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Showbiz Tonight
Barbara Walters and Rosie O`Donnell`s War of Words; Hollywood Divorce Drama; The Amazing Transformation of Angelina Jolie
Aired November 21, 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, tonight, the feud between Barbara Walters and Rosie O`Donnell back on big-time. The brand-new, very ugly war of words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Lady, she is (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rosie`s nasty attack on Barbara. What ticked her off, and is it time for both of them to give it a rest? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Rosie-Barbara smackdown.
Brand-new Hollywood divorce dramas. Tonight, Madonna`s divorce, major developments in court today and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there in London.
Plus, Reese Witherspoon`s brand-new emotional revelations about her divorce from Ryan Philippe.
And Britney Spears revealing she got married for the wrong reasons. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with dramatic divorce lessons.
Plus, the amazing transformation of Angelina Jolie. From blood- wearing wild child to mom of six. Just how did she pull it off?
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.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you from Hollywood.
And just when you thought they were out, they got pulled back in.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. We are talking about Rosie O`Donnell and Barbara Walters whose feud has exploded again. And this time, it`s personal. Wait, it has been personal. The she-said, she-said Barbara-Rosie tit-for- tat reignited after Rosie, if you can believe this, claims she basically suffers from posttraumatic "View" syndrome.
Well, Barbara responded and then Rosie responded. And what can I say? Is this fun or what? And it`s all making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): There are certain things one can always count on - the sun rising once a day, Thanksgiving coming once a year, and Rosie O`Donnell firing up a public feud pretty much any old time she feels like it.
JO PIAZZA, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": It is total deja vu. Here we go again.
HAMMER: Yes, Rosie`s confirming her status as the mother of all bridge- burners by picking yet another public fight with her old co-workers on "The View." Now, the disgruntled ex-"View" co-host is drawing the wrath of Barbara Walters.
BARBARA WALTERS, CO-HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "THE VIEW": I resent it.
HAMMER: While Rosie pours gas on the fire by making fun of "The View" on "Late Night with Conan O`Brien."
O`DONNELL: I`m a big fan of the program and the producers. So -
HAMMER: Yes, Rosie`s stirring things up. And with the long list of people, politicians, co-hosts, nations and billionaires she`s insulted over the years, no one is shocked.
PIAZZA: Rosie cultivates feud. So it`s no surprise at all.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is wondering, Rosie wouldn`t be poking at this hornets` nest intentionally, would she?
It all started Wednesday when Rosie talked about her tumultuous year on "The View" during a media conference call to promote her own upcoming NBC variety show.
PIAZZA: She says that it was so horrible that she, you know, sometimes wakes up and has these horrible flashbacks of how awful it was working with those women.
HAMMER: The next day on "The View," a ticked-off Barbara Walters went off on Rosie, a.k.a., she-who-must-not-be-named.
WALTERS: Some people who have done this show and then for years feel they have to dump on it, maybe for their own publicity. And that not only hurts me, but I resent it.
HAMMER: So after that, Rosie realized the error of her ways. Everyone kissed and made up and the whole matter was dropped, right?
Of course not. On her blog, Rosie posted this video of her reacting to Walters` comments on "The View" earlier that day.
WALTERS: If the shoe fits, lady, get on - ladies, get on with your lives.
O`DONNELL: I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did. Lady, she is pissed off.
HAMMER: And that night, Rosie continued her sarcastic "View" bashing on "Late Night with Conan O`Brien".
O`DONNELL: I don`t want to dump on the show in order to benefit my own career, you know, to use it for publicity because I didn`t have a career before that show. So I`m very thankful to "The View" for the help that it`s given me in my life. And -
HAMMER: So Rosie maintains she would never, ever dump on her old show to build up publicity. But - and we stress, we`re just saying - the fact that Rosie`s latest round of "View" bashing just happens to come as she`s promoting her new variety show, strikes some as a little interesting.
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Rosie knew the only way to drum up publicity for her variety show on NBC was to talk smack on "The View."
HAMMER: We`re just saying.
PIAZZA: Honestly, before this feud happened, I didn`t even know Rosie`s show was going on the air.
HAMMER: But then again, as we saw with her feuds with Donald Trump -
O`DONNELL: There he is, hair looping, going everyone -
HAMMER: And Elisabeth Hasselbeck -
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Let me speak, OK?
O`DONNELL: You`re going to double speak.
HAMMER: And well, everyone else, Rosie`s never really needed a reason to mix it up with someone.
PIAZZA: Rosie will go after pretty much anyone, no holds barred.
