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Showbiz Tonight
Madonna and Guy Ritchie`s Shocking Divorce Announcement; Controversial Political Movies; Stars Push for Their Favorite Candidates
Aired October 15, 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: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, it`s true. Madonna`s marriage is finished. Tonight, Madonna`s bombshell announcement she`s getting divorced. The big questions, why now after nearly eight years of marriage to Guy Ritchie? Will it get nasty? And why does Madonna have such a rocky love life?
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in London at Madonna`s home there. Tonight, the big breaking Madonna news, divorce court, here she comes.
Tonight, Hollywood`s vote. Big stars with brand-new, down-to-the-wire pleas for their favorite presidential candidates. Justin Timberlake`s over-the-top push for Barack Obama.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, SINGER (singing): You can vote in the box, just step in the box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hank Williams, Jr.`s in your face musical missile for John McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANK WILLIAMS, JR., SINGER: They`re going to tell you just what they think. They`re not going to blink
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
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`s bombshell.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Madonna shocked everyone today confirming that she is getting divorced, again. What was so shocking about today`s sudden announcement is that Madonna really spent the past few months going out of her way to try and end all of the rumors and speculation that she and Guy Ritchie were done. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has this covered like no other entertainment news show from New York to London, because it is the biggest story making news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): When the day began, we started hearing that the end was near for Madonna and Guy Ritchie. Later, in the morning, all the speculation became fact.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": We have some breaking news for you. We`ve just learned that Madonna and Guy Ritchie are getting a divorce. The publicists just confirmed it.
HAMMER: So the Guy and Madonna divorce is officially on. And at the couple`s home in London, CNN`s Atika Shubert told me everyone there saw this coming.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There have been rumors circulating for months, talks that she has been (UNINTELLIGIBLE) already a divorce lawyer.
HAMMER: Across the pond in the U.S., no one was surprised either.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": They`ve been living completely separate lives. Madonna is always out and about town without her wedding ring. It`s not shocking at all that they`re finally splitting. It`s shocking that it took them so long to announce it.
HAMMER: Madonna married the gangster film director, Guy Ritchie, in 2000.
PIAZZA: Madonna seemed like she was finally ready to settle down and be a wife and a mother. She famously moved to London and it seemed like he had finally tamed this wild, sexual beast that was Madonna.
HAMMER: The two had son together, Rocco, who is now eight, and adopted another son, David, now three, from Malawi, two years ago. Together with Madonna`s daughter 12-year-old daughter, Lourdes, from a previous relationship, this was one A-list family. As the couple sometimes admitted, it isn`t always easy.
MADONNA, POP STAR: We`ve got to spend more time with each other.
GUY RITCHIE: It is an issue. It is an issue, yes.
PIAZZA: Marrying Madonna really plucked Guy Ritchie, who`s this independent film director into the media spotlight and it seemed like he wasn`t ready for it. It seems like Guy is just this average British guy who wants to settle down in the pub, and Madonna`s out for world domination. So it`s hard to keep a marriage going when you have such different agendas.
HAMMER: This year, we started seeing less and less of this couple. This past March, Madonna showed up at her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction without her husband.
ALICIA QUARLES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: In her speech, she didn`t thank Guy Ritchie. That`s when rumors started circulating, "They`re breaking up. What`s going on?"
HAMMER: And this summer, Madonna became a figure in another failing celebrity marriage, that of Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez.
QUARLES: Alex Rodriguez` former wife, Cynthia, says that Madonna brainwashed Alex and really brought him into Kabbalah and that the two of them had an affair of the heart. And she said that really was the final straw in their relationship.
Of course, Madonna put out a statement saying, "We`re not having an affair. There`s no physical relationship at all."
HAMMER: All that sordid business brought even more focus on Guy and Madonna`s marriage.
PIAZZA: Madonna`s spokesperson, every other day, was releasing a statement saying, "How dare you" to the press. This couple is so happy, that all the rumors about the divorce aren`t true.
HAMMER: Now, Madonna is confirming those rumors at an especially busy time in her life. She`s smack in the middle of a tour and she`s promoting her new movie, "Filth & Wisdom," her directorial debut. Just days ago, she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that her director-husband gave her some good advice.
MADONNA: Make sure that you exude confidence even if they (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in front of all the actors and the crew.
HAMMER: Guy also has a new movie out, "Rock `n Rolla." Now, this busy couple has a big-time divorce to deal with.
PIAZZA: I think in the divorce, Madonna is officially going to have to hand over her British accent to Guy Ritchie.
HAMMER: Maybe not. But there reportedly are millions of dollars at stake.
