Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Shaq Raps Kobe; Christy vs. Peter
Aired June 24, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Shaq`s rap attack. Shaquille O`Neal lashes out at Kobe Bryant in a rap. And why Boy George isn`t being allowed back into the country to play for New York City`s sanitation workers?
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, what could be one of the nastiest star divorces ever.
Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook. Is his goose cooked?
Tonight, did Christie`s ex pay off his former teenage lover to keep quiet, only to have it backfire?
Plus, the knockdown, drag-out fight over whether their dirty laundry will be made public for their kids to hear.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the uptown girl`s down and dirty, divorce war.
Tonight, the Hogan family drama. Hulk Hogan`s wife Linda calls the cops on him.
LINDA HOGAN, HULK HOGAN`S WIFE: I don`t want him around. I`m shaking and trembling, and follow him and so he`ll leave.
HAMMER: But wait just a minute. If she didn`t want him around, why was she following him?
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the bizarre new twist in the Hogan divorce and why the cops told Linda, take a hike.
Plus the explosive brand-new racial controversy for radio host Don Imus. So did Imus apologize for what he said on the show this time or not? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings in the fired-up translators.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City. And when I tell you divorce court is in session, I mean divorce court is in session.
A huge surprise today when Britney Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, suddenly showed up in court.
And you have just got to hear the call that Hulk Hogan`s wife made to 911 and the cops basically told her to get lost.
All that`s coming up.
But first, at the top of the chart tonight on the divorce court hit list, move over Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards, Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook have now officially replaced you at number one.
Yes, their divorce trial is set to start next week. And Cook is now doing everything possible to keep his dirty laundry from being hung out to dry in court. You know, the little things, like having an affair with a teenager who is working for him.
Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you what`s making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): Enough scandalous headlines, enough tell-all interviews from the other woman.
DIANA BIANCHI, HAD AFFAIR WITH PETER COOK: I don`t want this to happen.
HAMMER: And enough of everything else because Christie Brinkley is ready to tell it to the judge.
CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, MODEL: Time to go to court.
GRACE: Almost two years after we first heard that Christie Brinkley`s husband Peter Cook cheated on her with a 19-year-old, Brinkley is stepping off the runway and into divorce court.
And after her ex publicly humiliated her with his short and public affair, Brinkley`s showing that revenge is a dish best served with a subpoena.
MARC MALKIN, E! ONLINE COLUMNIST: Christie is going to have her day in court.
HAMMER: E!`s Marc Malkin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Brinkley is calling her husband`s former teen flame, Diana Bianchi, to testify in the divorce trial scheduled to begin July 2nd.
MALKIN: Why does Brinkley want to call her? Because Brinkley wants to embarrass Peter.
BIANCHI: He just -- you know, he`d make advances verbally towards me first, and then I guess it just, you know, escalated into something that I didn`t really expect.
HAMMER: In the 2006 interview, Diana Bianchi told New York TV station WNYW about the affair which began when she was an assistant working in Cook`s office.
BIANCHI: I think I just -- I don`t know, it`s like (INAUDIBLE). And I think I wasn`t thinking straight. I think I just got flattered and caught up in things.
MALKIN: After their affair became public, Diana apparently sued Peter basically based on the fact that he was his employer and she was his employee. But the settlement was undisclosed.
HAMMER: And now that she`s caught in the divorce trial, expect all the dirty details of Cook`s affair to come to light. That`s because last week, a judge sided with Brinkley and ruled that the divorce trial will be open to the public.
Cook had thought to close it for the sake of his two kids with Brinkley but he lost. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you someone who feels sorry for him. No luck there.
MALKIN: He`s been trying to tell the judge that, please don`t have this open to society. It`s going to hurt my kids. Well, the guy should have thought about that when he started, you know, fooling around with the gal in the office.
This is not the time to all of a sudden say, I`m father of the year.
HAMMER: Brinkley, for one, seems very interested in what Bianchi has to say. Her attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "We look forward to her testifying as to the adultery and cruelty issues truthfully as she promised she would."
But Cook`s attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "It`s stupid. My client agreed and has said from day one that he had the affair with this lady, and he apologized. Why anybody is trying to prove what he`s already admitted, I don`t know, unless they`re out to prove mischief."
No matter how you slice it, this is not going to be a friendly divorce. And it`s looking like Peter Cook`s goose is cooked.
MALKIN: This is going to be really, really dirty.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a mess. So with his former teen mistress being called to testify, I have to imagine Peter Cook must be stewing in his own juices right about now.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Attorney Darren Kavinoky of the Kavinoky Law firm, in New York, it`s Ashleigh Banfield, the host of TruTV`s "Hollywood Heat."
