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Showbiz Tonight

John Mayer and Jennifer Aniston`s Breakup; The Most Shocking Live TV Moments Ever; Close Calls Caught on Tape; One on One With Michael Phelps

Aired August 18, 2008 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE ANDERSON: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the bizarre break-up. Tonight, John Mayer`s confessions about his split with Jennifer Aniston and it`s all caught on tape. His rage -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MAYER, SINGER: Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I`ve ever met.

ANDERSON (voice over): His rants -

MAYERS: There`s no lying, no (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will show you Mayer`s entire remarkable revelations. As we also ask, was it wrong for John to go public about his private breakup with Jen?

Also caught on camera tonight, when live TV gets wild. Diane`s dirty mouth, Paula`s meltdown, Colin`s cursing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN FARRELL, ACTOR: (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That is Irish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: And bullets flying. Tonight, it`s a showbiz special report, "The Most Shocking Live TV Moments Ever."

Plus SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a must-see one-on-one with Michael Phelps. Will the greatest Olympian in history try to break his own records or has he had enough?

TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.

(MUSIC)

ANDERSON: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J. is off tonight. And tonight, Ellen said she would and she did. Ellen DeGeneres has married her long-time girlfriend, Portia de Rossi, in another same-sex groundbreaking moment in Hollywood. That is coming up.

But first, the John and Jen break-up. What you are about to see is truly remarkable - John Mayer`s revelations about his split with Jennifer Aniston and it`s all caught on camera. Mayer, who had never even confirmed he and Aniston were a couple, poured his heart out about why they split up. And didn`t stop there, going on a rant about the pain he was feeling and what he really thinks about Jennifer Aniston. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that it`s all making big news right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice over): Paul Simon once sang, there are 50 ways to leave your lover. Well, singer John Mayer just came up with number 51. After you slip out the back jack, hit a New York City street corner and blab about the breakup to anyone who will listen.

MAYER: It`s the most normal thing in the world. There`s no lying. There`s no cheating. There`s no nothing.

ANDERSON: It`s the post breakup video everyone is talking about. In this TMZ video, John Mayer goes on and on and on and on confirming for the very first time that his months-long relationship with Jennifer Aniston is over and claiming that he was the one who broke it off.

MAYER: I ended the relationship because there is no lying.

ANDERSON: And he gives that age-old excuse - it`s not her, it`s him.

MAYER: Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, the most sophisticated person I think I`ve ever met. I ended a relationship to be alone because I don`t waste somebody`s time if something`s not right. I don`t waste people`s time. I don`t do the paper.

KATIE DARYL, TMZ: So much for kissing and telling.

ANDERSON: Katie Daryl of TMZ tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT before the rant, Mayer had never talked about whether he thought Aniston`s body was a wonderland, let alone even confirmed they were dating. And that`s what makes Mayer`s New York City street corner rant even more interesting.

DARYL: It`s not much of a surprise to us for John Mayer to actually be talking highly about Jennifer Aniston and saying it was on usual terms. We`re just surprised he talked about it at all.

ANDERSON: And talk about it he does. Mayer defends his decision to end the relationship.

MAYER: It`s about going out with somebody, being truthful on the way in, being truthful in the middle and being truthful on the way out. You`re either a cheater or you break up. And I`m not the first; I`m the second one. I guarantee you there are 20 percent of the people on the street right now are in a relationship they wish they could get out of, but they don`t know how. And I`m going to be honest on the way into my relationships. I`m going to be honest on the way out of my relationships.

JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": John Mayer`s latest hap after, what, musician, standup comedian - now he`s a relationship expert.

ANDERSON: Maybe if the music thing doesn`t work out, Mayer should write a book, "I`m Just Not That Into You." Mayer has a lot of experience with the topic, having dated and broken up with a long list of Hollywood hotties.

DARYL: I mean, come on. He dated Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Mica (ph) from "Friday Night Live." We have Jennifer Aniston right there and we`ve got Jessica Simpson.

ANDERSON: Of course, Aniston also has had her share of celebrity relationships, but none of them ever blabbed about their breakups on a street corner -

MAYER: I ended a relationship because there is no lying.

ANDERSON: Until now. And Jo Piazza of the "New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that by saying he dumped Aniston, Mayer is breaking the breakup rules.

PIAZZA: In a break-up, you always say, "Oh, my god, it was totally mutual," even if it wasn`t mutual at all. It`s a complete breach of etiquette to reveal who broke up the relationship. It wasn`t a very smooth move on John`s part.

