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Showbiz Tonight
Miss California Keeps Her Crown; The Obama Comedienne Controversy; Farrah`s First Interview Since Being Diagnosed With Cancer; Oprah Winfrey`s Dramatic Apology
Aired May 12, 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, Miss California, not fired. Tonight, Donald Trump`s explosive decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, OWNER, MISS USA FRANCHISE: Carrie will remain Miss California.
HAMMER: Why did the Donald not fire her? Will Miss California keep speaking out against gay marriage? And what does Carrie Prejean say about brand-new topless photos?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARRIE PREJEAN, MISS CALIFORNIA USA 2009: I was actually standing on a cliff and it was very, very windy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Farrah Fawcett speaks. Tonight, Farrah`s very first dramatic interview since being diagnosed with cancer. Private details of her courageous battle. What Farrah has desperately wished for, but hasn`t received. And the amazing undercover trap Farrah set for people who tried to hurt her.
And the explosive Obama comedienne controversy. Tonight, was it wrong for the president to laugh at Wanda Sykes` jokes comparing Rush Limbaugh to a 9/11 hijacker?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WANDA SYKES, COMEDIENNE: I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: 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. Tonight, the Donald Trump-Miss California showdown. Donald Trump`s explosive decision. He tells Miss California, "You`re not fired."
Trump made the dramatic announcement on the same day brand-new scandalous topless photos of Carrie surfaced online. So why didn`t Miss California lose her crown? And what does she say about these new photos? I`ve got to tell you, this beauty scandal has more layers than a pageant contestant`s hairdo or Donald Trump`s, for that matter.
We`ve got a gay marriage debate, topless photos and the king of controversy on second chances, Mr. Trump. You mix all that together and you have got a beauty bombshell. And it`s all making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: Carrie will remain Miss California.
HAMMER (voice-over): It was a decision that came with all the pomp and circumstance of a presidential decree. Donald Trump, announcing in a nationally televised press conference that Miss USA runner-up, Carrie Prejean, will keep her crown as Miss California.
PREJEAN: I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
HAMMER: Despite her controversial comments against gay marriage.
TRUMP: She gave an honorable answer. She gave an answer from her heart. And I think for that, she has to be commended.
HAMMER: And despite all the risque photos of her.
TRUMP: The pictures taken were acceptable. They were fine. In many cases, they were actually lovely pictures.
HAMMER: Carrie Prejean says it was a victory for her and for America.
PREJEAN: On April 19, on that stage, I exercised my freedom of speech, and I was punished for doing so. This should not happen in America.
HAMMER: In an exclusive interview after the press conference, Trump told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he`s happy with his decision.
TRUMP: We`re very proud of Carrie. She did an amazing job. She gave a beautiful speech. And it just shows you the level, really, of intelligence that we`re dealing with.
JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Donald Trump was absolutely eating it up. It was the perfect storm of controversy. It`s glamorous and involves a beautiful woman. Donald Trump and boobs.
HAMMER: Yes, those seminude photos. At the press conference, Carrie Prejean, for the first time, explained in person the racy photos that hit the Dirty.com soon after she burst into the battle against gay marriage.
PREJEAN: A girlfriend took some shots of me at home and to include them in my portfolio, which were submitted to several different agents. And I did not anticipate anyone was in a position to release such an image.
HAMMER: And about the new batch of risque photos on TMZ.com.
PREJEAN: I find it appalling that a professional photographer would violate my trust by releasing an unauthorized and inappropriate image taken in between posed shots on a windy day which I was unaware of.
HAMMER: Prejean also says that despite her recent work with an anti-gay marriage group, she doesn`t plan to be an activist. But she will continue to speak up for her beliefs.
PREJEAN: I am convinced now more than ever of the importance of standing up for your beliefs and convictions.
HAMMER: She was in the winner`s circle today. But the day before, Carrie Prejean was on the firing line.
SHANNA MOAKLER, FORMER MISS USA: She, in fact, entered the contest under false pretense.
HAMMER: A day earlier, officials with Miss California USA, including former Miss USA and tabloid darling Shanna Moakler blasted Prejean at a news conference. They accused Prejean of lying to them about those nude photos and fighting a divisive campaign against gay marriage on company time.
But the final decision about Prejean`s fate wasn`t theirs; it was Trump`s. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT everyone is now one happy family.
TRUMP: Right now, it`s a big lovefest, and I hope it`s going to stay that way.
HAMMER: So, it`s a lovefest at the end of a firestorm, a firestorm where everyone wins.
PIAZZA: It`s win-win for Donald Trump who`s getting more publicity for the Miss USA pageant. Win-win for Miss California because now people know who the heck she is.
