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Showbiz Tonight
Jon Voight Lashes Back at Roseanne Barr; Should John Mayer Just Zip It?; Amanda Beard Disses Michael Phelps; Battle of the Pin-Ups Between Phelps and Spitz; Olive Garden Distances from Kendra Wilkinson
Aired August 20, 2008 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the star-studded Hollywood smackdown making news right now. Roseanne Barr`s vicious attack on Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. And now, even Angelina`s dad comes out swinging after Roseanne calls Angelina evil and Brad Pitt shallow. And those are the nicest parts.
Tonight the celebrity smackdown making a big splash. Why did gold medal swimmer and "Playboy" pinup Amanda Beard diss Michael Phelps? Even using the word "nasty" and did she really say he`s not exactly the best- looking guy around? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the wicked water war of Olympic-sized proportions.
Plus, the John Mayer-Jennifer Aniston unfriendly smackdown. John gets ripped for his on-camera rant about breaking up with Jen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MAYER, SINGER: Me, as a man, ended a relationship. I ended a relationship to be alone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So why is Mayer now getting so much sympathy? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight, we`ve got the remarkable and emotional response to Christina Applegate`s revelation that she had both of her breasts removed, this after learning she had cancer. That`s coming up. You don`t want to miss it.
But first, Roseanne`s Brangelina smackdown. Tonight, even Angelina Jolie`s estranged father has just entered the middle of the ring. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT first told you about Roseanne`s vicious, almost unbelievable attack on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. And now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal that Jolie`s estranged father is coming to her defense. And to say he`s not pulling any punches would be an understatement. Tonight, the late-breaking developments making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): We know Angelina Jolie and her father, actor Jon Voight, have had their differences in the past. But now, this Oscar-winning daddy- daughter duo have the chance to bond against a shared threat.
ROSEANNE BARR, ACTRESS AND BLOGGER: I am a woman on the edge.
ANDERSON: A weird public attack from Roseanne Barr who`s blasting Jolie and her entire family.
KATIE DARYL, TMZ: We`re used to hearing about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in the media. But we`re not used to hearing Roseanne Barr mix in with those two.
JON VOIGHT, ACTOR AND FATHER OF ANGELINA JOLIE: That`s our first priority. That`s our only priority.
ANDERSON: And just like Jolie`s dad, Jon Voight, rallied the nation against a robot attack in "Transformers," Voight is fighting back again, the rampage of Roseanne-atron. This bitter war stems from the heated presidential race between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": Jon Voight recently came out in favor of McCain. He said he`s a big McCain supporter. And then Angelina came out and said, "Look, I just don`t know who I`m voting for yet." She didn`t come out and say she was supporting McCain. She just said she was considering him as an option.
ANDERSON: That provoked the wrath of Roseanne-atron. In her blog, Roseanne unloaded on the entire Voight-Jolie-Pitt clan writing, quote, "Jon Voight, your evil spawn, Angelina Jolie, and her vacuous hubby Brad Pitt make about $40 million a year in violent and psychopathic movies and give away three of it to starving children, trying to look as if they give a crap about humanity as they spit out more dunces that will consume more than their fair share and wreck the earth even more (just saying).
PIAZZA: Roseanne came out of the gate really strong.
ANDERSON: She got stronger. Talking to Angelina, Roseanne wrote, quote, "Aren`t you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the African daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the Republican Party`s worldwide economic assault on Africa over the last few decades since Reagan?"
PIAZZA: She attacked not only Angelina, not only Jon Voight, but Angelina`s entire family.
ANDERSON: Jo Piazza of "The New York Daily News" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in bashing Jolie and Pitt for their charity work, Roseanne is not picking a fair target.
PIAZZA: It`s weird to see her insulting someone who has done so much and given so much back like Angelina Jolie. What has Roseanne done charity- wise?
ANDERSON: Well, there was that marriage to Tom Arnold. Anyway, now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Voight is hitting back at Roseanne telling us, quote, "Her defaming of our National Anthem in 1990 gave us insight into who she is and what she is capable of saying and doing. I can only pray that good people see her for what she is (sick of mind).
Voight`s dissing of Roseanne`s career low point shows that maybe the two of them are in the same weight class when it comes to hurling insults.
PIAZZA: Voight and Roseanne - they both fought equally as dirty.
ANDERSON: Now, Roseanne is backpedaling a little, writing in her latest blog, quote, "I do not know Brangelina and do not mean to personally impugn them as they might be good people in the flesh. But the media`s images of them are smelly and vile."
