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Showbiz Tonight
Paula Abdul Dazed; Miley`s Photo Shoot Could Be The Best Thing She`s Done; Lynn Toler Talks About The Colemans; Celebrities` Lame Excuses
Aired April 30, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: The judge who could make or break Gary Coleman`s troubled marriage is right here. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a blockbuster new million-dollar offer to the hooker caught up in the sex scandal that took down New York`s governor. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now. On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Paula Abdul, dazed and confused.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAULA ABDUL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: Oh, my god, I thought you sang twice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, what in the world is wrong with Paula Abdul? Did the "American Idol" judge totally lose it on live TV? Well, it wouldn`t be the first time. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Paula`s unbelievable mistake and the burning question - has Paula become a joke?
Tonight, brand-new twists in the Miley Cyrus half-nude photo scandal. Tonight as the outrage over the "Vanity Fair" spread rages on, "Time" magazine names Miley one of the most influential people in the world. Yes, the world. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals why posing half-nude may be one of the best things Miley Cyrus could have done.
Plus, the worst celebrity excuses ever. The ridiculous claims stars make when they make themselves look ridiculous. You will not want to miss this showbiz special report.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood, where tonight, there is a million-dollar offer on the table to the hooker caught up in the scandal that took down New York`s governor. And it comes from the "Girls Gone Wild" guru that she is suing for $10 million. The stunning offer, coming up.
HAMMER: Stunning, indeed, Brooke. But first, tonight, Paula`s big mistake. Paula Abdul and "American Idol" went into major damage control mode today after Paula did something so unbelievably wacky on "Idol" Tuesday night. I can tell you that if she was a contestant, she would have been voted off the show. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the fallout from the Paula mistake that could be best called "Dazed and Confused".
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: This is officially the strangest show we`ve ever done.
HAMMER: Now that`s a rare understatement from "American Idol`s" Simon Cowell, because all of America is talking about his fellow judge Paula Abdul`s biggest ever on-air goof. And that`s saying something.
KIM SERAFIN, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": She certainly has had some moments in the past where people wonder what`s going on? Is she paying attention? Is she really here with us tonight?
HAMMER: Paula`s moment came during Tuesday`s live edition of "American Idol" after contestant Jason Castro finished performing.
Paula`s critique of Jason`s performance started off safely enough.
ABDUL: Jason, the first song - I loved hearing your lower register which we never really hear.
HAMMER: But listen to Paula as she continues.
ABDUL: The second song, I felt like your usual charm wasn`t - it was missing from -
HAMMER: For those of you playing along at home, we should point out that at this point, Jason has only sung one song yet Paula is critiquing his second song which he wasn`t going to perform until six minutes into the future.
And yet Paula continued critiquing the second song. Who cares if she was six minutes early?
ABDUL: The two songs made me feel like you`re not fighting hard enough to get into the top four.
SERAFIN: You heard people in the audience start to laugh, too, because nobody had heard a second song. Simon`s face is the funniest thing to watch. Because you could just tell he`s just like, I cannot believe this is happening.
HAMMER: Fortunately, Randy came to Paula`s rescue.
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: That was just on the first song. Just on the first song.
ABDUL: It thought - Oh, my god, I thought you sang twice.
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: Paula, you`re seeing the future, baby. You`re seeing the future. Come on back.
HAMMER: Wow, so Paula`s a singer, a dancer and now she`s unveiling another talent - psychic. That has a nice ring to it.
ABDUL: Simon, I don`t have probably seeing anything in front of your face.
HAMMER: Even before Paula`s mental time warp, Paula Abdul`s on-air behavior has become, to be polite, reliably erratic lately.
ABDUL: Please, I`m trying to tell a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story.
HAMMER: In her Bravo reality show, "Hey, Paula," she famously freaked out over a lost job.
ABDUL: I can`t -
SERAFIN: Any publicity is good publicity.
HAMMER: And YouTube users remember last year when video of Paula slurring through a TV interview became an Internet sensation.
ABDUL: Seattle had the best delusional people.
HAMMER: Paula blamed that one on lack of sleep and technical problems.
ABDUL: The second song -
HAMMER: As for her excuse for Tuesday`s gaffe, Abdul told Ryan Seacrest`s radio show that changes in the show`s format caused her to mess up the note she writes on each contestant.
ABDUL (on the radio): I got lost on my notes. And that`s as simple as it was.
HAMMER: Really? That simple? Kim Serafin of "In Touch Weekly" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Paula`s antics are part of the show.
SERAFIN: That`s sort of the role she plays in the show. That`s the character. She`s the one who maybe seems like a little bit of space cadet every now and then. But that`s why we love her. It`s what`s endearing about her.