HAMMER: Either way, Rosie O`Donnell is preparing to air her new variety show next Wednesday. And with this latest feud, she`s putting on an even bigger side show, one we`ve seen many times before.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
We`re just saying or just asking, the Rosie-Barbara feud - when is enough enough? And is it time for the both of them to give it a rest already? We have got a fired-up debate about that coming up a little later on this hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We also would like to know what you think about Rosie reigniting this feud. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Rosie O`Donnell Slams "The View" Again: Is it time for her to let it go?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight, or E-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: There are major new developments tonight in the Madonna divorce drama. Just about a month after Madonna dropped a bombshell that she was getting divorced from Guy Ritchie, a London judge said today, done deal. Or at least almost done. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is in London tonight with the late-breaking developments.
Right there is CNN correspondent, Atika Shubert. Atika, great to see you. Thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And my first question to you is, is there any surprise that the judge granted the divorce, the preliminary divorce, but that he granted it so quickly?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not really. There is a quickie route to divorce here in the UK. It`s basically a two-stage process. Today, the courts have accepted the grounds for their divorce. It`s really more of an administrative procedure. Neither Madonna nor Guy Ritchie had to show up.
But of course, that didn`t stop the press from showing up at the court anyway. But in celebrity terms, it is quite quick and speedy. And that could be because they seemed to have already agreed on a settlement.
ANDERSON: And this is not a completely done deal, is it? Madonna and Guy have to wait, what, six weeks and a day before it`s totally finalized?
SHUBERT: exactly. It`s a two-step process. Today was the decree nisi. It`s the first stage. Then in six weeks and a day, they can apply for the decree absolute and that`s the final divorce decree and that is when their marriage will be officially over.
ANDERSON: Wow. OK. It`s said the hearing lasted just a few minutes. And we did learn a bit more today about what drove Madonna and Guy apart. The court released papers in which Madonna cites Ritchie`s, quote, "unreasonable behavior" as the reason for the split. Atika, unreasonable behavior? Any indication what Madonna meant by that?
SHUBERT: Well, you know, here in the UK, they don`t have the term "irreconcilable differences" that they do in the U.S. divorce proceedings. So you have to prove grounds based on adultery or unreasonable behavior, for example.
Now, what we have heard from people that have been following this case is that Madonna claims that Guy Ritchie was mean to her, had called her names and was unsupportive of her career and also possibly the adoption of their son, David.
Now, we don`t have those details confirmed. We haven`t heard Guy Ritchie`s side of the story. So some of those details may come to light in the six weeks until the final divorce.
ANDERSON: OK. Well, the documents released by the court today also reveal that the two had not lived together for six months before Madonna filed for divorce and prior to them filing for divorce.
But Atika you say you`re not really sure about custody about baby David Banda, the young toddler. But what about Rocco, their other son? Do we know anything about what has been decided?
SHUBERT: Well, some of the settlement details have been leaked the press, splashed across the tabloids here in the UK. Basically, what the media reports are saying is that both Rocco, Guy Ritchie`s biological son, and David, his adopted son, will split their time here in the UK and with their mother in the United States.
As for Madonna`s daughter, Lourdes, daughter from her previous relationship, she will spend time with her mother in the United States. But, again, none of this has been confirmed. We`ll just have to wait and see what those details are as they come out.
But again, that also depends on any confidentiality agreement they sign. We just don`t know the details yet.
ANDERSON: OK. Atika Shubert coming to us from London. Thank you so much for the update and those details. We appreciate it.
A.J., sadly, there are plenty of other brand-new Hollywood divorce dramas going on right now.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s right, Brooke. Listen to this. You`ve got Reese Witherspoon`s emotional words about her divorce from Ryan Philippe, even Britney Spears revealing she got married for the wrong reasons. So tonight, we`re really getting into this - the lessons for other Hollywood stars from these divorce dramas.
ANDERSON: And is Nicole Kidman pregnant again? Lots of buzz on this. Tonight, Nicole is setting the record straight, coming up.
And also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: People may think that the wild child Angelina from before and the humanitarian, family woman of now don`t make any sense. But actually, they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The amazing transformation of Angelina Jolie. It`s incredible. You know, not long ago, Angie was this blood-wearing wild child, now a mom of six. How did she pull it off? A revealing SHOWBIZ special report coming up.
And now more stories from the SHOWBIZ news ticker, more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: Ashlee Simpson gives birth to a baby boy named "Bronx." Julianne Hough won`t return to "Dancing with the Stars" next year.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, more divorce drama and lessons, shocking new revelations about some of the highest profile celebrity splits.