QUARLES: Madonna and Guy Ritchie are worth a reported total $525 million. Now, the bulk of it is estimated to be hers, and he`s worth about $35 million individually.
Madonna and Guy have a lot of properties. They have a home in London. They`ve also got a 1,200-acre estate out in the countryside of England. They`ve got a home in New York. They`ve got a home in Los Angeles.
HAMMER: And even though Madonna reportedly consulted with Paul McCartney`s divorce lawyer, no one`s expecting a Paul-and-Heather type divorce war.
QUARLES: I highly doubt this is going to get nasty. I`ve interviewed both of these people several times. I`ve seen them interact together. Guy Ritchie is a laid back person. Madonna is very professional. They have children together. I think the two of them want to do this as easy as possible for the sake of their kids.
HAMMER: A rare note of optimism as yet another A-list marriage goes down the tube.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So should we be surprised, not necessarily by the divorce, but by the timing?
With me tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez, who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." And in Hollywood, Darren Kavinoky who is an attorney for the Kavinoky Law Firm.
As you just heard, guys, Madonna and Guy Ritchie have a lot going on right now. I mean, think about it. She`s on tour. Both of them have new movies out.
Darren, let me begin with you. The timing does seem a bit bizarre to me. Are you surprised that they announced it right now?
DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY, KAVINOKY LAW FIRM: You know, A.J., you don`t have to be a student of the Zohar to have seen this one coming. When you have to time your important announcements to coincide with your concert tour and your movie premieres, it`s a pretty good indication that your relationship might have jumped the shark.
So I`m not terribly surprised. And in fact, this may just be that they`ve reached a point where they were going to hang on, and finally, they just can`t stand each other so much that they`re just going to get it done with already.
HAMMER: Carolina, what do you think about the timing? Was it enough, I guess, for Madonna, perhaps, that her tour was underway? It would have been much different if she announced it perhaps before the tour actually launched.
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Well, I think that the timing is bizarre. Just because this is another thing that she`s going to have to deal with on top of the tour, on top of the promotion for her movie, among other things.
But it is kind of a blessing in disguise when you have people talking about you all the time and talking about your directorial debut and the movie that you have out. It could prove to be successful for them in their other ventures.
HAMMER: Yes. And the movie literally just debuted. It was just a few days ago when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the red carpet with Madonna in New York City for the big premiere of her new movie. It`s called "Filth & Wisdom" and is her directorial debut. And she even told us there at the premiere that Guy Ritchie, her husband, gave her advice on directing.
Carolina, I`m returning to you. You know, when you look at this footage, you see the big smile on her face. We know Madonna is a real professional, but she was obviously doing a really good job hiding what was coming, wasn`t she?
BERMUDEZ: Oh, yes, definitely. I mean, she`s had a pretty rough year. Her brother came out with a tell-all book. She`s been working so hard to get this tour off the ground. But at the end of the day, Madonna doesn`t let anything shake her. And you could see it right there on the red carpet. I mean, if there`s any time when somebody`s going to kind of lose it a little bit. It would be there. But not Madonna.
HAMMER: Well, here`s what I think is going to get truly interesting with them splitting up - the money. I mean, think about it. You heard some reports are saying there`s about $525 million at stake here, most of that obviously Madonna`s money. Guy`s estimated worth is about $35 million.
Now, Madonna`s publicist says there`s not a financial settlement at this time. Darren, you`re an attorney, how do you see this playing out?
KAVINOKY: Well, the way it plays out legally may vary depending on whether this divorce takes place in the U.K. or in the U.S. But from a media circus standpoint, I think it will be extreme and it will either be the new paradigm of how to go through a divorce in a very classy way. Or else, it will be a scorched earth unlike anything that we`ve ever seen, in which case Madonna will have bits and pieces of Guy Ritchie in a jar next to her bed. So -
HAMMER: Which way, Carolina, do you see it playing out as far as that`s concerned? Because as we keep talking about it, Madonna`s always been very professional. She tries to do everything very methodically and she`s also always been very savvy at handling the media.
BERMUDEZ: Yes. I think it`s - I hope it ends up in a classy way. But it`s going to come down to two things. I think it`s going to come down to real estate and money.
And as long as they can decide on a fair settlement, I think they`re going to be OK. I don`t think they`re going to drag their kids through the mud with this one. And hopefully, they can come to a resolution quickly so that she can focus on her work.
HAMMER: Yes. Let`s get back to the kids that you mentioned. You know, Madonna and Guy had two children together - Rocco, who`s 8 years old, their adopted son, David Banda; he`s now three. That`s the child they got from Malawi. And they`ve always been very protective of the kids. For that reason, Darren, would you imagine they will keep it pretty civil?
