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Showbiz Tonight
Hulk Hogan Speaks Out; Madonna`s Divorce Drama; Interview With Boy George; The Best of Celebrity Freakouts; `Mamma Mia` Premiere
Aired July 01, 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: Madonna speaks out for the very first time about whether her marriage is in trouble or not.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And Jada Pinkett-Smith tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the real deal. Are she and Will Smith opening a Scientology school?
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Hulkamania runs wild. Hulk Hogan speaks out about his wife, Linda, dating a 19-year-old. You haven`t heard this before. Hulk absolutely goes off.
Tonight, the unbelievable way his daughter, Brooke, found out about her mother`s young boyfriend. And why he doesn`t want the boyfriend touching his stuff.
Tonight, Hulk Hogan speaks out like never before about Linda`s young new love.
Tonight, the best freakouts ever caught on camera. Bill O`Reilly going ballistic, Heather Mills totally losing it, and the YouTube divorce lady exploding.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The only cruel behavior I`ve ever done to that man is make him from skim milk in his cappuccino.
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the craziest, the most outrageous, the best celebrity freakouts ever.
Plus, exclusive. Boy George speaks out about getting banned from the United States and how Amy Winehouse needs to be rescued. Tonight, Boy George in the headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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, Madonna responds. For the very first time since the reports started flying that Madonna is getting ready to divorce Guy Ritchie, she is finally speaking out about what she says is really going on.
That`s coming up.
HAMMER: But first, what need be the ultimate insult to Hulk Hogan. Tonight, Hulk is speaking out like never before about his wife`s 19-year- old boyfriend, and you have got to hear him for yourself. Hulk went on the radio to reveal how he says his young daughter found out about the relationship and says he`s just furious because the boyfriend is, well, playing with his toys.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the explosive brand-new Hulk headlines making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HULK HOGAN, ENTERTAINER: I had no idea some 19-year-old kid was going to be driving my motorcycle around.
HAMMER (voice over): Poor Hulk Hogan. Once again, he has to deal with red-blooded young guys looking for love in the Hogan house, just like he did on his old reality show, "Hogan Knows Best."
HOGAN: Brooke`s not sexually active.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn`t lose my virginity until I was 19 years old.
HOGAN: Yes. So basically you are sexually active.
HAMMER: But now those young men aren`t sniffing after Hulk`s teen daughter Brooke. They`re sniffing after his late 40-something estranged wife, Linda.
GILLIAN SHELDON, TMZ: She`s quite cougariffic (ph).
HAMMER: Now it`s Hulk Hogan`s turn to roar.
HOGAN: Yes, I`m sick of this crap.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, in an explosive new interview, Hulk is speaking out like never before on his estranged wife`s reported fling with a 19-year-old high school classmate of his daughter Brooke. TMZ caught the very blonde couple partying in Vegas.
SHELDON: The pictures of them are just hilarious. It`s like, wait, is that her son? Wait, no, that`s her boyfriend.
HAMMER: And Hulk is speaking out about how Linda`s relationship is affecting his already troubled family and how the whole thing actually got Hulk detained by police.
SHELDON: The Hogan family, obviously have been torn apart by a divorce, torn apart by a tragic accident. But I think that there`s a way that a family can come together and go through these difficult times without losing their minds.
HAMMER: In a radio interview with Florida personality Bubba the Love Sponge, Hulk gripes about how his wife`s new boyfriend is living in the family house in Florida and driving his cars. And Hulk says daughter, Brooke, learned the hard way about Linda`s new relationship when she found mom`s new man hiding in her brother Nick`s bathroom while Nick remains in jail for a street racing accident that hurt his friend.
HOGAN: So she opened Nick`s bathroom, and there were these two 19-year-old boys hiding in Nick`s bathroom. And when Brooke screamed at them, one guy goes, "Aww, I`m dating your mother!"
HAMMER: Hulk says he was driving when he got a frantic call from his daughter.
HOGAN: She called me up panicking because she was scared to death. She didn`t know if she was going to get beat up or anything like that. So what I did was I did a U-turn on 60, almost wrecked my car, because Brooke called me scared to death because these kids looked crazy -- like they were going to do something to her hiding in Nick`s bathroom.
As I turned and circled back, Linda starts following me down the road! And I`m not looking for Linda, I`m looking for my daughter.
HAMMER: This is where the story really gets weird. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the tape of the 911 call Linda made while following Hogan. She accused Hulk of violating a stay-away order. The operator couldn`t believe what he was hearing.
DISPATCHER: You said he left? Or he is leaving?
LINDA HOGAN, HULK HOGAN`S WIFE: I am following him right now. Yes, he was parked in front of my house.
DISPATCHER: Why are you following him? Why are you following him?