Tonight, Reese Witherspoon`s emotional new words about her split with Ryan Philippe, including why she says she doesn`t know if she will ever get married again.
Also tonight, Britney Spears tells all about the month after her divorce from Kevin Federline. Why she says she never really dealt with the drama.
And as we just reported, Madonna and Guy Ritchie are in the middle of a drama-free divorce. Yes, no mess, no fuss.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood New York is Dr. Reef Kareem who is a psychiatrist and relationship expert. And in New York, it`s Dawn Yanek who is editor-at-large for "Life and Style Weekly." All right, guys. I appreciate you being here.
I want to get started with the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special edition of divorce drama lessons. And we begin with Reese Witherspoon. Now, she and Ryan Philippe split up back in 2006. And now Reese is telling "Us Weekly" she`s not so sure she ever wants to get married again.
Now, we do know she`s been dating Jake Gyllenhaal for over a year at this time. What do you think, Dr. Reef? Did Reese learn a valuable lesson from her divorce? Because she sounds kind of gun shy to me.
REEF KAREEM, PSYCHIATRIST AND RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: Yes, I hear you. I guarantee you she learned a lot about herself. I mean, A.J., let`s look at the numbers here - 50 percent to 60 percent of marriages end up in divorce. There`s too many divorces, there`s too many marriages.
You`ve got to get married for the right reasons. You know, when I`m doing couples in relationship therapy, I ask couples. I go, "Why did you get married?" You know, and the amazing responses I get just blow me away - "You know, I was bored. I was lonely. The sex was really good."
You know, if you`re bored, get a hobby. If you`re lonely, get a puppy. If you like the sex, keep having sex. But none of those are legit reasons to get married.
HAMMER: I`ve never understood why the divorce rate goes up instead of down. Obviously, people aren`t learning the lessons enough. Although, Reese, who rarely opens up about her relationships, did tell "Us Weekly" she did take a no-bull, drama-free approach to the actual divorce.
Let me read to you what she said, quote, "Laying blame is so easy. I don`t time for hate or negativity in my life. There`s no room for it. When you make wrong choices, you have to take responsibility for them: `What part of this do I own?`"
HAMMER: Dawn, sounds very evolved to me. Sounds like Reese has her head on straight, doesn`t it?
DAWN YANEK, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": Oh, absolutely. I mean, I think that all people, especially all celebrities, should give this much thought to relationships and marriage.
I mean, marriage is a big deal after all, even though celebrities don`t always treat it as such. And I think by saying that, Reese is really saying, "I want to walk down the aisle again the next time, and make sure it`s the last time." And she`s going to do everything in her power to make sure of that.
HAMMER: Well, I want to move on to somebody who I believe has learned something from her past mistakes. Next up, in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s divorce drama lessons - it`s Britney.
Now, in the upcoming new MTV documentary, "Britney for the Record," she opens up about why her marriage with Kevin Federline did not last. Watch this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: I think I married for the wrong reasons, instead of following my heart and doing what made me really happy. I did it because - for the sake of the idea of everything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. The idea of everything. Seems that Britney made a mistake that a lot of people make when they get married. But Dr. Reef, what is the lesson here from Britney`s mistake?
KAREEM: Well, the obvious lesson is don`t get married because an idea pops into your head. We all have lots of ideas but we shouldn`t necessarily act on them.
The real lesson is emotional preparation. When you get married, there is a lot of preparation that you have to do regarding finances, regarding in-laws, regarding kids, regarding religion, regarding how to compromise, how to deal with conflict, how to deal with good times. All that stuff needs to be worked through. And if you don`t work through that stuff individually, how are you going to work it through when you`re married to somebody else?
HAMMER: Yes. It is nice to see and rare to see in Hollywood when the divorce process can go, shall we say, smoothly or drama-free. And that brings us to what is next up in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s divorce drama lessons - Madonna.
Now, everybody was speculating about just how nasty her divorce from Guy Ritchie would be. But as we just reported, it`s actually looking pretty drama-free, at least at this time. What do you think, Dawn? What`s the big takeaway here?
YANEK: I think that the big takeaway is that even if your marriage didn`t work and you couldn`t agree on many things, if you have children, for the sake of the children, for the sake of your own sanity, try to resolve things before they get to the courtroom. And what is what it seems happened in this case. They worked out their finances. They worked out their custody settlement before it went to the judge. And now, no mess, no fuss. If everything goes smoothly, in six weeks and one day, they will be officially divorced.