HAMMER: A win for everyone, except for the reigning Miss USA who, by the way, is Miss North Carolina, Kristen Dalton. She has gotten upstaged big time by the Miss USA runner-up.
PIAZZA: Maybe Miss North Carolina, the actual Miss USA winner is like, "All right. Someone take some topless pictures of me stat."
HAMMER: But even though this battle is over, no one thinks we`ve heard the last question about gay marriage, nude photos and the relevancy of beauty pageants. And that`s probably just the way Donald Trump likes it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
There is no question that all this controversy is really good for business. But the question remains, did Donald Trump make the right decision in allowing Miss California to keep her crown?
Well, joining me tonight in New York, CNN legal analyst and anchor for the legal network, "In Session," Lisa Bloom. Also in New York, it`s Midwin Charles, an attorney who runs Midwin Charles and Associates.
Lisa, what do you think, did Trump make the right decision or should Miss California have lost that crown?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: All this talk about flag waving and honor and dignity is as phony as Miss California`s breasts. I mean, come on.
Here`s what happened. Trump over the weekend pored over those topless photos. I was looking at the contract, by the way, which is very clear that she should have been fired for lying and for posing for the pictures. He`s looking at the photos.
And as time goes on, I think his was starting to rot. He becomes the blithering idiot. You know, he might be a brilliant real estate investor. But when it comes to attractive young women, he`s going to stand right next to them and protect them every single time. And that`s what he did here.
HAMMER: Well, we have to evolve, Lisa. As Donald Trump said, "Hey, it`s the 21st century." Come on. Midwin, what do you think? Did Trump get it right?
MIDWIN CHARLES, ATTORNEY, MIDWIN CHARLES AND ASSOCIATES: I don`t think he got it right from the perspective of what Miss USA purports to be, which is to stand as a bastion for young women and, you know, a role model. And I think it sends a wrong message to young girls that you can lie in order to get into a contest. And when you`re caught lying, you still get to keep your job, you know?
But on the other hand, he made the right decision with respect to publicity and generating buzz for Miss USA. So it`s kind of a two-prong answer, A.J.
HAMMER: Of course, the whole drama started all the way back on April 19 at the Miss USA pageant when Miss California gave that controversial response to that heated question about same sex marriage. So let`s now listen to how Donald Trump reacted to the whole mess at the press conference.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We had a little bit of a dilemma with Carrie, who`s here, who`s lovely, and who gave a very, very honest answer when asked a very tough question at the recent pageant. If her beauty wasn`t so great, nobody really would have cared. But that`s not the way it worked out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. If her beauty wasn`t so great, nobody would have cared. Lisa, do you agree? Were she not a lovely girl, would we be having this conversation right now?
BLOOM: OK. Translation - because she`s so beautiful, Donald doesn`t care. Because she is so beautiful, he is dying to keep her. I mean, A.J., I`m not kidding. There are actual psychological studies that show when men look at pictures of beautiful women in bikinis, they get stupid. They`re unable to do simple problem solving puzzles. I`m not kidding.
And that`s what I think happened here when Donald looked at those pictures over and over and over again over the weekend. He didn`t care about the contract. He didn`t care about right and wrong. He just wanted to keep her.
HAMMER: So, the question is, did he feel more strongly that way after seeing these latest pictures because obviously - yes, it wasn`t just the gay marriage controversy that put Carrie Prejean`s title on the line. There were the seminude photos we were talking about.
And then this, just this morning - these scandalous photos surfaced on TMZ showing Prejean posing, well, topless, more or less. Many of us, when we heard this and saw these thought, "That`s going to be the nail in the coffin. That obviously didn`t end up happening." You`ve got to hear what Trump said about the racy photos. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We`re in the 21st century. So, we`ve made a determination that the pictures taken were acceptable. They were fine. In many cases, they were actually lovely pictures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Midwin, do you buy that rationale at all?
CHARLES: OK. I`m counting "lovely" three, four times and "beautiful" several times. So, if I were Melania Trump, I`d be very nervous right now.
HAMMER: All right.
CHARLES: I`d be very nervous right now.
HAMMER: All right. We can leave it at that, I think. As if the story wasn`t strange enough, I`ve got to tell you, I think Miss California handed us a new first today with that wind defense. You know, Prejean says she wasn`t supposed to be exposed in those photos.
But you know, they were shot on a windy day up there on a cliff off the beach. Now, listen, I`ve got to give her credit, because truthfully, wardrobe malfunctions do happen on photo shoots. So Lisa Bloom, on that basis, do you buy that excuse?
BLOOM: This is my favorite issue in the whole thing. First of all, her hair`s not blowing at all, but I guess the wind blow unbuttoned - somehow blew the buttoned undone on that vest.
HAMMER: It was a little windy.