HAMMER: But with "American Idol`s" ratings falling in this its seventh season and Paula Abdul`s contract expiring next year, it makes you wonder if Paula has become a joke that "American Idol`s" producers no longer find funny. Oh well, if the worst were to happen, at least Paula has another potential career to fall back on. Oooh!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Oh, you just can`t make this stuff up. So has Paula Abdul become such a joke at this point on "American Idol" that she should be canned?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, correspondent for the syndicated TV show, "Extra," and Ashlan Gorse, host of "E! News Now." Carlos, let me fire off with you. What do you think? Has Paula become a joke?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Hold on, I`m sorry. I`ve got Seattle in my ear. Hold on. Give me a second here, A.J. No, listen, A.J., in all seriousness, I want to commend you on that Miley Cyrus story you`re about to do in about six minutes. Oh, wait, it hasn`t happened yet. I`m sorry.
HAMMER: Yes, but we have our future cam lined up and ready to go. Did you see that?
DIAZ: Here`s the thing. It`s Paula Abdul. I mean it`s been seven seasons. Is this worse she`s done? I`m surprised she didn`t do anything worse than this earlier like, "Hey, Carrie Underwood, you`re the winner. Oh, is that too soon."
But the thing is, it`s Paula. And what surprised me was, and this is a testament to the three other guys in the show. Randy came to her defense. Simon came to her defense. Ryan was right there.
This is a moment that "American Idol" needed this season for people to start talking about "American Idol" again. You want people to start watching "American Idol?" Maybe you should stop playing Neil Diamond`s music and maybe get to, like, maybe some younger music. Then we get the ratings back up. That`s just my two cents.
HAMMER: Yes. But look at her. It looks like her head`s about to explode. I mean, seriously. What do you think, Ashlan? I realize that wackiness is part of who Paula Abdul is and part of her repertoire. But has she, at this point, really become the punch line on "American Idol"?
ASHLAN GORSE, HOST, "E! NEWS NOW": Oh, of course. Every show needs comic relief and you can`t make fun of the contestants. Ryan Seacrest can only make funny banter with Simon, oh so much before Simon snaps back. So Paula really is the only outlet they have.
And it`s great because she is a sure thing. You always know she`s going to say something completely - you can`t understand what she`s saying or it`s funny and completely off topic. So she is their punch line.
HAMMER: Well, if you`ll permit me, your honors, I would like to, one more time, take a look at exhibit A. Let us look at this evidence once again. What happened when Paula Abdul was asked to critique Jason Castro?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL: Jason, the first song - I loved hearing your lower register, which we never really hear. The second song, I felt like your usual charm - it was missing - it left me a little empty.
JACKSON: It`s just on the first song. Just on the first one. Just on the first one.
ABDUL: I thought - oh, my god, I thought you sang twice.
HAMMER: Yes. Head ready to explode. All right. Carlos, it`s clear to me that while Randy and Simon didn`t at all get confused, Paula clearly lost. Should we just be cutting her a break? Or really, now, I want you to think about this and take it seriously. Was this just unacceptable because truly, there`s a lot at stake here?
DIAZ: You make a good point there. You do have five careers on the line and they were on the line last night. But it`s Paula Abdul. I mean I was surprised that she actually critiqued someone last night rather than give the normal, "Your hair looks great. You`ve got a beautiful soul" comment that she always gives. It`s Paula Abdul. Randy is the guy who says stuff, you know. He`s the middle of the road guy. Paula is the nice person, and Simon`s the venom. There`s your stack right there. And it`s Paula Abdul, you just can`t keep saying that over and over again.
HAMMER: Well, as I mentioned, Paula went into major damage control mode. First thing in the morning after all this happened, she went on Ryan Seacrest`s morning radio show to explain what happened, at least in her mind. Let`s listen to that again.
ABDUL (on the radio): When you came to me, I just started looking at what I`m writing down. I go, "We have never had to do this before and I was reading the critique of what I was writing for Jason Castro and on the same page that I wrote was also David. And I got lost on my notes. And that`s as simple as it was.
HAMMER: She sounds consistent in her confusion. Ashlan, what Paula says may in fact be the case. But really, moving forward, doesn`t this really hurt Paula`s credibility as an "American Idol" judge?
GORSE: OK, in her defense, I`m actually going to say this. They did change the line-up of the show in the very beginning, and it was the first - Right before they went on air, they knew they were going to be heavy. So instead of doing, you know, all of the critiquing right up where they`re saying they have them all singing their first song and then critiqued. That was something new for all the judges.
Yes, the other judges were able to run with it. But Paula wasn`t. So I will say that in her defense. But, you know, this was a big mistake for her. Yes, she got confused. But you know what? She was really, really, really confused. So take it as you want.
HAMMER: When I suggested that it looked like her head was going to explode, I`m going it for the third time, I did mention. Ashlan Gorse, Carlos Diaz, I thank you both for being here tonight.