KAVINOKY: One would hope so, absolutely, especially given what happened over the course of the summer and the suggestions that there were things going on with A-Rod. We hope that this one will fly below radar.
HAMMER: Yes, you mentioned A-Rod, because all the Madonna marriage ending buzz was fueled over the summertime. Just a few months ago, there`s all that speculation that she and Alex Rodriguez from the New York Yankees were having an affair. She denied it at that time. Alex`s wife called A-Rod`s relationship with Madonna an affair of the heart, if you remember that.
What do you think, Carolina? The speculation is going to fire up again about that couple, isn`t it?
BERMUDEZ: Oh yes, especially when they were seen having dinner just a couple of weeks ago. They were just seen recently dining out. Of course, the speculation is going to come.
And look, they would be a hot couple if they would come out and just decide to say, "Hey, we are together."
But I think right now, Madonna just needs to focus on getting this divorce done and then maybe she can venture into, you know, hanging out with a Yankee slugger.
HAMMER: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: It`s just that she`s so high-profile all the time with her romances.
HAMMER: Well, as you pointed out, let`s just hope for the kids` sake it goes as smoothly as possible. Carolina Bermudez, Darren Kavinoky, thank you both.
And now, I`d like to turn it over to you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is, "Madonna Getting Divorced: Does fame make marriage more difficult?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or you can E- mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: A.J., I`ve got to say I`m pretty surprised by this split. Madonna and Guy seemed to have a pretty solid marriage, at least on the surface.
HAMMER: Yes, of course, Brooke. You never really know what`s going on behind closed doors. As I just said, I really hope they do keep this split clean and simple, at least for their kids` sake.
And what about the kids? What`s going to happen to Rocco and Lourdes and little David. And why is it that Madonna`s relationships have been rocky? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heading to Madonna`s home in London for the latest reaction.
ANDERSON: Also Hollywood`s vote. Huge stars with brand-new, down-to-the- wire, over-the-top presidential pleas. Justin Timberlake`s jaw-dropping push for Barack Obama. Hank Williams, Jr.`s musical (UNINTELLIGIBLE) for John McCain. You`ve got to see this, straight ahead.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAUREEN MCCORMICK, ACTRESS: I don`t have to hide that I did cocaine anymore. I don`t have to hide that I had bulimia. I don`t have to hide that I dealt with - or have dealt with depression for a lot of my adult years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. I sat down with "Brady Bunch" star, Maureen "Marcia Brady" McCormick. Her shocking revelations about drug use, sex and eating disorders coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Well, A.J., things are really getting down to the wire this election season. But the stars are showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to speaking out about political issues.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s right, Brooke. Tonight, Ellen DeGeneres has just released a public service announcement where she asks California voters to vote "no" on Proposition 8. If Prop 8 passes, it will eliminate same-sex marriage in California. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage this summer. Ellen married her girlfriend Portia de Rossi soon after.
Take a look at Ellen`s PSA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": Hi, I`m Ellen DeGeneres. I got to do something this year that I thought I`d never be able to do. I got married. It was the happiest day of my life.
There are people out there raising millions of dollars to try to take that right away from me. You`ve seen their ads on TV. They`re twisting the truth and they`re trying to scare you.
I believe in fairness. I believe in compassion. I believe in equality for all people. Proposition 8 does not. Please, please vote "no" on Prop 8.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I spoke with former `N Sync singer Lance Bass who is openly gay, and I asked him about Ellen`s PSA and how much influence he thinks stars actually have on voters when it comes to these important political issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LANCE BASS, SINGER: I think celebrities - you know, they say what they want but no one really listens to it. I think you know who you`re going to vote for president.
But propositions are a whole different ball game. Propositions are all about popularity. And you know, those are the messages of yes on this, no on this. So getting that "no on 8, no on 8" because people cannot just check some things, you know, and not really know what the proposition is about.
They don`t really get educated on it. So I think it really is a great thing when celebrities use their presence to comment on things like Proposition 8 because a lot of people kind of overlook that and they only vote for presidents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, I know there really aren`t any polls out there that measure whether stars are having an impact on voters.
But tonight, I can tell you Hollywood is definitely trying to make a difference. Just days before the election, you have all these controversial political movies with huge stars now hitting theaters. But will they get people to vote one way or the other?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Whose job is it to find these damned leftists?
ANDERSON (voice over): With the presidential election just weeks away, Hollywood is releasing a slew of politically-themed movies, both from the left and the right.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I love America. That`s why it needs to be destroyed.
