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Showbiz Tonight
Carrie Prejean`s Racy New Pictures; Elizabeth Edwards Tells All on "Oprah"; Elizabeth Edwards versus Rielle Hunter: Who`s Telling the Truth?; The Obamas` Date; Denise Richards Explains Horrible Singing; Rihanna`s First Public Appearance Since Chris Brown Incident
Aired May 05, 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, HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the seminude beauty scandal. Tonight, explosive photos of Miss California topless. Is this just a smear campaign because she spoke out against gay marriage? Or should she be fired?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": Miss California isn`t quite as conservative as we thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the fired-up debate over Miss California`s racy new pictures.
Elizabeth Edwards reveals all to Oprah. Tonight, for the first time, John Edwards` wife tells Oprah all about his cheating while she battles terminal cancer, and if she believes the other woman gave birth to John`s baby.
Plus, the secret details of what really happened on President Obama and Michelle`s date night out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They walked in. People were totally flabbergasted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, they looked like teenagers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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. And tonight, the seminude beauty scandal and talk about explosive. Seminude photos surface today of Miss California - yes, that Miss California, the beauty queen who has become the face of traditional values for her controversial opposition to gay marriage.
Well, let me tell you there is nothing traditional about the pictures of Carrie Prejean that spread like crazy today on the Internet. But could it be that she`s actually the victim of a smear campaign? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all over the late breaking developments, and they are all making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): From one controversy.
CARRIE PREJEAN, MISS CALIFORNIA: I believe very strongly that a marriage is between a man and a woman.
HAMMER: To another. Miss California, Carrie Prejean, has gone from runner-up in the Miss USA pageant to the frontlines in the fight against gay marriage.
PREJEAN: Unless we bring men and women together, children will not have mothers and fathers.
HAMMER: Now, she`s facing a threat that`s hit many other beauty queens before her - the dreaded racy photo.
BAKER: Miss California isn`t quite as conservative as we thought. I think pageant officials are looking closely at this, whether or not to take away her crown.
HAMMER: The gossip site, TheDirty.com, first ran the first of what it claims are several photos of a seminude Prejean. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has decided not show it.
BAKER: It looks like she was basically doing a modeling shot. The photo shows Carrie topless but with her back facing the camera and her arms folded across her chest. The only thing she`s wearing is a pair of underwear. Carrie is now saying that she was just 17 years old when these photos were taken and that, of course, makes a lot of people very uncomfortable.
HAMMER: The photos hit the Internet just over two weeks after that explosive moment in the Miss USA pageant when gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who was judging the pageant, asked Prejean about gay marriage.
PREJEAN: I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
HAMMER: Since then, Prejean has partnered up with an organization that opposes gay marriage and uses Prejean in their commercials.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They attack if you oppose gay marriage because they don`t want to debate the consequences.
HAMMER: Now, Prejean is suggesting the nude photos are being released now as part of a smear campaign against her. In a statement she tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "I`m a Christian and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith."
BAKER: She clearly thinks what she did was OK and consistent with the values that she preaches.
HAMMER: But pageant officials might see things differently. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained a company of the contract Prejean signed before the pageant where she agrees she has never, quote, "permitted myself to be photographed in the state of partial or total nudity." On the "Today" show, one of the judges at the Miss USA pageant let Prejean have it about the photos.
ALICIA JACOBS, JUDGE, MISS USA PAGEANT: I can assure you they were quite inappropriate and certainly not photos befitting a beauty queen.
HAMMER: In fact, pageant officials tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they are having closed-door internal meetings to discuss what to do about Prejean. They tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Clearly, Prejean breached her contract. She has claimed persecution all along, but she posed for the photos. That was her choice."
BAKER: I think her future as Miss California is definitely in jeopardy.
HAMMER: Prejean would not be the first beauty queen to lose her crown because of scandalous photos. But even if this racy photo controversy hurts her future as a beauty queen, it could actually help her among conservative supporters who feel her critics.
PEREZ HILTON, CELEBRITY BLOGGER: She`s a dumb (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HAMMER: . are targeting her because of her beliefs.
BAKER: I think when critics came out so strongly against her, when she spoke out in support of traditional marriage and against gay marriage, people who agree with her really were galvanized and stood up with her and supported her.
HAMMER: But what we don`t know is if Prejean`s support or her reign as Miss California will survive this scandal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So is Carrie Prejean the victim of a smear campaign? Should she be fired? We`ve got the fired-up debate coming up right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And now, I`d like to turn it over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Miss California`s Racy Photos: What do you think?" Here are your choices - should she be fired? Or is she the victim of a smear campaign?