GORSE: Thanks.
ANDERSON: And remember, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime you want. We are always posting new stuff for you to watch. That`s at our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Playing right now, the revealing inside story about the Miley Cyrus photo scandal.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., you know, when I heard that Gary Coleman got married, I thought, great, I`m so happy for him. But now, I hear that he`s having a lot of marital problems.
HAMMER: Well, I hope he works it out, Brooke. Because I just think Gary`s a nice guy. He`s a cool guy.
ANDERSON: Yes, and these problems are serious. We`re talking sex issues, fighting, even a battle over whether he and his wife will have kids. They are taking it to court, TV`s "Divorce Court." I know, that sounds really wild. Next, the judge who could make or break their marriage is right here.
HAMMER: So many people with so many opinions about this whole shocking Miley Cyrus half-nude photo scandal. I want you to hear me out on this. Will this actually help, yes, I`m saying help, Miley`s career. Our fired-up panel is tearing into that.
We will also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA SHELTON, "FRANGELA": When Ashlee Simpson got caught lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live," what I hear is she went through a series of excuses. Do you remember? I`m sure it`s the band`s fault.
FRANCES CALLIER, "FRANGELA": Right, right, right.
SHELTON: Then it was acid reflux.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes. Boy, that was lame. And also Ashlee`s sister, Jessica, Paris Hilton, Russell Crow - you`ve got to hear their pathetic attempts to explain their screw-ups. The worst celebrity excuses ever. It`s my showbiz special report.
HAMMER: But first we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, and here it is - Miley Cyrus: Will her photo scandal actually help her career?" Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to vote, or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GARY COLEMAN, STAR OF "DIFFERENT STROKES": (UNINTELLIGIBLE) stop it because I`m 40 years old and ...
SHANNON PRICE, WIFE OF GARY COLEMAN: I can`t take it.
COLEMAN: I can`t do this for another 30 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Gary Coleman and his wife take off the gloves on TV`s "Divorce Court" trying to save their not even one-year-old marriage.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, "Different Strokes" star, 40-year-old Gary Coleman is desperately trying to save his marriage and he`s doing it in an extraordinary way, by going on TV`s "Divorce Court." Coleman and his 22- year-old wife of just eight months are opening up about really serious stuff - sex, fighting and whether or not to have kids.
With me tonight in Phoenix, Arizona is the Honorable Judge Lynn Toler from "Divorce Court" who will help decide whether their marriage will make it. Judge Toler, welcome. And I have to say, when we first saw these two after they got married, a lot of people said, "Are you kidding me?" They seemed like an unlikely couple. I`m just going to get that out of the way. And now that they`ve come to you, they`re airing their dirty laundry on "Divorce Court." Why?
JUDGE LYNN TOLER, "DIVORCE COURT": They`re doing it because Gary likes my show and he liked my advice. And he thought that they were having trouble because everybody has trouble the first year. It`s usually the roughest. And he said, "Let me try to get ahead of the game and try to work it out before it gets too ugly." So he came.
ANDERSON: Good for him for being proactive and for taking that step. And it has been a rough first year for them - hasn`t even been a year since they`ve gotten married. Yet, they say that they fight all the time. So definitely, the honeymoon is over. They say they have huge fights at least once a month. Gary says it can`t be helped and here`s what happened on your show, "Divorce Court."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLEMAN: I`m telling her, stop this, you know where it`s going. And then, she thinks I`m going to go outside and find some other woman to hang out with every time I leave the house after an argument.
TOLER: Sit in the chair where she`ll see you. You can`t be having sex in the chair right in front of her.
No, but I have to be in the argument as long as I`m in the house.
TOLER: No, you don`t. No, you don`t. Speak not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Speak not, Judge Toler, is what you say. Do you get any sense that Gary Coleman is capable of keeping his mouth shut?
TOLER: I think he is, but I think he does what a lot of people do as they think, "Because I have a rational argument, I must speak." And they don`t think about the emotional side of it before they open their mouths. What I try to do is get him to shift gears before they get started and deal with the emotional side, because she`s 22. And 22 is what that is. I remember 22.
There`s a lot of gap in emotion emotional knowledge there and all of that. So you don`t have to argue. But the first fight you always have to have is with yourself, not with your spouse. Make sure you`re coming from the right spot. He`s got to be the older guy. He`s got to be the more mature one. And he`s got to take it and set the tone.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, one of the major problems in this marriage happens to be his hot temper. Take a listen to what his wife, Shannon Price, says that he does when he gets really upset.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOLER: Ms. Price, let`s talk about Mr. Coleman for a moment. You say he`s got anger issues.
