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Showbiz Tonight
Billy Bob Goes Ballistic; John Mayer`s Explosive Rant about Jennifer Aniston; Octomom Claims She Doesn`t Want Fame; Oprah Million-Dollar Scam; Woody Harrelson Attacks Photographer; Rihanna Breaks Her Silence
Aired April 09, 2009 - 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, Billy Bob goes ballistic. Tonight, Billy Bob Thornton loses it during a live radio interview and it`s all caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIAN GHOMESHI, RADIO HOST: Are you reacting to the fact that I said -
BILLY BOB THORNTON, ACTOR: Yes, I am. I am, since you`re instructed not to talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, what set Billy off? Was he totally out of line? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Billy Bob`s radio rage.
Also caught on tape, John Mayer`s brand-new explosive potty-mouthed rant about Jennifer Aniston.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MAYER, MUSICIAN: Wasn`t it something (EXPLETIVE DELETED) amazing? (EXPLETIVE DELETED) you, too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, John Mayer goes off about writing a reported multi- million dollar tell-all about him and Aniston.
Plus, the shocking new Oprah million-dollar scam. Why the feds are now investigating.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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 tonight, stars out of control, caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault! Woody! Woody, this is assault!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is absolutely wild. Woody Harrelson going after a photographer in New York. And wail until you see the rest of it. That is coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, also caught on tape, Billy Bob Thornton`s radio rage. It`s an interview with Billy Bob, well, that can only be described as absolutely bizarre. And can I give you a little piece of advice tonight? If you ever run into Billy Bob Thornton, you might not want to call him an Oscar winner and an actor.
ANDERSON: Yes. Maybe not, because, A.J., that is what apparently set Billy Bob off in an interview. The host on a Canadian radio station dared to remind people that Billy Bob was a big movie star. And this happened just hours after Britney Spears got smoked out at one of her Canadian concerts.
Yes, the cameras were rolling in Canada and what you are about to see is making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
THORNTON: Since you`re instructed to talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that.
ANDERSON: Billy Bob Thornton cursing on the radio in Toronto.
BRITNEY SPEARS, POP STAR: Peace, mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
ANDERSON: Britney Spears naughty parting shots in Vancouver. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained the wild clips that everyone is buzzing about showing these two American stars behaving less-than-politely during their separate visits to Canada.
THORNTON: Because we said do not talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that.
ANDERSON: Billy Bob Thornton`s rant came as he was being interviewed on Canada`s CBC along with his band, "The Box Masters."
GHOMESHI: "The Box Masters`" principal songwriter and drummer is a guy named Billy Bob Thornton whose other job, some of the time, is Oscar- winning screenwriter, actor and director.
ANDERSON: The interview started innocently enough, but then it began to resemble one of Billy Bob Thornton`s non-sequiturs in "Sling Blade."
THORNTON: I like them French-fried potatoes.
ANDERSON: Except not as coherent.
GHOMESHI: You didn`t love music when you were a kid?
THORNTON: I subscribed to a magazine called "Famous Monsters of Filmland."
ANDERSON: Monsters? Oh, well, a little later, still seething over having been introduced as the actor and Oscar-winning screenwriter he is, Billy Bob turned into a bit of a monster himself.
GHOMESHI: Given that you seem to be quite passionate about music, I was wondering about your.
THORNTON: Would you say that to Tom Petty?
GHOMESHI: Would I say that he`s passionate about music?
THORNTON: Yes.
GHOMESHI: Really?
THORNTON: Would you explain why it`s not a hobby?
GHOMESHI: Would I explain why it`s not a hobby? Are you reacting to the fact that I said.
THORNTON: I am, since you`re instructed not to talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that. Yes, I am reacting to that.
GHOMESHI: Because I mentioned that you`re an actor and a screenwriter?
THORNTON: Well, first of all, that wasn`t supposed to be mentioned either.
GHOMESHI: You would only prefer me to only do this interview not mentioning at all, just to clarify.
THORNTON: That`s correct.
GHOMESHI: ... at all, that you`ve ever done anything in terms of acting, screenwriting?
THORNTON: That`s correct.
GHOMESHI: I`m not trying to be insulting to your musical.
THORNTON: Let me explain. Because we said do not talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that. And we also said that we didn`t want to hear anything about how this is my first love. You wouldn`t say that to Tom Petty, would you?
BRETT ERLICH, CURRENT TV HOST: That guy has the nerve to mention in passing that Billy Bob is an actor? How dare he!
ANDERSON: Billy Bob wasn`t the only star giving Canadian audiences something big to talk about. Britney Spears found out the hard way that shows in the great white north don`t always go so smoothly as we see in this video.