HAMMER: Yes, and not only for their own sanity but I think they kept the very important in mind - there are kids involved here.
YANEK: Yes.
HAMMER: Got to end it there. Dr. Reef Kareem, Dawn Yanek, I thank you for helping us with these lessons tonight.
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., even though they split up years ago, people still very opinionated about Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
HAMMER: Yes, just a little bit, Brooke. Our "Showbiz On Call" phone lines have been lighting up nonstop, we`ve had to change a few of the light bulbs in fact. Ever since Aniston called Angelina Jolie un-cool for talking about the way she and Brad Pitt met there on "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
Now, Angela from Louisiana actually thinks it`s time for Jen to let it go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELA, CALLING FROM LOUISIANA: Yes. I think it`s time for them to bury the hatchet. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have formed a family. And I think it`s time for Jennifer Aniston to move on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, that`s not what Mary Ann from Pennsylvania thinks. She is angry with Angelina.
MARY ANN, CALLER FROM PENNSYLVANIA: I applaud Ms. Jolie on her humanitarian work. But I think she has the morals of a flea. And I don`t see any reason why Jennifer Aniston should bury the hatchet with her anytime soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Remember, you can call us at "Showbiz On Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else that is on your mind. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are open 24/7. The number, 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728- 2899. Simply leave a message. We will play some of your calls on right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" are also now online on our homepage. Check them out at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. I know this Jennifer Aniston-Angelina Jolie thing isn`t pretty. But, man, you have got to wear a body armor if you`re going to be on the set of "The View." You know what I`m saying?
ANDERSON: Yes. You`ve got to defend yourself, A.J. And tonight, Rosie O`Donnell is going after her old show again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did. But, lady, she is pissed off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Rosie rips Barbara. Barbara bashes back. But we`ve got to ask, isn`t it time to give this feud a rest already?
HAMMER: All right. Which Hollywood couple makes the most? You will not believe the bank that some of them bank. Tonight, I`m revealing this list of the top earning star couples.
ANDERSON: A.J., I know Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have plenty in their bank accounts. But isn`t it amazing how much Jolie has changed? She wore the vial of blood, was a wild child. And now she`s packing lunches and changing diapers for six kids. It`s our SHOWBIZ special report that is not to be missed - the transformation of Angelina Jolie.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson.
All right. I want to tell you about some vampires who are really taking Hollywood by storm. And I`m not talking about this Guy, and not this one either. I am talking about the brand-new young and sexy blood- suckers flying on to TV and movie screens everywhere. But do these vampires have the teeth to keep us all entertained?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Say it out loud. Say it.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Vampires.
ANDERSON (voice over): It`s not your grandpa`s Count Dracula.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Aren`t you afraid to be out here alone with a hungry vampire?
ANDERSON: Meet the new modernized vampires currently taking a bite out of entertainment. From the film, "Let the Right One In" and "Twilight" -
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What if I am a bad guy?
ANDERSON: To television`s "True Blood" on HBO -
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You go first.
(on camera): Since Bram Stoker created Dracula in his 1897 novel, the popularity of the undead has been on the rise. Even theme parks like Universal Studios Hollywood have attractions like this house of horrors, featuring, you guessed it, vampires.
ERIC NUZUM, AUTHOR, "THE DEAD TRAVEL FAST": They`re popular now. They were popular 50 years ago, 100 years ago, 1000 years ago. I think one of the reasons they`re popular now is because it makes it possible for us to talk about things that may not be socially permissible like race and sexuality and things we might not want to admit about yourselves in the way we feel on these subjects. So we can put a pair fangs on them. And all of a sudden, it becomes OK to talk about it.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Do you know how many people are having sex with vampires these days?
NUZUM: Back in the 1920s and `30s what they thought this ultimate dark person would be was an Eastern European aristocrat, wearing a nice tux with a medallion, walking downstairs. And then if you look at our vampires today, they look like rock stars.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You brought us back.
ANDERSON: Both "True Blood" and "Twilight" are based on bestselling novels. A sequel to "Twilight" is already in development.
Meanwhile, "True Blood`s" weekly viewership is up to about 6.5 million per episode.
NUZUM: As long as there is evil in the world, as long as there are dark feelings in the world, as long as there are things we secretly lust after or are kind of ashamed to say we`re afraid of, there will always be vampires.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Go on in, and good luck getting out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Can you put up those pictures one more time of the Count Chocula and "Sesame Street`s" Count one more time? All right. Brooke, you got a favorite?
