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Showbiz Tonight
No House Arrest for Nick Hogan; Gina Gershon Denies Clinton Relations; Drugs and Fame
Aired June 03, 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: A Hollywood actress is saying she did not have sex with former President Clinton. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And your first look at Jennifer Aniston in "Just Not into You." I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the heated Hogan outrage. Hulk Hogan`s son, Nick, makes an outrageous request. He wants to be let out of jail early.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARC MALKIN, "E! ONLINE": His lawyers are saying that he has lost 10 pounds and that this is cruel and unusual punishment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, why even Nick`s own mother wants him to stay in jail for nearly killing his friend in a car crash. And wait until you see in here what the attorneys for the family of Nick`s friend have to say. It`s the headline-making explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Has Tatum O`Neal made a shocking drug confession? Tatum reportedly tells all after getting busted for allegedly buying crack cocaine. What`s the real reason she tried to buy drugs? And is she really glad she got arrested? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with breaking new details of Tatum`s drug arrest.
Plus, the startling reasons drugs and fame so often go hand in hand. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, "Stars and Drugs: A Lethal Combination."
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: 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. And tonight here is what Gina Gershon is basically saying about Bill Clinton, "I did not have sexual relations with that man."
Tonight Gershon is absolutely furious over a report that suggests she may have been having an inappropriate relationship with former President Bill Clinton. The remarkable steps she took today to fight back, is coming up.
HAMMER: But first, first tonight a devastating day for Hulk Hogan`s teenage son, Nick. A judge today told Nick in effect, "You did the crime. You still got to do the time." And get this, even Nick`s own mom was against changing his sentence for nearly killing his best friend in a car crash. Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the brand new developments and the latest over-the-top outrage in the Hogan family drama.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
After Hulk Hogan`s son, Nick Bollea, filed a request to change the eight-month sentence he got for this devastating street racing accident, not many people seemed surprised.
ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS: Once you`re in a concrete box for a few days, I think I`d be doing anything to get out, too.
HAMMER: Now, a Florida judge has answered Nick`s legal request - denied. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Nick Bollea is staying right where he is.
QUARLES: Nick is now in solitary confinement because he`s too young to be with the general population.
MALKIN: Right now Nick has been by himself completely, no TV, no telephone. No access to the outside world. His lawyers are saying that he has lost 10 pounds and that this is cruel and unusual punishment.
HAMMER: In those famous tapes of Nick`s jailhouse conversations with his parents, we heard Nick say he`s going stir crazy.
NICK BOLLEA, HULK HOGAN`S SON (phone): I`m in maximum. I`m going to ask them at least to put me in a cell with, you know, like something with, you know, some bars where I can see some people or something. I`m really freaking out.
HULK HOGAN: OK. All right. Don`t freak out.
HAMMER: Marc Malkin of "E!" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Nick with the apparent backing of his dad tried to get a break.
MALKIN: His lawyers are arguing that he should be under house arrest or in a minimum security prison until his 18th birthday. Then can return to the maximum security prison and be with the general population.
HAMMER: But the family of John Graziano, Nick`s passenger who was seriously injured in the crash, opposed any attempt to reduce Nick`s sentence. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, you won`t believe who else opposed it, Nick`s own mother Linda, who is in the middle of a nasty divorce from Hulk Hogan.
MALKIN: The Hogan divorce is turning out to be real one of those really nasty Hollywood divorces and on the whole, Nick Hogan fiasco does not help the situation any better. You have Linda on one side. You have Hulk on the other. It`s a mess.
HAMMER: Before the judge rejected Nick`s request, Linda`s attorney sent a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that said, quote, "Our position is that this motion for reconsideration is an exercise in futility. It is not going to result in any improvement in Nick`s situation. And this is a very manipulative father who is manipulating his son and the public relations associated with his problem. This is not Linda`s position, it`s not her decision, this is solely, unequivocally the position of the father."
QUARLES: Often, parents in divorce use their kids as a pawn in their game, and Linda and Hulk just might be doing that.
HAMMER: Even though Nick may have lost his fight to get out of solitary confinement, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, he`s starting a new legal fight. He`s suing the Pinellas County Sheriff for releasing those jailhouse tapes to the media. But Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, those tapes aren`t Nick`s problem.
QUARLES: The only thing that`s hurting Nick is not the tape, it`s his own actions. Maybe he should just put a muzzle on it.