Roseanne then slammed the media for its coverage of the feud, including our friends at TMZ.
DARYL: Roseanne Barr then sent out a statement towards TMZ telling us to go ahead and taste her sandy butt crack. I`m not sure anyone`s actually done that or taken her up on her offer, though.
ANDERSON: It`s clear this is one battle from which no one is safe. Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, could it be the thing that finally brings Voight and Jolie together again?
PIAZZA: I think Roseanne is enough of a force of evil that she might be able to mend parental relations.
ANDERSON: If so, maybe some good can come from the rampage of Roseanne- atron.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Is this a score for team Jolie or does everybody lose in this vicious war of words?
With me tonight from New York is attorney and TV host, Lauren Lake. Also in New York, Ben Widdicombe, editor-at-large for "Star" magazine. Lauren, Ben, though it seems that Jon Voight was sticking up for his daughter, Angelina, all he did really was bring even more attention to Roseanne`s comments by responding to them. Lauren, did Voight make a mistake by taking the bait?
LAUREN LAKE, ATTORNEY AND TV HOST: What is he even addressing this for? He has dignified this all with a response. And that`s the thing about these blogs. If we`re going to keep addressing everything somebody writes on their blogs, we`re going to be going in circles for the rest of our lives. If Brad and Angelina aren`t talking about it, Jon Voight, why are you?
ANDERSON: Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT checked out Roseanne`s blog again today and guess what she did? Surprise, surprise, lo and behold, she put up a link to Voight`s rant in which he said about Roseanne, quote, "We can never be surprised at what vile evil comes from the mouth of a confessed victim of child abuse at the hands of her own parents. Her parents responded to the (child abuse) accusations by going on the air and stating she is a psychopathic liar and her sister agreed. I can only pray that good people see her for what she is (sick of mind)."
OK. OK. It is one thing for Voight and Roseanne to engage in a heated political debate, but to hurl personal insults and make references to child abuse, Ben, why do you think it`s getting so personal?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "STAR" MAGAZINE: Well, it got very ugly very quickly. You know, those allegations he`s referring to were made by Roseanne when her sitcom was still on the air. She claimed that she and her siblings were abused by their parents when they were growing up which was denied by everyone, her siblings and the parents. She made similar, presumably completely fictional allegations against Tom Arnold during their very bitter divorce. So she`s known for flying off the handle like this.
The confusing thing about all this is why she`s dragging Jon Voight into it. He famously doesn`t even talk to Angelina. So even if she believes what she`s saying, she`s certainly going after the wrong man.
ANDERSON: Yes. Jon and Angelina have been estranged for a while. And among the many insults Roseanne had for Angelina, she called her Jon Voight`s evil spawn. And I`d have to imagine Angelina would prefer everybody ignore Roseanne. But Lauren, even though they don`t really have a relationship, doesn`t Jon Voight, as her father, have every right, in a way, to come to her defense?
LAKE: He has every right to be angry. But you know what? If you don`t have enough of a relationship with your daughter to call her and ask her, "What would you like me to do in this instance? Should I speak out?" Then you shouldn`t be doing anything public without her, you know, agreeing to it. I just don`t think he needed to address this. He ended up looking just as crude as Roseanne.
ANDERSON: Yes, maybe some communication there between the family would have been nice ahead of time. You`re right. I do want to take a look again at what Roseanne wrote on her blog about Angelina, quote, "Aren`t you supposed to be somewhat enlightened, or do you not know that the African daughter you hold in every picture had parents who suffered and died because of the Republican Party`s worldwide economic assault on Africa over the last few decades since Reagan?"
Ben, is this just a case maybe of Angelina being used as a tool for Roseanne to make her political opinions known?
WIDDICOMBE: Oh, absolutely. I think Roseanne is very clearly suffering from CADS, Celebrity Attention Deficit Syndrome. Because although there is no question she is a talented comedian - she famous for her career missteps like this. And it`s just sad that we`re only hearing about her when she`s saying something as embarrassing and hurtful like this.
ANDERSON: Yes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Brad and Angelina`s camps, I want to mention, and they are not commenting. At least somebody has sense and is keeping their mouths shut. Hopefully, they are completely and happily oblivious to all of this and not worried about it. Lauren Lake, Ben Widdicombe, we will leave it there. Thank you both. Good to see you.