ANDERSON: You know, I think I like both.
HAMMER: Yes. Me, too. See, it`s good. We`re not fighting, Brooke. We get along, unlike Barbara Walters and Rosie O`Donnell from "The View."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did. But, lady, she is pissed off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rosie disses "The View." Barbara disses Rosie. Is it time for these two to just give it a rest already? A fired-up debate over this brand-new war of words, next.
ANDERSON: Nicole Kidman pregnant again? Tonight, Nicole is setting the record straight.
HAMMER: And Angelina Jolie - think about this, from blood-wearing wild child to mommy of six. Our SHOWBIZ special report, the amazing transformation of Angelina Jolie, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. .
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did. But lady, she is pissed off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Rosie O`Donnell and Barbara Walters caught up in a brand-new nasty war of words again. Rosie goes off on Barbara. Barbara bashes back. Is this thing ever going to end? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, is it time for these two to give it a rest?
The amazing transformation of Angelina Jolie. Just how did she go from a blood-wearing wild child to a mom of six who now says she wants to quit acting? It`s a SHOWBIZ special report.
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: Well, Guess what? Tonight, Rosie O`Donnell and Barbara Walters are at it again. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, is it time for them to just give it a rest already?
Now, Rosie slammed "The View" and Barbara Walters this week saying, watching the show, it`s like suffering from posttraumatic stress. And Barbara - well, she fired back. How did we get to this point?
Well, for that, we roll out the SHOWBIZ news line. Back in December of 2006, Rosie famously flipped her lid after Donald Trump gave Miss USA a second chance. Fast-forward to may 2007, Rosie faces off with "View" co- host Elisabeth Hasselbeck over the war in Iraq. And then just two days later, Rosie leaves "The View" three weeks before her contract is set to expire. And today, here we are again, back to square one.
Joining me tonight in New York is Ashleigh Banfield who is an anchor for "Banfield and Ford: In Session." And tonight in New York is Ben Widdicombe, editor-at-large for "Star" magazine. Also in New York, it`s Dawn Yanek, the editor-at-large for "Life and Style Weekly."
Boy, boy, boy, this is a lot of fun. All right. Let`s get it rolling by taking a look back at what Rosie said this week about why she doesn`t watch "The View" anymore.
When asked, she said, quote, "I had so many mixed emotions, it would almost be like posttraumatic stress disorder. The fact is there wasn`t lot of camaraderie off-camera there."
Ashleigh, did Rosie really have to go there?
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR, "BANFIELD AND FORD: IN SESSION": You know, I`m a big fan of Rosie. She says what`s on her mind. She`s raw, she`s real, she tells it like it is. And I appreciate that because sometimes TV is fake.
A.J., you know what I`m talking about. And I get sick of hearing that everything is all pussy cats and roses. It`s not. And I like that she just lets that out there.
HAMMER: I hear what you`re saying, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: Love you.
HAMMER: I love you as well. But it`s like this thing is being prolonged for what, for what gain? And I should point out that Rosie`s comments came at a news conference that she was doing to promote her upcoming NBC variety show.
So Ben, when she was asked about if she ever watched "The View," she could have just said no. She did not have to dig the knife in.
BEN WIDDICOMBE, EDITOR-AT-LARGE, STAR MAGAZINE: Well, A.J., in a career measured in airtime, a simple no will never suffice. I know she said she is not a private citizen. She has something to sell, in this case, her upcoming NBC variety special which, if it succeeds, will be picked up as a series.
So I think Barbara hit the nail on the head when she said that Rosie was doing it for her publicity. And I think Rosie will continue doing it for as long as it serves her.
HAMMER: I want to explore that publicity angle and we will in just a moment. You can imagine, of course, after Rosie said what she said, Barbara heard about it, was none too pleased about, you know, basically Rosie dredging up the past. And she made her displeasure perfectly clear on "The View" on Thursday morning. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: There are some people who have done this show and then for years feel they have to dump on it, maybe for their own publicity. And that not only hurts me, but I resent it. So if the shoe fit, lady, get on - ladies, get on with your lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, we don`t see that from Barbara an awful lot. Now, back to my point - you know, just like Rosie didn`t have to fuel the fire, Barbara really didn`t have to bring it up at all. She could have just let it go. Dawn, what do you think? Should Barbara have simply, you know, left it alone?
YANEK: You know what? Look, "The View" is Barbara`s baby. She obviously got offended, her feelings were hurt. By the same token, she`s also a very smart businesswoman. And "The View" is all about controversy. Controversy boosts ratings. That`s the bottom line. So whether or not it was intentional, I think she knows what she`s doing.