Britney left the stage about 15 minutes into her concert in Vancouver. The reason? Apparently, people in the crowd were smoking.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The performers will not resume until the air clears.
ANDERSON: A half hour later, Britney returned to finish the show. And wait until you see her unique signoff.
SPEARS: Drive safe, don`t smoke weed and rock out with your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out. Peace mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
ERLICH: I think that should go on our currency, personally.
ANDERSON: Britney`s people say she walked off the stage simply because she was concerned for the safety of her road crew. As for Billy Bob`s rant.
THORNTON: Since you`re instructed not to talk about (EXPLETIVE DELETED) like that. Yes.
ANDERSON: His publicist told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "This is a non-story. He did not have a breakdown. If you watched the video, you will see that he simply elected not to engage with the interviewer because of the direction of the interview from the outset."
ERLICH: I`m just proud of Billy Bob Thornton for being a true ambassador for America and acting like a 4-year-old, a 4-year-old who just learned the word (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
ANDERSON: So Canada, on behalf of the United States, we`re sorry. Next time, we`ll try to send you some better behaved guests.
SPEARS: Peace mother (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So what`s it like to sit across from a surly Billy Bob Thornton? In a few minutes, we will talk to the deejay who did that tense interview with the movie - excuse me, music star. That`s coming up. You do not want to miss it.
HAMMER: Yes. Don`t mess that up, Brooke. Well, tonight, we have big octomom news in a brand-new explosive interview. Octomom Nadya Suleman makes a truly unbelievable claim that she has no interest in being famous. And she makes the claim in an interview for a cover story in "Life and Style" magazine. Try and figure that one out.
But wait, there`s more. Octomom says she may ask for her own government bailout for baby formula. And she doesn`t care what anyone thinks.
Joining me tonight in New York -she`s got a lot to say I`m sure - Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," weekday nights. You can see it right here at 7:00 p.m. on HLN. Also in New York, Suzanne Rozdeba who is a senior news editor for "Life and Style" magazine.
Let`s begin with this revelation by octomom Nadya Suleman that she doesn`t want to be famous. Now, when "Life and Style" magazine asked Suleman if she is going to be doing a reality show, Nadya told "Life and Style," and this is a quote, "Absolutely not! I have no interest in being famous. I`d love to vanish from the public eye as soon as I can."
HAMMER: All right. Suzanne, I`m going to try and keep a straight face here. It`s not working. She sits down with your magazine to do this interview for a cover story. And she says she wants to vanish from the public eye. Are you kidding me?
SUZANNE ROZDEBA, SENIOR NEWS EDITOR, "LIFE AND STYLE" MAGAZINE: Yes, that`s kind of curious because she also told us that her dream guy, if she had to choose someone to date, would be George Clooney. You think you`d be famous if you dated George Clooney?
HAMMER: Oh, my goodness. Well, we have breaking news right there. Thank you for that. In this new "Life and Style," octomom is denying the brand- new reports that are still floating around that she`s currently in talks to do a reality show.
Let`s take a look at what she said in her video diary that was on RadarOnline.com last month when asked if she is planning to do a reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADYA SULEMAN, OCTUPLET MOTHER: That`s actually a lie. Maybe in the future, but that`s still something I would really, strongly have to consider. I`ve always believed - I could change my mind when they`re older, if the kids wanted to do it. But I personally believe it`s kind of a form of exploitation depending on how it`s done. Documentary is different, I believe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Blah, blah, blah. Jane, we`ve been down this road before. But it keeps coming up. Why do you think, despite these repeated denials, we keep hearing that she`s in negotiations to do a reality show? And I`m thinking - you may be with me - where there`s smoke, there`s fire.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Yes. A.J., my theory is - and it`s only a theory - that she`s doing this to jack up the price. I mean, if she`s saying publicly, "I`m not doing a reality show," and the producers are watching that, they`re like, "Well, we`d better offer her some more money."
Because TMZ is reporting that just yesterday, she was talking to producers about precisely doing a reality show. This woman appears to have very little respect for the truth. It`s a dead issue for her. She says whatever is going to work at the moment. I never think of Angelina Jolie, but Jolie`s camp says they`re getting letters from her. The list goes on and on. This woman talks out of both sides of her mouth.
HAMMER: I was going to say there`s one thing that`s very consistent about her and that is she is a walking contradiction all of the time.
What do you think, Suzanne? You guys got to know her a little bit one on one doing this cover story for "Life and Style." Do you believe that octomom wouldn`t do a reality show for the right price? She does have 14 kids to feed after all.