L. HOGAN: I don`t know. I was leaving.
DISPATCHER: Stop following him. The idea of the injunction is to keep you two separate and so you are safe, right?
Ma`am -- ma`am, stop following him.
L. HOGAN: OK. OK, I will.
DISPATCHER: So you`ll be safe.
SHELDON: The 911 operator sort of gave her the smackdown.
HAMMER: Hulk says the cops caught up with him on this bridge.
H. HOGAN: As I go over the Sand Key Bridge, I get pulled over by all these cops who say there`s an injunction against me. I`ve been stalking, threatening my wife, which is BS! And then all of a sudden after they detained me for a while, they tell me, "Oh, we`re sorry. It was a fake report, your wife lied. There`s no injunction against you."
That`s the kind of -- dude, I`m sick of this crap.
HAMMER: Brooke is saying she`s no longer talking to her mother because of her mom`s new relationship. And as the family deals with Nick`s jailing and a host of public troubles, TMZ`s Gillian Sheldon says Linda`s cougaring and Hulk`s griping are not helping.
SHELDON: Right now, these parents need to focus on their family, their children, their son who`s in jail, their daughter`s career, divorcing amicably and not having it be so messy, and bring the family back together rather than polarizing it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, wouldn`t that be nice?
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Linda Hogan`s reps, but as of show time, they had not gotten back to us.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Darren Kavinoky, attorney with the California-based Kavinoky Law Firm. And in New York tonight is Kim Serafin, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
All right, Darren, Kim, as we heard, the Hulk now spilling all the ugly details of how he says his daughter Brooke found out her mom was dating this 19-year-old dude. I want to take another listen now to exactly what Hulk said on the Bubba the Love Sponge radio show.
Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: So she opened Nick`s bathroom, and there were these two 19-year- old boys hiding in Nick`s bathroom. And when Brooke screamed at them, one guy goes, "Aww, I`m dating your mother!"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Can you imagine? You know, with all the dirt out there already, it seems to me that some private matters are best left private. Maybe I`m alone here.
Darren, what about you? It seems that the Hulk may be positioning himself for what truly could be an ugly divorce battle in court.
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: A.J., please tell me I`m not the only one who hears the sounds of dueling banjos when we start talking about the Hogans. I think it will be an ugly divorce, and that`s primarily because the Hogans seem to be drawn to family dysfunction in the same way that tornadoes are drawn to trailer parks.
There`s no good scientific explanation as to why, but it keeps happening over and over again. And as to the legal issues, thank god the kids are both over the age of 18, because I think it would be scientifically and legally impossible to determine which one of the Hogans is the least fit parent. These kids are on their own now, and the courts don`t have to deal with that issue.
HAMMER: Yes, no kidding. I can`t even wrap my head around that as you`re saying it. And the family is just falling apart.
I mean, Brooke Hogan is saying she`s no longer even talking to her mother as a result of the fact that she is dating this former classmate of hers.
Kim, when you hear what Hulk is claiming happened, that Brooke found her mom`s 19-year-old boyfriend in her brother Nick`s bathroom, it kind of makes you understand why Brooke is so upset, doesn`t it?
KIM SERAFIN, SR. EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Oh, yes, for sure. I mean, and they`re hiding. I mean, they`re not even acting like 19-year-olds, they`re acting like 14-year-olds hiding in her brother`s bathroom.
And of course there`s been a lot of talk about Nick lately. So she doesn`t know if they`re there to do something to her or her family or to -- and Nick`s stuff.
I mean, it`s one of those things where, they do reality shows. Brooke obviously has a reality show. The Hogans have a reality show. Like, you would think if not for the serious parts of this, that this was a very carefully-scripted type of thing, if not for Nick in jail and injuring his friend.
I mean, it`s so bizarre, I think it would be bizarre for any of us to walk in and find our parent`s 19-year-old boyfriend or girlfriend in our bathroom. For this family, not so bizarre, I guess.
HAMMER: I`m not a big fan of cliches, but again, I`ll say, you just can`t make this stuff up.
And if there`s not enough absurdity already in the whole mess, one of the more wild things that happened is when Linda called 911 as she was following Hulk, claiming Hulk was stalking her. OK, it still doesn`t make sense to me.
The cops basically told Linda, take a hike. You`ve got to listen to what Hulk told Bubba the Love Sponge on Bubba`s radio show about what happened when the cops pulled Hulk over.
Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
H. HOGAN: As I go over the Sand Key Bridge, I get pulled over by all these cops who say there`s an injunction against me. I`ve been stalking, threatening my wife, which is BS! And then all of a sudden after they detained me for a while, they tell me, "Oh, we`re sorry. It was a fake report, your wife lied. There`s no injunction against you."
That`s the kind of -- dude, I`m sick of this crap.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Darren, over to you now.