LAKE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: You know, I don`t know, but maybe it`s the summer heat. But there are a lot of other stars hot under the collar. Should they just zip it? Take John Mayer. He`s getting ripped for going off on that on-camera rant about his break-up with Jennifer Aniston. But get this, now he`s actually getting sympathy for what happened. Should he just zip it, though?
Well, I don`t think Olympic gold medal swimmer and "Playboy" pin-up Amanda Beard deserves any sympathy. Why is she dissing swimming superman Michael Phelps, even using the word "nasty"? Did she really say he`s not exactly the best-looking guy? Beard, you should button it.
And Christina Applegate`s emotional battle with breast cancer. The outpouring of support has been incredible. The dramatic reaction to Christina revealing she had both of her breasts removed. That`s coming up. You don`t want to miss that.
And 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 playing right now, John Mayer`s revelations about his split with Jennifer Aniston. Check it out. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, the overwhelming reaction to Christina Applegate`s stunning revelation about how she beat breast cancer. In dramatic interview with "Good Morning, America`s" Robin Roberts, the 36-year-old star stunned everybody when she revealed that she had both of her breasts removed just weeks after finding out she had cancer.
With us tonight in New York is someone who`s gone through the same surgery, Rene Syler who is a journalist and author of this book, "Good Enough Mother." And with us tonight in Atlanta, CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen. Elizabeth, Rene, thank you both so much for taking the time to speak with us.
First, I want to take a look at what Christina Applegate said on "Good Morning, America" about why she chose to make such a dramatic choice and removed both of her breasts in order to get rid of the cancer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, ACTRESS: My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, she had both of her breasts removed but cancer was only detected actually in one breast. Now, Rene, you also took this radical approach even though you were not diagnosed with cancer. You had both breasts removed because both your mother and your father battled the disease. Why do you think the reaction to Christina has been so overwhelming?
RENE SYLER, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF "GOOD ENOUGH MOTHER": Well, just one little clarification, I had several issues that were working, mother and father with breast cancer as well as the stage right before breast cancer, I was diagnosed with.
As far as Christina`s concerned, I think that one of the reasons that this has really struck a chord is that she`s a young woman. And I think also we out here who are not in Hollywood assume that people who are in Hollywood are somehow invincible and that they lead these charmed lives. And I think that when she came forward with her diagnosis and the treatment, you know, we realized that she, too, was susceptible to illness.
ANDERSON: Yes. She`s a human being as well and she is an Emmy-winning star of the hit TV series "Samantha Who." And we all knew and loved her as well from the show "Married With Children" in the `90s. She is a big celebrity. And that said, stars do usually keep their painful battles very private. Elizabeth, do you think this is why, as well, Christina`s story has struck such a chord with so many people?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, absolutely, Brooke. You hear a lot of stories about actors and actresses that don`t come out with their problems until they`ve had them for years and years. To come out with this now very early on in her treatment is really quite a big deal. And I think she`s sending a message to young women, "Hey, you`re not invincible. This could happen to you, too. You need to be careful."
SYLER: I think she may be applauded for what she`s doing, absolutely. I feel like what she`s done is so, so important. She`s shown women that yes, young women, while it is rare, do get breast cancer. She started having mammograms as soon as her own mother was diagnosed. She`s done, I think - added so much heat and light to the breast cancer fight. I think it`s remarkable.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: Yes, go ahead.
COHEN: Some people might call it the Katie Couric effect that when she went out and she talked about her husband`s illness and she had a colonoscopy, it made a huge difference. It will be interesting to see if this gets women to go get their mammograms.
ANDERSON: Yes, maybe. And really take control of their health and early detection. And she also talked about the range of emotions that she`s gone through since finding out she had cancer, and then having the surgery to remove her breasts. I want you to watch what she had to say about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
APPLEGATE: You know, I cry and sometimes I scream. And I get really angry and I get really like, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes. And I think, you know, it`s all part of healing. And anyone who`s going through it out there, it`s OK to cry. It`s OK to fall on the ground and just scream if you want to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rene, she says, "Yes, it`s OK to be upset. It`s OK to say, `Why me?`" and basically admit that yes, she is like anybody else, battling cancer. She is no different. I don`t think that we can say this too much. She is no different because she is a celebrity.
SYLER: When I see her say that, it just makes me want to hug her, really. It makes me want to hug her because there are so many women - I speak to so many women who have battled breast cancer or are battling breast cancer across the country, and I want to give each and everyone of them a big hug. But she`s doing is she`s saying, "Listen, you know, it`s OK to be angry. It`s OK to show this and run this gamut of emotion."