Here`s where you go to vote, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can also E- mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Tonight, a cheating tell-all. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with your first look at Elizabeth Edwards` heart-wrenching tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. The wife of the former senator who ran for president against Barack Obama talks about the affair that shook her to the core. And wait until you hear about the one thing she asked from her husband on their wedding night. And does Elizabeth Edwards think her husband fathered a baby with his mistress?
Joining me tonight in New York is Lisa Bloom who is a CNN legal analyst and an anchor with the legal network, "In Session." And from Hollywood, Leslie Marshall, who is the host of the syndicated radio show "The Leslie Marshall Show."
So John Edwards admitted to having an affair with the woman named Rielle Hunter last year after he ended his presidential campaign and after his wife learned her cancer was terminal. So with that in mind, you`ve got to hear what his wife Elizabeth told Oprah the one thing she asked her husband for when they married. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": You asked your husband for just one gift when you got married. What was that?
ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF FORMER SEN. JOHN EDWARDS: I wanted him to be faithful to me. It was enormously important to me.
WINFREY: You said no rings, no flowers.
EDWARDS: Yes. And you know, this is a necklace of my mother`s, but I`m not much of a jewelry person. I actually jammed my finger, so I can`t even wear my wedding ring right now. But I don`t care about those kinds of things. But it was really important to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I just think that is so stunning. Here`s a woman that is terminally ill saying that the one thing she asked of her husband was for him to be faithful to her, and he couldn`t do that. Lisa, are you as shocked as a lot of people that she has stood by John Edwards all this time?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, she hasn`t exactly stood by him in the way that, say, Silda Spitzer stood by Eliot Spitzer or Dina McGreevey stood by her husband, Jim. She wasn`t there when he revealed the affair. She was noticeably absent.
And now, she blasts him in a couple of parts of the book for betraying her. So, she is still married to him. But I think she`s taking it day by day. And I think she`s blazing a new trail for women who are married to politicians who cheat on them. Yes, she`s still married to him but not exactly 100 percent supportive of him.
HAMMER: Yes. Actually, Oprah Winfrey asked, "Are you guys still together, still living together, taking it day by day?" And she said, "Yes. We`re living together, but it`s more month by month."
But still, Leslie, against the backdrop of that promise, I mean, that is stunning to me. What a revelation. Are you shocked that she has basically still stayed with him and really not sent him packing?
LESLIE MARSHALL, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST, "THE LESLIE MARSHALL SHOW": Well, I have to tell you. I`m one of those people that was like, "What is the problem with this, when Lorena Bobbitt did what she did to her husband John for cheating? My husband should watch out, I guess you should say.
But no, in all seriousness, being a married woman, having children, something comes into play that goes outside of sex. This is a couple that has survived the death of a child. Having done that, if your marriage can survive that, it can survive anything. They have history together. They have children together.
So, this is about more than sex and betrayal. I do agree with Lisa. There are different degrees of standing by your man. And I think that she`s slowly and carefully planning her future, with or without him. And I think that she is evaluating and not betraying him in the vows that she took as he did to her.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, the whole thing has just been amazing to watch unfold. John Edwards, of course, admitted the affair with the videographer, Rielle Hunger, last August after the "National Enquirer" reported that he was actually the father of Hunter`s daughter.
Now, Edwards denies being the daddy, but people have remained skeptical throughout this whole thing. So, does Elizabeth think her husband is the father of this child? Well, watch what she tells Oprah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: Well, the woman has a baby.
EDWARDS: That`s what I understand.
WINFREY: And there is great speculation that your husband, John Edwards, is the father of that baby.
EDWARDS: Right. That`s what I understand. I`ve seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn`t look like my children, but I don`t have any idea.
(CROSS TALK)
WINFREY: You must have thought is it or is it not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So she wouldn`t give a definitive yes or no there. But Lisa, don`t you think that John Edwards should take a paternity test if, for no other reason than prove to his wife that he`s telling the truth here?
BLOOM: Well, of course, he should. And let`s keep in mind, this child is entirely innocent and this child deserves to know who her - I think it`s a girl. Know who her father is and to bond with that father immediately and not wait years and years for recriminations and lawsuits and people ducking. I mean, there is an innocent baby here, and I think that should be the most important factor.