So, Hulk is saying that the cops said that Linda made this whole thing up. So if Linda did make up the claim that there was a restraining order against Hulk, is that the kind of thing that could actually influence the divorce battle perhaps in Hulk`s favor?
KAVINOKY: Well, anything that affects one side`s credibility can find its way into the court and certainly have an impact on the outcome. Of course, the real problem for the Hogans is that judges are people, too, and anybody that`s looking and listening to these guys might just throw their hands up and say, who cares? You guys deserve each other.
And in the battle of credibility, I think they`re both big losers. So I don`t know how that one`s going to shake out.
HAMMER: Darren, I`ve got to tell you, I threw my hands up in the air saying that same thing weeks ago.
Darren Kavinoky, Kim Serafin, I thank you both.
ANDERSON: All right. So the summer movie blockbuster season is well under way. Films like "Indiana Jones" and "Wanted" are really heating up the screen. So we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
Summer movies, are they living up to the hype? Vote, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. You can do that at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
A.J., you had a chance to speak with Boy George today. How did that go?
HAMMER: Yes, it was great, Brooke. I`ve got to tell you, I like Boy George a lot. In a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, he really opened up to me about what he thinks Amy Winehouse`s troubles with the drugs and law are all about. That`s something he knows about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOY GEORGE, MUSICIAN: I wish I could get a hold of her and say, "You`re a genius," you know. "You`re so gifted, you k now, and you`re destroying the one thing that will save you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Boy George sounds off on Amy, and about not being allowed to come and play shows here in the United States. It is Boy George coming up in my exclusive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also, you`ve heard the rumors, Madonna and Guy Ritchie are on the verge of divorce. But I want to know, is there any truth to all those tabloid reports?
Now for the first time, Madonna is setting the record straight. That is next. You don`t want to miss it.
HAMMER: Also, "We`ll do it live!" Stars go nuts with the cameras rolling. A veritable avalanche of freakouts. You`ve got Bill O`Reilly going ballistic, Heather Mills losing it, Paula Abdul breaking down.
Coming up, the most outrageous celebrity freakouts ever.
And remember, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime. New stuff being posted all the time at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Among the videos now playing, the Hogan family drama.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, for the very first time, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Madonna is finally speaking out about all those wild stories over the past few days that she and hubby, Guy Ritchie, are getting divorced.
With me tonight here in Hollywood, founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations, Howard Bragman. And from New York tonight, host of VH1 News, Janell Snowden.
Janell, Howard, thanks for being here.
And hey, this story has been making the rounds since last week. And listen, it didn`t help that Madonna was here in the states, Guy Ritchie back home in the U.K.
Now, Monday night, Guy finally came to the U.S. And then today, Madonna`s rep issued this statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT saying, "Madonna and Guy Ritchie have no plans to file for divorce. I can confirm that Guy joined his family last night in New York City as planned for months."
Howard, the Madonna divorce rumors have been rampant ever since she reportedly met with Paul McCartney`s divorce lawyer.
So, are you buying this?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: I actually am buying this. Having practiced P.R. as long as I have, Brooke, what I can tell you is there`s often a credibility gap. And that gap is between what the truth is and what many media outlets, obviously not CNN, but what other media outlets are willing to report.
So I`m willing to believe that Liz Rosenberg is telling the truth at this point, and that there are no immediate plans for divorce. I think Madonna is working on her tour, she`s working on being a good mother. And I don`t expect them to be divorced soon.
ANDERSON: Yes, she is working nonstop, it seems, very, very busy. And I do remember when these divorce rumors first started swirling a few months ago, and there were similar denials.
Janell, what do you think is going on here?
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, VH1 NEWS: Well, Madonna loves nothing more than to fool us. And so I think that this is just, you know, something that any married couple goes through. It`s just that when you`re famous, everyone blows things out of proportion. So if you`re not seen together all the time, then people are like, oh, my goodness, they`re getting divorced.
I sat down with Madonna in early May and we talked about her new album, and on the album she has a song called "Miles Away." In that song she has a lyric that says, "We`re at our best when we`re 6,000 miles away."
Now, you do the math, London and L.A. are roughly 6,000 miles. So I asked her, was the song about Guy and what it means. And she said that, you know, she understands that people can perceive it as a song about her relationship, and so she said, "Yes, there are parts of it that are about him. And what I mean by it is that we`re in a long-distance relationship and we work in the entertainment business. He`s gone for his work a lot, I`m gone for mine, but we knew that`s what it was when we got into it, d we`re making it work."
And I think that`s exactly what`s going on.
ANDERSON: And sometimes distance does make the heart grow fonder, as they say.
Well, Madonna`s representative did say they have no plans to file for divorce, but she did not deny that Madonna met with a divorce lawyer. Those are the reports that are out there. And did not flat-out say their marriage is fine.