But, you know, at the end of the day, you`re going to take care of yourself and that`s what she did. She really is taking care of herself. And now, she`s talking about starting an initiative that will help other women with early detection as well.
ANDERSON: Yes. She revealed that it was an expensive MRI that detected her cancer. And Elizabeth, she`s going to make it her mission to make sure that women who can`t afford those MRIs can get those tests. If she`s successful, Elizabeth, that could be huge, couldn`t it?
COHEN: Oh, absolutely. We talked to doctors today, Brooke, who said that that is simply inspiring because women who are at high risk like her with the family history that she has, a lot of doctors will tell you, they should get MRIs in addition to mammograms. But insurance doesn`t always want to pay for those MRIs. So to fund MRIs for women who can`t afford them, that could be really huge.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
SYLER: And it`s also important to note that breast cancer is really very rare in young women. It really is a disease of aging women. But that`s not to say that it doesn`t happen in young women, so for women right now who might be watching this who are in their 30s with no family history, this doesn`t mean you need to run out and get mammograms and MRIs. You need to talk to your doctor and you need to do breast self-exam.
ANDERSON: And then see what steps maybe you do need to take. Good point. Rene Syler, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you both for your insights. And we do wish Christina continued good health. It`s wonderful she`s cancer-free.
All right. You know, a lot of people are still upset with how John Mayer went off in an on-camera rant about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston. But now, he`s actually getting sympathy. That`s right. People are defending him. I don`t know. Should John just zip it? That`s coming up.
And you`ve got to see these brand-new pictures of Britney Spears. She looks great. And tonight, she`s revealing her secrets to her beautiful beach body. I`ve got that coming up.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The muscles are just amazing. I mean, whoa! You know, just look at those muscles. And even from a lesbian like myself, that is saying a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Speaking of buzz, Michael Phelps is taking on Mark Spitz again. Now, Phelps beat Spitz`s Olympic medal record but who is the hotter pin-up? Is it the guy who`s got a little bit of goofy going on, or the dude with the `70s era mustache? We hit the streets to find out.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Here are some more stories new right now.
Paris Hilton is heading across the pond to look for a pal. She`s creating a British version of her new MTV reality show "Paris Hilton`s My New BFF," best friends forever. I guess you just can`t have too many friends. Just like the MTV version, she`ll put people in a house and discard the ones she doesn`t like. The MTV version launches in September.
OK. So I`ve got to ask, is Jessica Simpson hurting for cash? She signed on to plug Stampede Light Plus Beer. No, I`m not knocking the beer, but it`s not really that big a name. Jess is taking a 15 percent stake in the company to, quote, "diversify her portfolio." Hey, if her next album doesn`t work out -
And I can tell you that pop singer Ricky Martin is now the father of twin sons. Reps tell us they were born via a surrogate mother a few weeks ago. Everybody is doing well. Guess this means though that Ricky`s trading "Livin` La Vida Loca" for changing diapers. Congratulations to him.
Straight ahead, the Hollywood stars who just need to zip it. John Mayer goes off on camera about breaking up with Jennifer Aniston. But now, I can tell you there are people who feel badly for him. Should John just zip it, though?
And then, there`s gold medal swimmer and "Playboy" pin-up Amanda Beard dissing Michael Phelps. She even uses the word "nasty." Amanda, just zip it.
You have got to see these brand-new pictures of Britney Spears. She looks absolutely terrific. So what`s her secret to her fabulous beach body? Stick around to find out.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENDRA WILKINSON, "PLAYBOY" BUNNY: If they want to pay me to not say, "I love Olive Garden," where`s the money? Bring me the money, because I`m going to keep saying it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The controversy growing between the Olive Garden and a "Playboy" bunny. One of Hugh Hefner`s girlfriends can`t get enough of those salads and breadsticks, but the restaurant isn`t exactly thrilled. That`s straight ahead.
But first, stay on top of the most provocative entertainment news with our daily SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsletter. Just head over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and click on the "sign up for the newsletter" link at the bottom of the page. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is back after this.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, just zip it. John Mayer rants about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston. And Olympic swimmer, Amanda Beard, says some really mean things about America`s golden boy, Michael Phelps. Tonight, I`m asking, should John and Amanda just zip it?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those muscles are just amazing. I mean, whoa! You know, just look at those muscles. And even from a lesbian like myself, that is saying a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s an Olympic-sized battle of the pin-ups. Who wore their medals better - Michael Phelps or Mark Spitz? We`re going out on the streets to find out what you think. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, the big stories that has SHOWBIZ TONIGHT telling stars, "Will you please just zip it," including John Mayer and his street corner rant about why he broke up with Jennifer Aniston. Come on! Who broadcasts their split in front of the paparazzi, especially given the fact that John and Jen dodged the paparazzi and never even confirmed they were actually dating?