HAMMER: Ashleigh Banfield, you were saying a moment ago, you appreciate Rosie`s candor in this situation. So does that same thing apply to Barbara Walters?
BANFIELD: Yes, it does. Because Barbara had her professional genesis in a total different genre when it was all Ozzie and Harriet and everything was perfect. So I appreciate that Barbara Walters has morphed with the times and is sort of employing the reality-based programming on "The View." She`s saying what`s on her mind. She`s saying what she thinks. And people really like it. They gravitate towards it.
HAMMER: It`s amazing, really, when you think about the stark contrast of Barbara on "The View" talking about this thing with Rosie O`Donnell, compared to, you know, the beginnings of Barbara`s career ...
BANFIELD: Yes.
HAMMER: ... when it was news, news, news.
BANFIELD: When it was Hugh Downs and she would never speak of him this way.
HAMMER: Can you imagine? She wanted to, perhaps.
All right. A "view" feud would never be complete if it just ended there. There had to be another reaction. So this time around, for round number - oh, I don`t know - 230, it`s Rosie reacting to Barbara`s reaction on her video blog at "Rosie.com." So watch what Rosie said after she watched Barbara.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did. But lady, she is pissed off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, a picture is worth 1,000 words or something like that. Dawn, what was going on there? No winking at all situation. I mean, is that what she was doing, kind of laughing it off? I don`t think so. I think she was really making fun of Barbara.
YANEK: I think it`s a combination of maybe making fun of the whole situation and also having camaraderie with her audience. This is a big private joke that she is sharing all of America, all the people who were watching this.
And you know what? It generates interest. It generates buzz. Rosie likes to put it all out there. That`s exactly what she did.
HAMMER: You guys think the fun ended there? Oh, no. It continued. Later in the day, Rosie went on "Late Night with Conan O`Brien." Barbara Walters had said she didn`t appreciate unnamed former co-hosts dumping on "The View" for their own publicity, right? We heard that. Take a look at what Rosie said about that on "Late Night." Roll it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I don`t want to dump on the show in order to benefit my own career, you know, to use it for publicity because I didn`t have a career before that show. So I`m very thankful to "The View" for the help that it`s given me in my life. And I`m a big fan of the program and the producers. So I`d just like -
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O`BRIEN": That`s the scariest smile I`ve ever seen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sarcastic, much. All right, Ben. Now, you think differently. You think this, you know, at least had some manifestation from publicity or from that standpoint. So if it is true - if it is true that she wasn`t using this for publicity, is it time for Rosie and Barbara to let this go already?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, it`s not remotely true. And I think Rosie was making it pretty clear she was being sarcastic in those remarks. But listen, celebrities exist for our amusement. I`m all for them duking it out in public. Let`s hoe up the Hasselbeck Law of Thermodynamics, no hate equals no interest.
HAMMER: You know, there are so too many new theories going on here for me. Ashleigh Banfield, what do you think? You know, honestly - let`s step back for a moment and just ask ourselves, should this thing be put to rest or should it continue on as Ben says for our own amusement?
BANFIELD: Well, I`m all for the organic approach to this. I don`t think anybody should orchestrate anything. If it`s natural, let it happen. It`s not like it`s a Paris-Nicole caliber petty catfight. This is something different. It`s about professions, about million-dollar businesses.
And you know, quite frankly, I`m intrigued to see what the small comments - what effects they have on these very large businesses. So I`m enjoying it from a business standpoint.
HAMMER: Yes. Can you imagine our economy`s in the toilet and this is affecting the bottom line?
BANFIELD: Hey, yes.
HAMMER: Talk about adding to the formula. Ashleigh Banfield, Ben Widdicombe, Dawn Yanek - something I never thought I`d have to take into account. Thank you very much.
ANDERSON: OK. Now the results of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll on Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. We asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie: Is it time for them to bury the hatchet?" Sixty-three percent of you say yes. 37 percent of you say no.
And coming up in a few minutes, we`ve got your E-mails and calls in to the "Showbiz On Call" phone lines about Jolie and Aniston.
HAMMER: All right. Brooke, I`ve got to say, the Angelina that we know and love today, obviously very different than the wild child she used to be, right?
ANDERSON: Yes. No kidding, A.J. It`s almost hard to believe sometimes that she`s the same person.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KURIANSKY: People may think that the wild child Angelina from before and the humanitarian family woman of now don`t make any sense. But actually, they do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the wild and crazy transformation of Angelina Jolie. You won`t want to miss our trip through the twists and turns of Angelina`s life. It`s a SHOWBIZ special report.