Howard, you`re the P.R. expert who speaks out for celebrities and has put out these kinds of statements as well. We`re not reading too much into this, are we?
BRAGMAN: I think you are trying to read a little too much into it. I actually talked to Liz Rosenberg today, Madonna`s publicist, and she assured me there are no plans for a divorce. And I can tell you, Madonna and Liz have both been doing this a long time and they`re known for speaking the truth.
They`re not known for lying or being evasive, Brooke. And they wouldn`t put themselves out like that if something was going to change in a matter of days or hours.
And in fact, if there was going to be an announcement about a divorce, they would haven`t responded at all. They would have said, "We`re not responding to these personal questions." They wouldn`t have answered the phone, they wouldn`t have returned the phone calls.
There`s a lot of ways to avoid it.
ANDERSON: Ah, yes.
BRAGMAN: But, in fact, they put it on the line by acknowledging, no, this isn`t happening. So I`ll take them at their word.
ANDERSON: And just decided to be very forthcoming about it.
Well, her representative has been very busy putting out all kinds of fires, not just this one. And in a separate statement to "People" magazine, she also says, "It`s nothing new that people are airing tons of dirty laundry. Madonna`s way lately -- much of it untrue."
Do you think that could be a dig at Madonna`s brother who has written a tell-all book to come out this month?
Janell, do you think for the first time in her life, Madonna could be worried about her image?
SNOWDEN: I think it very well could be a dig at the brother. And, you know, Madonna is the queen of reinvention. So I really don`t think that much scares her.
And so what, something comes out? Unless he says that she murdered somebody, I`m sure we`ll forgive her. You know? I mean, Madonna...
ANDERSON: You know, she has -- yes, she has spent a long time establishing her career. It may take more than a book to make a significant impact.
And we do have to end it there, but Janell Snowden, Howard Bragman, we appreciate your insight. Thanks so much.
BRAGMAN: See you, Brooke.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, coming up, wait until you see my exclusive interview with Boy George.
ANDERSON: Yes, it sounds like he really opened up to you, A.J. And you know what? I really wanted to hear what he had to say about Amy Winehouse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOY GEORGE: It broke my heart to watch her. It really broke my heart, because she`s an amazing talent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Boy George certainly knows a thing or two about what Amy is going through with the drugs and the legal troubles. Well, coming up, George tells me how he wants to help save Amy. Plus, what he really thinks about being banned from playing shows in the United States.
That is coming up in my exclusive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also, stars go nuts with the cameras rolling. Uh-oh. Bill O`Reilly goes ballistic, Heather Mills loses it, Paula Abdul breaks down.
Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT presents the most outrageous celebrity freakouts ever.
HAMMER: And Brangelina baby watch. Some big news to tell you tonight about Brad and Angelina`s twins.
That is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Brangelina baby watch has officially begun. Angelina Jolie is in a hospital in France waiting to give birth to twins.
A spokeswoman for the hospital in Nice, France, says everything is going well and that Angelina`s admittance to the hospital has been planned for a while now and there isn`t any urgency. The spokeswoman says Angelina will stay in the maternity wing until she gives birth and that right now she`s being kept under surveillance.
Jolie has said that the babies are due in August. The twins will be Angelina and Brad Pitt`s fifth and sixth child, joining Maddox, Zahara, Pax and Shiloh. The Brangelina bunch has been settling into a new home in the south of France. And we do wish them all the best as they wait for those twins.
All right, A.J., I know that you talked to Boy George today. How did that go?
HAMMER: Yes, I did talk to George. I like him a lot.
It was great. He`s cool, very funny. And in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, Brooke, he really opened up to me about what he thinks about Amy Winehouse`s troubles with drugs and the law, something he knows a lot about.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOY GEORGE: I wish I could get a hold of her and say, you`re a genius, you know, you`re so gifted, and you`re destroying the one thing that will save you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Boy George sounds off on Amy and about not being allowed to come to play shows in these United States.
Boy George, coming up in the exclusive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Also, stars go nuts with the cameras rolling. Bill O`Reilly goes ballistic, Heather Mills loses it, Paula Abdul breaks down.
Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT presents the most outrageous celebrity freakouts ever.
HAMMER: And I think it looks like "Mamma Mia!" could be a huge summer hit. I mean, you`ve got ABBA songs, you`ve got Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan. I mean, what more could you want?
Coming up, we are taking you to the premiere, we`re talking with the stars. Maybe I`ll even sing a few bars of "Dancing Queen." Probably not, but you never know.
But first, you can always stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just go to CNN.com/showbiztonight, click on that "sign up for newsletter" link at the bottom of the page. We`ll send it to you.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOY GEORGE: It broke my heart to watch it, it really broke my heart, because she`s an amazing talent.
