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Showbiz Tonight
Jon Gosselin Opens Up; Oprah Slammed; Angelina Jolie Knocks Down Oprah in Celebrity Status; LeAnn Rimes a Stalker?
Aired June 03, 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, Jon speaks. Tonight, for the first time since the cheating scandals broke, the dad from "Jon & Kate Plus 8" opens up in an explosive new interview. Will his marriage survive? Are his kids being exploited?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The fact that she is gone and their work is driving a wedge between their family, then you get a different line of work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Also, Jon and Kate cashing in. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the shocking amount of money Jon and Kate are making from their show.
Oprah attacked. Tonight, a brand-new startling all-out slam on Oprah. Are some of her health claims dangerous? Plus, why Oprah is no longer world`s most powerful celebrity. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals who just dethroned her.
And LeAnn Rimes a stalker? Tonight, the wife of a star LeAnn was accused of having an affair with reveals why she`s now scared of LeAnn.
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, Jon speaks out. Tonight, for the very first time since the whole Jon and Kate scandal exploded Jon Gosselin is opening up about the chaos surrounding his life and the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" reality show. And what we are about to tell you, you have not heard yet.
Today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got an advance copy of Jon`s first interview, where he tells "People" magazine, quote, "Enough is enough." And this is why today`s breaking Jon and Kate developments are making big news right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": Very swiftly, we turned into two different people, and it`s just hard.
HAMMER (voice-over): Theirs is perhaps the most discussed marriage in the country right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s the status of where you guys are right now?
K. GOSSELIN: I wish I knew.
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": I don`t know.
HAMMER: Now, for the first time, Jon Gosselin of the TLC reality show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8," is speaking out about his troubled marriage, the critics, and the paparazzi.
KATE COYNE, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: He is really hurting.
HAMMER: On "LARRY KING LIVE," People`s Kate Coyne gives us a sneak peek into the magazine`s new issue where Jon reveals he and Kate are dealing with their marital problems off camera.
COYNE: Both Jon and Kate are dealing with some serious pain, and they`re really struggling to figure out what they`re going to do about their marriage.
HAMMER: Anyone who`s watched the first few episodes of the new season of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" sees that this couple isn`t exactly happily together as they raise their eight adorable children.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CHILD: Happy birthday, Mommy!
HAMMER: There are the separate vacations.
K. GOSSELIN: Jon`s away. So it`s kind of sad.
HAMMER: The separate interviews.
J. GOSSELIN: This season, sometimes, you`ll see Kate and I interviewed separately. It really depends on how things are going. And we have really busy schedules.
HAMMER: Heck, they`re even taking separate birthdays.
J. GOSSELIN: I went out to Utah for like five more days, and it just happened to fall on Kate`s birthday.
HAMMER: But despite the fact that the couple hardly ever appears on camera together or even acknowledges each other on their own show, Jon tells "People" he`s not angry at Kate.
He says, quote, "I`d say it`s more that I`m upset about certain things. I think all parents and anyone who is married are always going to have times when you`re upset with someone."
COYNE: They`re really at an impasse, you know. She doesn`t know what to do. He doesn`t know what he wants. It`s really a difficult situation.
HAMMER: And that situation is made even more difficult by the almost daily tabloid coverage the couple`s been getting.
MARC MALKIN, "E! NEWS ONLINE": These two are on the cover of every tabloid for weeks now. You know, accusations of cheating. Accusations of not talking. Accusations of exploiting their children.
HAMMER: About the tabloids and paparazzi, Jon tells "People," quote, "I always think enough is enough already and they should just move on to somebody else."
MALKIN: My response to Jon is, "Sorry, mister, you make your bed. You`ve got to lay in it."
HAMMER: Marc Malkin of "E! News Online" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he doesn`t feel a lot of sympathy for the Gosselins.
MALKIN: You signed up to do a reality show that is covering your family 24/7. And now, when you don`t like the attention, you say enough is enough? You can`t have it both ways.
HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Jon and Kate are 100 percent together on fighting the critics who say they`re exploiting their kids for television ratings or, in Kate`s case, book sales.
K. GOSSELIN: I know that it looks, you know, like it`s all about me all the time.
HAMMER: Kate talks about the criticism on the show.
K. GOSSELIN: What you don`t see is down deep inside, it`s a desperate desire to provide for my kids.
HAMMER: And now, Jon`s using even stronger language to fight the exploitation claims. He tells "People," quote, "Exploited? I don`t even want to use that word because I think it`s ridiculous."
He goes on to say, quote, "We have healthy, happy, well-adjusted, educated kids. They`re bouncing around and having a good time."
MALKIN: Obviously, Kate and Jon are never going to say, "Yes, we`re exploiting our kids. We`re doing everything we can to make money off of our kids." It`s a tricky situation.
HAMMER: A tricky family situation that promises to get even trickier before our very eyes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
OK. So Jon says enough is enough. He has had enough of the paparazzi and he insists his kids are not being exploited.