PRICE: Yes. If he doesn`t get his way, he throws a temper tantrum like a five-year-old does. And he, like, stomps the floor and he`s like (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He starts throwing stuff around and he bashes his head on the wall, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He bashes his head into walls. You know, Shannon has also said in the past he literally throws things like fax machines out of frustration. Judge Toler, does this go beyond marital advice? Does he also need a little therapy, maybe a psychiatrist here?
TOLER: Well, that`s what I always say to people. Marriage doesn`t solve anything. And if you have issues going into the marriage, they just get magnified because you`re laying those issues on top of your marriage and on top of your spouse.
And I talked to him and I told him - I said he needs to deal with how he deals with what has happened to him because he`s angry. He`s been angry for a long time. He has a right to be angry. But he also has the ability not to be angry and he has to do something about that. If he needs to see somebody, he needs to do something about that. And honestly, I think he understood.
ANDERSON: You know, he also made some confessions about himself. He said that he wants the world for her and he can`t bring it to her and that he doesn`t feel financially secure and that he feels like he`s wasting her time. Judge Toler, based on what you saw, can it be saved? Will it last? Are you positive here or are they going to get a divorce?
TOLER: I am a believer. I mean, you know ...
ANDERSON: Me, too.
TOLER: I`m a believer. Everybody`s got a shot at it. They`re going to have to work hard because they`ve got issues, but everybody`s got a shot.
ANDERSON: Well, I`m sure they appreciate your help. I hope it`s salvageable and that they can resolve their issues and be happy in the end. Judge Lynn Toler, thank you so much. Great to see you.
TOLER: thank you.
ANDERSON: And you can watch Gary Coleman make his case in a two-part special "Divorce Court" that airs this Thursday and Friday. Check your local listings.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. So some people are now saying that it might be time for "American Idol" to divorce Paula Abdul.
ANDERSON: I think that`s a little harsh. I`m going to defend her. She`s done great things for "Idol" over the past seven years.
HAMMER: I like Paula a lot. But I think she totally lost it on Tuesday night`s show. Everybody`s talking about this thing. And will it hurt the show? We`re wondering that as well. Should she be fired? It`s new right now and it`s coming up.
Also new right now, a startling new twist in the Miley Cyrus half-nude photo scandal. Listen to this. "Time" magazine has named her one of the most influential people in the world. Yes, I said the world. Tonight, I`ve got to ask - will those controversial "Vanity Fair" pictures actually turn out to be one of the best things Miley has done?
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELTON: When the rest of us mess up, we are just like, "I messed up."
CALLIER: Yes. I`m like, "You know what? My bad." The celebrities are like, "No, no. I have an excuse."
SHELTON: Oh, no. This is not my fault.
CALLIER: Yes. No, no, no. That wasn`t me. It was the booze.
SHELTON: Conditions around me.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hey, you know, there`s one thing that all stars seem to be good at, coming up with extremely lame excuses. Tonight, you`ve got to see my special report, the worst celebrities` excuses for the worst behavior ever.
HAMMER: Well, now you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT anytime by downloading our totally free podcast. You`ll find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast right there on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also download it on iTunes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Here are more stories that are new right now.
Shocking new details coming out from this Uma Thurman stalking trial that`s going on. According to testimony from two of Uma`s former employees, the man accused of stalking her kept showing up at her New York City home at odd hours, even left a startling note saying he would kill himself if he ever saw Uma with another man. This is really creepy stuff. Well, the defendant`s lawyer says his client needs psychiatric treatment but doesn`t belong behind bars.
The "Girls Gone Wild" founder is fighting back against the hooker involved in the scandal that brought down New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Yes, Joe Francis has released this tape that says - proves Ashlee Dupre agreed to be filmed by his company back in 2003. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you 18?
ASHLEE DUPRE, THE PROSTITUTE INVOLVED IN THE ELIOT SPITZER SCANDAL: Yes, I am.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know what "Girls Gone Wild" is?
DUPRE: Yes, I do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I use this on "Girls Gone Wild"?
DUPRE: Have I ever?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I use this on "Girls Gone Wild"?
DUPRE: Of course you can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, and she`s seems so happy, doesn`t she? Dupre`s suing Francis for $10 million saying she was exploited. But Francis tells us, if she drops the suit, he says he`ll give Ashlee a million bucks to be a "Girls Gone Wild" spokesperson.
I`ll tell you, Brooke. I think, of all people, Paula Abdul really needs a good spokesperson right about now. You obviously saw her performance on Tuesday`s "American Idol."
ANDERSON: I did see it, A.J. Completely bizarre. And now, some are asking a really serious question, will this hurt the show?
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. People are also asking this burning question, should she actually be fired? I`ve got a really heated debate and it is coming up next.