ANDERSON: But TMZ`s Katie Daryl says John`s being a perfect gentleman.

DARYL: He usually always comes out looking like a great guy with any breakup. So it`s not much of a surprise to us for John Mayer to be actually talking highly about Jennifer Aniston.

ANDERSON: And what does Aniston think? There`s big buzz on the Net that her friends - not these "Friends" - her real friends, aren`t too happy with Mayer`s street corner rant. When we asked Aniston`s people about it, her rep told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Jennifer does not engage in dialogue about her personal life through the media so we won`t be commenting."

So with all the P.R. statements, media coverage and impromptu sidewalk rants -

MAYER: It`s the most normal thing in the world.

ANDERSON: There`s nothing normal about this high-profile breakup.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

So was John Mayer out of line by talking so publicly about his break- up with Jennifer Aniston?

With me tonight, from New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." In Hollywood, "Extra" correspondent Carlos Diaz.

Hey, Carlos. Hey, Carolina. You guys, I`ve got to tell you, this is unprecedented. Big stars don`t usually open up like this about their relationships to the paparazzi, let alone their breakup. Carolina, did John Mayer do the right thing by getting this off his chest in public?

CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Absolutely not. I think he comes off looking like a jerk, John Mayer. How many times did you have to tell us that you broke up with her, buddy? You know, it`s just not something that you do in those type of circles. Also, he has a creative outlet. He could have written a song if he was that upset about it. He could have gone on his blog like he`s done before. Standing on a street corner, talking to paparazzi about your relationship, not the best thing to do. Personally, I don`t think he came off looking that good.

ANDERSON: Well, Carlos, do you think he came off looking good? Do you think this was the best move by John?

CARLOS DIAZ, "EXTRA" CORRESPONDENT: Carolina, spoken like a true woman. All I got to say is -

ANDERSON: Bring it on, Carlos.

DIAZ: He totally came out looking good. Come on. He`s honest.

BERMUDEZ: No way.

DIAZ: He`s an honest guy. Listen, he ended a relationship. He was asked a very simple question. He complimented Jennifer Aniston over and over again and he said, "I`m not a cheater. I`m not going to go cheat on her. I`m going to break up and then I`m going to date other people."

BERMUDEZ: Oh, Carlos, you know what? Should we get him a medal because he didn`t cheat on her?

DIAZ: Yes, we should because -

BERMUDEZ: I mean, is it really the thing we should -

DIAZ: This guy is a Casanova. He can date whoever he wants. So he ended the relationship, didn`t cheat. And now, he can move on and date whomever he wants and we can follow it in the media. Perfect. Perfect.

ANDERSON: I hope everybody`s going to bring their boxing gloves next time.

BERMUDEZ: Oh, I`m in it.

ANDERSON: You`ve got to put up your dukes. Yes. We know Mayer is known for frequently - we know that he`s known for frequently chatting up the paparazzi. And Carolina, as you mentioned, he even keeps a personal blog. Some have said that he craves the spotlight in more ways than one. Carolina, do you see this as maybe just another grab for attention or does he at all come off as sincere to you?

BERMUDEZ: I don`t know if he comes off as sincere. I really think he`s frustrated. He wants everybody to leave him alone. And I agree with that. I`m sure it can be very hard being - you know, being scrutinized by everybody all the time. But again, there are better ways to get through a breakup than confronting the paparazzi and talking to them on camera where people can talk about it over and over and over again. And like you said before, there`s another person here and Jennifer Aniston`s feelings - we`ve already seen what she`s gone through in her other relationships. Does she really need him talking about her on a street corner in New York City? I doubt it.

ANDERSON: Yes. She likes to live her life quietly and privately. And I understand he doesn`t want the tabloids to print untruths. So he`s heading that off at the pass, so to speak. And Carlos, you know, you mentioned Mayer went out of his way to sing the praises of Jennifer Aniston. He called her one of the smartest, most sophisticated people he`s ever met. But he seemed to be making it very clear that he was the one who broke up with her. Listen again to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYER: I ended a relationship because there is no lying. I ended a relationship to be alone because I don`t want to waste somebody`s time if something`s not right. I don`t waste people`s time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: OK, it sounds to me like it`s the old, "It`s not you, it`s me" excuse. Carlos, what do you think is going on here? Is Mayer really speaking out in defense of Jen, or do you think Mayer, who has been a serial dater of some of Hollywood`s biggest stars including Jessica Simpson, is just trying to protect his reputation as a ladies` man?