HAMMER: And Nick`s efforts to fight his sentence aren`t convincing too many people that he truly accepts the consequences of his devastating actions.
QUARLES: Generally, the public is not having sympathy for Nick Hogan. They are like, what? You`re acting like an adult when had a reckless driving. So now, you`ve got to face the consequences. Man up.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So the Hulk`s son stays locked up. His wife is taking swipes against Hulk and meltdown of the family gets even worse. What`s a Hogan to do?
Joining me tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." Also, Maggie Gallant, who is the founder of "Spotlight Communications.
All right. Maggie and Carolina, even though the judge flatly denied Nick`s motion to get out of jail, I`ve got to tell you, a lot of people are outraged that Nick would even ask for such a thing as house arrest of in the first place. You know, his current conditions may not be to his liking, poor Nick. But Carolina, I mean, am I wrong here? Isn`t jail supposed to be a really tough thing?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Exactly, A.J. Now, you have the right idea. It`s a punishment. It`s not the Four Seasons. They won`t have a little Tiki bar there for him. You know, this guy wants room service. He wants a view. He is not even remorseful one bit about what he`s done. He`s just looking to get a bigger, better deal and how he can exactly get out of jail. That`s the only thing that he`s thinking about.
HAMMER: And he was charged as an adult and let`s not forget that very somber moment at his sentencing when Nick was saying, "I`m ready to accept whatever punishment you give me, Judge." Maggie, he did the crime. Shouldn`t he now just do the time and shut up? I mean, on so many levels, wouldn`t that be the best thing here?
MAGGIE GALLANT, FOUNDER, SPOTLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS: Definitely, A.J. The more he talks about how bad his circumstances are, the more we are reminded of the circumstances of the family of the victim. It`s time to shut up and do the time.
HAMMER: Well, as if Nick didn`t have enough problems already. We pointed out that Nick`s mom, Linda Hogan, did not support her son getting out of jail. We know that she is involved with this bitter divorce fight with Hulk.
I want you to listen again to what her attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT where she basically is calling the request for Nick to be let out of jail early, quote, "An exercise in futility. It is not going to result in any improvement in Nick`s situation. And this is a very manipulative father, Terry Bollea, who is manipulating his son and the public relations associated with his problem. This is not Linda`s position. It`s not her decision. This is solely, unequivocally the position of the father."
And of course, Terry Bollea, Hulk`s real name here. Carolina, it seems to me that Linda Hogan may actually be using this now as fuel in this fiery divorce fight with Hulk. It`s amazing, obviously how ugly this whole thing has gotten. But this could actually work for her, couldn`t it?
BERMUDEZ: It could. This family is just becoming a media spectacle right now and what she`s doing is showing that maybe she`s the more level-head parent, that she has the right idea. And I do agree with her. He should stay in there. He got a light sentence as it is. He shouldn`t be complaining at all.
HAMMER: What do you think, Maggie? You know, it is unbelievable that it could come to Linda Hogan actually using this in the divorce fight. But this is something that, as I said, could actually work and be to her advantage.
GALLANT: It`s getting uglier and uglier, A.J. And really, Nick is squashing his own dreams of having any kind of sympathy the more that he talks. And this family isn`t fun and quirky and like weird celebrity train wreck kind of "I should have a celebrity reality show." They are just a train wreck in the way that we just want to turn them off. Nobody wants to hear anything more from them.
HAMMER: Which is in such stark contrast to how we got to know them. Of course, Hulk over the years and then the family getting famous through the reality show. It is amazing how far the mighty have fallen, as the cliche goes. Obviously we`ve heard these outrageous jailhouse conversations between Linda and her son Nick and Hulk and Nick as well.
And in this other new development today Nick now suing the Florida sheriff, trying to keep any more tapes from getting out. Carolina, I have to say, and I`m guessing you`ll agree with me on this, that the damage is done here, isn`t it? These tapes are going to haunt Nick for the rest of his life.
BERMUDEZ: Exactly. He can`t go back and turn, you know, the hands of time. Here`s what he did. He forfeited his privacy when he broke the law. Sorry for you, buddy. Now, everybody knows what you`re really like. You`re callous, you`re cold. You don`t care about the fact that your friend is critically injured and everybody knows about it now.
The only reason why he cares and this is the only reason why I think he`s suing the sheriff is because he wants to have this reality show ...