HAMMER: Well, she has written a book about all of this. All these revelations are going to be in her new book and hopefully between that and going on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," maybe Elizabeth Edwards can get some closure on what has just been a terrible situation for her.
Lisa Bloom, Leslie Marshall, I thank you both for being here.
HAMMER: Well, this whole story about John Edwards cheating and his wife really opening up to Oprah just truly amazing. But how does Elizabeth Edwards` story match up with the tale John`s mistress is telling? That woman, Rielle Hunter, opening up about how she met John. And it`s a she said-she said showdown we have got coming up.
Also, the other woman in the "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" scandal speaking out for the very first time. Is there anything going on between her and the married reality show star?
Also, Denise Richards finally explains her big-time strikeout of a performance at a Cubs game.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Yes, take me out to get some ear plugs is more like it. 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 Hudson to take a break from national tour due to throat condition. Ed McMahon reaches settlement with L.A. hospital over malpractice suit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. The inside story of President Obama and Michelle`s secret date.
Now, these two do set aside quality time for each other. But when they stepped out for their most recent date, they were anything but alone. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the secret details of the Obamas` night out.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Just a cozy little dinner date for two if you don`t count the 200 or more people gawking outside. Or the motorcade or the 13-member press pool snapping away. Or the guys with the big guns. How romantic.
This is the anatomy of a White House date, starting with Michelle Obama getting in on the wrong side of the car. It`s the president who enters closest to the White House door. They`re off. "Destination unknown," Blackberries the pool reporter running the occasional red light, arriving within minutes in Tony Georgetown.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s the name of that restaurant?
MOOS: That would be Citronelle, described by one magazine as one of the world`s most exciting restaurants. This particular evening, it looked like an SUV parking lot crossed with a crime scene.
JEAN JACQUES RETOURNE, MAITRE D`, CITRONELLE: They walked in. People were totally flabbergasted.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For me, they looked like teenagers.
RETOURNE: People were just looking at them like in total disbelief.
MOOS: As the first couple walked into one of Citronelle`s semiprivate rooms, the restaurant`s mood wall that changes colors must have been moody indeed.
RETOURNE: They ordered two martinis and made it very clear they wanted to spend some time alone.
MOOS: Reminds us of when the widowed president goes on a date in the movie, "American President."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An intimate dinner with Sydney Wade at a romantic Georgetown bistro.
MOOS: President Obama had short ribs. Mrs. Obama had a lobster burger. The meal here runs about $100 per head.
(on camera): By the way, the president paid for dinner with his personal Visa card and left a 20 percent tip.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michelle kissed me here and here twice.
MOOS (voice-over): And told them the meal was great in French. Exiting to cheers, the date continued in the motorcade.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still Obama (INAUDIBLE).
MOOS: Finally, back on to the lamp-lit grounds of the White House, the first couple held hands and took a walk, unromantically timed by the press at seven minutes. But what would a date be without sharing a dessert? They split a Neapolitan.
(on camera): Little did the pool reporter know that when he joked about waiting for leftovers, all that would be leftover was the pastry minus the cream filling and the dessert.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They removed the dough and ate the cream.
MOOS (voice-over): This really say puff piece. At least they each had their own Martini.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That`s a scandal. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, the story that we did right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about "America`s Got Talent" judge David Hasselhoff reportedly drinking again and then being taken to the hospital really has our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines lighting up.
We got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Diana in Texas. Diana says she knows what Hasselhoff is going through.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: My prayers are with David Hasselhoff. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I know it`s a struggle to stay sober. I think you should stay on "America`s Got Talent." That would give him a reason to want to get up and go be the judge and the performer that he is. And I think it would help him to have some balance, to have a job, to have some place to go to.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Diana, thanks so much for your call. We also heard from Janice calling into "Showbiz on Call" from New Mexico. And she doesn`t think that Hoff should be fired from his show.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: He`s a grown man. He knows his choices, and he`s obviously still struggling. I think he should be given a chance. Privately and publicly, he should be held responsible for doing a good job on his show. I think he`s doing that.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Janice, I appreciate your call as well. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call" and that`s how you`ll let us know what you think about this or anything else. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open. The number is 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
Well, this whole Miss California gay marriage controversy has just exploded today. Tonight, there are brand-new racy seminude photos of Miss Cali all over the Internet. So I`ve got to ask, should Miss Cali be fired? Is she a victim of an ugly smear campaign because she`s speaking out against gay marriage? The fired-up debate is coming up.