ROZDEBA: Of course she`s going to do it. She has the 14 kids to pay for. And I totally believe she`s in meeting with producers. I would love to watch. I mean, think of a show like "Jon and Kate Plus 8." You`ve got 14 kids. You`ve got Nadya looking for romance. It would be fascinating.
HAMMER: Yes. So you`ll watch. But it sounds like you`re watching because it would be a big train wreck. That`s what it sounds like to me. Now.
ROZDEBA: Of course.
HAMMER: Octomom has also insisted - and this is another grave inconsistency - she doesn`t want any government assistance. Now, in a brand-new video interview with the "Whittier Daily News," octomom is now changing her tune. Oh, fancy that. She says she may apply for a WIC, that`s a federal assistance program, to get the babies their formula. Let`s take a look at that, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: WIC is for the formula and it is not a form - it is a form of government assistance. I`m still debating it. I have it yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re having to fight for that.
SULEMAN: I have two choices. I either pay $2,000 a month for formula or I get help with that when half the people in the country are getting help anyway. It`s different than food stamps. So I quit that. So I`m really contemplating it because that`s a lot for formula.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Now, Jane, I have not fact-checked the statistics there that half the people in the country are getting assistance from the government, according to Nadya Suleman. But what do you think? Based on her reasoning there, anything wrong with octomom getting it for her family?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, first of all, A.J., there`s a perfect example of her making something up out of whole cloth. Half the people in the country are undoubtedly not getting government-assisted baby formula. It just doesn`t make any sense.
But of course, we don`t want to punish the kids for the sins of the mom. These kids are here. I think it was a terrible idea to have 14 of them. But it`s not their fault. They should not go hungry. I think anybody would stay let these kids be fed, even if it is tax dollars.
What people resent is the fact that she appears to be raking it in at the same time.
HAMMER: Yes, exactly.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: . getting manicures, buying clothes and that the government is going to end up paying for her self-indulgent decision to have all these kids.
HAMMER: Jane, I`ve got to jump in and end it there. I can`t wait to read the books that these kids are going to write. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Suzanne Rozdeba, I thank you both. You can pick up the new copy of "Life and Style." It`s on newsstands right now.
All right, Brooke. Moving on, some really awful reality for some Oprah fans tonight.
ANDERSON: Yes. No kidding, A.J. There is a scary Oprah scam out there. And tonight, the feds are even getting involved. Who`s behind the million- dollar Oprah scam? That`s right, $1 million. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, coming up.
HAMMER: Is John Mayer scamming everyone about this $10 million Jennifer Aniston tell-all? Tonight, John going off big time. You`ve got to hear his wild potty-mouthed rant about this reported book about the juicy details of his relationship with Jennifer, all caught on tape.
Also this - it`s an out of control attack by Woody Harrelson caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault, Woody! Woody, this is assault.
ANDERSON: Woody goes nuts on a photographer. What set him off? We`ve got this explosive tape, too. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Jennifer Aniston`s "Marley & Me" DVD debuts at #1. President Obama`s favorite TV shows: "Entourage" and "The Wire."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, did you see this? This Idaho kitty is a real cat burglar. Jack jacks stuff from his neighbors in the middle of the night. Now, this feline is really into fashion, swiping socks, grabbing gloves, even underwear. No fur coats, though. Jack has his own, of course. So if you`re missing some clothes, now you know who might be behind it. The meow-stery solved.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Right now, more brand-new showbiz caught on tape. The woman who made a very big deal of a shrimp-y problem. Get this, she called 911 because someone skimped on her shrimp dinner and she`s not the only one dialing fast food 911. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fast, dial 911 for fast food. A burger, McNuggets, now shrimp are leaving police dispatchers fried.
CALLER: I always get the shrimp fried rice so I said I`m going to get extra meat this time.
MOOS: A woman who ordered takeout shrimp fried rice at this Texas restaurant was the latest to enter the fast food 911 hall of shame.
CALLER: But he didn`t even put extra shrimp in there. And I asked him, "Can you give me extra shrimp or can you give me my money back?" and he sort of hollered.
911 DISPATCHER: OK. Well, I`ll get somebody out there.
CALLER: In how long?
911 DISPATCHER: I don`t know how long. As soon as I can.
MOOS: And she wasn`t the only one asking shellfish-ly. Remember the un- Happy Meal drama when this woman called 911 three times from a Florida McDonald`s.
CALLER: The manager just took my money and won`t give me my money back. They`re trying to make me get something off the menu that I don`t want. I ordered chicken nuggets. They don`t have chicken nuggets.