All right, Darren and Ashleigh, so the "New York Post" is reporting that Peter Cook paid Diana Bianchi three hundred grand to keep her from filing a sexual harassment lawsuit two years ago.
Now Bianchi`s attorney would only tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "the matter has been resolved." We haven`t heard from Bianchi since she gave her one and only interview to WNYW TV.
But Darren, if she was paid and if she now testifies, it seems to me that Peter Cook basically tossed that three hundred grand out the window.
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY, THE KAVINOKY LAW FIRM: Well, we really don`t know, A.J. The case was never fully aired out in court. We know that the allegations were, obviously, the sexual harassment.
But if the details are as sordid as my imagination, then perhaps the $300,000 was a bargain, if there`s $600,000 worth of juicy harassment gossip out there. So time will tell if this case does not settle.
HAMMER: I want you to hear again what an attorney for Christie Brinkley told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about Bianchi`s upcoming testimony, saying, quote, "We look forward to her testifying as to the adultery and cruelty issues truthfully as she promised she would."
So Ashleigh, it seems to me, Christie Brinkley can`t wait to get Cook in court and make him squirm. I mean she is truly one fired-up woman scorned here.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, HOST, TRUTV`S HOLLYWOOD HEAT: Well, I think she`s definitely been scorned. I think the press reports are already doing that job for her, but I actually look at this in an entirely different way. I get the impression she`s trying to force his hand into a settlement.
No mother really want to subject her little kids to this stuff. No father really wants to subject their kids to this stuff. So a lot of times when it`s a celebrity issue, they`re pushing for it to be public so that it doesn`t go public.
HAMMER: Yes, and she is playing every card possible here, it seems to be, if that`s her plan and awesomely executed plan at that, and obviously we can`t speculate as to what Christie Brinkley meant by cruelty in that quote we got from the attorney.
So Darren, do you think what Ashleigh is thinking here that she`s just trying to scare him into settling in a big way?
KAVINOKY: Yes, she`s a woman scorned but in this case, I think she`s also a woman smart. She`s got great leverage here. Assuming that there`s more dirty laundry out there, we can expect that this case to settle.
The only way that I could foresee this backfiring on her is if Peter Cook takes the position of, hey, all my dirty laundry`s already been aired out there in the world, everybody knows I`m an adulterer, everybody knows that I surf these porn Web sites, and I`m looking for swingers and things of that nature, so there`s nothing more out there that can hurt me.
That`s the only way that this could go backwards on her. But frankly, if I`m going to gamble, I think that this case will ultimately settle and that this is a great and brilliant ploy for leverage.
HAMMER: Yes, and then, of course, if he does settle, the implications that come along with that are quite heavy.
What do you think, Ashleigh? Would he be nuts not to settle?
BANFIELD: Well, I`m dying to find out if there`ll be a bluff called on this, quite honestly. You know, in the end, what`s so sad is that when it comes to celebrities and their dirty details in family court, it takes an act of Congress almost to seal these things from us.
You actually, A.J., have to prove that a child is regressing in behavior in some way for a judge to seal these things. Maybe they`re doing badly in school or reverting back to using diapers at the age of 5 or 6. And then in that kind of a circumstance the judge will seal this stuff. But other than that, public record and that`s, I think, what the tragedy is in all of this.
HAMMER: No question about that.
Let`s keep in mind, Cook is a well-respected architect. You know a lot of business he does is out in the Hamptons in New York where they live. So there and it does seem to me he should be very motivated in settling, regardless of the implications to keep everything confidential and you know, sustain his business, his livelihood out there.
KAVINOKY: Yes, absolutely. When this story broke of his adulterous affair -- this was years ago. So in all likelihood, we`ve all moved on from it. It hasn`t been front-page news for a while. And now, of course, it`s coming back with a vengeance.
So that, of course, would be why he would want the proceedings closed. And as Ashleigh correctly points out, it really is an unusual situation when court proceedings are closed to the public.
All of this harkens back to the idea that in order to have faith in the system, the public has to be able to see what goes on there. And so it really does take an unusual circumstance before we`re going to close off the public`s right to know. And in this case, what an incredibly titillating story this all is.
HAMMER: Yes. And I think what we need to keep in mind that the kids here are only 9 and 12 years old. So hopefully things will remain private for them alone. Christie will get what she wants and, you know, Peter Cook -- well, I`m not even going to comment on what he should get.
Darren Kavinoky, Ashleigh Banfield, I appreciate you both being here tonight.
Well, another nasty Hollywood divorce has a new twist. Hulk Hogan`s ex actually called police because Hulk showed up at her house. But here`s the really, really weird thing. She got in her own car and followed him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separated so you`re safe, right?