The Elizabeth Edwards-Rielle Hunter she said-she said showdown. Elizabeth goes on "Oprah" and open ups about her husband John Edwards` cheating. But do her new revelations match up to his mistress` story?
Also this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SHANE HURLBUT, DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: I was looking at the light.
CHRISTIAN BALE, ACTOR: Oh, good for you. And how was it? I hope it was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) good because it`s useless now, isn`t it?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Christian Bale has apologized for his out-of-control on-set rant. So, why is he going off on his crew tonight again?
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Hugh Jackman to do "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" sequel. Christina Aguilera to make big screen debut in "Burlesque," a musical.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Time for Hollywood at home. This is where we get stars to reveal the secrets of balancing their careers and home lives.
Tonight, Ricki Lake. Ricki who, of course, hosted that super- successful talk show during the `90s, has got a really busy schedule today. She`s the host of the VH1`s "Charm School." She`s got a new book for expectant moms and has two kids of her own.
So, when we caught up with her, we had to ask, how does she do it all?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As an entertainer, how do you balance work and family?
RICKI LAKE, HOST, "CHARM SCHOOL": It`s not easy. I just finished hosting the "Charm School" show last night at 4:00 a.m., and I feel like I have not been a very present parent. But this week, I`m getting back into being in school, being present at, you know, the field trips and all of that.
But it`s a balancing act that`s really - I don`t pretend that it`s easy, but I have resources and I have help and my children are not babies anymore. But it`s a challenge, you know. Being a single mother is not easy for everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
HURLBUT: I was looking at the light.
BALE: Oh, good for you! And how was it? I hope it was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) good because it`s useless now, isn`t it?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, I think Christian Bale was way out of line during his out-of-control, on-set rant. Well, he was shooting "Terminator Salvation." Well, tonight, he`s upset that that rant was leaked.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Now, to be fair, Bale has apologized for going off on the director of photography for adjusting a light while filming his new movie, "Terminator Salvation." But tonight, he`s going after the crew again for leaking the rant to the Internet. Now, let me refresh your memory with how nasty Bale got. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BALE: I want to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kick your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) if you don`t shut up for a second, all right? You want me to go (EXPLETIVE DELETED) trash your lights? You want me to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) trash them? Then why your trashing my scene?
HURLBUT: I`m not trying to trash.
BALE: You are trashing my scene.
HURLBUT: Christian.
BALE: You do it one more (EXPLETIVE DELETED) time and I`m not walking on this set if you`re still hired. I`m (EXPLETIVE DELETED) serious!
You`re a nice guy! You`re a nice guy! But I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) cut it when you`re (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and (EXPLETIVE DELETED) around like this on this set.
MCG, DIRECTOR, "TERMINATOR SALVATION": Listen. Listen to me. I get it.
BALE: Yes. You might get it. He doesn`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) get it.
MCG: No, I get it. I get it.
BALE: You might. He does not get it!
MCG: Good adjustments, OK? For real. Honestly, I get it. Walk for five seconds.
BALE: No, I don`t need any (EXPLETIVE DELETED) walking. He needs to stop walking. I`m not the one walking. Let`s get Tom and put this back on. Let`s go again. Seriously, man - you and me, we`re (EXPLETIVE DELETED) done professionally.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. As I said, Bale has taken responsibility for this. But now, he`s mad at this sound crew for releasing the tape.
Here`s what Bale is telling TotalFilm.com, quote, "I went overboard. I`m not making any excuses, but there is an essential trust and it`s not a tacit one, which is every sound guy says, `We are not only not recording, we are not even listening.` So, well, there goes that. I do stress, though, it`s not in any way a trust that`s there to cover up bad behavior. It`s not about that. It`s an essential trust that`s needed for creativity. I`m not making any excuses. I`m not whining. I`m not going, oh, well, if it hadn`t been for that. But it`s that. It`s a creative trust. It`s not a behavioral trust."
All right. Christian, I`ve got news for you. While I get where you are coming from, here it still comes down to this. Don`t flip out at the crew. They won`t release any tapes of you to the Internet.
Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the bottom of the hour. The Miss California racy photo scandal. Should she be fired? Is she the victim of a smear campaign because she`s speaking out against gay marriage?
Rihanna`s surprise comeback. Her first public appearance since Chris Brown allegedly beat her.