HAMMER (voice over): Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. Boy George opens up like never before about his fellow Brit, troubled singer Amy Winehouse, why he`s so worried about her and why he thinks she needs to be rescued.
Plus, banned in the USA. Boy George on his shocking visa denial.
It`s the headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT..
Also, the wildest, the most outrageous freakouts ever caught on camera. Bill O`Reilly goes ballistic, Heather Mills` meltdown, and the YouTube divorce lady lashes out.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the best celebrity freakouts of all time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It`s 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, it is a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive as I go one-on- one with singer Boy George.
Boy George today officially canceled his U.S. concert tour after the State Department here in the United States turned down his request for a visa. The apparent reason? Well, Boy George is awaiting trial in London on charges of falsely imprisoning a male escort.
The last time Boy George was the center of attention here in the United States, he was sweeping New York City streets as part of community service for conviction on a drug charge.
Well, I spoke with Boy George, who was in London, and wait until you hear what he thinks needs to be done to save troubled singer Amy Winehouse. I began the interview by asking him if he was surprised when he first heard the U.S. government would prevent him from entering the country.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOY GEORGE: Well, I knew that it was a possibility, so it was something that I was aware of. I had gone to the embassy, I had done a couple of meetings there. And I had gone for a medical, which I passed.
And also, as you know, I swept -- I swept the streets of New York spotless. So I felt that, you know, the odds were in my favor. But unfortunately, it`s going to have to wait. But I will be coming back to America. I just have to wait.
I have some legal problems at the moment to deal with. Once they`re done, I`m back, and you won`t be able to get rid of me.
HAMMER: OK. Well, that`s a good thing, perhaps, because, you know, New York has not been as clean since you left. I can definitely own up to that.
But when you heard that they turned you down, I have to imagine you were pretty angry about that, even though you knew it was a possibility. I mean, this was a big deal coming back to the states to perform.
BOY GEORGE: I wouldn`t say I was angry, because anger, just, what does that do? You know, I mean, I`m disappointed because of the band and the crew, and there were a lot of fans that spent thousands of pounds on airline tickets. And you know, they won`t be refunded. So, from that point of view, I do feel a little bit of responsibility for all the people that work with me.
HAMMER: Well, the reason that you were banned from entering the United States basically boils down to the fact that you were facing trial on these charges that you assaulted and falsely imprisoned a male escort. And you`re set to go on trial for that in November.
BOY GEORGE: Yes.
HAMMER: Which are obviously pretty serious charges, George. So do you see the government`s side as to why they said, hey, we don`t want this guy coming here?
BOY GEORGE: Well, in England we have a law that says, you`re innocent until proven guilty. And I`m fighting the case and I`m pleading not guilty. And it has nothing to do with America, really.
And, you know, the thing is, any problems I have in America, I`ve addressed. You know, as I say, I had a very public community service, much more probably than most people, you know, when they get to do that. I did it with great dignity and pride. I did it thoroughly.
I was recommended by the Sanitation Department for my hard work. They also sent me a very supportive letter for my visa application.
So, you know, the way I look at it, there`s a lot of love for me in America. There are some people that understand, you know, that you have problems and you get over them. And there`s some people that don`t.
But I wouldn`t say that I was a threat to national security. I think that, you know, I`m coming to spread love and joy, to do my music. And I think I should be allowed to do that.
HAMMER: Well, George, I`ve got to tell you, a lot of people are on your side. And I was thinking about it before I was sitting down to talk to you. You and I have known each other going back some 18 years. And you know what? I`ve never thought of you as a threat.
But let me tell you what we did here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We actually asked the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers online and on the air a question about you.
And this is the question: "Boy George banned from the U.S. Do you believe he is a threat?"
Well, look at this. Eighty-five percent said, no, not a threat. Only 15 percent of you said, yes, he`s a threat, keep him away.
Are you at all surprised how lopsided the vote was? I mean, clearly, as I said, a lot of people just on your side in this.
BOY GEORGE: I`m very lucky. One of the things that really I appreciate is the fact that I get a lot of love from people on the street, whether it`s in the U.K. or America.
And when I came to do my community service, what was really heartwarming was the fact that people were so kind and supportive. I mean, I went there thinking, oh, what`s this going to be like? And people just showed me so much love.
And in a way, I want to come back and say thank you for that. You know, because the only way I can do that properly is through performing. And that`s what I do best, you know.
But, no, I`m not surprised. There must be about 15 -- you know, 15 percent of the people -- I don`t know who they are, but they`re probably more scary than I am.
HAMMER: One of the last times you were here in the states, George, you were serving that community service on the drug conviction charge.
BOY GEORGE: Yes.
HAMMER: You spent five days cleaning the streets of New York City. And as you said, the city has never been cleaner.
Looking back on that experience, did it do you some good?