DIAZ: I think he is trying to protect his reputation. I have a feeling that that was uttered to him by Jennifer at some point, "You`re wasting my time. You`re wasting my time." So he had to come out and say, "I don`t want to waste anybody`s time in this relationship." But I think he`s losing the potential, by the way, to write a really cool song about this. So what`s he going to write? I dumped Jennifer? That`s not going to sell any copies; no, not at all.

ANDERSON: Well, in contrast to Mayer`s public revelations, Jennifer Aniston, a very private person, so it`s no surprise that when we reached out to her representative, a spokesperson told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Jennifer does not engage in dialogue about her personal life through the media, so we won`t be commenting."

Carolina, given what a private person Jennifer is, I would have to imagine that she may be pretty steamed that he`s speaking out like this.

BERMUDEZ: Oh, absolutely. And I don`t blame her. But she`s keeping it classy. That`s the thing that I love about her. And this is something that she`s done in the past and I think that she`ll continue to do it in the future. She doesn`t need to talk about her personal relationships in the spotlight because she doesn`t want it. That`s the whole point. So by her not commenting, she gets to maintain somewhat of her privacy.

ANDERSON: Yes. She shies away from that spotlight. All right. We`re leaving it there. Carolina Bermudez, Carlos Diaz, good to see you both.

And don`t go anywhere because we`ve got all of John Mayer`s raves and rants, raw and uncut coming up at 30 minutes past the hour right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

The John Mayer tape, of course, pretty shocking. But I cannot believe the things some stars do on live TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERMUDEZ: Live television is so stressful and I think it gets to a lot of people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Diane`s dirty mouth, Paula`s meltdown, Colin`s cursing to me. When live TV gets wild. Our showbiz special report, the most shocking moments on live TV.

And there have been other very close calls for reporters in the line of fire, getting socked by tear gas, even being hit by a bullet during a live broadcast. You`ve got to see these.

And you know, I think Michael Phelps may be superhuman. Maybe he`s a super fish. Coming up, we`ve got an amazing one-on-one interview with the best Olympian of all time. Will he try to break his own records? Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just was having a bad day and I woke up and I thought, "I just want to go break some stuff."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Hey, did you see this? A brand-new store in San Diego lets you buy it, then break it. You can pick up some plates, maybe some frames with pictures of your ex, you boss and smash them against the wall. It`s called, what else, "Sarah`s Smash Shack." What a great but weird way to get out your anger, your frustration. What I want to know though is who`s got to clean up the mess? Sarah does.

All right. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. You know, doing live TV can be a pretty intense and unpredictable experience. I`ll never forget when I was at the Sundance Film Festival interviewing Colin Farrell and then all of a sudden, he slips in the F- word. I was mortified. But Colin is just one of a long list of stars who have had their, "Oops, I said what?" moments on live TV. It`s our showbiz special, "The Most Shocking Live TV Moments Ever."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Live television can be a shocking ride.

COLIN FARRELL, ACTOR: (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That`s Irish.

ANDERSON: Especially when the unexpected happens, when stars suddenly slip up right before our eyes.

PAULA ABDUL, JUDGE, "AMERICAN IDOL": The second song - I felt like your usual charm left you. It was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty.

ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask, what is it about live TV that seems to get even the most polished stars into big trouble.

BERMUDEZ: Live television is so stressful and I think it gets to a lot of people.

ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you there are more shocking live TV moments than we can count. And no one is immune to the danger of live TV. Legendary actress Diane Keaton proved that after dropping the F-bomb during a live interview with veteran TV journalist, Diane Sawyer.

DIANE KEATON, ACTRESS: I`d like to have lips like that. Then I wouldn`t have worked on my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) personality -

BERMUDEZ: She recoiled in horror after Diane Keaton said that. She almost flipped her chair.

ANDERSON: But Sawyer regained her composure and offered Keaton a word of caution from her own mother.

DIANE SAWYER, HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": My mother`s going to work on your personality with soap in your mouth. That`s what she`s going to do.

KEATON: Soap in your mouth. I know. Excuse me. I shouldn`t have said anything like that.

GABE LIEDMAN, COMEDIAN: She (UNINTELLIGIBLE) but she talks like a sailor.

JENNY SLATE, COMEDIAN: Yes.

JANELLE SNOWDEN, HOST, "VH1 NEWS": She`s human. She said the F-word. Everybody does it. Live with it. It was funny.

ANDERSON: A funny formula that repeated itself on NBC`s "Today" show with another acting legend. This time it was Jane Fonda who let her mouth get ahead of her. While promoting "The Vagina Monologues," Fonda suddenly slipped in a tawdry way.

JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: I live in Georgia. I was asked to do a monologue called the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

ANDERSON: Say what?

FONDA: I was asked to do a monologue called the (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

BERMUDEZ: And Meredith Vieira is so stunned -

SNOWDEN: OK. Hello, Jane, it`s really early. People are still drinking coffee. This one is really great. Probably not the best time to use the C-word. No, I don`t think it`s a good idea.

SLATE: I think that Jane Fonda`s exercise tapes might have been a lot more successful or at least more useful if she was like, "And stretch out our biceps and point your - see you next Tuesday to the stars.

ANDERSON: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s shocking live TV moments would not be complete without a flub or two from "American Idol`s" Paula Abdul.

ABDUL: The second song -

ANDERSON: It`s not unusual for Paula to come on unglued but even she topped herself this time after critiquing a contestant`s song even though he hadn`t performed it yet.

ABDUL: I felt like your usual charm left you. It was missing for me. It kind of left me a little empty.

BERMUDEZ: It`s typical Paula loopy behavior. You have to wonder what`s in that Coke glass.

SNOWDEN: OK. Hello, earth to Paula. Where were you?

LIEDMAN: She got really far into her little speech ...

SLATE: Oh, yes.

LIEDMAN: ... before anyone was like, "Wait, wait, wait. Paula - "

ANDERSON: And Ashlee Simpson is probably glad she didn`t have to face the "American Idol" judges after her botched performance on "Saturday Night Live."

SLATE: This was very embarrassing.

LIEDMAN: Yes. Milli Vanilli had the decency to like, split when they got busted for lip syncing. They were just like, the jig`s up, boom! But she was like, the jig is that bad?

SLATE: She`s like, the jig is literally up. Whoopadoopboopboop.

ANDERSON: At least Ashlee knew she was on live TV. New York newswoman Sue Simmons got caught in TV`s worst trap ever. She didn`t realize her mike was on.

SUE SIMMONS, NEW YORK NEWSMAN: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are you doing?

LIEDMAN: What was so funny was that there`s that like, boat on screen when it all went down.

SLATE: Yes.

LIEDMAN: And when I first saw it, I was like, is she like, mad at where the boat is parking in the river, or something?

BERMUDEZ: Sue Simmons is a well-respected broadcaster in New York City. She`s a staple. She`s going on about a story and there`s this random boat that comes up and instead of saying, "Hey, wrong footage," she said -

SIMMONS: What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are you doing?

ANDERSON: Colin Farrell thought he knew what he was doing until he accidentally let one slip while talking to me live on CNN.

FARRELL: (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That is Irish.

ANDERSON: Well, at least he said he was sorry.

FARRELL: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

ANDERSON (on camera): Oh, my goodness!

(voice over): Ah, well. We forgive him. After all, as we`ve seen time and time again, even the most seasoned professionals can get caught off guard on live TV.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Oh, Colin. Well, for the record, he did feel really, really badly. He told me so during your live interview and kept apologizing after we were off the air. And I can tell you it`s not only stars who get caught up in shocking live TV moments. Reporters have dodged tear gas, had guns pointed at them, even been shot during live reports. You don`t want to miss these close calls caught on tape.

Also this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYER: You`re either a cheater or you break up. And I`m not the first; I`m the second one. And that`s it. There`s no lying. There`s no (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: I cannot believe how John Mayer opens up about his stunning split with Jennifer Aniston to the cameras. I`m going to play the entire raw and uncut tape for you. That is straight ahead.

And Ellen DeGeneres marries her girlfriend, Portia de Rossi. You know, this could really be a big-time flashpoint in the upcoming presidential election. Could gay marriages in Hollywood make a difference at the voting booth? That is coming up.

And hey, be sure to check out the free, ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast. You can find it on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or download it on iTunes. Type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in the search box. Playing right now, one-on-one with the director of the movie the late Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes starred in together. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson, and here are some more stories that are new right now.

Well, Phil Collins and his third ex-wife may be leading separate lives, but she is no easy lover. Collins is reportedly coughing up, get this, nearly $47 million. That beats out the $45 million Paul McCartney shelled out to Heather Mills. Listen to this. According to "The Daily Telegraph," Mr. Sususudio`s divorces have cost him a total of $84 million.

All right. Even though "Tropic Thunder" knocked "The Dark Knight" out of the number one slot at the box office this weekend, "Knight" is now the second highest grossing film of all time, forcing out "Star Wars." "Titanic" is number one, and "The Dark Knight" needs about $130 million to get there.