And new right now, wait until you hear, Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard just go off on fellow Olympian, Michael Phelps. The "Playboy" pin-up - and I don`t mean Phelps - was asked on a radio show about romance rumors. And instead of just a simple "no," she disses Phelps big time.
With me tonight from New York, TV host and attorney, Lauren Lake. Also in New York, entertainment columnist for "The Village Voice" Michael Musto. And editor-at-large for "Star" magazine, Ben Widdicombe.
Gang, I want to begin with Phelps. The eight-time gold medal winner is the talk of the world, really. He`s young, he`s buff, he`s got millions of women swooning, that is except for Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard. On the syndicated "John, Jay and Rich in the Morning" radio show, Beard made her feelings about a possible romance with Phelps abundantly clear. Listen -
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE RADIO HOST: Have you kissed him?
AMANDA BEARD, OLYMPIC SWIMMER: Eww, no!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Have you held hands.
BEARD: Eww, no, not even that. No, come on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE RADIO HOST: Amanda, come on. You`re like a model and you`re hot and an Olympic gold medal winner and he`s, like, a nice guy.
BEARD: Come on, come on, come on. I have really good taste!
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yikes! That is a little rough. Michael Musto, did Amanda really have to say "eww" if that`s how she felt? Wouldn`t a simple "no" have sufficed?
MICHAEL MUSTO, ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNIST, "VILLAGE VOICE": Absolutely. The "eww" is like adding arsenic to a very bitter cake. I mean this woman is way off base. Michael Phelps is 10 across the boards. Plus, he`s going to be very rich from all the endorsements he`ll be getting very soon. And the gold medals alone, you could melt them down and live comfortably forever. People are lining up to date this guy. Who is she? "Married With Children" was a long time ago. Oh, that was Amanda Beard.
ANDERSON: You`re thinking about somebody else.
MUSTO: Never mind.
ANDERSON: You know, Michael Phelps - you`re right, Michael Musto. He has nothing to worry about. Lauren, I have to ask, where`s the tact here?
LAKE: You know what? I don`t believe her one bit, Brooke. Remember in third grade how the boy that liked you used to hit you and run. That`s what I feel like, that somewhere deep down inside, Amanda`s loving Michael Phelps because we all are. Look, keep it real, Amanda.
ANDERSON: Yes, this is reverse psychology.
LAKE: I agree, yes.
ANDERSON: She really wants a date with Michael Phelps. WE all need to keep in mind, Amanda Beard has posed nude and seminude in several men`s magazines and got bounced during the breaststroke prelims for this year`s Olympics. On the other hand, Michael is - well, he`s Michael Phelps. Ben, isn`t he the one who could be saying "eww"?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, frankly, Brooke, I don`t think that hussy is good enough for Michael, and certainly not the kind of girl that he can take home to his mother Debbie who seems like a lovely lady. You know, Amanda is always taking her clothes off. She posed for "Playboy." She found an excuse just recently to pose nude again, this time for PETA, allegedly protesting fur. I don`t know how that works. So, you know, with her, I don`t know what`s worth - not knowing where she`s been or knowing where she`s been.
ANDERSON: Well, maybe she got baited - I don`t know - baited into saying these things. I don`t know. But to add insult to injury, she said Phelps is not only not her type but, quote, "I go for a little different-looking guys. I have taste."
Lauren, I would imagine the millions of women who do think Phelps is a hunk are thinking, "Amanda Beard, are you nuts?"
LAKE: Yes, you`ve got to be kidding me. There`s nothing sexier than a champion, OK? And he is just that. This guy is great-looking. I`m recently married and he`s still great-looking to me. That means so - this guy is handsome and everyone knows this. Give me a break.
ANDERSON: Yes, and seems like such a nice guy. Well, if it is any consolation, Amanda Beard did apologize for her comments telling "People" magazine, quote, "Everyone who knows me knows I can be a jokester, but I guess I took it too far. I never meant to say anything rude about Michael. I am 100 percent sorry for what I said."