ANDERSON: "An American Carol" takes aim at liberals.
DAVID ZUCKER, DIRECTOR, "AN AMERICAN CAROL": Instead of Scrooge, it`s a Michael Moore-like character who`s saying "Bah, humbug" to America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You wouldn`t push me.
ANDERSON: Bush critic Oliver Stone`s "W" is a fictionalized, unflattering portrayal of the current president.
BILL MAHER, "RELIGULOUS": It worries me that people are running my country could believe in talking (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ANDERSON: Bill Maher`s "Religulous" questions the validity of religion and attacks Bush in the process.
GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I believe that God wants to everybody to be free.
MAHER: I think religion is a tremendously important topic. I`m just against it.
ANDERSON: But will these films actually impact voters` decisions at the polls?
LEAH ROZEN, FILM CRITIC, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: I don`t think that much of what people see on a screen affects them when they go into the voting booth. I think these movies preach to the converted. I think people who go to these films tend to already be on whatever political side they espouse.
ANDERSON: Other new offerings take a less partisan approach to government and policies.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You want to keep the truth? So be it.
ANDERSON: "Battle in Seattle," about the 1999 World Trade Organization protests were shown at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions.
STUART TOWNSEND, DIRECTOR, "BATTLE IN SEATTLE": It is not going to be a left or a right film, or a Republican or Democrat. It`s about America. It`s about patriotic Americans signing up, find the power.
ANDERSON: "The Lucky Ones" centers on three Iraq War veterans return home to the U.S. And "Body of Lies" targets terrorists.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ANDERSON: Proof Hollywood`s latest plotline mirrors real-life issues as the nation prepares to cast its vote.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Now, of course, not to be outdone, Michael Moore has also released a film but in an unconventional way. "Slacker Uprising" - about Moore`s efforts to get young people to vote in 2004 - is available for free online.
HAMMER: Well, you can now call us here at "Showbiz On Call" so you can let us know what you think about Hollywood`s vote or anything else that may be on your mind.
ANDERSON: That`s right. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines always open. Call us 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; that`s 1-888-728-2899. Leave us a voicemail and we will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And your calls are also now online on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. So we know there was a presidential debate tonight. But I can tell you, a lot of people all day long have been debating what happened to Madonna and Guy Ritchie`s marriage.
ANDERSON: Yes, A.J. So many people, myself included, are pretty stunned by their divorce news today.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, we have so many questions to ask, what can happen to the kids? Why have so many of Madonna`s relationships been so rocky? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is heading to her home in London for the latest.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMBERLAKE: You just step in the box. And then you vote in the box. You vote in the box
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Justin Timberlake with his brand-new Barack Obama video. So many stars scrambling to get people to vote for their favorite presidential candidate. You`ve got to hear Hank Williams, Jr.`s new song for John McCain. Hollywood`s vote is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) with the down-to- the-wire, no-holds-barred celebrity election push.
HAMMER: And Reese Witherspoon finally speaking out about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. We`ve got that coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. And here are some more stories making news right now.
Reese Witherspoon is finally speaking out about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. In the November issue of "Vogue," Reese says quote, "He`s very supportive. Suffice it to say, I`m very happy in life, and I`m very lucky to have a lot of really supportive people around me who care very much for me, and, you know, that` all you can hope for in life. I am very blessed in that way."
HAMMER: Jury selection is underway in Britney Spears` trial. She could face up to six months in jail if convicted of driving without a license. Now, this charge stems from Britney`s August 2007 car accident where she hit a car in a parking lot and drove off.
And tonight I can also tell you "Billboard" magazine is reporting that Britney will be heading out on tour beginning next spring. This will be her first tour since 2004.
ANDERSON: A.J., a really Madonna shocker today.
HAMMER: Yes, huge announcement, Brooke, that she and Guy Ritchie are getting divorced.
ANDERSON: Yes, so what happens to their kids now? And what about Madonna`s history of rocky relationships? We`re heading to her home in London to find out, next.