MOOS: But why are 911 operators so cooperative when these people call? We asked a senior dispatcher in Paulson City, Haltom City, Texas, where a shrimp fried rice emergency occurred.
(on camera): So if I went to say, McDonald`s and ordered a quarter-pounder and it came out at only an eighth of a pound, if I called 911, you would still be nice to me and send a police officer?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would have to, yes.
(voice-over): Police worry a minor food fight could escalate into a food rage incident.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our policy is not to have the sarcasm.
MOOS: But in Orange County, California, a dispatcher didn`t get the memo when she answered the call for a Burger King.
CALLER: I asked them four different times to make me a Western Barbecue Burger.
LYNETTE CARROLL, FORMER 911 DISPATCHER: Ma`am, we`re not going to go down there and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.
MOOS: Six years later, former dispatcher Lynette Carroll is still laughing.
CARROLL: Oh, dear Lord. I don`t understand people. Why are they calling the police for this?
MOOS: Lynette didn`t get in trouble for how she handled the call.
CALLER: You`re supposed to be here to protect me.
CARROLL: Well, what are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?
CALLER: No.
CARROLL: Is this like - is this a harmful cheeseburger or something? I don`t understand what you want us to do.
CALLER: Just come down here. I`m not leaving.
CARROLL: No, ma`am. I`m not sending the deputies down there over a cheeseburger.
MOOS: That`s a nugget of wisdom even someone with the mind of a shrimp would get.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. Here`s what I`m thinking. We should send some cocktails down to our "Showbiz on Call" operators, right? I mean, they`re working some serious OT down there. So many calls about this controversy - is comparing Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey racist?
ANDERSON: Yes, A.J. We got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Brandy who thinks there are plenty more successful African-American women that we could be talking about.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I just think that it`s sad people have to compare two powerful black women. There`s more than just Oprah and Michelle out there. There`s millions - thousands out there who make a difference in our world and people need to recognize that.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Brandy. We also heard from Angelina calling into "Showbiz on Call" from Tennessee who sees no harm in comparing them.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I don`t think it`s very racist. I don`t see how you can be racist when they`re both beautiful, black educated women. And just because you compare the two doesn`t make you racist.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you for that, Angelina. Call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else that`s on your mind.
HAMMER: We keep the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines open all the time.
ANDERSON: The number 1-888-Sbt-Buzz; 1-888-728-2899. But A.J., I`ve got to tell you, I don`t know if we want Billy Bob Thornton calling into "Showbiz on Call" right now.
HAMMER: Yes. Probably not right now, Brooke. He seems to be in a really bad mood.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HAMMER: Billy Bob goes calmly ballistic during a live radio show. It`s all caught on tape. What the heck set him off? Tonight, the radio host who did the interview and survived to tell about it right here in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also, Woody Harrelson goes ballistic and yes, it`s caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault, Woody. Woody, this is assault!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Woody gone wild. He attacks a cameraman, breaks his camera.
HAMMER: And the million-dollar Oprah Winfrey scam. This is so big the feds are now involved. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Star eBay auctions: Bid on lunch with "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm. Bid on Gwyneth Paltrow`s clothes for charity.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault, Woody. Woody, this is assault!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow, did you see this? White men can`t jump but Woody Harrelson can punch. Tonight, the star of that movie, the TV show "Cheers," Woody Harrelson goes nuts, appearing to attack a cameraman and smash his camera. And it`s all caught on tape as you see.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Well, I`m totally shocked by this tape. Here`s what allegedly went down. Woody flew back into New York City`s LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday night. And there, he was greeted by a TMZ camera guy.
Now, I don`t know - maybe Woody didn`t like his in-flight movie or something. But when he ran into this guy, he definitely didn`t say cheers. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t touch me, Woody. Woody, don`t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go, go, go, go, go!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Woody, can you stop? Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault, Woody. Woody, this is assault. Woody, this is assault, Woody. Woody, this is assault. Can you stop touching me? Woody, can you please stop touching me? Oh, Woody. Woody, can you stop touching me?
Woody, you just assaulted me, woody. Woody, you just assaulted me. Is that what you do? You put your hands on people like that, Woody? That`s assault, Woody. You broke my camera. Thank you. Don`t touch me. Don`t touch me, Woody.
Woody, you just assaulted me, with a bunch of witnesses. I never even put my hands on you. Don`t touch me, Woody. Woody, hey, hey. Hey, whoa. Woody, chill out. Woody.
All right, Woody, chill out. Woody, Woody, chill out. Woody, chill out. Woody, chill out. Woody, chill out. Would you please chill out? Woody, can you please chill out?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was just unbelievable. The cameraman had a backup flip camera and that`s how he was able to keep shooting. TMZ has no comment yet. We did reach out to Woody`s people, did not hear back from them as of show time.