BLOOM: . blew her arms up - blew her so she`s looking directly at the camera and blew the photographer`s finger down on the hit button so the picture gets taken. I mean, clearly, these are posed pictures. And for her to say that she didn`t know because it was windy, I mean, that`s the most preposterous lie of all.
HAMMER: Maybe our friend, Donald Trump, will examine them again tonight, just to be sure. Lisa Bloom. Midwin Charles, thank you.
And I`d like you to stay right where you are because, coming up, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Trump`s beauty backlash. Will there be a big backlash against the Donald and Carrie Prejean because she got to keep her crown? That is coming up in just a bit.
But now, over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Carrie Prejean: Does she deserve to lose her Miss California crown?" Let us know what you think, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Tonight, Oprah`s apologizing to somebody she really crowned on the head. She totally trashed this guy, one of the biggest names in showbiz. And tonight she`s saying, "You get an apology. You get an apology." It`s Oprah`s big "I`m sorry," and it is coming up.
Also, the explosive Obama comedienne controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SYKES: Maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: President Obama laughed at that Wanda Sykes joke. Tonight, there is brand-new outrage. Should the president have laughed at that routine, comparing talk show host Rush Limbaugh to a 9/11 hijacker, and even jokes wishing Rush dead?
And Farrah Fawcett speaks. Tonight, Farrah`s very first dramatic interview since being diagnosed with cancer. Private details of her courageous battle. What Farrah has desperately wished for, but hasn`t received. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Boy George out of jail early, was serving time for falsely imprisoning a male escort. Yoko Ono opens John Lennon exhibit at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in NYC.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. And tonight, it is no laughing matter. The explosive President Obama comedienne controversy. During the White House Correspondents` Dinner, Wanda Sykes made some jokes comparing talk show host Rush Limbaugh to a 9/11 hijacker. Wanda even wished Rush dead. Well, the president laughed. And that`s got a lot of people outraged.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s OK for a president to laugh at a joke about his own anatomy.
SYKES: I don`t need to see your nipples.
MOOS: But should he have nipped his smile in the bud when he heard this?
SYKES: I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker, but he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight.
MOOS: Bury that smile in a sip.
SYKES: Too much?
MOOS: When do you wipe the smile off your face to 9/11 jokes? Says the president`s press secretary.
ROBERT GIBBS, PRESIDENT OBAMA`S PRESS SECRETARY: Better left for serious reflection rather than comedy.
MOOS: But that was after his boss couldn`t suppress a grin.
SYKES: Rush Limbaugh - I hope the country fails. I hope his kidneys fail, how about that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "I hope his kidneys fail" - what the hell was that?
MOOS: Rush Limbaugh failed - failed to take the bait ignoring comedienne Wanda Sykes` jokes. He didn`t take a jab at the star-studded roast itself.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: . going into the big White House soiree - showbiz for ugly people.
MOOS: An event where you cross a Demi Moore and a Wolf Blitzer and Owen Wilson and a Glenn Beck. Where a Sarah Palin abstinence joke got a mixed reaction.
SYKES: Shut up. You`re going to be telling that one tomorrow.
MOOS: Instead, the Rush Limbaugh jokes were the ones being retold.
SYKES: He needs a good waterboarding. That`s what he needs.
(LAUGHTER)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": It`s funny. He was laughing - I don`t know if they could hear it.
MOOS (on camera): The president did do a lot of laughing many times at his own jokes while telling them. The president could barely get through the joke about the permanently tanned house minority leader.
OBAMA: He is a person of color, although not a color that appears in the natural world.
MOOS (voice-over): Perpetual tan. Permission to laugh. Kidney failure. Laughter discretion advised.
SYKES: But you`re laughing inside. I know your lips.
MOOS: Wanda Sykes got a kiss from the president and a hug from the first lady, while Secret Service agents kept their smiles secret.
SYKES: God forbid if this Joe Biden falls in the hands of a terrorist. God forbid.
MOOS: Some struggled to stifle their laughter even before the punch line.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Those Secret Service guys wanted to laugh. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, I`ve got to tell you there is another controversy just raging on our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines. We ask, is it fair to criticize Elizabeth Edwards who`s dying of cancer for writing a book, going on TV shows and speaking out about her husband`s affair?
Well, we got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Vicky in North Carolina who says leave Elizabeth alone.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Listen, let`s not forget who the victim is. She has every right to feel the way she feels. And if it helps her by writing a book, good for you, Elizabeth. Keep going.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m right there with you, Vicky. Thanks for your call. We also heard from Julie calling into "Showbiz on Call" from South Dakota who pretty much agrees with Vicky.