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: ... more drama and that`s the way to keep it going.
HAMMER: Maggie, you`re a PR expert. Tell me who is going to give him a reality show on the heels of these tapes getting out there. I mean, come on.
GALLANT: I would love to see who is going to step up to the plate and be interested in a reality show, A.J. More importantly, who`s going to want to advertise during the time of this reality show? I mean, mothers, families, everyone nationwide is infuriated. Nobody wants to see this.
HAMMER: I can hear the backlash ringing in my head right now. Unbelievable. I have a feeling it`s not going to happen. If it does happen, man, it`s going to get ugly. Carolina Bermudez, Maggie Gallant, thanks for being here tonight.
And coming up I`m going to be speaking with the attorneys for John Graziano, the young man, of course, greatly hurt in Nick Hogan`s car crash. The Grazianos, of course, just outraged that Nick would even ask for a change in his sentence and it is the interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And we want to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. What do you think? "Hulk Hogan`s Son: Does he deserve to be released from jail early?" Let us know - CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you go to vote. You can always E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`m sure you remember when President Clinton said, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman."
HAMMER: Of course I do, very fond memories there. And now, this is wild. A Hollywood actress is saying, "I did not have sexual relations with that president."
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. Gina Gershon is furious over an article that mentions rumors about her relationship with Clinton. It`s an outrageous story and I`ve got it for you, coming up.
HAMMER: Also Tatum O`Neal`s shocking confessions after getting arrested for allegedly buying crack cocaine. Well, Tatum is reportedly telling all the real reason she almost relapsed and why she`s actually glad she got arrested. That is coming up next. Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COREY FELDMAN, ACTOR: I became an addict and I got through it. And I went to rehab and I was actually sober - 100 percent sober before I was 19 years old. When I went through I went through very publicly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Corey and Tatum not the only ones to go down this path and that got me wondering, what is behind this lethal combination of fame and addiction? You won`t want to miss it, and it is coming up in a showbiz special report, "When Stars Do Drugs." We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": do you ever fear going back?
TATUM O`NEAL, ACTRESS: Every day, yes. Every single day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Tatum O`Neal telling Larry King several years ago that she feared going back to a life of drug abuse every single day. And now Tatum in hot water again.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative TV entertainment show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, Tatum`s confessions. Tatum O`Neal is speaking out for the first time since getting arrested. Police say she was frying to buy crack cocaine.
The "New York Post" says that Tatum claims the death of her dog made her go out and buy drugs. With me tonight from Hollywood, Jane Velez- Mitchell, investigative journalist and author of this book, "Secrets Can Be Murder." Also tonight, in New York, Cooper Lawrence, psychology expert and syndicated radio host.
Welcome, Jane. Welcome, Cooper. And, you know, today`s "New York Post" has an interview Tatum O`Neal did with columnist, Andrea Peyser, and in it, Tatum, according to this article, talks about the death of her 16- year-old dog saying this, quote, "There`s no excuse for what I did. I lost my Scottish terrier, Lena. That seemed to set me off. I couldn`t get out of it. I was going to my psychiatrist. I was doing everything I could do. I have the disease of alcoholism. It`s lifelong. I treat it every day by going to my 12-step program."
OK. I think everybody knows that losing a family pet is traumatic, but Jane, she was caught allegedly buying crack cocaine, not alcohol, on the street three weeks after her dog`s death. Does any of this make sense to you?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR: Well, Brooke, let me first say as a recovering alcoholic myself with 13 years of sobriety, I have only compassion for Tatum O`Neal. Let`s remember this is a disease, not a character defect, and this disease is cutting, powerful and baffling and wildly seductive and waits for moments of weakness to pounce.
That being said, we don`t really know whether she`s telling the truth and she was caught before she used drugs and avoided a slip or whether she had already slipped and was in the process of using drugs again and is lying, as people in their disease often do. But the fact is we don`t have to play detective. It will be revealed in very short order. You cannot hide a crack addiction. If she has gone back to that, we will know it very soon.
ANDERSON: You know, and I`m sure she was despondent over the loss of her dog and grasping at anything to fill that void. And in the interview, the "New York Post" says that Tatum also mentioned her dog`s death brought back painful memories of her parents reportedly revealing, quote, "It triggered that my mother passed away from addiction in `98. My father (actor Ryan O`Neal) and I are estranged."