Another thing everyone all fired up over, Miley Cyrus` shocking half- nude photo in "Vanity Fair." But hear me out on this. With all the criticism she`s getting, I`ve got to ask, will this actually help - yes, I said help - her career? That is next.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELTON: When Ashlee Simpson got caught lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live," what I hear is she went through a series of excuses. Do you remember? I`m sure it`s the band`s fault.
CALLIER: Right, right, right.
SHELTON: Then it was acid reflux.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Can you say lame-o? Ashlee`s sister, Jessica, Paris Hilton, Russell Crow - you`ve got to hear pathetic attempts to explain their screw-ups. The worst celebrity excuses ever, my showbiz special report.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, has Paula Abdul become a joke? She makes a big mistake on "American Idol," totally losing it on live TV and leaving people scratching their heads and wondering, is it time for Paula to pack it in? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the idle chatter that has everyone reeling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELTON: When the rest of us mess up, we are just like, "I messed up."
CALLIER: Yes. I`m like, "You know what? My bad." The celebrities are like, "No, no. I have an excuse."
SHELTON: Oh, no. This is not my fault.
CALLIER: Yes. No, no, no. That wasn`t me. It was the booze.
SHELTON: Conditions around me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The lamest, most outrageous star excuses ever. Ashlee Simpson blames her lip syncing disaster on acid reflux. Nicole Richie blames her DUI on PMS. Do these stars think we were all born yesterday? Tonight, a showbiz special report, the worst celebrity excuses ever.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, new right now, two big Hollywood stories that has everyone buzzing. Miley Cyrus, just days after we learned of her half- nude "Vanity Fair" photo shoot is being named one of the most influential people in the world. Could the risque pictures actually help her career?
Also new right now, Paula Abdul`s wacky night on "American Idol" giving her strong opinion on a song performed by contestant Jason Castro. One problem - he hadn`t yet performed the song. Is Paula`s credibility and future in serious trouble?
With me again tonight from Hollywood, "Extra" correspondent, Carlos Diaz. Also in Hollywood, host of "E! News Now," Ashlan Gorse, and the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman.
You three all know that we have seen throughout the years of "American Idol," Paula Abdul crying, dancing in her seat, dancing on the floor, dancing on the ceiling. And every week, she sometimes makes these completely incoherent statements. But what she did Tuesday night has got to take the cake. Watch again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL: Jason, the first song - I loved hearing your lower register which we never really hear. The second song - I felt your usual charm wasn`t - it was missing. Kind of left me a little empty. And the two songs made me feel like you`re not fighting hard enough to get into the top four. So David Cook -
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: That was just on the first song. Just on the first song.
ABDUL: It thought - Oh, my god, I thought you sang twice.
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" HOST: Paula, you`re seeing the future, baby. You`re seeing the future. Come on back.
ABDUL: You know what? This is hard.
(CROSS TALK)
COWELL: OK. Paula. Paula. Who was your favorite? Who was your favorite?
ABDUL: OK. What?
COWELL: Who was your favorite? Paula, who was your favorite?
ABDUL: You know what? I`m looking at your notes, David. You were fantastic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. I could watch it over and over. All right. Psychic Paula says she got confused by her notes and the show`s format which got changed in the course of the night. Carlos, let me start with you. Given her past bizarre behavior, realistically, is Paula Abdul in danger of getting fired?
DIAZ: A week ago I`d say, no way. But now, all these knee-jerk reactions by "American Idol" changing the format of the show last night because the ratings are slipping a bit, come on. It`s still the number one show on TV. Millions of viewers are still hooked. Let`s not change the formula so much.
But I think what we saw last night with two things, you had Simon coming to Paula`s defense and you also had Paula actually critiquing people last night rather than saying, "I love you, I love your outfit, I love your hair. I love everything about you." She actually critiqued. So you can tell they`re trying to change things. But with Paula, not so fast, my friend.
HAMMER: All right. Howard Bragman, I know you used to represent Paula Abdul. I`ve always been a big Paula fan for what she does. Give us a little insight, Howard. Is what we saw just Paula being Paula or is there something else going on here?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: No, that`s just Paula being Paula. And I disagree with Carlos a little. I think this is great for the show. Here we are talking about it. It`s what we call in my business, a water cooler moment. I promise you, the ratings will be way up tonight to see wacky Paula. She`s just part of the show. If Paula was dull, it wouldn`t work at all.
And Paula - there`s different Paulas. When you`re with Paula, you`re going to have good Paula, you`re going to have bad Paula, you`re going to have coherent Paula and not-so-coherent Paula. So it`s really depends on the day. And it`s always interesting. That`s what I have to say about working with Paula. It`s always fun.