Also, you have got to see the stars giving their favorite presidential candidates a big, last-second push. Brand-new pleas from Justin Timberlake, Hank Williams, Jr. coming up.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMICK: And I don`t have to hide that I did cocaine anymore. I don`t have to hide that I had bulimia. I don`t have to hide that I dealt with - or have dealt with depression for a lot of my adult years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am sitting down with Maureen "Marcia Brady" McCormick. She`s opening up to me about eating disorders, drugs, sex and so much more, coming up.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Madonna`s divorce shocker. It`s official, Madonna and Guy Ritchie are heading to splitsville. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is heading to London for the first reactions. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the late-breaking details of Madonna`s divorce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMBERLAKE: You just step in the box. And then you vote in the box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Justin Timberlake remakes his hilarious "Junk in a Box" sketch for political reasons. Wait until you see how Justin is rocking the vote as the election gets closer and closer.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Right now, it`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s continuing coverage of Madonna`s shocking divorce announcement today. From New York to London, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest breaking details.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie issued a joint statement today announcing they are getting divorced after almost eight years of marriage. They`re asking the media to, quote, "maintain respect for their family at this difficult time" and say they haven`t yet agreed on a final settlement.
Tonight, Madonna is performing in Boston on her "Sticky Sweet" tour. And Guy Ritchie is in France filming. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in New York and London where Madonna and Guy Ritchie live most of the time. And London is where CNN correspondent Atika Shubert is on the scene in front of Madonna`s house.
Now, Atika, you`ve been hanging out all day outside Madonna`s house. What are people saying on the ground there?
SHUBERT: There`s a lot of interest here. Madonna or Madge, as she is affectionately known here, has become a real fixture on the London scene here. So a lot of people are curious as to where she will go next. What happens to the kids and of course, what happens to all the money for Madonna and Guy Ritchie.
There`s a lot of interest here. There was a lot of media at her house earlier today hoping to catch sight of Guy Ritchie. There were some rumors that he might be moving out of the house. But no such luck in getting those pictures today, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes. So, set the scene for me. I would imagine there is a lot of media. Is it a zoo-ish atmosphere around Madonna`s home there?
SHUBERT: Not too much, actually. Earlier today, there were a few television and photographers. But the fact is she`s out on tour in the United States. Guy Ritchie doesn`t seem to be coming home to that London house anytime soon.
So at the moment, it seems like the press are laying off her house for the moment. But that could all change if she decides to come back to London anytime.
HAMMER: Now, of course, we remember back in June, rumors were flying madly that she was divorcing Guy Ritchie, that she was having an affair with A- Rod. And Madonna did something at that time that she never does. She responded to the rumors and put out a denial. Does this really come, however, as any kind of shock to people that you`re speaking with there?
SHUBERT: It doesn`t really come as a surprise and certainly not for a lot of the media and celebrity reporters here. There have been rumors circulating for months, talk that she had been consulting already a divorce lawyer, the same lawyer apparently used by Paul McCartney in his divorce earlier this year.
So again, it`s not a surprise. But hearing that final confirmation from Madonna`s spokespersons today that the divorce is going through, but that a settlement has not been reached yet.
HAMMER: And you also mentioned the kids who, of course, live there in London. They go to school there in London. Are you hearing any word on whether or not they`ll actually stay there in London?
SHUBERT: Well, that`s the big question. We`re hearing reports that Madonna may decide to move back to the United States. And then of course, the big question is, does that mean uprooting her children and also moving them to the United States or will they continue here in London?
As I said, the family has become something of a fixture here. So many London residents are wondering what`s going to happen next.
HAMMER: So being a fixture in London for this couple - really, they`ve settled in there. Is it kind of like a national day of mourning, Atika?
SHUBERT: Well, I couldn`t say it`s a national day of mourning. There`s a lot more going on, the credit crisis, a lot of people more worried about their bank accounts than celebrities.
But on the other hand, you know, we were there at her house earlier talking to a lot of builders and construction workers. They were curious. They wanted to know what was going on.
HAMMER: Yes.
SHUBERT: And really, it`s a bit of a diversion for other worries today.
HAMMER: I imagine that the people working there at the house are going to wonder if they will be employed anymore.
Atika Shubert in London, we thank you so much for being with us tonight.
What does all of this mean for Madonna and Guy Ritchie and all their money, a reported $500 million estate. And of course, as we were just talking about with Atika, what about the kids?
Joining me tonight in New York, it`s Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor for "In Touch" magazine. And tonight in Hollywood, is Darren Kavinoky who is an attorney of the Kavinoky Law Firm.
All right. Guys, so the big British tabloid, "The Sun" newspaper broke the story first thing this morning. And of course, there have been stories like this before. But this time, "The Sun" got it right. I want you guys to listen to what the showbiz editor of the paper - a guy named Gordon Smart - had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GORDON SMART, EDITOR, "THE SUN": They were just trying to make the marriage work. And I think they`ve reached the point now where they`ve realized that there`s no way they can repair the damage that`s being done, I think, in the last three weeks in particular. They`ve had so many arguments. It`s just come to the stage where they`ve decided to finish with a pretense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. So how is this all going to play out? You know, Madonna and Guy Ritchie, known as a pretty private couple.