Joining me tonight in New York is CNN legal analyst Lisa Bloom. And from Hollywood, Sharon Waxman, who`s the founder and editor-in-chief of the exciting and the headline-making Web site "TheWrap.com."
So this is the first time, guys, we`re hearing from Jon Gosselin directly since the cheating scandals and the whole marital mess exploded. The burning question that`s really on everybody`s mind is will Jon and Kate actually make their marriage work?
Well, in this brand-new interview released today. Jon telling "People" magazine, quote, "It`s a private matter, and we`re discussing it privately."
Lisa, are you with me that by giving what is really such a generic and rehearsed answer here, isn`t Jon certainly fueling the speculation about what`s really going on?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, it certainly is odd to give an interview to a major national magazine like "People" and then essentially say, "I don`t want to talk about anything," especially when you`re a star of the reality show that`s all about your personal life.
But honestly, A.J., I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for Kate. And I feel sorry for the kids because they are regular people when all is said and done. They`re probably going through a divorce or at least a separation, a very painful time. And my heart goes out to them.
I mean, I don`t know what the right thing for them to do is here. They`re the subject of all of this tabloid frenzy. I don`t blame them. I would probably want privacy too if I were them.
HAMMER: Yes. And if you flash back for a moment and try to put yourself in their shoes when they were first approached about doing this show, it seemed like a good idea. And they didn`t look at the big picture and what this all could potentially mean.
And now, as we`ve seen, it`s just unraveled before our very eyes. Everybody is obviously wondering and worried about the welfare of these kids because they, in fact, are at the center of all of the attention here.
And in the brand-new interview, Jon addresses this. He fires back at all the critics who say Jon and Kate are exploiting their kids by allowing this reality show to go on.
Here`s what Jon`s saying, quote, "Exploited? I don`t even want to use that word because I think it`s ridiculous. We`re a family that happens to be on TV, not a TV family. We have healthy, happy, well-adjusted, educated kids. Kate and I have worked our hardest to raise them that way."
Now, here`s my problem with the statement. He`s making a ton of money off of a show that`s based on his kids. Sharon, how is that not exploitation?
SHARON WAXMAN, FOUNDER AND EDITOR IN CHIEF, THEWRAP.COM: It is exploitation. And the impact on his kids is something that is absolutely a legitimate point to bring up and a criticism to raise.
You really can`t have it both ways. You can`t be making - raking in money on a reality show which, by the way, most reality show stars, as you probably know, do not make. Most of these reality shows are people who are making scale or barely scale. It`s the people who produce the shows who make all the money.
So here, it`s pretty clear you have a couple people who don`t want to let go of what this phenomenon has brought to them personally, which is fame and fortune. And to say that you`re not doing it on the backs of your six adorable - sorry, eight - sextuplets and two more - eight adorable kids, is totally specious.
HAMMER: Yes.
WAXMAN: It`s a legitimate criticism.
HAMMER: And wait until you hear how much money they`re making. We`ll be getting into that a little later on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Also, in that quote, this really stuck out at me, when he said, "We`re a family that happens to be on TV, not a TV family." I mean, Lisa, really. I mean, really?
BLOOM: Yes, the cameras just happen to pop into their house one day and stayed for several years. Money just happened to come into their bank account. I mean, come on.
Look, these children, God bless them - we all hope that they are very healthy and happy for many years to come. But I think the effects of this may not show until later.
Who actually thinks that raising kids in a fishbowl is healthy, that having cameras and technical equipment and all kinds of behind-the-scenes staff in their home all the time is healthy?
I mean, I don`t think anybody actually thinks that except Jon and Kate and TLC and some of the other shows that do this.
HAMMER: Yes. Well.
WAXMAN: That`s something that we`ve been looking at, actually, as we`ve been doing this series on reality shows and what the fallout is. And what Lisa brings up is exactly what psychologists and therapists are saying.
It is a whole breed of new therapists who`s dealing with patients who are the detritus of reality shows, who have lots of emotional issues that come up in the wake of either being winners on reality shows or losers or having the effect of the cameras in the house and then having that fame go away.
HAMMER: Yes. And then of course all the attention that comes along with it.
WAXMAN: Right.
HAMMER: And I just want to bring up this point because Jon not only talking about his family in the brand-new interview. He also tells "People" magazine that the paparazzi are following his every move. And he says, quote, "Enough is enough already. They should just move on to somebody else."
I mean, Lisa, are you kidding me? Could he possibly believe the paparazzi are actually going to wake up tomorrow and say, "We`re over Jon and Kate?" I mean, come on.
BLOOM: It`s very much a case of be careful what you wish for. You put yourself out there. You spent a lot of time doing PR and trying to attract attention to the show. Well, guess what? The show now has attention.