Cooper, as shocking as this is, and it really is, should we, as Jane says, feel compassion and feel sorry for her?
COOPER LAWRENCE, PSYCHOLOGY EXPERT AND SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: I think we should feel sorry for all addicts, anybody who is trying to get through their day-to-day struggle because anything can set them off. Like Jane was saying, the thing about addiction is that for individuals it`s not - it`s such an individual thing that different things can bring you back to needing to self-medicate again. It could be a death. It could be stress. It could be some family situation.
But for a lot of people, it`s unpredictable, and as life happens, as it unfolds, you`ve got to take it day by day and one day you can be great and the next day not so much. So I think having compassion for her, yes, we should have compassion for anybody who is addicted because it`s a very horrible place to be.
ANDERSON: Yes, good point. I do have a lot of sympathy for her and not to be insensitive to Tatum dealing with her dog who died and memories of her childhood. The "New York Post" also quotes her as saying, "I didn`t even know what I was buying."
OK. I have to say that given the fact that police say she was negotiating with the dealer who then walked off to a house and came back with a couple of yellow baggies, that, Jane, her saying she didn`t know what she was buying does seem a little bit far-fetched to me or do you think she really was in a fog, unaware?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Brooke, I`d have to say that it`s laying it on a little bit thick especially considering there were published reports that she had an unused crack pipe with her. And even though it was unused, it`s still a crack pipe. You don`t just walk out of the house with a crack pipe.
But once again, I don`t think we have to play judge and jury here. This is a matter between Tatum, her sponsor and her Higher Power, and none of us have the information to know whether or not she was already using or whether they caught her in time. I hope they caught her in time. Hallelujah. Let`s hope she can go on July 10 and get her take, as she says, that she wants to. But we have to really understand that this disease is - it causes incomprehensible demoralization. That`s what it does.
ANDERSON: And you know, we all know that Tatum had a difficult childhood and in fact, her own mother was as an addict. Cooper, very quickly, given that it`s believed addictions run in the family, we should cut Tatum some slack here, shouldn`t we?
LAWRENCE: Yes, it`s a learned behavior for a lot of people. And let me just point out that addiction is very individual. People are addicted for different reasons and hers could be that that`s how she learned how to cope. At a very young age, when you are learning coping mechanisms and coping strategies, and you look to a parent and they are using, in order to function - it`s a learned behavior and for her that`s very likely.
ANDERSON: Well, we do wish Tatum O`Neal well. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Cooper Lawrence, thank you both for your insights.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks, Brooke.
LAWRENCE: Thanks, Brooke.
HAMMER: OK, Brooke, shifting gears here. You know, every time I hear those jailhouse tapes between Hulk Hogan`s son, Nick, and his parents, they just blow my mind.
ANDERSON: You know, mine, too, A.J. It`s hard to believe the discussions that they are having while Nick`s friend was nearly killed in that car crash.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
N. BOLLEA: I would do anything to get out of this room.
LINDA BOLLEA, NICK BOLLEA`S MOTHER: I know. Imprisoning you by yourself is almost beyond what you deserve, don`t you think?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: But what does the family of Nick`s friend, John Graziano, think about all of this? And Nick`s attempt to get out of jail early. I mean, come on. Stay right where you are. The attorneys for the family are right here, and they are coming up on the explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also why do fame and drugs seem to go hand in hand so often? Drugs are certainly nothing new in Hollywood and it got me wondering what`s behind this lethal combination of celebrity and addiction. That`s coming up in a showbiz special report, "When Stars Do Drugs."
HAMMER: And I love this study and it`s a little while. Why is Gina Gershon saying she did not have sex with former President Clinton. You know, Gina is on a rumor control rampage right now. It`s an outrageous story and it is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are coming straight back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Hey, Gina Gershon is furious over a "Vanity Fair" article about rumors of a relationship with former President Clinton. The article has a whole bunch of scandalous claims about Clinton and here`s the part that refers to Gina, quote, "Over the last few years, aides have winced at recent high-end Hollywood dinner-party gossip that Clinton has been seen visiting with the actress Gina Gershon in California."
Well, Gina`s lawyers sent a letter to "Vanity Fair" asking for a retraction. Lawyers say the article suggests that Gershon had an inappropriate sexual relationship with Clinton and that in reality they have only been in the same room together three times, along with dozens if not hundreds, of other people.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, moving on, I`ve got to tell you every time I hear those jailhouse tapes between Hulk Hogan and his son Nick, it still shocks me.