Darren, I`ll start with you. Do you think this is going to turn into that media circus and perhaps all-around public theater of, say, the Paul McCartney and Heather Mills divorce?
KAVINOKY: Well, A.J., Madonna is not one who`s known to do things by half measure. So if Madonna wants it to play out this public theater, it`s sure to have a longer run "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera" combined.
And the only question at the end of it, of course, is whether or not she will allow him to keep any shred of dignity. And of course, since there`s kids involved, we all hope so.
HAMMER: Well, we know a bit of a circus started to develop back in June when the rumors started to float around back then that Madonna and Guy Ritchie were getting a divorce.
Madonna denied it at the time, which was pretty unusual for her. And of course, she denied all that gossip that was raging that she and the New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez were having an affair. Alex, of course, has since gone through with his divorce.
But Carolina, whatever their relationship, Alex and Madonna, probably a good idea for the two of them to avoid being seen together in public anytime soon, right?
BERMUDEZ: Definitely a good idea to not be seen with him. He just came out of a very public divorce, and if she`s about to go through one. And if she wants any sympathy from the public, she`ll kind of stay away, because, reportedly, when they were seen together, Alex was still married.
So in order to shut that home-wrecker image, and maybe even in order to maintain a little bit of privacy, she should just keep to herself right now.
HAMMER: I think that would be the best idea. And of course, this would be Madonna`s second divorce if it does go through.
It was 1985 when Madonna married Sean Penn. Now, when they were married, which was a pretty rocky four-year relationship, she filed for divorce at least three times, but each time before the last time, got back together. Carolina, back to you. Can you see the same thing possibly happening here or do you think this is a done deal?
BERMUDEZ: No way. This is a done deal. I think, before, she was younger. Maybe she was, you know, enthralled with Sean Penn`s bad boy image. I think that she`s in a different stage of her life right now, and she just wants to get this done and over with. And from what I`m hearing, she wants to make sure that the kids are kept out of it.
HAMMER: May I repeat a huge number at this time? Because it really just boggles the mind, that the couple is reportedly worth about $500 million. Oh, my goodness. Of course, most of that comes from Madonna. And Guy Ritchie has some money of his own as well.
Darren, you`re a lawyer and you could tell me this. Is there any way in hell Madonna doesn`t have an ironclad pre-nup? I mean, come on.
KAVINOKY: Well, the reports are that she does not have a pre-nup at all.
HAMMER: What? What?
KAVINOKY: Yes, I know. And half a billion dollars. There`s no question that no one`s going to walk away from this poor. But this gets a bit legally complicated because she has residence in New York City. She could file for divorce in New York. He could file for divorce in London, and they have very different rules over there. So we know no one`s going to be hurt at the end of this. But my goodness, there`s so much money at stake.
HAMMER: Wow!
KAVINOKY: No pre-nup is what the reports are.
HAMMER: I bet you`re thinking two scoops of crazy for not having a pre- nup, huh?
KAVINOKY: I`ve got to patent that phrase, "two scoops of crazy."
HAMMER: Yes, funny. Of course, aside from the Sean Penn divorce, we have seen Madonna linked over the years to some high-profile people - Dennis Rodman, she dated Warren Beatty. Of course, Carlos Leon is the guy that she dated and she had his daughter, Lourdes. You know, this is a woman who`s had some pretty high-profile lovers and relationships.
Carolina, why do you think that Madonna has had so many rocky relationships? Is it just impossible to be with Madonna?
BERMUDEZ: I don`t think it`s impossible to be with Madonna. I think it`s hard for Madonna to have some private time where she`s not working. I think that she`s a consummate professional. I think she`s a total workhorse. She`s always touring, doing something. So I think that that affects her relationships and in the end, they don`t end up working out.
HAMMER: And a lot of kids here in the mix, particularly three-year-old David which they adopted as a couple together from Malawi, Rocco, their son together.
Very quickly, Darren Kavinoky, do you think we may be looking at a bitter custody battle here?
KAVINOKY: Well, let`s hope not. And reportedly, that`s one of the things that was the tipping point here. She wanted to adopt another baby and he didn`t. But perhaps they could just lease them out to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to solve the problem there.
HAMMER: Yes. That might be two scoops of crazy right there. Carolina Bermudez, Darren Kavinoky, thank you for joining me tonight.