But I do go back to the fact that they`re human beings in the midst of a terrible, painful time. Anybody who`s been through a divorce knows how awful it is. And I don`t envy them for having the paparazzi following them.
HAMMER: Yes, imagine all that unfolding in the public eye.
(CROSSTALK)
I`ve got to end it there, Sharon. I`m going to jump in. Sharon Waxman, Lisa Bloom, thank you both for being here.
Now, as I said, coming up, Jon and Kate cashing in. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT revealing to you the shocking amounts of money Jon and Kate are making from their controversial reality show. The question is, is it OK for them to cash in? It is a fired-up debate right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
All right. I am extraordinarily psyched to tell you this. Our very own Brooke Anderson has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. Everybody at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT over the moon for you, Brooke.
(APPLAUSE)
The young girl`s name, Kate Victoria, weighing in at eight pounds, one ounce. She came in at 20 inches long. So Brooke, again, all of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just so happy for you and your husband and little Kate.
And tomorrow, we`ll reveal Brooke`s baby album. The very first pictures of little Kate can be seen only, exclusively, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
As we move on, I know Oprah`s been criticized before, but tonight, this really could be the most devastating slam against Oprah yet. Tonight, the stunning accusation that some of Oprah`s health claims could be dangerous. And all that advice from Oprah`s celebrity guests, it could actually make people sick.
Plus, who has dethroned Oprah as the world`s most powerful celebrity? I`ll reveal the surprising star, coming up.
Also, I`ve got to tell you, I can`t believe the brand new words being thrown around about LeAnn Rimes. Tonight, why the wife of the star LeAnn`s been accused of having an affair with is now really scared of LeAnn. Why she`s calling LeAnn a stalker.
And we love vampires, right? Well, tonight, the surprising way a hit show about vampires is sucking in new viewers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Behold, "Tru Blood" in a bottle that you can drink, just like on the show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Blood. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Cher is suing Universal Music, claiming her and Sonny Bono`s heirs are owed millions. Miley Cyrus to launch 45-city tour, which kicks off September 14th in Portland, Oregon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, we love vampires. May I run down a couple of my favorites for you? You`ve got Dracula, of course. And then, you have this guy. Can we please show him? Yes, the count from "Sesame Street." And I love to start my morning, of course, with a nice bowl of Count Chocula. Who doesn`t, really? Come on.
Right now, one of the hottest shows out there, and it`s one of my personal favorites, HBO`s "Tru Blood." And as Season Two kicks off, the show is sucking in fans in a totally unique way.
Here`s CNN`s Carol Costello sinking her teeth into this vampire story for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I am Dracula.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I bid you welcome.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And we have. Americans have always been vampire crazy. Except now we don`t fear them. We.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You had sex with a vampire?
COSTELLO: . love them. It`s certainly part of why HBO`s "Tru Blood" is a bona fide hit after just one season.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, but you have other very juicy arteries.
COSTELLO: Fans are obsessed with the amorous, blood-drinking gorgeous vampires who live among us.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, I`m just saying there`s a reason things are the way they are.
COSTELLO: To keep viewers immersed in "Tru Blood`s" faux vampire world, HBO has come up with a faux world of advertising. Behold, Tru Blood in a bottle that you can drink, just like on the show.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Do you have any of that synthetic bottled blood?
COSTELLO: The ads that started to pop up online appear to advertise real products aimed at the vampires that live among us.
COURTNEY MOORE, HBO: The goal is certainly not to deceive anyone. But if it takes somebody sort of a second look to get it, that`s great, too.
COSTELLO: Some companies were so intrigued by HBO`s campaign they`ve now partnered with HBO to capture that young, hip vampire audience. Hence Gillette has agreed to advertise a dead, sexy razor for vampires who prefer the fusion shave. And the Mini Cooper is running ads for vampires who want to feel the wind in your fangs.
ANDREW HAMPP, AD AGE: If any of this - the awareness of these fake ads drives actual ratings or even subscriptions to the show, I think it`s all, you know, good.
COSTELLO: HBO certainly hopes so, but it`s leaving some consumers confused. They actually want to buy the fake products made for vampires that really don`t live among us.
The Blogger EnergyFiend writes, "I`ve looked all over the place. I thought it was like a juice or energy drink." Another blogger, Anemic Stitch, writes, "Very disappointing to learn that this was all just a sick joke."
Still, as they say in the TV biz, any buzz is good buzz. Or bite.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And that was CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And carol also tells me we will see more ads for more fake "Tru Blood" products popping up on billboards and at bus stations. I`d like to suggest a Tru Bloody Mary mix. By the way, "Tru Blood" is on HBO. HBO is owned by HLN`s parent company, Time Warner.
All right. Our "Showbiz on Call" operators - they have been sinking their teeth into tons of calls, all about "Jon & Kate Plus 8."