BOY GEORGE: You know what? I guess the idea was to punish me, you know. You know, I didn`t feel punished, because the people that I worked with at the Sanitation Department, you know, those people work hard. They clean up your rubbish.
You know, so, the idea of it being a demeaning job doesn`t ring true with me, because those people do it day in and day out. And there`s nothing wrong with a bit of hard work. You know, my mother was a cleaner. And I`ve used a broom many times in my life, often to get from A to B.
But to me, you know, it was all about the fact that the people at the Sanitation Department were really, really nice to me. They respected me. As long as you did the work and you paid your dues, they were kind.
And, you know, I`m going to be doing a gig for them when I come back. You know, so, for me, it wasn`t -- I didn`t think it was a punishment as such, you know.
HAMMER: I think that was extremely well put. And a really good perspective that I think a lot of people lack on -- you know, just because you do this job, doesn`t mean you`re any less of a person.
And I need your perspective on something else -- actually somebody else, because you`ve obviously gotten successfully through your own share of difficulties, including drug problems in your life.
BOY GEORGE: Yes.
HAMMER: So let me ask you about what we see going on with Amy Winehouse. She seems to be melting down before our very eyes, George. What kind of advice would you give her? What do you think she really needs to be focusing on right now?
BOY GEORGE: I think she needs to start loving herself, you know.
I watched her at (INAUDIBLE) and I was really, really shocked by the performance. And what shocked me more was that people were saying it was a great performance. But when I went online and I saw that the fans really saw it for what it was.
You know, she needs help. She really needs help. And I don`t understand her management, her family. I don`t understand what they`re doing, because what I saw was really painful for me to watch because I`ve been there.
Do you understand? I`ve been in that place. And it broke my heart to watch her.
It really broke my heart, because she`s an amazing talent, you know. And she`s so gifted. One of the greatest artists we`ve produced in a long time in this country.
That voice, just so much pain and melancholy in that voice. And she`s using only half of it, even a quarter of it, at the moment. And I just think, you know, yes, it`s not fashionable to say it, but I just think she needs help, you know. And I mean that from my heart.
HAMMER: Yes. And from your perspective, the people around her who should be helping her the most, just aren`t getting the job done, clearly.
BOY GEORGE: It`s really difficult. You know, having been in that situation, you know, people try and try to get you off that stuff. And unless you`re willing -- you know, the only person that can stop you is yourself. I know that from my own experience.
But it is important to have the support and the love of people that you care about. You know, family, friends, management, whatever. And I`ve always had that.
And I`m lucky because I do have people in my life that will say, you know what? You`re a mess, this is bad. You know, you`re making a fool of yourself. Whatever it may be, you know.
And, you know, sometimes you don`t hear it when you need to hear it. But somebody needs to do something to help her. I really do think that.
You know, and I -- you know, I wish I could do something. I wish I could get a hold of her and say, you`re a genius, you`re so gifted, you know, and you`re destroying the one thing that will save you. Because from my point of view, music is the thing that saved me, you know.
I know that it`s the one thing that I respect and honor. And, you know, you can`t go on stage in that state. You know, it`s insulting your audience, your art form, everything. And when you do that, it`s all over. So, you know, I want someone to do something to help her because she clearly can`t help herself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Brooke, he definitely knows of what he speaks. His lows were very low, but, you know, he really has pulled himself together. He`s doing great, it seems.
ANDERSON: It seems to be that way, A.J. And he`s got a lot of compassion for Amy Winehouse.
You know, you do have to feel for her. She`s very, very troubled.
And it was great to see that he`s optimistic about rescheduling those North American tour dates in the future. Hopefully we will see him here.
And you know, A.J., when he did his community service, sweeping the streets in New York, he was pretty cool about it. He didn`t have a fit, he didn`t throw a temper tantrum like so many other stars do when they have problems. They freak out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a point where she claims that she has been treated worse than murderers and pedophiles, at which point all the murderers and pedophiles around the world were like, no, no, no, leave us out of this. This is -- you`re on your own.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, Heather Mills totally lost it during her divorce battle with Paul McCartney. Bill O`Reilly went ballistic. Paula Abdul straight- up melted down.
Tonight, I`ve got the most outrageous, over-the-top, best freakouts ever. You will freak out if you miss this SHOWBIZ special report next.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, some people are freaking out over this new elementary school Will Smith and his wife, the lovely, Jada, are opening up this September. Is this thing really a front for the Church of Scientology? Well, tonight, Jada is speaking out for the very first time to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about the stunning controversy.
That is coming up next.
And here`s another shocking new Hollywood controversy. A young woman is desperately trying to find her father, but could he be one of three guys? She`s got a star-studded cast to help her out, though. I`m taking you to the world premiere of "Mamma Mia!" coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m Brooke Anderson.
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ special report: the best freakouts ever. Is it me, or does Hollywood have some serious anger issues?