Now, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It is - "Madonna Getting Divorced: Does fame make marriage more difficult?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can always E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
I want to make sure you know, you can always call us, too. "Showbiz On Call" is what it`s called. Let us know what you think about Madonna getting divorced or if there`s anything else on your mind, let us know that as well.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines, always open. Just give us a ring, 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-729-2899. Leave a voicemail and we will play some of those calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And also, your calls to "Showbiz On Call" are now online on our homepage. Check them out, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Hey, A.J., the stars are coming out in full force as we are getting down to the wire in the presidential campaign.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s right, Brooke. Wait until you hear how Hank Williams, Jr. rewrote a classic song of his for John McCain and Sarah Palin. The stars are pulling out all the stops as we are here in the home stretch and that is coming up.
And then, there`s Justin Timberlake. He has reworked his hilarious "Junk in a Box" sketch for politics. That is straight ahead.
And we`ll also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMICK: I don`t have to hide that I did cocaine anymore. I don`t have to hide that I had bulimia. I don`t have to hide that I dealt with - or have dealt with depression for a lot of my adult years.
HAMMER: Marcia Brady herself right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with her shocking confessions. I sat down with Maureen McCormick right after she told all in a new book about drugs, sex - all the stuff that`s really going to make it quite difficult to ever see "The Brady Bunch" in the same way. That is coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANK WILLIAMS, JR., SINGER (singing): Stop and think it over before you make your decision. If they smell something wrong, they`re going to come down strong, the old McCain-Palin tradition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s country singer Hank Williams, Jr. serenading Sarah Palin and John McCain with new lyrics to his classic song "Family Tradition."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, Hollywood`s last big over-the-top push in the presidential race. And Hank Williams, Jr. is just one of the stars trying to get out his vote for president.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you Hank serenading Sarah Palin and John McCain supporters during a rally in Virginia, tweaking the lyrics to his hit song "Family Tradition" Hank celebrates with McCain and Palin.
On the other side, Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend, Jessica Beale are spoofing Justin`s hilarious "Saturday Night Live`s" "Get Junk in a Box" to get people to go to the box, the voting booths, that is, to vote for their candidate, Barack Obama.
Joining me in New York, Roland Martin, who is a CNN political analyst and also supports Barack Obama. In Washington, Jack Burkman, who is a conservative political pundit. Roland, Jack, thank you both for being here.
And I want to begin with Justin Timberlake and his girlfriend, Jessica Beale. Cute couple. And they`ve just released a PSA called "Vote in a Box," the spoof of his "SNL" skit "Junk in the Box." We`re going to show it to you in just a second.
But first, we want to refresh your memory with the "SNL" skit. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIMBERLAKE: Wow, you know it`s Christmas and my heart is open wide. Going give you something so you know what`s on my mind. If you look inside, it`s my (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in the box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK, got that. Now, I want you to watch Justin and Jessica`s new PSA for Barack Obama called "Vote in a Box."
TIMBERLAKE: If you vote in the box. Come on, Jess. Are you rolling?
(singing): You can vote in the box. You just step in the box, babe. And then you vote in the box. You vote in the box.
Not out of the box. You vote in the box. That`s a remix.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Roland Martin, effective ad for Obama? Will Justin Timberlake and Jessica Beale make a difference?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST AND A BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTER: It won`t be in my iPod, I can tell you that. Look, it might appeal to some people. The benefit of all of these kind of spots or commercials, whether it`s Sarah Silverman trying to get young Jews to go to Florida to convince their older grandparents to vote for Obama, it`s all about being able to spread the message beyond the political folks, that it`s shows like this being able to get on entertainment shows to reach a different audience. That`s the effect. It turns off the hard-core political people - not a chance.
ANDERSON: Jack, what do you think? Do these kinds of ads maybe add fuel to the fire of McCain saying that Obama is linked to celebrities and that maybe he is a celebrity himself?
JACK BURKMAN, CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL PUNDIT: Oh, sure. I mean, they - by the way, I may indeed have Hank Williams in my iPod. I would build on what Roland said, maybe take it in another direction. A lot of people, keep in mind, about 90 percent of the country, this kind of stuff is the only exposure they have to politics.
So yes, Roland`s right that the cable news-watchers, the political junkies like us, it doesn`t affect us. But for 90 percent of the country, this is all the exposure it has. I`ve been saying for sometime that this Hollywood stuff, this entertainment stuff is really much more important than anything that goes on on mainline CNN or MSNBC or any of these other places because the average person just doesn`t consume that product.
But what you see is kind of a tale of two races. You`ve got McCain - the more important point I think, Brooke, is you`ve got McCain doing this in Virginia. He`s trying to hold Virginia, which is slipping away. You`ve got Obama on the offensive in Nevada. This points out bad news for us. It`s good news for Roland`s side. Sorry to report, but that`s the way it is.