We`ve got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Kathy from Maine. Kathy thinks Jon has been Mr. Mom and should get a shout out just for that.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I`ve watched "Jon & Kate Plus 8" since they brought the babies home. And the person that did the majority of that work was Jon. He got all the babies up and changed their diapers. He was the mother of the house. And I think he needs to be given some credit for everything he did.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Kathy. Thank you so much. We also heard from Samantha calling in to "Showbiz on Call." And Samantha says until we all walk in Kate`s shoes, people should just back off.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Nobody knows what it`s like to have eight children. And maybe that`s part of the reason that Kate is always so uptight, because she has a husband that acts like a child along with her eight other children.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was a good point, Samantha. Thanks for your call. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else at all. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. This is the number, 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
I`ve got to tell you, I think this brand new Oprah attack is just so explosive. Tonight, Oprah Winfrey getting slammed for some of the medical advice being given out on her show. Is Oprah putting people in danger? Could the advice from Oprah`s celebrity guests actually put people at risk?
Also, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals who has just dethroned Oprah as the most powerful celebrity in the world.
Also, Jon and Kate cashing in big-time. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the oodles and oodles of money that Jon and Kate Gosselin are making off their controversial reality show. This is no chump change here.
Also, stars telling us about their worst hangovers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I vomited so violently that I burst blood vessels all over my face.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I had a real bat with Jagermeister as a kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Those don`t sound pretty at all. The stars of "Hangover" reveal their nastiest hangovers. You won`t want to miss this. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon lobbies for same-sex marriage in New York`s capital. Wax on, wax off! Will Smith`s son, Jaden, to star in remake of "The Karate Kid."
Now, it`s SHOWBIZ birthday shout out. "Project Runway" host Heidi Klum turning 36 this week. Here`s a birthday shout-out from L.C. - Lauren Conrad from "The Hills."
LAUREN CONRAD, REALITY TV STAR, "THE HILLS": Hi, I`m Lauren. I just want to say happy birthday to Heidi and I hope you eat lots of cake.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think about the Cairo trip? Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Did you see this? I guess Bo knows nothing about President Obama`s Cairo trip, or he just didn`t want to answer the question because he started chewing on a reporter`s microphone. Nice, Bo.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Did you see this? Will Ferrell will stop at nothing to promote his new movie, even eating reindeer eyeballs.
Yes, Ferrell was part of a special edition of Discovery`s "Man Versus Wild." He spent 48 hours roughing it in subzero temperatures in the wilderness of northern Sweden with the show`s host, Bear Grylls, and even got to chow down on reindeer eye sockets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEAR GRYLLS, HOST, "MAN VERSUS WILD": This is the actual eye socket itself.
WILL FERRELL, COMEDIAN: Yes. Just give me a little. Yes. No, it`s terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, it sounds pretty terrible. Ferrell`s on an all-out media blitz for his new movie "Land of the Lost." So this explains the timing of the deer dinner.
Well, on this morning`s "Live with Regis and Kelly," Will was filling in for Reg and he revealed more about his tasty eye snack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERRELL: So I can check that off the list of things to do in my life. I`ve eaten the eyeball of a reindeer.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": How does the reindeer feel about that?
FERRELL: The reindeer was not happy. Yes. Somewhere in northern Sweden, there`s a reindeer walking around with an eye patch. Yes.
RIPA: What did it taste like?
FERRELL: It tasted kind of like a Cert, without any of the minty.
RIPA: Minty?
FERRELL: No, without any of the minty properties.
RIPA: No minty properties?
FERRELL: Yes. No minty properties whatsoever. Yes.
RIPA: Hmm. Full of protein?
FERRELL: Full of protein. Oh, chockfull of protein and vitamins, as Bear Grylls would say. Vitamins.
RIPA: Vitamins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, nothing quite gets you going like a little reindeer eye, huh? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to reindeers international, who had this to say about Ferrell`s eye snacking. Can we roll that?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Adieu!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Magnificent!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sorry, Rudolph and Comet, there is nothing cute or magnificent about eating reindeer eyeball. But I`ve got to give Will Ferrell a little credit. It kind of makes me go see his movie now, just because he did that.
Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Oprah slammed. Tonight, the shocking new accusation that Oprah`s medical advice could be dangerous to her viewers.
Also, Jon and Kate cashing in. We`re revealing the tons of cash Jon and Kate Gosselin are making off their controversial reality show.
And LeAnn Rimes called a stalker. Tonight, we`re going to tell you why the wife of the star LeAnn is accused of having an affair with is scared of LeAnn. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Courtney Cox Arquette and husband David in talks to do new "Scream" film. "American Idol" season nine auditions begin June 14th in Boston.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Oprah slammed. Tonight, a stunning new attack about the health claims on her show. Is Oprah hazardous to your health?
Plus, we are revealing just who dethroned Oprah as the most powerful celebrity in Hollywood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: My kids are the reason I have always done everything. My kids were the reason I lay on bed rest for 30 entire weeks. My kids were the reason that I wrote the books.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jon and Kate cashing in. Those book deals. The luxury vacations. Kate`s plastic surgery. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the shocking amount of money Jon and Kate are making from their show. But is it wrong for them to cash in?