And Elizabeth Edwards` startle in startling confessions to Oprah about her husband John Edwards` cheating. Plus, his former mistress makes revelations of her own. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: The CW Network to drop Sunday night shows starting this fall. AMC`s "Mad Men" to return for a third season starting in August.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Miss California`s brand-new racy photo scandal. Seminude photos all over the Internet. Should she be fired and lose her crown? Is she the helpless victim of a smear campaign because of her stance on gay marriage?
Elizabeth Edwards` startling revelations to Oprah Winfrey about her husband`s bombshell affair. Plus, the real story behind how the former presidential candidate met his mistress. It`s the she said-she said sex scandal smackdown.
And Denise Richards says she`s got a really good reason for her unforgettable singing at a Chicago Cubs game.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Denise defends her singing. Oh, boy.
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`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
Tonight, the seminude beauty scandal. The brand-new explosive topless photos of Miss California. The leaked photos are the latest in a string of outrageous strikes against Miss California - that is, since she spoke out against gay marriage when asked about it during the Miss USA pageant.
And brand-new tonight, pageant producers are furious. Did Miss California breach her contract by posing seminude in those photos? So is this new photo scandal just a smear campaign against Miss California because she spoke out against gay marriage? Should she be fired? It`s our fired up debate.
And joining me for that tonight in New York "In Session" anchor and CNN legal analyst, Lisa Bloom. Also in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." You can catch that show every night, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on HLN.
OK. Let`s begin with the SHOWBIZ Newsline so we can see how all of this began. On April 19th, during the Miss USA pageant, Miss California is asked about gay marriage by celebrity blogger, Perez Hilton, who was one of the judges. Miss California says, in her opinion, marriage is between a man and a woman. April 20th, Perez launches his first attack against Miss California on his Web site. Watch what he says.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILTON: She gave an awful, awful answer which alienated so many people. And Miss California, Miss USA - she doesn`t alienate. She unites. She inspires.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: On April 30th, Miss California stars in a new ad campaign with the National Organization for Marriage. And then, today, seminude photos surface of Miss California.
Lisa, over to you first. She says these topless photos of her were posted on the Internet as part of a massive smear campaign. Do you buy it?
BLOOM: They probably were. Look, people really strongly dislike her because of what she said. People like Perez Hilton. But I`ve got a message for Perez Hilton. I`m on your side. I`m a long time gay rights activist and a marriage equality activist.
This is not helping us. Smearing this woman is not helping us. It`s driving people away from our cause. Let`s debate her on the merits of the issues and not engage in these personal attacks and smears of her. It doesn`t advance the cause at all.
HAMMER: Jane, do you agree? That`s why we saw the photos of the Internet? People are going after her because of her stance on gay marriage.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": I have a lot of respect for Lisa Bloom and Perez Hilton. No, I think people are going at her because of her hypocrisy. You know, she`s the one who allowed these photos to be taken of her. She`s the one who got breast implants, giving her a breast up, so to speak, on the competition.
I have nothing against nudity. I have nothing against breast implants. But I will point out this woman is giving herself a lot of leeway in terms of her personal behavior and her personal choices while simultaneously seeking to deprive others of their fundamental right to marry a person that they love regardless of gender. Stay out of other people`s bedrooms and we will stay out of your bedroom.
HAMMER: Well, Jane, I`m certain it will not bother you at al that Carrie Prejean, Miss California, is not happy at all that these photos landed on the Internet. I want you to look at this brand-new statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT from Carrie Prejean responding to the seminude photos.
Here`s what she tells us, quote, "I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos. Recently, photos taken of me as a teenager have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith. I am not perfect and I will never claim to be."
Now, given what she says and given that she has become now the face of conservative values with her anti-gay marriage stance, Lisa Bloom, do you think pictures taken of her as a teenager should really be held against her?
BLOOM: What does gay marriage have to do with posing seminude? And by the way, I`ve seen one of the pictures. She has exactly the same amount of skin showing in the picture as she does in these bikini shots that we show over and over again when we talk about the case.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But there are five other photos reportedly.
BLOOM: She shows her body. And by the way, if there were nude pictures of me, would I lack credibility? I mean, this has nothing to do with the merits of the case. These are gratuitous attacks on this young woman because of what she said.
HAMMER: Go ahead, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I just think that what you do also counts. And again, I get back to this whole premise. It reminds me of Eliot Spitzer as attorney general going after the prostitutes and cracking down on the prostitution ring.
BLOOM: That was illegal behavior.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Hold on a second, guys. Hold on a second.