CALLER: I think she has every right to talk about what happened and what`s going on with her husband because after all that is her husband. Everybody else wants to know what the mistress is thinking and doing. Well, why not her? She`s married to him.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Julie. You too can call us at "Showbiz on Call." The number is 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
You know, say what you will about him, I got to hand it to Donald Trump. He knows how to milk something for press. In typical Donald drama, he decides not to fire Miss California for those seminude photos or speaking out against gay marriage.
But tonight, the Trump beauty backlash? Will there be a big backlash against Donald and Carrie Prejean because she got to keep her crown? Or will Carrie get even more sympathy now? That fired-up debate is coming up.
Also, I go one on one with the reporter who got Farrah Fawcett`s very first interview since revealing that she was battling cancer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I think what she felt was that her privacy was invaded over and over again. Anytime she`d go in for a treatment, something about it would run in the "Enquirer" or another tabloid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brand-new private details of her courageous battle, and what Farrah has desperately wished for, but hasn`t received.
And for the first time, both Kiefer Sutherland and Brooke Shields speaking out about Kiefer`s alleged head-butt. Is Brooke standing behind him?
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: FX buys the rights to air new "Star Trek" movie. Jamie Foxx to host BET Awards, will air June 28 from L.A.
Time now for "Hollywood at Home," where stars reveal the secrets of how they juggle their careers while trying to have a normal home life.
Tonight, "The View`s" Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She and husband former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck have two kids. One is on the way. So how do they keep everything in order at home? Listen to what Elisabeth tells us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": We stay home a lot. It`s truly - you know, I think just making family a priority and making sure that you still court one another. Dinner for us is about seven minutes, if that, with the kids, every single night. And then we`re, you know - bath, bed, story. We split them up, milk, stories again in bed.
You know, when you`re a working couple and you have obligations that take you outside of the house often, you just sort of have to keep it real and simple. And spend as much time as possible at home with one another and, you know, take advantage of the small dates when you have them. That work for us. But, you know, we`re pretty low maintenance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer with some more stories that are making news right now.
Tonight, Brooke Shields is defending Kiefer Sutherland over his alleged head-butting. And Kiefer - well, he`s sort of, kind of talking about it. Kiefer`s been charged with assault for allegedly head-butting a fashion designer at a star-studded party in New York.
The story reportedly goes that the guy bumped into Brooke. Kiefer and he exchanged words. Then Kiefer allegedly cracked the guy in the face with his head.
Now, in a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Brooke Shields is saying, quote, "While at the party, she was bumped into by Jack McCullough and Kiefer Sutherland became concerned. Kiefer has always been a gentleman in her company. Both Jack and Kiefer are friends of Ms. Shields and she regrets this unfortunate situation."
All right, but gentlemen can lose it. I`m just saying. Well, here`s what the "24" star is telling us, "Kiefer Sutherland was neither the instigator nor a wrongdoer in this incident. Out of respect for this law enforcement process, Kiefer Sutherland will not be making any comment."
I certainly hope this can work out for everybody. Well, in a brand- new interview in today`s "Rachael Ray Show," Kate Gosselin is speaking out about reports that her husband is cheating on her with a 23-year-old. Kate, from TLC`s reality show, "Jon and Kate Plus Eight," tells Rachael she`s dealing with this as best as she can hoping to keep it as private as possible for the sake of their eight kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON AND KATE PLUS EIGHT": We`re just taking it one step at a time, just trying to walk through it. And yes, the focus remains on our kids. It has always been there. It will continue to be there.
RACHAEL RAY, HOST, "THE RACHAEL RAY SHOW": So that`s your starting point. You start with the children. The two of you talk about what`s best for them and move forward from there.
K. GOSSELIN: One day at a time, like we have always done. One hour at a time. One minute at a time. My life`s been like that. You know, you have sextuplets. You don`t take it a day at a time anymore. It`s a minute at a time sometimes.
It`s definitely yet another learning experience. I look at life, you know, through the eyes of my kids, in that I`ve always said, you know, life experiences, life experiences. I feel like you can learn something out of every situation. And I am absolutely learning a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You want to protect your kids? Don`t put them on TV. That`s what I`m thinking. In a brand-new "People" magazine interview, Kate also addresses the reports that she`s cheating on her husband with a bodyguard. Kate says those claims are disgusting, unthinkable and unfathomable.
Now the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT lineup. This is what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Donald Trump doesn`t fire Miss California. But will there be a beauty backlash against him and her for letting her keep her crown? Or will Carrie Prejean get more sympathy?
Oprah`s dramatic apology. First, she trashes one of the biggest names in showbiz. And now she`s saying, "I`m sorry."