And LeAnn Rimes a stalker? Tonight, the wife of the star LeAnn is accused of having an affair with reveals why she`s now scared of LeAnn.
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.
And tonight an almost unbelievable brand-new attack on Oprah Winfrey - the queen of talk actually getting blasted in a bombshell report in the brand-new issue of "Newsweek" magazine.
Take a look at this cover. It`s a picture of Oprah, as you see, with those words "Crazy Talk: Oprah, Wacky Cures and You." Wow. Now, this report leaves no stone unturned, asking if through her show and her magazine Oprah`s actually endorsing certain health claims that can make people sick.
On her show, the powerful O has featured celebrities like Suzanne Somers. Suzanne claims she has found her own fountain of youth in the form of pills.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUZANNE SOMERS, ACTRESS: I take about 40 supplements in the morning, and then before I go to bed I try to remember, like around 7:00 to start taking the last 20.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Then, there`s Oprah giving her blessing of the book "The Secret." It`s a book that promises to reveal to its readers the secrets of the universe.
Joining me tonight in New York is Ben Ferguson, who`s the host of the radio show "The Ben Ferguson Show." Also in New York is Lisa Bloom who`s a CNN legal analyst.
I`ve got to tell you, I find this truly incredible. And the premise of the "Newsweek" piece is exactly this, according to them, quote, "All too often, Oprah winds up putting herself and her trusting audience in the hands of celebrity authors and pop science artists, pitching wonder cures and miracle treatments that are questionable or flat-out wrong and sometimes dangerous."
Ben, off to you first. Is that how you see it?
BEN FERGUSON, HOST, "THE BEN FERGUSON SHOW": Sure. I mean, you look at Oprah and you look at her empire and you look at what she`s created. The fact is, there`s a responsibility that comes with it.
I mean, she is - her show, no doubt about it, is extremely powerful. She can make anybody into a millionaire overnight. She can make any book go to the top of the "New York Times" bestseller list.
But when you put these people out there, there is - when you walk onto her set, there is - basically, you`re giving an endorsement. Oprah`s saying, "I like this product. I like this person. I like this idea. I like what this person`s pitching."
And when you do that it can be very dangerous because there`s a lot of people on there that look at Oprah as the gospel truth no matter what she says. And that`s where it`s really dangerous here, when she lets these people come on there and endorse things, even doctors have said, are a little bit crazy and can put your health at risk.
HAMMER: What do you think about that, Lisa? Should so much of the onus be put on Oprah Winfrey?
BLOOM: Well, you know, when you use the words "responsibility" or "accountability," there`s nobody more responsible or accountable than Oprah. Yes, she has people on to talk about alternative medical theories, and at the same time she has doctors on who challenge them.
She has statements from medical organizations to challenge any of the claims that she`s making. So she`s putting information out there, information which some people believe in. She`s not saying this is what everybody should do. But she`s presenting an alternative.
And by the way, the medical establishment has often been wrong in the past.
FERGUSON: Yes, but.
BLOOM: You know, what they say isn`t gospel. Why shouldn`t we hear the other side?
FERGUSON: But look at Suzanne Somers when she went on there. When you put the doctors that you`re saying she puts on the show on the front row basically being a member of the studio audience, you don`t give them much credit and they can always.
BLOOM: I disagree wit that. I`ve been in that front row.
FERGUSON: Let me finish my point. Let me finish my point. When you only allow those doctors to speak at a certain time when you ask them one question and they don`t get to interact, that`s not a fair fight for them to be able to give their point of view. And Suzanne Somers, when they did this.
BLOOM: But everybody hears the doctors` point of view from all the pharmaceutical advertising on every show in prime time. We hear it everywhere else. Why shouldn`t we hear an alternative?
HAMMER: So Oprah`s really giving them a platform. Let`s go through it, because "Newsweek," very thorough with this article. They make a point by- point case against Oprah.
And claim number one is that Oprah set a dangerous precedent when she did invite Suzanne Somers on her show so she could share with everybody how she`s found her own fountain of youth in the form of dietary supplements. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": Suzanne has been taking these bio-identical hormones for over 10 years. But she doesn`t stop there. She also takes about 60 dietary supplements a day.
SOMERS: I never thought of it like this. I take about 40 supplements in the morning. And then before I go to bed, I try to remember like around 7:00 to start taking the last 20.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. OK. So Suzanne Somers, by the way, has had this controversial regimen raising eyebrows now long before she ever appeared on Oprah back in January of this year. She`s talked about it with me right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So Ben, why is Oprah to blame for this?
FERGUSON: Well, I think, again, it comes back to responsibility. You have someone like Suzanne and she has access, and because of money and everything else, to maybe do these supplements in a more responsible way.