BLOOM: It`s illegal conduct.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Zip it.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: . what to do in their bedrooms. Let`s let live and let live.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Here`s the question, Jane. Here`s the question, though. She`s saying these photos were taken of her when she was 17. Now, she stands for perhaps something different than she may have when she was 17. That I think is the point and that`s the question that I`m asking, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think people`s value systems can certainly evolve. And again, I don`t think there`s anything wrong with nudity. But when you put yourself in a situation like this where you are intolerant towards others, expect a karma kickback and have intolerance exhibited towards you.
BLOOM: But we have to be consistent. We have to be better than our opponents. We`re not going to attack a young woman because she posed nude. It doesn`t matter who she is. We`re not going to call her the B-word and C-word like Perez Hilton did.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me tell you something.
BLOOM: . because we`re better than that. We`re going to get people on our side because of what we stand for.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t believe the social justice movements ever get ahead by being polite. We didn`t end slavery by being polite.
BLOOM: That`s not true. Martin Luther King changed a lot of minds.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: OK. Hold on a second, guys.
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOM: Being polite does not create social justice.
HAMMER: That is all true, but in my mind, Jane, I`m with you on that. You talk about karma kickback. Let`s talk about legal kickback for a moment, because pageant producers are just furious over the seminude photos.
They`ve released a new statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Here`s what they are saying, quote, "Clearly, she breached her contract. When you compete for Miss California, you are supposed to disclose whether you posed for nude or seminude photos because it`s grounds for disqualification. She has claimed persecution all along but she posed for the photos. That was her choice."
Now, keep in mind, as we mentioned, the Miss California pageant did pay for Miss California`s breast implants and willingly divulged that information to the media. Jane, before we get to the question of should she be fired, you know, is the Miss California campaign perhaps being a little hypocritical here?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, I think the whole idea of beauty pageants is ridiculous.
BLOOM: Thank you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: But - and so we agree on that, Lisa. But there are rules. I`m not a huge fan of bowling either, but there are rules to these games. One of the rules are, in Miss - whatever pageant is that you are supposed to disclose whether or not you posed nude. And she didn`t do that. I guess what I`m saying is.
BLOOM: It wasn`t exactly news.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s like golf. She keeps asking for gimmes and yet, she`s judging the other golfers very, very carefully according to how they play.
BLOOM: She was 17 years old. She wasn`t exactly nude. She`s in panties and her breasts are covered up by her arms. Frankly, she`s wearing.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: There`s another photo, Lisa. There are five others.
BLOOM: Well, frankly in the one we`ve seen so far, she`s wearing more than Jennifer Aniston did on the cover of "GQ" lately.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m a fan of nudity.
BLOOM: Nobody is saying she should be fired from all the movies that she does.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m not opposed to nudity or breast implants.
BLOOM: You`re just opposed to nudity on the right wing. You are just opposed to nudity of the people you don`t like, Jane.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Let me break it down to this final question and over to you, Lisa. You know, contractually, and I`m no lawyer, but you are. Maybe you can tell me. Do you think she should be fired based on the fact that these photos have surfaced now and based on the fact that, you know, it`s pretty cut-and-dry in that contract. It was against the rules.
BLOOM: I think she did violate the contract and I think she will fired. And I agree with Jane, who I love and adore and who I would marry if only she would ask me, that beauty pageants are ridiculous.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Be careful what you wish for, Lisa.
BLOOM: And we have to stop judging women based on their bodies.
HAMMER: There we go.
BLOOM: . based on what they look like, and stop subjecting them to this nonsense. Let`s judge women on their brains.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: One thing we`ve all agreed on here tonight before I wrap it up, we`re all OK with nudity. Got to end it there. Lisa Bloom, Jane Velez- Mitchell, thank you all.
All right. Over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Miss California`s New Racy Photos: What do you think? Should she be fired? Is it a smear campaign?"
Keep voting, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, it is certainly the scandal that rocked Washington. And now, Elizabeth Edwards reveals all to Oprah. How did she find out about her husband`s shocking affair? And what about reports that John Edwards fathered a child with his mistress? Elizabeth`s stunning confessions.
And she is not the only one telling all. What does John Edwards` mistress say about how she really met him? In her words. It`s the brand- new she said-she said showdown.
Plus, Denise Richards explains her nightmarish singing performance at a Cubs` game. I`d like you to hide your dogs and delicate China, please.