ANDERSON: Yes. Me, too. You know, it is hard to believe what they are talking about while Nick`s friend suffered such tragic injuries, A.J.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
N. BOLLEA: I would do anything to get out of this room.
L. BOLLEA: I know. Imprisoning you by yourself is almost beyond what you deserve, don`t you think?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: But what does the family of Nick`s friend think about all this? Well, the attorneys are right here, and they are coming up in the explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also, why do fame and drugs seem to go hand in hand so often? What`s behind the lethal combination of celebrity and addiction? That`s ahead in a showbiz special report, "When Stars Do Drugs."
HAMMER: And remember, "He`s Just Not That into You" episode of "Sex and the City?" What about the bestselling book? Well, if you missed both of them, don`t worry. Now, there`s a movie with a huge all-star cast and your first look is coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
N. BOLLEA: I would do anything to get out of this room.
L. BOLLEA: I know. Imprisoning you by yourself is almost beyond what you deserve, don`t you think?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, shocking new Hulk Hogan outrage. Tonight, Hulk`s son Nick asks to be let out of jail while his best friend, John Graziano, who he nearly killed, is still semi-comatose. Graziano`s attorneys are right here and they are fired up. It`s the explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Stars and drugs. Tonight, even with the stunning news of Tatum O`Neal`s arrest, should we be surprised? Isn`t Hollywood all about sex, drugs and rock `n roll? The startling reasons drugs and fame so often go hand in hand. Showbiz investigates.
(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 with TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Tonight, brand new developments and outrage over the request by Hulk Hogan`s son Nick to get out of jail early. Now, he is serving time after nearly killing his friend in a car crash. Tonight, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the fired-up attorneys for the family of the victim.
Joining me tonight from Tampa, Florida George E. Tragos and Kimberly Khan. But first, what`s new right now. A judge today wasted no time denying Nick Hogan`s request for early release from jail. In another brand new development, even Nick`s own mother, Linda Hogan, says she wants Nick to stay put behind bars. And Nick has now filed a lawsuit against a Florida sheriff who released to the public the Hogan family`s shocking jailhouse conversation.
George E. Tragos, Kimberly Khan, I do appreciate you both being with us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And George, let me start with you. What was first going through your mind when you heard that Nick wanted to get out of jail early?
GEORGE E. TRAGOS, ATTORNEY FOR THE GRAZIANO FAMILY: I thought it was ridiculous. I thought it was just one more example of their trying to get out of the punishment, trying to get out of their duty, trying to get out of everything so that they don`t have to face the music in this case and actually face what they did. They were never sorry. They were never remorseful. They thought that, you know, the rules don`t apply to them and they are continuing on when the hits just keep on coming with them.
HAMMER: And of course, the big stamp of denial came right from the judge. Kim, were you at all surprised that the judge says, "No, Nick. You`ve got to suck it up and stay behind bars?"
KIM KHAN, ATTORNEY FOR THE GRAZIANO FAMILY: Not at all. Knowing Judge Federico(ph) being there at the sentencing, hearing his words that this county jail time was for punishment, we`re not surprised that there was a one-line order saying, denied.
HAMMER: Now, of course, Nick`s attorneys and Nick did have reasons for wanting to spring him early. And I want to read to you a statement that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT received from Nick`s attorneys on why they filed the motion in the first place. Here`s what they said, quote, "Nick is serving a much harsher sentence than what is contemplated under the law for a 17-year-old, non-violent, first offender on probation as recommended by the Department of Correction. He must eat his meals alone and cannot really even look at this food slot, if it is open, and hope to see anyone. This situation creates an unbearable anxiety for a minor in solitary confinement."
George, do you have any sympathy at all for what Nick is dealing with at this point? He is a minor, as they`re saying, being treated in a way not suitable for minors.
TRAGOS: I have no sympathy for him. Let him sit in John Graziano`s body for a week and see what John goes through. He has no access to a telephone. He can`t speak. John suffers every single day. This suffering is going to be over for Nick at some point, but it`s never going to be over for John Graziano. And there`s no law that says that what Nick is going through is cruel and unusual. The law doesn`t exist and the judge recognized that.
HAMMER: And George, I`ve got to say I think a lot of people are siding with you guys and with what has happened in this situation because of that very reason, that Nick isn`t suffering in the way John is and never will. And we know Nick was sentenced to jail offer his trial on felony, reckless driving, for the crash that left John Graziano in that semi-comatose state.