L. HOGAN: Well, I was on my way out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So don`t follow him.
L. HOGAN: . of town and I saw his car approaching towards this house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, I`m going to have to go with the 911 operator on this one. If you don`t want someone around you, don`t follow them in your car. I will have the very latest bombshell in what is a crazy divorce case coming up.
Also, it`s Shaq on the attack. Shaquille O`Neal gets on the mike and unleashes a verbal assault on his nemesis, Kobe Bryant. Wait until you hear Shaq`s freestyle rap. I`ll play that for you and I`ll tell you what he has to say about it now. That is coming up.
And, oh, boy, yet another racial controversy for Don Imus. I`m going to tell you why Don is apologizing -- sort of -- for something racially charged that he said on his show. Have we not been down this road before? Will people buy his explanation this time?
Well, that`s still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And keep in mind, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. We`re always posting new stuff. We want you to check it out. Just go to the Web site, CNN.com/showbiztonight. And among the videos now playing, Britney Spears` smackdown. Is Britney really hotter than Angelina?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARNER WOLF, SPORTSCASTER: He`s been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005.
DON IMUS, HOST, IMUS IN THE MORNING: What color is he?
WOLF: He`s African-American.
IMUS: Well, there you go. Now we know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There you go. The explosive comment by Don Imus on his radio show on Monday on the many arrests of NFL football player, Adam "Pacman" Jones.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, Don Imus is trying to dig himself out of yet another racial controversy after getting fired more than a year ago for what he said about the Rutgers women`s basketball team.
Well, today, Imus addressed the latest controversy on his show. But this time, it was no flat-out apology.
So is he sorry or not?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Marvet Britto of the Britto Agency. Also in Hollywood tonight, it`s Howard Bragman, the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations.
All right, Marvet and Howard, basically, Imus claimed today he was just being sarcastic and he`s getting a raw deal here.
Let`s listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IMUS: What did I mean by the Pacman Jones remark? I thought, well, what I meant was when Warner and I were talking yesterday about Pacman Jones being arrested six times, and which I think was just, you know, obviously, the picking on him, so I asked Warner what color he was.
Well, obviously, I already knew what color he was. This is -- the point was -- in order to make a sarcastic point, I asked Warner what color he was, Warner tells me. I say, well, there you go, that`s the point.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.
IMUS: Yes. What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right.
Marvet, let me start with you. It seems pretty clear to me that Imus doesn`t seem the least bit sorry for what he said. Are you at all surprised?
MARVET BRITTO, THE BRITTO AGENCY: I`m not surprised. From the mouth, the heart speaks and we clearly really know how Don Imus feels about African- Americans in general. We`ve been down this road before with him.
I understand his message. It`s just coming from the wrong messenger. We - - as African-Americans, we understand that often we find ourselves that are difficult and complicated and maybe we are picked on, you know, and it`s not the best situation.
But he`s the wrong person to be using his platform to speak against those issues that exist within our culture. He`s just -- he was out of line. And I think he should steer clear of anything remotely racial that has to do with African-Americans.
We`ve had enough of Don Imus.
HAMMER: You said it right, the wrong messenger, indeed. What do you think, Howard, as far as what he said? Does Imus have anything to apologize for?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Yes, Imus should apologize for being stupid enough to talk about race. How many times do you have to put your foot into that and get the bear trap to squeeze it to know that that is not what he should be talking about?
Marvet`s absolutely right. The wrong messenger. He should just not think about that. He can talk about sexual orientation, religion, politics, go just about anywhere. Race? Forget it, Don. You`re done.
HAMMER: Yes. Marvet, I want to get more specifically back to what you were just saying, you know, and let`s give Imus the benefit of the doubt for just a moment. Let`s say this wasn`t intended as a racial slur. But I was listening to Howard Stern, long known as his nemesis this morning, and I think Howard put it perfectly, saying, you know, this is a guy who should stay so far away from saying anything that could be misconstrued as a racial remark.
So Marvet, you would think after what Imus went through being fired for what he said about the Rutgers women`s basketball team, this would now be programmed into his DNA?
BRITTO: You would think it would be. But his co-host -- you know, he said, he`s been arrested six times and then -- and then Don said, well, what color is he?
Again, we get it but he`s the wrong person to be making light of it. He shouldn`t be having dialogue at all that has anything to do with race. You know he should find other ways to communicate or bring someone on his show to speak about the bigger issue if that`s what he really meant.
HAMMER: Absolutely.
And from coast-to-coast today, this is what everybody was talking about, including, of course, the ladies of "The View."
Let`s watch what they were saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIANA SAWYER, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: What he really was trying to say, I think, although I didn`t hear him, was no wonder he`s being picked on because African-American are picked on, black people are picked on. He was trying to.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: So why would he go there, Barbara?