ANDERSON: And now, here`s the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. John Mayer flips out. His potty-mouthed rant about Jennifer Aniston caught on tape. And Billy Bob Thornton also flipped out during a live radio interview. And this also caught on tape.
Tonight, the radio host Billy Bob raged at is right here in the interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And the million-dollar Oprah Winfrey scam. This is so bad the federal government is now involved. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
HAMMER: Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Keith Urban #1 on Billboard 200 album chart, his first number one album. People can now vote on their favorite "Simpsons" stamp at USPS.com.
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Caught on tape - John Mayer`s brand-new explosive, swear-filled rant about Jennifer Aniston. Tonight, John Mayer goes off about writing a reported multi-million dollar tell-all about their relationship.
The shocking new million-dollar Oprah scam. Why the feds are now investigating.
Also this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My best friend in the whole wide world is Jasmina (ph). She has kinky brown hair, big brown eyes, and leukemia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A little girl`s dramatic battle with leukemia. Tonight, Rihanna breaks her silence for the first time since Chris Brown`s alleged beating of her to help save the little girl`s life.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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.
And tonight, caught on tape from John Mayer`s possible tell-all about Jennifer Aniston to Billy Bob Thornton`s bizarre radio interview. We`ve got two stories making big news right now.
HAMMER: Ah, Brooke. Is John Mayer writing a tell-all book about Jennifer Aniston? Well, tonight, top secret cell phone video footage of John Mayer waxing poetic about whether or not he`s really going to write a $10 million tell-all book with a big deal there. Is Mayer going to soon be dishing about his relationship with Jennifer Aniston?
HAMMER: Also, truly outrageous video of Billy Bob Thornton`s bizarre radio rage. You`re not going to believe the totally nonsensical interview he gave a Canadian radio show. But wait, there`s more.
We are talking to the poor radio host who got stuck on the receiving end of Billy Bob`s strange, strange rant. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Joining us tonight, our coast-to-coast fired-up panel. In Hollywood is Lisa Bloom, anchor for the legal network, "In Session." Also tonight from New York is Suzanne Rozdeba who is a senior news editor for "Life and Style" magazine.
So brand-new fan cell phone footage shows a very funny John Mayer ranting and raving. He`s on stage doing a performance. Kind of like a standup comedy show. But wait until you hear what he had to say about those stories that have been flying around that he`s working on some kind of multimillion dollar tell-all book deal so he can dish about his ex- girlfriend Jen Aniston. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: They said I wanted $10 million for a book deal to write about my last relationship. Want to know how I know that`s wrong. I would do that for way less! I`m totally kidding. I`m totally kidding.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, he said, "I`m totally kidding," and a fan shouted "Yes, right." I don`t know if you heard that. He says he`s joking here but John Mayer has written songs about ex-girlfriends before. In fact, the most recent song seems to be about his breakup with Jennifer Aniston.
He told the paparazzi in the past some intimate details about his previous breakup with Aniston. Lisa Bloom, over to you first. Would a tell-all book from John Mayer be so farfetched?
BLOOM: Well, you know, I don`t really speak celebrity-ese and sometimes they`re so heavily ironic it`s hard to tell if he`s kidding or if he`s not kidding. He is an A-list musician. Surely, he makes many millions of dollars a year, legitimately from his music so he probably wouldn`t do it.
But it wouldn`t surprise me either. Maybe there`s something in it for him, just to bare his soul and talk publicly. It really wouldn`t surprise me if he did do it.
HAMMER: Well, you`ve got to wonder what`s going on with him. I wonder, Suzanne, if you`ve got a take on this, because it`s kind of like John Mayer has some kind of motor-mouth disease. He can`t seem to keep his mouth shut.
ROZDEBA: Oh, absolutely. There`s one reason why John Mayer does this kind of thing. He`s a complete egomaniac, OK? Any opportunity he gets, he will turn around the conversation onto himself.
He`s using his breakup from Jennifer Aniston to scream "It`s all about me" again. He told - he said publicly he`s not going to do a tell-all. But yet, he turns around on himself again.
HAMMER: Yes. So here`s what I want to know. And Lisa, shed some light on this - do you think that Jen Aniston, who really - she`s lovely but also a notoriously private person. Do you think she`s regretting the day she ever hooked up with the guy?
BLOOM: Yes. Most of us regret the day that we ever hooked up with a guy that is now our ex. So that wasn`t so surprising.
HAMMER: Speaking from experience, Lisa?