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What`s the real reason for this ear-splitting performance? Denise defends her singing. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Billy Elliot" Broadway musical based on movie, gets 15 Tony nominations. Dom DeLuise who starred in the movie classic, "Cannonball Run," dies at 75.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURT REYNOLDS, ACTOR: You know what, Victor? There`s not going to be any more Captain Chaos. No more! You see what I`m telling you? No more! No more Captain Chaos ever! Now, what do you think of that?
DOM DELUISE, ACTOR: I don`t care because I`ve always wanted to be Captain USA! It`s a dirty job, but somebody`s got to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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EDWARDS: I wanted him to be faithful to me. It was enormously important to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Elizabeth Edwards tells all about the other woman. An emotional Edwards tells Oprah Winfrey the one thing she asked John Edwards before they got married. So what does Elizabeth have to say about the other woman?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Elizabeth Edwards` tell-all about the other woman. In a brand-new interview with Oprah Winfrey, Elizabeth spills shocking new details about how her husband, John Edwards, met his mistress.
But what does the mistress have to say? Well, we`re going to show you Rielle Hunter in her own words with her side of the story on how she and John Edwards first met. It`s a she said-she said smackdown.
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, a correspondent for "Extra." Also joining me tonight from Hollywood is Leslie Marshall, host of the radio show, "The Leslie Marshall Show."
So Elizabeth Edwards now spilling all the beans on her husband`s affair in a brand-new interview with Oprah that was just released today. Edwards reveals how he told her he met the other woman. Let us take a look at what Elizabeth told Oprah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDWARDS: What John had said is this woman had spotted him in the hotel in which he was staying. He was meeting with someone. And then John had gone to dinner. He didn`t speak to her then, but he`d gone to dinner at a nearby restaurant. And then, he had walked back to the hotel.
And when he walked back, she was standing in front of the hotel and said to him, "You are so hot." I can`t deliver it because I don`t know how to deliver such a line as that - but you know, "You are so hot."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Leslie, over to you first. Are you with me in thinking that Edwards telling the world on "Oprah" is really the best revenge for her?
MARSHALL: I don`t know that it`s revenge, A.J. But I definitely think it`s cathartic and, boy, oh, boy, if every woman who told the guy he was hot ended up in the hotel room, I think they`d all be lining up outside of hotels.
This is something I think she`s doing, obviously, to promote her book. I think it is cathartic. I also think it helps, believe it or not, a lot of women in America who have been betrayed by their husbands who cheated on them. But I just don`t see Elizabeth Edwards as the revenge-type.
HAMMER: Yes. I don`t know that she actually is vengeful. But if even a small piece of her is, I think, well, there`s got to be some pleasure in getting on "Oprah" and saying this.
MARSHALL: On that show, yes.
HAMMER: And she did put it in the book as well. You heard what Elizabeth said about the night that John and his mistress met. But I have to show you how the other woman, Rielle Hunter, describes her first meeting encounter with John Edwards in a 2007 interview with "Extra." Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIELLE HUNTER, JOHN EDWARDS`S MISTRESS: It was one of those - it was a random meeting. He was in a business meeting in New York, and I was in the same place.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How funny.
HUNTER: Yes, it was very - it was a very odd meeting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Carlos Diaz from "Extra." Whose story are people going to believe?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I think they`re going to believe Elizabeth Edwards` story much more than Rielle Hunter. And the reason is because, you know, Rielle, during the interview, was still trying to cover things up as far as her relationship with John Edwards.
I mean, Elizabeth Edwards is coming forth right now and saying, "This is what John told me. And you know, the details are that - you know, that Rielle said you`re hot. And I just basically believe that anything that comes out of Elizabeth`s mouth right now is going to be believed because she seems just much more heartfelt in the way she`s saying these things to Oprah.
HAMMER: Yes. She seems very credible. And I think her story clearly a far cry from it being a random meeting as Rielle characterized it in her statement to your show.
I do want to play another part of "Extra`s" interview with the other woman about how much time she spent with John Edwards while filming a docu- series on him. Take at what she told "Extra" about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER: Oh, yes, definitely. I was around him a lot. So having a camera on him all the time, I was able to capture that, because he`s very real.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, you look at this video of a woman kind of laughing about the time she spent with John Edward while Elizabeth Edwards fights terminal cancer and has a cheating husband.
Leslie, over to you for this. It just makes me ask again how she can stand to be with him. I just don`t get it.
MARSHALL: Well, I understand how you are saying how could Elizabeth stand to be with him. But you know, this is the first we`ve heard, you know, about this affair. And this just blows my mind.