And I`m going one on one with the reporter who got Farrah Fawcett`s very first interview since she revealed she was fighting cancer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Cat Stevens plays first U.S. show in almost 33 years. Oprah says goodbye to Dr. Oz. He`s about to launch his own show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If Carrie were a very nice-looking young woman - if she were an average young woman, if she were an average man, if she were a great- looking man, it wouldn`t have mattered. Nobody would have cared.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the Donald Trump beauty queen showdown. The Donald doesn`t fire Miss California even as brand-new topless photos of her hit the web. Does this mean backlash for Donald or more sympathy for Miss California?
Farrah Fawcett speaks out in a very first interview since being diagnosed with cancer. Farrah`s brand-new mission to take back her privacy as she battles through her private pain.
And why is Oprah saying sorry to a guy she broke into a million little pieces?
Plus, more stories breaking from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT 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.
And tonight, it`s Trump`s beauty backlash. The Miss California photo scandal came to a stunning climax today when Donald Trump made his big announcement about the fate of Carrie Prejean. It is the hottest story out there making big news right now.
New tonight, Donald Trump speaks. The Donald announces his decision to let Miss California keep her crown. But, will he be the butt of major backlash for his decision? Or is it time to lay off Miss California?
Plus, brand-new salacious topless photos of Miss California surface just hours before she stood before international press to take some serious grilling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does it say about being a role model to young girls if it appears the way to get ahead in your game is to be dishonest?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We have got her emotional speech and an exclusive with the Donald. It came to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right after the big event.
Joining me tonight in New York, Lisa Bloom, who is a CNN legal analyst and an anchor for the legal network, "In Session." Also tonight in New York, Midwin Charles, who is an attorney with the law firm, Midwin Charles and Associates.
So we now know Donald Trump is letting Miss California keep her crown. And he decided the topless photos of Miss California, fine. Accusations that she wasn`t doing her job and fulfilling her obligations to the crown, no big deal. Lisa Bloom, to you first. What do you think? Do you agree with Donald`s decision to let her stay?
BLOOM: Well, she clearly violated her contract which I read every bit of. She says, "It`s 12 pages long. You can`t expect me to read it." You know, I`m capable of reading 12 entire pages, and I did.
And it said if she had any seminude pictures, for any reason whatsoever, that was grounds for termination. And if she swore she never had any and she lied about it, that was also grounds for termination.
Now, he decided he didn`t want to terminate her. That was within his decision-making power. But she clearly violated her contract and he decided to give her a pass.
HAMMER: And Midwin, what do you think? Could Donald possibly be facing a little backlash here for letting Miss California keep her title? Or do you think everything is going to be fine for him?
CHARLES: I think everything will be fine for him. You know Donald. He loves the limelight. He`s never met a camera he didn`t like.
But I agree with Lisa. I think that, first all, this sends a bad message. She lied, straight up and down. There`s no denying it. She clearly knew what she was reading when she read it. And she lied and said she didn`t pose nude. But I don`t think Donald will have any backlash at all.
HAMMER: Yes. You know what? Some people may say, "Hey, Donald. You`re a hypocrite for your decision." He doesn`t care.
CHARLES: He doesn`t.
HAMMER: He also explained why he thinks there`s so much controversy over Miss California`s stance against gay marriage. He says people freaked out because - well, she`s beautiful. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: If Carrie weren`t so beautiful, this would never have come. Carrie is totally beautiful, and her answer, because of that, took on greater importance. Unfortunately, that`s the way the press works. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Donald, I got news for you. I`m not ashamed of myself tonight. Lisa, what do you think? Does Donald have a point? I mean, did the media just go crazy over Miss California`s statement? Because hey, she`s beautiful. Not just OK looking, she`s gorgeous? Or are you with me - perhaps he`s oversimplifying it just a little bit?
BLOOM: I love Donald Trump criticizing anyone for being interested in looking at beautiful women. OK? Donald Trump, are you kidding me?
Look, of course we like to show the videos of her because she is very beautiful. But this dispute arose because the question was, did she lose the title because Perez Hilton voted against her because of a political answer?
That`s why this became a hotbed of activity. And then she fanned the flames by getting involved with these anti-gay marriage organizations. Donald Trump is the one, I think, who gave her a pass because she`s so beautiful.
HAMMER: Yes.
BLOOM: He`s the one that keeps talking about it over and over and over again, obsessively in the press conference. She`s so beautiful. She`s so beautiful. She`s so beautiful. I mean, I think he`s the one that really had his decision clouded because she`s pretty.
CHARLES: Exactly.
HAMMER: I think he used the word "lovely" a few times as well. And I don`t know about you guys, but I was shocked. There were tears today at the press conference. Miss California also spoke. She gave a long emotional speech to the press, talked about everything from the racy photos to why she`s stands by her initial answer that marriage should be, you know, opposite marriage between a man and a woman. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PREJEAN: On April 19th, on that stage, I exercised my freedom of speech. And I was punished for doing so. This should not happen in America. It undermined the constitutional rights for which my grandfather fought for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. I`m trying here. Midwin, to you - it`s not right I`m laughing, is it? What you see was really an emotional -
CHARLES: You`re killing me, A.J.