Amanda also says she considers Michael Phelps a little brother. So Michael Musto, if that`s true, does her little brother, Michael Phelps, get to punch her in the arm for basically calling him unattractive?
MUSTO: I think he`ll just do the back-flip way away from her. He`s thinking of her as an evil cousin or nasty aunt, not some nice sister. All right, look, he`s been made fun of as a kid. He`s openly talked about this, about how people always made fun of him for whatever reason. This is another instance of that. And I think he`ll have the last laugh. In fact, he already has. He`s not worrying about this woman.
ANDERSON: Yes, right. It doesn`t matter what she says. He`s had amazing success and should be proud of who he is and feel great about what he`s accomplished.
All right. Moving now to John Mayer and his rant about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston, in his two-minute street-corner soliloquy John goes on and on about ending his relationship and had words of wisdom for the rest of the lovers of the world. Let`s go to the videotape.
(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. I guarantee you there`s 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. John`s comments about 20 percent of people struggling in similar situations have gotten some sympathy from folks. We`ve got some E- mails about that. But Ben, does that take away from the fact that maybe he should have just zipped it in the first place?
WIDDICOMBE: Oh, absolutely. If John Mayer had any of the integrity that he`s so keen on telling us that he has, he would have kept his mouth shut, certainly not convened a press conference on Crosby Street to talk about this relationship when really the bed is hardly even cold yet. Jennifer is a very private person. I`m sure she`s mortified by all this.
ANDERSON: Yes, and Jennifer, you know, likes to keep her relationships quiet. And for her part, she is not commenting on this.
Lauren, what do you think? Does John Mayer get sympathy points or just zip it points for his "20 percent" comment?
LAKE: Definitely just zip it. I mean, could John Mayer just save all his lyrical lingering for his songs? He`s got enough of an outlet to go on and on and on. And I`m just mad because he obviously broke up with her. Let her do the telling if she wants to tell. You just keep quiet, John!
ANDERSON: Yes, he reiterated that he broke up with her. I think he said it, you know, several times during that rant. But he did have some glowing things to say about Jennifer. Michael Musto, you know, he said she was lovely, smart, sophisticated, but does that justify his lack of - I don`t know, zip-it-ness?
MUSTO: No, because he thinks, "She`s lovely, she`s sophisticated but I dumped her." No one should announce to the world in a public manner that you dumped America`s sweetheart.
Jennifer Aniston has had a run of bad luck. Let`s face it. Every time Angelina Jolie has a baby, it`s a knife in her heart. Recently, she had two knives, one in the front, one in the back. Leave Jennifer alone about how you left Jennifer alone.
ANDERSON: And you know, John says he kind of wants to be left alone as well. He says he wanted to put all of this out there so he wouldn`t be, quote, "followed around New York City like an animal." I understand that. He doesn`t want to be hounded by the paparazzi. And he also says, hey, he`s just a guy going through a hard time. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: I`m going through something that`s a very personal thing that you have to give that up. You have to give everything up because you can`t have it all and it sucks. It sucks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ben, if this is so personal, all the more reason for John to just zip it, right?
WIDDICOMBE: Oh, absolutely. He isn`t doing himself any favors whatsoever. You know, John is a complete paradox because he`s known to the gossip press to be very press-friendly. He`ll go out of his way to talk to photographers and reporters. And yet, he also staged that press conference recently in Los Angeles saying that paparazzi should be licensed and they should be held back. So his actions do not support what he`s saying. And I think that he risks being seen as a hypocrite.
ANDERSON: Kind of mixed messages there. You`re right. We will leave it there for now. Lauren Lake, Michael Musto, Ben Widdicombe, thank you all. Good to see you.
LAKE: Thank you.
ANDERSON: And Jennifer Aniston, speaking of her, she may want to consider moving into a new high-rise that`s under construction in Los Angeles because it`s going to be virtually paparazzi-proof. The building is a 24- story tower, a $5 million luxury condo specifically designed to keep the paparazzi away. There will be underground parking, high hedges, private elevators that open directly into the apartments and round-the-clock patrols by Israeli-trained security guards.
The building is set to open next year. The company says it`s reaching out to Hollywood to ensure celebrity safety and security. And some big bucks, I`m sure.
Guess who is back in pin-up shape herself? None other than Britney Spears. I saw the pictures today and I`m telling you, it`s a whole new Britney. I`ll show you what I mean and Britney talks about how she did it. Britney`s new body and her diet and exercise secrets, coming up.