It goes back to the same thing we talked about when you had these pro- baseball players that have doctors overseeing while they were taking illegal steroids. But the average person out there is going to go to the store and try to figure out some concoction that`s going to make their life live longer. They don`t have the same access. And she has a responsibility on that show -
BLOOM: You know, you`re underestimating (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
FERGUSON: Let me finish. She has a responsibility, I believe, on that show to let people know, "Look, you may not have the means to do this or the cash or the oversight of doctors or physicians or health experts to do it." And what she`s doing in my opinion is being a little bit irresponsible.
HAMMER: Well, hang on to your thought one second, Lisa, because let me move on to their claim number two, that Oprah stirred up controversy over whether or not autism is caused by vaccines. Now, this happened when she invited Jenny McCarthy, whose young son has autism, onto the Oprah Winfrey show back in September of `07. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JENNY MCCARTHY, ACTRESS: The university of Google is where I got my degree from. I put in "autism" and something came up that changed my life. That led me on this road to recovery, which said autism - it was in the corner of the screen - is reversible and treatable.
And I said, "What? That has to be an ad for a hocus-pocus thing." Because if autism is reversible and treatable, well, then it would be on Oprah.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, that`s kind of ironic, actually. Jenny McCarthy actually giving Oprah the recognition that "Newsweek" is slamming Oprah for. But Lisa, what do you think? And this goes to all the points. Is it fair to attack Oprah for having Jenny on to express views that she`s been putting out there for a long time regardless of the fact that Oprah had her on the show?
BLOOM: Oprah`s show is about telling stories and putting information out there in a responsible way. Jenny has a story to tell. I don`t necessarily agree with it. But at least one court has found a link between vaccinations and autism. Most of the medical establishment disagrees with that.
Suzanne Somers has 18 best-selling books. I don`t personally agree with what she does. I don`t know whether Oprah does or not. She has the other side on the show.
But I think, Ben, you really misunderstand women. You underestimate women. Because we watch Oprah`s show. We appreciate getting another point of view than we hear from all the pharmaceuticals and the medical industry. And we don`t go out and buy 60 vitamins to take every night. We`re not lemmings.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Ben, I`m going to ask you to hang on a second because I do want to read this brand new statement that Oprah just issued to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She says, quote, "For 23 years, my show has presented thousands of topics that reflect the human experience including doctors, medical advice, and personal health stories. I trust the viewers, and I know that they are smart and discerning enough to seek out the medical opinions to determine what may be best for them."
I do want to move on right now because also big news tonight is the fact that Oprah Winfrey is no longer on top of the brand new "Forbes" Celebrity 100 Power List that was just released tonight. The brand new number one, and may I have a drum roll, please?
Oprah has been knocked off the top spot by Angelina Jolie. Now, this list is based on how much the stars make but also how much power they hold. Look at that list. Right off to you, Ben Ferguson. Do you believe that Angelina Jolie is in fact more powerful than Oprah?
FERGUSON: No, I don`t think so. I don`t think Angelina can sell books. I don`t think Angelina can do a daily talk show and get the audience that Oprah gets. I think Angelina Jolie has gotten a lot of publicity for everything she`s done with adopting children and all that.
But you look - part of the reason, what actually hurt Oprah was - is she got a little bit away from what her branding is, and that`s why you see her dropping. When you start to get involved in politics, and that`s the world that I know the best, and you look at what she did in this last election, she may have sacrificed some of her fan base.
BLOOM: Oh, please.
FERGUSON: And the same thing when you have Suzanne Somers on. When you get involved in politics, whether you`re conservative or liberal, you`re going to lose that crossover appeal.
BLOOM: May get a word in?
FERGUSON: No, no. You`ve had plenty of words in. It`s crossover appeal. Look, this is not court here. This is not legal jargon here.
BLOOM: You know, Oprah makes $275 million a year. I don`t think she`s doing anything wrong. I don`t think she`s slipping.
FERGUSON: I just said that she should be number one and she`s higher than Angelina. Obviously, you didn`t hear what I said. My point is that you`re going to lose a little bit of it when you start getting involved in politics. You get outside of what your show is. Her show is to connect with women.
BLOOM: What has she lost? She makes more than she made last year.
FERGUSON: . at home. And that`s what she does best.
HAMMER: OK. Before we go, just because I got into this list and I really want to show you who else is on the list, which is not just based on how much people made but on how powerful they are. Can we throw the rest of the list up?
Behind Angelina and Oprah, we have Madonna, Beyonce, Tiger Woods. And look at that, Oprah made 10 times more than Angelina. Yet, Oprah drops to number two. And there the rest of the list - Bruce Springsteen, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, Kobe Bryant.
And that leads me to thank you, Lisa Bloom, Ben Ferguson. I do appreciate you both being here tonight. Big excitement.