(CROSSTALK)
WALTERS: Because it`s a live show. And he didn`t -- you know, why would he go there?
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, THE VIEW: And he`s never not gone there before.
WALTERS: But he`s certainly -- I mean the last thing in the world that he would do would be to say, oh, you know, just because he`s black.
(CROSSTALK)
BEHAR: It`s possible that his ratings are not that great.
WALTERS: Oh, Joy, pick it up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. I love Joy to death. This was no ratings done here.
But to Barbara`s point, Imus doing this live show every day, it`s not edited.
So Howard, real quick, 10 seconds, isn`t it all the more reason he needs to think twice about everything that comes out of his mouth?
BRAGMAN: Yes, but he doesn`t want to think twice. Imus wants to be Imus and that`s why he made this stupid mistake. He doesn`t want to ruin the DNA of his show, which is outrageousness. He wants to keep that brand alive and guess what? People are talking about him.
HAMMER: Yes, well, unfortunately, that gets away from the reality he now lives in because we`re not talking about him in the most positive light. And who knows how long it will last before he does it again and blows it?
Marvet Britto, Howard Bragman, I thank you both for being here.
Now we want to turn it over to you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Please respond to this. Don Imus`s racial comments, do you buy his explanation? You can vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also e-mail us at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
Well, another star in sort of apologizing for something he said or at least explaining. In this case, I`m talking about a Shaq attack. Shaquille O`Neal got on the mike and rapped about his nemesis, Kobe Bryant.
Well, Shaq covered it all here. Kobe`s performance in the playoffs, even blaming Kobe for break up his marriage. I`m going to play you the rap and I`ll tell you exactly what Shaq is saying now, coming up.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separated so you`re safe, right?
L. HOGAN: Well, I was on my way out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So don`t follow him.
L. HOGAN: . of town and I saw his car approaching towards this house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, there`s a little rule I try to live by. If you want someone to stay away, stop following them. So why in the world did Linda Hogan call 911 on her ex, the Hulk himself? That`s coming up.
Also, the British aren`t coming. Boy George denied a visa to come play concerts in the U.S. Amy Winehouse kept out of the country as well and Naomi Campbell has been grounded. I know I`ll sleep better tonight.
That is still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Be sure to check out the free, ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast which you will find on our Web site at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can also download it on iTunes.
We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Well, Shaquille O`Neal is apologizing -- sort of -- for lashing out at Kobe Bryant in a rap. Now, Shaq rapped at a New York City club making fun of Kobe for losing in the NBA playoffs and blaming him for ruing his marriage.
Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAQUILLE O`NEAL, NBA PLAYER: Kobe, you ratted me out, that`s why I`m getting divorced. You say Shaq gave a (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I don`t do that because my name`s Shaquille. I love them, I don`t leave them. I got a vasectomy, now I can`t breed them.
Kobe, how my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) taste? Everybody, Kobe, how my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) taste? Yes. You couldn`t do without me.
Kobe, you couldn`t do without me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Well, Shaq says, you know, this whole thing was all in fun. He`s totally cool with Kobe. He told the Espn.com that he was free- styling. That`s what the emcees do after all, and that was it.
So far Kobe has not said anything.
Well, listen to this. Hulk Hogan`s ex called the police because he showed up at her house. But here`s what I want to know? If she wanted him gone, why did she get in her car and follow him?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separated so you`re safe, right?
L. HOGAN: Well, I was on my way out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So don`t follow him.
L. HOGAN: . of town and I saw his car approaching towards this house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I got to say I agree with the 911 operator. If you want someone to stay away, stop following them.
Linda Hogan`s bizarre 911 call, it`s coming up.
Also the British aren`t coming. Boy George denied a visa to come play concerts in the United States. And there`s Amy Winehouse kept out of the country as well. And of course, the lovely Naomi Campbell grounded. I know I`ll sleep better tonight.
And you know, thank goodness for the Internet. Without it, we might never get to hear what Paris Hilton thinks about using dogs as accessories. And we`d never get to hear what the hooker at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal has to say for the very first time.
I don`t know about you, but I can hardly wait. Deep thoughts from the blogs coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
You can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news. Get our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just head to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Click on that "sign up" for our newsletter link and we will send it to you.
And we are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separated so you`re safe, right?
L. HOGAN: Well, I was on my way out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So don`t follow him.
L. HOGAN: . of town and I saw his car approaching towards this house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Linda Hogan`s bizarre call to 911. She called the police because Hulk Hogan showed up at her house. So why did she get in her car and follow him?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest twist in the nasty Hogan divorce.
The British aren`t coming. Boy George denied a visa to come play concerts in the United States. Amy Winehouse kept out of the country as well. And Naomi Campbell grounded.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks is America finally?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: 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. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you brand-new developments in divorce court dramas, Hollywood style.
