piece of his mind as well as a piece of their pie.
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ANDERSON: Anybody else kind of hungry now. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, Mariah Carey has some egg on her face on "Good Morning, America." I think she`s extremely talented, looks terrific, but everybody`s talking about an awkward Mimi moment. Was it really a startling lip synching disaster ala Ashlee Simpson. Judge for yourself, next.
Now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time. Just download our podcast. It`s totally free. Check it out on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or download it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in the search box. Playing right now is a revealing inside look at all those star gossip Web sites. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.
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ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. It`s time now for "Making It Work." Now, this is where we take a look at stars who find a way to build a strong relationship in Hollywood, which, as we know, isn`t easy.
Tonight, Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio certainly fit the bill. They`ve been married nearly 30 years. I sat down with Gloria and asked her what their secret is.
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GLORIA ESTEFAN, SINGER: We`re very different. We`re polar, but at the same time, we love the same things. We have the same value systems; the same things are important. Family is number one. Same priorities. We rarely differ on music or business. And so there`s not much room for argument there. We`re just - we`re very, very lucky. We are very much in love. And we make our own rules, pretty much.
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ANDERSON: Hey, don`t forget Gloria`s super-successful career. She just took home two Billboard Latin Music awards including best female tropical album of the year for "90 Millas."
All right. Did Mariah Carey have a startling Ashlee Simpson moment on Friday`s "Good Morning, America"? Take a look at this.
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ANDERSON: Uh-oh. Looks like somebody is going to get yelled at. The play button was pushed too early or late, or something like that on Mimi`s backing for "Touch My Body." But she worked right through it. And unlike Ashleigh Simpson`s lip synching jigs "Saturday Night Live" disaster back in 2004, Mariah actually sang her song.
By the way, GMA didn`t have any comment on what happened. They just said that they were thrilled to have Mariah on the show.
On Thursday, I asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Star Jones` Divorce: Does she deserve privacy?" But right after she divorce from Al Reynolds, it came out that she`s coming back to TV. Coincidence? I mean Star hasn`t exactly been the most private person. Remember her over-the-top, completely sponsored wedding?
Well, your fired up E-mails came pouring in. 41 percent of you say yes, she does deserve privacy. But 59 percent say no.
The E-mails - Reid from Washington is on Star`s side, "Leave her alone. Divorce is hard enough without the media trying to create the typical circus atmosphere."
But Bob from Massachusetts doesn`t buy it, "We were all subjected to Star Jones` engagement, planning and wedding. It was forced down our throats. Now, she`s hit a rocky time and wants privacy? Oh no, Star, you started the publicity whoring. Live with it now, good or bad."
And that`s a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks for watching. 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 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
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