Kim, I`d have to imagine that your clients, the Graziano family, basically went ballistic when they heard that Nick wanted to get out of jail early. What did they say to you?
KHAN: They were very upset. They were shocked. They were stunned, but ultimately they were heard the jail call recordings. And they were more upset at the orchestrations that Hulk Hogan and his son were going through where Nick is discussing in one of the phone calls that he`s going to wear his jailhouse blues and not a suit to the hearing to get sympathy from the judge and that Hulk Hogan is discussing the fact that he`s not going to appear at the hearing in order to not influence the judge. So they were more stunned and shocked and upset over that phone call. And we`re not surprised by the fact they filed a motion ultimately.
HAMMER: That`s really interesting because in the trial where Nick was sentenced or right before the sentencing, there was a lot of conversation about Hulk Hogan perhaps districting about what was actually going on. Now Nick is trying to stop the Sheriff from releasing any more of those jailhouse conversations with his father and his mother. And in one of the tapes that was released, Nick expressed a lot of frustration about his confinement. I want you to listen to this conversation, this one with his mom Linda.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
N. BOLLEA: I would do anything to get out of this room.
L. BOLLEA: I know. Imprisoning you by yourself is almost beyond what you deserve, don`t you think?
N. BOLLEA: Yes.
L. BOLLEA: I mean solitary confinement is what they do to like, what, "triple-X" criminals? I mean, you know, it`s like, for a car accident?
N. BOLLEA: I want to go outside. I just want to breathe fresh air.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: George, even before Nick`s request to get out of jail, did the Graziano family have any sympathy at all for Nick and the conditions of his confinement?
TRAGOS: Not at that point. By the time of the sentencing, when they heard Nick say he was sorry, they knew he wasn`t. And they finally - they realize that there was no remorse in this boy, that there was no lesson that he learned from this and then, after they said all that, you listened to the tapes and now the whole world knows. There`s no remorse, there`s no lesson learned and his family certainly isn`t trying to teach him a lesson that`s going to make him a better person. You can tell that just from listening to them.
HAMMER: Yes, it`s unbelievable, the insight that we have gained by listening to the tapes. And the conversation we just played, one of the many phone conversations that were released by the sheriff down in Florida. Now, I have to point out, everybody is made aware that your conversations, when you`re there in jail, are going to be recorded.
Kim, do you in any way though, at least side with Nick here being a minor in that the conversation should remain private as he`s trying to have going forward?
KHAN: Absolutely not. It is very clear Nick was sentenced as an adult. He was placed in the jail as an adult. He is a minor but his whole sanction of probation at county jail was as an adult, therefore he`s being treated as an adult. And the signs are very clear in the jail that those calls are monitored and recorded, as well as the fact that you can hear on some of the jail phone calls listening in that there`s a piped-in recording that says, "These calls are subject to monitoring and recordings."
So absolutely, you know, these calls should be public record. They are not confidential.
HAMMER: Now, I have to believe going forward that any conversations that do take place are going to be - how shall we say, I don`t know - in code or perhaps just, you know, there`s not going to be any revelations like we`ve had thus far.
What do you think, George? Do they continue to release the tapes nonetheless?
TRAGOS: Absolutely. What`s wrong with knowing the truth? That`s where it really gets me here is they are not complaining that anything said on these tapes was false or was not the truth. It was all the truth. All they want to do is stop the truth from getting out to the public because they don`t want the public to know the real Bollea family.
HAMMER: Kim, I need to ask you real quickly.
KHAN: Sure.
HAMMER: Obviously all of this happened because of the car accident that injured John Graziano so gravely. How is he doing?
KHAN: You know, he`s progressing ever day, you know. There are some good days and there are some bad days. He`ll still in a semi-conscious state. You know, he`s not walking or talking but, you know, brain injuries are very slow moving and, you know, it`s going to take a long time for recovery. We can`t expect, you know, a response in six months, eight months, even a year.
HAMMER: Well, we continue to wish the best for John and his family.
TRAGOS: Thank you.
KHAN: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: George Tragos, Kimberly Khan, I do appreciate you being with us tonight?
TRAGOS: Thanks for letting us come.
HAMMER: My pleasure.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`ve got to tell you, I am so stunned by what has happened with the Hogan family. I mean, for a while there, it was like Camelot, everybody loved them.