And Bill Murray`s career just took a real dive. As part of Chicago`s 50th Annual Air and Water Show, Bill jumped out of an airplane. He was in good hands, though. He went in tandem with the Army Golden Ninth Parachute Team.

Well, did John Mayer look before he leaped into revealing stunning things about his split with Jennifer Aniston?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYER: Write this. Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I`ve ever met.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: You`ve got to see this. Mayer`s rave, his rants all caught on tape. I`m going to play the entire video for you raw and uncut straight ahead.

Let me tell you there have been very close calls for reporters in the line of fire on live TV. I`m talking people (UNINTELLIGIBLE) by tear gas, getting guns pointed at them, even being hit by a bullet. Close calls caught on tape.

Michael Phelps had a couple of close calls of another kind at the Olympics. He won one of his record-breaking eight gold medals by 0.01 of a second. Coming up, we`ve got a revealing one-on-one with him. Will Phelps actually try to break his own record?

But first, stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news and do that with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, click on the "sign up for newsletter" link at the bottom of the page. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.

(NEWS BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYER: You`re either a cheater or you break up. And I`m not the first; I`m the second one. And that`s it. There`s no lying. There`s no (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, John Mayer speaks out about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston caught on tape. We`re going to play the entire video for you and we`re asking, was this the right move?

Close calls caught on tape. Reporters in the field dodge everything from bullets to hippo jaws to cat claws. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the closest of the close, the strangest of the strange, close calls caught on tape.

(MUSIC)

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with two big stories making news right now, including the break-up, the remarkable on-camera rant by John Mayer about his break-up with Jennifer Aniston.

John Mayer poured his heart out about his breakup with Aniston for all the world to see and we are about to play for you the entire unbelievable rant and rave. You`ve got to see this.

John and Jen may be kaput, but Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi just said "I do." Ellen married her long-time girlfriend over the weekend. But could they become a lightning rod in the presidential race?

With me tonight from New York, Carolina Bermudez, senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." In Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, correspondent for "Extra."

Carolina, Carlos, we begin with John Mayer. First, you`ve just got to watch this astounding rant about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston as he stood before the paparazzi on a New York City street over the weekend. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is not leaving out a second and is showing you the entire thing. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYER: It`s the most normal thing in the world. There`s no lying. There`s no cheating. There`s no nothing. And you know, if you guys are going to run stuff and run every lie under the sun, have somebody stand up for somebody. Have me as a man who ended a relationship stand here, write some truth and have me stand up for somebody and write that Jennifer Aniston is the smartest, most sophisticated person I think I`ve ever met. But people are different. People have different chemistry. They have different lives.

It`s not about years. It`s about going out with somebody. Being truthful on the way in, being truthful in the middle, and being truthful on the way out. You`re either a cheater or you break up. And I`m not the first; I`m the second one. And that`s it. There`s no lying. There`s no (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I just don`t want to be followed around New York City like an animal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you dating anyone else?

MAYER: Why would you ask me that question? I`m just being honest as I can possibly be. You`re asking questions - you`re asking questions that completely belie what I say. I ended a relationship because there is no lying. I ended a relationship to be alone because I don`t want to waste somebody`s time if something`s not right. I don`t waste people`s time. I don`t do the paper.

I guarantee you there`s 20 percent of the people on the street right now that are in relationships that they wish they could get out of but they don`t know how. And I`m going honest on the way into my relationships. I`m going to be honest on the way out of my relationships. And I just feel like spending $1 million right now to put a mirror in every "Us Weekly." So that when you`re reading about it, you go, "Oh, that was me, too, like two years ago. That was me a year ago. It`s the most normal thing I can possibly tell you. There`s no other element to it. I`m sorry that this story is not interesting, but it`s about time that somebody stands up -

(CROSS TALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys still friends?

MAYER: When you see us together, write all you want to write. I`m sorry. But I just feel like -

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you dating someone?

MAYER: I don`t care. I just don`t want people to get trashed all the time. Say something nice about (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She`s one of the most lovely people I`ve ever met in my life and I`m going through something that`s pretty personal and you have to give that up. You have to give everything up because you can`t have it all. And it sucks. It sucks. That`s all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Just standing in Soho, chatting it up with the paparazzi. That was really unbelievable, and like so many others, guys, who have seen it, I was startled that Mayer would break the golden rule of Hollywood stars, which is, "It`s OK to break up but also, you`ve got to shut up." Carlos, were you stunned?