Also, big exciting SHOWBIZ TONIGHT breaking news to tell you about tonight, our very own Brooke Anderson has given birth to a beautiful baby girl. She`s named Kate Victoria. Kate Victoria weighing in at eight pounds one ounce, 20 inches long.
Brooke, all of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are very happy for you and your husband. Congratulations. Coming up tomorrow, we reveal Brooke`s baby album. And man, did we pay big bucks for this - the very first pictures of little Kate right here, exclusively on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, Jon and Kate cashing in. And I`m talking about the Gosselins here. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT revealing how much the troubled reality show stars are really raking in. We`re talking luxury vacations, Kate`s plastic surgery, the book deals. But is anything wrong with them cashing in?
Also, LeAnn Rimes a stalker? Find out why the wife of the star LeAnn was accused of having an affair with says she`s scared of LeAnn.
We will also have this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I vomited so violently that I burst blood vessels all over my face.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a real bat with Jagermeister as a kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you hear the totally outrageous hangover stories from the stars of the brand-new movie, "The Hangover." You`ll never look at these guys the same again. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Miley Cyrus to design affordable clothing line for Wal-Mart. Zac Efron to appear on the sixth season of HBO`s "Entourage.")
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, Jon and Kate cashing in on controversy, and the startling accusations against LeAnn Rimes. She`s being called a stalker in an alleged love triangle. All of this making big news right now.
Jon and Kate plus big money. Their reality TV show ratings are huge, and so are their paychecks. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the revealing numbers.
Plus, a brand-new interview just released today with the wife of the guy LeAnn Rimes was accused of having an affair with. Why is she calling LeAnn a stalker?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, who`s a correspondent for "Extra." Also from Hollywood tonight is Sharon Waxman, who`s the founder and editor-in-chief of "TheWrap.com."
Now, I`ve got to start with Jon and Kate. They are cashing in big- time. The numbers we are hearing are just mind-boggling. Can we put this up, please?
Jon and Kate reportedly get as much as $75,000 per episode of "Jon & Kate Plus 8." With 40 episodes, that would mean as much as $3 million a year. Their home is worth a reported $1.1 million.
And they have received a reported approximately $100,000 worth of freebies through doing the show like Kate`s tummy tuck, Jon`s hair plugs, luxury vacations, the rental home. This list goes on and on. And let`s not forget all of Kate`s bestselling book deals.
Carlos, looking at those numbers, if all of them are true, is it just easier for us to understand why they wouldn`t quit the show?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Exactly. I`ve been saying this all along. I mean, this is the only viable income that these two have. An actor, for instance, can say, "I don`t like the show that I`m acting on. I want to go to movies. I want to go to a different show." There`s no other show for Jon and Kate as far as being parents. They`re never going to make this much money doing any other profession.
And it brings up an interesting point, A.J. Now, as their relationship begins to splinter apart, if in fact it does go to divorce, these two are going to start playing toward the camera hoping that America continues to like them so that paycheck continues to roll in for both of them if they do happen to get their own separate shows.
HAMMER: Yes. But here`s the question that I`ve been raising all along. Is all of this really worth it seeing how their marriage and their eight kids have to be affected.
DIAZ: Yes.
HAMMER: . by all of this?
DIAZ: Yes, it is. Yes, it is.
HAMMER: Hold on a second, Carlos. Just chill out a moment, Carlos. I want to show you something, because I think here`s a guy with great perspective. who made a terrific point - Andrew Firestone.
Remember him? Former star of "The Bachelor." Well, he was on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," and he said something that just made a lot of sense to me. Can we roll that, please?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW FIRESTONE, REALITY TV STAR, "THE BACHELOR": The fact that she is gone or their work is driving a wedge between their family, then you get a different line of work. If I had a son and daughter, if I - or a wife and son in the other room. And if my job was causing me to cause a rift, I would get a different job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. So he`s saying just quit, find a new job. But I guess, Carlos, you know, to your point, it may be easier said than done.
Let me throw this to you, Sharon. You know, we`re talking about a lot of cash coming in for a really big family. They need the money. So it`s really not that simple, is it?
WAXMAN: Well, it`s simple if you are thinking about the long-term health of your family and what your interest really is. The problem with this little fame addiction that people have is you that feel like what you have today is who the person you`ve become and the person you`re always going to be.
And if you feel like you`re Kate - Jon and Kate and you`re on every tabloid cover magazine and you`re on TV constantly and on news shows like this one and other ones, then you have this sense of power and a sense of completely out of proportion with who you really are.
HAMMER: Yes.
WAXMAN: And the money only pumps that up. So the hangover - I was on that show with Larry King last night. I was on with Drew Pinsky, who was talking about, as we have investigated also in our stories, this kind of hangover that happens afterward when the fame has gone away.
I don`t see two Jon and Kate shows, one of each. I mean, that`s asking an awful lot of viewers, of interest in the world that they created. I mean, I think people - I mean, that drama of what`s going on in an actual marriage with that many kids and that much pressure and how they`re going to respond to it, that`s a very compelling storyline for the American public to follow. What happens after that, not so much.