HAMMER: Now, I`m completely with you on that, Brooke. I hope everybody remembers we have an Iraq War veteran, John Graziano, who will never have a normal life again because of Nick Hogan.
All right. Let`s move on. Coming up next, the very latest on Tatum O`Neal`s shocking drug arrest. Is she really saying that getting arrested saved her? That`s coming up next.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FELDMAN: I became an addict and I got through it, and I went to rehab. I was actually sober - 100 percent sober before I was 19 years old. What I went through, I went through very publicly -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Former teen star Corey Feldman battled drugs. You know, I mean Hollywood and drugs often go together. But why is that? Tonight, I`m investigating this explosive and controversial question. My showbiz special report, "Stars and Drugs" is next.
And if you can`t get enough of the "Sex and the City" movie, well, tonight, I can tell you there`s another movie about to come out based on the show. Yes, already. Ridiculously A-list cast, too. I`ve got your very first look just around the corner.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And right now, I`ve got the very latest on Oscar winner Tatum O`Neal`s shocking arrest for allegedly trying to buy crack cocaine off a homeless man in New York.
"People" magazine spoke with a few of Tatum`s friends who say the arrest is a cry for help but that she will pull through. The "New York Post" is reporting that Tatum is actually grateful for the arrest that it, quote, "saved her." The "Post" also claims that the death of her dog set her off looking for drugs.
ANDERSON: Tatum O`Neal is just one of many stars to have a history drug abuse. And I`ve got to tell you it seems like every other week, another Hollywood celebrity is arrested for DUI or ends up back in rehab.
But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that in fact substance abuse is nothing new in Hollywood. Tonight, I`m investigating why, a revealing look at stars and drugs.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Fame and fortune are not the only things Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan have in common. Both of the 20-something starlets got into serious trouble because of a drug connection. Nicole admits using cocaine, heroin, marijuana and the powerful prescription pill Vicodin. And cops have busted Lindsay twice now for suspicion of cocaine possession.
PEREZ HILTON, GOSSIP BLOGGER: Everybody does drugs in Hollywood. Everybody does a lot of drugs in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Perez Hilton has got one of the most popular blogs out there when it comes to the stars and their private lives. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Nicole and Lindsay are not alone. Drugs, he says, are simply everywhere in celebrity circles.
PEREZ HILTON: About mixing. I`m going to take some pills and booze and coke and weed and - crazy.
ANDERSON: Crazy, but is drug use in Hollywood really anything new?
JULIA ALLISON, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "STAR MAGAZINE": Substance abuse is nothing new in Hollywood. It`s been going on forever. Marilyn Monroe. Elvis Presley. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Chris Farley. This is absolutely nothing new.
CYBILL SHEPHERD, ACTRESS: I really think that the drugs were the problem of Elvis Presley.
ANDERSON: Actress Cybill Shepherd dated Elvis in the 1970s until his pill use put an end to their relationship.
SHEPHERD: I think he was probably using all the time.
ANDERSON: Shepherd told CNN`s Larry King the Elvis she got to know in private was much different than the Elvis who performed in front of thousands.
SHEPHERD: The pressure performing, as much as he loved it and as brilliant as he was at it, increased the drug use.
ANDERSON: Elvis relied on several different doctors and people in his inner circle to get him drugs. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, even today, decades later, it is pretty much business as usual in Hollywood.
ALLISON: Celebrities are surrounded by enablers. They`re surrounded by people who will do anything to be near them.
ANDERSON: In the early 1990s, Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain, was being called one of the most influential musicians in rock history. But off stage, Cobain was suffering from a lifetime of depression and hiding a massive heroin addiction.
KURT COBAIN, ROCK STAR: As of right now, officially, it is over with.
ANDERSON: Overdoses, detox and rehab didn`t stop him from using. On April 5th, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Huge amounts of heroin were in his system.
Just one year earlier, drugs took the life of one of Hollywood`s most promising young actors. River Phoenix overdosed on a speedball, a mixture of heroin and cocaine after partying at L.A. hotspot, The Viper Room. It killed him. He was just 23 years old.
COREY HAIM, ACTOR: For me, I had to create a regimen. I had to disassociate with many people.