Also this -
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those muscles are just amazing. I mean, whoa! You know, just look at those muscles. And even from a lesbian like myself, that is saying a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s the battle of the Olympic pin-ups. We`re going out on the streets to see who wears their medals better - Michael Phelps or Mark Spitz. You don`t want to miss this, coming up.
And speaking of pin-ups, the Olive Garden has a little bit of "Playboy" controversy to go along with their unlimited salad and breadsticks. I`ll tell you why the restaurant isn`t exactly thrilled that one of Hef`s girlfriends is their biggest fan. That`s still ahead on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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ANDERSON: Did you se this? A monkey stops morning commuters in their tracks at one of Tokyo`s busiest subway stations. About 30 police officers tried to catch the little guy but he escaped. This is the third time in a month that a monkey has been spotted in Tokyo which is a surprise since they live in the mountains and hills about two hours away from the capital. And you thought you had a wild commute.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. After striking gold eight times in Beijing and becoming a celebrity in the sports world and beyond, Michael Phelps is now showing off his Olympic winnings on the cover of "Sports Illustrated." For his cover shot, Phelps mimics the iconic 1972 photo of Mark Spitz but with one big difference - an extra medal. But who gets the gold for better pin-up? Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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JEANNE MOOS (voice over): It`s the battle of the pin-ups.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s the guy. He`s the man. I don`t like all that hair.
MOOS: Forget the backstroke. This is plain old stroking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those muscles are just amazing. I mean, whoa! And even from a lesbian like myself, that is saying a lot.
MOOS: Everybody was saying a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Mark Spitz.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The picture.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bonus swimsuit edition of "Sports Illustrated."
MOOS: "Sports Illustrated" photographer Simon Bruty had only 10 minutes to get the shot to recreate the pose from the famous 1972 poster of Mark Spitz with his seven gold medals. The trick was to capture the eighth dangling from Phelps` neck.
SIMON BRUTY: Angle of the dangle - yes, that was definitely (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Basically, we used gaffer tape to stick them together.
MOOS: "Treasure Chest," the magazine called it, though some complained. "Why is he wearing a halter top?" joked someone on the Web site, "Gawker." "Less medals, more flesh." Isn`t that hitting below the belly-button?
BRUTY: Trust me, he`s very (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
MOOS: So was Spitz. He`s got a nice little Speedo, though.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not looking on the Speedo. I`m looking at the medals, girl.
MOOS: Not since Mr. T. - not since Flavor Flav with his clock, have we seen such chest adornment. Although almost everyone prefers the Phelps photo -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s fresher looking. I think he`s a bit cheesy with the mustache.
MOOS: Spitz had a few supporters.
(on camera): Which pin-up do you prefer?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mark.
(voice over): Talk about raising eyebrows. Imagine you`re at the Beijing Games and you happened to look like Michael Phelps.
STEVE PARRY(ph), MICHAEL PHELPS LOOK-ALIKE: Everybody thinks that I`m Michael Phelps. My name is Steve and I am from England, from Great Britain. Not Michael Phelps. I`ve never experienced anything like this in my life.
MOOS: Meet Steve -
PARRY(ph): I keep telling them my name is Steve Parry(ph) from Great Britain.
MOOS: He`s a former Olympic medalist and now BBC pundit.
PARRY(ph): I`ve never felt like a bigger fraud in all my life. No, no, no. I`m not Phelps. I`m not Michael Phelps.
MOOS: At least he`s not being mistaken for Mark Spitz. This 1972 picture was in fact mistaken -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obviously, I mistook him for a porn star so that`s something, right?
MOOS: By the way, the new "Sports Illustrated" does include an actual pin- up of Phelps and there`s no mention of Steve Parry(ph) -
PARRY(ph): No, no. I`m not Phelps. I`m not Michael Phelps. I`m not Phelps.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And you know, the endorsements have been rolling in for Michael Phelps and we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Michael Phelps: Would you buy something because he endorsed it?"
Let`s take a look at the results so far. Only 18 percent of you say yes, 82 percent say no. Here are some of the E-mails we received.
Charlene from Washington writes, "Sometimes these `testimonials` actually make me not want to buy the product."
Eddie from Florida says, "Why would I buy something like Frosted Flakes if it`s endorsed by a swimmer? There is no correlation between the two."