First up, we have to get to the Hogans and you`ve absolutely got to hear this. Hulk Hogan`s wife, Linda, calls the cops on Hulk claiming that he`s stalking her outside the family home.
But wait a second, get this -- Linda then follows Hulk in her own car until the 911 dispatcher tells her to stop. I`ve got to play you this call so you can hear for yourself. It is wild.
And what a surprise today, Britney and K-Fed suddenly showed up in court out of nowhere. Now this time Britney is asking K-Fed for more time with the kids and the judge did something dramatic in response to her request.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Darren Kavinoky, attorney for the Kavinoky Law Firm. In New York, it`s Ashleigh Banfield, the host of TruTV`s "Hollywood Heat." In Hollywood tonight, Liza Anderson, president of Anderson Group Public Relations.
All right, guys, you have to hear this phone call. Hulk Hogan`s estranged wife, it`s Linda, calling 911. She had to report that she was being followed by Hulk, which was a violation of the restraining order that she filed against Hulk.
Just play it, Charles. This is crazy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. HOGAN: I`m leaving my house and my husband has been ordered to stay away from my home. Approaching my house, he pulls right up in front of it. He sat in front of the house. He sees me in the car behind him but he`s not getting out and he just parked in front of my house and watched and looked and waited.
And now he`s driving away and he`s been ordered away because he`s threatened my life before, and I don`t want him around. I`m shaking and trembling, and following him until he leaves.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: OK. You said he left? Or he is leaving?
L. HOGAN: I`m following him right now, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Why are you following him?
L. HOGAN: He was parked in front of my house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Why are you following him?
L. HOGAN: Well, I just -- well, I don`t know. I was leaving.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Stop following him. The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separated so you`re safe, right?
L. HOGAN: Well, I was on my way out.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So don`t follow him.
L. HOGAN: . of town and I saw his car approaching towards this house.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: Ma`am, ma`am, stop following him.
L. HOGAN: OK. OK. I will.
UNIDENTIFIED 911 OPERATOR: So you`ll be safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Hold on a second. Are you following this? She claims he`s following her, then follows him off her property, and calls 911 to say he`s following her.
Darren, give me a moment here. OK. Help me understand this.
KAVINOKY: I`m in love with the Hogans. I`ve got to tell you, Linda Hogan has all of the charm and sophistication of Grandma Clampette from the "Beverly Hill Billies." That she`s -- this is just great. And forgive me for anybody who has an unnatural relationship with a close relative but I`m getting the sense that her family tree looks more like a hula hoop.
It`s -- I mean, come on, thank God we`ve got this great 911 operator who is able to give her such guidance and wisdom, stop following him, but this is just insane. And I can`t wait to see more from her.
HAMMER: Yes, and thank goodness they record all of those 911 calls. And I don`t want to make light of the mess that is the Hogan mess right now. But I mean, come one.
Liza, can you make any sense of this?
LIZA ANDERSON, PRESIDENT, ANDERSON GROUP P.R.: No, it`s crazy. I mean we -- have even called -- somebody called 911 in the first place over something like this. I mean it`s disgraceful. I mean, yes, it`s entertaining, it`s wonderful, it`s great to look at TMZ. It`s great for "Us" magazine. But to actually call 911 over this?
I mean there`s things going out in the world that do deserve 911 calls. This is definitely not one of them.
HAMMER: Yes, you think?
L. ANDERSON: I`m sorry. It`s just not one of them.
HAMMER: No, I`m with you, Liza.
L. ANDERSON: There`s a time and place for everything.
HAMMER: And.
L. ANDERSON: And it`s entertaining, it`s great and it`s great to be sitting here and talking about it and laughing about it but come on.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, you know, it`s not just us, even Linda Hogan -- her -- even Linda`s own daughter, Brooke, isn`t eating what mom is cooking.
Listen to what she said, quote, "I know for a fact that the accusations made against my father are completely false."
Ashleigh Banfield, over to you, Brooke has been very public objecting to her mom reportedly dating a 19-year-old, former classmate of hers, any surprise she`s on her dad`s side here?
BANFIELD: No, if there is no injunction and the police have actually said there is no injunction and that is a false report, then I`m not surprised that the child would come out and say this because this whole family has been deluged with bad press.
And I`m quite sure that Brooke, among some of the other ones, wants it all to stop and wants the press to return to better days. So that there is many bad press and more tape out there is probably a nuisance to all of them.
HAMMER: Yes, it is. And on the upside here, there aren`t going to be any custody issues in the Hulk and Linda divorce battle basically because Brooke is 20, and very soon Nick, who`s still in jail, is going to be turning 18.