HAMMER: But a lot of people are saying, kind of like Carlos alluded to, that the "American Idol" producers seem to be scrambling here. Who knows? Maybe they do have in mind, "You know what? Paula is just not fitting anymore." I don`t know if that`s what they`re thinking. Ashlan, let me ask you. If Paula were to lose her job over this whole little bizarre incident, keep in mind, she doesn`t have a whole lot else going on. So is she cooked as far as her career is concerned?
GORSE: Well, as far as for this incident, there`s no way Paula`s going to get fired over this because, as Howard said, people tune in to kind of see her little missteps, to see the jokes. She`s kind of the butt of the show, you know, where everybody likes to make fun of her.
But if anything were to happen to "American Idol," she`s tried her own TV show - reality show, it didn`t get picked up. She has her song out right now. And she`s been trying, but "American Idol" is her point. If she doesn`t have "American Idol," then I don`t really know where else she`d go.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes. And the dance video thing not working out so well. Let`s move on to somebody else who is definitely not in danger of being a has-been - Miley Cyrus. Well, listen to this - just days after the whole "Vanity Fair" half-nude photo scandal, suggestions floating around that she actually did the smart thing by taking those pictures to position herself for a move from being a child star to being an adult superstar. A lot of people say it`s crazy to even think like that? What do you think, Carlos? Could this possibly have been the smartest thing she`s ever done?
DIAZ: No, she doesn`t have to be an adult yet, all right? And first off, I`m not that opposed to the photos. But what I`m telling you right now is I interviewed Miley last year at a "Harry Potter" premiere, no one knew who she was as far as like, the fanfare that she has now.
I watched the interview the other day. She walked up, really no one cheered. She walked down, no big deal. She`s a star now. She`s rising. Have a few summers of selling out tours. In `09, she`s got her book coming out. She`s got "Hannah Montana, The Movie." Be Hannah Montana for another year and a half before you start to transition into being that adult that you want to be.
HAMMER: Yes, I`m right there with you. I think the transition obviously has to come maybe a little too early at this point. The new issue "People" magazine naming Miley as one of the 100 most beautiful people in the world. Now, this list obviously made before the photo controversy. Ashlan, let me ask you. Is this further proof of the power of Miley and that really, despite this whole photo flap, she has nothing to worry about?
GORSE: One hundred percent. When you look at everybody else on the list, Miley is the youngest person. This is great. She`s reaching out to a different audience that doesn`t know her, that doesn`t really watch Disney. Of course, everybody knows who Miley Cyrus is.
But this, at least, is giving her exposure to movie producers, to people in the business seat, the companies, you know, maybe she could be a spokesperson for. It reaches out to a different demographic and shows her that she`s versatile and she`s not just "Hannah Montana."
HAMMER: Yes. Really good point. And listen to this, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has also learned Miley is going to be named one of the most influential people in the world when "Time" does its annual 100 list. Howard Bragman, again, this list made before the photo controversy. But doesn`t it also reinforce that the 15-year-old "Hannah Montana star," nothing to worry about?
BRAGMAN: Absolutely. As I`ve said all along, this was a skinned knee, not a broken leg. And this controversy will pass. And it wasn`t a good controversy. It wasn`t a planned controversy. And you look at "People" magazine, you look at "Time" magazine, she`s huge. She`s a billion-dollar industry in herself. She has music, books, merchandise, television, film. There are actors who died without having this sort of career. I mean she should be thrilled and she`s going to be a talented girl for a long time.
HAMMER: Howard Bragman said not a planned controversy. I`m marking that one down if there`s something that comes up in the future. Let me get to this.
BRAGMAN: I plan plenty of them.
HAMMER: I know. I know. Donny Osmond, of course, former teen idol himself, had a tough time making that transition from the squeaky clean idol to an adult star. But he wrote some sage words of advice to Miley in the upcoming "Time" magazine.
I want to read it to you - "Miley Cyrus is riding a huge tidal wave at the pinnacle of her career. I hope she enjoys it. I guarantee there will be many bumps in the road ahead. She`ll want to change her image, and that change will be met with adversity. Trust me. I`ve seen this all play out before. It`s the same ball game, just different players in a different time."
Interesting, written before the photo flap, Carlos. And Donny has it right, doesn`t he?
DIAZ: Donny saying she`s at the pinnacle of her career?
HAMMER: Not that point. Not that point.
DIAZ: I know. I understand. I understand. It`s she is going to have bumps along the road. He would know. He`s had several pockets where he kind of went away for a while. You`ve got to give him credit for longevity. But if you`re going to listen to anyone, it would be Donny Osmond because of the fact that he`s been around for so long after being a child star.
HAMMER: Yes, I think it was simple, but really great advice. And you can pick up the new issues of "People" magazine and "Time" magazine so you can read Donny`s quote. They`ll both be on newsstands this Friday. Carlos Diaz, Ashlan Gorse, Howard Bragman, I thank you all.