HAMMER: Very quickly, Carlos.
DIAZ: Very quickly. Listen, Andrew Firestone - come on. I`m sorry. I dig you, Andrew, you`re a great guy. But your last name`s Firestone, OK? Don`t tell me about money. You`re set for the rest of your life.
HAMMER: All right. Let us move on now to this next story. This is just wild to me. Country music superstar LeAnn Rimes and actor Eddie Cibrian. They were caught up in reports of a steamy affair when they were making a movie together back in March.
Well, now, two months later, Eddie`s wife, Brandi, is claiming LeAnn is still obsessed with Eddie. She gave a new interview to "Us Weekly" magazine just released today. In it, Brandi says, quote, "LeAnn is a stalker. She refuses to leave us alone. It is shameful and scary. People are going to say it takes two to tango. I get that. But at some point, LeAnn needs to stop asking him to dance. She`s hurting my family and messing with the wrong mom."
Now, Brandi also says LeAnn is doing this just to get back in the spotlight. What do you think, Carlos? Are you shocked Eddie`s wife would attack LeAnn like this?
DIAZ: I`m amazed at these quotes. I mean, this really does hearken back to "Fatal Attraction" when Anne Archer told Glenn Close, "Stay way from my family or I`ll kill you." I mean, she`s not going that far, but she is basically using the media to tell LeAnn Rimes, "Back off."
And I`m amazed that she would do that. LeAnn Rimes` people said that she`s not going to fight this fight in the media.
HAMMER: Yes. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to LeAnn Rime this afternoon. And her spokesperson told us, quote, "These comments are incredibly defamatory, and while there are always two sides to every story, LeAnn continues to remain above the fray and chooses not to let this play out in the press."
I`ve got to end it there. Carlos Diaz, Sharon Waxman, thank you, guys.
We have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jon Gosselin Defends Himself: Do you feel sorry for him?" CNN.com/ShowbizTonight is where you vote or E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Well, you know they say stars are just like us so we`re really putting them to the test.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I vomited so violently that I burst blood vessels all over my face.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a real bat with Jagermeister as a kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, wait until you hear these stars of the new movie "The Hangover" as they reveal their most embarrassing hangovers moments ever to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Trust me, it isn`t pretty.
Now, more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom that are new right now.
Eminem`s new album "Relapse" already the fifth bestselling album of the year. It`s only been out for two weeks. "Relapse" is also number one on the Billboard 200 album chart now for the second week in a row.
And Sir Paul McCartney is going to perform the first concert at New York Mets` new ballpark Citi Field next month. This is cool because the Beatles were the first musical act to play Shea Stadium, the old Mets stomping grounds, back in 1965. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
OK, admit it. You`ve had a monster hangover at least once in your life. You know, the kind that makes you vow you`ll never drink again.
Well, the brand-new movie, "The Hangover," takes that to the next level. In the movie, four guys have a little weekend bachelor party blowout in Las Vegas. But along with hangovers, they wake up to find a tiger in their hotel bathroom, a baby in their closet and, yes, Mike Tyson serenading them. Whoa.
So when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with the stars and the director of "The Hangover," we just had to ask about their most outrageous hangover memories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My bachelor party in Vegas was quite tame. It was pretty much run of the mill. To my knowledge, there were no tigers or chickens. Maybe a midget.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mine was in Phoenix when I was like 19 and I woke up with like a 59-year-old woman, a wonderful woman. At like the airport Radisson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I had a bat with Jagermeister as a kid that was awful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I vomited so violently that I burst blood vessels all over my face and I had like red freckles. Yes, it was bad, bad news.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. It does sound like bad news. "The Hangover" hits theaters on Friday.
So on Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. It was this - "Octomom`s Reality Show: Will it be better than "Jon & Kate Plus 8?" Wow. Look at this lopsided vote. Wow! 93 percent of you said no; only seven percent of you said yes.
Mark from Kansas was so outraged he called in to "Showbiz on Call" to give the octomom a piece of his mind.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: My perspective on the octomom going off and saying things about "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is just ridiculous. She`s being a hypocrite. And I just think she needs to know that she has no room to speak about anybody for the way that her kids are being raised because she`s doing no better.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Mark, we appreciate your call.
Now, we`ve got a ton of e-mails in as well. I want to read a couple of those to you. We heard from Amanda in Michigan, who writes, "The octomom`s show will never be better than `Jon & Kate.` That family is real and natural and very enjoyable to watch. Even if Jon and Kate are having problems, they are a real family."
We also heard from Andrea in Arkansas. Andrea writing, "Why would anybody in their right mind even want to watch the octomom? She`s pathetic."
Now, please remember you can call us at "Showbiz on Call" to let us know what you think about this or anything else at all. The number is 1- 888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much 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 weekday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN.
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