BLOOM: Yes. Especially when he`s got a motor mouth. He speaks publicly. Surely, he knows people have cell phone videos and everything he says is being recorded. But he just can`t keep his mouth shut.
HAMMER: Yes.
BLOOM: She`s got to be squirming in her seat.
HAMMER: And I think he knows. And stop calling me Shirley. All right. Here`s another story that is making big news right now. Billy Bob Thornton gives this outrageous nonsensical interview on a Canadian radio show. It`s got everybody totally dumbfounded.
Now, he`s supposed to be on this radio show with his band, "The Box Masters." They all appeared together to talk music. Didn`t quite work out that way despite the host`s best efforts. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GHOMESHI: I mean, you guys formed - Billy Bob, you guys formed in the last couple of years, right?
THORNTON: I don`t know what you`re talking about.
GHOMESHI: How so?
THORNTON: I don`t know what you mean by that.
GHOMESHI: Well, when was the band formed?
THORNTON: I`m not sure what that means.
GHOMESHI: Oh. Well, when did you guys first start playing together?
THORNTON: We started about two years ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Late this afternoon, I spoke with the radio host, a guy named Jian Ghomeshi, in Toronto, Canada. He hosts the radio show "Q" for the Canadian network, CBC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera): Billy Bob seemed to be wildly offended that when you introduced him and his band, you had the audacity to mention in addition to being a musician, he was a Oscar-winning movie star. What the heck happened here, man?
GHOMESHI (via telephone): You know, A.J., I mean, what can I tell you? This is a national show in Canada. We consider it the sort of show of record for arts, culture and entertainment. We do long-form interviews and that`s what I thought I was going to be doing with Billy Bob and his band.
I was happy to focus it on music and on his forthcoming disk. And I was a little, you know - I wasn`t sure, the first couple of questions I wasn`t sure I would say in the interview, "Are you being ironic or are you being funny?" I couldn`t tell what exactly was going on. And then, of course, it devolved somewhat and became uncomfortable.
HAMMER: Yes. It was kind of hard to understand why he was acting the way he was because it was perfectly legitimate, of course, for you to introduce him the way you did, mentioning the fact that yes, this guy is really known for his acting, and music is a big part of what he`s doing now.
And I`ve got to say that a lot of people give you credit today for how cool you kept things as things devolved and went south. I want to take a look at more of your interview with Billy Bob when you asked him a good question about his musical influences. Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GHOMESHI: And now, (INAUDIBLE) for you, Billy Bob, growing up, it was sort of a combo of Stones and Monkeys and Buck Owens?
THORNTON: I always liked baseball when I was a kid.
GHOMESHI: But you didn`t love music when you were a kid?
THORNTON: I subscribed to a magazine called "Famous Monsters of Filmland" which the publisher was a guy named Forrest J. Ackerman who passed away recently.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. You could cut the tension with a knife in that room. And I have to tell you when we just saw the shots of his band mates, it looked like they wanted to bury their head in the sand.
I`ve got to tell you, Jian, I would have probably shut the whole thing down and asked them to leave the studio. Why did you see fit to keep this going, to see just how nuts it was going to get?
GHOMESHI: No. Not at all. I didn`t want it to get nuts. I wanted to actually find out what was going on. You know, it`s not uncommon, A.J., as you know, for somebody who`s got multiple talents to want the focus of an interview to be on their current project.
And so I don`t think it was unreasonable for Billy Bob Thornton and his people to want to focus on music. As you correctly said, I think, you know, he seemed to take umbrage in the fact the introduction to him, you know - two-thirds of the way, I happened to mention that he`s an actor and an Oscar winner, which really isn`t irrelevant.
And you know, even if I`m going to do an interview that`s based on his music, giving some sort of context of who this man has been in the last 20 years in the public eye is just not responsible but I think important for my listeners and viewers across Canada and North America.
So he seemed to take umbrage at that and then later in the interview suggests that I`m not supposed to even mention that he`s an actor. Made it really difficult.
But to specifically answer your question to why I kept it going, I wanted to, after a few minutes, really figure this out. I wanted to look him in the eyes and sort of get a sense of what the problem was.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right. Late today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got this statement from Billy Bob`s publicist saying, quote, "This is a non-story. He didn`t not have a breakdown. If you watched the video, you will see that he simply elected not to engage with the interviewer because of the direction of the interview from the outset."
Lisa bloom, quickly, do you buy that explanation or was Billy Bob just way out of line as I think here?
BLOOM: He was rude, obnoxious and arrogant, and those were the high points of the interview. Or maybe he`s on something. He really looks like something is wrong with his eyes. I hope this was just a bad day for Billy Bob.