HAMMER: I know. And get ready for the question coming off of that. She`s crying. I`m laughing. Do you have sympathy for her now?
CHARLES: I don`t have sympathy for her. I mean, on the one hand, I do agree. She clearly has a First Amendment right to speak her mind. But we have to remember here, she fanned the flames herself when she said she didn`t believe that she lost because of what she said.
So, she was the one, to a certain extent, that instigated this. So, she kind of got, you know, what she was asking for, which was attention and the limelight.
HAMMER: Well, we thought there was going to be a deal breaker when these new racy topless photos of Miss California surfaced really just hours before Donald announced his decision to let her stay.
I`ll tell you, the photos that we saw don`t have that black bar on them. These photos are scandalous. Lisa, should though have been a game- changer for Donald Trump to say, "You`re fired?"
BLOOM: I think so. I think here`s what happened. He reviewed milder photos over the weekend. He decided he was going to rule in her favor. He was going to stick by her. And then, this morning, at the last minute, these photos surfaced.
And I just think he didn`t want to change his mind so they came up with lame excuses like the wind blew her top off.
HAMMER: Yes.
BLOOM: . to try to preserve what they wanted to preserve. Look, Donald`s looking out for number one and that`s Donald. He loves the controversy. It`s great for the Miss USA pageant. Nobody talks about Miss USA anymore. It`s an antiquated, silly old pageant. Now it`s in the limelight. He loves it. He`s even going to bring Perez Hilton back next year.
HAMMER: That`s his plan. Not everybody, though, at this press conference wanted to let Miss California off the hook for that explanation. There was one reporter who refused to let it go. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact is, these pictures existed and they`ve made their way out there, pictures that you say didn`t exist. And to some young girls, it may make you look like a liar. So my question is, what does that say about being a role model to young girls if it appears the way to get ahead in your game is to be dishonest?
PREJEAN: Well.
TRUMP: By the way, I want to say, I think it`s a very unfair question.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it`s not.
TRUMP: There`s no dishonesty here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLES: Is he serious?
HAMMER: Yes. That made me hot.
CHARLES: Is he serious?
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, oh, I was angry when I heard that. Well.
CHARLES: How is that an unfair question? It is fact.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s right there at the crux of the entire scandal. Lisa saw the contract. I saw the contract. Midwin, I believe you saw the contract.
CHARLES: Yes, it`s just fact. Like, that is so ridiculous for him to say that that`s an unfair question. It is fact. She lied.
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOM: Donald Trump doesn`t want her answering any hard questions without a script, OK?
HAMMER: Right.
BLOOM: We know what happens when she`s unscripted. She talks about opposite marriage, and she gets all choked up. So, when she sticks to the script, she can read.
CHARLES: Yes.
BLOOM: She does a pretty good job. But he wants this to go a way he wants it to go. He`s being very careful to protect her. That`s what`s happening now.
HAMMER: Well, to that point and to something you were saying earlier about how much he loves this, I`ve got to get to this, because in the end, I see that Carrie Prejean - yes, she`s a winner. She keeps her crown. Our constitutional right to speak our minds. Hey, we score victory there.
But the one thing we all know, the big winner today is the guy who drove that point home when he spoke exclusively with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT after the press conference. Roll it out, please.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Miss USA and Miss Universe are hotter than they`ve ever been. We just got a three-year extension from the big network. And we`re on network television. And you know, sadly, Miss America`s essentially off the air.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good for you, Donald. Lisa, 10 seconds. Are you with me? Isn`t it Trump who really won the jackpot in this whole deal?
BLOOM: He is a marketing genius. He has dragged this out. He has emerged triumphant. Not at all surprising.
HAMMER: Lisa bloom, Midwin Charles, I thank you both.
Well, we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Carrie Prejean: Does she deserve to lose her Miss California crown?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Or you can E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, tonight, Farrah Fawcett speaking out for the first time about her private battle with cancer. And why she`s so public with her private pain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I think what she felt was her privacy was invaded over and over again. Anytime she`d go in for a treatment, something about it would run in the "Enquirer" or another tabloid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The inside story of Farrah`s battle for privacy and what she wants to happen to the people who tried to hurt her. I go one on one with the reporter who got Farrah`s first interview since being diagnosed with cancer. It is the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Plus, why is Oprah saying she`s sorry to a guy who lied to her face? A brand-new interview reveals why Oprah`s apologizing for breaking him into a million little pieces.