ANDERSON: Corey Haim and his best friend, Corey Feldman, know the pitfalls of being young and famous. They ran in the same circles as River Phoenix and just like Phoenix, developed hard core drug habits. Haim`s habit almost cost him his life. Feldman tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he was lucky to catch his problem early on.
FELDMAN: I became an addict and got through it. And I went to rehab and I was actually sober, 100 percent sober, before I was 19 years old. What I went through publicly and got it done and out of the way.
ANDERSON: Comedian Chris Farley couldn`t get his habit out of the way.
CHRIS FARLEY, COMEDIAN: Any attention is good, right?
ANDERSON: People noticed his health had deteriorated before he died of a cocaine and morphine overdose in 1997.
Jerry Garcia, front man for the Grateful Dead was fully hooked on heroin, a dependency that would haunt him as his health deteriorated. In 1995, his heart gave out. Grateful Dead guitarist, Bob Weir says he noticed a difference in the band`s drug use as the years went by.
BOB WEIR, GUITARIST, GRATEFUL DEAD: For some reason back in the late `60s, the kind of drugs we were doing were different and the whole drug experience was qualitatively different. It was an adventure. These days, it`s an escape.
ANDERSON: Eighties pop sensation, Boy George, knows all about that.
BOY GEORGE, SINGER: It`s about running away. You know? There`s nowhere to hide. I can tell you that.
ANDERSON: Boy George and his band Culture Club were on top of the charts in the `80s. But his battle with drugs broke the band up and by 2005 his cocaine possession arrest followed by a humiliating garbage cleanup sentence had once again put him in the spotlight.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATION: Hollywood is a place of insecurity. And insecurity leads to drugs and addiction.
ALLISON: We already are dealing with people with low self esteem, people who want others to like them. They tend to be addictive personalities. It`s a recipe for substance abuse.
ANDERSON: Steven Tyler can attest to that. As the lead singer of Aerosmith, he had unprecedented access to drugs. He, too, got hooked on heroin but band mates weren`t having it. They asked him to go to rehab.
STEVEN TYLER, LEAD SINGER, AEROSMITH: It`s really important to take your power back because it`s so easy to give it away.
ANDERSON: Dallas Taylor, the former drummer for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, knows all about that. His heroin addiction cost him his job, but luckily not his life.
DALLAS TAYLOR, FORMER DRUMMER, CROSBY, STILLS, NASH AND YOUNG: I`m just really, you know, one of those few lucky ones because my peers are - most of my peers are dead. Jimi Hendrix. I don`t know why I`m alive and they`re not.
(END VIDEOTAPE) ANDERSON: Dallas Taylor whom you just saw in the piece now works as a substance abuse interventionist. He specializes in helping addicted musicians and other entertainers.
HAMMER: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Hulk Hogan`s Son: Does he deserve to be released from jail early?" Let us know what you think at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Well, it`s a question that has confused women everywhere pretty much for eternity, "How do I tell if a guy really likes me?"
First, there was a "Sex and the City" episode about it. Then a best selling book, and now there`s a star-filled movie. Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson find out if their guys are just not into them. The first look, next.
HAMMER: But first, can you watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time by downloading our podcast. You may not want to watch it while driving, but download the thing at our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also download it on iTunes. All you have to do is go over to iTunes and type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming straight back. Don`t go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. All right. Now your showbiz first look at "He`s Just Not That Into You." The movie is based on a bestselling book which was based on a famous "Sex and the City" episode. All-star cast here Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymore and Scarlett Johansson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I would love to call you sometime. Do you have a card?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Of course.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, great. Look forward to hearing from you, Gigi.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Oh, wait, are you hearing from me or am I getting a call?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We`ll talk. We`ll get in touch.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Look, see, you did it again, very vague. You know what? Let`s just say that you`ll call me and then we can skip all the nonsense.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Good-bye.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: He was cute.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Please don`t cyber stalk him.
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: You don`t ever feel like we`re going against nature by not getting married?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: No. Going against nature is like the cat who suckled that monkey.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I`m married. I`ll do this.
SCARLETT JOHANSSON: So we`re friends.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes. You know, you may be the best friend I`ve ever had.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I think I figured it out.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He is not interested.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Call your voice mail.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, Mary, Mary, Mary. I was just calling again to tell you again how special it was to meet you. Call me back. Oh, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny. I was just calling - what number did I just dial?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, the message is erased.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And "He`s Just Not That Into You" opens this fall.
HAMMER: And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
END