You`ve got Bill O`Reilly`s on-camera temper tantrum, Paula Abdul`s straight-up meltdown, and even the wild and wacky YouTube divorce lady who has become a headline maker with her ridiculous rant.
I know you just can`t get enough of these stars losing it. So right now, here are SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S best freakouts of all time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL O`REILLY, "INSIDE EDITION": We`ll do it live, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
ANDERSON (voice over): Perhaps it was a moment of weakness...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t take (ph ) it.
ANDERSON: ... or a passionate plea...
TRICIA WALSH-SMITH, PLAYWRIGHT: I am being thrown out on the street, having done nothing.
ANDERSON: ... or maybe just a hard day`s night.
HEATHER MILLS, DIVORCED FROM PAUL MCCARTNEY: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
ANDERSON: Whatever the reason, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that uncensored and unleashed moments of pure rage are really fun to watch.
SMITH: Shame on you!
ANDERSON: So, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the best freakouts you`ve ever seen.
But what is it that makes on-camera outrage so awesome?
BEX SCHWARTZ, COMEDIAN: It`s unbelievably entertaining to watch these outrage videos, because it`s great to see people completely lose control. And it just becomes very cathartic.
ANDERSON: Cathartic doesn`t even begin to describe the anger factor in a 20-year-old clip of Bill O`Reilly that surfaced on YouTube.
O`REILLY: I don`t know what that means to play us out. What does that mean?
ANDERSON: That`s a much younger O`Reilly completely flipping out over a screwy script while hosting the entertainment show "Inside Edition."
O`REILLY: And we will leave you with a -- I can`t do it. We`ll do it live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, E!: I don`t think that people are surprised that Bill O`Reilly is a hot head. That`s not exactly breaking news. But what`s interesting is that it`s surfacing. That means someone went and found this and made sure other people saw it.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live! I`ll write it and we`ll do it live, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! This thing sucks.
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": If you watch, he loses it and then wraps up. He`s like, "We`ll do it live! We`ll do it live!"
And coming up next on "Inside Edition" -- he just -- in 30 seconds he goes from, like, crazy to, boom. He`s all contained all of a sudden.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live. We`ll do it live, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
SMITH: How dare you!
ANDERSON: No scripts needed for the women simply known as "YouTube Divorce Lady." Playwright Tricia Walsh-Smith became the most famous desperate housewife ever when she put her outrage online.
SMITH: I am speaking my truth!
ANDERSON: Smith spouted her truth, dishing the ugly details of her divorce from Broadway mogul Phillip Smith.
SMITH: I am the biggest f-ing idiot in the world.
CONOR KNIGHTON, HOST, CURRENT TV`S "INFOMANIA": Basically, Tricia was going through a divorce with her husband, who`s 25 years older than she is. And so obviously when you`re trying to stick it to a 74-year-old man, you make a YouTube video.
SMITH: The only cruel behavior I`ve ever done to that man is make have him skim milk in his cappuccino. And I did sneak wheat grass once into his freshly-made vegetable juice.
SCHWARTZ: She sneaks wheat grass into his green smoothie drink, which is like, I don`t even know why you`re telling me this, but I`m fascinated. And then in the midst of all this crazy and divorce, she`s like, oh, tarot cards. Because you know nothing says stable like someone who`s flipping out tarot cards at the drop of a hat.
SMITH: But I did my cards today. And look what I pulled -- courage.
ANDERSON: It takes more than a psychic reading to predict the unpredictable freakout of Paula Abdul.
ABDUL: I`m trying to tell (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story!
ANDERSON: Paula was absolutely outraged on her reality show "Hey Paula" when she found out that she lost a big gig on "The Bratz Movie."
SCHWARTZ: She poured her blood, her sweat, her tears into "The Bratz Movie." And then one of her assistants has the audacity to try to tell her to calm down. And she just breaks down because she`s telling a gosh-hard story.
ABDUL: You guys, please. I`m trying to tell a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) story!
SCHWARTZ: It`s really intense. It`s like the Paula Abdul meltdown that you sort of always think is on the brink of happening during "American Idol" but never quite gets there. And then, boom, there it is.
KNIGHTON: I think why people find it funny though is that she`s crying about "The Bratz Movie." That`s sort of like, you know, I didn`t get set designer on "The Garbage Pail Kids."
ANDERSON: Paula`s gotten a lot of flak for her bizarre antics, but at least she hasn`t had worse press than Heather Mills.
MILLS: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
ANDERSON: Just before her divorce from Paul McCartney and winning $50 million in divorce settlement, Mills went on a worldwide media tour because she was outraged by, well, the media.
KNIGHTON: There`s a point where she claims that she`s been treated worse than murderers and pedophiles, at which point all the murderers and pedophiles around the world were like, no, no, no, leave us out of this. This is -- you`re on your own.