HAMMER: Also Nicole Kidman, is she pregnant again? Well, she sets record straight once and for all.
Plus, Hollywood`s top-earning couples. You are not going to believe this. Wait until you see the amazing amount of money these guys make. Your head is going to spin. Literally, your head is going to spin. Youza.
And now, it is time news ticker. These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
(CAPTION READS: Janet Jackson Super Bowl slip heads to Supreme Court. Ivanka Trump to write motivational book.)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": But deciding to go anywhere. You`re going to travel. It`s like this great, big -
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: It`s like a half hour just to get everyone buckled in and make sure you got the snacks -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s Brad Pitt telling Oprah what his life is now like with six kids.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. It really has been a remarkable week for both Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt opened up to Oprah about life with Jolie and their six kids.
And then there`s Jolie who has been opening up about her daily life as a working mom. From breastfeeding twins to how her late mother inspired her in her new movie, "Changeling," Jolie is now saying that motherhood might be the thing that makes her quit acting altogether.
I`ve got to say, this all seems like a far cry from the old Angelina Jolie before Pitt and their kids. So how did Angelina go from wild child to someone looking forward to being a grandma someday? It`s our SHOWBIZ special report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): How did Angelina Jolie go from wild child to humanitarian and mother? A modern day Mother Teresa?
KURIANSKY: People may think that the wild child Angelina from before and the humanitarian family woman of now don`t make any sense, but actually they do.
ANDERSON: They do? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT still can`t believe Angelina`s transformation. So we are going deep into the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT archives back to the 1990s. She came out of nowhere to win two Golden Globes. Jolie was on the fast track to becoming a big star with a juicy personal life to boot.
KURIANSKY: She was the typical wild child. She did everything in extreme, off the charts. Hanging blood on her neck from Billy Bob, her boyfriend, kissing her brother in a very erotic way.
ANDERSON: Oh, that kiss. Even though she won an Academy Award that year for "Girl Interrupted," that kiss only added fuel to the girl gone wild fire.
JILL DOBSON, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: She said likes to do things with knives. She said she was bisexual. Lots of headlines.
KURIANSKY: When you are young and you have a great deal of energy like Angelina did, you can express it in those wild sexual and drug and acting out ways, and you don`t really have a purpose in life.
ANDERSON: But something happened. After shooting her starring role in "Laura Croft: Tomb Raider," she adopted her first son Maddox from a Cambodian orphanage.
DOBSON: When she was in Cambodia, she saw victims of violence there, saw what they were going through, learned about the U.N. program to help refugees and thought, "This group is helping 20 million people, and I have never even heard of it."
ANDERSON: So Jolie, with the help of the United Nations, set off on her first mission to the war-torn region of Sierra Leone, a visit she describes years later to CNN`s Anderson Cooper as one that transformed her forever.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: Suddenly you see these people who are really fighting something, who are really surviving, who have so much pain, loss, and things that you have no idea.
ANDERSON: Her inner transformation came as her marriage to Billy Bob Thornton broke down. Jolie threw herself into her work with the U.N. and was honored for her work as a humanitarian.
JOLIE: I`m just so happy to be a part of the U.N. and a part of this family of people.
ANDERSON: Jolie continued her travels, Chad in 2004, Thailand, Lebanon, visiting refugee camps at every stop.
DOBSON: The fact that she`s been doing it behind the scenes for several years before we all heard about it really shows that she wasn`t just doing it for the spotlight.
ANDERSON: But the spotlight returned to Angelina`s personal life when Jolie began work on a new film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." There were whispers she and her co-star Brad Pitt had fallen in love, even though the two didn`t confirm the relationship for months.
As the media swirled around them, she adopted her daughter, Zahara, an AIDS orphan from Ethiopia. It was this new Angelina that struck a cord with Pitt, who filed papers to jointly adopt Maddox and Zahara.
But it didn`t end there. Angelina turned the world`s attention towards the impoverished African nation of Namibia, where she gave birth to their daughter Shiloh. Now as a mom to a brood of children, her wild and crazy days are behind her.
KURIANSKY: When you are mature, you find the right man. You find the right kind of a goal in life, like helping other people, as she has. Then that energy gets transformed and used in another way. Angelina has found her purpose in life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt seem to have found their purpose in life together helping others. Angelina has just come back from a U.N. mission in Afghanistan and Brad is working on new homes for people in New Orleans.