We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Miley Cyrus: Will her photo scandal actually help her career?" Let us know how you feel about this at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You could always E-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: You know, A.J., Miley said she thought the photo shoot was going to be artistic and then she said she was embarrassed about it. Are you buying it?
HAMMER: You know, kind of. I can see that maybe that`s what was going through her mind. But I have to say I`m glad she didn`t come up with some, you know, wild excuse like maybe the sun was in her eyes and she didn`t know what was going on.
ANDERSON: Yes, good point, you mean she didn`t pull an Ashlee Simpson?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHELTON: When Ashlee Simpson got caught lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live," what I hear is she went through a series of excuses. Do you remember? I`m sure it`s the band`s fault.
CALLIER: Right, right, right.
SHELTON: Then it was acid reflux.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, Ashlee. Yes, that was one classic. But it`s just the beginning. I`m amazed by what the stars think we`ll believe when they mess up. Coming up, a showbiz special report, the worst celebrity excuses ever.
HAMMER: Also, Jessica Simpson says she has found love. And we`re all very happy for her. She says there`s something about Tony Romo that makes him a better match for her than Nick Lachey or John Mayer. I`ll tell you what that is, coming up.
ANDERSON: And David Blaine goes for a world record live on "Oprah." The magician tried to set a new record for holding his breath and it was all broadcast live during "The Oprah Winfrey Show." So did he do it? You`re going to have to stick around to find out. That`s coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. It`s time now for our showbiz special report, the worst celebrity excuses ever. Remember when Ashlee Simpson blamed her "SNL" lip syncing disaster on acid reflux?
Yes, well, that was just the tip of the iceberg. Time and again, stars come up with excuses for their mess-ups that are way beyond things like "The dog ate my homework." So, sit back, relax and get ready to hear some of the lamest, most outrageous ways to weasel out of a mistake. It`s a showbiz special report, the worst celebrity excuses of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): It was the lip syncing Milli Vanilli moment Ashlee Simpson will never forget on "Saturday Night Live." And she is just one of many celebrities whose excuses we are dissecting, cutting, slicing, dicing and picking apart.
A recording of Simpson`s vocals came on while her band broke into a completely different song. She did a crazy jig and left stage. Ashlee was all full of excuse for what happened, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes to comedy duo, Frangela, for the worst excuse, play by play.
SHELTON: When Ashlee Simpson got caught lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live," what I hear is she went through a series of excuses. Do you remember? I`m sure it`s the band`s fault.
CALLIER: Right, right, right.
SHELTON: Then it was acid reflux.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
ANDERSON: But why the excuses? Why didn`t Ashlee just fess up that she messed up?
SHELTON: When the rest of us mess up, we are just like, "I messed up."
CALLIER: Yes. I`m like, "You know what? My bad." The celebrities are like, "No, no. I have an excuse."
SHELTON: Oh, no. This is not my fault.
CALLIER: Yes. No, no, no. That wasn`t me. It was the booze.
SHELTON: Conditions around me.
CALLIER: Yes, yes.
ANDERSON: And conditions for Ashlee`s older sister, Jessica, proved to be just too nerve-wracking when she blundered her way through a prestigious tribute to country music legend Dolly Parton, mumbling that her nerves got the best of her as she exited the stage.
SHELTON: This is what I don`t understand. Jessica Simpson can actually sing.
CALLIER: Yes. Now, we expect Ashlee to mess up. Not Jessica. She had a meltdown. I mean, she lost it. She sang the song and then she was like -
SHELTON: I`m sorry. I was nervous.
CALLIER: Yes. I`ve seen better on, like, you know -
SHELTON: Like children.
CALLIER: Yes.
SHELTON: Child pageants.
CALLIER: Yes. And "American Idol."
ANDERSON: What`s with America`s idols giving the media these lame, ridiculous excuse when they screw up? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went right to PR expert, Howard Bragman.
BRAGMAN: I think we have to be really clear that we live in the age of spin, and we`re not in an era of personal responsibilities. And celebrities have jumped on this bandwagon. And instead of saying here`s what happened and then I apologize, they come up with the outrageous explanations that really don`t have any credence and make them look even more ridiculous.
ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that even more ridiculous is when Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe offered one of the worst excuses ever when he hurled a phone at a hotel employee in New York City. The star from down under claimed he lost his cool when he couldn`t phone home to his wife from his cell phone.
CALLIER: I mean, how much pressure is Russell Crowe`s wife putting on him when he throws a phone at somebody because he can`t get a line home?
SHELTON: Also, that`s Naomi Campbell`s weapon of choice.
CALLIER: Really. Get yourself another thing, Russell.
SHELTON: Use a PDA; use something different.
CALLIER: Yes.
SHELTON: Be creative.