And war over Maria Carey. The new song that has got Mariah`s husband Nick Cannon challenging Eminem to a big old smackdown. You`ve got to hear it and you will, coming up. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Eminem and Jimmy Kimmel to fly about 200 laid off workers to Kimmel taping Friday. Joan Rivers to host TV land series "How`d You Get So Rich?"
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, Farrah Fawcett`s new fight. In a just released interview, Farrah Fawcett opens up for the very first time since being diagnosed with cancer.
Charles Ornstein - he was a reporter with the "L.A. Times" and spent three hours with the Hollywood icon back in August of 2008.
In the interview, Fawcett opened up about going after the tabloid magazines for making up stories about her battle with cancer and how she also went after UCLA for leaking information about her illness.
When I spoke to Charles Ornstein, I asked him if Farrah ever expected to take the fight as far as she did. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHARLES ORNSTEIN, "L.A. TIMES" REPORTER: One thing she pointed out to me was that celebrities typically don`t want to make an issue when their privacy is invaded, if they`ve had some type of plastic surgery or something they`re embarrassed about. You know, they don`t want to make a big deal about it, because they don`t want to bring it up a second time.
But I think what she felt was that her privacy was invaded over and over again. Anytime she`d go in for a treatment, something about it would run in the "Enquirer" or another tabloid. So she felt like she had to stand up for it.
HAMMER: Well, in your interview, she reveals to you how she actually set up a sting operation with her doctor so she could catch who was leaking this information. I want to watch what she said to you in that interview.
ORNSTEIN: Great.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAWCETT: When that first or second article came out, I knew immediately that the information was coming from UCLA.
ORNSTEIN: Yes.
FAWCETT: . to the "National Enquirer." So, when my cancer came back, that`s when I set it up with the doctor. I said, "OK, you know and I know. So, I knew that if it came out, it was coming from UCLA." And I couldn`t believe how fast it came out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. So, Farrah said she couldn`t believe how fast the news was leaked. Were you surprised though, Charles?
ORNSTEIN: Well, it was like four days. And I guess you`re never surprised with celebrities when they go to a restaurant or they go to the beach or they got to the movies, or even when they go to the doctor`s office.
When you see it on the news or see it in a magazine, you kind of come to expect that. What`s different here, though, was that the details of what happened in the doctor`s office, you know, became public. And she didn`t even have a chance to fully digest the news herself before it was totally public. She didn`t have a chance to tell the people she wanted to tell. She didn`t know how she would do it.
HAMMER: Farrah Fawcett has been an icon since her days on the hit `70s show "Charlie`s Angels." Here we are, Charles, some 30 years later. Why do you think that in 2009, people still really connect with Farrah Fawcett?
ORNSTEIN: Farrah Fawcett`s an icon. And Farrah Fawcett really established a connection with people whether it was the swimsuit model in the `70s or her being on "Charlie`s Angels" or even "The Burning Bed" and her as advocacy for domestic violence victims. People can relate to her at some stage of their lives. And she`s kind of just become this beloved figure that people really can feel for right now as she`s going through this difficult time.
HAMMER: What a life. What a legacy. Charles Ornstein, thank you so much for being with us. I appreciate it.
ORNSTEIN: Thanks, A.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Farrah`s desperate plea for privacy really is remarkable. It almost even makes it more heartbreaking that she has to deal with this drama while she`s in the fight of her life.
Well, joining me here in New York is Katrina Szish. She`s a celebrity journalist. Also in Hollywood tonight, Ken Baker, executive news editor for "E!"
So, as we`ve just heard, Farrah says she knew instantly that somebody had leaked information about her health to the "National Enquirer" back in 2007. That was because such a limited amount of people, basically her and her doctor, were aware that her cancer had returned.
And now, as Farrah battles for her life, she refuses to back down from her fight with the tabloids. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORNSTEIN: Would you like to the "Enquirer" indicted?
FAWCETT: Yes.
ORNSTEIN: You`ll be happy with that?
FAWCETT: Very. They obviously know it`s like buying stolen goods. You know, you know that you`re committing a crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can`t ignore Farrah`s really waging two brave battles here. Ken, are you surprised how she`s going after this privacy issue in what, by all accounts, are really her final days?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": I`m not surprised that it bugs her. Look, she was extremely violated for a long time at this hospital in L.A. along with a lot of other celebrities, by the way. Britney Spears was among the celebrities at the same hospital whose privacy was violated.
But I think what is interesting is that Farrah Fawcett was a target of the tabloids for most of her career. And for this to be happening in her dying days, it really was an extreme violation. And for that reason, I`m not surprised.
But I would say this. She is a very weak woman. She is right down the street in L.A. By all accounts, she is on her death bed, literally. And it`s a very sad time for her family.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s so sad all around. Farrah`s fighting the tabloids, UCLA Medical Center, as you mentioned, and she`s fighting for her life. All of this is part of this very emotional documentary.