But Darren, could Hulk actually ask his kids to testify against their mom? Is that possible?
KAVINOKY: Well, he can certainly ask them to testify, but if the way this family has behaved in this recent time of crisis is any indication at all, I don`t think he`ll be able to stop them from testifying. This may well be a situation where even if the kids are not subpoena, they`re going to claw their way to the witness stand just to get heard, whether or not they`re asked any questions or not.
They love the limelight and they seem to be constitutionally incapable of staying away from the camera`s glare.
HAMMER: It is a self-sustaining big, old mess.
Let us now move on to another Hollywood family drama that does involve custody of the kids. Talking about Britney Spears and Kevin Federline back in court today regarding custody of their two young boys, Sean Preston and James, of course.
Now TMZ is reporting that for the very first time since her kids were taken away from her family or from her earlier this year, Britney has been granted these overnight visits with the kids. She`s going to get to hang out with them and spend some real time.
Ashleigh, this is huge. I mean this is clearly a sign that the judge thinks Britney is finally turning it around, isn`t it?
BANFIELD: Well, custody is always an evolving issue and it`s revisited on a regular basis to see if patterns of conduct change. And I think we`ve all seen in our coverage that Britney`s pattern of conduct has definitely changed since her father really entered the picture.
And perhaps the judge is just reflecting that there is sort of a more sober environment that perhaps the children could benefit from, because listen, it`s a benefit to children to be with their parents if their parents can provide good parenting.
HAMMER: Yes. No question about that. Also in our coverage we`ve seen how hard-nosed the judge has been, really examining exactly what he was doing, making exactly what he felt were the proper decisions.
That in mind, Liza, are you surprised by this big vote of confidence coming from the judge?
L. ANDERSON: No, I think it`s wonderful. And I think you have to weigh two sides to each story and really wonder how much of the truth is really going on here and how much it is lawyers bashing each other and bashing both parties that are involved here.
It`s really, really hard to know what`s truly going on, especially when there`s so much money at stake with children involved. And you just don`t know how crazy she really is and how normal -- you just don`t know.
HAMMER: Yes.
L. ANDERSON: And I think she`s still the mommy at the end of the day. And God bless her, let her have her children.
HAMMER: Yes, but what we don`t want and what we`ve seen before are setbacks with Britney. Clearly, she has been handed this gift here.
So what do you think, Darren? I mean what does Britney absolutely need to do to make sure she does not blow what looks like a terrific opportunity for her and her kids?
KAVINOKY: Yes. I have a slightly different opinion than that articulated by the rest of the panel. I think it`s great that the media coverage about Britney today, comments on the idea that her hair is straight rather than her being in a straight jacket. But she`s made only so much progress or she`s only capable of making so much progress.
Remember, it was five short months ago that she had a series of forced psychiatric hospitalizations. So I`m in favor of reuniting the family and it`s certainly in the best interest of the kids to have a great relationship with their mom. But the judge has to be very concerned about giving her ropes slowly as she earns it. And kudos to her for earning a bit more.
HAMMER: No, there`s no question about that either.
Darren Kavinoky, Liza Anderson, Ashleigh Banfield, thank you all for being here tonight. I appreciate it.
L. ANDERSON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, you know, it`s not every day that I get to mention both Paris Hilton and the hooker in the Eliot Spitzer scandal in the same breath.
Now get your mind out of the gutter here. Paris Hilton is going bonkers over claims that she likes to use puppies as fashion accessories. Seriously, Paris, you got to lighten up here.
And Ashley Dupre speaking out for the very first time since she helped bring down New York`s governor in a big old prostitution scandal. Wait until you hear what both of them said. I`ll have that coming up and this.
CAPLAN: A lot of celebrities are filthy, dirty rich and rolling in it.
HAMMER: In Hollywood, the rich get rich and the rest of us think -- how do we get our hands on some of that dough? Recession, what recession? I cannot wait to show you the lifestyles of the still rich and famous. That is on the way.
And tonight, I can now announce, America is safe again. Yes, Boy George, banned from coming to America. And that concert for sanitation workers, sadly, is off. Amy Winehouse also banned. Coming up, why the British aren`t coming.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAOMI CAMPBELL, SUPERMODEL: I`m not saying that behavior was correct. I guess I just took it too far, maybe?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ah, yes, a deeply sincere apology from Naomi Campbell for acting like a diva on a British Airways flight that got her arrested leading to her becoming the latest Brit banned for bad behavior.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You`re watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, the British aren`t coming, including Naomi Campbell. Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that other big British stars, Boy George and Amy Winehouse, have been banned from American shores. They are on the outs for having arrest records and for all-around bad behavior. And I for one can tell you that America is safe tonight.