You know, I dated for years before I was married. Never touched a married guy because I believe in karma to a degree, you know what I`m saying? If I`m going to be with a married guy or sleep with a married guy, somebody is going to maybe, you know, be sleeping with my husband.
And the fact that not only was she laughing about this, but I`m laughing at the fact that anybody could believe this was just so random. I mean, quite frankly, you know, are she and John Edwards that spontaneous?
HAMMER: Yes.
MARSHALL: And even more so, which really kills me, is not just the betrayal, based on what Elizabeth Edwards wanted from John Edwards when they first got married, but the fact this woman was ill on top of it.
HAMMER: Yes.
MARSHALL: I`m sorry. I could slap the mistress on this one.
HAMMER: It`s hard for the worst kind of cheating guy to think this was an OK thing to do, I think. Carlos Diaz, Leslie Marshall, I have to end it there. I thank you both.
Tonight, the woman accused of stepping out with Jon Gosselin, the married dad of eight on TLC`s "Jon and Kate Plus 8" is setting the record straight about affair rumors.
Deanna Hummel tells People.com there is absolutely nothing going on. The wild rumors started after the two were recently spotted out late at a bar. The 23-year-old woman insists she and Jon are, quote, "just friends." And that`s good enough for Michelle from Idaho who dialed up "Showbiz on Call" to say, back off.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I am a mother of six kids, and I will tell you, it is not easy. And also, I think everyone needs to just back off of this couple because, like I said, you know, they have eight kids and everything and they were just regular people before they came into the spotlight. So everybody just needs to let them do their thing and quit scrutinizing and putting them under a microscope.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Michelle. Denise from California called the "Showbiz on Call" phone line to stick up for Jon`s wife Kate Gosselin who some accuse of being too hard on her husband, Jon.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Yes. She comes on kind of hard sometimes. But she is the type of person that wants to get things done, and she`s got eight children. Well, it makes it hard for her. Anybody who can take care of eight children is doing a very good job. And Kate, you`re a good mom.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Denise. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything at all. The number to call 24 hours a day, 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
Well, finally, Denise Richards explains her nightmarish singing performance at a Chicago Cubs` game.
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Is there really any explanation for that? More importantly, will she ever do something like that again? I hope not. But we`ve got the answers next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Victoria Principal sued for pulling gun on former housekeeper. Roman Polanski won`t attend L.A. hearing to dismiss 1977 sex case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Tonight, Denise Richards defends her truly unforgettable rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, Denise Richards speaks out for the very first time about that horrendous rendition of the classic baseball song.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Denise tells "E! Online" it was all for a good cause. Denise was in Chicago for a kidney cancer fundraiser. Her mom died of the disease a year ago. And in exchange for putting up an informational booth at Wrigley Field, Cubs management asked her to sing during the seventh inning stretch.
Now, after being trashed all over the Internet, Denise vowed never to sing in public again. She also tells "E!" quote, "I`m clearly not a singer. I wasn`t doing it to show off my pipes. Thank god I wasn`t singing the national anthem. But I thought it would be fun. I had no idea the backlash I would get."
Well, two international superstars in the middle of huge scandals step out and make shocking red carpet statements without saying a word.
Did you see this? Rihanna makes her big red carpet return at the Costume Institute gala in New York. This is her first public appearance since she was allegedly beaten by Chris Brown before the Grammies in February. Rihanna didn`t talk to the press but I think her puffy-sleeved tuxedo did all the talking for her. I think it kind of said, "I`ve got to get this thing back to Jerry Seinfeld." Remember Jerry and the puffy pirate shirt?
And Madonna, who never flies under the radar, seemed to channel a bird with her outfit. It was her first red carpet with reported boyfriend, 22- year-old Jesus Luz. Madonna is also in the middle of an adoption battle over a little girl in Malawi.
Speaking of which, Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. This was it - "Madonna`s Malawian Adoption Battle: Should she give it up?" Pretty one-sided here. Look at this - 79 percent of you said yes; 21 percent no.
Here`s some of the E-mails we received. One from Michelle in Jamaica writing, "Don`t give it up, Madonna. She will be yours soon. Good things come to those who wait."
And Ashley from Texas writing in, "I think Madonna should stop the adoption for now. I would like to see if the man who claims to be the child`s father will take care of the child."
Well that, is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - we`re on at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific and we`re on in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern here on HLN.
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