DIAZ: No, I`m happy. This is what we do for a living. We try to get people to be honest and he`s honest. John Mayer, you`re the coolest guy I know.

ANDERSON: Bravo. Bravo.

DIAZ: I want more stars to do this. You know what? On the way to breaking up with your girlfriend, just stop by "Extra" and go, "Listen, let me just do a sit-down real quick," and tell us all about it. That`s what we need. We need more honesty like that.

ANDERSON: You know, I do appreciate - I do appreciate him being forthcoming about it and being honest. But when there`s another party involved - I don`t know. Is it the best approach? You know, like so many others, we are dying to know what Jennifer Aniston thinks about the whole thing. So we did reach out to her rep who told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Jennifer does not engage in dialogue about her personal life through the media, so we won`t be commenting."

Carolina, does that sound maybe like it was a dig at John Mayer for speaking so openly?

BERMUDEZ: Well, I hope so, because Jennifer is saying, "I`m a class act. I was in a relationship. I don`t need to discuss it with the media. This is my personal life." So she really is taking the high road on this. And I don`t know who John Mayer thinks he is, but she didn`t talk about Brad Pitt that much in the media so why would she talk about him? They dated for about four months if that. So I can see why she`s keeping to herself at this point.

ANDERSON: Yes. And they never really confirmed that they were dating to begin with.

BERMUDEZ: Right.

ANDERSON: And one of the things that John said was that he was tired of all the trash talking. He didn`t want to be asked any more questions about Jennifer and him. But Carlos, do you think that that has backfired? Did he fan the flames by opening up about it?

DIAZ: Completely. He will be pursued by every paparazzo in the world now. The paparazzi will be all over him because of the fact that now they think, "Well, I can get a good sound bite from this guy." So yes, I mean, I applaud him for doing it, but you might have dug your own grave with that one.

ANDERSON: Carolina, you obviously don`t applaud him for doing this. Do you think he`s also fanned the flames?

BERMUDEZ: I definitely do. Here`s the thing, the paparazzi are looking for a story. John Mayer just opened up the door for them. Now, the next girl that he goes on a date with, they want to be the first ones to get that picture. So really, all that he did was make himself a bigger target than he already is by opening his mouth and talking about this.

ANDERSON: Well, at least he complimented her repeatedly, said she was smart and sophisticated and one of the most lovely people he`s ever met. So you`ve got to hand it to him for that.

Also new right now, moving on, Ellen DeGeneres` marriage to her long- time girlfriend, Portia de Rossi made possible by California legalizing gay marriage. "People.com" and others are reporting that they tied the knot Saturday at their L.A. home. When Ellen first announced she was gay over 10 years ago, there was a huge uproar over that. And now, people are waiting for the first photos. Carolina, isn`t it amazing how much has changed in a decade? This is not really a big deal, this marriage?

BERMUDEZ: No, it isn`t. Well, actually, it is a big deal. I mean, I think it`s a huge deal for all of the same-sex marriages or the civil unions that people want to have in a same-sex marriage. But what I think is just great is that, here`s Ellen. She was on the cover of "Time," what, like 10 years ago, coming out as a gay woman. And now, she gets to marry the love of her life. Ellen`s a really great person and I think that a lot of other people are going to try to follow suit.

But if you remember, Brad and Angelina said they wouldn`t get married ...

ANDERSON: That`s true.

BERMUDEZ: ... until same-sex marriages were legal in the United States, or maybe we have another way on the way.

ANDERSON: And possibly. And you know, there isn`t an uproar around this wedding like there was when Ellen announced that she was gay. But gay marriage does remain a lighting rod. At almost the same time Ellen was getting married, John McCain was being asked about his definition of marriage while at a public family forum. Take a look at what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Define marriage.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A union between man and woman, between one man and one woman. That`s my definition of marriage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Barack Obama, for his part said, quote, "I am not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage but I do believe in civil unions."

Carolina, 10 seconds, do you think that the likes of Ellen could become a lightning rod in the presidential race?

BERMUDEZ: Absolutely. We saw what Oprah did for Barack Obama when he was campaigning. If anything, Ellen needs to jump on one side or the other. And I think a lot of people really listen to her so they want to see her happy. And I think a lot of other people want to have their same unions as well. So it could make a big difference in this next presidential election.

ANDERSON: Possibility. Carolina Bermudez, Carlos Diaz, we will leave it there for now. Thank you both for your insight. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Ellen`s Same-Sex Marriage: Are you happy for her?" Keep voting, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Send us an e-mail, the address showbiztonight@cnn.com.