MARTIN: And also, Brooke, it deals with demographics because - I mean, think about it. You have Justin Timberlake and the gorgeous Jessica Beale. And then you have the big, hairy Hank Williams. And so - I`m sorry - on a popularity, you know, level ...
ANDERSON: No.
MARTIN: ... I think those two are probably going to appeal to a broader audience. Again, it`s a different point. And that is if Jessica Beale and Justin Timberlake can appeal to young folks, even middle-aged voters, Hank Williams pretty much has a locked-in group he speaks to.
ANDERSON: Yes. Be nice to Hank Williams, Jr. and Jack, because may have -
(CROSS TALK)
MARTIN: I mean, come on. Jessica Beale and Hank Williams, I`m just saying.
ANDERSON: I know. At that rally for John McCain and Sarah Palin in Richmond, Virginia, Hank Williams, Jr. sang a new version of his hit song "Family Tradition." Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HANK WILLIAMS, JR., SINGER (singing): Stop and think it over before you make your decision. If they smell something wrong, they`re going to come down strong in the old McCain-Palin tradition.
John and Sarah tell you just what they think. They`re not going to blink. And they don`t have radical friends to whom their careers are linked
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Complete with the cowboy hat. And of course, that was Hank`s dig at Obama regarding his friendship with William Ayers, a former member of the radical Weather Underground organization. Jack, what do you think? Was that more effective than what Justin Timberlake did or not?
BURKMAN: I think both were effective. I think Williams may actually help McCain to hold Virginia. I mean, I think that`s a case where you can point to some real effectiveness.
I think what McCain has to do - I mean, both sides have to get better at using Hollywood stars. I think they`re improving. But both sides have a long way to go. What McCain needs to do - I`ve been preaching this for some time. The 800-pound gorilla, the 30-inch gun is a guy named Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Hank Williams is fine. But if you remember back in 2004, Bush would not have carried the state of Ohio without Arnold. Arnold is probably the single most popular politician in the country even though he`s not running for president.
The main thing John McCain has to do if he is listening, that campaign has got to get Arnold here. And get him in some of these industrial states.
MARTIN: No. I thought the -
ANDERSON: And you say learn how to use those celebrities a little bit better. Roland, we will continue this conversation at another time.
MARTIN: I bet number 96 is wearing his jersey.
ANDERSON: Sorry, we`ve got to end it there. Roland Martin, Jack Burkman. Thank you both.
HAMMER: Well, coming up, Marcia Brady tells all right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMICK: I don`t have to hide that I did cocaine anymore. I don`t have to hide that I had bulimia. I don`t have to hide that I dealt with - or have dealt with depression for a lot of my adult years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I sat down with Maureen McCormick right after she told all in a new book about drugs, sex, all of the stuff that`s really going to make it hard to ever see "The Brady Bunch" in the same way. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, Marcia Brady herself, Maureen McCormick, sat done to talk about her shocking revelations about drug use, sex, depression and eating disorders. This is the Marcia Brady we did not know about. McCormick tells all in her new book "Here`s the Story."
Now, Maureen told me that writing the book was incredibly emotional but it is something that she is really glad she did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCORMICK: It was hard. It was hard, you know, going back to a lot of the difficult times that I have been through. But it was also really cathartic just because I feel like, you know, I don`t have to hide anything that I have been through. I don`t have to hide that I did cocaine anymore. I don`t have to hide that I had bulimia. I don`t have to hide that I dealt with - or have dealt with depression for a lot of my adult years. So it feels really good to just get out and to say it.
HAMMER (on camera): You hear that a lot from people who write book like this, that it really gives us a form of closure, actually. You get to really, truly put some difficult stuff behind you.
MCCORMICK: Right. And I think, you know, a lot of times I was just pretending, you know, and hiding behind this smile. And I don`t have to do that anymore.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I assure you, that is just the beginning of my revealing interview with Maureen McCormick. Tune in Friday, the full interview. We get into details so you can hear about the Marcia Brady you never knew about. Friday, the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: On Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, it was this - "Tina Fey as Sarah Palin: Is she hurting the McCain-Palin ticket?" Forty-one percent of you say yes; 59 percent say no.
And here are some of the E-mails we received. Nancy from Oklahoma writes, "Palin is hurting the Republican ticket, not Tina Fey."
Patricia from Virginia says "`SNL` doesn`t talk about Obama or Biden the way they do McCain and Palin. I`m sure there would be a lot more protests if they did."
HAMMER: Well, we always appreciate getting your E-mails.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t forget, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. And in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern. The latest from "HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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