HAMMER: I have to tell you something. You know, he`s been on this show before, couldn`t have been a nicer guy. I was blown away to see this. I thought it was just way off track. Lisa bloom, Suzanne Rozdeba, appreciate you both being here.
ANDERSON: OK, Oprah has given away millions to her fans and to charities over the years, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes. She has, Brooke. But you know, there`s shocking new big money scandal news involving Oprah and her show. Tonight, it`s the million-dollar Oprah scam that`s so huge the FBI is now even involved and some of her fans are caught right in the middle. That is coming up.
ANDERSON: Also, Britney Spears walks off stage. Britney bolts right in the middle of her concert and we`ve got it caught on tape. Why did she bail?
And this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: My best friend in the whole wide world is Jasmina(ph). She has kinky brown hair, big brown eyes and leukemia.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How this little girl`s emotional story has made Rihanna break her silence for the first time since her alleged beating by Chris Brown. Tonight, Rihanna is speaking out. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Jennifer Lopez wins cyber-squatting case over companies using her name. Liam Neeson signs on for first role since death of wife Natasha Richardson.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HAMMER: Well, those cheers are for Britney Spears at the end of her Canadian concert. But earlier on, not so much after she suddenly stopped the music in the middle of the show and walked off stage. And it`s all caught on tape.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Did you see this? Britney`s circus gets shut down. Fans in Vancouver got a huge shock when Britney and all of her performers bolted from the stage just 15 minutes into the performance.
And believe it or not, the fans may have been to blame. Spears sys she and her crew got sick from a ventilation problem in the arena. Apparently when the lights went down, the audience began lighting up. Then things got really wild. Listen to what happened after Britney left the stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The building is awfully smoky. And it`s become a little bit uncomfortable onstage for the performers, including Ms. Spears. We ask you to please extinguish all cigarettes. This is a non-smoking building. The show will resume as soon as the air around the stage is clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, as promised, Britney did finally come back after another half hour to finish up the show.
ANDERSON: OK, there is big Oprah news tonight. Did you hear the one about the million-dollar scam? It`s one of two new stories tonight making big news right now.
Is Oprah really giving away $1 million dollars? A brand-new million- dollar scam is Oprah`s latest headache and she is fighting mad.
Also new tonight, Rihanna`s dramatic plea. Rihanna breaks her silence for the first time since the alleged beating by Chris Brown to save a little girl`s life.
Joining me tonight in New York, Janell Snowden who is a host for "VH1 News." Also joining me tonight in Hollywood is Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for "Extra."
Janell, Carlos, the latest headache for Oprah is an E-mail scam going around called "Oprah Millionaire Contest Show." In the E-mail, people are asked to send money for tickets and travel so that they can win $1 million dollars from Oprah.
Now, Carlos, everybody knows that Oprah gives away cars, millions of dollars in free stuff. She is very, very gracious. So I bet Oprah is really worried that people will think the offer is true.
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Yes, I know. And I looked at this sweepstakes and on the surface, it looks like it could be valid. If you really look at it - I mean, first off, Harpo Productions is not in Seattle. It`s in Chicago. You never pay for tickets to go see Oprah, they`re all free and they`re hard to get, of course.
But also, there are several grammatical errors if you look at the 10 or 12 steps you have to do get through this. The bad thing is, there have been several incarnations of this E-mail. It`s kind of gone through steps and gotten more and more defined, you know, to better scam people.
But it`s just one of those things where people need to realize that Oprah would never do something like this.
ANDERSON: Yes, never do something like this. And to that end, the scam artists are really preying on people`s worst fears. Let me read part of what this E-mail says, quote, "We know the bad news: layoffs, foreclosures, banks teetering on collapse. Yet, people are finding creative ways to help their neighbors and themselves We`ll show you how to do the same."
Janell, it sounds like something Oprah might say, doesn`t it? So people could easily be deceived here.
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, "VH1 NEWS": Actually, no. If you`re a real Oprah fan like I am and you would know she would say, "And you get a million, and you get a million and you get a million."
ANDERSON: That`s true.
SNOWDEN: No, I don`t think that`s something that she would say. Plus, let`s just be real. Given Oprah`s - you like that, Carlos?
DIAZ: I like that.
SNOWDEN: Thank you. Given Oprah`s good PR machine, if she were giving away $1 million dollars to all of this people, trust me, it wouldn`t be buried in some Internet scam. It would be all over every station and we would all know about it. It wouldn`t be something that, you know, you`d have to be whispering to your girl friends like, "Did you hear Oprah`s giving away $1 million?"