Well, despite those opinions, we do know that celebrity endorsements can lead to big bucks for companies. But what happens when it`s a "Playboy" babe pushing a product that`s supposed to convey a wholesome family image? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter has the scoop on why the Olive Garden is distancing itself from a certain "Playboy" bunny.
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KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She`s a Playboy playmate, reality TV star, and one of Hugh Hefner`s main squeezes. But the pint- sized model Kendra Wilkinson has another love affair.
KENDRA WILKINSON, PLAYBOY PLAYMATE: I have to go to the Olive Garden.
WYNTER: Wilkinson even listed the Olive Garden owner as people she`d like to meet on her MySpace page. And in an episode of her show recruited Olive Garden employees for a Playboy pictorial.
WILKINSON: I`m searching for the sexist girls from my favorite restaurant, the Olive Garden.
WYNTER: She says she`s no company spokes-bunny, she just loves the food. But the family friendly Italian food chain hasn`t exactly embraced her.
WILKINSON: Well, I want to meet them but I don`t think they want to meet me.
WYNTER: A company spokesperson says, "All of our guests are important and valued to us." But as for the girls of Olive Garden "Playboy" spread, the company says, "Olive Garden did not partner with `Playboy` on this. What individuals choose to do in their private life is a personal decision."
LASH FARY, OWNER, DISTINCTIVE ASSETS: The Olive Garden is for sure between a rock and a hard place in that they have this unwanted celebrity endorsement of their product, but they have a fear that their customer base doesn`t approve of Kendra and so they`re distancing themselves.
WYNTER: Entertainment marketing experts Lash Fary say it`s about maintaining a clean image.
FARY: The people who like Kendra is going to flock to the restaurant and those who don`t approve well, they`ve got clause with deniability that they haven`t embraced the endorsement.
WILKINSON: If they want to pay me to not say I love Olive Garden, then where`s the money? Bring me the money because I`m going to keep saying it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter. And if the Olive Garden did approach Wilkinson for a possible business deal, she said she would donate the money to charity.
All right. Wait until you see the new and improved Britney Spears. I have to tell you I couldn`t believe my eyes when I saw a brand-new picture of Britney. She looks amazing.
And Britney is talking about the super strict diet and exercise regimen she is on to get her beach body back. I`ve got the pictures and the story, next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You do not want to miss that.
And now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time you want. All you have to do is download the podcast. It`s completely free. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our Web site, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or download it on iTunes. Just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" in the little search box.
We`re coming back after this. Keep it here.
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ANDERSON: Thank you, Charles. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, you are not going to believe how great Britney Spears looks these days and the dramatic steps she has taken to get there. Britney is showing off her brand-new bikini body and talking about her diet and exercise plan. Check out the pictures from "OK!" magazine. These are from just a few weeks ago when Britney was on vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Britney says she is the healthiest she has been in her whole life and she says it`s all because of a strict diet and exercise routine. No more frappuccinos and no more sugar at all.
Britney says, quote, "I don`t eat fruit or even fruit juice because of the sugar. I eat chicken and salmon and rice. I eat avocados. I`ll have egg whites for breakfast and sometimes turkey burgers for lunch. I try to do just 1200 calories a day. It may sound like it`s not much, but it`s actually a lot of food if you eat the right things."
Britney is also working out five days a week doing a lot of cardio and weights, she says. She certainly has come a long way since the head shaving, club-hopping, hospital-ward days, and we are happy for her.
For more with Britney, pick up a copy of "OK!" magazine on newsstands this week.
Well, you`ve probably heard about the two guys in Georgia who claimed that they found the body of Bigfoot. Big surprise - it turned out to be a hoax. When the body was felt out, it turned out to be made of rubber. It`s still unclear why the two guys did this, but some people think they wanted to drum up some business for their Web site. Now, lots of people were disappointed by the hoax, but maybe no one as much as the group in Indiana called "Searching for Bigfoot, Inc." that thought they finally had proof that Bigfoot exists.
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BOB SCHMALZBACH, SEARCHING FOR BIGFOOT, INC.: When we first found out about this, we were ecstatic. We were thrilled to death. And it seems like such a reliable source. And of course, we jumped into it with both feet and went for it. How disappointing is that? The best term I can use is heartbreaking, heart-wrenching. This, we thought, was an answer to a mystery that has been going on for far too long. And the best term I can use is - it was heartbreaking, literally.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The group it will be pursuing legal action against the guys behind the hoax. Watch out.
And that is a wrap for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for spending some time with us. 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 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is coming up next. Take care.
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