He is the guy everybody is talking about. We are one-on-one with Olympic phenomenon, Michael Phelps. So is he planning on coming back for the games in 2012? Michael in his own words, coming up.

Also this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a tear gas canister that was fired directly into my shoulder here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Close calls caught on tape. Reporters in the feel face it all, and they`re not just dodging bullets either. I`m talking hippo jaws, cat claw, all kinds of danger and it`s all caught on tape. Straight ahead.

And Daughtry remakes a classic song trying to get first-time voters to get psyched about the election. I`ve got your first look at the brand-new "Feels Like The First Time" video still to come on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Remember, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime you want. We`re always posting new stuff for you to watch at our Web site CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Among the videos now playing, Madonna turns 50 years old. Is she better than ever?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Tonight, did you see this? It`s reporters under attack. Reporters take some serious risks to cover the news, from dodging bullets and bombs to dealing with disgruntled hippos. These reporters put themselves in the line of fire to get the story. And tonight, all of those shocking close calls are caught on tape. CNN`s Jeanne Moos reports for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Americans now have a different Georgia on their minds thanks to all the war reporting - reporting that has led to some close calls. For instance, when this Georgian state TV reporter got shot during a live shot. Actually, the bullet just grazed her and she kept on reporting despite the bloody wrist.

Another close call caught on tape happened as a soldier who had stolen some TV gear pointed a gun at the guy pointing the camera. Shots were fired in the air.

It`s not unusual for close calls to get on the air when reporters put themselves in the thick of things.

CNN`s Zain Verjee got hit with a tear gas canister in Kenya.

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: They will stop firing back.

MOOS: It left a big, ugly bruise and now, almost seven months later -

VERJEE: It left a scar that, you know, sometimes I show off.

MOOS (on camera): Like I`m not going to ask you to show me the scar.

VERJEE: No. It`s the shape of the canister.

MOOS (voice-over): A canister someone picked up and handed to her as a memento. It now sits on a shelf at home.

Sometimes a close call just feels close. For instance, when reporters feared gas attacks during the first Gulf War.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s putting on a gas mask. There hasn`t been any gas.

(CROSSTALK)

MOOS (on camera): Now, a reporter doesn`t have to be in a war zone or a trouble spot to have a close call. I had my own close encounter at the circus.

(voice-over): I was mopping the mouth of the Zoosha(ph) the hippo.

(on camera): She seems to like to be mopped. Hey, just kidding. Just kidding.

(voice-over): But the giant jaws of a hippo were no match for the claws of this cat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now part of their sentence (UNINTELLIGIBLE) right?

MOOS: Sometimes it`s the crowd that turns on you. For instance, outside a British soccer match.

PEDRO PINTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The atmosphere has been fantastic over the last hours.

MOOS: It got even more fantastic for CNN`s Pedro Pinto.

(VIDEO CLIP OF PEOPLE TAKING THE MIKE FROM PEDRO PINTO)

MOOS: Vastly outnumbered, Pinto says he didn`t attack back.

PINTO: Since I do need my face for work.

MOOS: So did this reporter covering an alleged real estate scam when he got whacked with a plastic bottle.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s not appropriate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t give a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

MOOS: Then her husband arrived.

Still, no close call seems closer than when a giant snake comes calling up the weatherman`s shorts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And now the interview you have been waiting for and do not want to miss. One-on-one with Michael Phelps, the guy everybody is talking about. Phelps won a record-setting eight gold medals swimming at the Olympics.

CNN`s sports correspondent Larry Smith just sat down with Phelps and asked him if he had tried putting on all his medals at the same time. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL PHELPS, SWIMMER AND EIGHT-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER: I put them all on for the first time this morning and they`re pretty heavy around my neck. It was hard to sort of hold my neck up straight. But, yes, I mean, I can`t say enough. It was just an unbelievable experience.

LARRY SMITH, NBC SPORTS CORRESPONDENT (on camera): I`m curious, now that you got the eight medals, which is heavier, the eight medals around your neck or, the expectations that were put on you to win them?

PHELPS: I don`t know. That`s a hard question to answer.

I`ve had, by no means, the perfect four years. But, you know, I was able to get everything done that I wanted to do in the last four years. You know, I was able to pretty much accomplish all of my goals. So it`s been a great four years and I`ve had a lot of moments and a lot of memories here that I`ll never forget.

SMITH: Do you recall the first time that you thought about this Spitz record and when that was?