But what`s terrific is to see that Farrah remains positive through it all. Listen to what she has to say about her legacy. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FAWCETT: I`m holding on to the hope that there is some reason that I got cancer and there is something that may not be very clear to me right now, but that I will do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Farrah certainly is going to have a legacy as an American icon. But Katrina, now, she`s really going to have another lasting legacy as a champion of sorts for other stars who have also been victims?
KATRINA SZISH, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: That`s absolutely right. Since Farrah realized and kind of launch her own sting operation to find out which employee at UCLA Medical Center was leaking her records and those of other celebrities, there were actually new laws instituted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that are imposing tougher penalties on individuals and institutions who violate privacy.
So, Farrah has already done something to protect celebrities and real people as well. So this isn`t just a fight in vain. This isn`t certainly something that she`s personally benefiting from. But she really is helping others during her last days.
HAMMER: And the name of the documentary appropriately called "Farrah`s Fight." It`s going to airing Friday on NBC. It will also feature her longtime partner, Ryan O`Neal. Now, Ryan has said Farrah does not know that their son Redmond is on jail on drug charges. But Redmond was briefly released so he could see his mother at her bedside. And Ryan describes that heartbreaking scene to the "Today" show`s Meredith Vieira. Take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: There are scenes that are so powerful, and one of the ones that I saw involved her son, Redmond, coming back. He`s in chains. He`s shackled.
RYAN O`NEAL, FARRAH FAWCETT`S LONGTIME PARTNER: Legs, iron - restraints, everything, like he was John Dillinger. And then they unfastened him and let him go back and see his mother, who`s in bed. When he went in to her, I said, "Don`t rattle your chains," because he had them on his legs.
VIEIRA: Right. So that she wouldn`t know.
O`NEAL: She doesn`t know. She just holds him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Such an intimate glimpse into Farrah`s private battle. Ken, only 15 seconds, but I`ve got to ask, do you think fans really want to be this up-close-and-personal in her Farrah`s final days?
BAKER: I think this is going to be compelling television. And you really have to commend her for her bravery to show this side of cancer, because this is the real side of cancer that a lot of us have experienced through loved ones or personally.
HAMMER: Yes.
BAKER: So, you really have to really commend her for that.
HAMMER: She`s been so, so strong. Ken Baker, Katrina Szish, I thank you both.
Well, as we move on, coming up, Oprah`s brand-new big apology. Tonight, she`s saying, "I`m sorry" to one of the biggest names in showbiz, a guy who lied to Oprah and the world. He reveals why Oprah`s apologizing for breaking him into a million little pieces. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Growing Up Gotti" star Victoria Gotti facing eviction from home shown in reality show. Van Halen will be featured in new "Guitar Hero" video game out later this year.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
So tonight, we`re asking, why is Oprah making a big-time apology to controversial author James Frey? Frey, of course, made headlines when Oprah chose his book, "A Million Little Pieces," for her book club, and it became a massive bestseller. But when he later admitted that the so-called memoir was mostly fiction, Oprah broke him into a million little pieces.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": It`s difficult for me to talk to you because I really feel duped. I was really behind this book because so many people seem to have gotten so much out of it and I believed in the fact that so many people were. But now, I feel that you conned us all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, now, in a brand-new revealing interview with "Vanity Fair," Frey says Oprah called him last fall to apologize for putting him through the public beat-down. Frey says Oprah blames her ego and sense of personal betrayal.
He says this, quote, "It was a nice surprise to hear from her, and I really appreciated the call and the sentiment. When I heard her say, `I felt I owe you an apology,` I was very grateful."
Frey`s new book is called "Bright Shiny Morning," and it is out in paperback today.
Well, tonight, Mariah Carey`s husband, Nick Cannon, is just furious with Eminem. Nick married Mariah last year and he is blasting Eminem for his new song "Bagpipes From Baghdad."
In the song, Eminem disses both Mariah and Nick and their marriage. Eminem, who claims to have had a relationship with Mariah - she denies it - asked Mariah in the song to leave Nick and come back to him.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Well, Cannon has challenged Eminem to a bit of a smackdown call him "Slim Lamey." No word yet on whether Eminem has accepted said challenge.
On Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this - "Elizabeth Edwards Tells All: Is the backlash against her unfair?" And a lot of people coming to Elizabeth`s defense. 69 percent said yes, unfair; 31 percent, no.
Among the E-mails, one from Mary who writes, "Elizabeth should have dealt with her husband`s affair back when she was confronted with it instead of hiding her head in the sand."
But Casey says, "I think she is justified in writing her book. She has a story to tell. Let her tell it! Leave Elizabeth alone."
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. here on HLN.
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