MILLS: I`ve had worse press than a pedophile or a murderer.
SCHWARTZ: Pedophiles aren`t allowed on "Dancing With the Stars." And murderers aren`t normally given billions of dollars just because they had sex with Paul McCartney and had a baby.
MILLS: I am trying and I`m being pushed to the edge.
ANDERSON: In the end, Bill, Tricia, Paula and Heather have all overcome their moments of public rage. Luckily for us, their phenomenal freakouts will never get old, especially since they were all caught on tape.
O`REILLY: We`ll do it live!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Pretty shocking stuff there. And I`m sure those stars are embarrassed and humiliated. But I know there will be more freakouts in the future, and we`ll be watching.
Come on, it`s the guilty pleasure.
HAMMER: Wow.
Well, tonight, Will Smith`s wife Jada is speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for the very first time about the controversy over the private school she and her husband are opening.
The L.A.-based primary school has raised plenty of eyebrows because it will use methods developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and has actually hired some teachers who are in fact Scientologists. Well, Will and Jada have long denied they are members of the Church of Scientology. But when we caught up with Jada at the premiere of her husband`s film "Hancock" in L.A., she insisted the school is absolutely not a front for Scientology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JADA PINKETT-SMITH, ACTRESS: A completely secular school. Completely secular.
The reason why we even started the school is because we just wanted to provide a certain type of environment and a certain type of education, and we just want children to succeed. That`s what we want.
We want kids to really love their education. And we want kids to really know what they`re learning, not just regurgitating information. So that`s all we hope for. We just want the best for every child we come in contact with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sounds like a good plan. The new Village Academy will open this September. And besides the three Rs, listen to this, they`ll also have courses in yoga and robotics.
ANDERSON: Robotics. OK.
"Hancock" is one of the most talked-about films of the summer. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
It is this: Summer Movies: Are they living up to the hype?
Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. E-mail us. There`s the address: showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, a summer movie I can`t wait to see, "Mamma Mia." In fact, I`m just having a hard time restraining myself from jumping on to the chair and singing some catchy ABBA songs.
Tonight, I`m taking you to the world premiere of "Mamma Mia." That`s next.
And you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time. Download our podcast. It`s free. Why not?
Playing right now, stars blowing their stacks. And it`s all caught on tape. You`ll find it at cnn.com/showbiztonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
I`m A.J. Hammer.
And tonight, it`s the shocking story of a young woman trying to find out who her father is, and it could be one of three guys.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!
HAMMER: All right. It is not an episode of "Jerry Springer." Calm down, my friends.
This is, however, one of the most talked about star-studded movies of the year.
Here`s CNN`s Morgan Neill for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the world premier of "Mamma Mia."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It`s not your typical formula for a hit summer movie -- musical with a soundtrack from Sweden.
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP (singing): You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17.
NEILL: But judging by fan reaction at the world premiere in London, "Mamma Mia!" the movie could buck the trend.
The movie tells the story of Donna, played by Meryl Streep, who tries to find out which of three former lovers is her daughter`s father.
ABBA, BAND (singing): ... at Waterloo, Napoleon did surrender. Oh yea...
NEILL: Swedish pop group ABBA, whose songs provide the soundtrack, remains hugely popular. The stage version of "Mamma Mia!" has grossed more than $2 billion globally.
(on camera): We are here for the world premiere at London`s Odeon Cinema. If there`s any doubt about just how much of a market there is for a summer musical/movie, just take a look at this crowd.
(voice over): Fans will see stars like Pierce Brosnan and Meryl Streep as never before, singing and dancing.
MERYL STREEP, ACTRESS: Flabbergasted they that they wanted me to do it, and I was thrilled to be able to do it. And I`m amazed that I did do it, frankly.
NEILL: Former 007 Brosnan says taking the role was a no-brainer.
PIERCE BROSNAN, ACTOR: Well, my agent called me up and said, "I`ve got a job with Meryl Streep, `Mamma Mia!` `Grease.`" It`s just a shoo-in, and I didn`t even know what the show was about. I had no idea. I had never seen the show. It was just a post on the side of a bus.
NEILL: Executive producer and former ABBA member Bjorn Ulvaeus can`t hide a grin when asked about Brosnan`s performance.
BJORN ULVAEUS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Yes, it`s awesome, isn`t it? 007 singing, you know, "SOS."
NEILL: Producers can only hope audiences enjoy "Mamma Mia!" half as much as the cast has.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, critics are saying "Mamma Mia!" is going to be a big-time summer blockbuster. Easy to see why that can be the case. And get this -- some online bloggers are already buzzing about a possible Oscar nomination for Meryl Streep.
Would love to see that happen for this movie.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We thank you for watching.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Hey, remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11s -- 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