PHELPS: I don`t know when exactly it was. But I think you know, when I first said I wanted to be the first to do something. I wanted to be the first Michael Phelps. And you know, I wanted to be somebody who changes the sport of swimming and does new things for the sport. So I think, you know, that`s probably the first time I thought about it. I`m not sure when that was. But, you know, I just - I wanted to do something that nobody in this sport has ever seen.

SMITH: Were you attempting to do this in Athens, four years ago?

PHELPS: I tried. I came up a little short but I was still successful.

SMITH: Seventeen races in nine days is a grueling schedule. Did you ever take a week and practice this routine and figure out what you had to do and how you had to rest and practice and everything?

PHELPS: I think the meets that I`ve had over the last four year have sort of given me more than enough practice, you know, to know I have to recover - the massages, the ice baths, the - you know, getting calories into my system, to sleeping. You know, it`s the whole equation of things. You know, it`s not just one of those things that I have to do. It`s the combination of it all and the combination of - it all fit in together perfectly.

SMITH: The closest call was in the 100-meter butterfly, Saturday, Day 8. What happened?

PHELPS: It was incredible. You know, four years ago when I was able to win the 100 by 0.04 and this time by 0.01. I guess four years ago, I never really thought it could get any closer but just when I thought that, it got closer. So I had all my friends saying, you know, I`m probably the youngest person really to ever have a heart attack.

SMITH: You saw your mother and sister just a few minutes all week long and yet, the whole world - we all saw them race after race. What was that like, finally, to share those emotions with them?

PHELPS: Just being able to hug my mother and hug my sisters. You know, that`s what I wanted to do all week when they were on the TV. I had friends text messaging me saying, you know, "Your mom and sisters are getting more air time then you are."

SMITH: You`ll be 27 when the London games come around in 2012, still very much in your prime as a swimmer. Will you try to attempt this again or do you need a new challenge for those Olympics?

PHELPS: Well, I`ve never been to London. And I`m going to London for the first time in the next few days. Trying this again will be tougher than it was here. I`ll be older. I`ll have a much older body, much older bones. I`m not sure if I`ll do it again. But you know, I`ll be able to compete when London comes around. It`s fun for me to have people say it`s not possible and be able to come out and do it. It makes it 10 times better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: There are no words, he`s so good. Just a phenomenon. Michael Phelps was a big ratings winner for NBC, by the way. More than 40 million people watched this record-setting victory Saturday night. Those are the highest numbers for the network in 18 years. Wow.

All right. Did you hear this? Daughtry has recorded a classic Foreigner song to get people to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS DAUGHTRY, SINGER: Feels like the first time

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: This is part of CNN`s first-time voters initiative, and it`s a really cool version of the song and a great music video. I`ve got your first look, next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And hey, be sure to check out the free ever-changing SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast. You can find that on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or just download it on iTunes by typing "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming back right after this. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Madonna is fabulous at 50. Madonna celebrated her birthday over the weekend with a private party at a trendy London club. "People" magazine says about 90 guests were at the party dancing until 3:00 a.m. Madonna`s husband Guy Richie organized the event. David Blaine did some card tricks and Madonna`s daughter Lourdes serenaded her on the piano. Sounds like a good time.

And last week, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day about Madonna - "Madonna Turns 50: Is she better than ever?" Let`s take a look at the results. Twenty-seven percent of you say yes, 73 percent say no.

Some of the E-mails we received. Beverly from Michigan writes, "Of course, Madonna is better than ever. Don`t we all get better as we age?"

Melissa from New York says, "If the world ended today, the only things that would survive are cockroaches and Madonna. She just won`t go away." Madonna is a survivor.

It is time now for the showbiz first look tonight, a CNN exclusive. Daughtry has recorded a cover of "Feels Like the First Time." You remember that`s the Foreigner song from 1977. Now, Daughtry has remade as the theme song for CNN`s League of First-Time Voters project. Chris Daughtry says it was a real honor, and he hopes it helps inspire people to vote. Here`s your first look at the music video.

(VIDEO CLIP OF DAUGHTRY`S MUSIC VIDEO, "FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME")

CHRIS DAUGHTRY, SINGER (sung): I`ve waited a lifetime, spent my time so foolishly. Now that I`ve found you, together we`ll make history. It feels like the first time. It feels like the very first time. It feels like the first time. The first time. It feels like the very first time. You opened up the door. It feels like the very first time. It feels like the very first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Sounds good, right? That song will be on "Daughtry Deluxe," that`s the upcoming deluxe version of their debut album out September 9. And you can learn more about CNN`s League of First-Time Voters Initiative CNN.com/League.

And that is a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next. Take care.

END