Joining me tonight from an undisclosed bunker location in Hollywood, comedian Jodi Miller. Also hiding out in Hollywood tonight is Howard Bragman, the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations.
Guys, I appreciate your joining me from your locations of secrecy and I shall keep them a secret.
Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just learned Boy George banned from the U.S. because he is still facing kidnapping charges in London. As a result, Boy George may actually have to cancel his entire U.S. tour, which got me to thinking, you know, we have this color chart for terror threat levels here in the United States.
Should there perhaps be a chart for celebrity threat levels that would look like this? Banned for life, needs a police escort, or can visit only to make juicy tabloid headlines?
Jodi, let me begin with you. Where do you think Boy George falls on our celebrity threat level chart?
JODI MILLER, COMEDIAN: You know I think maybe just allowed to make juicy headlines. You know? And here`s the thing, we`ve already got one sexually perverted George in our country right now -- George Michael. I don`t think we can have two at the same time. So he`s just going to have to wait. If there`s an amendment or something, only one sexually perverted George in our country at once.
HAMMER: Yes, I think that`s going through Congress right now.
Now.
MILLER: Yes.
HAMMER: I have to say I`m a little sad for some people because one of the real casualties of this Boy George ban, he`s now also had to cancel his free concert he was planning to do for New York City sanitation workers.
You probably remember two years ago Boy George was serving community service with the Department of Sanitation after a drug arrest.
But what do you think? Should we cut Boy George some slack? Do we really want to hurt him? I mean talk about bad karma, chameleon.
Howard Bragman, I`ll stop there. Is Boy George being unfairly trashed?
BRAGMAN: Absolutely. You know what`s going on, A.J. The Bush administration doesn`t want us to think about the `80s when gas was about 90 cents a gallon. That`s what`s going on. He harkens back to a much better time than we`re having right now.
We`re going to ban George. You`re stuck with the $4.75 a gallon gas and we got to live with it.
HAMMER: We will have no reminders of the good times and the bad clothes.
All right. Well, next up, the feds have said, no, no, no to Amy Winehouse who is now banned from the U.S. after a drug arrest in Norway. Amy, obviously, has plenty of troubles these days.
Jodi, are you with me that perhaps Amy`s beehive alone could rank right up there on a ban for life level on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT celebrity threat level chart?
MILLER: Absolutely. That`s like on a level five. I mean I remember when I would, you know, do my hair for the prom. I had a bobby pin stuck in there for like six years. She can be concealing anything in that hair.
HAMMER: Jodi, let me just ask you one more question. Are you feeling particularly safe right now?
MILLER: I am actually. As long as she`s not here, I feel safe at this moment.
HAMMER: Well, not just Amy Winehouse. There`s another reason American shores and personal assistants are safe tonight. Naomi Campbell cooling her heels in Europe. This supermodel is banned from British Airways, of course, after going berserk on airport workers and police at London`s Heathrow Airport. That was back in April.
Now she just pleaded guilty to the charges. And in a brand-new interview, Naomi has apologized -- sort of.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMPBELL: I apologized to the PC, to the Metropolitan Police, and to British Airways. I don`t -- I just think they`re disgusting. I just feel that I`ve traveled with this airline for how many years. And, you know, I just -- I`ve never had a problem and I just think they`ve just been really -- I don`t know, harsh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Guys, could I get a collective waaa, please, for Naomi Campbell?
Thank you.
You know this is coming harsh coming from a woman who assaulted her maid with a BlackBerry because the maid lost her jeans. Nice.
Jodi, back at you. What should they have done for how Naomi acted? I mean perhaps given her frequent flyer miles, I don`t know.
MILLER: You know what? It turns out that every time she gets into a fight or an altercation, she just pays them off with money. So personally I`m upset because I`d like to apply for the position of her personal assistant. Then I can just insult her, she can chuck a BlackBerry and I can cash in. You know? I`m fine with that.
HAMMER: Wait. Just for the fun of it or so you can sue her?
MILLER: Well, so that, yes, I can make a little extra cash. I mean I can take a hit to the head with a BlackBerry. Come on.
HAMMER: All right. Perhaps you can demonstrate at the end of the segment for us. But you`ll have -- it`ll have to a self-inflicted hit since you`re tied away in a bunker somewhere.
MILLER: I am.
HAMMER: All right, Howard Bragman, where do you think Naomi Campbell -- oh I know you`re a fan of Naomi`s. So tell me where she should fall on this newly instituted celebrity threat level from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT?
We have the banned for life category, we have needs a police escort, we have can visit only to make juicy tabloid headlines?
Howard.
BRAGMAN: She clearly can have a police escort. She will abuse the police escort and I do want to say for the record that I represented her for many hours one day and nothing was thrown at me, insults or physical objects.