ANDERSON: Exactly.
SNOWDEN: It wouldn`t be that.
ANDERSON: And it would be on her official Web site, which they point out. You know, to take advantage of people`s hardships and fears about the economy is just disgusting. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Oprah and got this statement, "`The Oprah Winfrey Show` and Harpo productions are not sponsors nor do we have any involvement whatsoever with this E-mail solicitation." So there you go, everybody, you have been warned.
All right. Now on to the Rihanna story that is new tonight - Rihanna breaking her silence. This for the first time since Chris Brown allegedly gave her a beat down and to save a little girl`s life, 6-year-old leukemia patient Jasmina Anema(ph) is a huge fan of Rihanna`s. And she has now fighting for her life. She made a video with her friend to get bone marrow donors. And it got Rihanna`s attention. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My best friend in the whole wide world is Jasmina (ph). She has kinky brown hair, big brown eyes and leukemia. Leukemia is a really big sickness. To cure it, Jasmina (ph) needs a bone marrow transplant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So cute and so touching. And Rihanna actually flew out to see Jasmina at the hospital last week, visited with her for three hours. Carlos, Rihanna doing this in the middle of all of her personal problems - it`s a terrific thing, isn`t it?
DIAZ: You know me. I`m Mr. Skeptical, Mr. Cynical. I mean, I was so touched by this story - I really was. I mean, this is amazing. It`s an amazing story. It`s hard to talk about the drama going on in Rihanna`s life, even though it`s very serious drama.
When you`re talking about a 6-year-old who may not be here next year because she has this rare form of leukemia - I mean, I found myself so moved. It`s almost like, OK, how do I donate bone marrow to save this person?
ANDERSON: Yes.
DIAZ: It`s such a moving story.
ANDERSON: And Rihanna tells "People" magazine, quote, "As a little girl, I believed my mama`s kisses made me get well. Instead of one kiss, Jasmina (ph) needs one perfect donor match." What a great reason to break her silence. Janell Snowden, Carlos Diaz, thank you.
HAMMER: Well, moving on, you`ve got to see how one woman`s love for tofu got her in trouble over a license plate. Her license plate was rejected because - well, it was too sexy. Tofu? Sexy? Too dirty? What`s that about? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
ANDERSON: And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Robert Downey, Jr. begins filming "Ironman 2"; Gwyneth Paltrow also returns. Joan Rivers to be "roasted" on "Comedy Central" special this summer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
All right. Do you remember the Seinfeld soup Nazi? Do you remember that guy? No soup for you! Anyway, a Colorado woman is hearing, "No tofu for you." "Tofu" - that`s what the word is.
Did you see this? It`s a license plate a tofu-loving vegetarian wanted. Now, look closely at these letters here. The Colorado DMV said, "No plate for you!"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are many who would see that and be offended, and so we need to be aware of it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess the DMV thought I meant something other than loving tofu.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Unfortunately, if you don`t get it, I can`t say it on TV. So use your imagination here. Now, the woman who wanted the plate is still steamed she`s probably going to have to cook up some other way to express her love for tofu. Now, please get your mind out of the gutter.
ANDERSON: On Wednesday, we asked you to the vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of day - "Michelle Obama: Is it unfair to compare her with Oprah Winfrey?" It`s a pretty lopsided vote here - 84 percent of you say, yes, it is unfair. 16 percent say no.
Some of the E-mails we received. Tiffany from Mississippi, "Comparing Oprah to Michelle Obama is not offensive. These are simply two of the biggest names in the media which is why people are comparing them. Nothing wrong with that.
Gabriela from Illinois says, "I think Oprah and Michelle are two unique women that are intelligent and both have their own light to shine."
HAMMER: And the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have been ringing nonstop about the Oprah and Michelle business. Rosalynn calling in from Tennessee saying she understands the comparison, but does point out that they`re very different, too.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Unless you want to compare their accomplishments as far as education and propelling themselves to the positions that they have today, that`s the only thing that you can compare them on.
Anything else, they`re two different women, strong black women, that both have been able to accomplish a lot in their lifetime.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
No question about that. Thank you, Rosalynn for your call. You, too, can call us at "Showbiz on Call" so you can let us know what you think about this or anything else that might be on your mind.
ANDERSON: That`s right. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open 24/7. Give us a ring 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; that`s 1-888-728-2899. Write it down. Leave us a voicemail. We will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And listen to this - your calls to "Showbiz on Call" are also now online, that`s on our homepage CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: Brooke, I`m going home to get me some tofu. It`s kosher for Passover. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t forget, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and also in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN. Take care.
END