ANDERSON: And known for her creativity on and off the screen, Oscar- nominated actress Winona Ryder told police she was doing research for a role when they arrested her for shoplifting. Yes, right. She was later convicted.
SHELTON: I`m doing a role called, "crazy stealer."
CALLIER: Yes?
SHELTON: I`m the lead. About character work.
CALLIER: Right, right.
SHELTON: I`m going to try to use that. Really.
CALLIER: See how far we get.
ANDERSON: So do these excuses go very far? Is it better sometimes to just shut up?
BRAGMAN: If it`s something really egregious, maybe she should just shut up and not offer an explanation because maybe the explanation is the most obvious one and you don`t want to go there.
ANDERSON: But still, there are celebrities who did go there when they were arrested for driving while under the influence. We are, of course, talking about Paris Hilton whose excuse was she was exhausted and besides, she only had one drink. And then, there was her "Simple Life" co-star, Nicole Richie, who told police she was taking Vicodin for stomach cramps and when she was pulled over for driving erratically.
SHELTON: I think we cannot continually be using menstrual cramps as an excuse. And when you use it for that, it makes it hard to use it for smaller things.
CALLIER: Yes. Like murder.
SHELTON: Right.
ANDERSON: While never arrested for DUI, Britney Spears did get in trouble when she was caught driving with her baby son, Sean Preston, perched precariously on her lap instead of in a car seat. Her excuse - she was being chased by the paparazzi.
SHELTON: I don`t know how it helps to have your child in your lap. I can`t have my purse on the lap and drive. You will put a baby on you lap?
CALLIER: Yes. What if he slides down between the pedals, Britney?
SHELTON: That`s why they made that safety seat and they call it that - a child safety seat.
ANDERSON: And hasn`t Britney learned by now that taking a backseat and passing on a poor excuse is best for your career?
BRAGMAN: Very often, a poor excuse is worse than no excuse. I mean, it really becomes laughable. And in this era of blogs and this era of YouTube, the bad excuses get played again and again and again, and actually are a lot more amusing than what happened in the first place.
ANDERSON: And to this day, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is still waiting for Britney to give us an excuse, any excuse, for her now infamous shot video shot by her ex, Kevin Federline. Britney, when you burp, you are supposed to say excuse me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Jessica Simpson is making no excuses these days for how she`s living her life. She says she`s happy and completely in love with her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.
And in an interview with "Glamour" magazine, Jessica took a lot of time to think this crazy. Jess says that she finds it much easier to date an athlete after high-profile relationships with musicians Nick Lachey and John Mayer. She says there`s too much competition with another musician.
Jessica also credits Tony with making her feel comfortable being herself again, that she doesn`t feel that she has to be more intellectual, deeper or even more profound. She says, quote, "This article could come out and Tony and I could be broken up, but he still deserves all the accolades for bringing me back to who I am. I`m in love, yes. Big time."
HAMMER: For more with Jessica Simpson, grab a copy of "Glamour" magazine. It will be on newsstands, May 6.
ANDERSON: Hey, listen to this. David Blaine goes for a world record live on "Oprah." The magician tried to set a new record for holding his breath and it was all broadcast live during "The Oprah Winfrey Show." So did he do it? That`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You don`t want to miss that.
HAMMER: Now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT anytime by downloading our podcast. It`s totally free. You`ll find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast right there at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also get it on iTunes. Type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. We`ll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. David Blaine broke a world record live on the "Oprah" show. The magician fulfilled his life-long dream of breaking the record for holding his breath right there in Oprah`s studio. The record he broke was set in Switzerland in February. He held his breath for 16 minutes and 32 seconds. Blaine held his breath for 17 minutes and four seconds, unbelievable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 17 minutes -
(APPLAUSE)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": David Blaine has set a new world record - 17 minutes, 4 seconds. 17 minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations.
WINFREY: 17 minutes, 4.4 seconds. Broke the world record.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That guy`s got some lungs, doesn`t he? Interesting side note here, Oprah`s boyfriend Stedman was in the audience. Oprah said in 22 years, other than her 50th birthday party show, David Blaine`s stunt was the first time he ever wanted to be in the audience.
HAMMER: I got brain damage just looking at that.
All right. On Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Miley Cyrus Photo Scandal: Do you feel sorry for her?" Look at the vote here: 28 percent of you said yes; 72 percent of you, not so sorry.
Here are some of the E-mails we got. We heard from Savannah in North Carolina. Savannah writes, "I feel so sorry her! People are putting too much stock in this child."
We also heard from Valerie in New York. Valerie writes, "I feel sorry for all the little girls and all the rest of us who supported her. I feel the pictures border on pornography. I thought she was different."
We appreciate your E-mails. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Hey, remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 1:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Take care.
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