No, it`s time for Naomi to be banned for life here. It will make the world a safer place for journalist, publicist, comedians, personal assistants. It will just make America better again, A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Jodi, you got that BlackBerry handy?
MILLER: I do. I -- seriously, I do.
HAMMER: OK. Well, if you need one, we`ll just send it your way. I appreciate you for being here tonight.
Jodi Miller, Howard Bragman, back to your secret place, wherever that is.
We`re now moving on to a public service announcement. This is for animal lovers everywhere. Your pets are now safe from the likes of alleged doggy diva Paris Hilton. Apparently, the reports are not true that Paris Hilton tried to snatch up a puppy from a pet store to match her outfit.
Yes, you heard right. You can tell Fido and Fifi that it`s safe to come out now. Paris says pooches are not fashionable after all and she went to MySpace to set this dog tale straight.
Here`s what Paris so eloquently writes, quote, "I wasn`t looking for a new pet. I wasn`t even at a photo shoot that day. Puppies are not accessories or toys and I love my own pets dearly. I treat them as if they were my children."
Clearly, someone was barking up the wrong tree there. And I got to tell you, Paris in pretty good company. The hooker at the center of the scandal that brought down the former New York governor, Eliot Spitzer -- well, she`s speaking out for the very first time. And just like Paris Hilton, she`s taking her message to Myspace.com.
Listen to this -- Ashley Dupre, who`s seen her in photos exclusively obtained by "Us Weekly" is thanking both her supporters and her critics.
Listen to what she writes. Quote, "Thank you all so much for taking the time to send me a bit of strength and inspiration. Your words have touched me and I thank you for that. With all my heart, I love you guys.``
And to her critics. Listen to what she wrote. Quote, "And to all the not so kind words, I love you, too, because it makes me push myself and want it even more. Hard times don`t last, only strong people."
All right. There you have it. Deep thoughts brought to you by Ashley Dupre.
Well, times these days, not exactly the greatest. The economy, we know, it`s in the toilet, people not able to pay their bills. So how come the rich in Hollywood keep getting richer?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPLAN: A lot of these celebrities are filthy, dirty rich and rolling in it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rolling in it, he said. Can you imagine what it must be like to have so much money you could literally roll in it? Well, the stars who are rolling in it and a few who are -- well, they`re feeling the pinch. That is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Don`t go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thanks, Charles.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, ridiculously rich. Forget a recession. Hollywood`s biggest stars are banking big bucks like there is no tomorrow. Talk about the rich getting richer. Are stars really immune to the economic crunch that people across the country are feeling?
Well, not so fast. Could it be that even the Hollywood elites are actually feeling the squeeze? Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN HEADLINES HOST, (voice over): Rich, famous and seemingly impervious to the economic crisis.
CAPLAN: A lot of these celebrities are filthy, dirty rich and rolling in it.
B. ANDERSON: They`re uber-wealthy stars, living life on a plain high above mainstream America.
CAPLAN: There`s a bit of a trickle-down effect. But it`s rarely the same way in which sort of an average American who`s affected by the economic downturn.
B. ANDERSON: Hey, isn`t it Oprah banks $275 million in the last year?
"Forbes" magazine named billionaire Oprah Winfrey the most powerful celebrity for the second year in a row, followed by Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie, Beyonce Knowles and soccer star David Beckham.
CAPLAN: These two love a lavish lifestyle. Just look at Victoria Beckham. You can see she spends a lot of money on high-price, designer clothing. David, on the other hand, prefers his toys or his big toys. He has multiple Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris.
B. ANDERSON: Recently married hip-hip heavyweights Jay-Z and Beyonce, according to "Forbes," earned more than $160 million between them over the past 12 months.
CAPLAN: Jay-Z loves to lavish Beyonce on gifts. He spent $1 million on a car for Beyonce for her birthday. They travel a lot to St. Troupe, St. Bart. They rented yachts. So with them, you know, they love their luxury products.
B. ANDERSON: Some celebrities, though, are feeling the pinch.
DAX SHEPARD, ACTOR: We`re still subject to the decline of the housing market. So -- and it has been interesting to go on Zilo.com and just kind of track the downward spiral of my house value.
B. ANDERSON: "Ironman" star Terrance Howard kept the purse strings tight on a recent trip to Europe.
TERRANCE HOWARD, ACTOR: I didn`t buy anything in London and I didn`t buy - - definitely didn`t buy anything in Italy.
B. ANDERSON: But for those who are spending money, that`s a boost for the whole economy.
CAPLAN: It`s no big deal to say, oh, I`m going to buy a private jet this week, another million dollar Rolls-Royce the following week.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Maybe I`ll skip the Rolls next month.
That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson reporting. And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
You can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s -- 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
END