It`s time now for "Making It Work" where we find out how stars make their relationships work in Hollywood and beyond. Well, as you know, Hugh Jackman has just been named "People" magazine`s sexiest man alive. But what you may not know is he`s a devoted husband of 12 years to a fellow Australian actress.
While promoting his new movie, "Australia," Hugh reveals the key to making it work actually came directly from his wife before they were married. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: My wife had actually done quite a few movies when we met. She said, "Hugh, you don`t know yet. You haven`t done enough movies. But I`m telling you a rule for us," that`s what she said. "We will not spend more than two weeks apart."
And I said, "Yes, that`s cool with me." She goes, "You don`t understand it." Now, I`ve been on that movie. So now, that was probably the wisest thing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. That`s sound advice for any of us trying to make it work. But one thing that probably doesn`t go over so well with his wife is Hugh`s bad habit of losing his wedding ring. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACKMAN: Yes. You see, because of movies, you`re up and down and putting on weight, whatever. This is my fourth. The first one I kept for eight years. Every one, I`ve lost in the surf - one in the Atlantic, one in the Pacific, and one in Sydney Harbor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m thinking that Hugh Jackman probably keeps his jeweler on speed dial.
All right. Another huge Hollywood couple making it work, Seal and Heidi Klum. The supermodel and the singer have been married for three years. But Heidi tells "In Style" magazine she still feels like a newlywed and can`t believe how lucky she is to have Seal as her husband.
Heidi tells "In Style," quote, "Sometimes I lie in bed and I`m like, "Oh my god, there`s Seal lying next to me. What is he doing there? I get a smile on my face immediately. Our honeymoon period is definitely not over." Heidi also says despite having three young kids, they find time for romance by having date nights.
And you can read more about how Heidi juggles being a mom, a media mogul and wife in this month`s "In Style" magazine. You will find it on newsstands right now.
Heidi and Seal say they want more kids. But does Nicole Kidman already have another baby on the way? Nicole is setting the record straight next.
Plus, Nicole and Keith Urban are among the star couples raking in the dough. But which couple takes home the most money? We are talking crazy cash here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming back with the details of a very exclusive new list.
HAMMER: Did you know you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT video anytime? It`s true. I speak the truth. We`re always posting new stuff for you to check out right there on our Web site. Go to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. And among the videos now playing - you can check it out for yourself - Hugh Jackman named sexiest man alive.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. We`ve got two big Hollywood stories making news right now.
First, is Nicole Kidman pregnant again? Bloggers have been going wild after pictures of Nicole at the premiere of "Australia" surface showing her sporting what some say looked like a baby bump. Although personally I think she is tiny.
All this comes days after Nicole hinted she wanted to make fewer movies and have more babies. But, Nicole put the rumors to rest telling an Australian radio station, quote, "I think I`ve always had a little tummy. It runs in the family. My sister, my mum, my grandmother, we affectionately refer to it as the `Little Tummy.`" So there you go.
HAMMER: All right. Well, from a little tummy to a whole lot of cash, "Forbes" magazine now out with their brand-new list of top earning star couples. Topping the list, the biggest names in music. These guys, Jay-Z and new wife Beyonce - their individual earnings added up to a whopping $162 million.
Rounding out the top five couples taking home some serious bank, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith`s combined earnings, they have $85 million. David and Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, $58 million. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, $35 million. With earnings of $34 million, Brad Pitt and Angelina take the number five spot.
ANDERSON: Thursday we asked you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie: Is it time for them to bury the hatchet?" Sixty-three percent of you say yes it is; 37 percent say no.
Here are some of the E-mails we received. Gloria from Florida writes, "There is no hatchet to bury. Angelina has nothing against Jennifer. Even after Brad`s divorce, it was so obvious that he and Angelina were careful not to fawn over each other in public for months."
HAMMER: But Joanne from New Mexico disagrees. She feels what Angelina Jolie did was unforgivable. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JOANNE, CALLER FROM NEW MEXICO: I don`t ever see how Jennifer can bury the hatchet with Angelina for stealing her husband away from her. I just don`t see it happening ever.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you for your call, Joanne. You, too, can call us at "Showbiz On Call" to let us know what you think about this or anything else that`s on your mind.
ANDERSON: That`s right. The "Showbiz On Call" phone lines are always open.
HAMMER: That number to call - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave us a voicemail and we will play your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And your calls to "Showbiz On Call" now also online right on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: 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 and Pacific. And in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" is next.
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